Business and Commerce

Clippers' owner Steve Ballmer plans to keep the Forum as a music venue. (Image: City of Inglewood)

Clippers’ Steve Ballmer Avoids Lawsuits with $400M Forum Purchase

LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will fork over $400 million in cash for the Forum in Inglewood, California. The purchase, announced Tuesday, paves the way for the Clippers’ new arena at a nearby location, but most of all, it ends Madison Square Garden’s (MSG) contentious legal battle with the City […]

William Hill CEO Joe Asher said his company has put together several coronavirus-related wagers to try and make up for the lost revenue with all the major sports closing. (Image: Sport Business Daily)

Coronavirus-Related Wagers Creative, Not Terribly Profitable

With major sports canceled, sportsbooks are losing money. As a result, oddsmakers are looking for new revenue streams and are trying to get creative by offering coronavirus-related wagers. Several offshore books are scrambling to provide bets for their customers, and some of the offerings are imaginative, to say the least. […]

Eldorado Resorts continues to push for its acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, despite the heightened risks due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Image: Eldorado Resports)

Coronavirus Complicates $17.3 Billion Eldorado, Caesars Merger

To protect its merger with Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment was among the last casino companies to close during the coronavirus outbreak. But even if the deal goes through, there could be tough times ahead for Caesars — and the banks financing the deal. Last June, Eldorado Resorts agreed to acquire […]

Jockey Club Reports Horse Fatalities at Lowest Point in a Decade

Jockey Club Reports Horse Fatalities at Lowest Point in a Decade

The incidences of horse fatalities at American thoroughbred racetracks are now at their lowest point in a decade, according to statistics compiled by the Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database (EID). The 2019 rate of fatal injuries to horses is at its lowest number since the EID began collecting data in […]

MGM Resorts and Wynn are closing all their Las Vegas properties by Tuesday. (Image: MGM Resorts)

MGM and Wynn Temporarily Close All Las Vegas Properties

MGM Resorts and Wynn are closing their Las Vegas properties due to coronavirus concerns, effective Tuesday, March 17. Sunday night’s announcement followed days of incremental changes to the casino companies’ services. Both MGM and Wynn had reduced operations at their Las Vegas properties prior to Sunday’s announcements. MGM closed down […]

The Hollywood Casino Toledo is one of Ohio's 11 casinos closed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. (Image: Hollywood Casinos)

Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania Casinos Close as Coronavirus Spreads

Casinos across Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are closing in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The casino closures are mostly in response to new state health policies. After the 2007-08 financial crisis, states embraced the casino industry with open arms. For many, the industry was a […]

Add the Wynn Las Vegas race and sportsbook and poker room to the many coronavirus related closures. (Image: Wynn)

Wynn Las Vegas Shuts Down Poker Room and Sportsbook

Wynn Las Vegas announced its race and sportsbook will, along with its poker room, be closed as of Sunday. Friday’s announcement follows Wynn’s closing of its entertainment venues and buffets in its Las Vegas and Boston properties due to coronavirus concerns. The is no mystery behind Wynn’s closure of its […]

Are Vegas Sportsbooks Becoming Coronavirus Ghost Towns?

Are Vegas Sportsbooks Becoming Coronavirus Ghost Towns?

The coronavirus scare is sports gambling’s worst nightmare. Virtually all major American sporting events have been canceled or postponed indefinitely, which means sports gamblers won’t have much to bet on, at least for a while. So, how long will this last and how bad will things get? On most afternoons, […]

An MGM Mirage guest, and "Power of Women Summit" Las Vegas conference, tested positive for the coronavirus. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty)

MGM Mirage Las Vegas Guest Tests Positive for Coronavirus

A guest at the Mirage casino resort tested positive for the coronavirus, MGM Resorts International announced on Wednesday. The guest, a New York woman, was in Las Vegas to attend the “Women of Power Summit.” MGM issued a press release on Wednesday, stating that it had informed guests and employees […]

FanDuel Sportsbook will begin streaming up to two NHL games a day in its mobile app thanks to a new deal with IMG Arena. (Image: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire/Getty)

FanDuel to Livestream NHL Games in Mobile Sports Betting App

FanDuel Sportsbook will begin streaming National Hockey League games on a daily basis as part of a deal between the NHL and IMG Arena. The sportsbook will stream up to two games a day through its mobile app, with feeds available only to those who have funds in their sportsbook […]

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he's "open to changing partners" as media rights deals expire. (Image: Cliff Hawkins/Getty)

NFL’s Two-Minute Drill to Renew Broadcast Rights at Risk

The NFL is eager to renegotiate its television rights on the heels of a good season. But improving ratings may not impress media buyers who worry the coronavirus could hurt advertisers. The NFL had a relatively good year, with television ratings up roughly 5% during the 2019 regular season. As […]

Without legalized sports betting in Massachusetts, the Celtics settled for a daily fanstasy sports deal with DraftKings. (Imate: Chris Elise?Getty)

NBA Franchises and XFL Forge New Sports Betting Partnerships

Three NBA franchises and the XFL all announced new partnerships last week, continuing the hookup frenzy between major sports leagues and the sports betting industry. The Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics all signed deals with DraftKings, while the XFL and The Action Network inked a content deal. Once […]

CBS Sports reached a partnership deal with William Hill, making the bookmaker its supplier of sports betting data. (Image: Sports Video Group)

William Hill Signs Sports Betting Data Partnership with CBS Sports

CBS Sports and bookmaker William Hill announced a partnership on Tuesday, making the oddsmaker the official sportsbook and wagering data provider for the network. William Hill gains the exclusive rights to promote its sportsbook brand on CBS Sports’ digital platforms, beginning with March Madness. William Hill Targets Huge CBS Audience […]

Denny Hamlin takes the checkered flag at Penn National's sposored race, the 2019 Hollywood Casino 400. (Image: Getty)

Penn National Gaming and NASCAR Hook Up in Multi-Year Partnership

Penn National Gaming and NASCAR announced a multi-year partnership deal on Friday. This is the second sports-related deal for the regional casino operator this year, after taking a stake in Barstool Sports just last month. Penn National Gaming has been a sponsor of a NASCAR Cup Series race, the Hollywood […]

Bill Simmons developed The Ringer after ESPN killed off his first sports media company, Grantland. (Image:: David Paul Morris/Getty)

Spotify Buys The Ringer in Latest Sports Media Grab

Audio streaming company Spotify Technology announced on Wednesday that it agreed to buy the sports media outlet, The Ringer. And while much of the recent sports media acquisition frenzy is tied to the spread of legal sports betting, this latest deal may be motivated more by fit. The details of […]

Magnus Carlsen has signed a two-year sponsorship deal in Unibet, but he won’t be able to represent the gaming firm in Norway. (Image: Kindred Group)

World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen Signs Controversial Sponsorship with Unibet

Unibet continued strengthening its ties to the chess world, announcing Thursday that it had partnered with World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen on a two-year sponsorship deal. The agreement makes the Kindred Group – parent company of Unibet – Carlsen’s primary sponsor for the next two years. Carlsen will act as […]

Penn National acquired a 36 percent stake in Barstool Sports for a package of cash and stock worth $163 million. (Image: Adam Glanzman/Getty)

Penn National Gaming Acquires Stake in Barstool Sports for $163 Million

Penn National Gaming became the latest gambling operator to get into the sports media business, announcing Wednesday that it was purchasing a 36 percent interest in Barstool Sports. Penn National paid $135 million in cash and $28 million in stock to close the deal, bringing the total purchase price to […]

Barstool Sports could find a new home with Penn National, a regional casino company looking to add to its sports media portfolio.

Barstool Sports Could be Acquired by Penn National

Barstool Sports is reportedly in talks to be acquired by the regional casino company, Penn National Gaming. As legal sports betting expands across the United States, sports media companies are becoming hot commodities. In November, The Big Lead reported that The Chernin Group was looking to sell its interest in […]

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert is "making a big bet on women" with new contract proposal. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty)

New WNBA Contract Could Triple Maximum Player Salary (VIDEO)

A proposed contract between the WNBA and its players’ union could boost the maximum player salary to more than $500,000 per season. The eight-year deal, which has yet to be ratified by either side, will give more to players, but will also ask them to do more. Cathy Engelbert was […]