Scholarship table
I don’t know how many people paid attention to this, but what happened in Illinois this morning around sports gambling is absolutely garbage. Illinois is going to forego tens of millions of additional tax revenue dollars, tens (maybe hundreds) of millions in ad revenue for Illinois tv/radio/web companies. All to protect one company (Rivers) that has more political clout in Illinois than DK or FD. I’m trying really really hard to not mention the politics here, but what happened today is really dirty.
What was the rationale from Springfield on this? Certainly seems shady as all hell, but it would at least be nice to see what the reason ostensibly would be to force people into the Rivers casinos durng an epidemic. I'm having trouble finding any info, even biased info, anywhere on this. I think part of it is a vendetta against DK for not shutting down operations in IL when the legality of DFS was a hot issue, correct?
Between this and MLB's coronavirus troubles, DKNG has gone from up 1% in the first half-hour of trading to down 9% as I write this. The MLB woes have had a much bigger impact on the stock price.
Announcing on a Sunday that mobile registration was ending, and giving little notice, reeks of clout. This doesn't even begin to describe how terrible the Rivers online/mobile experience has been. It looks like a website from 1996, trying to use it on mobile is next to impossible with their Geolocator. Now as of today, you can no longer wager on Golf, NASCAR, Soccer. It's a total $hitshow.
DK found, to their credit, a backdoor entrance by buying/partnering with Casino Queen. It gave them a stake in the ground in IL. I believe FD was about to do the same with Hawthorne (?). The executive order removing in person registration gave ground for FD/DK to move forward quickly with options, and they found options. Hell, they were starting to pump tons of money into advertising in Illinois. Think the media companies (TV/Radio) could use those big ad dollars right now in the middle of a pandemic? Quite honestly, that may have saved a few jobs.Announcing on a Sunday that mobile registration was ending, and giving little notice, reeks of clout. This doesn't even begin to describe how terrible the Rivers online/mobile experience has been. It looks like a website from 1996, trying to use it on mobile is next to impossible with their Geolocator. Now as of today, you can no longer wager on Golf, NASCAR, Soccer. It's a total $hitshow.
You're right about a lot here, but there's a little more to it.Yes, it's about protecting Rush Street (i.e. Rivers), but also the other state casinos that are opening sports books (i.e. Hollywood in Aurora and Joliet, Grand Victoria in Elgin, etc.). Those outfits - which pay substantial fees and taxes to the state - won't stand a chance if DK and FD get established online ahead of them. Essentially, the state is giving great preference to state-based operations. This was always the state's intent, and Sunday's action simply closes a loophole DK and FD were about to exploit.It does suck for the gambler, but I can't get too worked up because this has been the plan for more than a year.As for the Rivers app and site, they do indeed suck. But just going on it now, it seems I can place bets on futbol.
What is the app? And can Illinois residents use it legally?
Its the BetRivers app, and so far it doesn't work. You can download it and it just provides a link that takes you to their crappy site to bet online there. The plan is definitely for Illinois residents to be able to use it eventually though. IL folks - do you happen to know if us Wisconsinites can register an account and then after the bugs are worked out, use the app to bet online so long as we're standing in Illinois? I'm back and forth enough that I'd definitely do that. Or do you need to actually be an Illinois resident (if and when the app ever works)? I was putting off registering until I'm actually standing in Illinois because I didn't want to make it hard on myself if I got rejected for trying to register from Wisconsin.
Corruption in the gambling industry? That's a new concept.
Corruption in Illinois? Who would have thought of that?I'm about ready to start a Madigan Indictment Watch. How many days until Mike Madigan is indicted?Could JB be the fifth Illinois governor to live in public housing after his term is over? Stay tuned for "As the Toilet Turns."
JB is a billionaire. Unlike most of his predecessors - career politicians who craved the lifestyles of their donors - he has no financial need to participate in graft.
True, but the Cook County Assessor and Mr. JB are under federal criminal investigation over the toilet incident that gave him an estimated $300,000 tax benefit.Where that goes is anybody’s guess. But. Brother Pakuni, why would a man with the net worth of the Governor want to go through the hell of the toilet removal, get a tax break and then give it back. Given his reported net worth, that’s the equivalent of one of us Scoopers being immoral or unethical for, say, $0.50.
The toilet thing occurred before he was governor, was by all accounts directed not by him but by his wife, and the so-called "investigation" has gone nowhere in nearly two years time.If that's what you're hanging your hopes on for a JB indictment, I'm afraid you're going to be sorely disappointed.
Illinois Gaming Board meets this morning, should be interesting to say the least.