Host Matthew Berry gained fame writing for RotoNews, then transitioned to books, podcasts, and ESPN broadcasting.
The inaugural American Gambling Awards takes place on June 18, 2019 at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The awards honor excellence in the new regulated gambling market in the United States.
Matthew Barry, author of a best-selling book on fantasy sports, hosts the awards show. To announce his host status, Matthew Berry tweeted, “Excited to announce I’m joining the American @GamblingAwards honoring companies & influencers building the regulated market for online gaming, sports betting, DFS & more.”
“I’m hosting the awards with @Gambling on 6/18 and will help crown the winners.”
The AG Awards’ panel of judges vote on excellence in five main fields, but seek to honor gaming operators, executives, media members, and lawmakers who pushed for regulations through the years. The main categories include Poker Operator of the Year, the Casino Operator of the Year, and Sports Betting Operator of the year. The AG Awards also names the Daily Fantasy Sports Operator of the Year.
2019 American Operator of the Year
The top award is American Operator of the Year. The American Gambling Awards is the first time the US gaming niche alone received an awards program. Global gaming awards exist (ICE Gaming, G2E, etc), while a set of North American gaming awards happen each year.
In each case, US gaming operators are eligible for such awards — and win such awards each year. This is the first time American companies vie solely with other US competitors.
Matthew Berry: American Gambling Awards Host
Matthew Berry hosts the awards program at Monmouth Park on June 18. Mr. Berry is the host of “The Fantasy Show” on ESPN+ and is well known in the fantasy sports community.
The 49-year old native of Denver, Colorado began his professional fantasy sports career writing news notes for Rotoworld. Based on name recognition from that gig, he launched “TalentedMr.Roto.com” in 2004. When the Talented Mr. Roto gained name recognition, Berry launched RotoPass.com.
The host gained a wider audience after releasing the best-selling book “Fantasy Life: The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who’s Lived It.” Matthew Berry works at ESPN, where he has been a contributor since 2007. In fact, ESPN calls him their “Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst”.
Monmouth Park: American Gambling Awards
Given sports betting’s role in invigorating the US gaming market, Monmouth Park is the natural place to host the American Gambling Awards. When Monmouth Park announced it would partner with William Hill US to open a land-based sportsbook in October 2014, it triggered the lawsuit which led to the repeal of a federal ban on sports betting.
Since the May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision which opened the door for legal sports betting, many US gaming companies invested in the market. MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, and the many Atlantic City casinos launched numerous gaming ventures. Foreign companies like Paddy Power-Betfair, GVC Holdings, and SportRadar invested heavily in the market or redoubled their efforts.
Is FanDuel an American Site?
Anticipation for the nominees list is building. The rules for determining what an “American” company is have not been announced. For instance, FanDuel was founded by a group funded by the Scottish government, yet it locates its headquarters in New York City. In fact, it has for most of its history.
Yet Paddy Power-Betfair bought FanDuel in 2018. Therefore, a combined Irish-UK gaming company owns FanDuel now. Yet the vast majority of FanDuel’s customers are American, while it broadcasts gaming show on TVG and TVG2. So is FanDuel an American DFS company?
