TLDR Entrepreneur Rob Gough bought the World Jai Alai League on August 12 He plans to expand television and streaming deals for the sport Gough wants to add more sports betting partners beyond DraftKings Long term, he plans to sell individual teams to private owners The new season starts September 15, with bigger changes coming by February 26
Rob Gough has bought the World Jai Alai League, the last year-round professional jai alai operation in the United States. The deal closed on August 12 after Gough convinced the Havernick family, the league’s longtime owners, to sell.
Gough is a 42-year-old entrepreneur from Indianapolis. He built his wealth through auction and coupon websites before buying and later selling the Dope clothing brand. He also has acting credits alongside stars like Bruce Willis and John Travolta.
Gough is known for collecting sports memorabilia. He owns the New York Rangers jersey Wayne Gretzky wore for his final NHL point and paid five million dollars for a Mickey Mantle rookie card.
He said he saw jai alai in person for the first time this year and became hooked right away. That experience pushed him to pursue buying the entire league, even though it was not officially for sale.
Plans for Growth
Gough said his top priority is improving how fans watch the sport on television and online. He believes the current broadcast setup does not do justice to the speed and skill involved in the game.
He also wants to grow the league’s sports betting partnerships. The WJAL currently works with DraftKings, though the league could not immediately share betting volume figures for the sport.
Streaming deals with ESPN+, FuboTV, and the Hard Rock Bet app will continue under Gough’s ownership. He said he plans to review all existing media partnerships