EndGame: Coinbase Getting Into Predictions, Ohio Conflict, More

The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2025. 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.

Coinbase to launch prediction markets

Crypto exchange Coinbase looks to be the latest business to launch a prediction market.

The business last week said it would offer event contracts as part of its efforts to launch an “everything exchange.” It did not say whether this will include sports, though the focus on trading “everything” in its marketing materials suggests this may be the case.

Coinbase is already registered as a Designated Contract Market (DCM) by the Commodity Trading Futures Commission (CFTC) for its crypto operations.

The new Coinbase exchange will have all transactions recorded on the public ledger of its in-house blockchain, called Base. Polymarket’s operations are also recorded on a blockchain.

We’re building the everything exchange.

→ Millions of assets
→ Derivatives
→ Tokenized equities

And a lot more, all in one place. pic.twitter.com/OfSVeUg6mc
— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) July 31, 2025

Sportradar weighs prediction market move

The CEOs of leading sports betting operators DraftKings and FanDuel may have been coy about prediction markets on earnings calls this week, but one of the biggest betting technology companies offered a hint about whether it may dip its toe into the space.

Sportradar — which provides data, media content, and trading tech, among other products, to sportsbooks — could get involved in the space, but only once there’s more regulatory clarity.

Asked about the emerging vertical on an earnings call Tuesday, Sportradar boss Carsten Koerl said he welcomes prediction markets “in principle,” but in practice, too much is up in the air to make moves in the space at the moment.

“It’s a regulatory question, which is mainly a tax issue. So as long as we have no clarity on this — how the predictive markets are taxed — I think it is very, very difficult for us and for the market to see that we can really invest here.

“But in principle, we welcome this. In principle, we think that’s a good additional business for us because they need content.”

Daniel O’Boyle

Conflict over pro props in Ohio

Ohio lawmaker Brian Stewart is pushing back against Gov. Mike DeWine’s call to ban pro prop bets, according to a Wednesday Cleveland.com report. On the outlet’s Today in Ohio podcast, reporter Lisa Garvin said, “This is the story of a representative who is in bed with the gambling industry but isn’t saying he is” and shared that Stewart is “going to work to oppose” DeWine’s call to action, and may introduce legislation. According to the podcast, Stewart said prop bets account for 50% of all bets in Ohio, and that it doesn’t make sense to “pull the rug out” from under the consumers who make the bets.

The hosts of the podcast clearly support DeWine. During the segment, host Chris Quinn said, “I’m just shocked at this, and everybody else is looking at what’s going on, and anybody who cares about sports is worried. The ability of a single player to spin the whole bet is dangerous, and it will cause fans to say, well, I can’t believe the results, and they are going to lose fans. The sports business is under threat. … When this came up, it just made no sense to me, and his explanation that people enjoy them? Yeh, OK … but this is having very serious, ugly affects.” The hosts definitively rejected the idea that game-fixing scandals in Ohio and elsewhere have been uncovered because there is a regulated market.

Quinn went on to say that the sports betting industry “needs a champion” and found one in a state where the legislature “will not tax them appropriately” despite DeWine trying to double the sports betting tax twice in a year. The hosts also said that eliminating pro prop bets “won’t cripple sports betting in Ohio.”

Another thought to consider — since sports betting went live in Ohio on Jan. 1, 2023, the state through June 2025 had collected $407 million in tax dollars from it. If half of that goes away, how will the state fill the void?

Jill R. Dorson

Josh Allen deemed most valuable QB ATS

Josh Allen hasn’t gotten a Super Bowl victory yet, but the Buffalo Bills’ MVP has gotten paid and now he’s gotten his due as the most line-influencing quarterback against the spread in the National Football League (NFL).

According to a study by Ben Fawkes for Yahoo! Sports, oddsmakers collectively rate Allen as worth 6.98 points against the spread, just ahead of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (6.94). Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson completed the top three, but was further back at 6.55.

The survey asked 12 oddsmakers to take into account several factors including game location, offensive coordinator, and the overall talent of the quarterback’s team.

Brant James

FanDuel donates $200k to NC food banks

FanDuel donated $200,000 to two food banks in North Carolina, it announced last Friday. FanDuel operates in the state and is the official partner of the Carolina Panthers. They hope to give back to the communities they share.

The company donated $100,000 to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, the state’s largest hunger relief organization, and $100,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, according to a press release.

IGB: No gambling ads on college campuses

In a further effort to protect consumers, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) Monday revealed “enhanced and uniform” guidelines around advertising for sports betting, casino gambling, and video gaming. Among the new rules is a prohibition on gambling ads on college and university campuses, media outlets, and at venues used primarily to host college and university games. The new rules also ban the use of college students, the colleges themselves, or college “settings” from being used in gambling advertising.

In addition, operators are now banned from making any kind of third-party deals in which compensation is dependent on how many wagers are placed. This would, for example, seem to ban affiliate deals, in which affiliates may be paid a percentage of net revenue generated by the operator from a consumer. Other states have also banned such deals, including Massachusetts.

Jill R. Dorson

Louisiana’s Ronnie Jones joins Penn

Penn Entertainment appointed former Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) Chair Ronnie Jones to its compliance committee on Monday. Jones worked with the LGCB from 2013-20, and brings significant regulatory and industry experience to the company. He oversaw operational integrity for 15 riverboat casinos, a land-based casino, four racetrack slot venues, and more than 2,000 licensed video poker locations. During his time at the LGCB, Jones was named North American Regulator of the Year by the International Masters of Gaming Law for his part in preparing Louisiana for legalized sports betting, which launched after his tenure.

Former Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chair Ronnie Jones is joining Penn Entertainment's Compliance Committee, bringing 40+ years of public service experience and critical insights into the gaming regulatory space.
— GGB (@GlobalGamingBiz) August 6, 2025

BetMGM wants more time in Las Vegas

After being approved in February to take over operations at nine MGM Resorts International brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in Nevada, BetMGM asked the Nevada Gaming Control Board Wednesday for more time. Citing concerns around understanding the “key employee” role it would take and how to properly stay in compliance and make the new situation work, the company asked for a year-long extension. The NGCB will vote on the extension at its Aug. 21 meeting.

BetMGM is looking to take over operations at the sportsbooks at the Aria, Bellagio, Cosmpolitan, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York, and Park MGM.

Jill R. Dorson