Microgaming’s Holly Jolly Penguins and Wacky Panda launched this December

Microgaming adds two more new games: Holly Jolly Penguins and Wacky Panda to be launched this festive season, in addition to its action-packed Highlander™ online slot. The first new game is Holly Jolly Penguins, a five-reel, 45-fixed payline online slot that mixes up vibrant holiday graphics, a cheerful soundtrack and a host of charming penguins ready to bring big wins ...

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Tommy James & The Shondells to visit IP Casino

On 12 January, the rock group will perform some classic rock hits at the casino's Studio A.

Maryland lawmakers want casino gambling funds in edu “lockbox”

In Maryland, a pair of leading General Assembly Democrats are hoping to see revenues from casino gaming in the state put aside and used to help public schools. Delegate Maggie McIntosh and Senator Joan Carter have plans to introduce an amendment to the state constitution that will place the casino gambling revenues of the state in a ‘lockbox’ to be used by public schools when needed. As chair of the House Appropriations Committee, McIntosh stated in a report by The Baltimore Sun that the amendment would make sure that the taxes from gambling will be used to enhance the K-12 education fund formula and not used to finance the program. The only spending priority of the state constitution is education. In the interview, McIntosh stated that the amendment would help to keep a promise made by lawmakers to voters when casino gaming was approved back in 2008 and expanded four years later that the revenue share of the state would be used to improve education. When legislation was passed, nothing was put in place that would require the school spending amount to increase as the gambling revenues grow. The six casinos in the state have provided revenues for some time which have been set aside for education needs. However, over the past few years, the aid has fallen flat despite the casinos’ ability to prosper. Money flowed into the Education Trust Fund, but then flowed out as it was used in the general fund. According to McIntosh, when schools in Baltimore began to face cuts in state aid in 2016 due to declining enrollment, residents of the city were complaining and asking where the gaming money has gone, as reported by The Baltimore Sun. With the legislation the Delegate plans to introduce, an amendment would be up for vote on the 2018 ballot to let the citizens of the state decide on the educational fund. Within the budget year that ended on June 30th, casinos in Maryland had been able to generate $1.4 billion in revenues for the budget year. Casinos were able to maintain $814 million and the rest was paid in taxes. The Maryland Education Trust Fund was provided $451 million, according to The Baltimore Sun. With McIntosh’s proposal, the amendment would create a phase-in time frame, so the state would be able to make budget adjustments accordingly. After the MGM National Harbor opened one year ago, the state has continued to see top earning potential, with the MGM casino earning over $50 million in monthly revenues seven times within the year time frame. With gaming doing so well, it seems that the fund should only have more money added, which could benefit schools of the state if funds remained in one place and not used by the General Fund.  

Casino bill pre-filed in Kentucky for 2018

Efforts to see casino gaming brought to the state of Kentucky will be revived next year as one Senator has already pre-filed a new casino bill. Lawmaker Dennis Keene feels that the atmosphere is more receptive currently which could help see the state pass a measure to begin providing casino games. According to WCPO Cincinnati, Keene has pre-filed a measure to see as many as four casinos created in Kentucky. Horse racing is already on offer in the state and Keene feels that the pari-mutuel properties and new casinos would be able to provide a nice variety of sports betting options. Sports betting is now a common topic of conversation as the state of New Jersey is involved in a case that is being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court. A decision on Christie vs. NCAA is expected to come next year, and if the court rules in favor of NJ, it would open up sports betting to every state that choose to offer the gaming options. According to Keene, now is the right time to consider gaming. Kentucky is currently one of 10 states that does not have a casino on offer. The state does offer an online lottery industry. The issue of casino gaming has come up in the past in Kentucky, but according to Keene, there has not been enough "political courage" to pass a measure.

A look inside: Strip’s glamour infuses UNLV’s new $60 million hotel college

UNLV’s latest building gives its world-renowned Harrah’s College of Hospitality a world-class facility. The modern-industrial style interior is designed to feel like you are in one of the properties on the ...

Tioga Downs to ring in 2018 with New Year's Eve Bash

The free event at the New York casino will feature live music, many chances to win cash and an action-packed evening of ‘firsts' to celebrate the New Year.

Biggest Sports Scandals of 2017: Football Knees, Golf Clubs, and Baller Bribes

Sports scandals engulfed not only coaches, players, and fans in 2017, but everyone from President Donald Trump and former Wall Street executives, to league front offices and television networks.

It was a turbulent 12 months, and the stakes were high. The sports world didn’t only revolve around championship games and rivalries, but social injustice, drug addiction, bribery, and more.

Players Take a Knee

Few stories in America made more headlines in 2017 than the NFL kneeling controversy. Protesting social injustices and police brutality against minorities, hundreds of professional football players began refusing to stand for the traditional start-of-game national anthem.

The controversy escalated when President Trump added his Twitter voice to the issue, urging fans to boycott the league and owners to fire players who refused to stand.

Ratings for the NFL subsequently suffered, which also led to a lower handle for Las Vegas oddsmakers, as TV viewer interest began to wane the longer divisiveness over the issue wore on.

Golf Scandals (Seriously)

For a sport where fans typically give a polite clap (save a “mashed potatoes!” yell) after a good shot, golf certainly made its share of shocking headlines in 2017.  The biggest was, of course, Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest.

Woods’ absence hurt television ratings, but he did return in late November to competitive golf.

Phil Mickelson also got involved in some bad press through an insider trading scandal. His golf pal Billy Walters, known as the most successful sports bettor in Nevada history, was found guilty of using confidential information provided to him by an indebted gambler to make $43 million in stock profit on Dean Foods.

Lefty had also made about $1 million on the stock tip, but returned the money and was cleared of any wrongdoing.

B-Ball Briber

In September, the FBI brought charges against legendary coach Rick Petino’s Louisville basketball program for its alleged involvement in a “pay to play” bribery scheme with Adidas.

According to federal investigators, an Adidas executive agreed to pay the family of a high school recruit $100,000 and sponsor him once he turned pro, in exchange for his commitment to Louisville. Petino was fired in October, after 16 years with the school.

Speaking of Bribes

Also in September, the head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Nuzman, was accused of buying votes for Rio de Janeiro’s successful bid to host the 2016 Summer Games.

The accusations, which are still pending, state that Nuzman orchestrated a $2 million payment in 2009 to the former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Ultimate Showdown

The fight of the year, or perhaps the decade for casual boxing fans, came in August with the much-hyped Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor spectacle. There was plenty of controversy leading up to the fight, with underdog McGregor accusing Mayweather of having a gambling problem and being unable to pay his tax bills.

More mundane polemics ensued after viewers watching livestreams complained about image quality, after shelling out $99.95 for Showtime’s feed. The premium network later agreed to refund certain purchases made through the Showtime app.

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Digitain inks content deal with Habanero

Armenia-based sportsbook and casino platform provider, Digitain, has agreed a deal to integrate content from Habanero, a leading table game and online slots provider. Through the deal, the various games that will be accessible to Digitain’s operator partners include Habanero’s most recent release, 5 Mariachis, as well as other popular titles such as The Dead Escape, Rolling Roger and Panda Panda. The integration further strengthens the Armenian supplier’s casino platform, as it maintains growth in international markets and adds to its existing portfolio a new premium range. CEO for Digitain, Suren Khachatryan, said: “We have been working hard to forge fresh casino alliances recently and are aiming to arm ourselves with the prized products from the best suppliers in the business. “Like us, Habanero have been very successful in their expansion during 2017 and together we present a compelling platform and content solution to operators. We’re very pleased to have them on board.” Also commenting on the deal, Head of Sales at Habanero, Daniel Long, said: “We’re delighted to have teamed up with Digitain and we can’t wait to see how our games perform in what in many cases are new markets for us. “We have launched some fantastic content over the last 12 months, with a wide variety of themes, features, and maths models, and we hope they’ll quickly become firm favourites with operators and players alike.”

Tabcorp-Tatts Merger to Bring Aroud AU$130 Million to the New Entity

The saga of the long-awaited merger between the Australian gambling operators Tabcorp Holdings and Tatts Group is coming to an end, and a new era is set to begin in the local gambling industry.

At the time when Tabcorp published a media release, revealing that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is to no longer seek another judicial review of the Australian Competition Tribunal (ACT), the company also announced that its merger deal with Tatts Group is expected to take place on December 22nd, 2017.

The deal between the two Australian gambling giants is to finally combine the companies in a gambling behemoth that has been feared to be able to inevitably change the local gambling and betting industry. In fact, these concerns have been some of the major reasons why the merger of the two companies has faced such a strong opposition, as some authorities, regulators and rival companies have feared that if finalised, such a deal would hurt competition in the region, causing harm to competitive companies.

Full Integration to Take Approximately Two Years

As mentioned above, the merger is set to be finalised tomorrow, with the two companies joining forces to become one entity. UBET, however, is planned to remain as a standalone brand for up to a year while the process of integration between the gambling giants is carried out. David Attenborough, the managing director of Tabcorp, revealed that UBET would continue operating in the market for some time “in parallel to TAB”, while the two companies are going through the integration process.

Except for the fact that the two companies are to become one, their customers are not expected to be affected by any other material changes, or at least for some time now. Probably the most serious change that is to be seen by local players would be the aligning of the fixed price books of the UBET and Tabcorp brands, but Mr. Attenborough explained that this is to happen after several months.

Apart from the fact that Mr. Attenborough once again confirmed Tabcorp’s commitment to see a national tote pool implemented, he also explained that the full integration of the two companies’ operations is to take approximately two years to be completed. In addition, the Tabcorp’s managing director said that the cash flow that is expected to be brought to the new entity as a result of the merger, amounts to no less than AU$130 million, with racing revenue representing a significant part of the amount.

He further shared his expectations for Queensland racing to generate approximately AU$20 million more as a result of the integration process’ completion. According to him, the benefits of the merger are to be felt almost immediately, especially considering the revenue increases under the business model of Tabcorp, as well as the roll-out of Trackside, a Virtual Racing product.

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NetEnt converts games into HTML5 – end of Flash era

Leading provider of digital gaming solutions, NetEnt converts games into HTML5 and created mobile versions of its back catalogue. Since NetEnt converts games into HTML5, the majority of its popular games will be available in HTML5 as Flash era is coming to an end. The support of Flash media is coming to an end and huge browser suppliers have announced ...

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Macau Celebrates 18th Anniversary Under Chinese Control by Honoring Casino Tycoon Lawrence Ho

On this day in 1999, the sovereignty control of Macau was officially transferred from Portugal to China, as agreed upon by the two countries. To celebrate its 18th anniversary under the People’s Republic, Macau is honoring one of its most successful entrepreneurs, casino billionaire and Melco Resorts founder Lawrence Ho.

The Macau Special Administrative Region announced this week that Ho was being awarded the “Tourism Medal of Merit,” an honor reserved for those who “have made major or excellent contributions” in the travel and hospitality sector.

The enclave’s government said a formal ceremony will be held later next month.

Recent winners of the tourism medal include Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, who has served as the director of the Macau Government Tourism Office since 2012, the Macau Grand Prix Committee, Macau Travel Industry Council President Wu Keng Kuong, and junket group Shun Tak.

Ho Ho Ho 

Amid China President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on VIP junkets, which led to Macau gaming revenue plummeting from $45 billion in 2013 to $28.8 billion in 2015, Ho decided to open his new $2 billion Cotai Strip casino resort without private high roller rooms.

Ho also recently severed ties with Australian billionaire James Packer, whose company Crown Resorts had been a 50-50 partner with Melco for its Macau properties. China arrested 18 Crown employees in 2016 on crimes of promoting gambling activities.

Family Affair

Lawrence’s father, 96-year-old fellow billionaire Stanley Ho, received the Gold Medal of Merit in Tourism 16 years ago. The elder Ho controlled a four-decade gambling monopoly in Macau before the special administrative region issued six commercial gaming licenses in 2001. Stanley’s current wife, Angela Leong, was awarded the Industry and Commerce Medal of Merit in 2009.

The family will be hoping that Lawrence does a better job at upholding the Medal of Merit’s reputation than his cousin Alan Reginald John Ho did.

Less than four years after Alan, Stanley’s nephew, was awarded the Tourism Medal of Merit in 2011, the SJM casino executive was arrested and subsequently found guilty of running a prostitution ring inside the company’s Grand Lisboa casino hotel.

While prostitution itself is legal in Macau, organizing or operating a brothel is not.

License to Print Money

Macau’s six licensed casino operators, Ho’s Melco Resorts, his father’s SJM Holdings, Las Vegas Sands, MGM, Wynn, and Galaxy Entertainment, are all hoping to see their permits renewed in the coming years.

MGM and SJM are up first in 2020, with the four others scheduled to terminate in 2022. The Macau government is conducting in-depth reviews of the gaming industry, with the goal of “perfecting the laws and regulations.”

The review is rumored to focus on how to best regulate junket groups that bring VIPs from mainland China to the enclave. Another focus is how Macau can expand mass market gaming and non-gaming attractions.

The six operators are expected to be renewed, but in the interim, all will be on their best behavior to stay in the good graces of the region’s government.

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Mr Jack Vegas Casino goes live

The online casino features over 200 slot games and a variety of live table games from popular providers like Microgaming and NetEnt.

Hard Rock Hotel agrees to settle Culinary charges

Management at the Hard Rock Hotel agreed today to settle with the National Labor Relations Board charges that the company engaged in unfair labor practices to ...

Betsoft Gaming partners with BetFlag – an Italian operator

Leading iGaming innovators Betsoft Gaming partners with BetFlag, a noted Italian operator. As Betsoft Gaming partners with BetFlag, BetFlag will be taking on Betsoft’s robust collection of AAMS-approved Slots3™ games, including such popular hits as GIOVANNI’S GEMS and FIRE & STEEL. The Italian company will also be offering Betsoft’s AAMS-approved ToGo™ titles to feed the growing mobile sector of the ...

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Gambling Ads Come Under Fire in Norway and Sweden

A fresh wave of regulatory criticism towards gambling-related ads on Norwegian and Swedish media was unleashed earlier this week. State-run organizations are tasked with the provision of gambling services in both Scandinavian countries, and any international operators targeting local players are highly unwelcome.

It emerged a few days ago that Norwegian lawmakers would look to crack down on gambling ads broadcast on television by introducing tighter rules in relation to the way gambling services are advertised within the country’s borders.

In Sweden, the local gambling regulator, Lotteriinspektionen, warned free daily newspaper Metro, which is known to be read by more than one million residents of the country, to cease and desist advertising international gaming operators or otherwise face the consequences of its actions.

Here it is important to note that internationally licensed operators have long been targeting players from both countries, despite the fact that their activities are not regulated there. What is more, such operators have been advertising their products quite aggressively in both Sweden and Norway, which has oftentimes made them subjects to heavy criticism from regulators.

Norway’s Looming Crackdown on Gambling Ads

In Norway, the state-run Norsk Tipping and Rikstoto are the only two operators that are allowed to advertise their products and services on local television. It is also important to note that the aforementioned two organizations are holding the monopoly over the provision of gambling services in the country, and both lawmakers and gambling regulators have pointed out numerous times that they do not plan to scrap the current monopoly regime anytime soon.

However, international gambling operators have been able to circumvent the existing rules on gambling-related ads content by advertising their products on Norwegian TV channels that broadcast from outside the country.

Studies show that an average number of 62 gambling-related commercials are broadcast on Norwegian television every hour. These are all promoting services offered by foreign operators. It is namely this portion of ads that Norwegian politicians are determined to crack down on. Local media reported citing the country’s Culture Minister Linda Hofstad Helleland that an official proposal for the implementation of certain changes will likely be introduced next spring so that they are approved before the summer.

One more indication that Norwegian politicians and regulators have grown tired of international operators targeting local players emerged earlier this week. The Norwegian Gaming Authority (Lotteri- og stiftelsestilsynet) scolded two online payment service providers – Trustly and Entercash – for never cutting off cash flows between Norwegian players and foreign operators.

Swedish Regulator’s Rage against Gambling Ads

Gambling ads were also the center of discussions in Sweden where Lotteriinspektionen warned the publisher of Metro to stop advertising international operators who are not authorized to operate in the country. The regulatory body pointed out that by publishing such gambling-related ads, the newspaper was violating the nation’s Lottery Act.

Lotteriinspektionen also went on to explain that it had previously warned Metro to cease and desist and that any future violations will be punished with heavy fines. The newspaper is thus facing a penalty of SEK250,000 (approximately $30,000), if gambling advertising content does not disappear from its pages.

Sweden is in the middle of creating a new gambling regulatory framework that when adopted, will scrap the current monopoly system and will replace it with one that will allow international operators to enter the local market. It is believed that the new gambling law will be implemented in early 2019.

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Room rates, table game prices on the Strip fluctuate widely during holidays

Prices for hotel rooms and at casino tables in Las Vegas traditionally surge and recede during the holidays, but at least one pricing expert says technology may eventually allow resorts to attract the best-spending customers and worry less about empty rooms. Anthony Curtis, a consumer blogger and publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor who has tracked room rates on the Las Vegas Strip for 27 years, says ...

Crown Resorts Unloads Assets to Pay Down Debt, James Packer Snags Sydney Penthouse for $60 Million

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts is divesting various assets in order to raise $700 million in capital and pay down company debt.

Crown confirmed yesterday that Wynn Resorts is purchasing its 34.6 acres located along the Las Vegas Strip for $300 million. Crown had planned to build Alon, a multibillion-dollar casino resort there, but shelved the concept in 2016.

The Aussie conglomerate additionally stated that through its subsidiary holdings, it’s unloading its interest in a luxury wine country resort located in Hunter Valley to Crown billionaire founder James Packer’s sister Greta. That transaction will deliver Crown $62.5 million.

Crown is also considering unloading its 62 percent ownership stake in CrownBet for $150 million. CrownBet CEO Matthew Tripp is trying to attract private investors to buy out the parent company.

Finally, Packer, who founded Crown in 2007 and remains its largest individual shareholder, is paying $60 million to solely own two floors of the under-construction Crown Sydney Residences at the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort in Barangaroo.

The hotel and residential complex is expected to be completed in 2020.

Damage Control

The past 24 months have been disastrous for Crown Resorts. After enjoying years of success in Macau through its joint venture Melco Crown, in October 2016, 18 Crown employees were arrested in mainland China for marketing gambling activities to locals.

One of the arrestees was Jason O’Connor, Crown’s VIP exec tasked with bringing wealthy Chinese mainlanders to both Macau and Australia. O’Connor spent 10 months in prison before being released this year.

Melco Resorts owner Lawrence Ho said in May that Crown employees were “deliberately spitting” on the faces of Chinese law authorities. The scandal led to Melco Crown severing its relationship, and Crown divesting its Macau holdings.

Paired with the Alon fiasco, Packer conceded two months ago, “We didn’t succeed in a global strategy.”

More controversy surrounded Crown this fall when former employees turned whistleblowers claimed they were forced to tamper with slot machines at the Melbourne casino to give the house an even larger edge. Crown has denied such allegations.

Home Sweet Home

With Crown Resorts back focused on where it knows business best, Australia, investors are liking what they’re seeing. Though Crown lost a substantial portion of its value in recent years, as the Australian Securities Exchange stock fell from $13.50 in 2014 to $8 in late 2016, shareholders are beginning to recoup their losses.

The stock has been rather stagnant throughout 2017, but over the last two months has been trending upwards. Crown was trading for $8.35 in mid-October, but today is at $9.82. That’s an increase of more than 17 percent.

Investors additionally supported Crown’s news today they it’s selling off assets to pay down debt. Shares were up 3.2 percent to close the week.

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CPI Bringing New Products and Proven Performance to ICE 2018

Crane Payment Innovations (CPI), a Crane Co. Company, is exhibiting at ICE 2018 on booth #N3-320 with a powerful suite of products that are revolutionizing the way operators connect with their players, their business process and, ultimately, their revenue. A full range of currency validation and cash management solutions will be on display, including the all-new SCR Advance MDR banknote ...

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Jerome Sgorrano Wins partypoker Eurasian Poker Tour Prague €1,100 Main Event

Prague is probably the hottest poker destination at the moment as the Czech capital is hosting not one but two major festivals – the ongoing PokerStars Championship and the partypoker Eurasian Poker Tour, which is slated to end today.

However, the winner of the latter festival’s Main Event was crowned last night at the host venue Grandior Hotel Prague. His name was Jerome Sgorrano and he topped a massive field of 825 entries to scoop a first-place prize of €126,500. This was the player’s largest cash ever collected from a live poker tournament.

Here it is also important to note that the payout was the result from a two-way deal Sgorrano negotiated with his heads-up opponent – Czech Republic’s Josef Snejberg. The runner-up finisher collected a total of €106,500 for his deep run into the tournament.

As already mentioned, the €1,100 buy-in tournament attracted a field of 825 entries. The Main Event featured a guaranteed prize pool of €500,000, but the massive interest in the tournament eventually resulted in the total amount of €783,750 being generated. The top 98 finishers received a portion of the money, with min-cashes beginning from €2,000. Local player Petr Targa was the first to leave with a portion of the money.

About the Winner

Sgorrano is a poker professional who currently resides in Belgium and travels all around Europe to participate in major tournaments taking place on the continent. He has accumulated live tournament earnings of $819,942 over the span of seven years and as a result from in-the-money finishes in a total of 156 events.

Last night’s triumph secured him with his largest-ever live poker cash. Late last month, the player participated in the WSOP International Circuit Paris, where he finished in the money in three events. Earlier in November, the player topped the field of a WPT DeepStacks Brussels tournament.

Earlier this year, Sgorrano captured two WSOP Circuit gold rings after winning two tournaments on the series’ international schedule. He first took down a No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha mixed event during WSOP Circuit’s Marrakech stop back in January. In March, he won a €550 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack during the WSOP International Circuit in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

partypoker’s Collaboration with the Eurasian Poker Tour

partypoker’s announcement about its partnership with the EAPT first emerged back in April. The popular poker brand entered an agreement with EAPT’s owner Poker Club Management to sponsor the tournament series for a period of five years. It can be said that this partnership represents partypoker’s apparent intentions to further expand its business beyond its online poker operations and to establish itself as a major organizer of live poker tournaments. It can be said that the strategy has worked quite well so far, as partypoker’s live events have seen a massive growth in popularity among players over the past year or so.

Winner’s Photo Credit: partypoker

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Detroit casinos see potential in sports betting

The busiest part of Las Vegas casinos on Sunday afternoon aren’t the slots, craps, roulette or blackjack. It is the sportsbook, where people ...

World Series of Poker finalizes 2018 daily event schedule

The renowned poker tournament will run from 2 to 14 July at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

UKRAINIAN GAMING SUMMIT 2017 Post Event Report

Ukrainian Gaming Summit 2017 was focused on the creation of a new regulatory framework. The event took place on December 8, 2017 in Hyatt Regency Kyiv. Key topics of the Summit included: Panel discussion – Responsible legalization of the gaming industry – International obligations of Ukraine – Unification of the legislation with the EU – Legalization of the gaming industry: a critical ...

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Login Casino Betting Awards to honor the best players of the betting industry in the Russian Federation

Login Casino will summarize the voting results of the Login Casino Betting Awards for the best representatives of national bookmaking on December 29, 2017. The companies that have made the largest contribution to the betting industry in Russia and the CIS will be awarded with a prize. The nominees include online bookmakers, product providers and industry leaders. During the event, ...

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William Hill Adds Support to Scientific Games Takeover of NYX

The battle between Scientific Games and William Hill over the acquisition of NYX Gaming has seemingly come to an amicable conclusion, as William Hill is now providing support for the deal.

In a press release distributed on Wednesday, Scientific Games announced several developments that make its takeover of NYX likely to proceed without major incident.

Most notably, both NYX and Scientific Games were able to announce that they had entered into independent agreements with William Hill and AlpInvest Partners CoInvestments to support the announced acquisition.

In total, William Hill and AlpInvest control about 40.9 million ordinary shares of NYX, adding substantial support ahead of a planned December 20 shareholder vote on the deal.

Agreement Ends All Litigation Over Acquisition

In addition, all parties have entered into a settlement in which all sides have agreed to end all litigation against each other in relation to the proposed takeover.

Scientific Games and NYX had filed lawsuits in Nevada and New Jersey, respectively, claiming that William Hill was illegally trying to block the takeover in order to protect itself against potential competition in case sports betting were legalized in the United States.

The agreements appear to end the maneuvering that was taking place ahead of the shareholder meeting. According to NYX, the acquisition would only be prevented if 51 percent of shareholders did not approve of the takeover, and that the termination clause in place specifically excluded William Hill and its affiliates from taking part in the vote.

On their end, William Hill said they hadn’t yet made a decision on where they stood on the proposed deal, but that they certainly wanted a seat at the table when the shareholders discussed the possible takeover.

At the same time, the sports betting giant worked to increase their influence at that table by converting its convertible preference shares to ordinary NYX shares.

As part of the latest round of agreements between the parties, William Hill has withdrawn its notice of conversion of those shares.

Contractual Rights, Future of Sports Betting Were Concerns for William Hill

The corporate maneuvering follows a September announcement in which Scientific Games agreed to purchase the entirety of NYX for just over $600 million. William Hill had several concerns about the deal, including some of its contractual rights that stemmed from NYX’s purchase of OpenBet in 2016.

According to Phillip Bowcock, CEO of William Hill, those issues have now been resolved.

“These agreements safeguard William Hill’s technology roadmap and relationship with NYX and end all legal action between the parties,” Bowcock said.

The importance of this deal for all parties involved has been amplified due to signs that the Supreme Court of the United States may be leaning towards striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a decision which would allow individual states to regulate sports betting.

“We are pleased to expand our commercial relationship with Scientific Games in the US market which offers considerable potential should the Supreme Court ruling on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which is expected next year, provide states with the power to regulate sports betting,” Bowcock said.

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Jonathan Van Fleet wins $1,027,000 in the partypoker MILLIONS Online tournament

The partypoker MILLIONS Online event recently finished up and managed to be the largest tournament in the poker brand’s history. With a buy-in of $5,300, the tournament already had a set prize pool guarantee of $5 million. First place was set to earn $1 million. With 1,047 players registering for the event, the prize pool was increased to $5,135,000 with first earning just over the $1 million mark. In the end, it was Jonathan Van Fleet that secured the win, further boosting his online tournament poker wins after taking down the title. Van Fleet has quite the impressive resume. After earning the partypoker event win, the poker pro has now amassed close to $9.5 million in total online tournament cashes, based on tracked info at PocketFives, according to the partypoker blog. The tournament began with four opening flights and two additional days ofgameplayy. Players were provided 1 million in starting chips and for the most part, blinds increased every 30 minutes. Once the tournament reached Day 3 on the 6th, 25 players remained. Each were guaranteed a payday, but everyone wanted to outlast the competition and be the first-place finisher. Once the first break took place, the tournament had been narrowed down to 17 players. As players came back to the felt, it would take around two hours for the final table to be reached. Eight players would make the final table, with blinds having reached the 1,250,000/2,500,000 mark and the ante set at 312,500. By the time heads up play rolled around, it was Van Fleet and online player N0-IPTRI4I2I competing. Van Fleet held a 3 to 2 chip lead over his opponent and it would take no time before the chip lead spread to a 12 to 1 advantage and the final hand would go down. On the final hand, N0-IPTRI4I2I open from the button and was called by Van Fleet. The board would be no help to N0-IPTRI4I2I’s King-Jack and Van Fleet would earn the win with his Ace-Queen, taking home his first ever seven figure cashout with the win. Final Results:

Place	Player	Prize
First	Jonathan Van Fleet	$1,027,000
Second	N0-IPTRI4I2I	$651,118
Third	SandwichBacon	$435,448
Fourth	LendaMerienda	$294,749
Fifth	Karamazovbros	$207,968
Sixth	BOOMALOOM_	$148,915
Seventh	Lucovic Geilich	$104,754
Eighth	IN INFINITY	$75,485

The online poker room now looks ahead to 2018, having already begun working on the MILLIONS series schedule. In 2018, partypoker is set to visit Casino Barcelona, King’s Casino and more, with players having the opportunity to earn seats to the live events via online satellites.

Sean Perry Leads WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,400 Main Event Final Table

Sean Perry, a 21-year player son of poker pro Ralph Perry, is leading the final table of this year’s WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event, it became clear last night. The six remaining survivors will return at the Bellagio today at 4 pm local time to play down to a winner.

Perry turned 21 on the very day the $10,400 Main Event kicked off. Speaking about his performance so far, the player said that he believes this is his tournament and that he is quite confident in his game and the chips he has managed to accumulate.

The player will enter Day 6 of the event with a total of 7.65 million, good for 191 big blinds. What is more, he is almost 1.5 million ahead of the player who will begin final table action second in chips.

And that player is actually the runner-up of last year’s edition of the tournament – Ryan Tosoc. The player bagged and tagged 5.105 million to give him enough confidence for today’s finale. It is also interesting to note that he is currently looking to improve from last year, when he finished second behind only the champion James Romero. Tosoc collected $1.1 million for his deep run in the 2016 Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

Speaking to WPT staff, Tosoc said last night that he feels very confident when playing at the Bellegio, the host venue of the ongoing Main Event. He went on to explain that even if cards are not always going his way, he still feels very comfortable at the poker tables of the popular Las Vegas casino.

Who Else Made It to the Finale?

Day 5 of the tournament started with 18 survivors who were led by Ajay Chabra. The player survived through the day to collect the fourth largest stack at its end. He will enter today’s finale with a total of 3.065 million.

Former WPT champion, the only one in the final pack of six, Mike Del Vecchio ranks third in the chip counts chart with a total of 4.97 million. The player scooped his first WPT title this spring by winning the WPT Rolling Thunder Main Event.

Richard Kirsch and Alex Foxen are the other two players to be rounding out the final table of the Main Event. The players will begin Day 6 with 2.62 million and 955,000 in chips, respectively.

Each of the six finalists is guaranteed a minimum payout of $271,736. The top two finishers will collect seven-figure payouts. The runner-up will take home $1,134,202 and the winner will receive $1,958,065 for becoming the last man standing from a record-breaking field of 812 entries. The champion will also lock a seat into the season-ending Tournament of Champions to contend against the other Main Event winners throughout the ongoing sixteenth season of the World Poker Tour.

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BetStars launches in Czech Republic

Sports brand of The Stars Group, BetStars, is now the first international sports betting operator to launch services in the Czech Republic. BetStars was granted licensing by the Czech State Supervision of Gambling and Lotteries in November, with players of the site having access to over 20 sports and specialist betting selections. According to a press release on the launch of BetStars.cz, the sports betting site is available via desktop, web and mobile devices. Android and iOS devices can be used to place wagers at BetStars. The announcement of the brand, comes almost a year after PokerStars, the flagship brand of PokerStars, launched casino gaming and poker options online in the Czech Republic. In the press release, BetStars Managing Director, Zeno Ossko commented on the launch by stating: “It is a great honor to be the first international sports betting operator to launch in the Czech Republic. The BetStars team have worked very hard to make this a successful launch, and we hope customers in the Czech Republic will enjoy the range of betting options available.” BetStars is the new online betting service provided by PokerStars. Players who access the online sports betting site will be able to find the best odds for football, tennis, horse racing and other major sports.

Ajay Chabra Leads 18 Finalists into WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,400 Main Event Penultimate Day

This year’s WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,400 Main Event is getting closer and closer to crowning its champion. After Day 4 of the tournament was completed several hours ago at the Bellagio Las Vegas, there are just 18 players left to contend for the title and the nearly $2 million first-place payout.

Ajay Chabra from New Jersey finished Day 4 as the chip leader and with considerable advantage over the other 17 survivors. The player bagged and tagged 3.961 million and is more than 1 million in chips ahead of his remaining opponents.

Chabra has only two previous in-the-money finishes in live tournaments and his bankroll currently amounts to nearly $40,000. He will certainly boost his earnings significantly as the money bubble burst yesterday and each of the 18 finishers is guaranteed a minimum cash of $51,984.

Chabra helped himself to the chip lead through a key three-way pot against Brian Okin and Sean Perry. Chabra won the pot, while sending Okin to the rail in 25th place.

As mentioned above, the burst of the money bubble also occurred on Day 4. The day kicked off with 90 survivors and it took just 19 hands of play for the money to be reached. That 19th hand saw Steffen Sontheimer bust Ben Zamani in 82th place and the latter thus became the unfortunate bubble boy.

What to Expect from Day 5

The 18 finishers are set to return to the poker tables of the host casino today to play down to a six-handed final table. As mentioned above, each of the remaining hopefuls has locked in a $51,984 payout, but there is no doubt that their eyes will be set on the top prize of $1,958,065. Here it is important to note that the runner-up will also receive a seven-figure payout of $1,134,202. And each of the six final tablists is guaranteed a min-cash of $271,736.

There is just one former WPT champion among the 18 survivors. Mike Del Vecchio, who scooped his first WPT title this spring, is currently ranking in the top half of the chip counts chart with a total of 1.358 million. Back in March, the player bested the field of the WPT Rolling Thunder $3,500 Main Event for his largest live cash of $284,638.

Dan Colman is another notable still in contention. The player is best known for winning the $1,000,000 The Big One for ONE DROP back in 2014. He collected a payout of $15,306,668 for taking down the massive high roller. Colman is now vying for his first WPT title.

Ryan Tosoc, who finished runner-up to James Romero in last year’s WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event, is looking to improve this year and grab the title. The player finished fourth in chips on Day 4 of the event with 2.088 million and will enter Day 5 action in a good position to secure a spot among the final six.

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Expecting Massive Crowds, Las Vegas Triples Up on New Year’s Eve 2017 Security Spending

In response to the Oct. 1 mass shooting at an outdoor concert on the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada lawmakers have approved record funding to make sure revelers are safe on New Year’s Eve. A total of $357,000 will be spent on 358 National Guard troops who will be stationed on the Strip, downtown on Fremont Street, and at McCarran International Airport.

That figure is more than double the 160 who were deployed last year and the expenditure is nearly three times that of the $120,000 that was allocated in 2016, a sign of how seriously officials are taking the potential for another threat.

“The resources of Metro, and the resources of our law enforcement—all of the intelligence that we have, and Homeland Security assets, are going to be used to make sure people are safe,” Nevada’s Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison said, noting that no expense would be spared to make sure the night ends with no incidents.

Rating Ramp Up

Clark County Deputy Fire Chief John Steinbeck wrote to the legislature requesting the funds and said it was a necessity.

“Special events in Southern Nevada are our greatest security concern and require the highest level of emergency resources we can provide,” he wrote.

There will also be funds available for a mobile medical staff, a quick reaction force to respond to potential terrorist situations, and first-responders, including firemen and paramedics.

Every year, traffic access is shut on Las Vegas Blvd. in the late afternoon on Dec. 31, and reopened about an hour after the conclusion of the nearly 10-minute fireworks show at midnight.

Police will have a heavy presence in the middle of the street. While 700 steel bollards were recently installed that can stop a truck at 55 mph from hopping a curb, with the traffic shutdown, their capabilities likely won’t be tested on New Year’s Eve.

Increased Security Now the Norm

Even before the tragedy two months ago, public officials reassessed how to better protect crowds that gathered outdoors en masse. In August, the city installed yellow k-rail barriers at downtown’s Fremont Street Experience. Also known as Jersey walls, the modular concrete blockades are commonly seen in construction zones and protect pedestrians by preventing vehicles from driving on the sidewalks.

Security procedures were given a test run at the Rock ’N’ Roll Marathon on Nov. 11. It was the first major outdoor event since the mass shooting at the Route 91 concert where a lone gunman killed 58 people and injured more than 500 from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Snipers were positioned along the 26.2-mile route and a helicopter flew overhead to monitor the thousands who participated. No unwanted events occurred, a reality that Las Vegas Metro hopes to be able to share again on the morning of January 1, 2018.

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Pechanga offers Holiday of Hope for disadvantaged families

The casino brought holiday cheer to children from surrounding communities with a 22,000-square-foot Polar Express-themed winter wonderland.

NFL Playoff Picture Will Get Cleared Up After Weekend Slate Of Games

There are four weeks remaining in the NFL’s regular season and several games on Sunday will determine if teams that are hoping to make the playoffs will keep their chances alive.

Atlanta was one of those squads and defeated New Orleans, 20-17 on Thursday. The Falcons were 2 ½-point underdogs.

The victory for last year’s Super Bowl loser kept alive their playoff possibility. Atlanta is 8-5 and currently the seventh seed in the NFC, with the top six teams making the postseason.

Carolina and Seattle have as many wins, but one less loss and if the playoffs were today they would get in, but they have games this Sunday and could join the Falcons with five losses.

It is just part of the complicated scenarios that exist in both divisions and while nothing is definite, this Sunday could eliminate some teams. Below are some of the high impact games.

NFC Drama

With Atlanta’s victory the pressure is on the Panthers and Seahawks to win or fall in a tie with the Falcons. Carolina faces 10-2 Minnesota at home and the Vikings are a 2 ½-point pick. If quarterback Cam Newton can’t get past Minnesota they probably are out of the playoffs.

Seattle is another team that is in a must win game and it won’t be an easy task. The Seahawks travel to 8-4 Jacksonville as 3-point underdogs. With the Rams and Cowboys remaining on the their schedule, this is a win they must have.

There are three squads that have faint hopes of making the playoffs but with six victories each are probably going to have to win out to have a chance. Detroit 6-6 are at Tampa Bay and are a 2 ½-point selection to win. The Cowboys are 3 ½-point picks to defeat the hapless New York Giants and should come out with a win.

Green Bay has the best chance of the three traveling to play the winless Cleveland Browns, but are surprisingly only favored by three.

AFC Logjam

Baltimore has the fifth seed with a record of 7-5, but there are four teams battling it out for the last spot. The Ravens have a tough test against Pittsburgh and the Steelers are favored by seven.

Of the four teams at 6-6 three of them are in the same division. Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego are fighting for the AFC West title and whoever claims it will get into the playoffs. The other two will have to hope they can win enough of the remaining four games to claim a wild card pick.

The Raiders are getting four points when they travel to Kansas City. The Chargers are traveling to Washington to play the Redskins and are 6-point underdogs.

The last team in the hunt are the Buffalo Bills. They are hosting Indianapolis and are 3-point favorites. It would be a must-win game if they are going to keep up with the other three teams. They would hold a tiebreaker over both the Raiders and Chiefs having beaten them earlier in the year.

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IGT adds stimulating dimension to slot machine

From the very beginning, slot machines — with fast-spinning reels and the sound of coins clattering into metal buckets — were designed to excite the senses and hopefully drive players to bet more. Today, slot makers are hoping new technology will make games even more immersive. One example is IGT’s new 4-D Sphinx slot ...

Macau Casinos Could Generate $53 Billion by 2022

The Macau gaming sector is on an extended winning streak, with the territory’s resorts posting 16 consecutive months of revenue gains through November. Now, analysts are saying they don’t expect that trend to end anytime soon.

According to data from Morgan Stanley, their analysts are predicting that 2017 is just the start of an upward trend for Macau, one that could run unabated for the next five years.

Analysts from the firm predict that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the city’s casinos could reach $53 billion by 2022.

VIP Play Up, Infrastructure Improvements Coming

The analysts cited several reasons for their bullish outlook. VIP play is once again up in Macau, with Morgan Stanley’s analysts expecting an 11 percent increase in VIP revenue year-over-year. The annual GGR total for the industry should be somewhere between $33 and $34 million, which will reflect overall growth of 18 to 20 percent.

Looking forward, analysts projected increased spending and visitation growth. They also took into account the fact that several infrastructure improvements will increase visitation as well, including the Hong Kong-Zhuahai Macao Bridge and Hengqin Island. Hengqin is three times the size of Macau, and could be a critical part of diversifying Macau’s offerings beyond gambling in the future.

Macau casinos have generated $30.4 billion in revenue through the first 11 months of 2017. That guarantees that this will be the first time in three years that annual revenues will surpass $30 billion.

License Renewal Still Creates Uncertainty

While the Morgan Stanley analysis will certainly come as welcome news for casino operators and their shareholders, there’s still plenty of volatility in the Chinese enclave’s gaming sector, as well as a lot of uncertainty over what the industry will look like by 2022.

One of the largest question marks remains the process for the renewal of gaming licenses. Each operator in the city has a different expiration date on their concession, but they all come up in either 2020 or 2022.

Authorities in Macau have been tight-lipped when it comes to the rules and regulations they might impose for companies who want to continue operating in the city, though they have said they plan to announce their intentions sometime in 2018.

Their requests may include asking operators to put more emphasis on non-gaming attractions. According to date released in November, attendance at non-government exhibitions is up more than eight percent this year, while meetings and conferences are up nearly 88 percent.

Meanwhile, research from brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein has suggested that the average non-gaming spending from Chinese visitors to Macau could double by 2025, though that would still lag behind what Chinese travelers spend in markets like Las Vegas.

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Evoplay launch brand new Emperor’s Tomb slot

Popular slot provider EvoPlay increases its game portfolio with a brand new Chinese–themed online game – Emperor’s Tomb slot. Emperor’s Tomb slot is a simple 5 reel video game that leverages 9 paylines and features the story of Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the Emperor of China. According to the legend the Tomb was protected by the Terracotta Army and, ...

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European Commission Draws Criticism over Closure of Online Gambling Infringement Cases

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it is dropping all infringement procedures against Member States in relation to online gambling. The institution explained that it has always tried to pursue its political priorities and this approach has been reflected in its treatment of infringement cases.

The Commission will thus focus its attention on cases it believes are more important in terms of “public and private interests” involved.

The regulation of online gambling has been an important topic in a number of European countries over the past several years. Many of these countries have been the subject of heavy criticism from the industry due to the restrictive measures adopted by them that oftentimes violate fundamental EU principles, including the freedom for the provision of services within the union’s borders.

There have been multiple occasions on which online gambling industry stakeholders have turned to the European Commission to interfere in the legalization and regulatory processes undertaken by EU member states.

In its Thursday statement, the Commission said that it would continue helping member states in their fight against unregulated gambling and in their efforts to protect vulnerable customers from falling victims to unauthorized operators. However, it will leave it to national courts to handle infringement cases as it believes they will be able to do this more efficiently.

Reactions to the European Commission’s Announcement

As it could be expected, the Thursday announcement came as a big blow to the online gambling industry. Criticism from industry representatives and international gambling trade associations mounted quite quickly. The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) and the Remote Gambling Association were among the first to comment on EC’s decision.

EGBA’s Secretary General Maarten Haijer said in a statement that the Commission’s decision is unhelpful in the fight against unregulated online gambling. Mr. Haijer went on to say that the fact the Commission believes individual member states should resolve online gambling regulation challenges demonstrates “lack of understanding of the digital customer”.

Remote Gambling Association’s CEO Clive Hawkswood said in a separate statement that the Commission “has effectively abandoned” the online gambling sector and has thus “given a free pass” to regulatory regimes that are not compliant with EU treaties and laws. The official further pointed out that the control the EC had previously exercised had resulted in the creation of very efficient regulatory frameworks in a number of member states.

News about the Commission’s plan to close online gambling infringement cases first spread last month when it emerged that online gambling operators had been informed about the upcoming changes. On Thursday, the Commission confirmed its new stance and change of focus.

It is believed that its decision will have a particularly negative impact on international operators’ attempts to convince regulators and politicians in a number of member states that a successful gambling regulatory regime should combine a reasonable licensing system that allows foreign operators to bid for local licenses, an equally reasonable taxation system, and proper monitoring and responsible gambling tools that would protect players and the industry, as a whole, from violators.

Image credit: World IP Review, Twitter

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