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What is The Big Deal Deluxe?
The subject of athlete harassment has become a popular topic at one of the nation’s largest conferences for state gambling legislators. In July, a panel at the National Council of Legislators From Gaming States spent a considerable portion of the session on distilling the root causes of the incidents. The panel featured Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher, among other college sports leaders.
On the sidelines of the NCLGS conference, a state representative informed iGB of a spate of menacing threats directed at a football kicker from his state. The kicker, according to the legislator, endured a barrage of threats after missing a field goal in a Football Championship Subdivision game, a lower-tier division in college football.
Days later, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver appeared in Las Vegas for his annual NBA Summer League press conference. Silver took the stage in the wake of a host of betting scandals that have ensnared Pro Basketball Hall of Fame member Chauncey Billups, former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier and several other ex-NBA players.
What is The Big Deal Deluxe?
Convened by Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes, the hearing in the Senate Committee on State Affairs examined the relationship between federally regulated derivatives markets and state-prohibited gambling. Research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming in April found that 43% of activity from sports event contracts came from two states, Texas and California. A separate breakout of Texas activity alone is not publicly available.
At Tuesday’s hearing, AGA Vice President Tres York testified before the committee alongside Robert DeNault, head of enforcement and legal counsel at Kalshi. The AGA, one of the nation’s most strident critics of prediction markets, argued that an event contract on the Cowboys to beat the Giants does not differ fundamentally from the same wager placed at a sportsbook.
As with California, sports wagering is illegal in Texas. Greg Abbott, a three-term governor, is up for re-election in November, along with Dan Patrick, his lieutenant governor. Patrick, who vehemently opposes sports betting, also serves as president of the Texas Senate in his current role. Several attempts to legalise sports wagering since the 2018 PASPA decision have been foiled under Patrick’s leadership.
About The Big Deal Deluxe
In his new role, Konstakis will be responsible not only for OpenBet’s strategy, but also for its day-to-day business, growth initiatives, and tech priorities. At the same time, he will be tasked with “raising the bar” in how OpenBet serves its clients.
OpenBet emphasized that this change comes at a strong moment for the company and follows its incredibly successful delivery for customers through the World Cup. Throughout the tournament, OpenBet processed 175 million bets totaling $3 billion.
CEO Levin, who is set to transition to a chair role, commented on the shift, saying that he was very confident that Konstakis has what it takes to be CEO and drive OpenBet to new heights.
