Hot diggity dog.

Bettors will be able to legally wager on the outcome of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest for the first time in three states this week.

The action will be available to all those wagering in Colorado, New Jersey and New Hampshire. DraftKings has also partnered with Major League Eating, the event’s governing body, to offer fans multiple ways to interact with this annual bacchanalia of binging though the DraftKings Sportsbook app in a free-to-play pool that includes $25,000 in prizes.

The contest is set for Saturday. It will be moved to a private location without crowds in order to satisfy concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will be just five women and six men competing this year. It’s usually held outside the original Nathan's Famous restaurant at Coney Island, New York, with at least dozen competitors in each category.

The contest will air on ESPN starting at noon Eastern, minus the typical wild and raucous crowd packed into the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues.

The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has occurred each July 4 since 1916. The presence of an official governing body — Major League Eating — means the event will be conducted under unified third-party rules and standards, a must for any legal betting action to be approved by state regulators.

	First Bet Safety Net Up To $1,000	Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site	Used 33 Times Today	Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customer only. Must be 21+ and present in OH. T&Cs apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
	$1,000 First Bet on Caesars Promo Code: BOOKIES1000	Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site	Used 14 Times Today	Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.
	Bet $5, Get $150 Instantly	Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site	Used 47 Times Today	21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in IA/KS/KY/LA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/TN/VA/VT/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: dkng.co/bball. Ends 1/5/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DraftKings. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
	Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses Promo Code: BOOKIES	Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site	Used 54 Times Today	Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in OH. In partnership with MGM Northfield Park. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.
	Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins + 3 Free Months of NBA League Pass	Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site	Used 44 Times Today	Must be 21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
	Bet And Get Up to $1,000 in No Sweat Bets	Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site	Used 39 Times Today	21+. New customers in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV, or WY only. Must apply this promotion in your bet slip and place a $1+ cash wager with odds of - 500 or longer each day for 10 straight days. Your 10 days begin the day you establish your account. Wager must settle as a loss to qualify for Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets will equal the amount of the losing wager(s) (up to $100 in Bonus Bets per day) and expire 7 days from issuance. This offer is not available in New York. Terms apply- see Fanatics Sportsbook app. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700, CT (888) 789-7777, IA 1-800-BETS-OFF, VA 1-888-532-3500

Joey Chestnut Favored To Win Again

Joey Chestnut stuffed 71 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes into his 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame to win the title for the 12th time in 13 years in 2019. His gastric consumption record was 72 in 10 minutes, set in 2017.

Darron Breeden finished second last year, while Geoffrey Esper took third. Miki Sudo will be trying to win her seventh straight women’s title Saturday. She won No. 6 last year with 31 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Her record is 41 set in 2018.

Chestnut, 36, is -1250 to win again at the DraftKings, while anyone else in the field is +650. The over/under on HDB to be eaten by Chestnut is 72.5. Sudo is -835 to complete her seven-peat.

Among those not competing this time is Matt Stonie, who beat Chestnut in 2015. Stonie and Chestnut are from California. But Chestnut was flown to New York from California earlier by Major League Eating in make sure he could compete in the case of any coronavirus-related travel restrictions and quarantines. Currently, all visitors to New York from several states, including California, need to isolate in self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival.

“We are fortunate to be able to conduct this event in these extraordinary and trying times. While we’ll miss the Coney Island crowd, we hope to provide a bit of levity by celebrating the Fourth with our reigning champions and the live ESPN broadcast,” Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating, said in a news release.