SharpRank’s weekly updates on Compliance, Audit, Legislation, Ethics, & Regulation within the Sports Betting Industry.
Topics 1/22/25:
- ALT Sports Joins Forces with X Games in New Partnership
- CFTC Heads to Court Over Election Betting Appeal
- Hard Rock Bet Kicks Off 2025 World Jai Alai League
- Eli and Peyton Manning Lead FanDuel’s Super Bowl Campaign
- UK Regulator Probes KPMG’s Entain Audit
- Eastern Michigan Basketball Faces Suspicious Betting Probe
- PA Sportsbook Revenue Drops as iGaming Hits Record High
- ESPN Unveils ‘The Talk’ Responsible Gaming Campaign
ALT Sports Joins Forces with X Games in New Partnership
California-based ALT Sports Data has announced a global partnership with the X Games, allowing fans to wager on extreme sports events for the first time. The partnership will enable ALT Sports Data to access and leverage X Games data to offer traditional and prop betting markets. With a 113% increase in streaming audiences over the past year, X Games aims to deepen fan engagement and attract new audiences. ALT Sports Data will also assist with the launch of the X Games League in 2026, offering year-round competition.
CFTC Heads to Court Over Election Betting Appeal
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and prediction market Kalshi presented oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in an ongoing legal battle over election betting markets. The CFTC, arguing that Kalshi’s contracts resemble an online casino, seeks to overturn a lower court ruling that found Kalshi’s congressional election contracts lawful. Kalshi maintains that its contracts fulfill legitimate economic needs and do not constitute gaming. A decision from the appeals court could uphold the current status quo or disrupt federally regulated election betting markets. Meanwhile, the debate over prediction markets continues to grow, with interest from major players like DraftKings.
Hard Rock Bet Kicks Off 2025 World Jai Alai League
Hard Rock Bet announced the start of the 2025 Battle Court Winter season for the World Jai Alai League (WJAL). Fans in Florida can now place bets and watch matches live via the Hard Rock Bet app, which features wagering options, daily promotions, and a loyalty rewards program. Matches will also be broadcast live from the Magic City Fronton in Miami on multiple platforms, including YouTube, ESPN3, and Fubo TV. High-profile figures like Ray Lewis, Udonis Haslem, and Pitbull are involved as team owners and investors, enhancing the league’s profile. Jai Alai, known as the ‘world’s fastest ball sport,’ is a key part of Florida’s sports culture, and Hard Rock Bet aims to deepen fan engagement through its platform.
Eli and Peyton Manning Lead FanDuel’s Super Bowl Campaign
Eli and Peyton Manning, both two-time NFL champions, star in FanDuel’s latest Super Bowl campaign. The campaign includes the Kick of Destiny 3, where the brothers will compete in a live field goal challenge during the FOX Super Bowl Pregame Show. The challenge involves each brother attempting 25-yard field goals, with a tiebreaker if needed. Fans can participate by predicting the winner via FanDuel Sportsbook, with a chance to win a share of $10 million in bonus bets. The campaign replaces Rob Gronkowski as the face of Kick of Destiny and features two TV ads during Super Bowl LIX, showcasing highlights from the competition.
UK Regulator Probes KPMG’s Entain Audit
The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has initiated an investigation into KPMG’s audit of bookmaker Entain for the year ending December 2022. The probe, conducted by the FRC’s enforcement division, follows scrutiny over KPMG’s audit practices in light of previous scandals, including a record £21 million fine for its audit failures of Carillion in 2023. Entain, which owns brands like Ladbrokes and Coral, faced its own legal challenges, agreeing to a £585 million penalty in 2023 over alleged bribery offenses linked to its former Turkish operations. KPMG, Entain’s external auditor since 2017, stated it would cooperate fully with the investigation.
Eastern Michigan Basketball Faces Suspicious Betting Probe
Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) has flagged suspicious betting activity around two Eastern Michigan basketball games within a month. The latest incident involved significant line movement and large wagers on Central Michigan to cover the first-half spread, leading sportsbooks to launch an investigation. A similar alert was issued in December 2024 for a game between Wright State and Eastern Michigan, with possible ties to suspicious bettors flagged last season. Eastern Michigan University has initiated its own review, as concerns about gambling integrity in college sports continue to grow. Previous high-profile cases include investigations into Temple University’s basketball program and federal scrutiny of former player Hysier Miller.
PA Sportsbook Revenue Drops as iGaming Hits Record High
Pennsylvania’s online casino market achieved a record-breaking $223.6 million in gross revenue for December 2024, a 35.5% increase year-over-year. Online slots contributed $164.2 million, while table games generated $56.9 million. In stark contrast, online sports betting revenue plummeted 51.6% YoY to $47.5 million, despite an $893.4 million handle. FanDuel led sportsbooks with $353.3 million in handle and $23.8 million in revenue, but it faced a 48.7% revenue drop compared to December 2023. Despite December’s challenges, Pennsylvania sportsbooks saw record annual betting activity in 2024, with $8.4 billion in handle and $778.4 million in GGR, up 10.5% and 13.3% respectively.
The Full Story Here.
ESPN Unveils ‘The Talk’ Responsible Gaming Campaign
ESPN has launched ‘The Talk,’ a responsible gaming campaign aimed at educating sports fans on smart sports betting practices. The campaign features creative spots led by SportsCenter anchors Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski, with the first debuting during the TGL golf league broadcast on January 21. ‘The Talk’ uses humor to encourage meaningful conversations about responsible betting and provides resources via ESPN.com/smartplay, including the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline. This initiative is part of ESPN’s broader commitment to responsible gaming, building on its collaboration with UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, which supports research and education on gambling behavior. ESPN also integrates responsible gaming messaging into its content and sportsbook platform, ESPN Bet, to normalize smart betting practices among fans.
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