MCDONALD’S LAUNCHES WORLD CUP MEAL AND COLLECTIBLE CUPS AHEAD OF 2026 FIFA TOURNAMENT KICKOFF. (PHOTO).

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McDonald’s launches World Cup meal and collectible cups ahead of 2026 FIFA tournament kickoff McDonald’s is launching limited-time World Cup meals and collectibles ahead of the FIFA tournament kickoff on June 11, as excitement builds for the expanded 48-team competition co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The fast-food chain, returning as an official tournament sponsor, will roll out its World Cup-themed menu nationwide starting June 4. Customers can choose between a Big Mac or a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets meal, both served with a special gold-packaged Big Mac Sauce. As part of the promotion, McDonald’s is also releasing collectible cups featuring nine global soccer stars and cultural icons. The lineup includes Christian Pulisic, David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Son Heung-Min, Lamine Yamal, Alphonso Davies, Santiago Gimenez, and the brand’s mascot Grimace. The company said the campaign is designed to celebrate global fan culture and the shared excitement around ...

MLB AND SPORTSBOOKS LIMIT WAGERS ON INDIVIDUAL PITCHES AFTER RIGGING SCANDAL. (PHOTO).


 MLB and sportsbooks limit wagers on individual pitches after rigging scandal

Major League Baseball announced new restrictions on betting involving individual pitches, setting a $200 cap and banning those wagers from being included in parlays. The move comes just one day after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were indicted on allegations of manipulating pitches for gamblers. The league said the policy was developed in coordination with major sportsbook operators that collectively make up more than 98% of the U.S. betting market. According to MLB, bets on single-pitch outcomes such as velocity, strikes, and balls pose heightened integrity risks because they can be influenced by a single player and may have little bearing on the game’s overall result. The league stated that limiting payouts and prohibiting parlays will reduce incentives for misconduct and strengthen safeguards against potential manipulation.

The new agreement includes major betting operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, Bally’s, and several others. It follows a federal indictment against Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who prosecutors say accepted bribes to alter pitch outcomes in exchange for payouts to bettors. The two allegedly conspired with gamblers in the Dominican Republic who made over $460,000 betting on the speed and results of specific pitches. Both players have denied wrongdoing through their attorneys, maintaining their innocence and pledging to clear their names in court.

Ortiz made his first court appearance Monday in Boston, where a judge released him on a $500,000 bond and ordered him to surrender his passport, restrict travel to the Northeast, and avoid contact with witnesses or co-defendants. The case underscores growing concerns about gambling-related corruption in professional sports following the expansion of legalized betting after a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that overturned a federal ban. It also follows recent high-profile arrests in other sports, including NBA figures implicated in an unrelated Mafia-backed gambling investigation. MLB said it would continue to monitor betting practices and strengthen oversight to protect the game’s integrity in the wake of these scandals.


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