Photo: Taylor Hill
World Wrestling Entertainment is reportedly having discussions with gambling regulators in Colorado and Michigan to legalize betting on the company's high-profile scripted matches, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNBC on Wednesday (March 8).
The sports entertainment company is reportedly working with the accounting firm Ernst & Young -- which has previously worked with the Academy Awards and Emmys to keep results private until they're announced -- to secure that predetermined match results don't leak to the public and is attempting to convince regulators as such. Popular apps FanDuel and DraftKings already offer legal betting on the Academy Awards in some states, though most prohibit it.
CNBC said a WWE spokesperson declined to comment on its report, while an EY spokesperson couldn't immediately be reached and Michigan and Colorado gambling regulators didn't immediately respond to its request for comment.
The report comes as WWE is expected to meet with potential buyers who will prepare first-round bids to purchase the company next month, though there has been no assurance that a sale will take place, according to CNBC. WWE chairman Vince McMahon, who had previously announced his retirement in 2022, returned to the company and elected himself to its board ahead of a reported pursuit of a sale, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Wall Street Journal on January 5.
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