Want to read a truly repugnant story about sports gambling and the Phillies superstar?

I truly don’t see how this country can go on if we don’t ban online sports betting. This story is stomach-turning.

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— Bradford Pearson (@bradfordpearson.bsky.social) July 9, 2026 at 5:28 AM

jesus christ

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— Bradford Pearson (@bradfordpearson.bsky.social) July 9, 2026 at 5:49 AM

Article by David Gambacorta.


Here's a video version of the story, including part of Harper's video:

Terry Thompson lost $1.5 million on bets he placed with FanDuel.

The company gave him VIP treatment — including a personalized video message from the Phillies' Bryce Harper. pic.twitter.com/YxTan16FH0

— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) July 9, 2026

"Gambling syndicates are causing mayhem in horse racing by using algorithms to make huge, last-second bets that crush odds for regular players"

Dan Wolken for Yahoo:

Unlike sports wagering, where a bettor is playing against a bookmaker and locks in their odds at the time of the bet, American horse racing — which is in the spotlight this week for Saturday’s running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby — has long been based on a parimutuel system where the bettors are wagering against each other

...

Thanks both to technology and the special privileges some racetracks have given them, the [Computer-Assisted Wagering syndicates] are able to upload tranches of bets directly into the wagering pool at lightning speeds — far faster than any regular player could do it on a phone app or at a racetrack window.

The ability to do it at the very last moment — sometimes significantly changing the odds for people who already made their bets — has become both the subject of a class-action federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York and a source of frustration for some high-profile voices in the sport who believe it has created too much inequity between the heavily capitalized professionals involved in CAWs and the common fan.

Can you guess why people are placing such huge impossible bets on the next presidential election?

Read the full story for free here:https://t.co/zzDjM9DuWF

— Nick Devor (@nickdevor_) April 22, 2026

My guess, grasping at straws, was that it was bots, but there's this:

One theory from Polymarket traders that Barron’s spoke to focuses on a cryptocurrency token that Polymarket is expected to mint and distribute to its users sometime this year. Those traders have theorized that total trading activity may be a factor in deciding the number of tokens received. Taking cheap bets on a Kardashian presidency would be a way to boost that metric.

...

On Kalshi, a rival platform, trading volume on the presidential election winner market is concentrated among the favorites.

In other gambling news:

Today, we're releasing notices related to three enforcement investigations.

All three cases concern political insider trading and were flagged because of our newly released safeguards to block political candidates from trading on their own elections.

Kalshi does not tolerate…

— robertjdenault (@robertjdenault) April 22, 2026

holy fuck, a hair dryer at a Paris airport broke Polymarket weather markets & made someone $34,000 richer

- polymarket was settling Paris temperature bets on a single Météo France sensor sitting near the Charles de Gaulle runway perimeter - basically unguarded

- the guy bought… pic.twitter.com/ona2hP3oZc

— @aaronjmars (@aaronjmars) April 22, 2026

(I think this is still just a theory)

Jane Lynch's ads for Beampro, tactical flashlight (Oscars roundup)

Conan O’Brien takes jab at YouTube as new home of #Oscars starting in 2029 (Jane Lynch cameo) pic.twitter.com/zhVj8R7h9e

— Deadline (@DEADLINE) March 15, 2026

"Israeli Soldiers Accused of Using Polymarket to Bet on Strikes"

WSJ:

Israel has arrested several people, including army reservists

...

The arrests followed reports in Israeli media that Shin Bet was investigating a series of Polymarket bets last year related to when Israel would launch an attack on Iran, including which day or month the attack would take place and when Israel would declare the operation over

...

The account in question raked in more than $150,000 in winnings before going dormant for six months. It resumed trading last month, betting on when Israel would strike Iran

The bushes were people in costume (Super Bowl roundup)

the bushes were people ???? pic.twitter.com/GscO1tOHNY

— ludwig (@LudwigAhgren) February 9, 2026

She's expressing deep regret for the advertisement

Not sure what she's claiming she thought the ad was for, but I guess she realized she has (or had) a unique brand for a ESPN personality, and is expressing regret:

The truth is: I didn't spend any time looking into the whole thing, and that's 100% on me. Thought it was just typical marketing work, and I'm deeply embarrassed I didn't vet it. A colossal fuck-up on my part. https://t.co/BlQQMEwigk

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 8, 2025

Hey I posted about this on the other app but wanted to do so here, too. In short: I said yes without doing an ounce of vetting, and that's 100% on me. Thought it was just a normal marketing gig and I'm incredibly embarrassed about the whole thing. A colossal fuck-up on my part.

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— Mina Kimes (@minakimes.bsky.social) November 8, 2025 at 3:49 PM

Haven’t been paid a dime (we’ll see what happens now!!) but it I do I’m certainly giving it away.

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— Mina Kimes (@minakimes.bsky.social) November 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM

Here's Stephen A's ad:

A world-class announcement deserves a world-class stage. @stephenasmith unveils the World Solitaire Championship by @solitairecash, premiering first on X.

Where culture, competition, and conversation come together. 🃏 https://t.co/zdkOQuYPxZ pic.twitter.com/xzIrKcExf1

— Business (@XBusiness) November 3, 2025

Was the agreement she'd do the ad, but not show her face?

#ad Getting in practice before the game instead of during it @stephenasmith

Anyone else think they can #BeatStephen—try at @solitairecash and post your score pic.twitter.com/eWJDtr4BxT

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 5, 2025

"Pro bettors have taken to disguising themselves as gambling addicts so sportsbooks keep the free money flowing"

Bloomberg (in a long article that's mostly about the percentage of gamblers that suffer devastating results, and possible tactics to reduce those outcomes while keeping money flowing):

Among the main challenges for a pro bettor is finding places that will take your money. If you show signs of being good, or even just highly methodical, most sportsbooks will drastically limit how much you can wager.

...

“If I open an account in New York, maybe for a few weeks I just bet the Yankees right before the game begins,” says Rufus Peabody, a pro bettor and co-host of the Bet the Process podcast. If this trick works, the book sees these normie, hometown bets as a sign that it’s safe to raise his limits.

...

“One pro bettor I know set up a bot which logs in to his accounts every day between 2 and 4 a.m., to make it seem like he can’t get through the night without checking his bets. 

Incredible stat about gambling incompetence: "Nearly Three-Quarters of Circa Survivor Field Eliminated After Just Two Weeks"

All you need to do is pick an NFL team that will win that week. Point spreads don't matter, although there is strategy because you can only use a team once.  This year:

A spate of home losses by heavy favorites through Week 2 has resulted in the elimination of all but 27.2% (or 3,877 entries) of the original 14,266-entry field.

$1,000 to enter.

Related, check out Mina Kimes's podcast previewing the week 2 games. They get almost every game wrong, and again, they're not even worrying about point spreads.

The Chinese Football Association banned 38 soccer players and five club officials for life

Reuters:

The investigation found that 120 matches had been fixed, with 41 football clubs involved

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The sport has long grappled with corruption, which fans have blamed for the underperformance of the men’s national team.

Notre Dame suspended its men’s swimming program for a minimum of a year due to widespread gambling on swimming and other sports

The report says they gambled on swimming events and other NCAA sports, and that the disciplinary decision was timed to allow them to transfer before the season starts.

The one-year suspension is a potentially devastating development for a program that had reached new heights under [its head coach], who is entering his third season on the job. Notre Dame had its first top-10 finish at the NCAA championships in program history in March, then sent its first male swimmer to the Olympics

The report also says all staff were cleared of responsibility.

A look at the ways Las Vegas casinos have changed the rules in their favor

Las Vegas Review Journal:

Casino table games such as 6:5 blackjack, triple-zero roulette and crapless craps are becoming more commonplace on The Strip, as are high-volatility side and prop bets, such as the All-Tall-Small at a craps table. They all have an increased house edge compared to their more traditional counterparts.

...

Long-time bettors, advantage players and frequent visitors to Las Vegas casinos have likely noticed these “house-friendly” game rules and game variants, but, even as savvy as they are, they may not recognize the extent of the shifting conditions.

A major league umpire is appealing after being disciplined for allegedly violating the league's gambling rules

Looks like no details on how he violated the rules, or whether he's appealing a finding he broke the rules, or the nature of the discipline imposed. (The article's phrased a little funny, but I think it's saying he hasn't umpired all season after the investigation began in spring training.)

Current San Diego Padre suspected of gambling on Pirates games while he was on Pittsburgh's injured list last year

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano is facing a potential lifetime ban for betting on baseball, sources tell ESPN.

While Major League Baseball's investigation into Marcano is not complete, a penalty, as @lindseyadler and @jareddiamond reported, could be imminent.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 3, 2024

Vending machine selling unclaimed packages from delivery lockers

the train station has a mystery vending machine where you can buy whatever is in the unclaimed packages from delivery lockers pic.twitter.com/a3beWbXxCi

— michael (@bovineflu) May 20, 2024

freiburg hbf

— michael (@bovineflu) May 20, 2024

Speaking of vending machines, here's one selling honey.

Roulette with a live guinea pig

My wife: where the heck did you spend $25,000 last night?

Me: pic.twitter.com/MPXpMEPx09

— Not Jerome Powell (@alifarhat79) May 17, 2024

(It moves at 24 seconds)

A player on the Toronto Raptors "is under investigation by the NBA following multiple instances of betting irregularities over the past several months"

ESPN, for example:

In the game on Jan. 26 against the LA Clippers, there was increased betting interest on the under for [his] props, which for the night were set at 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. There was also an over/under for [his] made 3-pointers, which was 0.5.

The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach said he has been threatened by gamblers

#Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff makes a startling revelation in explaining why he feels sports gambling has already gone too far even though he understands the business reasons behind it now being embraced by professional leagues. pic.twitter.com/O5QX6snjuE

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) March 20, 2024

ESPN:

Bickerstaff said he told security and that the gambler was located.

"No charges," Bickerstaff said. "But they found him."

Ohtani's longtime interpreter has been accused of stealing millions of dollars by fraudulently placing sports bets in Ohtani's name

LAT:

Lawyers for Ohtani made that claim after The Times learned that Ohtani’s name had surfaced in the investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an Orange County resident. Ohtani’s representatives looked into the actions of the interpreter... in response to The Times’ queries, a source close to the matter said. Two sources told the newspaper that the money involved was in the millions of dollars.

...

The investigation into Bowyer involves the same prosecution team that has targeted a multimillion-dollar illegal sports gambling scheme anchored in Orange County, according to The Times’ sources and court records. At least a dozen people have been charged in that wider probe — including ex-Dodger Yasiel Puig, who has pleaded not guilty — that centered on a bookmaking operation led by former minor league baseball player Wayne Nix of Newport Beach, the records show.