Business
Sportsbook CEOs expect record betting ahead of NFL kickoff
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins has never been more enthusiastic about the kickoff to the NFL — sports betting’s biggest season.
It’s second only to the Super Bowl in terms of importance for acquiring customers and growing the overall betting pool, Robins told CNBC at the Bank of America Gaming and Lodging Conference.
“The numbers just keep going up right into kickoff, and it’ll continue through Sunday,” Robins said. “We’re seeing big numbers, record numbers, and we’re really excited about what we’re going to see through the start of the season.”
The American Gaming Association estimates legal betting in the U.S. will grow by 8.5% this NFL season, to $30 billion.
DraftKings and its competitors have largely seen declines in the costs to acquire customers even as legal sports betting opportunities continue to expand. Sports betting has proven to be resilient even amid volatility in consumer sentiment and broader concerns over discretionary spending.
“We’re seeing nothing to suggest that there’s any slowdown in the numbers for our business right now, everything is going up,” Robins said.
DraftKings beat Wall Street expectations for revenue and profit when it reported second-quarter results in August, surprising investors with significant growth.
BetMGM, jointly owned by MGM Resorts and Entain is also demonstrating real momentum, raising earnings guidance for a second time this year.

BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt told CNBC that last week was the sportsbook’s best ever in terms of revenue, with pre-season volume up 30%.
“We’re seeing no softness. We’re seeing no reduction in average bet size. We’re seeing no reduction in how many active sessions per week, per month, that players are engaging with BetMGM,” Greenblatt said when assessing the strength of the American consumer.
“I’m delighted to say that our sector seems to be behaving in a contrarian manner, ” he said.
Greenblatt is especially enthusiastic about the cross-selling opportunities with NFL kickoff. He says 60% of sports bettors will then wager on online casino games, or iGaming, which has higher profit margins than sports betting.
The nation’s leading sportsbooks are facing new competition — as well as potential opportunities — in the form of prediction markets events contracts, where odds change based on trades, like stock prices. Events contracts in the financial markets are regulated by the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission.
Front Office Sports reported in July that DraftKings was in talks to buy Railbird, an exchange that received CFTC approval to begin trading.
Robins declined to comment on the report, but said he’s interested, though cautious, about entering predictions markets.
“We’re regulated in a lot of states, and some states have taken a very adversarial position, so we have to obviously be careful and engage the regulator,” Robins said, adding DraftKings is unwilling to risk any threat to its sports betting licenses.
In August, Flutter-owned FanDuel announced a partnership on financial events contracts with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. And Underdog, the fantasy and sports gaming company, announced on CNBC Tuesday that it will partner with Crypto.com to offer sports predictions markets. Robinhood, Kalshi and Polymarket are also offering sports trades.
“Rapidly growing volumes, new product launches, especially around player props and parlays, and more clear direct marketing by prediction markets (post recent fundraising) are all key developments to watch for,” said Bank of America research analyst Shaun Kelly.
Investors will also be watching to see how federal courts rule on the pending question of whether sports predictions are in fact a form of sports betting. States and tribes argue it is and that offering sports trades through predictions markets violates tribes’ sovereign rights or states’ rights to legalize sports gambling.
MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle told the BofA Gaming and Lodging conference Thursday he doesn’t endorse the predictions markets.
“Our view is that invites the federal government into a space it’s never been, and it’s not a place we’d like to see this marketplace go. Full stop,” he said.
The NFL told its employees they are under the same restrictions with regards to sports predictions markets as they are for betting. The league has said it worries about the integrity of the game in the face of the possibility of price distortion and other kinds of manipulation.
Business
Fare relief move: Air India waives change, cancellation fees on domestic bookings after IndiGo disruption – The Times of India
Five days after widespread flight disruptions triggered by IndiGo cancellations, Tata Group-owned Air India on Saturday announced a special waiver on change and cancellation charges for eligible domestic bookings, aiming to offer relief to affected travellers, PTI reported.The airline said customers who booked tickets on Air India or its subsidiary Air India Express on or before December 4 for travel up to December 15 can make a one-time change or cancellation without paying the usual fee, provided the request is made by December 8, 2025. In case of rescheduling, any fare difference will still be applicable.
Under the waiver, passengers can either reschedule their journeys to a later date within the validity of the purchased ticket without paying rescheduling charges or cancel their bookings and receive a full refund, with no cancellation fee applied, the airline said.Air India also said it, along with Air India Express, has “proactively” capped economy-class airfares on non-stop domestic routes from December 4 to prevent price spikes driven by automated demand-supply algorithms. The carriers are also in the process of ensuring compliance with the latest directive issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry on airfare caps.
Business
IndiGo cancellations: How to track flight & refund status online; step-by-step guide – The Times of India
IndiGo flight cancellations latest news: IndiGo has said that it expects to operate more than 1500 flights by day’s end on Saturday, having restored over 95% of network connectivity by serving 135 out of 138 operational destinations. IndiGo typically operates 2300 flights daily. IndiGo has said that its personnel are working to normalise operations, minimise flight delays and assist passengers during this challenging period.IndiGo operated merely 700 flights on Friday, indicating 1,600 flight cancellations. IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged the extensive cancellations, confirming “over 1,000 flights” were cancelled on Friday.
The airline recorded the largest number of flight cancellations by an Indian carrier in the nation’s aviation history. Additionally, IndiGo’s on-time-performance plummeted to 3.7 per cent on Friday due to operational disruptions caused by the implementation of new pilot duty and rest period regulations, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry website.Starting November 1, the second phase of these regulations redefined night hours from 12am-6am, altered from the previous 12am-5am, and reduced permitted night landings from six to two. These changes affect all domestic airlines in India.The Gurugram-based carrier IndiGo, partly owned by Rahul Bhatia, has obtained temporary relief from DGCA, allowing them to revert to the previous night duty definition of 12am to 5am and permitting pilots to perform six night landings.“Addressing the recent disruptions in our network, we had cancelled a significant number of flights and operated little above 700 flights yesterday connecting 113 destinations. The main objective was to reboot the network, systems, and rosters so that we could start afresh today with a higher number of flights, improved stability, and there are some early signs of improvement. While we understand that we have a long way to go, we are committed to build back the trust of our customers….We apologise once again,” the airline said in a statement today.
How To Track IndiGo Flight Status ?
If you are planning to fly on an IndiGo flight over the next few days, it is important to check the flight status before heading to the airport. Here is a step-by-step guide to check IndiGo flight status:1. Go to goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html 2. Enter your PNR details and travel date, click on search flight to get the latest flight status
How To Track IndiGo Refund Status ?
The airline issued a statement confirming that it is handling all passenger refund requests with urgency.Here is a step-by-step guide how you can track your refund status on the IndiGo website:1. Go to goindigo.in/refund.html2. Enter PNR details — enter your PNR / booking reference number and your Email ID or last name.3. Click to view the “Refund Summary.” This will show you the current status of your refund — whether it’s still processing, completed, etc.According to the civil aviation ministry’s directive, all refunds for cancelled or disrupted flights must be processed by 8 pm on Sunday. The ministry has said, “Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations.”The ministry has directed IndiGo to establish dedicated units for passenger assistance and refund processing.The statement noted, “These cells have been tasked to proactively contact affected passengers and ensure that refunds and alternative travel arrangements are processed without the need for multiple follow-ups. The system of automatic refunds will remain active until operations stabilise completely.”Additionally, the ministry has mandated that the airline must locate and return any misplaced luggage resulting from flight cancellations or delays to passengers within 48 hours.
Airfares capped
The aviation ministry has issued a two-page directive implementing fare restrictions due to capacity limitations and unjustified price increases across various routes. The civil aviation ministry’s order clarifies that business class and UDAN flights are exempt from these fare restrictions.The directive lacks specificity regarding the application of these limits to economy class tickets exclusively or their extension to premium economy seats as well.The prescribed fare structure sets maximum limits of Rs 7,500 for flights covering distances up to 500 kilometres, Rs 12,000 for 500-1,000 kilometres, Rs 15,000 for 1,000-1,500 kilometres, and Rs 18,000 for flights exceeding 1,500 kilometres.For illustration, on the Delhi-Mumbai route spanning over 1,300 kilometres, economy class fares cannot exceed Rs 18,000.The ministry’s statement indicates these restrictions will remain effective until conditions normalise.These caps exclude additional costs such as User Development Fee (UDF), Passenger Service Fee (PSF), and air ticket taxes.
Business
Volkswagen capex recalibration: Automaker pares 2030 investment to $186 bn; China, US headwinds grow – The Times of India
Volkswagen Group plans to invest €160 billion ($186 billion) through 2030, a scaled-down outlay that reflects tightening capital allocation as Europe’s largest automaker grapples with mounting pressure in its two biggest markets — China and the United States, Reuters reported.The investment figure, announced by Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume, is part of the company’s rolling five-year capital expenditure plan, which is updated annually. The latest commitment compares with €165 billion earmarked for 2025–2029 and €180 billion for 2024–2028, with 2024 marking the peak year for spending.Since that peak, the group — which houses brands such as Porsche and Audi — has been squeezed by higher costs and weaker margins, hit by US tariffs on imported vehicles and intensifying competition in China. The strain has been felt most acutely at Porsche, which derives nearly half of its sales from the US and China combined.Porsche recently unveiled a significant rollback of its electric vehicle strategy as profits came under pressure. Speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Blume said the focus of the latest investment plan was firmly “on Germany and Europe,” particularly in products, technology and infrastructure.Blume added that discussions on an extended savings programme at Porsche are expected to continue into 2026. He also said he does not expect Porsche to grow in China, though localising production across the wider Volkswagen group remains an option. A China-specific Porsche model could make sense at some point, he said.On Audi, Blume noted that any decision on building a manufacturing plant in the United States would depend on whether Washington offers substantial financial support.Blume, who will step down as Porsche CEO in January to concentrate fully on running Volkswagen Group, said his recent contract extension as Volkswagen chief executive until 2030 signalled continued backing from the Porsche and Piëch families as well as the German state of Lower Saxony, the company’s largest shareholders.“But it is true, of course, that shareholders have suffered losses since Porsche went public three years ago. I, too, must face up to this criticism,” he said.
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