SPORTS BETTING IN FOCUS

Judge Extends Negotiation Period For Hennen, More Details Emerge On Rozier

A federal judge in the case of the alleged ringleader in the Jontay Porter betting scandal has granted another continuance to extend negotiations on a potential plea deal.

Shane Hennen, a professional poker player, was apprehended by federal law enforcement in January as he attempted to board a one-way flight to Panama from Las Vegas. Hennen is the presumed architect of a comprehensive sports betting scheme that has resulted in the indictment of six defendants in New York.

On July 22, U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo signed an order of excludable delay that extended the negotiating window for a possible guilty plea.

It marked the fourth time Hennen has received a continuance since his January arrest. The order extends the window until Sept. 20. Hennen brushed up against a deadline on July 22 to reach a deal with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

The ring in question is also being probed for a pattern of anomalous activity related to several college basketball games, ESPN reported in February. In addition, federal prosecutors in the district have placed Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier under investigation for suspicious patterns surrounding a March 2023 parlay involving his statistical performance. The investigation is reportedly focused on activity during a March 23, 2023 game when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Last week, ESPN reported that a bettor placed 30 separate wagers on a Rozier-related same-game parlay at a Biloxi, Mississippi casino. In total, the bettor wagered nearly $14,000 on the wagers, which featured a series of Unders on Rozier’s performance. The bettor won on all 30 bets.

ACC Unveils New Policy for Injury Reporting, Sports Betting in Mind

Weeks before the opening kickoff for the 2025-26 college football season, the Atlantic Coast Conference is modifying its policy for disseminating injury reports to the public.

Addressing reporters on the opening day of the 2025 ACC Kickoff, Commissioner Jim Phillips said the league will require schools to post injuries in football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball. The conference will require schools to initially post the injury list two days before gameday, with further updates the next day and on the day of the contest. The new policy is directly related to the rise in sports betting and a determined push by the conference to protect the safety of the players, Phillips noted.

At last December’s Congressional hearing on sports betting, then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin opened with an anecdote about former North Carolina center Armando Bacot. In a Round of 32 matchup against Michigan State, Bacot had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead the Tar Heels to the Sweet 16. But Bacot failed to hit a double-digit total in boards drawing the ire of bettors on social media. Within hours, Bacot received more than 100 angry messages, according to Durbin.

Phillips previously expressed concern about prop betting, describing it as a “runaway train” if handled improperly. The policy change, he added, is aimed at providing a check against gamblers who seek to gain an advantage from inside information.

“There’s stresses on our student-athletes from individuals who are trying to garner information,” said Phillips at a July 22 press conference. “Sometimes it’s pretty innocent. They just want to know because they’re a big fan. But other times it leads into the gambling and sports wagering path.”

DraftKings Tops Rivals in ACSI Consumer Survey

For the first time ever, a leading consumer survey analyzed customer sentiment of mobile sports betting apps across numerous behavioral and technological indicators.

Respondents of the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index Entertainment Study placed DraftKings ahead of its main competitors when judging a slew of performance measures. The study gave DraftKings a rating of 78 points on a 100-point scale. DraftKings slightly topped BetMGM and FanDuel, which finished with ratings of 77 and 76, respectively. Three others finished close behind with Fanatics and ESPN BET both receiving a 73 rating, ahead of Caesars, which trailed the field with a 69.

“Customer loyalty metrics vary by brand but those that do the best job of satisfying their customers also enjoy notably higher ratings for loyalty,” the authors wrote in the study.

The study also examined a host of customer experience benchmarks across the online sports betting and online casino industries using the same 100-point scale. Predictably, mobile app quality ranked first among respondents with a rating of 80. Three others — privacy, ease of navigation and the reliability of the app — also ranked highly with a 79 rating. The latter category pertains to considerations such as lag time, the amount of crashes and whether there is minimal down time when the app is not functional.

Approximately 42 percent of the respondents were sportsbook-only users, while roughly 25 percent claimed that they are users of both sportsbook and online casino apps. Leading operators are working assiduously in attempts to differentiate themselves, the study found. New AI integrations that assist players in their wagering strategies are among the top product enhancements being offered by operators to gain an edge on the competition, according to the study.

Hard Rock Bet Gains Market Access in Colorado

Hard Rock Bet debuted in Colorado on Monday, marking the first launch of a new sportsbook in the Centennial State in more than 18 months.

Hard Rock reportedly gained market access through an agreement with Johnny Nolon’s Casino, an establishment located in Cripple Creek. The operator will enter the market following a rash of closures across the state. After announcing plans to close its U.S. operations last year, Evoke plc sold a part of its U.S. assets to Hard Rock Digital.

With the launch of Hard Rock, the state now has 12 sportsbook operators plus Sporttrade, a sports betting exchange.

“Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook is bringing an exciting new experience to Colorado players with deep betting markets on all major sporting events,  plus local favorites like table tennis and MMA,” said Hard Rock Bet President and Chief Revenue Officer Matt Primeaux.

Under its plan to leave North America, Evoke shuttered the SI Sportsbook in Colorado. Several others — Betway, BlueBet, Betsafe and SuperBook Sports — have also departed the state amid the tightening of the market. Hard Rock is the first sportsbook to launch in Colorado since January 2024.