Election odds 50/50

Today’s edition is brought to you by Kalshi.com - a fast growing US regulated financial exchange to bet on real life current events.

From inflation, to fed rates, to unemployment, to will the government shutdown, Kalshi allows people to trade on a broad range of topics.

Click here to get $10 to trade with and bet on the 2024 Presidential Elections.

Welcome back to the Bandit Betting Newsletter, where we deliver the top stories in sports and gambling directly to your inbox, every Sunday.

In today's email:

• World Series: Yankees lament fifth-inning meltdown in World Series finale.

• Kalshi Exchange: registers over $100m in election bets as regulated prediction markets soar in the US.

• Florida man: charged with leaving remote-controlled explosives at casino after gambling loss.

Let's gamble...

5TH INNING NIGHTMARE

The New York Yankees overcame a tendency to play sloppy baseball by vanquishing opponents with overwhelming talent - until the World Series.

Throughout the season, the Yankees relied on star power to mask their defensive lapses and baserunning issues, ultimately winning 94 games and the AL Championship.

With players like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and ace Gerrit Cole, they managed to outplay teams with raw talent — until it finally caught up to them in Game 5 of the World Series.

Facing elimination, the Yankees held a lead until the fifth inning, when a defensive collapse erased their hopes.

Cole had pitched four scoreless innings, but everything unraveled after Enrique Hernández singled, followed by Judge’s first error of the year on a line drive from Tommy Edman.

Then, a throwing error by Anthony Volpe loaded the bases.

Cole, trying to salvage the inning, struck out two batters, but a slow grounder by Mookie Betts required Cole to cover first. Misjudging his approach, Betts reached safely, sparking a two-run single by Freeman and a two-run double from Teoscar Hernández.

Cole recovered and pitched into the seventh with the Yankees back on top, thanks to Giancarlo Stanton’s sacrifice fly, but the fifth inning haunted them.

Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged, "Against a great team like that, they took advantage." In the eighth, reliever Tommy Kahnle faltered, leading to the Dodgers’ go-ahead runs. Closer Luke Weaver’s catcher's interference and a series of sacrifice flies sealed the Dodgers' 7-6 victory.

The Yankees' season-long issues — Judge's missed catch, Volpe's throwing error, Cole's hesitation, and Wells’ interference — cost them dearly. Reflecting, Judge said, "You can't give teams like that extra outs."

The Yankees had barely edged past less expensive teams in the playoffs, but against the fundamentally sound Dodgers, their weaknesses became glaring.

"I think falling short in the World Series will stick with me until I die," Judge concluded, summarizing the painful end to their championship bid.

GRAPHIC WARNING:

For non-squeamish readers click here to see how this Dodgers fan celebrated their win…

LEGAL ELECTION BETTING

Two 20-something New Yorkers have added an entirely new dimension to the 2024 presidential election: legal betting.

Kalshi has launched the first legal election betting platform in the U.S. in over a century, aiming to increase voter transparency and engagement.

Founded by Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, both 28, the platform lets users wager on election outcomes, allowing the market to predict winners rather than pundits or pollsters. Mansour believes it provides “more truth about who’s actually going to win.”

Since its debut, Kalshi has gained traction, with over $100 million in bets and mentions from figures like JD Vance and Elon Musk.

The platform operates like a futures exchange, similar to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange but focused on current events. Bets range from election outcomes to more diverse topics, like SpaceX launches and movie ratings.

One reason for its popularity, especially among Republicans, is that Kalshi’s betting markets suggest Trump has a higher chance of winning than some polls.

Currently, a bet on Trump returns one dollar for a 63-cent investment, while a Harris win costs 37 cents per dollar return.

Mansour views the platform as a new way for people to engage in democracy, offering a tangible stake in election outcomes.

Kalshi’s journey to launch election betting was challenging. Though they have offered bets on economic indicators since 2021, they only recently obtained permission to include elections, following a lengthy legal fight with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Initially denied in 2021 over concerns about potential market manipulation, Kalshi won approval in court after a three-year battle.

Founded in 2018, Kalshi has received backing from Sequoia Capital and others. Headquartered in New York City, the founders feel the financial hub is ideal for what they see as the "next evolution of financial markets."

Despite the regulatory hurdles, they believe their persistence has established Kalshi as a trusted and secure platform for users.

EXPLOSIVE CASINO LOSS

Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, left two remote-controlled improvised explosive devices inside the mens restrooms at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa on Sept. 29

A Florida man, Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, has been charged after allegedly placing two improvised explosive devices in bathrooms at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement charging Eckley with two counts related to the possession and placement of destructive devices.

The incident began on September 29 when a casino employee found one of the devices, prompting an evacuation as a safety measure.

The Seminole Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s bomb squad later confirmed that both devices were safe. Authorities traced suspicious behavior back to September 25, when a man, later identified as Eckley, was seen acting oddly at the casino and driving a distinct white Ford Explorer.

Investigators discovered that he had bought the vehicle using an alias, a burner phone, and cash.

Just two days before the devices were found, Eckley had been arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for aggravated assault with a firearm. Evidence from that case was matched to the casino investigation, confirming his involvement.

Eckley used extensive efforts to disguise his identity—using a mask, alias, burner phones, cash payments, and even altering his walk to avoid recognition. The casino’s robust video surveillance, however, helped authorities identify him.

The investigation is ongoing, and while Eckley’s motive remains unclear, authorities suggest it may have been linked to heavy gambling losses.

MEME

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