Business and Commerce

Due to a contract impasse, horseplayers at the three NYRA tracks, including Saratoga, won't be able to bet on Kentucky Downs races during the all-turf track's six-day meet. (Image: Kentucky Downs)

Kentucky Downs Shuts Out NYRA Bettors

Due to a contract impasse, bettors at New York Racing Association tracks and NYRA Bets account holders won’t be able to wager on the upcoming Kentucky Downs meet. That shuts out the country’s fourth-largest advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform from access to the six-day, all-turf boutique meet. Kentucky Downs opens […]

test

Beer Companies Ramp Up Sponsorship of Women’s Sports

Two major beer brands announced new women’s sports programs on Thursday. Heineken announced new sponsorships with UEFA women’s soccer and motorsport’s W series. Meanwhile, Michelob ULTRA is committing $100 million over the next five years to promote gender equality in sports. Beer companies have traditionally been among sports’ largest sponsors. […]

ESPN's gradual embrace of sports betting may pick up steam as it looks to license its brand to sportsbooks. (Image: Getty)

Disney’s ESPN Sports-Betting Deals Could Net $3 Billion

Walt Disney’s ESPN is looking to generate more than $3 billion in sports-betting licensing deals. Once reluctant to associate with gambling, the multimedia company has gradually changed its tune. Initially tentative to offer sports-betting content, the company is now looking to leap into ESPN-branded sportsbooks. According to the Wall Street […]

The novel, non-oval Kentucky Downs course offers racing only six days a year. When the meet opens Sept. 5, it will go by the new name "FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs." (Image: Kentucky Downs)

FanDuel to Become Title Sponsor of Kentucky Downs Meet

Kentucky Downs and FanDuel announced a three-year partnership this week that will put the betting platform’s name on the track’s boutique late-summer meet. The six-day meet, which runs Sept. 5-6, 8-9, and 11-12, now goes by the name FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. FanDuel is the parent company of the […]

Giannis Anteokounmpo (Image: Getty)

Giannis Antetokounmpo Joins Brewers Ownership Group as Investment Surge Continues

NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo attended a Milwaukee Brewers game on Tuesday. And, while Antetokounmpo has attended many Brewers games, this was his first as the team’s newest minority owner. Antetokounmpo’s investment is hardly unique, however, as professional athletes, actors, and private equity firms continue to pour money into professional sports. […]

A proposal merging fantasy sports and pari-mutuel wagering could be the first step toward sports wagering in the Golden State. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty)

Sports Betting Bill Passes North Carolina Senate

The North Carolina House of Representatives now holds the future of sports betting in the state in its hands. Months after it was introduced, Senate Bill 688 passed the state Senate last week and was sent to the House. That legislation was read for the first time in the House […]

On May 14, 1967 Joe Pepitone loaned Mickey Mantle his bat. Mantle clocked  his 500th homerun with the bat. A lawsuit may finally dtermine the bat's true owner. (Image: Baseball Hall of Fame)

Mickey Mantle’s Hall of Fame Bat Sparks Lawsuit

The bat Mickey Mantle used to launch his 500th home run has been in the Baseball Hall of Fame for decades, but a recent lawsuit filed by Joe Pepitone claims he’s the bat’s rightful owner. Granted, the bat does have his name on it. The dispute over the bat’s ownership […]

B. Wayne Hughes built a storage empire, then built a owner/breeder empire at Spendthrift Farm. The horse racing visionary died Wednesday at 87. (Image: Inglis Easter Yearlings Sales)

Spendthrift Farm’s Influential Owner B. Wayne Hughes Dies at 87

B. Wayne Hughes, the billionaire co-founder of Public Storage and one of the most influential figures in horse racing, died Wednesday at his Spendthrift Farm home in Kentucky. He was 87. Any comprehensive 21st-century horse racing chronicle must include a chapter on Hughes. His impact on the sport through his […]

This T206 Honus Wagner baseball card demolished the previous record sale for a sports card. (Image: Robert Edwards Auctions)

Honus Wagner Card Shatters Sales Record with $6.6 Million Deal

Perhaps the most famous baseball card of all time set a new sales record in a deal finalized on Monday. The T206 Honus Wagner sold for just over $6.6 million, including a 20% buyer’s premium, eclipsing by $1.4 million the most recent sales records set earlier this year. A 1952 […]

Running for a tag, like on this Oaklawn Park claimer, is the tricky foundation of horse racing. And trainers at Del Mar are claiming horses at a rate threatening a 16-year-old record. (Image: Sarah Andrew Photo)

Staking A Claim: The Name of Del Mar’s Racing Game This Summer

One of Del Mar’s mottos is “cool as ever,” a saying that doesn’t apply to the claiming department for this summer season. The track where the “turf meets the surf,” to borrow another Del Mar phrase, became the track where the claim game is hotter than ever. For the first […]

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a long-awaited bill legalizing fixed-odds wagering on his state's horse races. The bill faces regulatory issues with two state regulating agencies before being implemented. (Image: AP File Photo/Seth Wenig)

New Jersey Governor Signs Fixed-Odds Wagering Bill

After a 45-day delay, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy finally signed the Fixed Odds Wagering Act into law, opening the windows for fixed-odds wagering on horse racing in the state. Don’t make a beeline for the Jersey Shore just yet, however. Implementation requires regulatory approval from the New Jersey Racing […]

Card shows like this one in Scottsboro, Alabama, can be great sources for collectors. (Image: Johnny Kampis)

Don’t Attend a Sports Card Show Without Reading These Tips First

Thinking about venturing away from online, high-stakes sports card auctions and attending your first card show? Good for you. But remember, a live show is very different than what you’ll encounter online and, for the uninitiated, the experience can be confusing and even a little overwhelming. We’re here to help, […]

Arlington Park issued layoff notices to all union employees over the weekend. The suburban Chicago track is on the selling block and current owner Churchill Downs Inc. plans selling to a non-racetrack entity. (Image: Arlington Park)

It’s Happening: Arlington Park Issues Layoff Notices to Employees

The ticking clock on Arlington Park’s 97-year history of racing sped up this weekend when employees for the iconic suburban Chicago track were issued layoff notices. According to the notice, which the Chicago Daily Herald reported, track workers will lose their jobs within 14 days of the Sept. 25 season […]

After former Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Noel resigned last month, the state is scrambling to get sports betting rules established for football season. (Image: Gaming Americas)

Loss of Gaming Chairman Delays Louisiana Sports Betting

Due to a staffing issue at the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, the state’s sports bettors may have to wait until after football season begins before placing wagers. The Louisiana Legislature and state voters legalized sports betting last year, and advocates hoped that wagers could begin by the kickoff of college […]

This 1992 SI for Kids card graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA, the only one of its kind in existence, set a sales record for a woman sports star this weekend. (Image: TMZ)

Mia Hamm Soccer Card Sets Sales Record

A Mia Hamm soccer card nearly impossible to find in perfect condition set a sales record for a card depicting a female sports star. The 1992 Sports Illustrated for Kids card graded Gem Mint by PSA sold for $34,440 via Goldin Auctions over the weekend. It’s the only PSA 10 […]

AEG founder Philip F. Anschutz poses with the team and the Stanley Cup after defeating the New Jersey Devils in Game Six of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals at Staples Center on June 11, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The Kings defeated the Devils 6-1 to win the series 4 games to 2.  (Image: Christian Petersen/Getty)

AEG Founder Selling LA Lakers Stake to Dodgers, Sparks Owners

Philip F. Anschutz is set to sell his stake in the NBA’s LA Lakers to LA Dodgers owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly. Anschutz, founder of the entertainment and sports conglomerate AEG, owns 27% of the Lakers. The proposed sale still needs approval by the NBA’s Board of Governors. Assuming […]

David Robinson, former San Antonio Spurs

Michael Dell, Sixth Street Partners Join Spurs Ownership Ranks

Texas billionaire Michael Dell and the investment firm Sixth Street are the newest members of the San Antonio Spurs ownership group. Their combined 30 percent stake allowed other minority owners to cash out of their profitable Spurs investment. According to Forbes, the San Antonio Spurs franchise is worth $1.85 billion. […]

The Monmouth Park toteboard is due for some changes on the win-place-show side when fixed-odds wagering takes effect. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign the bill legalizing fixed-odds horse wagering in time for the July 17 Haskell Stakes. (Image: Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

New Jersey Legislators Pass Fixed-Odds Wagering in Time for Haskell

New Jersey took another step toward fixed-odds horse racing wagering on Monday when the bill legalizing that brand of wagering unanimously passed both legislative houses. After clearing the state senate 40-0 and the state assembly, 74-0-1, it now heads to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for his expected signature. The Thoroughbred […]

Dustin Johnson has Wayne Gretzky rooting for him. (Image Getty)

Wayne Gretsky, Steve Nash Join Vegas NLL Lacrosse Ownership Group

Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash, and Dustin Johnson have joined the group owning the Las Vegas National Lacrosse League (NLL) team. Tony Tsai, owner of basketball’s Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, became the primary owner of the newest NLL team in May. Lacrosse is one of Canada’s most popular sports, […]