Andrew Pridgen

Andrew Pridgen

Online Gambling Industry and Sports Betting Reporter  |  CALIFORNIA-NEVADA

Muck Rack profile

Andrew is a failed comedian-turned-newspaper reporter and magazine journalist in California and Nevada, where he learned to play blackjack, sweat the fifth leg of a parlay on a Sunday night, and use news sources to follow up on injury reports for placing bets. His stories have appeared in McSweeney's, Powder Magazine, Lake Tahoe News, Tahoe Quarterly, Teton Gravity Research, Sisu Magazine, Grist Magazine, and Mashable. His debut novel Burgundy Upholstery Sky (2016) tells a harrowing tale of life in a casino shortly before sunrise.

Pac-12 Football Could Have Been in a Bubble, Instead it Will Kick Off this Weekend With At Least One Program Already in Jeopardy

Pac-12 Football Could Have Been in a Bubble, Instead it Will Kick Off this Weekend With At Least One Program Already in Jeopardy

The University of California’s Saturday night season opener against Washington may be canceled in the wake of a player testing positive for the coronavirus. On Wednesday, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said the school will have to undergo “significant” contact tracing with players and coaching staff in the wake of […]

Time Will Tell if Tennessee’s Unique Sports Betting Laws Become a Template or a Cautionary Tale

Time Will Tell if Tennessee’s Unique Sports Betting Laws Become a Template or a Cautionary Tale

Tennessee sportsbooks took their first wagers on Sunday and, while some analysts predict they will do astronomical numbers, the state’s unique approach to regulation could deter both operators and bettors — at least in the early going.  “Tennessee is the first state in the nation to do online interactive and […]

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 15:  Connor McGovern #60 of the Denver Broncos talks to teammates on the offensive line, including Garett Bolles #72, Elijah Wilkinson #68, and Dalton Risner #66 as they sit in the bench area during a game against the Chicago Bears at Empower Field at Mile High on September 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Broncos and Vikings Announce Key Players in COVID-19 Isolation Sunday

According to team reports, one Denver Broncos player and one Minnesota Vikings player tested positive for COVID-19 late in the week and are scratched from play on Sunday. Denver guard Graham Glasgow, a priority acquisition for the Broncos in the offseason, tested positive midweek. And Minnesota starting linebacker Todd Davis, […]

BetMGM Shines Amidst Parent Company’s Sagging Revenues and Thousands of Layoffs 

BetMGM Shines Amidst Parent Company’s Sagging Revenues and Thousands of Layoffs 

Even after aggressively purging its payroll, MGM Resorts lost more than a half-billion dollars in the third quarter of 2020. A singular bright spot was the company’s online sports betting arm, BetMGM, CEO Bill Hornbuckle said Thursday during the company’s quarterly earnings call. New Jersey-based BetMGM, a joint venture with GVC […]

Former ESPN media technology leader is making the jump into the gambling industry by signing on with BeetMGM. (Image: ESPN)

BetMGM Signals Shift to Content and Social with Key ESPN Hire

In a move that portends an emergence as a content and social media juggernaut, BetMGM Tuesday hired Ryan Spoon, ESPN’s senior vice president of digital and social content. Spoon will depart ESPN’s Bristol headquarters to step in as chief operating officer at BetMGM, the New Jersey-based sports gambling venture owned […]

The Dodger gather around Clayton Kershaw en route to his second solid start in the 2020 World Series. (Image: AP)

Playing the Hot Hand: Picking the Dodgers to Win in Six

Before the 2020 World Series’ first pitch, I predicted the Dodgers would win in six. It wasn’t a tough call. The Dodgers were heavily favored, the best team in the COVID-shortened MLB regular season, and peaking at the right time coming back from a 3-1 deficit to a formidable Atlanta Braves […]

Madison mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is one of 12 mayors from Big Ten cities asking the conference to include community concerns when coming up with protocols to fight COVID-19 as football season gets underway this weekend. (Image: News3Now/YouTube)

Could Return of Big Ten Football Be a COVID-19 Superspreader?

As the Big Ten readies to kick off its truncated college football season this weekend, host city mayors are concerned that not enough precautions have been taken to protect communities already at “uncontrollable” levels of COVID-19 spread. In an open letter sent Monday to Big Ten conference officials, mayors for […]