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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

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winter 2023 gift (eyebrow)

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

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Merch v3

Profile Pic

Chris Thompson

Detail view of a DraftKings Sportsbook advertisement

DraftKings logo

Gambling

How Much Protection Do Online Sportsbooks Owe Their Patrons?


<p>Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.</p>


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Dan McQuade

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 08: Xavier Legette #17 of the Carolina Panthers drops a pass while being guarded by C.J. Gardner-Johnson #8 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter of a game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 08, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Sports Gambling Thrives On Clicks, Not Community

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David Roth

NBA and FanDuel online sports betting signage is displayed on the side of a building in Phoenix, Arizona.

US-SPORTS-BETTING

Podcasts

Doing Cocaine In An MRI Machine, With Arif Hasan

Amos Barshad

People walk by a banner outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for the IPO of Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, on January 29, 2024 in New York City. The company, which is already on the London Stock Exchange, will be listed under the “FLUT” symbol. Wall Street observers are watching to see if an upcoming Fed announcement on rate policy and the most recent violence in the Middle East will have any effect on the markets.

Markets Open As Concerns Grow Over Conflict Escalation In The Mideast After U.S. Troops Killed In Jordan

The Gambling Industry’s Cynical Play For Your Vote

Dave McKenna

A general view of the DraftKings logo in the outfield during the Major League baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on June 22, 2021 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphis, PA.

MLB: JUN 22 Nationals at Phillies

MLB Players Association Sues Sportsbooks For NIL Thievery

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Patrick Redford

LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 16: Fans check in at the ESPN Bet members lounge to receive Callaway golf balls on the 13th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America via Getty Images)

2024 PGA Championship – Round One

Penn’s ESPN Bet Scheme Looks Increasingly Grim

DraftKings billboard

DraftKings Sued By NFL Players Association Over Reignmakers Rug-Pull

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‘ESPN Bet’ Is A Black Hole

DraftKings Eats Shit, Reverses Course On Stupid Gaming Tax Surcharge

A general view of the Draft Kings sign during the Major League Baseball game

DraftKings signage

DraftKings Introduces Fees To The World Of Sports Wagering

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

A collage of Detroit Tigers in-game parlays on Bally Sports

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How Often Would You Lose On 81 Tigers Same-Game Parlays Pushed By Bally Sports Detroit?

<div id=":g4.ma" class="Mu SP" title="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:42 PM UTC-5"><span id=":g4.co" class="tL8wMe EMoHub" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/GoStevenGoldman">Steven Goldman</a> is a former BP editor-in-chief and current consulting editor. He is the author of the Casey Stengel biography <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forging-Genius-Making-Casey-Stengel/dp/1574888749">Forging Genius</a> </i>and host of the long-running <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/show/the-infinite-inning/"><i>Infinite Inning </i>podcast</a>, which sits at the crossroads of baseball, history, politics, and culture. His most recent book, which has an introduction by David Roth, is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Brief-Lives-Inspired-Infinite/dp/B0BBJTPGDF"><i>Baseball&#8217;s Brief Lives: Player-Stories Inspired by the Infinite Inning</i></a>.</span></div>
<div id=":g5.ma" class="Mu SP" data-tooltip="January 26, 2021 at 2:34:45 PM UTC-5"></div>


Steven Goldman

A general view of the DraftKings Bet Live Now signage during the Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on July 7, 2022.

MLB: JUL 07 Nationals at Phillies

Gambling For Life

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Ray Ratto

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 7: Jontay Porter #34 of the Toronto Raptors arrives to the arena before the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 7, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images)

Toronto Raptors v Phoenix Suns

How The Fix Gets In

MLB Makes A Convenient Example Of Several Gambling Bozos

<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">Corbin Smith is a writer and photographer from Vancouver, Washington. His work has appeared in Deadspin, The Daily Beast, and <em>Rolling Stone</em>. He is also the host of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pacific-northwest-insurance-corporation-moviefilm/id1712416222"><em>The Pacific Northwest Insurance Corporation Moviefilm Podcast</em></a> a podcast about movies.</div>
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Corbin Smith

Joe Montana attends the FanDuel Fantasy Golf Classic on July 11, 2017 in New York City.

FanDuel Fantasy Golf Classic

Sports Is Betting It All On Gambling

CANADA-TORONTO-NBA-THUNDER VS RAPTORS

Jontay Porter Is The NBA’s Collateral Damage

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Barry Petchesky

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Shohei Ohtani (C) of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks with his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (L) and agent Nez Balelo (R) prior to the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

New Orleans Saints v Los Angeles Rams

Gambling Addiction Is A Nasty, Nasty Thing

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Kathryn Xu

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers, pictured with his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, prepares for a game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.

Chicago White Sox v Los Angeles Dodgers

Not Even An Ippei Mizuhara Guilty Plea Will Take MLB Off The Hook

A screenshot of an ESPN broadcast, featuring a live win probability graphic displaying a 35-percent Dodgers win probability, and Chris Taylor making a beaver face.

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ESPN’s Win Probability Graphic Wants To Give You Gambling Brain

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 24: Overall view of the FanDuel logo at the Legends Classic, played between the LSU Tigers and the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Barclays Center on November 24, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. FanDuel was the primary sponsor of the tournament. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)

Legends Classic: NC State v LSU

The NCAA Is Concerned About Sports Betting; Good Luck With That

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 09: Jontay Porter #34 of the Toronto Raptors warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on March 09, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Toronto Raptors v Portland Trail Blazers

Feeling Left Out, NBA Announces Its Own Betting Scandal

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - MARCH 20: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is seen while his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is seen in the dugout during the 2024 Seoul Series game between Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome on March 20, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)

2024 Seoul Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres

MLB Has A Gambling Problem Even If Shohei Ohtani Doesn’t

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks to his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara in the dugout during the 2024 Seoul Series game between Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

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Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Gives Two Different Stories

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Israel Daramola

Minnesota Timberwolves player Rudy Gobert reacts to a ref giving him a technical foul during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8.

Minnesota Timberwolves v Cleveland Cavaliers

What If Rudy Gobert Wasn’t Wrong, Just Early?

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Tom Ley

Some of the more than 400 proposition bets for Super Bowl LI between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are displayed at the Race &amp; Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort &amp; Casino on January 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Super Bowl LII Proposition Bets At The Westgate Las Vegas Race & Sports SuperBook

Defector Up All Night

We Have Confirmed The Existence Of America’s New Worst Bettor