Records show that for months, the Texas Lottery Commission aggressively pursued efforts to get the Texas lottery involved in the multibillion-dollar fantasy sports business, the Dallas Morning News reported on Friday.
Commission executive director Gary Grief wanted a deal with DraftKings so that the commission could offer fantasy sports games, the newspaper reported online, based on more than 400 e-mails, including communications with fantasy sports lobbyists, that it reviewed.
Records contradict the commission’s public statements that it was pursuing only traditional lottery draws and scratch-off games.
The documents show that Grief pressed his staff to expedite a deal to get the Texas lottery a beachhead in the fantasy sports business. The campaign continued even after DraftKings and FanDuel, a similar business, became embroiled in a scandal over insider betting.
Commission chairman Winston Krause said Grief explored the matter at the urging of a lawmaker, whose identity Krause said he could not remember.
Grief said in a written statement that he would say only that the commission had stopped its efforts. He declined requests by the Dallas Morning News for an interview and did not respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press late on Friday.
When Grief and some of his staff members traveled to Delaware to investigate DraftKings’ operation, Texas Governor Greg Abbott got wind of the trip from a Dallas Morning News reporter and ordered the commission to end its pursuit, the newspaper reported.
“State laws on gaming are to be viewed strictly as prohibitive to any expansion of gambling,” Abbott wrote to Krause.
Krause said that was when the lawmaker lost interest.
“From now on, when somebody from the legislature calls and says, ‘We might be taking this up,’ the first thing that’s going to happen is going to be a call to the governor’s office. We’re not sticking our neck out for anything,” Krause told the newspaper.
Separately, state Representative Myra Crownover has asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for an opinion on whether the Internet-based daily fantasy sports games are legal in Texas.
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association has asked its clientele to ask Paxton, a Republican, to remain neutral on the issue.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
RSS