David Purdum, ESPN

On a Tuesday afternoon in October, three hours before the NBA season tipped off, word began to spread in the online betting community. There was an error in DraftKings’ odds on the Los Angeles Lakers–Denver Nuggets game.

The over/under lines on players’ points, rebounds, assists and other statistics were wrong. Nikola Jokic‘s points were being offered at 9.5 when Jokic averaged 25.7 points per game the previous season. The over/under on LeBron James‘ points was set at 8.5, but James has averaged 27.2 points per game for his career.

Matt McAfee, a 36-year-old sports bettor in Indianapolis, caught wind of the mistake at approximately 4:25 p.m. ET. A handicapper and content producer for “GoldBoys,” a Discord popular with bettors, McAfee comes across errors on sportsbook apps frequently. This one on DraftKings, though, was more egregious than normal.

McAfee knew he would need to act quickly but first had to decide if it was even worth it. His betting limits on DraftKings had been slashed significantly after he capitalized on a controversy involving Draymond Green in January 2022.

“Since then, I haven’t been able to put more than about $10 on a same-game parlay,” McAfee told ESPN.

McAfee considered holding off but ultimately decided to see how much he could wager. To his surprise, he was able to place a $100 seven-leg parlay with 1,500-1 odds.

With bets like over 5.5 points for Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who has averaged 17.5 points per game and over 8.5 points for James, each leg of his parlay had hit by early in the third quarter. He had won $150,000 but wondered if he’d get paid.

McAfee’s bet was among the hundreds of parlays that were placed on the bad lines in states around the nation. What happened next — in just 13 minutes — is the latest example of how hostile the bettor-bookie relationship has become in the modern American betting market.

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Jeff Edelsteon, Sportshandle

Thanos: Supervillian capable of wiping out half the world with the snap of his fingers.

Chanos: Super hedge fund manager capable of boosting the stock price of DraftKings while simultaneously ticking off nearly 100% of the sports betting public.

So yeah: Jim Chanos is a longtime, soon-to-retire, and famed — he called Enron going belly up — hedge fund manager. His specialty is, and remains, short-selling.

And DraftKings was in his crosshairs. He started shorting the company in May of 2021, according to a Financial Times article. But then this past July — and after taking a $10 million profit — Chanos dramatically shifted his position. The man who made a living betting against companies turned bullish on DraftKings — and on sports betting companies in general.

“The betting numbers have continued to be strong in the U.S., stronger than we thought they’d be,” he told the Financial Times. “The thing that we underestimated — that I think is going to be a benefit for all these companies for a while anyway — is what bad bettors the U.S. gamblers are.” 

Ooof. Snap.

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David Purdum, ESPN

Former University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon and an associate will be banned from Ohio sportsbooks, pending an appeal, due to an alleged inside information scheme involving a Crimson Tide baseball game, the Ohio Casino Control Commission said Wednesday.

Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) executive director Matt Schuler said during a public meeting that Indiana businessman Bert Neff Jr. solicited and received non-public information from Bohannon on April 28 “for the purpose of placing a sports wager” and shared the information with one or more individuals.

Neff placed one wager and attempted to place another on an Alabama-LSU baseball game on April 28 with the BetMGM sportsbook at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Schuler said.

Sources told ESPN that Neff made a parlay bet that included LSU beating Alabama and also attempted to place a large straight bet — upward of $100,000, according to media reports — on the Tigers to beat the Crimson Tide, which drew suspicion from the sportsbook.

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by Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The subject of Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter’s new book, “The Upcycled Self” is the Roots rapper himself. The co-leader of “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” band is an actor, college professor, stand-up comic, and now author.

But there’s another character in Trotter’s book — subtitled “A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are” — that plays just as significant a role in the tale Trotter has to tell.

That would be the city of Philadelphia, where he grew up in the 1970s and 1980s.

“The values that city stamps on its youth are like brands seared into our flesh,” he writes in the book’s prelude. “Our history leaks a particular radiation into the blood of those born within its city limits. Loyalty, fight, pride, honor.”

“My only experience as a young person was the Philadelphia experience,” Trotter, 50, says. “And Philadelphia is the sort of place that can and will chew you up and spit you out. It’s very much survival of the fittest,” he told The Inquirer over the phone before a taping of the Fallon show.

In a whirlwind week — so busy he had to reschedule The Art of the MC class the rapper teaches at New York University, Trotter was getting set for a book tour that will bring him back to Philadelphia. He now lives in north Jersey to ease the daily commute to Manhattan, which began in 2009 when the Roots took the house band job with Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Rest is here…

For more coverage and analysis of Black Thought vis-a-vis Philadelphia’s Black Mafia on this site, see here and here.

THE ‘BUG’ THAT UPENDED

AN ELECTION

How the discovery of an FBI bug and the political spin that followed changed the course of the last competitive race for Philly mayor.

Chris Brennan, Philadelphia Inquirer

Published Oct 16, 2023

The FBI “bug” was small but still landed like a bombshell in City Hall — exactly four weeks before the 2003 general election for mayor in Philadelphia.

Was this the end for Mayor John Street, a Democrat seeking a second term?

Was it a windfall for Republican nominee Sam Katz, whom Street narrowly defeated four years earlier?

What would turn out to be the last competitive general election for mayor in the city was suddenly, staggeringly nationalized.

Republicans hoped the listening device discovered in the mayor’s office, revealing a secret federal investigation into Street’s administration, would push Katz to victory.

Democratic Party leaders — including then-U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Al Gore — rushed to Philadelphia to stump for Street.

Some of them accused Republican President George W. Bush of allowing his Department of Justice to interfere in a local election.

That election interference message — so uncommon 20 years ago, so very common now — won the day as Street secured reelection.

Rest is here.

I posted a thread on X/Twitter on October 8 detailing the remarkable events (and the manner in which the media misled the public) here.

Analyses of these events are also available on this site here and here.  A related 2017 Associated Press article “Bob Brady runs Philadelphia Democrats amid run of corruption” is here.

Lastly,  I of course devote a lot of attention to all of this in Black Brothers, Inc.: The Violent Rise and Fall of Philadelphia’s Black Mafia (Milo, 2007).

by David Purdum, ESPN

NCAA president Charlie Baker wants state lawmakers to take steps to better protect student-athletes from harassment and coercion from gamblers and to combat threats to the integrity of the games as widespread, legal college sports betting takes hold in the United States.

The NCAA announced Wednesday that it will begin advocating for state laws to include increased penalties for bettors who harass student-athletes, mandatory reporting hotlines for gambling-related threats, a uniform minimum betting age of 21 and funding for the education of college students about the risks of betting.

The NCAA also is asking for input on what types of wagers are allowed at sportsbooks, citing prop bets on individual player performances as “especially vulnerable to integrity issues.”

“The NCAA is making changes to help student-athletes make smart choices when it comes to sports betting, but given the explosive growth of this new industry, we are eager to partner with lawmakers, regulators and industry leaders to protect student-athletes from harassment and threats,” Baker said in a release announcing the advocacy campaign.

The FBI has characterized threats by bettors to student-athletes as a growing issue, and betting scandals have popped up at multiple NCAA schools this year.

In May, Alabama fired its head baseball coach after he was linked to suspicious betting activity on a Crimson Tide game against LSU. Days later, authorities accused dozens of student-athletes at Iowa and Iowa State of betting violations.

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Associated Press

AMES, Iowa — An Iowa State football player accused of illegal sports wagering has had his case dismissed and faces no more legal action.

A Story County judge granted the prosecution’s motion on Monday to dismiss a misdemeanor tampering with records charge against tight end DeShawn Hanika after the state waited too long to indict him.

Hanika’s attorneys originally asked for the dismissal, and prosecutors agreed, because Hanika was not indicted within 45 days after he waived a preliminary trial, as state law requires. The deadline was Sept. 24, and he was not indicted until Sept. 28.

Story County prosecutors did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Hanika was among more than a dozen athletes who were charged in connection with a state investigation into illegal sports wagering at Iowa and Iowa State. Most were accused of underage gambling and registering accounts on mobile sports betting apps under a different name to disguise their identity.

Hanika was alleged to have made 288 bets, with 70 on Iowa State basketball. He pleaded not guilty.

NCAA rules call for varying lengths of suspensions, up to permanent bans, for athletes who violate its gambling policy. Hanika has not played this season but remains on the roster.

Four criminal cases involving athletes with Iowa State ties remain open.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Lee and running back Jirehl Brock, neither of whom remain in the football program, and ISU wrestler Paniro Johnson each face a misdemeanor charge of tampering with records and a felony identity theft charge. Jury trials are scheduled for Johnson this month and for Lee and Brock in November.

No trial date has been set for Eyioma Uwazurike, a defensive lineman now with the Denver Broncos but suspended by the NFL for allegedly wagering on NFL games.

Rutgers School of Social Work

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that results from a second study examining the prevalence of gambling in New Jersey are now available. The report, funded by the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), was prepared by a team of researchers led by Dr. Lia Nower, J.D., Ph.D. from the Rutgers University School of Social Work, Center for Gambling Studies. The report is entitled “The Prevalence of Online and Land-Based Gambling in New Jersey,” and it is a follow-up study to the first report issued in 2017.

“As New Jersey’s gaming industry continues to grow, we have an obligation to help those suffering from problem gaming and gambling addiction issues,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Through the release of this report, we are taking a comprehensive look at the pervasiveness of gambling across the state, and with it, able to better identify challenges for our most vulnerable populations and design programs and initiatives to assist them.”

The report, the first released after the legalization of sports wagering in the state, was released during Responsible Gaming Education Month, which is concluding with a focus on supporting research efforts that can help inform policies, procedures, and best practices for minimizing problem gambling risks.

“We are dedicated to helping players play responsibly,” said David Rebuck, Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). “For some people, this means setting limits to keep the experience enjoyable and social. For others who are struggling with problem gambling, it may mean signing up for self-exclusion or seeking out additional resources. We encourage both players and operators to maintain a balanced perspective on gambling.”

As an example, earlier this year Attorney General Platkin announced several steps to boost responsible gaming efforts, including making it easier for people to self-exclude themselves from gambling; naming a coordinator in charge of all responsible gaming efforts; setting advertising standards; and working with online wagering companies to use technology to identify and assist at-risk patrons.

“New Jersey has led the nation in evaluating every bet placed online and addressing the impact of wagering on its residents,” said Dr. Nower. “This report provides evidence to guide prevention and education efforts for those at highest risk for gambling problems: Younger adults, members of ethnic and racial minority groups, and those who gamble on multiple activities and bet both online and in land-based venues.”

The researchers surveyed 3,512 New Jersey residents (aged 18 and over) between December 9, 2020 and April 30, 2021 via telephone and through online questionnaires, and analyzed their self-reported patterns of play. The survey questions asked about participation in activities involving consideration, chance, and a prize. Respondents were also asked about the following 15 activities: lottery, instant scratch-off tickets, high-risk stocks, gaming machines such as slots or video poker, games of skill, live casino table games, sports wagering, season fantasy sports, bingo, cryptocurrency trading, live poker or poker tournaments, daily fantasy sports, horse race track or off track, esports wagering, and keno.

Some of the findings of the report include:

• The overall rate of high-risk problem gambling decreased from 6.3% to 5.6%. Low/moderate-risk gambling also decreased from about 15% to about 13%.

• New Jersey’s rate of problem gambling is about three times the national average, similar to the findings from the 2017 report.

• Participation in sports wagering increased from about 15% to a little more than 19%.

• The proportion of online-only gamblers nearly tripled from about 5% in 2017 to nearly 15%, while the proportion of individuals who gambled at mixed venues (both brick-and-mortar locations and online) nearly doubled from 19% to 36%.

• The proportion of those gambling only at brick-and-mortar casinos dropped from nearly 76% to 49%.

• About 61 percent of residents participated in one or more of the 15 activities in the prior year.

• Individuals identified as “gamblers” participated in an average of 3.5 activities, which is an increase from the 3.0 average reported in the 2017 report.

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by David Purdum, ESPN

An Indiana man at the center of investigations into suspicious bets on an Alabama baseball game this spring has been banned from the state’s casinos and sportsbooks, a gaming commission official confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

The Indiana Gaming Commission added Bert Neff of Mooresville to its involuntary exclusion list, which permanently bars him from entering any casino or placing bets with a sportsbook in the state.

Jenny Reske, deputy director at the Indiana Gaming Commission, told ESPN that Neff was added to the exclusion list after a review of his alleged actions on April 28. Neff allegedly entered the sportsbook at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and asked to make a conspicuously large bet on LSU to beat Alabama in an SEC baseball game that night in Baton Rouge, according to multiple sources who have been briefed on the matter.

The size of the bet requested on a regular-season college baseball game — upwards of $100,000, according to media reports — caused employees at the sportsbook to become suspicious, and video surveillance subsequently revealed that Neff was communicating with then-Alabama head baseball coach Brad Bohannon, ESPN previously reported.

Neff’s attorney Jeff Baldwin told ESPN on Thursday that he and his client dispute the reports that Neff attempted to place a large straight bet on LSU.

“There was only one bet involving LSU, and it was a parlay,” Baldwin said.

Reske said Neff’s presence in casinos or participation in online sports betting would adversely affect or call into question the integrity of gambling operations. Neff was informed of the decision in a letter dated Sept. 12 and can appeal, Reske said.

Neff is a subject in ongoing investigations in Indiana as well as by the NCAA and gaming regulators in Ohio, according to multiple sources who have been briefed on the matter. The Indiana Gaming Commission has also been investigating additional bets on LSU in the game in question that were placed with the state’s sportsbooks.

Baldwin said he didn’t believe Neff had been contacted by investigators for the NCAA or state gaming regulators.

In May, two Cincinnati baseball staff members were dismissed following an investigation into possible NCAA violations, and, according to multiple sources, linked to Neff, whose son Andrew was a pitcher for the Bearcats. Andrew Neff has since entered the transfer portal. Head baseball coach Scott Googins resigned May 31, two weeks after his staff members were fired.

“We don’t believe that Bert Neff had anything to do with the firings of the Cincinnati coaches,” Baldwin told ESPN, adding Neff knew the two staff members but “didn’t have any gambling interactions with them.”

University of Cincinnati associate athletic director Zach Stipe told ESPN in a statement that the athletics department does not comment on specific personnel decisions.

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John L. Smith, CDC Gaming

Controversial betting legend Billy Walters’s bestseller, Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk, remains the sports book of the summer. Now that the National Football League season has begun, it’s likely to stay there all the way to Super Bowl LVIII.

One writer who read the book with particular interest is investigative reporter and author Dan Moldea, who you might say is a legend in his own right. For decades, Moldea’s intrepid efforts have documented the undeniable dance of American business and politics with organized crime in its many permutations.

Back in the late 1980s, Moldea began digging into the troubling associations of NFL players and owners to illegal gamblers and bookmakers, many of them directly associated with mob families from across the country. The result was Interference: How Organized Crime Influences Professional Football, a tough and thoroughly documented reporting effort that included interviews with dozens of sources, from the street to the front offices of the NFL.

The blowback from the book’s publication was immediate. The generous reviews were quickly eclipsed by a bull-rush job from the league’s innumerable friendly reporters. Moldea’s documentation and first-hand reporting were shoved out of bounds despite the league’s historical ties to big sports gamblers and bookies.

Moldea was scoffed at by the league’s so-called security experts when he predicted sports betting would spread well outside Nevada’s legal and regulated books.

The NFL could stiff-arm Moldea, but Walters writes in his new book that the publication of Interference did more than interfere with his action as the leader of the Computer Group betting ring. It embarrassed the Department of Justice into pressing the gambling case to indictment after it appeared to have been shelved by the FBI.

The Computer Group was an enigma from its start in the early 1980s with Walters, Dr. Ivan Mindlin, and an array of characters and investors, including some top Las Vegas business moguls. The arc of success and controversy of the Group was accurately documented by Moldea.

Rest is here…