Sports

Record number of bets expected for Super Bowl – CNBC

Published

5 years ago

January 28, 2020

People take pictures near the Super Bowl LIV fan zone on January 24, 2020 in Miami Beach.

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This year’s Super Bowl will be the most legally bet on Super Bowl in history. New data from the American Gaming Association says 26 million Americans will wager approximately $6.8 billion on Super Bowl LIV, a 15% increase from last year’s game as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers.

“Americans have never before had so many opportunities to wager on the Super Bowl in a safe and legal manner, and clearly, they are getting in on the action,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the association. Miller tells CNBC that bettors are beginning to migrate from the illegal marketplace. “That’s the most important and exciting dynamic,” he added.

Since May 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, 20 states now offer legal and regulated sports betting. Of those, 14 states are operational allowing sports wagering. Fourteen more states are expected to legalize this year. Legalization has proven to be a windfall for states, with $17 billion wagered legally and a lot of that money means new revenue for states.

With the new frontier of legalized sports betting taking hold, more and more Americans will wager on the Super Bowl at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, a 25% increase from last year. Another 5 million will place their bet online or on a mobile platforms, a 19% increase from last year.

For companies FanDuel and Drafkings, the Super Bowl is one of their biggest days of the year. Both companies are hoping to capitalize on the big game.

In a recent survey, DraftKings found that 82% of fans are planning on placing a legal wager this year on the Super Bowl.

“There is a clear desire among many fans to experience these products, which, in turn, shapes their overall engagement, and we are encouraged by what these findings mean for the future growth of sports betting in the United States,” said Matt Kalish, co-founder and president of Draftkings North America.

The NFL continues to be the most popular sport among users of their daily fantasy services and sportsbooks.

Last year, DraftKings set a then-company record of $11 million in payouts for New Jersey alone on Super Bowl Sunday.

Who are football fans betting on? According to the AGA’s survey, 52% of people say they will bet on the Kansas City Chiefs, while 48% will bet on the 49ers.

“I think they are both very strong teams with compelling story lines,” Miller said about what the team match-up might mean for bettors.

For the sports leagues, more bettors have translated into more engagement. Previous AGA research found that 75% of NFL bettors said they are likely to watch a game they have bet. NFL viewership was up 5% in 2019, and another 5 points the year before.

“It’s good for fans, the leagues, teams, regulators and constituents,” said Miller.

Disclosure: CNBC parent Comcast and NBC Sports are investors in FanDuel.

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Sports

Edler to sign one-day contract to retire as a Vancouver Canuck

Published

15 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.

The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.

He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.

The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.

Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.

“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”

Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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Sixth-ranked Canadian women to face World Cup champion Spain in October friendly

Published

22 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.

Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.

In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.

Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.

Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.

Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.

It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.

Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.

FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.

“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024

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Maple Leafs announce Oreo as new helmet sponsor for upcoming NHL season

Published

1 day ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.

The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.

The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.

Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.

The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.

Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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