Georgia sports betting is being put into the hands of the people this November, while Missouri is close to doing the same. Mobile North Carolina sports betting launches in March and has decided to allow college-player props. Its neighbor to the north, however, still won’t allow legal sports betting on in-state college teams. Finally, BetMGM released its latest odds for this year’s Oscars, and Oppenheimer’s odds look good for bringing home a lot of hardware.
Sports Betting News: Georgia Letting The People Decide; Missouri Inches Closer; NC Decides on College Player Props; And More
It appears the residents of Georgia will determine if sports betting will be allowed. A state amendment allowing sports gambling will be added to the November election ballot. This after the state Senate passed resolution 579 by a 41-12 vote this week.
Georgia has been hesitant to add sports betting since it’s not specifically allowed in the state’s constitution. This vote would change that.
It’s believed that sports betting could bring in $100 million in revenue to the already financially successful state. As part of this resolution, 85 percent of revenue would go to pre-kindergarten programs, 10 percent would go toward gambling addiction programs, and 5 percent to a fund that would help bring major sporting events to the states.
You can read more about Georgia sports betting and what lawmakers are arguing over in this article by the Associated Press.
Is Missouri Next For Sports Betting On The Ballot?
A while back, we reported on a Missouri group launching a signature campaign to get sports betting approval on the November ballot. Well, Winning For Missouri Education, the coalition representing Missouri’s six professional sports teams, has collected over half the signatures needed this week.
The campaign needs to collect an estimated 180,000 signatures by May 5. It currently has over 100,000 signatures, and leaders believe they can get over 300,000 signatures by the deadline.
“We are seeing strong support in the signature gathering effort because Missourians know it is time to legalize sports betting and use the funding for education,” said campaign spokesman Jack Cardetti. “It’s not only good for our economy but will support our teachers and future generations of Missourians for years to come.’
The initiative would allow each of Missouri’s 13 casinos and six professional sports teams to offer onsite and mobile sports betting.
The Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate sports betting. Leaders hope that Missouri sports betting will generate tens of millions of dollars for Missouri public education.
College Player Prop Bets Allowed in North Carolina
With mobile North Carolina sports betting inching closer to its March 11 debut, it was revealed this week that college-player prop bets will be allowed. The Tar Heel State is rich in college sports history and boasts some of the top men’s basketball programs in the country. The move is a win for the North Carolina sports betting public, adding more options for the gambler.
Other states, however, tend to stay away from college-player props. Ohio, for example, removed college-player prop bets last week. The request came from the NCAA and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matthew Schuler agreed.
“I have determined that good cause supports the NCAA’s request to prohibit player-specific prop bets on intercollegiate athletics competitions because the NCAA’s request will safeguard the integrity of sports gaming and will be in the best interests of the public,” Schuler ruled.
As a matter of fact, 25 of the 38 states that allow sports betting don’t allow college-player props.
Sports Bettors Have To Wait Another Year For College Betting In Virginia
Virginia is for lovers, not college sports bettors.
Virginia sports betting has been legal since 2021, but state lawmakers have refused to allow betting on in-state collegiate sports.
This session, Sen. Schuyler VanValkenberg (D-Henrico) sponsored Bill 124 to allow betting on college sports. It was his second attempt, having struck out in 2022 as a delegate.
Like all of these debates, the backers believe the added betting options will bring in revenue. Those against it say it opens a door to potential risks for student-athletes and for those in college who might get into gambling trouble.
The oddity of this rule is that Virginia sports betting allows users to bet on out-of-state teams, just not in-state teams.
Oppenheimer’s Odds Looking Good
BetMGM has released its latest odds for this year’s Oscars, and Oppenheimer’s odds look good.
Oppenheimer is the favorite for Best Picture. The Christopher Nolan-directed flick is -5000 to win after opening at +800.
Nolan is also the favorite to win Best Director for Oppenheimer. After opening at -130, he’s now at -3000.
Oppenheimer’s odds continue to favor leading man Cillian Murphy. He’s the favorite to win the leading man trophy at -1000. Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), however, is the public’s favorite. He has 42 percent of the tickets and 67 percent of the handle. He’s at +450 on the line.
The leading woman favored to get the Oscar for Best Actress is Lily Gladstone. The Killers of the Flower Moon star is at -125. Emma Stone (Poor Things) is right on her heels at -120. Gladstone, though, has the backing of the public with 73 percent of the tickets and 75 percent of the handle.
The only catch for the March 10 awards is that BetMGM is only booking these odds in Ontario. You might be able to win a couple of bucks off your office pool, though.
