What rocked and dominated the sports world in 2020

Today we look at what made headlines in the US sports scene during 2020, and funnily enough it is not just Corona. As we linger into 2021, we look back at some of the most prominent sports events that have shaped and changed 2021. Ready for some scoops...read on.

DraftKings goes head to head with $3 million Parlay Gambler over his frozen funds and account

Did you read this story? If not, here is a small rundown. A gambler located in Florida placed a $3 million parlay bet and to many’s astonishment, DraftKings froze the players account that was located in New Jersey.

Legal? Illegal? Who knows! What we do know is that the gambler has clapped back with legal action being taken against DraftKings, a move that will place US sport betting and its very delicate future in dispute. As the US moves to legally allow sports betting across many states, this lawsuit will of course be the centre of lawmakers. Such matters should be mitigated with both the gambler and betting companies being protected.

The gambler himself has engaged in messenger gambling, which in many states is still frowned upon and deemed illegal. Messenger betting is when an out of state gambler places a bet through a proxy, instructing the said proxy to place a wager. Again, we would need to wait to see the outcome of this legal battle.

5DTimes: Shutdown and Relaunch places the offshore sportsbook in prime position of growth

Why would a successful Offshore sportsbook site close its doors and suspend all operations in the United States? Because they were looking to relaunch, bigger, stronger and better, that is the reason why. On September 21st 2020, this statement was made by offshore sportsbook provider 5Dimes, as they promised a comeback that will bring more centralised and a more competitive product to its established customers.

All 5Dimes customers were advised about this change with the operator stating that they were looking into the ‘evolving legal landscape in the US’. Having said that, the company is seeking a transition, a rebirth, and of course its customers are eagerly waiting. In the meantime the operator is currently working on the much needed rebirth and launch.

Draftkings: The company that embodies growth and strength in a competitive market

We still remember the days when DraftKings was launched. It was a launch that happened virtually on April 24th. This is when DraftKings entered the public market.

If we had to say that DraftKings had a good start, we would be lying, as they has a fantastic start as it entered brand new betting sites markets. Shares went from $20 to $40 immediately and the growth that the company registered is nothing but amazing.

This will pave the way for more sports book operators to launch and start operating hopefully in a legal framework, giving all of us fans new betting sites to enjoy and scoop bonuses at.

William Hill was accused of cheating during in-game gambling.

When a betting company is accused of cheating on its games and not in favour of the player, you know that trouble is on the horizon. A group of professional gamblers accused an NV bookmaker of being unfair, and this is not a good fact, keeping in mind that the US would like to regulate all sports betting in the US.

The company in question is not a new betting site still in the early days of operation. This time around we have William Hill being accused of delaying the acceptance of in-game wagers in Nevada. Fair or Unfair? Gamblers everywhere state that this move will never favour the gambling community.

How did PointBet’s NBC universal deal launched the sports betting scene

We still remember the days when in 2018 CEO Johnny Aitken made it to New Jersey following the Supreme Court’s PASPA case.

This is when the sportsbetting scene in the US was still in its primal state and dominated by some of the biggest names in the history of US sports betting. The scene was dominated by the likes of MGM, Caesars Casino, Draftkings and even FanDuel, all pillars in the sports community

The day that Tennessee launched Sports Betting …

It did take some time to get there, but finally Tennessee has regulated sports betting and this can be enjoyed by anyone in the state who is 21 years and over.

As soon as this new law was announced in Tennessee, some of the biggest giants in the US sports betting scene, started taking wagers. These include FanDuel, Draftkings and even BetMGM. As predicted, the wagers took place in the early hours of the sportsbook launch and indeed opened the doors to betting on the NFL’s Sunday match between the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Barstool Era Gambling in Pennsylvania launched

2020 was the year that Barstool gambling was launched in the US and started off with 1 new betting site being operational in Pennsylvania. The site launched after a massive hype and made sure that many gamblers downloaded the mobile app or visited the site.

The promotion was a big one, and this has paid well in the amount of site and app downloads. How About 63,000 downloads in the first week of operation and with a massive big download on Saturday listed at 23,000?

Covid 19 impacting Las Vegas in a massive way

We have all witnessed the world of new and established betting sites come to a natura standstill as the world battled covid-19. Well, this impact has also spread through to land based casinos and everywhere in between. Some extreme policies were made in place to ensure that the the spread of the coronavirus is maintained, this included lockdowns aof businesses and other establishments.

We learnt that a pandemic comes along in waves, and that there are certain times when the virus will be okish to open businesses again. Yet, we learnt that second and third waves are quite more harsh, and this could be the main reason why Las Vegas might close its doors to gamblers visiting for a gambling good time.

How has this impacted the gambling scene? Massively!

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes