EndGame: WNBA Betting Set To Tank?

Our round-up of North American sports betting's top stories of the week

Jill R. Dorson and Brant JamesUpdated May 30, 20254 Mins read76

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.

Caitlin Clark injury to affect WNBA betting

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and her well-documented “Effect” on WNBA attendance, television ratings, and sports betting handle will be in full demonstration mode for at least two weeks as she sits out with a quadriceps injury.

Example:

When Clark joined the league, Caesars Sportsbook noted Opening Night WNBA handle ballooned by 516%
Across her rookie campaign, WNBA handle improved by 84%
Clark prop bets topped those of any previous WNBA player in any season

Until she returns, it’s goodbye to the WNBA sports betting dabblers, Circa Sports Race and Sportsbook Director of Operations Jeff Benson told InGame:

“It makes WNBA unbettable for the rec player.”

DraftKings Director of Sports Operations Johnny Avello has more confidence in the modern-era WNBA, telling InGame:

“Caitlin Clark is certainly the biggest draw in the WNBA and drives betting interest in every game she plays in — but the league is in a good spot around her as well. The WNBA has more star power than ever before, and should have the momentum to withstand Clark’s injury.”

Penn Entertainment buys time in HG Vora lawsuit

Penn Entertainment has bought itself some time in a lawsuit filed by activist investor HG Vora, after a judge granted a delay to give the operator time to respond to Vora’s claims.

Penn will not have to respond to claims that it violated “core shareholder rights” by reducing the size of its board from nine seats to eight until 20 days after the court makes a decision on whether to stay the case.

That all but ensures the case will go on past Penn’s annual general meeting, where Vora is attempting to nominate three new members to the operator’s board. Penn says there are only two open seats, following its decision to shrink the board, but Vora hopes the court could still allow votes for its third nominee — William Clifford — to be counted.

Crypto.com a sports sponsorship power

Crypto.com, the cryptocurrency trading platform whose website claims its sports events contracts side gig is “regulated in all 50 states,” has been busy at more than becoming a sportsbook.

According to sports marketing analysis firm SportsQuake, the company led all crypto platforms with a $213 million spend on sports sponsorships last year behind deals with the UEFA Champions League and F1. More notably, none of its financial-platform-turned-prediction-market-turned-sportsbook competitors in the United States — notably Kalshi, Robinhood, or state-regulated exchange-wagering site Sporttade — attempted to reach a potentially huge pool of prospective customers through such a spend.

Some no longer need to register in Indiana

The Indiana Gaming Commission will stop requiring registration for some sports betting vendors and suppliers beginning July 1.

Payment processing companies, marketing firms, and others that offer support services but don’t take bets will no longer be required to be licensed, WVPE reported Tuesday. Such companies paid about $60,000 in fees annually, but the IGC is eliminating the licensing process as part of Executive Order 25-17 from Gov. Mike Braun, which mandates state agencies terminate licensing requirements that are redundant.

BetMGM Vegas Aces’ online casino, betting partner

BetMGM announced its first partnership with a women’s professional sports franchise on Wednesday, becoming the exclusive online casino and sportsbook partner of the WNBA Las Vegas Aces franchise. The deal runs through the 2027 season.

From Lance Evans, senior vice president of sports and sponsorships at MGM Resorts International:

“Since 2018, the Las Vegas Aces have played a pivotal role in our city’s growth as a global sports and entertainment destination. Together with BetMGM, we look forward to hosting gameday events at Mandalay Bay, as well as our other properties, allowing local and visiting fans to interact with their favorite basketball teams.”

McDavid can make sports betting history with Cup

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid can become the answer to a question at your very niche Tuesday night sports betting trivia contest.

Q: Who was the first active player to win a Stanley Cup while working as a brand ambassador for a sportsbook?

When McDavid joined BetMGM in 2022, he was not allowed by gambling regulations in Ontario — the only province with a legal sports betting market and 38% of the population — to directly promote betting. He was just in the commercials, and generally, retired legend Wayne Gretzky did the shilling. Even stricter regulations prompted BetMGM to shift McDavid to a responsible gambling role and the results have apparently been worthwhile.

NOTE: McDavid had the same chance last year, but the Oilers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

Check this out …

An Iowa gambler filed a lawsuit against DraftKings claiming this his $325 in bets on the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2024 were voided with little to no explanation.

The bettor, Nicholas Bavas, stood to win more than $14 million if his bets — several were 20-leg parlays — paid out.

He placed his bets after the third round was complete, late the Saturday of the event, while he was watching the weather forecast. Heavy rains were predicted and there was a high likelihood that the final round would be canceled. And indeed, the final round never happened, and the results as of Saturday night became the official results of the tournament.

It’s a bit convoluted, but The Independent spells the situation out step-by-step — and, of course, includes some inflammatory comments from Bavas.