Every week, Gamble On listeners hear Poker Hall of Famer Phil Hellmuth’s voice utter the words, “Gamble on, fellas, gamble on,” and they know it’s time for another audio infusion of gambling news, views, interviews, and bankroll blues.
Here’s a taste of what Episode 274 of the leading industry podcast from our friends at US Bets, hosted by Eric Raskin and Jeff Edelstein, had to offer …
Rybaltowski: ‘Pressure on Entain to make move’ 4fn3w
To kick off 2024, Gamble On welcomed guest Matt Rybaltowski, a senior analyst right here at Sports Handle, for an interview focused largely on the major business stories in the gaming world that he’s expecting to be tracking over the next 12 months.
Rybaltowski says the most intriguing business story surrounds Entain’s decision over what to do with its 50% stake in departure of CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen:
“That shows that the wheels are turning and, at least from the activist point of view, there’s pressure for Entain to make some sort of move here.”
Investigative reporter Rybaltowski also dug into the way activist investors are circling around PENN Entertainment, saying by 2025 or ’26, “I think you really have to see ESPN BET do well, or some of these activist investors are going to try to take control of the PENN board.”
A compelling discussion followed from there when Edelstein asked Rybaltowski if New York sports betting market via Wynn BET’s license:
Will ESPN BET enter the New York market in 2024 by acquiring the WynnBET license? @MattRybaltowski says, "If Wynn wants to charge somewhere around $100 million for that license fee, talks could get pretty contentious there," and discussion ensues on the latest ep of #GambleOn. https://t.co/iCmjasvLSy pic.twitter.com/pt3K1KfUqI
— US Bets (@US_Bets) January 5, 2024
Rybaltowski, who broke the news last year about Indianapolis Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers’ gambling suspension from the NFL, also gave his take on how Rodgers, now in the Eagles organization, could turn his massive mistakes made in 2022 into a positive for himself and the league:
“Rodgers could really serve as the voice for young players, hammering down that point that, is it really worth it to make a bet, of $1000, or $10, $20 here or there, if you’re going to [cost yourself] an $80 million contract?”
News segment nuggets t3b1x
- Seven operators have applied for North Carolina mobile betting app licenses so far. Six are the usual suspects. One, Underdog, has never launched a sportsbook before. “I am legitimately excited to see what they’ve got in store,” Edelstein said. “Jeremy Levine, the founder and CEO, has long promised a different sports betting experience — one more like a game than anything that’s out there. Have I texted him repeatedly begging for a look-see? Yes. Has he given me that said look-see? No. Does he have something truly revolutionary up his sleeve? I mean, I wouldn’t put it past him.”
- The online poker world is sorting through a major cheating scandal at GGPoker, a site not regulated anywhere in the U.S. One player had access to information that told him the strength of his opponents’ hands. Raskin and Edelstein discussed whether the regulated U.S. industry could withstand such a scandal, and both concluded that it could not. “There isn’t enough money in U.S. online poker right now to make it worth fighting to survive,” Raskin opined.
- Maryland due to concerns over its legality. “You’ve got to know which states are allowing [pick’em] and which aren’t, and that seems to be the big error here by DraftKings,” Raskin said. “You get egg on your face when you launch a game and pull it after two weeks. They probably should have known not to launch in Maryland at all.”
- The DK Pick6 situation also led the hosts into a side discussion about the phrase “hoisted by your own petard. They then embarked on a journey of discovery about what a petard is.
More being “the gang learns the literal definition of petard”. Some great post-holiday foggy brain moments too
— lyle (@lyletheacadian) January 4, 2024
Bankroll bets and parting thoughts 253t4b
The online streets are teeming with sharp bettors sharing advice that just may help people beat the books. Raskin and Edelstein are also online and like to place wagers.
This week’s notable bankroll bets:
- Shohei Ohtani to lead MLB in home runs in 2024, +950
- Browns over Bengals on the moneyline in Week 18, +260
- Michigan -7.5 (adjusted line) vs. Washington in CFB title game, +130
Raskin’s Bagels & Locks “lock” of the week (8-6 on the season so far): Giants +5.5 vs. Eagles
Edelstein’s Bagels & Locks “lock” of the week (9-5 on the season so far): Giants +5.5 vs. Eagles
Edelstein ends every episode with parting thoughts, and this week, he dug deep into his envy of the fantasy player who won $3 million in this year’s biggest Underdog best ball contest.
“I desperately need to be crowned an Underdog champion. It’s started to have a negative effect on my life that I’m not — especially and specifically because the first Underdog tournament I ever entered, Best Ball Mania II, I landed in the damn finals. I lost badly, but I had a taste. Now, I want it all. Not only do I want Underdog street cred, I want ive income as well. That’s the American dream, my friend.”
