Sports Betting Promotions and Regulatory Actions Highlight August 14th News

The sports betting landscape saw a flurry of promotional offers and a significant regulatory development on August 14, 2026. Major platforms like DraftKings and BetMGM continued to entice users with substantial bonus bet offers, particularly targeting the NFL preseason and MLB games. DraftKings advertised $150 in bonus bets for a $5 wager, while BetMGM offered up to $1,500 in bonus bets if a user's initial wager lost. These promotions were available for events including NFL preseason Week 1 matchups and MLB games like the Blue Jays vs. Yankees.

In contrast to the expansion of promotional activities, a state judge in Washington ordered the prediction market Kalshi to cease offering sports bets and other wagers within the state. This injunction requires Kalshi to implement geofencing to prevent residents from placing bets on most of its offerings. Meanwhile, DIRECTV also entered the promotional space by reducing the price of its MySports Genre Pack to under $50 for the first month, aiming to attract cord-cutters ahead of the fall football season.