The battle between sportsbooks and prediction markets continues, in the form of states and local governments attempting to shut down what arguably amounts to unlicensed bookmaking.
Via Mikenzie Frost of Fox 45, Baltimore is suing Kalshi and Polymarket for offering sports betting without a license.
Baltimore alleges that this practice allows the companies “to compete with regulated sportsbooks while avoiding the oversight, taxation, responsible-gambling requirements.”
It’s the latest front in the ongoing nationwide fight to regulate prediction markets, which in theory are exclusively within the purview of the federal government.
And the issue won’t be going away, until the Supreme Court inevitably rules on it. Prediction markets are booming, to the extent that leading sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel are pivoting to prediction markets as a way to expand the customer base in states that have yet to legalize sports betting.
Both companies had disappointing earnings for the second quarter of 2026, due in part to a drop in sportsbook revenue. And because prediction markets are operating in all 50 states with a minimum age of 18, not 21, there are plenty of potential suckers, I mean “customers,” who are too young and inexperienced to realize that the lure of getting rich quick is a siren’s song that will cause them to crash their bank accounts into the rocks of reality.
It’s a problem. And it’s not going away, thanks to insufficient regulation that has resulted in non-stop advertising and continuous touting from TV programs, radio shows, and podcasts that pay lip service to the idea that certain people should perhaps consider plugging their ears with wax — before launching into the “can’t-lose” tune that will lure them to part with the cash that pays the various media outlets to push for more and more people to pony up their take-home pay.
Ravens Clips
The Browns are taking a look at some veteran help on defense.
Tyus Bowser worked out for Cleveland on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Bowser, 31, last played for Miami in 2024. He appeared in seven games with four starts for the club that season after appearing in two for Seattle while on the club’s practice squad.
Browns head coach Todd Monken has familiarity with Bowser, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Ravens. Monken served as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator from 2023-2025.
In his 98 career games with 28 starts, Bowser has registered 19.5 sacks with 22 tackles for loss and 48 quarterback hits.
The Ravens have made a pair of moves at the quarterback position.
Baltimore announced on Wednesday that Skylar Thompson has been placed on injured reserve. As a corresponding transaction, the club has signed Austin Reed.
Thompson did not practice on Sunday or Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. By being placed on injured reserve now, Thompson will not play in 2026 unless he’s let go with an injury settlement.
As for Reed, he started for the UFL’s Dallas Renegades in 2026. He previously spent time with the Bears in 2024 and 2025. Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle served as Chicago’s OC under head coach Ben Johnson last year.
With Lamar Jackson as the team’s starter, Baltimore also has Tyler Huntley and Joe Fagnano on its roster at quarterback.
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said there was optimism that cornerback Nate Wiggins avoided a serious injury after Wiggins was carted off at Tuesday’s practice and further testing reportedly supported that feeling.
Wiggins injured his left leg and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that tests showed that Wiggins sustained no structural damage. There’s no word on how much time Wiggins might miss as a result of the injury, but avoiding the worst-case scenarios is a positive outcome.
Wiggins is slated for a starting role in Minter’s defense, so any absence would force the team to shuffle some players around.
Marlon Humphrey, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Keyon Martin, and fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers are among the other options at corner for Baltimore.
The Ravens are hoping for the best for cornerback Nate Wiggins.
Wiggins had to be carted off the field at Thursday’s practice. Reports from the practice field say Wiggins couldn’t put weight on his left leg after his feet got tangled with wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane during a drill.
After practice, head coach Jesse Minter said there is optimism that Wiggins avoided a major injury but that things are still being evaluated.
“Don’t have a ton of information on that yet. We’ll kinda get it looked at, see where it’s at,” Minter said.
Wiggins started every game for the Ravens last season and finished the year with 76 tackles, three interceptions and 14 passes defensed.
Wide receiver Zay Flowers made a quick return to Ravens practice.
Flowers suffered a quad contusion last Saturday and was called day-to-day by head coach Jesse Minter after he left the workout. Reporters at Tuesday’s practice shared that Flowers is back on the field with the team.
The Ravens also got defensive lineman Travis Jones back from a considerably longer absence. Jones, who has been dealing with a pectoral injury, was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday.
Jones had 47 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five sacks for the Ravens during the 2025 season. He signed a three-year extension with the team last December.
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter gave an update on wide receiver Zay Flowers after Flowers left Saturday’s practice early.
Minter said, via multiple reporters, that Flowers suffered a quad contusion when he collided with defensive back Jaylinn Hawkins during the workout. Minter called Flowers day-to-day and said that he does not expect the wideout to miss a significant amount of time.
The injury added to an eventful week for Flowers. He signed a four-year, $140 million extension with the team on Wednesday.
The Ravens will have another padded practice on Sunday and they will host the Eagles in their first preseason game next Saturday.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry isn’t even thinking about retiring, which means he’s going to add to an already impressive list of career achievements. Up next is moving up the all-time rushing touchdown ranks.
Henry’s next rushing touchdown will be the 123rd of his career, which will tie Marcus Allen for the third-most in NFL history. At that point, only Emmitt Smith (164) and LaDainian Tomlinson (145) will have more career rushing touchdowns than Henry.
If Henry runs for at least 1,500 yards this season, he’ll be the only running back in NFL history with six 1,500-yard seasons in his career. Currently, Henry and Barry Sanders are the only running backs with five 1,500-yard seasons.
Henry has 13,018 rushing yards in his career, which is the 10th-most in NFL history. If he has one of his typical seasons, he’ll move up to sixth all-time, ahead of Eric Dickerson (13,259), Jerome Bettis (13,662), LaDainian Tomlinson (13,684) and Curtis Martin (14,101).
The Ravens will close out the week by adding a linebacker.
Jeff Zrebiec of TheAthletic.com reports that they are going to sign Jamon Johnson to their active roster. Johnson tried out for the team on Thursday.
Johnson signed with the Packers after going undrafted last year. He had 10 tackles and a pass defensed in two appearances. The Packers released Johnson during their offseason program.
Ravens linebacker Teddye Buccanan remains on the physically unable to perform list and Zrebiec notes that Carl Jones has also missed practice time recently, so the Ravens were in need of a healthy body at linebacker as they head toward their first preseason game.
Earlier this week, the Ravens and receiver Zay Flowers agreed to terms on a new deal that, by way of new money, put him in the Justin Jefferson tax bracket at $35 million annually.
The full details of the Flowers contract are now available.
Here they are, per a source with knowledge of the terms:
1. Signing bonus: $24.855 million, $18.855 million of which will be paid within 10 days, and the remaining $6 million of which will be paid by October 31, 2026.
2. 2026 base salary: $1.145 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2027 option bonus: $26.74 million, fully guaranteed; $20 million will be paid my March 31, 2027, and the remaining $6.74 million will be paid by October 31, 2027.
4. 2027 base salary: $1.26 million, fully guaranteed.
5. 2028 base salary: $26.5 million, guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed in March 2027.
6. 2029 base salary: $27.5 million, guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed in March 2028.
10. 2030 offseason roster bonus: $2 million.
11. 2030 base salary: $28 million.
12. 2031 offseason roster bonus: $2 million.
13. 2031 base salary: $29.962 million.
The four-year extension has a new-money average of $35 million. Factoring in the existing money owed in 2026 and 2027, the full six-year deal has an average value of $28.327 million at signing.
The deal includes $54 million fully guaranteed at signing, $80.5 million fully guaranteed by March 2027, and $108 million fully guaranteed by March 2028.
