Derek Helling

Lead Writer

Derek Helling is a lead writer for PlayUSA. He broke into covering the legal gambling industry in North America in 2018 while PASPA still existed and the only reason anyone knew anything about the Federal Wire Act of 1961 was that Robert F. Kennedy made a big deal of it when he was JFK’s attorney general.

Helling also contributes to and runs the website BetHer, a sports betting information site focused on markets on women’s sporting events around the world. Within a broader scope of gaming, Helling focuses on legislation and litigation. He loves to read hundreds of pages of a gambling bill or lawsuit so his audience doesn’t have to.

Prior to moving into covering gambling, Helling covered the business and legal aspects of sports for publications like FanSided’s flagship site, Ozy, and other Catena Media sites. He continues to cover those niches in places like Advocacy for Fairness in Sports and The Equalizer. Helling completed his journalism degree at the University of Iowa.

Below is a sample of work:

Stories written about sports and gambling regulation in the US

PlayUSA article highlights

Podcast and video appearances

Posts by Derek Helling:

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