Sin City

What is Sin City?

The comment period opened shortly after several members of a Senate subcommittee alluded to the rise of prediction markets and the subsequent risk of a spike in harassment cases at a May federal sports betting hearing. The hearing, commenced by a US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee, was held at the Russell Senate Building during the heart of the NBA and NHL Playoffs.

Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, also co-authored the aforementioned Protect College Sports Act with Washington Senator Maria Cantwell. As cloture motion for floor debate of the act began this week, Cruz has expressed optimism that the bill will be signed into law.

The proposed bill seeks to prevent student-athletes from trading on prediction markets, but does not set any explicit standards on player harassment.

About Sin City

Entain’s removal from the FTSE 100 is a telling sign of what has happened to gambling stocks across both Europe and the US in recent years. The company’s shares have fallen sharply over the past year, even as its first-half results showed continued growth in several important markets.

In the six months to June, Entain’s online net gaming revenue rose 7% in constant currency. Revenue in Britain and Ireland increased 13%, while the company maintained its full-year guidance for online net gaming revenue growth of 5% to 7%. So why is its stock price still so under pressure?

One answer is that the industry is no longer being valued primarily on the promise of endless growth. The market instead wants to see profit, cash generation and manageable regulation maintained across all facets of a listed business. Ed Birkin, managing director of H2 Gambling Capital, says the longer-term decline in gambling stocks runs much deeper than just changes to earnings forecasts.

About Sin City

New financial disclosures from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office show that VGW gave the campaign another $100,000, bringing the firm’s total contributions to $130,000. The latest check, dated Aug. 31, came from the Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Casino operator.

Tuberville, the famed former football coach of the Auburn Tigers, has served in the US Senate since 2021. Tuberville has expressed a willingness to consider gambling expansion in the Cotton State, one of the most restricted gambling states in the union.

VGW’s $100,000 contribution to Tuberville brings its total campaign contributions in Alabama this year to more than $351,000. The bulk of the funds—$170,000—went to North Alabama PAC, a political action committee managed by operative Steve Ruby.