The NFL's 'Other' Legal Issue?
The National Football League for the second straight year has taken issue with Las Vegas' Super Bowl-related marketing efforts. Mayor Oscar Goodman has had enough and is encouraging a lawsuit.
Last year the NFL put the kibosh on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's plans to run TV ads during the Super Bowl. This year the league warned casinos that their Super Bowl-themed parties, where high rollers were treated to the game on theater-style screens, were in violation of the league's broadcasting rules.
"This year, I believe the NFL treated us so poorly it's actionable," Goodman said. "We have to do something about it, and I believe this is the time the discussion has to start."
Goodman said the NFL's latest actions showed "unclean hands" and came as retaliation for the convention authority's placement of Las Vegas-themed Super Bowl ads on national television in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 1 game.
BetBetBet247 Launched
Officials with U.K.-based Gaming & Entertainment Ltd. have announced the launch of BetBetBet247.
The new brand is a joint venture between Gaming & Entertainment and independent bookmakers, Cheshire Racing among them.
Joe Phillips of Cheshire Racing was appointed managing director of the new venture.
BetBetBet247 plans to market, sell, install, support and service new gaming and wagering devices, as well as wagering and gaming systems, for United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland bookmakers under a common BetBetBet247 brand and logo.
Coral Eurobet Neither Sinking nor Floating
Speculation that the rapid improvement in Coral Eurobet's financial performance made Britain's third-largest betting chain ripe for early flotation is untrue, according to company officials.
While an initial public offering remains the most likely exit route for Coral Eurobet, its private equity owner, Charterhouse Development Capital, decided to recoup 60 percent of the capital it spent purchasing the business 16 months ago for £860 million by refinancing the deal.
Since the purchase, the Barking-based firm's enterprise value has soared to £1.35 billion.
While the refinancing package rules out an imminent flotation, a confidential letter sent to Charterhouse investors, and obtained by the Financial Times, talks of taking that option "if desired within the next two to three years."
The City Press reports that it would likely happen before the end of this year.
I'm A Celebrity
Officials with Ladbrokes were toasting the coronation of Kerry McFadden as Queen of the Jungle on Monday night after the ex-Atomic Kitten star was voted winner of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
Kerry was a 1/7 chance to win when the book closed but had been available at 16/1 after her whining on day two.
One punter in Ireland won 7,000 euro, but bookmakers' overall numbers were outstanding. Turnover was estimated at around £500,000--a record for a reality TV show.
Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said the turnover was a pleasant surprise.
"We're laughing all the way to the bank," he said. "We're just glad John Lydon walked out; otherwise we would have been looking at a rotten payout.
Betting on US Presidential Election Is Strong
William Hill is quoting George Bush as a 4/9 favorite to retain the U.S. Presidency.
The high-street bookmaker has John Kerry at 7/4 odds as the second favorite. Others getting odds to be the next leader of the free world include: John Edwards (14/1); Howard Dean (33/1); Dennis Kucinach (200-1); andAl Sharpton (250-1).
New Zealand TAB Nabs Former Cricket Star
Former New Zealand cricket captain Ken Rutherford has been appointed head of sports betting in New Zealand. Rutherford will take up his new post next week as head sports bookmaker for the TAB, New Zealand's sole betting agency.
Rutherford, who captained New Zealand in 18 tests and 38 one-day internationals, was previously a bookmaker for cricket, soccer and racing with the TAB.
Ohio Punter Charged with Kidnapping Bookie
An Ohio man has been arrested and charged in the kidnapping of the owner of a New York sports betting business.
Douglas Warner of Springboro was to be arraigned Wednesday in New York on kidnapping and other charges.
Police said Warner, 57, abducted 47-year-old George Villano, whom he blamed for losing $200,000.
Detective Lieutenant Edward Reilly said Warner traveled to the Long Island town of Oakdale and allegedly abducted Villano in the parking lot of his business on Sunday.
Police said Warner had a handgun, stun gun and a bulletproof vest. Warner allegedly drove Villano to his home, where Villano gave him $4,800.
He then allegedly dropped Villano off at a motel after he promised to come up with the rest of the money the following morning. Warner was arrested at the store Monday.
NASCAR Wagers Picking Up
Many American punters looking for action between the Super Bowl and the NCAA basketball tournament are these days wagering on NASCAR racing.
The Nextel Cup Series gets underway Sunday with the Daytona 500 and the front row is already established, after a weekend qualifying run that saw some surprise names near the top of the speed charts.
Greg Biffle won the poll with a fastest lap of 188.387 mph, edging out Elliott Sadler by 0.008 seconds.
Micah Roberts, the Palace Station race and sports book director and the top auto-racing oddsmaker in Las Vegas, said Biffle and Sadler's front-row spots haven't changed his odds for Sunday's race.
"We opened Biffle at 40-1 and raised him to 48-1 early in the betting, and then dropped him to 32-1 after some good test runs last Friday," Roberts said, "but I didn't drop his odds any more over the weekend. I don't put much weight into the pole. It's the same with Sadler. He opened at 28-1 and we lowered him to 22-1 after testing in January, but that's where he still is."
The rest of the Daytona 500 field will be determined in the Twin 125 qualifying races on Thursday. Roberts said he would have odds up on those races, as well as taking bets on the main event.