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- Former NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Guilty to $10 Million Sports Betting and Poker Scams
- Austin Texas Area Lodge Card Club to Reopen as All Charges Dropped
- Kentucky Derby Post Positions and Latest Odds
- Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby to Enter Gambling Addiction Program Amid NCAA Investigation
- 2026 Kentucky Derby Odds to Win and Early Pros and Cons
- Terry Rozier Accused in Gambling Scheme Now Facing Bribery Charges
- NCAA Bans 2 Former Fordham Basketball Players for Their Roles in Point-Shaving Scheme
- Air Balloon Crashes Into Casino.
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Kentucky Derby
Silent Tactic Scratched From Derby
April 29, 2026 (9:29 pm EDT)
Silent Tactic has been scratched from the race, meaning Great White will draw in from the also-eligible list and have the No. 20 post position. Post time for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is set for 6:57 p.m. Saturday.
Prediction Markets
CFTC Sues Wisconsin Over Efforts to Block Prediction Markets
Wednesday April 29, 2026 (7:35 pm EDT)
Just after Wisconsin declared prediction market platforms to be illegal gambling and took enforcement action against the likes of Kalshi, Robinhood and Polymarket, the CFTC filed a federal lawsuit against the state. Filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to block Wisconsin’s attempt to regulate prediction markets. (source: GamblingNews)
Gambling News (North Dakota)
North Dakota Youth Wrestling Club Became a Multimillion-Dollar Gambling Operation
April 29, 2026 (12:59 pm EDT)
The Matpac Wrestling Club, a nonprofit youth program in North Dakota, has increased its revenue 30-fold since 2017. Not through candy-bar sales or bake-offs, but from a multimillion-dollar gambling operation. Newly rich from e-tab cash, the Matpac Wrestling Club purchased an 18,000-square-foot facility and, in 2024, distributed nearly $1 million in grants to other organizations, according to Internal Revenue Service nonprofit filings. This is the result of a North Dakota experiment that allows tax-exempt groups ton install Las Vegas-style machines in restaurants, bars and other establishments and watch the money roll in. An increasing number of states now allow them. Players in North Dakota spend more than $2 billion on e-tabs annually, directing profits to charities. The machines are now fixtures from bowling alleys to Applebee’s. There is one for roughly every 100 adults in the state. In early March, North Dakota Attorney General sought to revoke the one group’s charitable gaming license and fine them, alleging that an investigation had found “multiple violations of state gaming laws and regulations.” In August, an employee of the West Fargo Hockey Association pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $70,000 from the gaming proceeds of the nonprofit
Gambling Crime
Former NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Guilty to $10 Million Sports Betting and Poker Scams
Wednesday April 29, 2026 (12:51 pm EDT)
Damon Jones has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy in two separate cases: one count for his role in a scheme to use inside information derived from multiple National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, players and coaches, to profit from illegal betting activity; and one count for participating in a scheme to rig illegal poker games across the country. The loss amount for both cases totals more than $10 million. Jones was a professional basketball player with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. After his playing career, Jones served on the coaching staffs of the Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. The proceedings were held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.
Poker Crime
Austin Texas Area Lodge Card Club to Reopen as All Charges Dropped
April 28, 2026 (10:59 pm EDT)
A Williamson County grand jury declined to indict the owners and operators of The Lodge Card Club's Round Rock location on allegations of illegal gambling, money laundering, and organized crime. The raid on March 10 seized over $1.3 million in cash and equipment, leading to 144 to 200 staff layoffs, but now those assets should return, with a reopening planned in weeks. Co-owners Doug Polk, Brad Owen, and Andrew Neeme called it validation of their legal operations in Texas' poker gray area, while the poker community celebrated the rare 'no bill' decision. Poker pro Doug Polk confirmed the news via his Twitter page.
Kentucky Derby
2026 Kentucky Derby Odds to Win and Early Pros and Cons
April 28, 2026 (10:22 pm EDT)
- Further Ado - Winningest jockey but worst post position.
- Commandment - Won the Florida Derby. Florida Derby winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby 25 times, the most of any prep race. Though he won this race, he did so by a nose. This was, however, his 4th consecutive victory.
- Right to Party - He starts from the post position that has yielded the most Kentucky Derby wins but hasn't beaten any top contenders during the prep race period and he will be going up against horses with Grade 1 wins or dominant prep performances. Distance is also a concern.
| Post | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renegade | 4-1 |
| 2 | Albus | 30-1 |
| 3 | Intrepido | 50-1 |
| 4 | Litmas Test | 30-1 |
| 5 | Right to Party | 30-1 |
| 6 | Commandment | 6-1 |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon | 20-1 |
| 8 | So Happy | 15-1 |
| 9 | The Puma | 10-1 |
| 10 | Wonder Dean | 30-1 |
| 11 | Incredibolt | 20-1 |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | 8-1 |
| 13 | Silent Tactic | 20-1 |
| 14 | Potente | 20-1 |
| 15 | Emerging Market | 15-1 |
| 16 | Pavlovian | 30-1 |
| 17 | Six Speed | 50-1 |
| 18 | Further Ado | 6-1 |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | 30-1 |
| 20 | Fulleffort | 20-1 |
Gambling Crime / NBA
Terry Rozier Accused in Gambling Scheme Now Facing Bribery Charges
April 28, 2026 (10:22 pm EDT)
Terry Rozier was originally charged along with five others with fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged use of inside information to profit from illegal betting activity.
The superseding indictment against Rozier alleges he "solicited and accepted a bribe"
Gambling Scandal / College Basketball
NCAA Bans 2 Former Fordham Basketball Players for Their Roles in Point-Shaving Scheme
April 28, 2026 (10:22 pm EDT)
Two former Fordham basketball players were permanently banned by the NCAA on Tuesday for their roles in a point-shaving scheme that was the subject of a sprawling federal indictment unsealed in January.
According to the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions, Elijah Gray and Will Richardson each agreed with a bettor to throw a game against Duquesne on Feb. 23, 2024, in exchange for $10,000 to $15,000. Gray cooperated with NCAA investigators, while Richardson did not, the NCAA said.
Gambling News
Air Balloon Crashes Into Casino
April 28, 2026 (8:25 pm EDT)
A hot air balloon crashed into the side of Sky River Casino on Monday afternoon during a groundbreaking event, and ballooning experts say the incident underscores how critical weather judgment and pilot decision-making are in the industry.
Exclusive aerial video from LiveCopter 3 showed the balloon’s basket slam into the casino building and tip to nearly a 90-degree angle, with the pilot still inside. The balloon was later seen in a nearby field.
A spokesperson for Sky River Casino said the pilot chose to launch into free flight because of unexpected heavy winds.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to investigate. MacLean said those agencies will bring in experienced personnel, including ballooning experts, to determine what happened.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
