Ice Lobster

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Two blockbuster developments in the casino space earlier this year seemed to indicate an increasingly bullish bet on the sector, including Fertitta Entertainment’s acquisition of Caesars Entertainment in May. The other is a subsequent takeover offer of MGM Resorts from its largest shareholder, Barry Diller’s People Inc. But a negative shift in market conditions could affect both deals.

In July, Fertitta’s General Counsel Steven Scheinthal told the Nevada Gaming Control Board that the company had a letter of intent from banks to finance the transaction but was waiting for better borrowing conditions. Fertitta is assuming nearly $12 billion in Caesars’ debt and is committed to a $6.6 billion financing package.

“Our hope is that in the next few months there will be a window of opportunity where the market will be hotter and [it’s] a more interest rate friendly environment where we can go raise the money and then just put it in an escrow account,” Scheinthal said at the time.

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In addition, regulated sportsbooks appear to have a vested interested in mitigating the risk of violent threats associated with athlete harassment. Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, told iGB on Tuesday that its members are investing in tools and partnerships that help identify bad actors and share information with leagues and other stakeholders.

Another proposed action from the leagues centres around the creation of a standardised, cross-operator reporting platform that will allow players, unions and leagues to “securely transmit verified evidence of threats” to state regulators.

Maloney leads an association that features sportsbook powerhouses such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and Bet365.

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DraftKings is requesting that a panel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) nullify a patent that trading house Cantor Fitzgerald says the gaming company copied for its benefit.

U.S. Patent No. 12,406,284, which lists Commerce Secretary and former Cantor CEO Howard Lutnick as its primary inventor, covers geolocation technology commonly used in sports betting.

Geolocation services, which are typically purchased through third-party vendors, are used by sportsbook operators to ensure that their clients are placing wagers from jurisdictions in which sports wagering is legal.