Tag: #SportsBetting @RhodeIsland

Kentucky Derby Primer & New England Celebrations

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Churchill Downs Is The Center of the

Racing World This Week

The Kentucky Derby is so much more than part of horse racing’s Triple Crown. It’s one of the most famed horse races in the world, aptly named “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” It’s step one of the famed Triple Crown in horse racing. For the state of Kentucky, “The Derby” draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year, including residents, out-of-towners, celebrities,

Churchill Downs

presidents, and even members of royal families. For the official Kentucky Derby website, go to 2019 Official Kentucky.

Here are a few interesting facts about “the Derby:”

  1. The first Kentucky Derby race occurred in 1875
  2. The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. It is an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and a sweet syrup and is traditionally served in a commemorative Kentucky Derby glass.
  3.  The Kentucky Derby is host to some of the longest standing racetrack traditions in the U.S. Each year, you will find fans sipping Mint Juleps (drink made from whiskey, mint and sugar) and eating burgoo (a meat stew) at the racetrack. Women appear in lavish outfits with big, elegant hats. The University of Louisville marching band plays Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses are paraded before the grandstands.
  4. This is actually a 2-week festival – The annual two-week series of events held in Louisville beginning with Thunder Over Louisville and leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Types of Kentucky Derby Bets Available

Mohegan Sun Racebook

  • Win – This is a bet for a single horse to win.
  • Place – This is a bet for a single horse to finish first or second.
  • Show – A bet the horse will place in the top three.
  • Across the Board (Win, Place & Show) – This is similar to a show bet, but if your horse wins second or first, the payout is much larger.
  • Exacta – This is a bet for the first and second places – in the exact order.
  • Exacta Box – This is like the exacta bet, except that the winners can be in any order.
  • Trifecta – This bet is for the top three finishers in a specific order.
  • Trifecta Box – Similar to the trifecta except the winners can be in any order.
  • Superfecta – This is the toughest bet but one with the biggest payout. It chooses the top four finishers in exact order.
  • Superfecta Box – This is the same as a superfecta except the order of the top four horses picked does not matter.

The Line as of Wednesday, May 1st at Westgate SuperBook

Kentucky Derby Celebrations at your New England Casinos.

KENTUCKY DERBY CELEBRATIONS – Foxwoods, Hollywood Bangor, MGM Springfield, Mohegan Sun, Oxford 

FOXWOODS – May 4th, 10AM, Grand Pequot Ballroom – Place a $50 wager and receive one (1) free food coupon for the Kentucky Derby Buffet, one (1) free mint julep coupon, and free Kentucky Derby T-shirt. Reserved Seating for account wagering players only in The Ultimate Race Book. Place a $25 wager and receive a free Kentucky Derby Cap.  One per Loyalty Card Holder, while supplies last, only in GPT Ballroom.  The Ultimate Race Book – Advanced Wagering begins May 2 / Kentucky Oaks Day • May 3

HOLLYWOOD BANGOR RACEWAY – May 4th. – The 135th season of racing at historic Bangor Raceway gets underway on Saturday afternoon with a day of events leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Live racing starts at 2:30 p.m. and a full slate of nine races is scheduled. Hollywood Casino will be offering prizes for the best hat and attire.Coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins at 4:30 p.m. and will be on display under the grandstand with opportunities to place wagers before the Derby post time of 6:46 p.m.Admission to the grandstand is free. Race programs will be sold at the track for $1 starting the day before each race card.

MGM SPRINGFIELD – May 3&4th – MGM Springfield will kick off a weekend of festivities on Friday, May 3, with the launch of “Food Truck Fridays” and what is billed as “Derby de Mayo Weekend” on the casino grounds.  “Derby de Mayo Weekend” kicks off Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m. with a performance by local cover band Feel Good Drift, lawn games and bites from “Food Truck Fridays” inaugural event. Guests can also enjoy TAP Sports Bar’s signature outdoor beer garden, which will open for the first time this season.On Saturday, May 4, at 4:30 p.m., the grounds off Howard Street will transform into an outdoor viewing party for the venerable Kentucky Derby race as it shown live on the 330-square-foot marquee screen. The event also will feature live music and three MGM Springfield food trucks.

MOHEGAN SUN – May 4th – Sky Convention Center And Uncas Ballroom.  Open seating for approximately 1,000 people on a “first come” basis; VIP section for invited guests; 30 Betting terminals; 9 large screen displays dedicated to the races; Special Guest Handicappers: Mike “Mut” Mutnansky – Host of Mut and Callahan from 6am to 10am on  Sports Radio 93.7 WEEI in Boston. Anthony “Big A” Stabile – Co-host of Talking Horses on NYRA and HRRN, Jim Mazur – from Progressive Handicapping; Giveaways: With $25 wager ..Commemorative Mohegan Sun Derby 2019 T-shirt. With $50 wager…A pass to enjoy the Derby Festival Buffet.; Advance Wagering:  in the Race Book available on Friday, May 3rd. Make a $50 advance wager on the Derby and receive a souvenir cap*. Windows open at 11:00am.

OXFORD CASINO (Owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated) – On Saturday, May 4 from Noon to 6:30pm – Sixth Annual Derby Dash! Pick your favorite pony in the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby and you could win a share of the Derby Dash prize pool of up to $15,000* Free Slot Play. Then watch the race at the Oxford Event Center.

Binbin

Gambling Legislation Updates in New England

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First, an apology.  I have been under the weather for a few weeks and have not been able to keep up with my passion here at NETimeGambling.com.  To add  to my dilemma, for many of us in Music Education, March is the busiest month of the year, with trips, drama productions, concerts and state honors festivals all in the name of Music in our Schools Month. While I have loved the many staff members and students I have worked with, I am looking forward to more dedication to NETG as I am retiring from 41 years of teaching middle school music this June with many wonderful memories to take with me.

My sincerest apology for the lack of media and coverage concerning New England’s Casinos recently. Feeling better, I am now ready to continue the quality resource the you have grown to enjoy as NETG – NETimeGambling.com.

 

Robin (Binbin)

Now, as they say….”On with the show!…”

One-hundred and seventy-one years ago, the California Gold Rush was on! On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. Though he tried to keep it quiet, word spread and soon there was a surge in immigration to California from people hoping to strike it rich. It was the most famous gold rush in American history – until the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision to disapprove PASPA, allowing states to take control of sports betting authorization, has started a sports betting frenzy.

 

In the northeast, it’s one state stumbling over another trying to get to the finish line first – trying to find the new gold standard in casino gaming – sports betting. Long gone is the obsession with getting millennials through the casino doors.  Now, a new obsession exists that many states legislators think is the Holy Grail of Gaming – sports betting.

In New England, Rhode Island ventured out first with approved sports betting at Twin River Casino Hotel and Tiverton Casino Hotel, with rousing success that caused all the surrounding states to rush into sports betting legislature.  Now it’s a race to see who can share that new found gold with the Ocean State. This is an update of that race.

For a related post, try:  New England Sports Betting Arrives – Rhode Island Twin River First in NE

It’s The Time of Year For Gambling Legislation

The number of gambling bills introduced to New England’s state legislatures hit an all-time high in February.  State by state, the new bills included:

CONNECTICUT

  1. Four bills were introduced, ranging from sports betting to new casinos.  They are: SB 11 – eliminate the federal requirement that’s stopping the Tribal Winds project in East Windsor from moving forward. Currently, the state needs approval from the Department of the Interior.
  2. SB 17 – allowing casino operators to conduct sports betting in person or online to anyone within the state 21 or older. If that bill is accepted, the Connecticut Lottery would also be allowed to offer an online keno product through an agreement with the two tribes. This could violate the state agreement with the tribes.
  3. Another bill to the house would form a state gaming commission and create a competitive bidding process for a new resort casino. The tribes said this would violate the compact.
  4. A second house bill would see the launch of the Connecticut Gaming Commission and would authorize a competitive bidding process for an integrated casino resort in the Connecticut city of Bridgeport. MGM is behind the bill and has been trying to get it approved for a couple of years.

MASSACHUSETTS – Gov. Charlie Baker proposed to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts. Baker’s proposal would allow both licensed casinos in Massachusetts and online platforms like DraftKings to build their own sports betting operations, and would limit gamblers to bets on professional sports, excluding collegiate and high school athletics, as well as Esports. Baker’s bill would give oversight of sports betting to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which would vet license applicants and enforce consumer protections, such as the prohibition on anyone under 21 from placing a bet. Some proposals floating around the Legislature would not allow mobile platforms to take part in sports betting, but instead require them to contract with a physical establishment like a casino.

RHODE ISLAND – Rhode Island could have online sports betting apps as soon as this year. Senate Dominick Ruggerio submitted legislation to allow mobile sports wagering through the Twin River properties. The bill contains a provision requiring initial, in-person registration for a mobile account at a Twin River property. Bettors then would be able to wager from anywhere in the state.

NEW HAMPSHIRE – Gov. Chris Sununu voiced his support for legislation that would make betting on sports games legal under the supervision of the state’s lottery commission. The bill, HB480, would legalize betting on professional sports and the majority of Division I college sports. Games involving New Hampshire colleges would be excluded. “Opening New Hampshire to legalized sports betting would bring in more than $10 million in additional revenue,” the governor’s office said. “Ten percent of revenue would be earmarked for services to support treatment and prevention of gambling addiction in the state. Other revenue would be put toward the state’s education system.”

MAINE – The Portland Press Herald reports the state legislature will consider several bills that would sanction and regulate sports betting, including:

  1. Benjamin Collins, the representative from Portland, is sponsoring a bill that will help Maine’s native tribes, and believes a compromise measure between various bills will come together. Such a bill would include sports betting legislation for casinos, off-track betting parlors, harness racing and tribes.
  2. Senate President Troy Jackson is sponsoring another two bills that would cover online and mobile gaming. His bills would prohibit betting on college sports, minor league teams as well as youth sports.

VERMONT – No legislation was filed in 2018, though a fantasy sports bill was proposed. The bill died in committee. NETG doesn’t expect it to happen in the Green Mountain State, at least in the next two years.

It does look like this latest gambling obsession is going to stick around.  It will bring all sorts of traffic to the brick-and-mortar casinos, especially those large enough to build sports books that will cater to a wide variety of sports betters.  Large casinos continue to depend on gambling less as the main revenue with  entertainment, dining, and conventions taking on more of the burden.  States across the country are salivating at yet another way gambling can give a quick fix to their financial woes.

I think we are seeing just the tip of gold nugget…..

Binbin

Super Bowl Prop Bets

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“Big Game” Sunday is days away. I always look forward to the food, the ads, the libations…..oh, yeah, there’s a football game, too!

one of the most interesting things about the “Big Game” is the many super “Prop Bets.”

What are prop bets you ask?  Prop bets, or “proposition bets,” are bets made regarding the occurrence or a non-occurrence during a game (usually a gambling game) or an event not directly affecting the game’s final outcome.

The "Fridge."

The “Fridge.”

Football folklore tells us that prop bets got their start with William the  “Refrigerator” Perry, a lineman in the 1985 Super Bowl for the Chicago Bears.  As a lineman, it became quite a surprise to have him line up as fullback and run the ball for a TD, a played called by then Bears coach Mike Ditka during the regular season. His rushing for a TD in the Super Bowl that year became the first major proposition bet in the Super Bowl. Nowadays, prop bets may account for as much as 40% of the $100 million wagered on Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Prop Bets, including some bets on the performances of individual athletes, tend to become more popular for single important game like the Super Bowl, something the NFL would prefer to have outlawed if they had their way. The NFL considers bets on things like passing touchdowns for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or rushing yards for Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley too risky and vulnerable to manipulation or cheating.

Do you remember some of the silly ones from last year?  Here are a few from Super Bowl 52 :

  • What color will Pink’s hair be when she starts to sing the National Anthem?
  • What color will Bill Belichick’s shirt be at kickoff?
  • The number of tweets by President Donald Trump on Feb. 4
  • How many commercials will Peyton Manning appear in during the broadcast?

Yes, people, lots of people actually bet on on those things last year. This year will be no different. William Hill sportsbook in Las Vegas released over 900 Super Bowl LIII prop bets this past weekend. Here’s the entire list: William Hill Super Bowl 53 Prop Bets-Nevada

Prop bets concerning commercials are very popular. According to Stephen Campbell of OddsShark, the over/under on number of commercials is 96. There are also several props categories pertaining to which commercial will air first. For example, one segment features Doritos at -135 and Pringles at -105, while another lists out the following:

  • Budweiser +150
  • Bud Light +210
  • Stella Artois +400
  • Michelob Ultra +400
  • Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer +400

Matt McEwan of NFL Football at SportsBettingDime.com outlined ten of the weirdest prop bets for this year’s “Big Game.”  Here are a few:

  • If a Streaker occurs during the game, who touches/tackles him/her first?
  • How many times will officials measure for First Downs?
  • Will “Romostradamus” be said during the Live Broadcast? (Referring to Tony Romo’s ability to call plays before the ball is snapped)
  • Will “One More Night” be the first song by Maroon 5 for the Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Of course, there are many serious game related prop bets, like score, total yards, total scores, passing yards, MVP, etc….

But, you gotta giggle when someone makes a bet saying, “$100 on the over for the number of Bud commercials televised – opening kick to last second.”

I say “Dilly, dilly!”

Binbin