Brant James for Bookies.com

Brant James

Brant James has covered racing – cars and horses - the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and made numerous detours into not only clubhouses and locker rooms, but from whatever direction an interesting story beckoned. Carl Crawford once shot champagne into his eyes from such close range that he barely made deadline squinting with the left one. In a career with SI.com, ESPN.com, USA TODAY and the Tampa Bay Times, he’s ridden up Mt. Washington in a rally car with Travis Pastrana, walked – carefully, in dress shoes - from the barns to the paddock with Kentucky Derby horses at Churchill Downs and landed on an aircraft carrier with Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was there when Cal Ripken Jr., tied, broke and ended The Streak. Somebody had to do it. Brant James now writes for Bookies.com and co-hosts the {{anchor(" Badder Beats", "BDC - EN - Articles Page", 367 , "")|raw}} podcast.

Now he's on to the legal sports betting industry in the United States, which he covers as a features and enterprise reporter. This will not be dull.

Betting Lull Leads Sportsbooks to Seek eSports, New Markets

Betting Lull Leads Sportsbooks to Seek eSports, New Markets

With coronavirus shutting down all major North American leagues and many other popular U.S. sports betting markets, newer markets might fill the void.

Brant James
WWE Odds in US Sports Betting Unlikely But eSports Possible

WWE Odds in US Sports Betting Unlikely But eSports Possible

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, Turkish basketball and Russian hockey are drawing a bit of sports betting action but can’t make up for the absence of the NBA, MLB and March Madness. And don’t hold your breath waiting for WWE odds either, William Hill US trading director Nick Bogdanovich said.

Brant James
March Madness A Missed Opportunity To Turn Fans Into Bettors

March Madness A Missed Opportunity To Turn Fans Into Bettors

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is the most lucrative time of the year for sportsbooks. Not only is it a time when casual fans more likely to place a bet, but it’s a chance for sports betting enthusiasts to also try out other types of gaming. That’s all gone now with coronavirus wiping out this year’s March Madness.

Brant James
Coronavirus Leaves Sportsbooks Scrambling On Futures Bets

Coronavirus Leaves Sportsbooks Scrambling On Futures Bets

Postponements by the NBA, NHL and MLB left millions of dollars in future wagers in limbo on Thursday as league officials and owners scrambled to strike a responsible stance amid the coronavirus pandemic. The NCAA’s decision to cancel the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments left a void in the American sporting landscape.

Brant James
Celebrity First Sports Bettor Power Rankings And List

Celebrity First Sports Bettor Power Rankings And List

Brant James
NFL Union Seeks Betting Revenue Share in Labor Negotiations

NFL Union Seeks Betting Revenue Share in Labor Negotiations

The NFLPA is negotiating for a piece of future NFL betting revenues and that bargaining chip is close to coming to fruition.

Brant James
NFL Relationship With Sports Betting Beginning To Thaw

NFL Relationship With Sports Betting Beginning To Thaw

The loosening of NFL rules allowing teams to take sports-betting sponsors and open non-betting lounges is another tentative step toward the league embracing sports betting.

Brant James
BetMGM Mobile Sports Betting App Coming To Indiana Tuesday

BetMGM Mobile Sports Betting App Coming To Indiana Tuesday

BetMGM received approval from Indiana to launch its mobile sports betting app there on Tuesday.

Brant James
Why New Jersey Bettors Are Missing Out On College Sports

Why New Jersey Bettors Are Missing Out On College Sports

Seton Hall and Rutgers are having strong men's college basketball seasons in 2019-20. But New Jersey sports bettors wishing to wager on their local teams are still out of luck thanks to a state ban on betting on college teams in the state or even college events happening in New Jersey.

Brant James
DraftKings Goes Live With Mobile & Online Platform In Iowa

DraftKings Goes Live With Mobile & Online Platform In Iowa

DraftKings, the Boston-based daily fantasy and sports betting provider, has added a mobile and online platform in Iowa. It was already established in the state through branded sportsbooks in three Wild Rose casinos last fall.

Brant James
PointsBet and NBA Agree on Authorized League Partnership

PointsBet and NBA Agree on Authorized League Partnership

The first partnership with a major American pro sports league comes as PointsBet expands its U.S. sports betting market presence. PointsBet will integrate a “Win Probability Metric” on NBA games.

Brant James
MLB Playoff Proposal Would Dilute Futures Bets, Expert Says

MLB Playoff Proposal Would Dilute Futures Bets, Expert Says

If the idea, reported on Tuesday, goes through, there would be seven playoff teams in each league for a total of 14. That would do a number on MLB futures odds, one bookmaker says.

Brant James