Monthly Archives: February 2015

Macau busts illegal online sports betting operation targeting South Koreans

Macau police have broken up an illegal online sports betting ring run by and targeting South Koreans. On Thursday, Macau Judiciary Police announced the arrests of three South Korean men following a tip-off about strange goings-on in a condo at the Villa de Mer luxury residential complex.

Police said the three individuals had begun renting the flat in November, kitting it out with what was described as an “unusual” number of computers and other IT gear. The men set up a website targeting South Korean bettors, who can’t legally wager in their home country. Customers were told to deposit funds in a designated bank account in South Korea, after which they were free to place their football and basketball wagers with the site.

Police believe the operation attracted over 100 clients and handled around HKD 7m (US $900k) in wagers in the short time it was up and running. In dollar terms, it pales in significance to the bust Macau police made last June, which handled HKD 5b ($645m) in wagers in just the first week of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. US federal prosecutors have alleged that the ring was organized by high-stakes poker player Paul Phua.

But this week’s bust is notable in that it represents the first time in a decade that Macau has caught South Korean nationals at the controls of an illegal gambling operation. Last month saw Vietnam deport six South Koreans for operating an illegal betting site out of a rented villa.

Police are keeping their counterparts in South Korea apprised of the situation on the presumption that other individuals were part of the operation in that country. The three men arrested Tuesday have been charged with operating illegal gaming activities and participating in organized crime. Sports betting in Macau is the sole responsibility of the Macau Slot enterprise.

Calling the Clock: Disrespect in Deauville, Lindgren Loans, and The World Series Excites

Lee Davy takes a look at a busy week in the poker media including a bunch of idiots disrespecting women poker players in France; Erick Lindgren looking over his shoulder at the oncoming PokerStars; a whole host of underdogs taking chunks of tops dogs, and the World Series of Poker doing what only they can do.

I will start this week’s little recap in France.

French poker is going through the mill of late. Not only have the authorities decided to ruin the lives of so many people connected with brick and mortar establishments, like the Aviation Club de France (ACF) – by closing them down – but the online poker world doesn’t seem to be providing the live players with the adequate shelter they need.

The French regulator ARJEL issued their Q4 reports this week and it was terrible news for lovers of ring game action. People with a fear of number should look away now.

1. €17.3m decline in online cash game revenue (quarter-on-quarter)

2. €23.8m decline in online cash game revenue (year-on-year)

3. 33% drop in online cash game revenue in the past three years.

Finland’s RAY inks 20-year deal with Playtech; Casino Iveria adds NYX Gaming

Finland’s state-owned gaming operator Raha-Automaattiyhdistys (RAY) has finalized a 20-year contract extension with software supplier Playtech, the longest deal in each of their respective histories.

RAY and Playtech have had a partnership since May 2010, with Ray enjoying a wide variety of Playtech’s slots games, including those featuring proprietary themes and branded content.

“This is a landmark contract for both companies and we are delighted to have agreed extended terms with such a valued customer,” Playtech Chief Operating Officer Shay Segev said in a statement. “We have worked together with RAY for four years defining its online offering and created the region’s biggest success story. This demonstrates our hugely powerful technology and services that are able to immediately, and successfully, launch in any newly regulated and regulating markets.”

Over in Georgia (the country, not the state), NYX Gaming Group has successfully signed its second gaming partner this week after coming to an agreement to provide online casino and poker products to Iveriabet, the online gaming arm of local casino operator Casino Iveria. The deal with Iveriabet follows a similar deal between NYX and White Hat Gaming, which also gave the latter access to use the former’s gaming products, specifically NYX Poker.

In addition to NYX Poker, Casino Iveria will get access to a handful of casino games through the NYX OGS platform, allowing the operator to expand its own menu of casino titles.

“I am delighted that Iveriabet has chosen to partner with NYX for two of our leading products,” NYX Executive Vice President of Business Development David Flynn commented.

“These agreements are strategically important as they provide an entry point into a newly regulated geographic market which further demonstrates NYX’s ambition and focus on locally regulated markets.”

Maryland casino revenue decline

Maryland’s record-setting casino revenue run has hit a roadblock after state gambling regulators reported that the state’s casinos only generated $84.9 million in January, the second straight month that revenue has declined.

The revenue numbers in the past two months (December 2014, January 2015) have dropped after the state posted a record $90.2 million in revenue in November 2013, leading many to question whether Maryland’s casino market has already topped out. That could be bad news for MGM’s casino in National Harbor that’s currently in development.

As per usual, Maryland Live took home the biggest share of the revenue pie with a $49.4 million take for the month, according to figures released by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Despite continuing to dominate the state’s casino market, Maryland Live’s January 2015 haul fell eight percent from its numbers in January 2014. The Horseshoe Casino, the state’s newest, placed second with a $23.1 million revenue haul, a slight uptick over its December 2014 revenue of $22.9 million.

The state’s three other casinos – Hollywood Casino Perryville, Casino at Ocean Downs, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort – had mixed results in the month. Of the three, Casino at Oceans Down was the only one to improve its year-on-year revenue numbers after taking in $3.38 million, or 6.6 percent better than its January 2014 numbers.

Hollywood Casino Perryville saw its revenue numbers fall 4.9 percent to $6 million while Rocky Gap Casino Resort experienced a 1.8 percent decline to $2.97 million.

The state’s total year-on-year revenue did increase by 28.3 percent over the same period last year. But that number already takes into account the revenue coming from the Horseshoe, which wasn’t open this time last year. Take Horseshoe out and the revenue numbers from the four existing casinos dropped 6.7 percent from January 2014.

PAS.net to Expand Gaming Offers for Online Marketers

PAS.net, the online gaming affiliate marketers resource for the most sought-after iGaming offers, announces its intention to broaden its offer set in 2015.

Minneapolis, Minnesota (PRWEB) February 01, 2015

PAS.net, an industry leading gaming affiliate network since 2008, has announced its intention to broaden its offer set beyond poker to additional gaming offers in 2015. The company released expanded offers on a limited basis in 2014, and as a result of customer and industry demand, has decided to expand its suite of non-traditional offers on a permanent basis. PAS now provides affiliates with over eight gaming options including casino, social gaming, and daily fantasy sports, and the company confirms that it will be further increasing its menu of gaming offers during 2015. These expanded offerings come alongside its already robust assortment of affiliate gaming opportunities including traditional revenue streams such as Cost per Action (CPA) and Revenue Share.

Creating Wins for Advertisers and Affiliates

PAS traces its lineage back to the early days of 2004, when its parent company Fourcubed began operating in the online gaming space. After identifying that the industry lacked solutions for online gaming marketers to easily access and distribute offers to their target markets, PAS was launched in 2008 to provide affiliates a turnkey, streamlined solution to facilitate bringing competitive incentivized deals direct from affiliate to customer. The company attributes its success across ten years in the online gaming industry to its adaptability in the ever-changing market and its ability to continue crafting solutions to meet both advertiser and affiliate needs. The company acts as a liaison between the online gaming operators and the marketers, providing strategic expertise to each in how to better position their products, reach their audience, and efficiently distribute their offers.

While PAS recognizes that gamers will always love poker, industry-demand has proven that online gaming marketers who provide a variety of offer types including casino, social and sports, will be the ones who continue to thrive in this ever-evolving industry. The company’s expanded gaming options represent a response to customer demand in this growing and changing market.

PAS has distinguished itself from its peers through competitive rates, robust campaign tracking, data administration, dedicated support and centralized payment processing. These services not only allow affiliates to achieve maximum profitability, but free them from the burden of administrative maintenance, allowing them to focus on running their businesses and growing their brand.

FanDuel announces 2015 Fantasy Basketball Championship; DraftKings signs with LA Clippers

FanDuel is putting its reputation as the world’s largest daily fantasy sports site in the spotlight after announcing its plan to host the 2015 World Fantasy Basketball Championship in Miami, Florida from April 9 to 11, 2015.

The event, which is set to be held at the Ritz Carlton, is being prepared to be the first of what could be an annual gathering of daily fantasy sports users all competing to win a piece of the $1 million prize pool. Actually, the competition is open for everybody, but in order to be named as one of the 50 finalists of the tournament, players must go thorough a series of qualifying rounds that will be held on the FanDuel site. These qualifiers will run multiple times a week until all 50 finalists are identified.

Each of the lucky players who do make it to the championship in Miami will receive a posh three-night stay at the Ritz Carlton. In addition, each of the players will get free entry to a host of events, including the opening ceremonies on Thursday, the Finals on Friday, and the send-off party on Saturday.

Each player will be crying to stake claim to the $100,000 first prize, even though the second prize of $70,000 and the third price of $50,000 aren’t too shabby consolation prices themselves.

While FanDuel is busy preparing for the tournament, its main rival, DraftKings, is busy scooping up new sports partnerships. The Boston-based daily fantasy sports site has added the Los Angeles Clippers to its growing list of sports partnerships.

We are excited to partner with DraftKings,” Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker said in a statement. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Clippers to associate with an innovative and progressive organization and we look forward to engaging our fan base through this new partnership.”

Just like its deals with other NBA teams like the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Clippers partnership allows DraftKings to have its brand name incorporated through various elements, including video board and LED Courtside signage, game day receptions, an extensive digital media package and a Fan Contest hosted on DraftKings.com.

Poorest children more likely to die young in developing countries

A “lottery of birth” is at play in many developing countries where poorer, socially disadvantaged children are more likely to die than their more fortunate peers, according to a leading children’s charity. Save the Children said that in 78 percent of the 87 low and middle income countries it analyzed in its “Lottery of Birth” report, at least one social or economic group was lagging behind and making slower progress in reducing child mortality.

Online Poker Bill Dies in Mississippi Legislature

Mississippi online poker was always a long shot, but in 2015, a bill to regulate the game in the state never even got close to being considered. The Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2015 is officially dead, having failed to advance past the committee level by a Tuesday deadline. The bill, introduced by State […]

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