Monthly Archives: February 2015

Why Rascal Flatts Is Vowing No 'Monkey' Business in Their New Vegas Show

When Jay DeMarcus, Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts started planning the new stage show for their nine-day residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, they looked for inspiration in some unexpected places. “We love Penn & Teller,” DeMarcus told PEOPLE of emulating acts who’ve had long-term success in Sin City.

News 4 Investigates: Section 8 lottery to begin in March

The St Louis County Housing Authority is hoping people will not literally line up, because the last time enrollment was opened, the long line led to traffic problems. The government program has a budget of $33 million in St. Louis County, but it will not be enough to cover the rent of everyone who applies.

Becky’s Affiliated: Jersey- the new iGaming jurisdiction on the block

 

ICE 2015 kicked off the year for the gambling industry and it was an exceptionally successful event for Jersey, the latest iGaming jurisdiction on the block.

The Jersey Gambling Commission was established in 2010, but the UK’s whitelist greatly restricted the island’s ability to attract iGaming operators as Jersey was not on the list.  Now that the whitelist has been abolished and the POCT is in place, Jersey has emerged as the latest tier one global iGaming jurisdiction and the reception of the industry has been overwhelming.

To get a feel for why Jersey is an ideal jurisdiction for online gambling operations, I sat down with Andy Jarrett, Director for Digital Jersey, an organization supporting local businesses, attracting new businesses and inspiring innovation on the island.  During our discussion, Jarrett covered the key benefits of obtaining a license and basing a business on island, Jersey’s relationships with other jurisdictions and crypto-currencies.

Becky Liggero: Jersey is a jurisdiction I’ve known about for several years but I haven’t seen much from the jurisdiction.  Now that the POCT has been passed and we have an abolished whitelist, Jersey is back and can you start by telling me how these new laws in the UK have put Jersey back on the map in terms of serving as a jurisdiction for iGaming?

Andy Jarrett: We set about putting the laws in place in Jersey and the latest draft was finished in 2012 and passed in ’13 – that was with the understanding that we’d get on the whitelist.  But I think the UK knew where it was going with the POCT and we were just making no progress because the operators and the businesses we were talking to really wanted us to be on the whitelist.  So we took a step back and thought, lets just pause.  Lets have a look at what’s out there jurisdiction-wise.  Lets talk to a whole bunch of operators and businesses to see what they would really like and then look to launch something in January when POCT comes in – that means that taxes are going to go up and the whiltelist is going to be going away, so that barrier’s been removed.

So I think those things coming together, we felt on the island that companies would look at different jurisdictions.  If they’re UK only, then why be anywhere other than the UK- they’re just going to relocate to the UK- but we thought this might provide a catalyst for people who might look for a new global hub. 

Indians take to virtual gambling to bet on Cricket World Cup

Unbeknownst to most fans who don’t live in any of the countries that are participating in a certain international sports tournament that’s currently on-going as we speak, the 2015 Cricket World Cup is playing. It’s a pretty big deal for participating nations, but for the rest of the world, not so much. The issue surrounding the lack of worldwide popularity of the Cricket World Cup and the sport of cricket for that matter is a topic for a different day.

What’s important is that those who love cricket are fully invested in the tournament, more so for those whose national team is currently competing in it. One such country is India, and it would be the understatement of understatements if I said that our friends in India love cricket. Actually, obsession might be a better word to describe it, akin to how Filipinos are obsessed with basketball.

Go anywhere in India these days and you’re likely to hear more conversations about the Cricket World Cup than any other available topic that’s relevant in the country these days. Such is the love Indians have for the sport and that love has even extended to the realm of gambling where mock betting sites – sports betting is illegal in India – have been bombarded with Indian sports fans playing for a chance to win non-cash prizes.

According to the Economic Times India, local sites like Betmockers, India Bet, and Lagai Khai, are all experiencing unprecedented levels of site visits, most of whom coming from cricket supporters rooting for their beloved national team.

These sites, according to IndiaBet.com managing director George Oborne told the newspaper that these sites (and apps)  “provide a safe alternative to unregulated forms of gambling on offer in India.”

The surge in visits is largely attributed to general interest from residents of India, but Betmockers CEO Tabrez Sheikh pointed out that even Indians living abroad are getting in on the action too. “Where during IPL (Indian Premier League) we clocked 13,000 visitors a month, with World Cup, even before it began, we started clocking around 22,000 visitors a month.”

Those numbers are expected to increase even more as India continues its run in the tournament. The national team currently sits atop Group B with a 2-0 record and if their recent form is any indication, India could have an extended run in the tournament that might even end up with a run to the title. It would at least make for a great story considering that India entered the tournament as fourth favorites with its odds at 6/1 to win the tourney.

Maryland pushes for legal poker home games; Indiana updating antiquated laws

Legislators from Maryland are preparing two bills that would decriminalize acts of hosting and playing in poker home games. Senate Bill 184 and House Bill 59 are authored by Sen. Nancy King and Delegate Kirill Reznik, respectively.

Should both bills get the requisite number of votes, any person who runs a home game based on chance or skill that involves betting real money will no longer be inconvenienced by a maximum fine of $1,000 or potential jail time. The existing law isn’t enforced all that strictly, but the new law would draw a distinct line between what’s legal and what isn’t.

“What makes a casino a casino is that a cut of the winnings is saved for the house,” Reznik said at the House Ways and Means Committee Thursday, as quoted by the Capital News Service. “The laws are so restrictive now that a person’s home is deemed a casino.”

The two bills come with their own set of restrictions, most notably the illegalities of enforcing a rake system in any of these home games or using online electronic devices for placing real money bets.

Reznik has discussed details of the two bills with state and local police, who failed to voice any strong objections, and over 20 state lawmakers have signed off on the proposals. Should the bill get all the votes it needs, the changes could be enforced as early as October 2015.

INDIANA MULLS LOOSENING GAMING LAW RESTRICTIONS

Over in Indiana, the state’s House of Representatives has voted in favor of changes to existing casino laws, much to the dismay of Gov. Mike Pence.

Computer Conquers Texas Hold ‘Em

Computer Conquers Texas Hold ‘Em, Researchers Say

Advances in Artificial Intelligence Allow Program to Play Poker Almost Perfectly, New Paper Asserts

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Artificial intelligence experts said they have developed a computer card shark that plays poker almost perfectly, having mastered a version of a popular game called Texas Hold ’em.

While playful at heart, their advance in the computational mathematics of game theory may lead to broader innovations in military strategy, national security, medical decision-making, complex contract negotiations and auctions, experts said.

The basic poker game “has been essentially solved,” said Tuomas Sandholm, director of the Electronic Marketplaces Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, whose own poker-playing program won a 2014 world championship. He wasn’t involved in the project. “This is a breakthrough.”

In recent years, high-powered computer programs have outmatched top human players in chess, checkers, Scrabble and the quiz game Jeopardy, but the uncertainties of poker—where so much information about the state of play is hidden—until now had defied the efforts of dozens of research teams.

Please read more at wsj.com

$188 million lottery winner talks to Robin Roberts on 'Good Morning America'

A North Carolina mother of four claimed a $188 million Powerball lottery prize after presenting one of the three winning tickets to one of the largest lottery prizes ever. According to ABC’s ” Good Morning America ” on Feb. 24, one of the three lottery winners of the $564 million jackpot sat down with anchor Robin Roberts to discuss winning the Powerball jackpot.

May 2, 2015: Biggest sports gambling day of the year

May 2, 2015 is shaping up to a big day in the world of sports and sports gambling, and I say that without a speck of hyperbole. We already know that the day will be dominated by the Floyd Mayweather Jr. – Manny Pacquiao fight. Sportsbooks are already preparing for that day three months in advance. That’s how big the fight is going to be.

But if you’re a sportsbook, you’re also probably sweating at the amount of work you’ll be doing that day. If the fight isn’t already reason enough to keep your head spinning throughout the day, the fact that a number of other sporting events will happen on that same day might cause a lot of heads to explode.

Believe me. I checked the calendars of a lot of sports leagues and sports happenings for that day and as it turns out, all you sports fans who love to gamble might need to prepared your divorce papers, too. I honestly don’t know how you can spend more than an hour away from your TVs with what’s on tap. But if you somehow find a way to finagle your way into an agreement with your wife, girlfriend, or partner, enjoy this day because it doesn’t happen very often.

Not counting the fight for obvious reasons, here are the other sporting events happening on May 2, 2015, otherwise known as “Sportmaggedon”.

NBA/NHL Playoffs

At this time of the year, both the NBA and NHL playoffs are already in full swing. The NHL playoffs start a week earlier than the NBA, April 11 to April 18, so you could be watching a bunch of second round games on that end. As for the NBA playoffs? Early May is usually when a bunch of first round Game7s happen. In case you need a refresher, there were three – THREE! – Game 7 games that were played in May 3, 2014. If any of these first round series goes to seven games, there’s a reasonable chance that some of them, maybe even all of them, will be played on May 2.

European football conclusion

Interview with Geoff Read of DAB Gaming Limited

Rebecca Liggero talks to Geoff Read, Founder and CEO of DAB Gaming Limited on how to create the best possible user experience on mobile and tablet devices.

Read was full of useful information from a social gaming side and contributed a lot to the panel discussion.  “All the innovation is happening in social.  The best games are in social in my mind at the moment”, Read said.  At the same time, he added that the social gaming industry is only three to four years old and the industry is still learning- everything is a constant experiment, he said.

Reed shares the his top-three tips on how to create the smoothest and best possible user experience for players for mobile and tablets.

“First you have to have the right technology and then we use the native application, primarily and that creates the best experience. It just provides the smoothest interface. We also use HTML5, which we ran on android devices but it’s not quite the slickest as the native, so I think the first is to get the technology right.”

“The other aspect for user experience to look at what it is that the user wants to do with your game…what the user wants to experience in your game.”

“The third point of user experience is how to engage the customer in all of their friends. How do you access and get viral. Things don’t just go viral o their own. You have to build aspects on to the game. So you have to invite Facebook friends, you have to share things with friends; when you get stuck, you have to ask your friends.”

According to Read, an area for improvement with social would be to ditch the clutter on the screens- social companies keep adding and adding features and he thinks this is confusing for players.  “Social is going to have to figure out how to make the experience a bit easier for the arriving player”, he said.

Atlantic City casino to launch online gambling; Betfair pays out biggest New Jersey jackpot

Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino Hotel has received permission from the state Division of Gaming Enforcement to conduct full internet gambling on Wednesday, following a successful five-day test period wherein state inspectors verified that the casino’s equipment and systems are working properly.

Casino President Mark Giannantonio said that the casino’s website, www.ResortsCasino.com, will begin several weeks of beta testing to learn what its customers want and is expected to have its full launch few weeks

“During our beta period, we will invite players to sign up and provide feedback on the user experience, while we add additional features before our official launch,” Giannantonio said. “Real-time feedback will be an important aspect of our beta period as we further enhance the gaming content and features to produce the best casino experience in New Jersey,”

Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino Hotel has been partnered with PokerStars since July 2013 but due to the online poker website’s legal troubles, the resort has been approved and will offer online gambling through one of its partner Sportech NYX Gaming. It still plans to add PokerStars to its lineup once Amaya Gaming is approved to operate in New Jersey.

The resort is the sixth of the eight Atlantic City’s casinos to offer Internet gambling, along with the Borgata, Golden Nugget, Tropicana, Caesars and Bally’s.

Trump Plaza closed Sept. 16, and Trump Taj Mahal, which continues to operate, lost their Internet gambling operations last year.

Meanwhile, Internet betting operator Betfair announced that a player from Union County won just over $1.5 million on “Let It Ride,” a variant of traditional poker available on BetfairCasino.com.

Hard Rock International Appoints Jon Lucas As Executive Vice President of Hotel & Casino Operations

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Hard Rock International – owner of one of the world’s most-recognizable and iconic brands – announces the appointment of 30-year hospitality veteran, Jon Lucas, as EVP of Hotel & Casino Operations. In this new position, Lucas will be instrumental in further igniting the brand’s transition into a world-class, full-service hotel and casino management company.

Lucas originally joined Hard Rock in 2013 as the president of the Hard Rock Rocksino in Northfield Park, where he managed everything from site design and construction to the hiring and onboarding of key executives. During his tenure at the Rocksino, Lucas’ efforts led to the venue quickly becoming a dominating market share leader in Ohio.“Jon Lucas is a seasoned executive with the proven unique ability to see operations from both the brand and operators point of view,” says Hamish Dodds, chief executive officer for Hard Rock International. “We look forward to seeing our business continue to grow under his leadership.” Prior to joining Hard Rock, Lucas was the president and general manager of the IP Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi for six years. Lucas also spent four years as regional president at Caesars Entertainment where he was responsible for the oversight of three properties, including more than 1,700 rooms and full-service gaming facilities, encompassing over 5,200 slots and 150 table games.Internationally recognized as a world-class entertainment and lifestyle brand, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos offer stylish and contemporary design, unparalleled service and the thread that unites them all – music. Hard Rock’s portfolio of Hotels and Casinos are located in the world’s most enviable resort destinations, as well as urban gateway cities. Hard Rock Hotels cater to the evolving and distinctive needs of today’s cosmopolitan, modern travelers, who seek a reprieve from traditional, predictable properties, whether for business or leisure travel. For more information or to book a stay at any of the Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, please visit www.hardrockhotels.com.    About Hard Rock InternationalWith a total of 198 venues in 63 countries, including 152 cafes, 21 hotels and 10 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include San Juan, Rio de Janeiro and Marrakech. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Dubai, Los Cabos, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tenerife, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com. 

Cape Girardeau woman claims lottery prize 3 days before expiration

A woman from Cape Girardeau claimed her $100,000 prize from the Missouri Lottery just three days before the game she had played was set to expire. According to a press release from the Missouri Lottery, 66-year-old Margaret Friend claimed her prize on Friday, Feb. 20. Friend bought the winning ticket from Schnucks in Cape Girardeau.

Chinese gamblers most unruly but Hong Kong gamblers most annoying

A new study says mainland Chinese gamblers lack social graces but the problem may also lie with Macau casino dealers’ prejudicial outlook.

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University interviewed 300 veteran Macau casino staffers to determine if there were discernible differences in the behavior of different Chinese subcultures.

The study involved casino staff’s perceptions of mainland Chinese gamblers versus those from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Study author Dr. Samuel Seongseop Kim said the intent was to see whether Chinese subcultures that had “lived through different pasts” displayed common behavior while at the baccarat tables.

Participating staff all had at least three years experience on Macau casino floors, while nearly one-quarter had at least six to eight years service. The staff were asked to rate gamblers in seven areas, including how passively they participated, how disruptive they got, how much they complained, their chip/money holding and how cautious they were.

Chinese gamblers were found to be the least tidy and the most disruptive. Most of the time, they want what they want. They’re not completely against the introduction of any novelty into their game, but only if its preceded by detailed explanation.

The study’s authors believe the staff shared “negative perceptions” of mainland Chinese and – given that mainland China is Macau’s biggest traffic source – suggested sensitivity training. The casino staff interviewed for the study were 81.3% ethnically Chinese, with the rest comprised mainly of Portuguese (11.7%) and Malaysians (6%).

Hong Kong gamblers were deemed most likely to complain and ask for favors or comps, but they were also most likely to respond to a dealer’s guidance. They exhibit a “peak and valley” betting pattern and enjoy trying new games, provided the service is good. If not, staff will hear about it. If you want to attract more of them, good promotions are key.

Indian Online Poker Site Adda52 Create Pro Team Roster

Indian online poker has their first professional poker team after Adda52 unveiled Team Spades. A group of four players hired to spread the game as a professional sport both in India and internationally.

The ambiguity over whether online poker is legal in India doesn’t seem to be bothering Adda52. The site that claims to be the first to ever offer online cash games in the South Asian country, has set another record by creating the first-ever Indian professional poker team.

Amit Jain, Kunal Patni, Aditya Sushant and Muskan Sethi will now be collectively known as Team Spades. They will represent Adda52 both online and live. Part of their job description will be to promote the game as a professional sport, both in India and the rest of the world.

That job was made a little easier, a few days ago, after the Indian Supreme Court sided with printing firm Parksons Graphics, who were arguing that a 1% tax rate should be lopped off their bottom line because poker is a physical sport.

Whilst Chief Justice HL Dattu may believe holding cards in your hands creates physical exertion, the jury is still out over the debate that poker and gin rummy are games of skill. It seems Fifty Shades of Grey is not only a term used to define a really crap movie.

Team Spades have so far won $160k between them in live tournament earnings. Only Patni has a decent score to talk of after winning a side event at the Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in Oct last year.

“Poker is truly a game of skill. It requires its players to have a highly calculative and methodical mind,” said Anuj Gupta from Adda52.