Geoff Zochodne
Geoff Zochodne
Geoff has been writing about the legalization and regulation of sports betting in Canada and the United States for more than three years. His work has included coverage of launches in New York, Ohio, and Ontario, numerous court proceedings, and the decriminalization of single-game wagering by Canadian lawmakers. As an expert on the growing online gambling industry in North America, Geoff has appeared on and been cited by publications and networks such as Axios, TSN Radio, and VSiN. Prior to joining Covers, he spent 10 years as a journalist reporting on business and politics, including a stint at the Ontario legislature. More recently, Geoff’s work has focused on the pending launch of a competitive iGaming market in Alberta, the evolution of major companies within the gambling industry, and efforts by U.S. state regulators to rein in offshore activity and college player prop betting.
Sport to bet on: Golf or NASCAR
Sports movie: Senna
Sports snack: Giant pretzel
Covers feature: Odds and betting lines
Nate Diaz over Donald Cerrone at UFC 141. I was in Las Vegas at the time and saw my bet win while watching the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Best Betting Memory
Worst Beat
Boomer’s Sportsbook Approved to Launch in Nevada in Time for Football Season
Longtime gaming executive Joe Asher is leading the team behind Boomer's, and he was also quizzed Thursday about his views on the sports betting prediction markets offered. He's not a fan.
Prediction Markets No Risk to Horse Race Betting, Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs CEO
Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen says prediction markets don't pose much of a threat to pari-mutuel betting on horse racing or CDI's key asset, the Kentucky Derby.
Polymarket CEO Shrugs Off Sports Betting Threat as Prediction Market Competition Looms
"Polymarket is Polymarket and they’re a Polymarket copycat."
California AG Plans to Enforce Anti-Daily Fantasy Sports Opinion
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says daily fantasy operators can “absolutely” expect action from him against anyone ignoring the his opinion of DFS, which is that it is illegal in the state.
Prediction Market Giant Polymarket Buys Way Back to Legal U.S. Market
New York-based Polymarket announced on Monday that it has struck a deal to buy the holding company of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission-licensed derivatives exchange, QCX LLC, and clearinghouse, QC Clearing LLC, for $112 million.
Anti-Sweepstakes Casino Bill Keeps Moving in California Senate
California lawmakers are trying to throw the weight of the most populous state in the U.S. at several forms of online gambling that compete with authorized forms of wagering.
U.S. Election Betting is Becoming Bigger, Better, and Year-Round
All politics is local… especially when you can now bet on it almost anywhere and any time.
CFL Reinstates All-Star Lemon After Sports Betting-Related Suspension
"He is now committed to helping other players learn from his mistake."
Sports Betting Credit Card Ban Moving Forward in Illinois
The small yet potentially significant tweak to Illinois sports betting rules looms as operators and gamblers in the state are already working their way through another considerable change: the new per-bet tax.
What Fixed-Odds Betting Could Do For U.S. Horse Racing and Sportsbooks
Somebody give me a super boost!
Nevada’s ‘Dream Team’ Sportsbook Draws Nearer to Opening
The Nevada Gaming Control Board conditionally approved a series of applications filed for Boomer’s Sportsbook, a start-up bookmaking business headed by former William Hill US and IGT executive Joe Asher.
Rush to Undo ‘Big Beautiful’ Hit to Sports Bettors Runs Aground
U.S. lawmakers are seemingly unafraid (knowingly or not) to throw the gambling industry a curveball at a moment’s notice. They are seemingly more afraid to speedily revisit their potentially harmful changes.
Flutter to Buy 5% FanDuel Stake Back from Boyd Gaming
The reported valuation suggests FanDuel, the biggest online sportsbook in the United States, could be worth more than $30 billion.
Manitoba Judge Says Offshore Sportsbook Did ‘Incalculable Harm’
Bodog did not show up in court to fight the injunction and has already said it is restricting Manitobans’ access to its real-money site.
California Attorney General Says Daily Fantasy Sports Illegal, Too Much Like Betting
California AG Rob Bonta's office dropped its opinion on the legality of paid fantasy sports, and it's not good news for Golden State DFS lovers or operators.
A ‘Big Beautiful’ Blow? Here Are the New Ways U.S. Sports Bettors Could Get Squeezed
Recent policy decisions by state and federal lawmakers, directly or indirectly, could put even more financial pressure on sports bettors and gamblers, and in ways that may catch punters unawares.
Guardians Pitcher on Leave Amid Possible MLB Sports Betting Probe
The Athletic reported on Thursday, citing sources, that Luis Ortiz’s “non-disciplinary paid leave” would run through to the end of the All-Star break and was the result of an MLB investigation tied to gambling.
New Jersey Hammers Sweepstakes Casinos, Hampers Sports Betting
Garden State lawmakers approved tax increases for sports betting and online casino operators, and passed anti-sweeps legislation that goes further than just a crackdown on dual-currency wagering.
Smarkets Eyes Kalshi Route for US Sports Betting Revival
Smarkets’ path to prominence in the United States could be paved with sports event contracts of the kind prediction markets like Kalshi (somewhat controversially) offer.
Is Time Running Out for DFS and Sweeps Casinos in California?
Lawmakers in Sacramento, with the support of Native American tribes with gaming operations in the state, are trying to remove all doubt about the legality of sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks, as well as paid daily fantasy sports contests.
