The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2026. In order to properly take stock of it all, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” an end-of-week compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked items, and all the other news bits from this past week that we found interesting.
FanDuel responds again to Congress
Responding to criticism of its VIP program, FanDuel has sent members of Congress a new letter explaining and defending how the program works. SBC Americas reported on the Sept. 24 letter, the second it sent in response to criticism of its apparent use of a personalized Bryce Harper video to encourage a bettor who later reported having problem gambling issues.
After members of Congress requested more detailed information from FanDuel than it provided in an initial letter, Cory Fox, the company’s senior vice president of public policy and sustainability, responded to eight questions they raised and denied using perks to keep customers from cutting back or closing their accounts.
He said FanDuel treats customers with reported responsible gambling issues differently from those it may focus on because they are moving to a competitor. While Fox said about 30 personalized videos from athletes or entertainers have been sent to VIP customers, he said they are “a token of appreciation for a customer’s loyalty” and are not used “to induce customers to continue gambling.”
FanDuel has been sued on behalf of the bettor who received the Bryce Harper video, and the MLB Players Association has indicated it would support a ban on use of players by sportsbooks for personalized VIP marketing.
DraftKings gets an endorsement
Positive news for DraftKings: Bank of America agrees with CEO Jason Robins that the sports betting company has good present and future value, regardless of the legal outcome of the prediction market event contract cases that could ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Earnings+More reported that Bank of America, after more than a year, has restored its “Buy” recommendation on DraftKings. That is due to its strong position not just as a sportsbook operator but with its DKeX prediction market platform. “While the regulatory future of PMs remains uncertain, we think DraftKings is well positioned either way,” say Bank of America analysts.
Earnings+More explained in its article: “If prediction markets survive, BofA believes DraftKings has established itself as the third-largest player. If sports event contracts disappear, a threat to the long-term value of its sportsbook business disappears with them.”
Quebec could be next for legal sports betting
As the U.S. heads into the home stretch of this election season, Quebec is at the finish line — and the results, Covers.com reported Tuesday, could be good for legal sports betting. Per the report, the Parti Québécois was leading voting with the Quebec Liberal Party second. This would set up a situation where the Parti Québécois would set up a minority government and the Liberals would become the legislative opposition. Geoff Zochodne explained that one thing both parties agree on is the legalization of online gambling.
“Quebec’s incoming government and official opposition are in agreement on expanding the province’s regulated market for online gambling,” Zochodne wrote. “This could eventually lead to provincial bettors gaining access to online sports wagering apps and sites that are currently unavailable to them, such as BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel, among potentially many others.”
While Canada’s Parliament decriminalized single-event sports betting in August 2021, five years later only the provinces of Alberta and Ontario have set up legal frameworks. Ontario has been live since April 2022 and Alberta launched its markets in July. Quebec is the second-biggest province in Canada behind Ontario, and its biggest city, Montreal, is second only to Toronto.
— Jill R. Dorson
Ohio regulator proposes KYC changes
Ohio’s gaming regulator released proposed changes to the know-your-customer process Monday. The changes would eliminate the option for “physical examination” of a government-issued identification for Type A (digital) operators, moving the full process online with multiple verification options. Type B (brick-and-mortar) operators would still have the option to verify identification in person.
Accounts existing prior to the rule going into effect would have to be reverified per the new parameters. The Ohio Casino Control Commission will accept written comments on the proposed changes through Oct. 16. Comments can be sent to [email protected].
— Jill R. Dorson
Is Ontario Circa’s next stop?
Circa founder Derek Stevens spent part of his summer north of the border, meeting stakeholders in Ontario and taking a side trip to Niagara, where provincial leaders recently announced a deal for additional casinos in the area. Stevens, who grew up near Windsor, Michigan, close to the Canadian border, told Covers.com late last week that he just “wanted to get a little lay of the land” and “I certainly wanted to put myself in a position of being prepared to say I had been there.”
Circa has six retail casino locations in Nevada and two in Illinois, and it is live with its Circa sportsbook app in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Nevada.
— Jill R. Dorson
Odds and ends
- UK-based Informa has an agreement to purchase Clarion Events, which operates the ICE and iGB L!VE gaming industry conferences as part of wide-ranging operations. Clarion’s gaming media site, iGB, reported Tuesday on the plan by its owner, Blackstone, to sell to Informa in a deal valued at $2.96 billion. Clarion is also the publisher of GGB Magazine.
- BetMGM on Tuesday announced a partnership with GameTime, a mobile ticket platform, that will allow BetMGM rewards winners to redeem points for tickets to sporting events, concerts, and more.
- Don’t expect to see San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in any commercials promoting sports betting of any kind. He told reporters recently he finds it “very sad” to see some of his NBA peers promoting sports betting sites — which can include those of both online sportsbooks and prediction market operators — and he wants to focus instead on being “inspiring.”
- ProPublica evidently wants to do a deep dive into how FanDuel and DraftKings make use of customer betting data, and the investigative media outfit is looking to customers to help:
ICYMI
NFL Backs New Jersey In Urging Supreme Court To Decide Sports Contracts
Cabazon Tribe, 39 State AGs Latest To Ask SCOTUS To Hear Kalshi-NJ Lawsuit
Dodd, Gensler: Congress Did Not Secretly Make CFTC A Gambling Regulator
Seminole Tribe Sues DraftKings, Says Sports Predictions And Pick6 Are Illegal Sports Betting
‘Swaps Are Swaps Whether They Are Used To Gamble’ — Illinois District Court Sides With Kalshi
Rural Locations, Shot At Economic Prosperity Drove Four Tribes To Partner With Kalshi
Kalshi’s Non-Sports Fee Revenue Surges — But Growth Is Almost All 15-Minute Crypto
I Went To A Predictions Market Conference And Wall Street Broke Out
Legislative Roundup: DraftKings, FanDuel Up Ante In Nebraska
