Daily Fantasy Baseball Gambling on Pete Rose
Breaking News from The Off-Base Newsdesk* at Foul Territory…
NEW YORK – With Draft Kings and Fan Duel vying for maximum market share of the ever-expanding daily fantasy sports (DFS) market, they each have set their sights on a spokesman that could be a real game-changer. Preeminent sports gambling talent and baseball’s all-time hit king Pete Rose is the perfect combination of sports and gambling (and bowl haircuts).
Fantasy sports often skirt local gambling laws by being a game with less government oversight than other gambling entities and the industry is projected to grow to over $33 billion in 2025. DFS is a spin-off from traditional season-long fantasy sports leagues designed for players who need a fix on a daily basis.
Caesars Entertainment President and CEO Mark Frissora added his two cents, “Professional sports leagues used to treat gambling like a pariah, now they are embracing it since they figured out how to make millions off from it. Hiring Pete Rose is just a natural extension of the sports and gambling marriage. I can’t think of a better person to take the industry to the next step.”
With so much money at stake, Draft Kings and Fan Duel have submitted offers to sign one of baseball’s greatest players. The man who voluntarily accepted being placed on baseball’s ineligible list in 1989 for betting on baseball and is now banned from being a member of the Hall of Fame.
“If there was a hall of fame for sports betting, Rose would be the first one inducted as far I’m concerned,” said Jason Robins, CEO of Draft Kings. “I’m guessing he has made more bets than his 4,256 hits. No one has been in more winning games than Pete Rose with 1,972. He is a winner through and through. I mean, even in the sports gambling industry he’s known as Charlie Hustler.”
Industry experts feel certain Rose will sign with Draft Kings or Fan Duel and they have the odds dead even at 2 to 1 for each.
When interviewed on his book tour promoting Play Hungry: The Making of a Baseball Player, Rose said, “I am not sure what I’m going to do. On one hand I love the idea working on my two greatest loves: baseball and gambling. But on the other hand, I’m a loyal guy, if I do this then people might think I’m cheating on my bookie, Vinnie Bagadonuts. Sure, I cheated on wives and girlfriends but Vinnie, that’s a tough one.”
Rose adds that he was very excited at first, but then he found out that with Draft Kings and Fan Duel the money being staked by players is legal. “Kinda like decaf coffee. What’s the point?”
When reached for comment Bagadonuts replied, “Can’t believe Draft Kings and Fan Duel are going after my man – he’s like a member of my family. I mean with all his losses and vigs [charge on bookie or house] over the years, he has helped raise my kids.”
Whichever site Rose chooses to sign with will get a huge jump in an industry where new competition is arriving nearly every day. When asked if this would be a difficult decision, Rose answered, “You bet.”
* Off-Base is defined as “mistaken or misinformed; not aligned with reality.” Articles appearing in the Off-Base column of Foul Territory are not meant to be taken seriously and anyone doing so would themselves be considered off-base.
