Mike Florio believes Dianna Russini’s BetUS partnership shows just how accepted sports gambling has become in the seven years since legalization. The ProFootballTalk founder shared that view during an appearance on WQAM’s The Joe Rose Show.
What We Know: Russini launched The Russini Report on BetUS TV this week, ending a seven-month absence from sports media. The weekly one-hour show runs alongside a weekly analysis column. However, BetUS operates offshore from Costa Rica and holds no license in any U.S. state. In fact, Michigan issued a cease-and-desist order against the company in May 2025. While asked his thoughts on Russini’s return on WQAM, Florio turned the conversation into the fact it’s being funded and supported by a offshore and illegal sportsbook.
What They Said: Mike Florio (via WQAM Joe Rose Show): “Gambling has become so normalized in today’s society. We actually regard somebody doing a show for an illegal offshore sports book as a legitimate return to sports media. That’s mind blowing. It just tells me that gambling in seven years has gone from stigmatized and something that you whisper about in the back corners. It’s so out in the open now that we’re completely unbothered by somebody having a platform on an illegal offshore sports book website, and we just say, “Ah, no big deal.” That’s a sports media job.”
What Remains Unclear: For now, the NFL has not said whether it will credential Russini at league events. Additionally, BetUS blamed a 45-minute debut delay on a “record-breaking audience.” Still, the company has not released any viewership figures.
What It Means: Ultimately, Florio sees Russini’s deal as a sign of a much larger cultural shift. He added, “It’s so out in the open now that we’re completely unbothered by somebody having a platform on an illegal offshore sports book website, and we just say, ‘Ah, no big deal.’ That’s a sports media job.” As a result, her comeback may face more scrutiny than her reporting itself.
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