Magic Lab

What is Magic Lab?

If there’s a National Football League (NFL) betting trend emerging after Week 2, it’s this: bet against the Miami Dolphins, regardless of the spread, and back the Buffalo Bills – particularly the over, according to Bob Scucci, vice-president of Race and Sports Operations, Boyd Gaming Corp.

“Two of the biggest games so far this season have the Bills and the over, both in Week 1 and 2, and the Bills got there both times,” he said. “Bettors remember what teams made them money, and they’re going to keep riding them until they disappoint.”

The Bills opened their season beating the Texans in Houston 36-31, then followed that up with Thursday night’s (Sept. 17) big 41-31 home win over the Detroit Lions. Both games went over the total, and neither was particularly close.

What is Magic Lab?

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig signaled that possibility back in August. The agency was considering how its existing powers could be used to create a dedicated market structure for digital assets that are standard, he said. 

A new type of Designated Contract Market (DCM) dedicated to crypto trading is among the elements being looked at. Selig’s approach would enable existing and perhaps new crypto exchanges to gain CFTC recognition and offer leveraged or margined digital asset products under rules tailored for the sector.

However, the latest filing does not create such a system right away. Its OIRA entry describes the action as a preliminary measure and says it is not economically significant under the relevant review criteria. No legal deadline has been listed for review either. 

What is Magic Lab?

“Speaking to various parties across the gambling field, it is clear that progress has been made in recent years. How has the conversation moved on from ‘Are we doing DEI?’, to ‘Is it improving our business, our culture and our ability to attract and retain great people?'” Mark Skinner, chief people officer at Allwyn Digital, asks.

He believes the conversation has matured and gambling companies are now expected to deliver measurable outcomes.

“Stakeholders increasingly want evidence that initiatives deliver meaningful outcomes rather than simply demonstrating good intentions,” Skinner suggests.