The reels are always spinning in the gambling industry, and “The Double Down” is here every Friday to catch you up on all of the week’s biggest news. Sports Handle’s “Get a Grip” rounds up everything on the sports betting side, and US Bets provides the best of the rest: brick-and-mortar happenings, online casino developments, poker headlines, horse wagering, and more. So pull up a chair, crunch the numbers, and slide forward another stack of chips.

Yes, there’s a casino tab in the app

Gamblers in the four states in which ESPN BET launched Tuesday that also permit legal online casinos — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia — now have access to an ESPN casino. But, to be clear, it is not the ESPN Casino, with a capital “C.”

The brass in Bristol have lent the company’s name to the online sportsbook, but the online casino operated by partner PENN Entertainment through the ESPN BET app does not have ESPN branding. The name there remains Hollywood Casino — as PENN CEO Jay Snowden said would be the case back in August when the ESPN/PENN deal was first announced.

Hollywood Casino sent an email to its customers last week letting them know the standalone casino app and website would be “discontinued and replaced by a new online casino experience” that they could access through ESPN BET. Sure enough, in those states with both ESPN BET and iCasinos, there’s a “Casino” tab at the top of the sportsbook app/page. And it takes users to a Hollywood Casino app/page with all the standard offerings.

The email to customers noted three important dates: Nov. 14 (the date of the ESPN BET launch), when HollywoodCasino.com would stop accepting new deposits; Dec. 11, when the standalone HollywoodCasino.com will no longer be available for wagering; and Dec. 14, when HollywoodCasino.com accounts will no longer be accessible.

There was also a note that Progressive Jackpots will not be playable once a jackpot on a specific online slots game is hit, and for those where the jackpots are not hit, the games will be shut down Dec. 4. The note specifies, however, “If you have contributed towards any of these Progressive Jackpots that do not hit, you will be refunded the amount you contributed to the jackpot to your cash wallet.”

So if you’re getting some of that refunded cash on Dec. 4, just make sure you either withdraw it or have it moved over to your new Hollywood Casino/ESPN BET account before Dec. 14.

This week on Gamble On …

Every Thursday, US Bets drops a new episode of the Gamble On podcast, and this week’s welcomed professional gambler and Unabated co-founder Captain Jack Andrews for a conversation about whether the environment has improved for sharp bettors, how to deal with losing streaks, and how successful he thinks ESPN BET will be:

"When it comes to what will be the success of ESPN BET, you gotta think there's a dichotomy here of, they could be SkyBet … or they could be FOX Bet." @capjack2000 assesses the outlook for the major new player in U.S. sports betting on the latest #GambleOn podcast: https://t.co/JpTadTcsM7 pic.twitter.com/W4E1VMsBO9

— US Bets (@US_Bets) November 17, 2023

Moving mountains in West Virginia

Fanatics Debuts Its Online Casino Product In West Virginia Through Its Sportsbook

West Virginia Becomes Fifth State To Join Online Poker Pooling Agreement 

PA House butts in

Casino No-Smoking Bill Makes Its First Progress In Pennsylvania

Stall tactics

Seneca Nation, State Of New York Still Without Deal To Extend Compact

Problem solver

NCPG’s New Board President A ‘Rock Star’ With A Plan

A mix of ills and noise

Rivers Casino Near Chicago Discloses Breach

Illinois Legislature Approves Allowing Extension For Temporary Casino

The fix is (almost) in

Colorado On Brink Of Finally Offering Fixed-Odds Horse Betting

Pickets cut into profits

Detroit Casinos Report Lowest Revenue In 22 Years

The exploratory story

Report Provides Details About Potential For Maryland’s IGaming Market

Game over

Enforcement Of Virginia Skill Game Ban To Increase Following Court Ruling

Let’s see some ID

Pennsylvania Casino Fined $40,000 For Underage Gambling Violations 

FanDuel steps in after suspiciously large horse bets

On Wednesday, FanDuel shut down several accounts on TVG, an online horse wagering platform that it owns, after a series of suspiciously large bets were made in super high five and superfecta pools at at least four racetracks — including Churchill Downs.

“Earlier today, FanDuel Racing identified technical issues and potential fraud related to wagering pools and took the appropriate steps to stop wagering via its platform,” a FanDuel spokesperson told US Bets in a prepared statement. “This issue is no longer ongoing and wagering has resumed. The company is undertaking a full review of this matter and will be cooperating with regulatory authorities.”

To put the suspicious wagering in perspective: The Daily Racing Form reported that there was $750,000 in handle for the super high five pool in Churchill’s fourth race Wednesday. In the previous race, that same pool attracted only about $2,000 in bets.

— Mike Seely

More from around the gambling biz

FAREWELL TO A FOREFATHER: Gambling pioneer Steve Norton, who ran first US casino outside Nevada, dies at age 89 [Associated Press]

ON TO THE NEXT CRISIS: After averting a hotel strike, Las Vegas still has a lot of work to do [The New York Times]

THE BUREAU CAN’T HACK IT: FBI struggled to disrupt dangerous casino hacking gang, cyber responders say [Reuters]

HOG WILD: Miccosukee Casino opens room dedicated to AGS slot games [CDC Gaming Reports]

SHORE FIRE RESULTS: Officials investigate cause of Atlantic City Boardwalk fire that damaged facade of Resorts casino [Associated Press]

NO. 1 ON THE CHARTS: Hard Rock hits two years as Indiana’s top-earning casino [NWI Times]

THE EMPIRE STEPS UP: First look: Rooms at Caesars Palace receive Roman-inspired renovation [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

Image: Blundell Design