Latest news with #AT&TPebbleBeachPro-Am
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
DraftKings Sued for $14.2M over PGA Tour Pebble Beach Pro-Am Result
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Last year at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the weather would not cooporate. PGA Tour Officials had to delay the final round of the tournament multiple times until they ultimately decided to award a winner after 54 holes. Wyndham Clark was the leader and won the tournament. However, why is a 2024 event even mentioned in 2025? Well, Nicholas Bavas, a man from Iowa, is taking on DraftKings. He is sueing the popular sports betting website for $14.2 million in alleged winnings, per a report from Golfweek. Bavas is sueing the sports betting website and its subsidary Crown IA Gaming and claims that they unfairly voided his bets he placed for the 2024 event. Despite there being a chance that the event could get canceled, Bavas and many other bettors continued to put money down on players in the lead. It seems he was aware of this, but DraftKings continued to allow people to bet, so Bavas did. His lawsuit accuses the website for a "dizzying array of interlocking sets of rules that may or may not govern each bet depending on the type of wager placed, the specific event, and the particular sport ...when DraftKings makes an error or accepts a bet it should not have, or when unforeseen events occur that require an unanticipated large payout by DraftKings, then it seems different rules apply." PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Wyndham Clark of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 05, 2024 in Pebble Beach,... PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: Wyndham Clark of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 05, 2024 in Pebble Beach, California. More Photo byBevas allegedly placed five bets on the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, all on the outcome of the event. The lawsuit states that he did this in the late hours of Saturday, Feb. 3. He watched the weather continue to come down as historic rains drenched the California area. The first bet he allegedly made came shortly after 10 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2024. Bevas made a $100 bet for a "20 Picks" parlay. Parlays are the type bet when the bettor selects multiple things to happen, and needs to hit each one correctly or the bet loses. Because of that, the payout grows exponentially with the amount of bets. Bevas' bet would have earned him $4,651,571 if all of his picks were correct, and the lawsuit claims that, DraftKings accepted this wager. The second bet came at 10:18 p.m. when he put $25 on a different kind of parlay. This one was picking top 20 finishers for an opportunity to win $250,068. Bevas placed his third bet at 11:22 p.m. on Feb. 3. It was for $50 and was identical to the first one, and his potential earnings was $2,325,786. Just before midnight at 11:59 p.m., Bevas made his fourth wager. It was another one identical to the first, for another $100. That payout was $4,651,571. The last bet came at 12:02 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2024. It was the exact same as the third one but for $50 with the potential to win $2,325,786. Tour officials would delay the tournament that Sunday, Feb. 4 because of rain and wind. They continued to push back the start time until 9:15 p.m. when the PGA Tour finally announced the tournamnet would not be able to play the next day, ultimately ending the event after 54 holes. The rub lies in the fact that Bevas bet on what the current leaderboard looked like. Essentially, he was betting that the tournament would end after just 54 holes. The lawsuit states that because of that decision, all five of his bets would hit, and he should recieve $14.2 million in winnings. Bevas' lawsuit alleges that the the betting site "unilaterally voided" all five of the wagers and gave him back his money. DraftKings cites its rules about "future bets" placed after the final shot of what is later determined to be the last round are canceled. However, this is where it gets interesting as the Dallas County resident stated in his lawsuit that the rule does not seem to apply to bets on multiple players, which was the case for all of his parlay wagers. The lawsuit is seeking damages for multiple reasons. The first is for breach of contract and the second is for violating consumer-protection laws. His lawyer also claims they changed the rules after this specific tournament. "If he had lost the bet and said, 'I want my money back because I didn't think the weather was going to cancel things,' DraftKings would have kept his money," Bevas' lawyer Ben Lynch said. "The rules that DraftKings had in place at the time of the tournament did not allow them to void the bets. They changed the rules after this tournament." Bevas strategically placed these bets with the understanding that the weather could potentially cause a premature ending. He was not the only person who placed wagers after that round, either. It appears many people were refunded their bets placed after play ended on Feb. 3, 2024. It caused a lot of noise on social media when the betting company voided all of those bets. Per the report, DraftKings and Crown IA Gaming have not filed any kind of response to Bevas' lawsuit. More Golf: Xander Schauffele Settles Driver Test Debate with 'Cork Bat' Analogy
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa bettor sues over $14.2 million in ‘winnings' tied to rain-shortened golf tournament
(Photo by) An Iowa man who was watching weather forecasts and placing bets on what was shaping up to be a rain-shortened golf tournament is now suing to collect his $14.2 million in purported 'winnings.' Nicholas Bavas, a resident of Dallas County, is suing DraftKings Inc., a sports gambling website, and its subsidiary Crown IA Gaming, which is licensed by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission to conduct sports wagering within the state. Bavas claims the defendants unfairly voided the bets he placed on the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament as rain threatened to cut short play after 54 holes. Aware there was a good chance of the final round being canceled, and with DraftKings still accepting bets on the tournament's outcome, bettors around the country, Bavas included, put their money on competitors then in the lead. The lawsuit alleges DraftKings applies a 'dizzying array of interlocking sets of rules that may or may not govern each bet depending on the type of wager placed, the specific event, and the particular sport … However, when DraftKings makes an error or accepts a bet it should not have, or when unforeseen events occur that require an unanticipated large pay out by DraftKings, then it seems different rules apply.' According to the lawsuit, Bavas placed five bets on the outcome of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament in the late hours of Feb. 3 as historic rains and winds threatened to suspend all play. Shortly after 10 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2024, Bavas allegedly placed a $100 bet, which DraftKings accepted. The bet was a '20 Picks' parlay, in which the bettor chooses multiple competitors who must place as designated for the bet to pay out. Bavas selected the leading competitor, Wyndham Clark, as the tournament winner, and his other picks for the top finishers aligned with their rankings at that moment. At the time DraftKings accepted that bet, the lawsuit claims, DraftKings promised to pay Bavas $4,651,571 if every one of Bavas' picks were correct. At 10:18 p.m., Bavas wagered $25 on a different type of parlay in which he simply picked the top 20 finishers in no particular order, for a potential payout of $250,068. At 11:22 p.m., Bavas placed a third bet, this time for $50, that otherwise was identical to the first bet. That bet had an alleged payout of $2,325,786. At 11:59, he placed a fourth bet, identical to the first, for $100, with a $4,651,571 payout. Two minutes later, at 12:01 a.m. he placed a fifth bet, for $50, identical to his third bet, with a $2,325,786 payout. If he had lost the bet and said, 'I want my money back because I didn't think the weather was going to cancel things,' DraftKings would have kept his money, – Ben Lynch, attorney for Nicholas Bavas Later in the day on Feb. 4, 2024, PGA Tour referees continually delayed the scheduled start of the final round of tournament play due to rain and wind. At 9:15 p.m. that evening, the PGA Tour's rules committees announced there would be no play the following day and so the tournament results would be considered final through the conclusion of the 54 holes already played — which, Bavas' lawsuit claims, resulted in all five of his bets being winners, for a total potential payout of $14.2 million. However, the lawsuit alleges, DraftKings 'unilaterally voided' all five of his bets and refunded the wagered amounts, citing rules that say 'futures bets' placed after the last shot of what is later determined to be the final round are voided. Bavas' lawsuit alleges the cited rule doesn't appear to apply to bets on multiple players, as was the case with Bavas' parlay wagers. 'Had Bavas wanted to place a bet on only the single individual 'player' who would 'win the trophy' and become the 'tournament winner,' he would have done so,' the lawsuit claims, arguing that even if DraftKings could 'void' the portions of bets 1 through 4 that selected the tournament winner as Wyndham Clark, the odds should have been recalculated to reflect the remaining selections. The lawsuit seeks damages for breach of contract and violations of consumer-protection laws. Bavas' attorney, Ben Lynch of Clive, said it's worth noting that had Bavas bet on other golfers to win or place in a rain-shortened tournament, DraftKings would not have allowed him to cancel his bet after the fact and claim a refund. 'If he had lost the bet and said, 'I want my money back because I didn't think the weather was going to cancel things,' DraftKings would have kept his money,' Lynch said. 'The rules that DraftKings had in place at the time of the tournament did not allow them to void the bets. They changed the rules after this tournament.' Bavas wasn't the only person who guessed that weather would result in a rain-shortened pro-am. DraftKings sparked outrage on social media when it retroactively voided all bets placed after the close of play on Feb. 3, 2024. DraftKings and Crown IA Gaming have yet to file a response to the lawsuit, which was first filed in state court before being transferred to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Stephen Miraglia, senior director of communications for DraftKings, declined to comment on the lawsuit. According to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, DraftKings accepted $838 million in bets from Iowans in 2023 and retained almost $70 million in revenue.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Rory McIlroy backed by PGA Tour commissioner despite skipping third signature event
The Masters champion has opted not to compete in the event, which is annually hosted by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village in Ohio, and has thus far not given a reason why he is not playing. This is the first time since 2017 that McIlroy has not included the Memorial as part of his schedule but continues a trend this year of not being a regular fixture in the PGA Tour's elevated tournaments. The World No.2 also opted to skip the season-opening Sentry in January as well as April's RBC Heritage, the latter of which was more understandable given it came a week after his emotional victory at Augusta. It is worth pointing out that McIlroy has not only played in four other signature events this year but won one, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, while he was also the champion at the PGA Tour's flagship event, The Players Championship, in March. But despite not playing in three of the seven signature events thus far this season, and with his attendance at next month's Travelers Championship still up for debate, Monahan has come out in defence of McIlroy when speaking from Ohio. 'You look at the beauty of our model is that our players have the ability to select their schedule,' Monahan told a group of reporters at Muirfield Village. 'Rory McIlroy I think has played this tournament every year since 2017 and you look at the tournaments he has supported… I don't have any concern because you look at this, on balance, over time, his support of our tournaments and our partners is extraordinary. 'Look at the season that Rory has had. He's had a life-altering season. He's won the Players Championship, you win the Masters Tournament, you win the (career) Grand Slam and you win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.' The PGA Tour's eight signature events were created in 2022 as a response to the growing threat of LIV Golf, with the likes of McIlroy and Tiger Woods pushing the format of reduced 72-player fields, with each tournament possessing a prize fund of $20million and five of them carrying no 36-hole cut. Initially players were only allowed to skip one signature event they qualified for as a way of ensuring the top players all participated, although that requirement was dropped last year after McIlroy was essentially fined part of his Player Impact Bonus for skipping two events in 2023. Rather than play at the Memorial, the Holywood man will instead tee it up at next week's RBC Canadian Open, an event he has won twice, as his final preparation for the U.S. Open at Oakmont, which begins on June 12. Although McIlroy decided to skip his tournament, host Nicklaus said on Tuesday that he held nothing against the Northern Irishman for doing so, commenting: 'It surprised me. But guys have got schedules and got things they do. I haven't talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It's just his call. 'I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played to play or not play and sometimes it wasn't as popular as people thought it was. But sometimes you have to make those calls. I don't hold anything against Rory for that. "He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a U.S. Open. And so he… that's what he's doing. So I really don't have a comment on it. 'It's very difficult. I'm a big Rory fan, I always have been. I'm sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gambler sues DraftKings, claims online sportsbook screwed him out of $14 million payday
An Iowa gambler thought he had discovered an all-but guaranteed way to win more than $14 million by wagering just over $300, taking advantage of an apparent loophole that online sportsbook DraftKings appeared to have missed. But, Nicholas Bavas contends in a 39-page breach of contract lawsuit obtained by The Independent, the NASDAQ-listed firm – invoking one of an array of iron-clad platform rules – instead 'unilaterally' voided his bets and refunded his money, rather than forking over the life-altering windfall he now insists is rightfully his. These rules 'can and do lead bettors to sometimes place bets erroneously, or without full comprehension' of them, according to Bavas's complaint, which was removed Friday from state court to Des Moines federal court and has not been previously reported. Additionally, the complaint goes on, '[u]nforeseen events' that occur during a sporting event often result in changes to the odds that 'bettors may not have anticipated when they placed their bets.' 'However,' the complaint argues, 'when DraftKings makes an error or accepts a bet it should not have, or when unforeseen events occur that require an unanticipated large pay out [sic]… then it seems different rules apply.' Attorney Darren Kaplan, who is representing Bavas, told The Independent that DraftKings 'didn't really give an explanation' for canceling his client's bets. Instead, according to the Kaplan, 'they just told him the bet would not be honored.' 'When bettors place bets, they don't do it purely for entertainment,' Kaplan said, referencing the tremendous profit Bavas stood to make. 'They assume that if they win, it'll be paid out.' Co-counsel Benjamin Lynch emphasized that the wager Bavas placed represented a contract between him and DraftKings. 'We believe... that Nick's allegations are founded by fact and law,' Lynch said. 'He placed a valid bet and DraftKings needs to honor it.' In an email on Tuesday, a member of the DraftKings legal team told The Independent that he did not have permission to speak publicly about the case. On Thursday, February 1, 2024, the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am got underway. The tournament was scheduled to run through February 4, across four rounds, with a champion emerging after 72 holes. This time, however, the weather turned bad on the third day, with forecasters predicting severe storms on the final day, which threatened to cut short the event. Despite the substantial possibility that the closing round on Sunday would be canceled, DraftKings was still accepting bets on the tourney's outcome late into the night on Saturday, February 3, according to Bavas's complaint. So, it says, he consulted the current standings to see who was in the lead and, shortly after 10 p.m., used his mobile phone to plunk down a $100 wager on the final results. Bavas, 37, opted for a so-called 20-leg parlay, usually an astronomical longshot. Yet, if the tourney were to get canceled, and the results were to stand, he would soon be significantly richer. A parlay is a single bet that combines individual wagers on multiple outcomes, paying out only if each one hits. The steep odds of getting everything right means, generally, a disproportionately rich haul for a lucky bettor. Bavas picked golfer Wyndham Clark, who was at the top of the standings, to win the tournament, his complaint says. Bavas then selected another four leading players – Ludvig Aberg, Mark Hubbard, Matthieu Pavon, and Thomas Detry – to place among the top five finishers, five others to place in the top 10, and 10 more to place among the top 20. If Bavas's picks held, his $100 bet would earn him a payout of $4,651,571.26, according to the complaint, which says DraftKings took Bavas's action without question. At around 11:30 p.m. that same night, Bavas put $50 down on another 20-leg parlay, with each pick identical to the first, his complaint continues. This one would pay out $2,325,785.63, the complaint states. Less than 30 minutes later, the complaint says Bavas placed a third identical bet, wagering $100 for another shot at winning $4,651,571.26. Finally, at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, February 4, 2024, Bavas bet another $50 on the same outcome, for a $2,325,785.63 payout. Bavas also wagered $25 on a slightly different type of parlay, picking who he thought would be the top 20 finishers in the tournament, in no particular order, according to the complaint. If correct, this bet would pay Bavas $250,067.99, the complaint states. In all, it says, Bavas stood to rake in a total of $14,204,781.77 on a mere $325 outlay. The closing day of the tournament was beset by 'historic rain and wind,' and continually delayed the start of play, according to Bavas's complaint. At 9:15 that night, the PGA Tour Rules Committee announced it would be cutting the tourney short, and that a makeup round tentatively set for February 5 would not take place, the complaint says. 'Although conditions are forecast to improve through the morning Monday, after consultation with Monterey County emergency authorities, who have implemented a Shelter in Place order until early tomorrow morning for the greater Pebble Beach community, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all constituents, there will be no play on Monday,' tournament organizers said in a statement at the time. 'Therefore, in accordance with the PGA TOUR Regulations the tournament results will be final through the conclusion of 54 holes.' As Bavas sees it, this handed him a sure victory. 'The leaderboard of the top 20 golfers at the conclusion of play in the Tournament is not in dispute,' his complaint argues. 'All of Bavas's [b]ets… were therefore winners.' Yet, DraftKings viewed the situation quite a bit differently, and on February 5, invalidated Bavas's bets and returned his $325, according to the complaint. Bavas's complaint maintains that the rules on 'futures bets' cited by DraftKings in nullifying his wagers do not apply to parlays, and claims that even if certain individual aspects of his bets could have been legitimately excluded on technical grounds, the parlays themselves should have remained valid and the odds recalculated. Although not included in the complaint, the DraftKings rules state, '[I]n the event there is a reduction in scheduled rounds played, bets placed on any market will be void if either less than thirty-six (36) holes of the tournament have been completed by all remaining golfers or the bet(s) are placed after the final shot of the most recently completed round.' While the 2024 Pebble Beach ProAm did exceed 36 holes, Bavas indeed placed his bets following the final shot of the last round played. To this, Lynch pointed out that DraftKings still accepted Bavas's bet. 'Our position would be, if they didn't want to engage in that betting scenario , then they should have closed it for betting,' Lynch told The Independent. 'If you're going to take people's money, it should be paid.' Last year, Americans bet nearly $150 billion on sports, with almost $50 billion of it being wagered through the DraftKings site. DraftKings has faced numerous lawsuits of late, over, among other things, allegations it exploited users' addictions in inducing them to gamble more than they could afford to lose. Last month, the City of Baltimore sued DraftKings, along with rival FanDuel, for what Mayor Brandon Scott called 'shady practices' in targeting vulnerable gamblers. A January 2025 class-action suit filed in New York accused DraftKings of preying upon customers who 'developed debilitating gambling addictions as a result of DraftKings' carefully orchestrated schemes.' In December, a New Jersey woman sued DraftKings after discovering her estranged husband had gambled away nearly $1 million of the family's money in the midst of a crippling habit she claimed had been 'nurtured' by the company's 'VIP hosts.' Bavas, according to Kaplan, has faith in the legal system and is 'relying on the court to hopefully interpret this [case] in our favor.' 'He believes he's entitled to what he won.' Kaplan told The Independent. 'We're going to let the court decide who's right and who's wrong.' Bavas is seeking treble damages to be determined by a jury, plus attorneys' fees and court costs.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rory McIlroy Under Fire for Controversial Decision at PGA Championship
The PGA Championship took place over four days at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, and while most of the spotlight was on world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler—who claimed his first PGA Championship title and third career major—there was also plenty of attention on this year's Masters winner, Rory McIlroy. Unfortunately for McIlroy, the tournament didn't go as planned. He finished three-over par, placing him in a tie for 47th. Controversy followed him from the start, as his preferred TaylorMade driver was deemed non-conforming after failing a USGA flexibility test. This forced him to switch drivers mid-tournament—a change that also impacted Scheffler. Advertisement What stirred even more reaction, however, was McIlroy's decision to avoid the media entirely. From Thursday through Sunday, he declined to speak with reporters after each round, a move that drew criticism from fans who felt the silence was uncharacteristic and disappointing given his status in the sport. "I want to like Rory. But he just does stuff like this too often," a fan said. "Not surprised at all by this. Supposed to be the ambassador or the sport, cries his eyes out and makes little jokes on the mic when he wins but can't face the music when he's not playing well. Classic," Another fan reacted. Advertisement Someone else added, "When you're in the top 3 in the world it's an obligation. It's one of the things you just have to deal with. It comes with the territory." One more fan commented, "Just throwing away all the good will you had with the fans after the career grand slam.. not a good look Rory." Rory McIlroy looks on on the tenth hole during the third round of the Truist Championship golf tournament. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images McIlroy has enjoyed a stellar season so far, highlighted by victories at the Masters, the Players Championship, and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The next stop on the PGA Tour is this week's Charles Schwab Challenge, but it appears McIlroy will not be participating. As a result, his next scheduled appearance is expected to be at the RBC Canadian Open, which begins on June 5. Related: Bryson DeChambeau's 5-Word Message to Scottie Scheffler After PGA Championship Goes Viral
