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    In Latest Gambling Scandal, Some See Glimpse of Sports’ Future

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    The N.B.A. banned a player for life for betting on games, a practice some worry could become more prevalent with the rise of wagering on sports.Bill Bradley, the basketball Hall of Famer and former United States senator known as a staunch opponent of legalized sports betting, was speaking about the topic back in January. But he might as well have been predicting the future.“Well there hasn’t been a scandal, yet,” he said, discussing how professional sports have become ever more entwined with the gambling industry in recent years. “So the worst has been avoided, but all of the conditions are there for the untoward to occur.”On Wednesday, the National Basketball Association confirmed the untoward had occurred, issuing a lifetime ban to Jontay Porter, a seldom-used backup forward for the Toronto Raptors. The league said Mr. Porter wagered money on his own team to lose, pretended to be hurt for betting purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of N.B.A. competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport,” Adam Silver, the league’s commissioner, said in announcing Porter’s punishment.There are those who worry that Porter is just the tip of the iceberg across American sports, and that unless everyone — leagues, players, unions, politicians, betting companies — gets together to prevent further betting scandals, the very viability of professional sports is at risk. The Porter case was all the more unsettling because it came just weeks after baseball’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, was connected to a gambling scandal when his longtime interpreter was accused of stealing millions of dollars from him to pay an illegal bookmaker.“When sports lose the perception that they’re honest, their sport dies,” said Fay Vincent, the former Major League Baseball commissioner who played a key role in barring Pete Rose, the career hits leader, from the sport for life in the 1980s because he bet on his own team’s games. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      After NBA Bans Jontay Porter for Gambling, Some See Glimpse of Sports’ Future

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      The N.B.A. banned a player for life for betting on games, a practice some worry could become more prevalent with the rise of wagering on sports.Bill Bradley, the basketball Hall of Famer and former United States senator known as a staunch opponent of legalized sports betting, was speaking about the topic back in January. But he might as well have been predicting the future.“Well there hasn’t been a scandal, yet,” he said, discussing how professional sports have become ever more entwined with the gambling industry in recent years. “So the worst has been avoided, but all of the conditions are there for the untoward to occur.”On Wednesday, the National Basketball Association confirmed the untoward had occurred, issuing a lifetime ban to Jontay Porter, a seldom-used backup forward for the Toronto Raptors. The league said Mr. Porter wagered money on his own team to lose, pretended to be hurt for betting purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of N.B.A. competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport,” Adam Silver, the league’s commissioner, said in announcing Porter’s punishment.There are those who worry that Porter is just the tip of the iceberg across American sports, and that unless everyone — leagues, players, unions, politicians, betting companies — gets together to prevent further betting scandals, the very viability of professional sports is at risk. The Porter case was all the more unsettling because it came just weeks after baseball’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, was connected to a gambling scandal when his longtime interpreter was accused of stealing millions of dollars from him to pay an illegal bookmaker.“When sports lose the perception that they’re honest, their sport dies,” said Fay Vincent, the former Major League Baseball commissioner who played a key role in barring Pete Rose, the career hits leader, from the sport for life in the 1980s because he bet on his own team’s games. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Inside Lewis Hamilton’s close bond with brother Nicolas – including £70k gift before tragic slide into debt & addiction

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      GROWING up in the shadow of a world-famous sibling cannot be easy – least of all when that person is Lewis Hamilton. But according to his half-brother Nicolas, 32, the seven-world Formula 1 champion has supported him and his career at every turn… except for financially.Lewis and Nicolas Hamilton have always been ‘super close’Credit: GettyWatching Lewis race as a youngster inspired Nicolas to get into motorsportCredit: instagramNicolas has been Lewis’s plus-one for many star-studded and glamorous eventsCredit: GettyRecently, the 32-year-old hit out at claims his career in the British Touring Car Championships (BTCC) was being “bankrolled” by Lewis, who is reportedly worth £270million.Nicolas also spoke out about developing an “all-consuming” gambling addiction in 2017 that lost him thousands of pounds and left him feeling suicidal. To pay off his debts, he was forced to sell his “pride and joy” – a midnight blue Mercedes C63 gifted to him on his 24th birthday by Lewis.Nicolas, who told The Times “gambling is no longer an issue” last week, has faced many struggles throughout his life.READ MORE ON SPORTAnd it’s been his brother Lewis who has helped him to overcome many of the obstacles, as we reveal. ‘Didn’t treat me differently’At 18 months old, Nicolas was diagnosed with spastic diplegia – a form of cerebral palsy that affects his balance and movement.Doctors predicted he would never be able to run or walk but today, the 32-year-old can walk unaided and no longer uses his wheelchair.His many achievements include becoming the first disabled racer to compete against able-bodied racers at the BTCC in 2015 and achieving a career-best at Donnington Park last year.Most read in MotorsportNicolas believes Lewis played a part in him becoming the person his it today and much of his sibling’s help dates back to their childhood. While most brothers often bicker, fight and have a friendly rivalry that wasn’t the case for the Hamilton brothers – instead, the youngster felt encouraged by Lewis.  Nicolas Hamilton gives fans a tour of his specially modified British Touring Car for the 2019 BTCC seasonHe recalled: “We used to go outside and play basketball. He didn’t treat me any differently, so we would still run races, which I obviously wouldn’t win. “It never upset me, it actually spurred me on to either run faster or become more mobile. I don’t think that was his plan but it was the effect he had on me. “It has never been ‘I want to be better than him, bigger than him’, and I don’t think he ever wanted to be bigger or better than me.”Bully planNicolas’s school years weren’t easy. He recalled bullies regularly “taking the mick” out of how he walked and mocking him for being in a wheelchair. Nicolas has cerebral palsy, which affects the movement in his lower bodyCredit: InstagramLewis gave his brother tips to stop bullies from picking on himCredit: InstagramMost weekends, Nicolas and his family watched Lewis’s races in the UK and EuropeCredit: InstagramHe told the Independent: “Kids did not want to be my friend. I was getting pulled back in my wheelchair and wasn’t able to fend for myself”.On In The Pink podcast, Nicolas said it was Lewis – who took up martial arts after being bullied at school himself – who came up with a plan to help.He recalled: “[Lewis] said, ‘If people are laughing at this wheelchair that you’re in, then why don’t we make it cool and do some cool things in it?’“He taught me how to do wheelies and stuff in the wheelchair, and I almost became like a Tony Hawk skateboarder in my wheelchair.“I started jumping stairs and trying to be cool. That helped me through it. It was a character-building moment, so I’m glad I went through it.”‘Planted seed’Nicolas spent “every weekend” travelling with his family to watch Lewis’s races around the UK and Europe when he was younger.”I became a real racing nerd,” he admitted. “I knew all the drivers and talked about karting all the time.” It seems spending so much time in the motorsport world rubbed off on Nicolas and would help to shape his future career. He taught me how to do wheelies and stuff in the wheelchair, and I almost became like a Tony Hawk skateboarder in my wheelchair.Nicolas HamiltonLewis encouraged Nicolas to go into racing at 18 after spotting how naturally talented he was on a simulator.Nicolas told The Times: “Lewis could see that I was good on a simulator. He planted the seed in my mind.” Nicolas became determined to stop using his wheelchair in his teensCredit: GettyAt 18, his talent for simulator work was recognised by LewisCredit: AlamyThe Hamilton brothers at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2011Credit: GettyBy then Nicolas had stopped using his wheelchair after spending time strength training so he could walk unaided. In 2011, he made his racing debut at the Renault Clio Cup in a modified car. But that year – had it not been for his sibling – could have been his last in motorsport.While competing on the Thruxton Circuit, in Hampshire, known for being the fastest in the UK, he had a terrifying crash. Nicolas lost control of his vehicle and struck a tyre barrier at 100mph. He was knocked out by the collision and had to be pulled out of his smoking vehicle by a marshal. Pretty much everyone presumes that Lewis bankrolls me in my motorsport career, that he pays for everything and provides endless opportunities because of his wealth and success in the sport, but it’s just not true.NicolasMany would have lost their nerve after such a terrifying incident but not Nicolas, who four years later became the first disabled driver to compete in the BTCC.He revealed it was his brother’s wise words that kept him racing. After the crash, Lewis advised him to take the corner again “as fast as he could as if nothing had happened”. Sports car giftCurrently, Nicolas is on a break from the BTCC while trying “to find half a million pounds” to fund his racing career. For now, he is working as a developer for driving games and a motivational speaker.He explained Lewis has been supportive of his racing dreams but has “never put a penny into my motorsport”. I don’t go to his races anymore. I haven’t for a long time… To see Lewis I would have to take a lot of time away from my life.NicolasIn Nicolas’s memoir, Now That I Have Your Attention, he wrote: “I know pretty much everyone presumes that Lewis bankrolls me in my motorsport career, that he pays for everything and provides endless opportunities because of his wealth and success in the sport, but it’s just not true; it is also something that I would never want or accept.”While Nicolas says his brother hasn’t financed his career in any way, he has splashed out on his sibling.Nicolas had to sell the Mercedes C63 (above) that Lewis gave him for his birthdayCredit: instagramLewis describes himself as his brother’s ‘No1 fan’Credit: Instagram / @lewishamiltonFor his 24th birthday, Lewis gifted him a midnight blue C63 Mercedes – thought to be worth around £70,000.Nicolas recalls: “We went out to the car park and he said, ‘Wow, look at that car, that’s so cool.’ It was a midnight blue C63 Mercedes. “I think I described it as ‘amazing’ and then he held out the key and said, ‘Happy birthday.’ I was gobsmacked. I remember him saying, ‘It’s insured, it’s ready to go, just drive it home.’”The gift was Nicolas’s “pride and joy” but in 2017, he was forced to sell it to pay off a tax bill that he couldn’t afford due to blowing thousands of pounds on gambling.‘No1 fan’ In recent years, Nicolas has admitted he has been unable to follow his brother as he races around the world but remains his “No1 fan”.He said: “I don’t go to his races anymore. I haven’t for a long time… To see Lewis I would have to take a lot of time away from my life.”In 2020, when Lewis secured his 92nd career win, which surpassed the record of legendary racer Michael Schumacher, his sibling gushed with pride online.He wrote: “Although I was not there, I live your emotions with an immense amount of pride! I am speechless, but always knew you had it in you.“I’m so grateful to have you as my brother… Here is to many more victories to put that record out of reach! Love always, your number 1 fan.”The siblings regularly share throwback photographs celebrating each other’s achievements – often with the hashtag #HamBrothers, in reference to their surname.Undercover spectatorLewis covered up to avoid being a distraction at Nicolas’s race last yearCredit: InstagramNicolas achieved a personal best while Lewis watched on (left) from the sidelinesCredit: InstagramWhen Lewis isn’t on the racetrack, he has sneaked in trips to watch his sibling race but chooses to keep a low profile. The F1 champion has been known to cover up to avoid diverting attention from his sibling’s achievements. Last year, when Nicolas achieved a personal best finishing sixth at Donnington Park, Lewis was watching from the sidelines in a long black coat with his hood up, a hat and a dark facemask.Gushing with pride, Lewis later said: “He got sixth in the race and I was just standing in the crowd just watching as a fan. I was so excited!“And no one knew that I was there actually, I was just jumping up and down trying to support him.”Lewis was unable to spend time with his brother in the pitlanes after the race but fuelled his confidence in a touching call afterwards.WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

      Nicolas recalled: “He was like, ‘You drove f***ing amazing’ and for him to say that to me, it means so much. “After all these years of me watching him from the sidelines, him having success and that sort of stuff, now he’s watching me. It’s full circle.”Lewis regularly says how “incredibly proud” he is of his brother, who he lists as his inspiration, and praises him for being “such a great voice” for those with cerebral palsy.The F1 champ said: “He’s obviously racing in a series and a sport where there is not a lot of access… there is no access for people who particularly are disabled. And he stands for so much.“It’s been difficult – he’s been fighting to try and make up for the disability he has with his legs and it’s a continuous fight.”READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd the feeling is mutual, with Nicolas saying: “I could talk about him forever because my life has revolved around him – but not through hateful eyes, just pure pride. I’m his biggest fan.”Nicolas Hamilton’s memoir, Now That I Have Your Attention: 7 Lessons In Leading A Life Bigger Than They Expect, is out now.Nicolas details his gambling addiction and other struggles in his memoirCredit: Instagram More

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      My brother Lewis Hamilton made £24m while I sat crying & eating pot noodles as gambling debts forced me to sell my car

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      SITTING inside a dirty room, unwashed and slurping a Pot Noodle, Nicolas Hamilton broke down in tears before his computer screen. The 32-year-old – the half-brother of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis – had frittered away thousands on gambling in a six-month binge and spiralled into a deep depression that left him on the brink of suicide.Lewis Hamilton helped to inspire his half-brother Nicolas to get into racingCredit: Instagram / @lewishamiltonNicolas says he and Lewis remain each other’s ‘No1 fans’Credit: GettyThe 32-year-old made history at the 2015 BTCC racing against able-bodied driversCredit: SWNS:South West News ServiceWhat started as a £2 bet on Arsenal scoring developed into an “all-consuming” addiction to online casinos and blackjack that rarely saw him leave his room in 2017.Two years earlier Nicolas, who has a form of cerebral palsy, had made history as the first disabled driver to go up against able-bodied racers in the British Touring Car Championship. He was forced to sell off his “pride and joy”, a midnight blue Mercedes C63 gifted to him by Lewis, to settle a hefty tax bill that he couldn’t afford due to his gambling and “naivety” about finances.In his memoir Now That I Have Your Attention, Nicolas speaks out about that dark time, which left him on the verge of ending his life.READ MORE ON SPORTHe wrote: “I felt so ashamed, using this amazing gift to pay my tax bill. “It felt like I had practically stolen the money from my brother and I have never forgiven myself for that.“It destroyed me. I got a real wake-up call. I had no way of going forward because I’d lost everything. “I was stuck. I had a balcony at my flat and I was thinking what would I do if I just jumped off it.”Most read in Motorsport Inside glamorous life of Lewis Hamilton’s brother Nic with racing career and Instagram model girlfriendNicolas’ struggles came three years into Lewis’ racing career with Mercedes, in 2017, when he was paid £24million a year – not including funds from sponsorships and endorsements.Yet he felt unable to confide in his half-brother, or his parents, and relied on daily calls to Samaritans over a difficult two-week period. Nicolas has since overcome his addiction – even able to take a trip to Las Vegas casinos recently without having a flutter – and says he’s grateful that “gambling is no longer an issue”.Recalling his difficult moments, he told The Times: “I wanted more of the winnings – and the losing didn’t really deter me. It just got me in a cycle.Nicolas followed half-brother Lewis into racing but says he is always ‘compared’ to the F1 world championCredit: InstagramNicolas was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy at 18 months oldCredit: InstagramIt was Lewis who recognised Nicolas’ talent on a driving simulatorCredit: Instagram“I couldn’t stop thinking about it — I just wanted to go back to my computer. The whole day would go quite easily. “I could see it was a problem but I was too far in. I was scared to stop. I’d lost so much money that I felt like, if I stopped, I was in a hole that I wouldn’t get out of.” After admitting all to his parents, Nicolas says they were “supportive” and “felt sorry for me”. He’s never spoken to Lewis about selling the Mercedes, which was bought for him as a surprise 24th birthday present.’Lewis spurred me on’Overcoming gambling addiction was just one of many struggles Nicolas has battled throughout his life.In 1992, he was born two months premature and spent the first six weeks of his life battling to survive in intensive care. At 18 months old, Nicolas was diagnosed with spastic diplegia, which affects his balance and muscle movement in the lower half of his body. Doctors predicted he would never be able to walk or run.Even at my most vulnerable moment, when I was in the midst of experiencing the scariest, closest-to-death moment of my life, people will still compare me with himNicolas HamiltonGambling addiction: five warning signsIS someone you know gambling more than they can afford to lose? Are you concerned they may be addicted? If so, read GamCare’s list of five signs to take note of.

      1) Being withdrawn – Have they stopped socialising? Addicts can lose interest in their usual activities or hobbies. Often they choose not to spend time with family or friends – in favour of staying at home – and when they do they may constantly check their phone.  
      2) Mood change – Are they acting differently? There could be noticeable changes in their mood and behaviour, which could include looking worried, agitated or upset for no apparent reason. 
      3) Sleeping problems – Do they constantly seem tired? Chasing losses and losing money can cause sleeping issues. Anxiety or constant worry can lead plays to be up at all hours. Some gamblers play during the night, which can disturb their sleeping pattern. 
       4) Financial concerns – Has money gone missing from bank accounts or are they regularly short of money and need to borrow money? This could be a sign. Some feel pressure to take out loans to generate income. 
      5) Lying – Do they lie about what they do with their time? Many feel expected to provide for others. If they are hiding a gambling addiction they may be scared of their problem being found out and feel very low wrongly believing they have let people down. 
      Do these warning signs apply to your loved one? GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline. Freephone 0808 8020 133 or talk via web chat at: www.gamcare.org.uk. They provide information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling. Advisers are available 24/7, every day of the year. 

      The disability meant much of his teens was spent in a wheelchair, which led to bullying from classmates.He recalled them mimicking him while he attempted to walk with mobility aids and try to tip him over while in his wheelchair.Nicolas told The Independent: “I didn’t have a voice or a purpose in school – a disabled boy and only person of colour in my school… kids did not want to be my friend. I was getting pulled back in my wheelchair and wasn’t able to fend for myself.”Growing up, he had a strong bond with Lewis – admitting they “were super close” – and says his sibling would encourage him to take part in sports.Nicolas said: “We used to go outside and play basketball. He didn’t treat me any differently, so we would still run races, which I obviously wouldn’t win. “It never upset me. It actually spurred me on to either run faster or become more mobile. I don’t think that was his plan but it was the effect he had on me.” Lewis encouraged Nicolas to learn wheelchair ‘tricks’ to deter bullies from picking on himCredit: InstagramLewis in 2017 when he earned £24m a year with MercedesCredit: AlamyNicolas set a personal best last year, placing sixth in a BTCC raceCredit: AlamySimilarly, his parents instilled resilience, regularly telling him to “brush yourself off” after falls while walking and encouraging him to be independent and strong. Legs ‘like mush’At 16 years old, Nicolas’ life changed forever after a rude interaction in 2008 that encouraged him to work even harder than before to no longer need to use his wheelchair. He was travelling abroad to watch Lewis in a race with his mum when a lady at an airport check-in counter, refused to address him directly and instead spoke to his mum.“She just asked my mum whether I needed assistance or help,” Nicolas recalled during an interview with The Independent last year. Lewis has never put a penny into my motorsportNicolas“I had all the hormones of a teenager wanting to be a man. I was growing a beard. I wanted to talk to girls and go to the pub.“But I’d become lazy and I was in a wheelchair because it was easier for me. It was hard work to walk around. “Able-bodied people weren’t looking at me in the way I wanted to be perceived. That was when I got out of my wheelchair. And I haven’t been back in.”Nicolas starting regular strength training and physio to help him walk – despite it causing neck, back, pelvic and muscular pain – and says before his legs “were like mush”. He told The Times: “Pain will always be a part of my day. I do not take anything for it. I learn to deal with it.”At 16, Nicolas says his legs were ‘like mush’ but now he can walk unaided and no longer uses his wheelchairCredit: GettyHe’s focused on motivational speaking alongside his racing careerCredit: InstagramLewis celebrating with Nicolas at the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix back in 2008Credit: Getty’Bankrolled’ furyNicolas was encouraged to go into racing by his brother at 18 after noticing he was “good on a simulator” and says he “planted the seed in my mind”.In 2011, he made his racing debut at the Renault Clio Cup in a modified car and four years later, became the first disabled driver to compete in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Despite his personal achievements, Nicolas has regularly been compared to his famous brother including after a near-fatal crash in 2011 after he hit a tyre barrier at 100mph on the racecourse at Thruxton Circuit, in Hampshire.While being pulled out of the car, which had smoke coming from the bonnet and engine, he recalls a marshal telling him: “Oh dear, Lewis isn’t going to be impressed with this, is he?”Nicolas, who described it as “the most insensitive comment”, added: “Even at my most vulnerable moment, when I was in the midst of experiencing the scariest, closest-to-death moment of my life, people will still compare me with him.” It has been really hard being related to Lewis and trying to carve my own career in motorsportNicolasIn April last year, Nicolas recorded his best finish to date – sixth place during a BTCC race at Donnington Park – which helped to silence the critics who said he was only driving because of his famous brother. “To come across the line with that result, after everything I’ve been through – best day of my life,” he said. “To finally shut the critics up on 23 April was the best thing I could ever wish for. It was a load of relief and a lot of weight off my shoulders.”Nicolas has faced nepotism comments, online trolling and bullying throughout his racing career due to beliefs that his famous sibling helped him financially or with connections. Last year, he defiantly stated: “Lewis has never put a penny into my motorsport.” And has since addressed it in his memoir. Nicolas’s memoir Now That I Have Your Attention comes out this monthCredit: InstagramHe described Lewis as ‘the best human being to ever sit behind the steering wheel of a car’Credit: GettyHe wrote: “I know pretty much everyone presumes that Lewis bankrolls me in my motorsport career, that he pays for everything and provides endless opportunities because of his wealth and success in the sport, but it’s just not true; it is also something that I would never want or accept.”Nicolas revealed his father Anthony financially supported his first season as a driver but since then, he has had to find the funds himself.To do so, the 32-year-old has taken on a number of jobs including working for racing video games companies, where he spends up to eight hours analysing virtual cars.Nicolas is also a public speaker – working for nine different UK agencies – and has other one-off gigs including representing MGM as an ambassador at last year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁 He remains passionate about racing and hopes to someday compete again after parting ways with Team Hard last year but first, he has to raise the money to compete. Nicolas explained: “I’d love to be back on the grid and I think I deserve to be but I’ve got to find half a million pounds.”Despite being compared to his F1 racing champion brother, whcih he calls “hard”, there is no sibling rivalry.Instead, Nicolas credits Lewis – who he describes as “the best human being to ever sit behind the steering wheel of a car” – as someone who helped to make him the man he is today. Nicolas adds: “He’s still a massive reason why I’m as strong as I am and why I’m out of my wheelchair. I’m still his No 1 fan…READ MORE SUN STORIES“But it has been really hard being related to Lewis and trying to carve my own career in motorsport.”Nicolas Hamilton’s memoir, Now That I Have Your Attention: 7 Lessons In Leading A Life Bigger Than They Expect, comes out on April 11 and is available to preorder. More

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      Bought as an N.B.A. Team, the Mavericks Are Being Sold as Much More

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      Pro sports franchises are increasingly providing much of their value as anchors for larger business enterprises, including entertainment complexes.The sales of most professional sports teams are fairly predictable.They happen because owners die or cannot figure out how to pass the team on to their families. They run out of money, are more focused on other pursuits or are pushed out because of misconduct.Once the decision to sell is made, the process plays out in a relatively public way. Bankers are hired, potential purchasers register interest, an auction occurs, and weeks or months of reports in the news media follow.So it was a complete surprise last month when, with no warning, the families that control the Las Vegas Sands casino empire announced that they had reached a binding agreement to buy a controlling interest in the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban. The only thing that made sense was that the situation involved Mr. Cuban, who has long run the Mavericks in an unconventional manner.Still, more than two weeks later, the basic question surrounding the sale — Why did Mr. Cuban do it? — remains mostly unanswered. The reliably loquacious Mr. Cuban, who always seemed to be having more fun than any other owner, declined to speak on the record for this article. The Adelson and Dumont families, wary of getting ahead of an N.B.A. approval process that includes due diligence and a vote on the sale by other team owners, declined to comment beyond a statement expressing their excitement.But what is clear is that the sale represents a window into the rapidly changing nature of the business of sports.When Mr. Cuban bought the Mavericks in 2000, flush with cash from selling Broadcast.com just before the dot-come bubble popped, professional sports teams were still mainly just teams.Now they are anchors for larger business enterprises. Anchor tenants for arenas that are the beating heart of vast entertainment complexes, as in Sacramento. Anchor content for regional sports networks or other media conglomerates, as in Washington, D.C. Anchor brands for millions of fans newly allowed to bet on sports, as in Phoenix.Mr. Cuban is also many things — a dot-com billionaire, an owner of a company trying to reduce the price of prescription drugs and, for one more season, one of the main investors in the reality show “Shark Tank” — but what he is not is a real estate mogul, providing a possible motivation for the sale.The Dallas Mavericks partly own the American Airlines Center, where they play their games in the Victory Park development just north of downtown. But while the owners of their co-tenant, the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars, have invested in land near the arena, Mr. Cuban has mostly expressed annoyance that it takes away from fan parking. Now he is changing his tune.“Cuban probably wants to imitate what has worked, have the ownership control he doesn’t have in Victory Park, and push it to a new level with casino and resort integration,” said Robert Sroka, a professor of sport administration at Georgia State University and a sport venue development consultant.Mr. Cuban has publicly said he wants to build a resort destination in Dallas with Sands.Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesLast year Mr. Cuban told The Dallas Morning News of his intention to team up with Sands on just that, a new arena and casino complex.“Partnering with the Sands Corporation, literally there’s no reason we can’t build a huge resort destination in the city proper of Dallas,” he said.A piece of a destination like that would mean a lot more money for Mr. Cuban than the sums generated by game tickets and arena concessions. The plan, however, faces a significant hurdle — besides acquiring land, obtaining financing when interest rates are high and receiving construction approvals. Almost all forms of gambling are illegal in Texas, and there is no clear sign of that changing.A bill that would legalize sports betting passed the Texas House this year, but Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor, refused to bring it up for discussion in the Senate. Even if such a bill passed the Senate, Texas residents would still need to vote on it.A bill allowing casinos faced even fiercer opposition, particularly from influential conservative religious leaders, and never made it out of the House. And while sports betting, if it is legalized in Texas, can be lucrative for teams, it is really a casino bill that needs to pass if Mr. Cuban’s vision of a sports and gambling destination is to be realized. The Sands, which has a number of casinos in Macau and Singapore but currently none in the United States, has hired dozens of lobbyists to get one passed in recent years.Mr. Cuban owns about three-quarters of the Mavericks, with the rest held by a handful of minority owners. After the sale he will own about a quarter, and the Adelson and Dumont families nearly three-quarters, with the rest spread among some minority owners, according to two people familiar with the terms, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose them publicly.Some people believe the reported $3.5 billion valuation that Mr. Cuban is selling at is less than he could have received if the Mavericks had gone on the open market. Just last week, for instance, a small share of the Indiana Pacers was bought at a reported valuation of $3.47 billion. Indianapolis is a much smaller market than Dallas, and minority stakes are typically discounted. So, the thinking goes, the sale of a majority stake in the Mavericks should’ve been for much higher.But the sale to the Adelson and Dumont families includes an unusual stipulation: Mr. Cuban will continue to run the basketball operations of the team.Officially, Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson and the late Sheldon Adelson, will be what the N.B.A. calls the team’s governor and vote on leaguewide matters. But Mr. Cuban will run its basketball operations. The bet, then, seems to be this: Mr. Cuban will earn billions from a team he paid $285 million for two decades ago; he will continue to participate in the part of team ownership he likes the most; and if the Adelsons and Las Vegas Sands can muscle through a new arena and casino complex, one day his quarter of the team might be worth as much as the three-quarters he used to own.This could also help make up for money Mr. Cuban expects to lose on the team’s local media rights agreement. The holder of those rights, Diamond Sports Groups, is going through bankruptcy.“I think a new arena, real estate area and hopefully a future resort casino can replace what we lose in media, and fund current and future Mavs,” Mr. Cuban said in an email to a local television station last month.Over a thousand miles west of Dallas, the sale has thrown the race to own an N.B.A. franchise in Las Vegas wide open, since the Adelson family was widely presumed to be a front-runner if the city got a team.Officially, there is no guarantee there will ever be an N.B.A. team in Las Vegas, but the league is widely expected to soon expand to 32 teams from 30. This summer, Adam Silver, its commissioner, said the league would turn to the issue of expansion after it completed new media agreements, sometime in 2024. He said it was not certain the league would expand, but named Las Vegas and Seattle as cities that would be considered.“A lot is happening behind the scenes,” said Steve Sisolak, a former governor of Nevada. “A lot of groups that have interest. It remains to be seen who is a front-runner.”Currently, the only arena in Las Vegas that has close to the required facilities for an N.B.A. team is the T-Mobile Center, which is co-owned by the arena developer AEG and MGM Resorts International, with Bill Foley, the owner of the N.H.L.’s Las Vegas Golden Knights, holding a minority share.But Oak View Group, another arena developer and operator, has announced plans for a $10 billion resort south of the Strip that would include an arena an N.B.A. team could play in. Intriguingly, the land that arena would be built on is owned by Scott Goldstein, the son of Rob Goldstein, the chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands. Sands is not currently involved in that project.Susan Beachy More

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      Team’s Sale Reflects Growing Links Between Pro Sports and Gambling

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      The proposed purchase of the N.B.A.’s Dallas Mavericks by a casino operator is the latest sign of how fully leagues have embraced the gaming world.For years, professional sports organizations like the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball prohibited liquor companies from buying advertising in locations in stadiums and arenas that could be seen on television, in deference to efforts to curb drunken driving.But in 2009, during the depths of the worst recession since the Great Depression, those same leagues found themselves scrambling for cash as their biggest sponsors — automakers, banks and others — cut back on marketing. Suddenly, they began signing multimillion-dollar deals with companies that made rum, tequila, vodka and other hard liquor, and the advertising was displayed for all to see.It was a sign of how justifications can change seemingly overnight, especially when money is involved. The sports world was reminded of that last week when Miriam Adelson and her trust sold $2 billion worth of shares in the Sands Corporation, a casino operator, to buy a professional sports team, which turned out to be the Dallas Mavericks. (The purchase still needs to be approved by the league’s board of governors before becoming official.)“The Adelson and Dumont families are honored to have the opportunity to be stewards of this great franchise,” they said in a statement.For decades, most major professional leagues largely kept the gaming world at arm’s length. They barred players, referees and owners from gambling on sports, to insulate game results from any hint of impropriety, a stance that dated back at least a century to the famed Black Sox scandal of 1919.Some leagues likewise forbid owners from holding stakes in casinos. In one instance, Dan Rooney, the principal owner of the National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers, had to buy out his brothers’ stake in the team because the brothers owned racetracks in New York and Florida. The N.B.A. had no such rule and has had owners with ties to casinos, including Tilman Fertitta, the current owner of the Houston Rockets.The N.F.L. commissioner, Roger Goodell, long opposed the broad legalization of sports gambling.Adam Hunger/Associated Press“If gambling is permitted freely on sporting events, normal incidents of the game such as bad snaps, dropped passes, turnovers, penalties and play calling inevitably will fuel speculation, distrust and accusations of point-shaving or game fixing,” the N.F.L. commissioner, Roger Goodell, said in 2012.Yet at a time when sports gambling — once done only in casino meccas like Las Vegas or through bookies — has been legalized in dozens of states, the leagues’ former approach seems quaint. While restrictions remain on players, referees and owners wagering on their own sports, gambling has otherwise been embraced by the mainstream sports establishment.They have removed restrictions on casinos and sports books advertising in stadiums and on television. Some stadiums, like FedEx Field in Landover, Md., the home of the N.F.L.’s Washington Commanders, have sports books inside. Sports wagering companies now plaster their names on sign boards in stadiums and buy TV commercials during games, including the Super Bowl, with all manner of promotions to woo new customers.The leagues have also done an about-face on operating in the home of sports wagering, Las Vegas, which was for years off limits. Now the National Hockey League, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the N.F.L. have teams in the city. Last month, Major League Baseball’s owners unanimously approved allowing the A’s to leave Oakland and head to Las Vegas. The N.B.A., which has held All-Star games, summer leagues and a new in-season tournament in Las Vegas, could add an expansion team in the city in the coming years, which would give every major pro sport a team in a locale the leagues once shunned.“The leagues are constantly re-evaluating their business as laws change, social mores change and different companies and categories become bigger,” said Marc Ganis, a consultant to numerous teams and leagues. “That includes look at ownership rules, sponsorships and advertising.”The N.F.L.’s embrace of Las Vegas has perhaps been most surprising, given the league’s conservative reputation. The Raiders won approval to move to the city in 2017. The league has held the Pro Bowl and college draft on The Strip. And in February, the league’s marquee event — the Super Bowl — will be played in Las Vegas, removing perhaps the last vestige of any distance between it and the city.The Super Bowl in February will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.Kirby Lee/Usa Today Sports Via Reuters ConThe leagues’ reassessment has been both practical and strategic. The biggest break came in 2018 after the Supreme Court ruled that a law that prohibited sports gambling in most of the country was unconstitutional. Dozens of states quickly approved legalizing sports wagering, dwarfing the amount spent in Las Vegas. The N.F.L. now allows owners to hold stakes in casinos that have no sports betting, though it restricts owners from having more than a 5 percent stake in casinos that allow sports betting.“Las Vegas is acceptable not so much because of us but because gambling is almost everywhere now,” said Michael Green, a historian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “The Strip is as legit as any large business.”At the same time, Las Vegas’s image as a desert oasis with casinos and nightclubs under the thumb of the mob changed dramatically in the 1990s, when The Strip was turned into an urban theme park where parents could bring their children. Many visitors come now as much to see shows like U2 at the Sphere or the latest extravaganza by Cirque du Soleil as they do to visit the casinos.And while Las Vegas is relatively small, with a population of about 2.5 million in the region, it has been able to support teams like the Raiders and the Golden Knights of the N.H.L. because the city is a year-round destination, drawing roughly 40 million tourists annually.“There’s a whole new demographic being exposed to sports gambling by visiting Las Vegas,” said Jay Kornegay, the vice president of the Race and Sports Book Operations at Westgate Resorts.Mr. Green noted that the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Mob Museum, which both opened in 2012, also gave the city a glean of sophistication it had lacked. He recalled how just 20 years ago, the N.F.L. blocked Las Vegas from buying ads during the Super Bowl, a decision that now seems antiquated.“Remind me,” he said, “where’s the next Super Bowl?”Kevin Draper More

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      Man City legend Sergio Aguero in career change which could make him even richer

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      FOOTBALL star Sergio Aguero has another big goal in his sights — winning a £8million poker tournament in Las Vegas.The former Man City striker, 35, is among more than 3,000 playing in the two-week World Series of Poker Main Event.
      Sergio Aguero is planning to win the £8million World Series of Poker Main EventCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPgslkMWct/
      Novice Aguero has won less than £5,000 in his fledgling poker career.
      But the Argentine bagged a respectable 85,000 chips after day one, with Briton Christopher Brammer leading with 386,100.
      Insiders said there was hope for Aguero, famed for his dramatic stoppage-time goal for City to win the Prem in 2012.
      A source said: “Even the best players make mistakes or get bad cards.
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      “Sergio has got to stay in for as long as he can — then who knows.”
      Aguero helped City win five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and six League Cups.
      After leaving City in 2021, Aguero joined Barcelona.
      He played only four games for the Spanish giants scoring just one goal before being diagnosed with a heart condition and announcing his retirement.
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      Premier League shirts set to look very different next season after proposed Government ban

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      PREMIER LEAGUE shirts are set to look very different from next season as the government considers action on gambling sponsorship. Fans have become used to seeing betting firm logos splashed across the front of club jerseys.
      Eight Premier League clubs have betting logos on the front of their shirtCredit: Getty
      The top-flight could look very different next season if new rules are bought inCredit: Getty
      But this could be coming to an end as politicians mull changes over gambling laws.
      New draft legislation is set to be published over the coming weeks.
      And while the government is not expected to ban gambling sponsors, the BBC reports that the Premier League could take action into their own hands.
      It is believed the division is set to agree to voluntarily remove better sponsors from the front of shirts.
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      However top-flights clubs are said to have not yet voted on the measure.
      Betting companies are still expected to be allowed to advertise on other parts of the kit and in their stadium.
      The changes could have a knock-on effect for a number of clubs with eight top-flight teams sporting betting logos on the front of their shirts this season.
      Bournemouth, Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham will all have a different front-of-shirt sponsor if the new ruling is passed.
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      The EFL, which is sponsored by Sky Bet, is not expected to implement anything similar with the league previously claiming that any outright gambling ban would cost its 72 members £40m-a-year.

      The government have looked closer at the relationship between betting and football after campaigners argued that tighter regulation was needed to protect vulnerable groups.
      But the Betting and Gambling Council, which represents the industry, has previously said the “overwhelming majority” of people in the UK who bet do so safely and responsibly. More

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      I lost my phone in a pub and when I got it back I saw a mystery punter had puts bets on with it – and won me a huge sum

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      A DRINKER who got back his lost phone saw a mystery punter had put bets on with it — and won him more than £650.Christopher Dennis, 52, now wants to give them a £300 reward.
      A mystery punter won Christopher Dennis more than £650 after placing a string of winning wagers on his lost phone
      The property agent was out with pals when he lost his mobile on January 16.
      The unlocked device was then handed in three days later — and he saw someone placed 14 football wagers on his Betfair account.
      Incredibly, they won him just over £650, with the punter cashing out before some ended to seal the wins.
      Christopher, of Cambridgeshire, said: “I’m really curious to find out who put these bets on.
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      “They are obviously a betting genius and I’d like some tips! I definitely owe them a few drinks, but I’d like to offer them £300 as a thank you.
      “The most I’d won before was £80 on Argentina winning the World Cup.”
      Christopher, who had been drinking at the Champion Of The Thames pub in Cambridge, went on: “I like to imagine that when they kept on winning they realised they couldn’t take the money out as it would just go to my bank account, so they handed the phone in.”
      He added: “I’ve learned my lesson though — I really need to set the lock on my phone, otherwise this could have ended up very differently.”
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