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What is Thunder Express?
The Tapeta surface will be used exclusively for winter racing, allowing Belmont to take over Aqueduct’s former winter schedule as NYRA consolidates its operations at Belmont and Saratoga.
The Belmont Stakes, which was staged at Saratoga during construction, will return to its traditional Long Island home in 2027. Belmont will also host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in October 2027, bringing the event back to New York for the first time since 2005.
Belmont represents NYRA’s vision of a new operating model for racing in the state—a smaller, modernized venue capable of absorbing the entire downstate racing calendar. And with almost $14 million wagered on its opening card, it’s off to a flying start.
About Thunder Express
The report assesses black market activity across 28 European jurisdictions, including the UK, Netherlands and Germany. According to estimates across a mature black market ecosystem, 25 operators account for approximately 64% of relevant black market traffic.
Thanks to the “rapid growth of crypto currencies” and globally recognisable branding through marketing and sponsorships, this handful of operators are generating the majority of illegal gambling traffic across Europe.
The report also cites brands targeting a specifically banned vertical or product within a jurisdiction as driving black market activity. While markets across Europe have many examples, one such flagged in the report is that iGaming remains illegal for licensed operators in France.
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The win completely changed his relationship with gambling. In Madsen’s words: “That jackpot was really the beginning of my gambling addiction.” It was an addiction that was propelled by a constant exposure to illegal sites, he explains.
The cycle eventually became extreme.
“At one point, I had only a few thousand euros left to gamble with, but then I won €180,000 in a single day. The next day I lost it all again,” he says.
