More competitive field increases betting interest in F1's Las Vegas Grand Prix

LAS VEGAS (AP) — There is a little more racing drama for Saturday night's Las Vegas Grand Prix than a year ago when Max Verstappen was running away with the Formula 1 championship and most of the news centered on the disruptions leading up to the race.

But with a little more uncertainty about who will become this year's champion — although Verstappen is in excellent shape to win his fourth consecutive title — there is heightened betting interest.

“We have a three-car race this year with Lando Norris' recent improvement in form added to the mix as opposed to only Verstappen and (Charles) Leclerc last year,” said Craig Mucklow, Caesars vice president of trading.

Underscoring the more competitive nature of this year's championship battle, Verstappen isn't favored at BetMGM Sportsbook to win in Las Vegas. He is listed at +450, behind Leclerc at +250 and Norris at +275.

Even so, most of the bets (20.6%) and money (33.7%) at BetMGM have gone to Verstappen. But the professional bettors have looked elsewhere, which is why his odds went up after opening at +200. Leclerc's went the other direction after opening at +350.

But because so much public money has come in on Verstappen, a victory by him would be most costly to the sportsbook.

Lewis Hamilton, who had the fastest lap in each of Thursday night's practices, is +700. A victory by him Saturday night could help make BetMGM a winner as well. Though the pros drove his odds down after opening at +2800, the public money did not follow.

"The book will be cheering for Lewis Hamilton to win as it will be a great result in our backyard of Las Vegas,” BetMGM sports trader Kurt Fritsch said.

Jay Kornegay, Westgate Las Vegas vice president of operations, said he expected the betting action to follow last year's pace.

“Wagering on this year's race has been slow to this point, but we expect it to pick up the last two days,” Kornegay said. “As we saw last year, 80% of the handle came in on race day and (we) foresee the same this year. Since this race seems to be more competitive, we anticipate a bigger handle than we saw last year.”

Verstappen, who won the inaugural race last year on the Strip and sang “Viva Las Vegas” as he crossed the finish line, will clinch the series championship Saturday if he wins. But Norris keeps his dim hopes alive for his first championship if he outscores Vertstappen by at least three points.

Vertstappen has a 62-point lead entering the season's final three races, with only 86 points available.

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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, drives during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, gets in his car during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, drives during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

McLaren driver Lando Norris, of Britain, drives past the Sphere during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, gets in his car in the garage area during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, drives the course during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherland, waits in the garage area during a practice session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

LONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland.

Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger.

The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men returned the verdict after deliberating for about six hours in the High Court in Dublin.

He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.”

Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter.

“She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.”

The Associated Press generally does not name victims of sexual assaults unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial.

Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client.

“He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.”

Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area.

She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel.

Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move.

McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said.

Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again.

Eventually, he let go of her.

“I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified.

She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her.

A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries.

Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house.

Police investigated the woman’s complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely.

McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed.

He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie.

“It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.”

McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter.

“You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.”

The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.”

McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions.

The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor’s friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, right, and partner Dee Devlin outside the High Court in Dublin Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, where he is appearing for a personal injury case against him. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, center, speaks with the media outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, after a civil jury found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, leaves the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, after a civil jury found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Conor McGregor and partner Dee Devlin leave the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, after a civil jury found that mixed martial arts fighter sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor and partner Dee Devlin walk outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, where he is appearing for a personal injury case against him, on Friday Nov. 22, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, front, and his father Tony, right, outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor outside the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)