Sports Prediction Biz in Chaos

Kalshi describes its services as “a regulated exchange & prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events.”

April 17, 2025

Sports Prediction Markets Still Face Legal Roadblocks
FOS’ Ben Horney writes, “Kalshi’s early victory in its Nevada court battle was significant, but the fight is far from over. Experts see multiple lines of attack state regulators could try against the exchange, which has handled a total of $653 million in sports event contracts since January.

“The Nevada Gaming Commission failed in its first attempt to quash the controversial sports offerings, with a federal judge ruling last week that it cannot stop Kalshi from continuing to offer sports event contracts in the state, for now.” The article goes on to say, “Experts say there are multiple federal laws that could still trip up the exchange in future legal fights.”
^{AP News}

NFL Teams Are No longer Shying Away From Older Prospects in the Draft
AP News’ Rob Maaddi writes, “Teams used to shy away from older prospects. Scouts and general managers once considered the age of 24 a red flag in some cases. But the success of guys like Nix and Jayden Daniels, who turned 24 during an outstanding rookie season, shows that experience can help players make an immediate impact in the pros.”
^{AP News}

Paige Bueckers Talks About Her Investment Stake in Unrivaled League on ‘Good Morning America’
“I mean, investments in women’s sports — I feel like the return on investment has been amazing,” Bueckers said. “Even the first year (of Unrivaled), the numbers were shocking. They just blew it out of the water. And just to invest so much in women’s sports, it’s growing at an all-time high, and it’s just a great time to be in women’s sports.”
^{AP News}

USTA Renews IMG as U.S. Open Media Rights Rep
IMG has worked with the USTA since 2011, primarily focusing on international efforts, but will now have brokerage of domestic media rights under its purview. The group advised and represented the USTA in the domestic renewal with ESPN, which starts in 2026, runs through 2037, and is worth north of $2B total.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Florida A&M Reportedly Finalizing Deal With Ex-Heisman Winner Charlie Ward to Become Men's Basketball Coach
According to ESPN via Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg, “Ward recently served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball during the 2025 Nike Hoops Summit.

“The 54-year-old won the 1993 Heisman Trophy while he was a two-sport star with the Seminoles. Ward played guard for the FSU basketball team while also serving as the football team’s quarterback. The Seminoles went 12-1 that season and beat Nebraska 18-16 in the Orange Bowl to win the national title after finishing first in the final AP Top 25 of the season.”
^{ESPN, Yahoo! Sports}

Athletes Unlimited Names Former MLB Executive Kim Ng its Softball League’s Commissioner
AP News’ Cliff Brunt reports: “Ng is the former general manager of the Miami Marlins and has three World Series rings from a combined 21 years in the front offices of the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

“The AUSL brought Ng on as a senior adviser to get the league off the ground for its first year, and she helped hire the general managers and coaches. Athletes Unlimited co-founder Jon Patricof decided after watching her deliver for six months that she deserved a permanent role.”
^{AP News}

For the L.A. Olympics, an Increasingly Common Strategy Behind the Sprawl
“We’ve clustered venues together,” Reynold Hoover, the retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, who is the LA28’s chief executive, said from Los Angeles.

The Athletic’s Matthew Futterman writes, “That’s the theory. Still, on an average day, it might take two or three hours to drive from the San Fernando Valley, which will host 3×3 basketball, modern pentathlon and squash, to San Clemente, where surfers will compete in one of the sport’s spiritual homes.”
^{The Athletic}

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Men’s Basketball GM Adrian Wojnarowski Gets Creative in Deal to Boost St. Bonaventure
SBJ’s Ben Portnoy writes, “The trick to this college basketball business is finding an advantage where others might not look. Wojnarowski has done that in, of all places, insurance.

“Players Health, a sports tech company that provides risk management services, reporting tools and insurance products to sports organizations, was brought on to provide protections against critical injuries and offer performance incentive insurance that allows St. Bonaventure — and by proxy, Woj — to offer players agreements worth more money than the program might actually have in its coffers.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Trump Administration Sues Maine Over Participation of Transgender Athletes in Girls Sports
The Trump administration on Wednesday sued Maine for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex. The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that has led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding…”
^{AP News}

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