Are You Going to Bet on Sports Betting Stocks?

by Fred Fuld III

Can you believe it? Now Disney (DIS) is getting into sports betting through its ESPN division and an agreement with Penn Entertainment (PENN).

Sports betting is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. as of August 2023. The first state to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018 was New Jersey. Since then, there has been a rapid expansion of sports betting in the United States.

The states that have legalized sports betting have different laws and regulations governing the industry. Some states allow only in-person betting, while others allow both in-person and online betting. Some states have a monopoly on sports betting, while others allow multiple operators to offer sports betting services.

The growth of sports betting in the United States has been driven by a number of factors, including the popularity of fantasy sports, the increasing availability of mobile devices, and the legalization of sports betting in more states. The industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

Here is a list of the states that have legalized sports betting as of August 2023:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

The future of sports betting in the United States is bright. The industry is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

DraftKings (DKNG): DraftKings is a leading online sportsbook and daily fantasy sports (DFS) company. It operates in 19 states and Washington, D.C., and has a market capitalization of $13.8 billion. DraftKings offers a variety of betting options, including sports betting, DFS, and iGaming. It also has a media division that produces content for its own platforms and for third-party partners.

DraftKings was founded in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish, and Paul Liberman. The company quickly became one of the leading DFS companies in the world. In 2018, DraftKings launched its sportsbook in New Jersey, becoming one of the first companies to offer legal sports betting in the United States after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

DraftKings has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2022, the company generated $1.3 billion in revenue and $463 million in net income. DraftKings is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

DraftKings is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange (ticker symbol: DKNG). The company’s stock price has been volatile in recent years, but it is currently trading at a market capitalization of $13.8 billion.

DraftKings is a well-positioned company to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong brand, a proven track record, and a diversified product offering. DraftKings is also well-capitalized and has a strong management team.

The company is currently generating negative earnings, however, annual sales growth for the last five years, is 63.5%, and quarterly revenue growth year-over year is 84.5%.

Penn National Gaming (PENN): Penn National Gaming is a casino and gaming company that owns and operates casinos, racetracks, and sportsbooks in 19 states. It has a market capitalization of $3.87 billion. Penn National Gaming is one of the largest casino operators in the United States and is also a major player in the sports betting industry.

Penn National Gaming entered the sports betting market in 2018, when it acquired theScore, a Canadian sports media company. TheScore operates a sportsbook in Canada and has a partnership with Penn National Gaming to offer sports betting in the United States.

In 2020, Penn National Gaming acquired Barstool Sports, a popular sports media and entertainment company. Barstool Sports has a large and engaged following of sports fans, which Penn National Gaming is hoping to leverage to grow its sports betting business.

Penn National Gaming is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong portfolio of casinos and racetracks, which can be used to attract sports betting customers. Penn National Gaming also has a strong brand and a proven track record in the gaming industry.

Here are some of the key things to know about Penn National Gaming’s sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
  • It has partnered with Barstool Sports to offer sports betting in several states.
  • It is also a major investor in theScore, a Canadian sports media company that operates a sportsbook in Canada.
  • Penn National Gaming is expected to continue to grow its sports betting business in the coming years, as more states legalize sports betting and more people become interested in betting on sports.

The stock trades at a great six times trailing earnings and 12.5 times forward earnings. Quarterly earnings growth year-over-year was an incredible 987.9%, on a revenue increase of 7%. It has a superior price to earnings growth [PEG] ratio of 0.27, an excellent price to sales [PS] ratio of 0.59, and sells at 92% of book value.

Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY): Flutter Entertainment is a British gambling company that operates in over 20 countries. It is one of the largest online sports betting companies in the world and owns the Paddy Power Betfair brand.

Flutter Entertainment entered the United States sports betting market in 2018, when it acquired FanDuel, a leading online sportsbook. FanDuel has since become one of the most popular sports betting apps in the United States.

In 2020, Flutter Entertainment acquired TVG, a pari-mutuel online betting network, which is active in 35 states. TVG has a strong presence in the horse racing market, which is a growing segment of the sports betting industry.

Flutter Entertainment is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong portfolio of brands, a proven track record, and a global reach. Flutter Entertainment is also well-capitalized and has a strong management team.

Here are some of the key things to know about Flutter Entertainment’s sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in 18 states and the District of Columbia.
  • It owns the FanDuel and TVG brands, which are two of the most popular sports betting apps in the United States.
  • It is also a major investor in Adjarabet, a Georgian sports betting company that operates in several countries in Eastern Europe.

Flutter has a market cap of $34.3 billion, and is currently generating negative earnings. Revenues for the latest reported year were up over 27%.

Churchill Downs (CHDN): Churchill Downs is a horse racing company that owns and operates the Kentucky Derby and several other racetracks. It also has a sports betting app in Indiana and Illinois.

Churchill Downs entered the sports betting market in 2019, when it launched its sportsbook in Indiana. The company has since expanded its sports betting operations to Illinois and is expected to launch sportsbooks in several other states in the coming years.

Churchill Downs is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong brand, a proven track record in the horse racing industry, and a large customer base. Churchill Downs is also well-capitalized and has a strong management team.

Here are some of the key things to know about Churchill Downs’ sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in Indiana and Illinois.
  • It is expected to launch sportsbooks in several other states in the coming years.
  • It has a partnership with DraftKings to offer sports betting in several states.

This $9 billion market cap stock has a trailing P/E ratio of 26 and a forward P/E of 16.7. Earnings per share growth this year was a strong 81.2% and quarterly sales growth was up 31.9%. The company even pays a small dividend, providing a yield of 0.29%.

MGM Resorts International (MGM): MGM Resorts International is a casino and resort company that owns and operates casinos, hotels, and entertainment venues in 17 countries. It also has a sports betting app in Nevada, New Jersey, and several other states.

MGM Resorts International entered the sports betting market in 2018, when it launched its sportsbook in Nevada. The company has since expanded its sports betting operations to New Jersey and several other states.

MGM Resorts International is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. The company has a strong portfolio of casinos and resorts, which can be used to attract sports betting customers. MGM Resorts International also has a strong brand and a proven track record in the gaming industry.

Here are some of the key things to know about MGM Resorts International’s sports betting business:

  • The company operates sportsbooks in Nevada, New Jersey, and several other states.
  • It has a partnership with BetMGM, a joint venture with Entain PLC, to offer sports betting in several states.
  • It is also a major investor in BetMGM, which is one of the leading sports betting companies in the United States.

This $16.9 billion company trades at 44 times trailing earnings and 16 times forward earnings. Earnings per share growth this year jumped.44.6%. The very small dividend yield is 0.02%.

These stocks are all poised to benefit from the growth of the sports betting industry in the United States. As more states legalize sports betting, these companies will be well-positioned to capture a share of the market.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Top Sports Betting Stocks

by Fred Fuld III

In 2018,  the Supreme Court came decided that betting on sports in all states is legal, with each state to determine whether or not to allow this form of gambling.

Sports betting is now legal in 36 states.

According to a report last September from Morgan Stanley, “By 2025, sports betting revenue could eclipse $7 billion.”

So betting on sports is a major growing business, which will eventually be very granular in terms of available bets. For example, with the net pitch be a ball or a strike.

Of course, the major casino companies are involved in this industry, such as Caesars Entertainment Inc. (CZR) and MGM Resorts International(MGM), however there are few pure plays.

For example there is Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY) and DraftKings (DKNG).

For more diversification, there is a sports betting ETF, the Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (BETZ).

Flutter Entertainment, which was formerly Paddy Power Betfair, is based in Dublin, Ireland. The company owns FanDuel, Paddy Power, Betfair, Fox Bet, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars

The stock trades Over-the-Counter in the United States and has a $25.7 billion market cap. It is currently negative earnings.

Boston, Massachusetts based DraftKings, a provider of sports betting and daily fantasy sports, originally went public through a SPAC.

The stock has a market cap of $8.2 billion and trades on NASDAQ. Earnings are currently negative.

However, the quarterly revenue growth year-over-year is 80.7%. It has $3.76 in cash per share.

Maybe a bet on one of these stocks will provide a winner for your portfolio.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.


SPACs for Tax Selling Bounce Opportunities

by Fred Fuld III

A tax selling stock is a stock that is currently selling for a low price but was trading at much higher levels earlier in the same year, or even earlier years.

When the year end approaches, many investors utilize a strategy commonly referred to as tax harvesting , which is the selling of stocks at a loss to offset any gains that may have been made during the year.

Because of the heavy selling, the prices of stocks that have dropped substantially tend to sink far more than what would usually take place during the rest of the year. Then in January, with the strong selling over with, these stocks can recover somewhat.

So traders and investors are on the lookout for tax selling bounce stocks that are trading at much lower prices, hoping for a bounce in January, once the tax selling is over.

One type of stock that has been significantly hit were the SPACs, the special purpose acquisition companies that were so popular a few years ago.

These vehicles, also known as blank check companies, made it easy for private companies to go public. Some of the more well known SPACs include DraftKings (DKNG), down 49% year-to-date, and Virgin Galactic (SPCE), down 66%.

Unfortunately, the returns haven’t been so great, with many of them experiencing losses of over 90% from their highs.

Here are some additional SPACs that are down over 50% year-to-date. You will notice that several of them are electric vehicle companies.

CompanySymbolYTD Return
ArrivalARVL-96%
Shift TechnologiesSFT-93%
IronNetIRNT-92%
Ree AutomotiveREE-91%
CanooGOEV-82%
BuzzFeedBZFD-80%
LucidLCID-77%
AppHarvestAPPH-77%
WeWorkWE-75%
SoFiSOFI-73%
Lordstown MotorsRIDE-59%
FiskerFSR-54%
PolestarPSNY-50%

A couple things to remember. There is no guarantee that these stocks will bounce back in January, as there is usually a reason the stocks dropped so much in the first place.

Also, timing is everything with these tax-selling stocks. Sometimes the sellers are done selling in mid-December, sometimes they wait until year end.

Hope you get a bounce in your portfolio.

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Top Online Gambling Stocks

by Fred Fuld III

Sports are coming back. Online betting is increasing. What companies are benefiting?

Two years ago, the Supreme Court allowed betting on sports in all states, with each state deciding whether to allow this form of gambling or not. Several states have already legalized online sports betting. Many more states are considering legislation. These changes should lead to more online gambling, and a transition from illegal gambling to legal betting.

Even NBC Sports Broadcaster Jim Kozimor mentioned in an interview that sports betting will be an extremely strong growth industry.

So if you are looking for a way to profit from sports gambling, you should look at the stocks that should benefit from the online betting on sports events.

DraftKings (DKNG) is one of the largest pure plays in the online sports betting arena. This was one of the stocks that was created from a SPAC. Revenues for this $20.6 billion market cap company were up 23.6% for the latest quarter. Earnings are minimal giving it a price to earnings ratio of over 1000.

Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY) is one of the largest daily fantasy sports providers and  a leader in the legal sports betting market. The company was formerly named Paddy Power Betfair. This $25 billion market cap company trades at 47.5 times earnings.

Boyd Gaming Corp. (BYD), an operator of a company that runs over a dozen casinos across the United States, offers its B Connected Sports app in order to take advantage of increased legalization. The stock trades at 30.9 times  forward earnings.

The following is a list of over 20 companies that may benefit from online sports betting and Internet gambling, sorted in order of market cap.

Company Symbol Mkt Cap in Millions Yield
Las Vegas Sands LVS 36,372 4.59%
Marriott International MAR 31,134 1.21%
Paddy Power Betfair [Flutter Ent.] PDYPY 24,970 0.00%
DraftKings DKNG 20,689 0.00%
MGM Resorts MGM 11,259 0.95%
Penn National Gaming PENN 10,680 0.00%
Gaesar’s Entertainment CZR 9,604 0.00%
Wynn Resorts WYNN 7,940 2.04%
Churchill Downs CHDN 7,154 0.39%
GVC Holdings GMVHF 6,103 7.42%
Scientific Games SGMS 3,475 0.00%
Boyd Gaming BYD 3,470 0.00%
William Hill WIMHY 2,544 0.00%
International Game Technology IGT 2,367 7.21%
Madison Square Garden Ent. MSGE 1,661 0.00%
888 Holdings EIHDF 851 2.21%
Gan Ltd GAN 485 0.00%
GameHost GHIFF 104 0.00%
Millennial Esports MLLLF 58 0.00%
Bragg Gaming BRGGF 26 0.00%

Maybe some of these stocks will win big.

Disclosure: Author owns DKNG.

What is a SPAC and Why Should You Care?

by Fred Fuld III

If you haven’t heard the term, SPAC, as an investor, you should at least be aware of what it is. SPAC stands for Special-Purpose Acquisition Company, which is a company created specifically to pool funds in order to finance a merger or acquisition opportunity within a set timeframe, usually two years.

SPACs are sometimes referred to as corporate shells or blank-check companies. They have no operations but go public with the intention of merging with or acquiring a company with the proceeds that were raised from the SPAC’s initial public offering. The SPACs are currently sold in $10 units which includes of one share of common stock and one or more out of the money warrants or a fraction of a warrant. The units, stocks, and warrants usually start trading on either the NYSE or NASDAQ.

Probably the most famous SPAC (which no one remembers the original name of but most remember the new name after the merger) was Social Capital Hedosophia (former symbol: IPOA). This is the company that merged with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic (SPCE), the space travel company.

The most recent SPAC transaction hitting the news is the merger of the SPAC called Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp. (DEAC) with DraftKings (DKNG), one of the world’s largest daily fantasy sports contest and sports betting provider.

Here are a list of SPACs that have announced mergers:

SPAC Symbol Buying Business
8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp. JFK Diginex blockchain
Act II Global Acquisition Corp. ACTT Merisant sugar substitute
Arya Science Acquisition Corp. ARYA Immatics cancer immunotherapies
Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp. DEAC DraftKings fantasy sports
Far Point Acquisition Corporation FPAC Global Blue airport sales tax refund kiosks
Gordon Pointe Acquisition Corp. GPAQ HOF Village Pro Football Hall of Fame
KBL Merger Co. IV KBLM CannBioRx Life Sciences biotech
Legacy Acquisition Corp. LGC Blue Valor digital marketing
Leisure Acquisition Corp. LACQ Gateway Casinos gambling
Monocle Acquisition Corporation MNCL AerSale Aviation Aftermarket
Mudrick Capital Acquisition Corporation MUDS Hycroft Mining gold & silver
Nebula Acquisition Corp. NEBU Open Lending automotive finance
Proficient Alpha Acquisition Corp. PAAC Lion Financial Group financial services
Pure Acquisition Corp. PACQ HighPeak Energy oil & gas
VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. VTIQ Nikola zero emissions trucks
Wealthbridge Acquisition Limited HHHH Scienjoy China streaming video

Although the SPACs are a way of getting an early investment in currently private companies, they do carry risk.

Happy investing!

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.