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Poltics
Katie Zacharia Is Out After 5 Days as White House Press Secretary
The ouster came as Ms. Zacharia was shadowed by questions about how she had presented her legal career and handled her first press briefing.
NBA Sports Betting
NBA Tells Sportsbooks to Stop Certain Bets, Restrict Parlays
Friday October 16, 2026 (1:34 pm EDT)
Bettors will not be able to include the under on the same player's statistics in parlays, in addition to other betting markets the league considers problematic, according to the memo, which was obtained by ESPN. The league also directed its authorized gambling operators, including DraftKings and FanDuel, not to offer bets on the winner of the opening tip, players to miss specific shots and under bets on players who are expected to play fewer than 12 minutes in a specific game. "There's a balance between ensuring that we are removing problematic bet types but also ensuring that we don't just move activity into the illegal market," NBA executive vice president Scott Kaufman-Ross told ESPN. "And where we landed right now, we think, is the right balance of those two objectives." (source; ESPN)
Gambling Crime
Sports Gambler Faces Up to 125 Years in Prison
Friday October 16, 2026 (8:49 am EDT)
Shane Hennen, the Las Vegas gambler who pleaded guilty to charges related to betting schemes involving the NBA, college basketball and the Chinese Basketball Association, faces a maximum sentence of 125 years in prison. Shane Hennen (also known as "Sugar Shane") is a 41-year-old high-stakes sports gambler and basketball trainer from Las Vegas, Nevada, who previously lived in Philadelphia and western Pennsylvania. Yesterday, October 15,, Hennen pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges—including bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud—stemming from sprawling sports-betting and game-fixing scandals.
Shane Hennen, the Las Vegas gambler who pleaded guilty to charges related to betting schemes involving the NBA, college basketball and the Chinese Basketball Association, faces a maximum sentence of 125 years in prison. https://t.co/evmZ6nwIIS
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) October 15, 2026
Casino News
Casino Set to Open in Iowa Next Month
Friday October 16, 2026 (8:44 am EDT)
Cedar Crossing Casino will finally open its doors on Nov. 19 with the project having been in the works for nearly a decade now. The confirmation was made at an Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting in Dubuque on Thursday. The commission approved contracts for the casino, including a sports wagering license. “It’s a dream come true. We have opportunities and we want to be the fabric of Cedar Rapids,” general manager and executive vice president Kim Pang said. “Cedar Rapids have been waiting for this for many, many years.”
MLB
Rays-Guardians ALCS Game 4 Faces Potential Weather Threat<
Friday October 16, 2026 (8:32 am EDT)
The MLB was said to be weighing options on whether to postpone Friday night's ALCS - Game 4 in Cleveland with stormy weather expected to end just around the start of this game. PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Nick Martinez (0-0); Guardians: TBD - LINE: Rays -113, Guardians -108; over/under is 6 1/2 runs. The Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays meet in Game 4 of the ALCS. The Guardians are ahead 2-1 in the series. Cleveland has a 41-40 record at home and an 85-77 record overall. Guardians pitchers have a collective 3.77 ERA, which ranks eighth in the majors.
Casino Crime
Defense Begins Case in Trial of Las Vegas Flamingo Theft
Friday October 16, 2026 (8:10 am EDT)
The defense in the Las Vegas flamingo theft trial has started. FOX5's Victoria Saha TV shared the latest. The defense asked who had seen news coverage of the case. After multiple hands were raised, the attorney told jurors that not everything on the news is true. Mitchell Fairbarn, 33, of Ontario, Canada, is currently on trial in Las Vegas for allegedly stealing and injuring a flamingo named Peachy from the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino wildlife habitat. See the insane video of police entering the hotel room to find the kidnapped bird below.
Top Trending Sports
Top Trending in Sports
Friday October 16, 2026 (8:10 am EDT)
Heerenveen v Excelsior - Heerenveen and Excelsior face each other in a regular Eredivisie contest at Abe Lenstra Stadion, scheduled for October 16, 2026. The sides occupy adjacent spots in the standings with Excelsior 9th on 11 points, only two ahead of 10th-placed Heerenveen. Heerenveen comes into this one as the -190 favorite. Excelsior pays $420 for every $100 bet. The draw pays $350.
Burnley v Wolves - Burnley will pay out $220 for every $100 bet with a win against the Wolves, who pay $110 for every $100 bet, in this English Sky Bet Championship match Friday at 3 pm EDT. The draw pays out $240. Burnley, currently positioned 21st in the standings with 8 points, seek to capitalize on their home advantage as they look to add to their tally of 7 draws in 12 matches this season. Wolverhampton, sitting 10th with 14 points, have secured wins in half of their league fixtures and aim to maintain their positive form away from home. The head to head record in the last 6 Championship encounters shows Burnley claiming 50 percent wins against Wolverhampton, suggesting a closely-matched contest in their recent history.
Politics
Katie Zacharia Defends Credentials in Tough Hannity Interview as Oddsmakers Have Her Sticking Around for a Bit
Friday October 16, 2026 (8:10 am EDT)
In a Fox News interview Thursday, newly appointed press secretary Katie Zacharia detailed her whirlwind path to the job: offered last Friday after flying from California, she held her first 14-minute briefing Tuesday with minimal prep. She confirmed failing the 2011 California bar exam without retaking it, due to moving to China for her husband's work, and clarified that some social media posts calling her an 'attorney' were retweets or acceptable for media analysis per attorney advice. Reactions split online, with critics calling it a rough outing while she pushed back on claims of dodging tough questions ahead of midterms. BetOnline Sports & Casino created prop bets on how long Zacharia will last in her role as WHPS. She's favored to still be around by January 1 at -140 odds.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
