Dustin Johnson’s Masters Withdrawal Sets Vegas Sportsbooks at Odds Over Refunds

Dustin Johnson ended up being the heavy pre-tournament favorite to win this week’s Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Charley Hoffman’s near-historic opening round at the Masters was largely overshadowed by favorite Dustin Johnson’s dramatic slip up.
But on Wednesday evening, just hours before the round that is first Thursday, Johnson had a freak fall at his rental home. The world’s number one ranked golfer was wearing socks whenever he slipped on wooden stairs, fell, and injured his back.
Las Vegas sportsbooks took more bets on DJ than some other player in the field. On afternoon, after saying he was going to try to tee it up, Johnson explained his body simply wouldn’t allow him and he informed tournament officials he was withdrawing thursday.
The headlines brought to light the importance of reading the terms and conditions in Vegas when placing a recreations wager. A few books stated wagers on Johnson would not be refunded, while others opted to come back money.
Westgate’s SuperBook, Southern Point, Wynn, Golden Nugget, and Station Casinos stated wagers on Johnson is refunded. But MGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars, CG Tech, and William Hill sportsbooks told bettors to count their losses.
‘At most sportsbooks, action is action. Doesn’t matter if Dustin Johnson showed up at the first tee or even hit a ball,’ ESPN’s Darren Rovell tweeted.
Johnson had won his past three tournaments, and was unquestionably the favorite to don the green jacket come Sunday. The reigning US Open champ was at 6-1 before he dropped, quite literally, from the Masters.
Thursday Hoffman’s Cinderella
Few bettors in Las Vegas were eyeing up Charley Hoffman just before Thursday’s opening round.
Rated 52nd on the planet, the SuperBook had him at 125-1 to win the Masters on Wednesday. After shooting a -7 par round of 65, bets at Westgate are actually on offer at 13-2 on Hoffman.
His lead that is four-shot is largest after one round in 62 years. ‘For not enough any better terms, it was a dream,’ the formerly longhaired Hoffman told reporters.
But 54 holes remain, and there are lots of marquee names lurking. Fan-favorite Phil Mickelson, winner of three Masters, shot a solid -1 opening round. Justin Rose shot the score that is same as did Sergio Garcia.
Rory McIlroy, who opened with the odds that are second-best Johnson at 7-1, shot even par 72. In just what was a tough and day that is windy especially each morning rounds, Jordan Spieth, who additionally opened at 7-1 with McIlroy, struggled up to a +3 round of 75 that included a quadruple bogey nine on the par-5 15th.
Chances Realigned
The current weather will behave a little better on Friday, with highs in the mid 60s and wins around 10 MPH. Then a appears to have an abundance of sunshine in store for the conclusion of golf’s first major of the year, with highs nearing 80 on Sunday weekend.
Though Hoffman has the lead after day one, oddsmakers think McIlroy is the person to beat. The SuperBook’s updated line sets the Northern Irishman at 11-2, followed by Hoffman (13-2), Rose (9-1), and Mickelson, Garcia, Spieth, Lee Westwood, and Rickie Fowler all at 15-1.
Just keep in mind, if some of those players withdrawal for some reason that is unforeseen don’t bet on getting your money back. ‘Pays to read the print that is fine’ Golf Channel writer Will Gray tweeted.
Gambler Loses $100,000 Jackpot to Woman He Asked hitting the Button ‘For Luck’
A gambler in Florida who asked a female friend to hit the button on a slot ‘for luck’ was instead served up a dosage of brutal misfortune when the girl left the casino with the next $100,000 jackpot never ever to be seen again.
Easy come, easy get: Jan Flato wants to warn other gamblers of the perils of letting other folks push your buttons. (Image: Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald)
Jan Flato was feeding cash in to the Double Top Dollar slot machine at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 31, however it ended up being 35-year-old Marina Medvedeva Navarro who actually set the reels spinning, which, under Florida’s gambling laws, made her the winner that is rightful.
When casino managers checked the video, amid most of the hubbub of ringing bells flashing lights, they noted it was Navarro who pressed the button that made the jackpot appear. Following the letter of the law, SHR executives awarded her $50,000 in cash and a $50,000 check.
Sadly for Flato, his friend wasn’t in a sharing mood, and, to add insult to damage, she asked armed protection to’keep an eye on him’ as she left.
Don’t Push My Buttons
The Flato that is unfortunate told Miami Herald he had decided to go public in order to help other gamblers avoid comparable injury.
‘I want everybody to learn what occurred them,’ he said so it won’t happen to. ‘ I’ve played slots all over the nation and never possessed a problem like that. Even the people handing out of the money said, ‘This isn’t right.”
Asked whether he had looked for legal counsel, Flato said he was told he don’t have a leg to stand on. ‘No you might take the case. That jackpot money is over,’ he noted ruefully.
Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner said he would offer no further comment, as a result things are confidential, apart from to reiterate that the casino had been just after the right guidelines and procedures.
‘The person whom pushes a slot machine game button or pulls the arm is the person who wins the jackpot,’ he said.
Winner, Winner, Steak Dinner
Flato just isn’t the only American to have had a miserable experience whenever hitting a slot machine jackpot recently. Last August, Katrina Bookman believed she had won $42,949,672, which flashed up in the display associated with Sphinx slot at Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York. That win would, incidentally, have now been the largest slot machine win in US gaming history. Except that it wasn’t.
It was delicately explained to Bookman that the machine had malfunctioned and that ‘malfunctions void all pays and plays.’ Rather, she was offered $2.25 and a complimentary steak dinner.
Still, that’s better than a kick into the teeth.
The casino explained that slot malfunctions are rare, but not as rare, apparently, as $42 million jackpot wins.
Billy Walters’ Winning Streak Ends, Famed Sports Bettor Found Guilty on Insider Trading Counts
Billy Walters was discovered responsible on all 10 charges he had been facing in a Manhattan federal courtroom on Friday.
Barring a successful appeal, sports gambler Billy Walters is facing between 10 and 20 years in prison, and which may not be good news for professional golfer Phil Mickelson. (Image: John Locher/Associated Press)
A swift-acting jury took little time previous today to return guilty verdicts on the accusations that the famed recreations bettor used insider trading information to make $43 million in the currency markets. Considered the most sports that are successful in nevada history ( at the very least in terms of total wide range amassed), Waters is currently dealing with as much as 20 years in prison.
The 70-year-old was found guilty of utilizing stock tips provided to him by former Deans Foods Chairman Tom Davis, an executive who became indebted to Walters as their own gambling spiraled out of control. In turn, Walters used the tips in order to make $43 million over a period that is seven-year.
‘Armed with his edge that is illegal made huge, completely timed trades, from time to time accounting for over a 3rd regarding the trading volume in Dean Foods stock,’ Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon Kim said in a statement. ‘Today, Billy Walters lost his bet that he could cheat the securities markets on a massive scale and obtain away with it scot-free.’
The case was prosecuted by the Southern District of the latest York, the office of recently ousted United States District Attorney Preet Bharara, who was simply terminated by the Trump administration. Bharara is well-known to the online gambling community for being the architect of poker’s ‘Black Friday’ in 2011, which essentially terminated internet gambling in the usa until it returned legally couple of years later in Nevada, and soon after Delaware and New Jersey.
Mickelson Link
Walters wasn’t the only individual who profited from Davis’ gambling problem. Expert golfer Phil Mickelson, who was beginning his second round of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia when Walters’ guilty verdicts were read, had made almost $1 million off Dean Foods because well.
Mickelson has long been pals with Walters, a skilled amateur golfer in their own right.
This year, Lefty, as he’s affectionately understood on the PGA Tour, made an investment that is substantial Dean Foods. Nine days later, the value of Mickelson’s stock into the Dallas-based food and beverage business was worth $931,000 more than it had been less than two days early in the day.
As soon as the federal investigation into Walters was first brought by Bharara, Mickelson agreed to forfeit his earnings, plus interest. ‘ I have to be responsible for the social people i associate with,’ Mickelson admitted.
Though he is now a convicted criminal, Walters also wasn’t ready to admit guilt friday. The sports gambler who claims he’s never really had a losing year told reporters, ‘I would have lost,’ Walters told reporters if I would have made a bet. ‘I just did lose the biggest bet of my life. I’m in surprise.’
The US Justice Department, which wins over 90 percent of the cases it prosecutes, has an even better track record, which may indicate that the DOJ generally ony takes on cases the department knows it can take down while Walters brags about his decades-long streak of success at Vegas sportsbooks.
Case Closed?
Though Mickelson ended up being not charged with any wrongdoing, it’s no secret that the golfer wants to gamble. He often engages his rivals to place side wagers during training rounds, and some think even during tournament rounds too.
In just what couldn’t come at a worse time, sports news siteDeadspinhas published a leaked voicemail from 2015, demonstrably displaying Mickelson establishing a high-stakes tennis match.
In a call to Charlie Hoffman, who’s ironically leading the Masters after round one, Mickelson says, ‘You and We are partnered, wanted to see if you wanted to play . . . and just take these guys for some serious money.’
National Governors Association Warns AG Jeff Sessions Over RAWA
The United States Governors Association (NGA) has warned US Attorney General Jeff Sessions that decisions about regulating online lottery solution sales should really be left as much as individual states.
Jeff Sessions’ intent towards the 2011 DoJ viewpoint is unclear but the National Governors Association was using no chances this week. (Image: Molly Riley/Getty Photos)
Within an open letter, dated April 3, and signed by NGA chair, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, and co-chair, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, the association suggested the controversial lawyer basic that any federal legislation or DoJ opinion that might result in the prohibition of online video gaming wouldn’t be welcome.
‘ The regulation of gaming has historically been addressed by the continuing states,’ wrote the governors. ‘While specific governors have different views about offering gaming, in many different forms, within their states, we agree that choices at the level that is federal affect state regulatory authority should not be made unilaterally without state input.
‘ a powerful, cooperative relationship between the states and federal government is key to best serve the passions of all of the residents.’
Sessions’ Intent Unclear
Sessions declared to himself to be ‘shocked’ by the 2011 Department of Justice opinion that paved the way for state-by-state online gambling regulation and said that he’d look to ‘revisit’it as attorney general.
The declaration came during Sessions’ confirmation when he was quizzed in the matter by Senator Lindsey Graham, a supporter that is longtime of Restoration of America’s Wire Act.
This is an unpopular piece of legislation that desired to overturn the DoJ opinion and ban online video gaming on a federal degree.
It is uncertain whether Sessions’ suggestion which he would revisit the opinion was genuine, or only a guarded answer from a politician who may have been placed on the spot.
States Rights
The NGA is taking no chances, nevertheless, and demanded this that, if there is to be a review, it should be conducted properly week. Which means acknowledging the robustness of the frameworks that are regulatory have now been created by the three states, including Sandoval’s, that have chosen to legalize https://myfreepokies.com/lucky-88-slot-review/ online gambling so far.
‘we encourage you to take note of the current regulatory mechanisms put in place by the states to ensure that consumers and children are protected, and that licensees comply with strict standards of conduct,’ the governors write as you review this issue.
‘States are best equipped to manage and enforce online gaming. A ban drives this activity offshore to unregulated jurisdictions, out of the reach of state and law that is federal and with danger to customers.’
