Monthly Archives: September 2016

Lottoland.co.uk Announces EuroMillions Price Freeze

Online lottery betting leader Lottoland.co.uk has announced that it will be freezing its EuroMillions prices at £2.

The news follows the announcement that the price of a EuroMillions line has risen from £2 to £2.50 for every draw as of Tuesday September 27th.

Following Camelot’s announcement that its EuroMillions price has increased from £2 to £2.50 as of Tuesday September 27th, Lottoland.co.uk has experienced a 536 per cent1 increase in sales as Brits seek better value elsewhere.

Lottoland.co.uk offers customers the chance to bet on the outcome of a wide range of lotteries from around the world, including EuroMillions, in order to win the same prizes, including the jackpot.

DraftKings probes possible collusion in $1M flagship contest

Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings is investigating one of its player for potential complicity to win the site’s “Fantasy Football Millionaire” contest.

User Martin Crowley, who goes by the name “papagates,” was among the winners of the contest, which yielded a $1 million prize. But Crowley’s brother, Tom, also won a million dollar contest last year, which immediately resulted in speculations that the two may have colluded to win the contest.

DraftKings head of compliance Jennifer Aguiar confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that they “are in the process of on ongoing investigation.”

Aguiar declined to comment further on the specifics of the internal probe, which according to the news outlet, “appears to be focused on whether at least one winner of Sunday’s contest found ways around the site’s limits on how many entries each user can submit and the level of cooperation they can have with other players.

Unibet’s Maris Bonello urges industry to be ‘more responsive to change’ at iGaming Education Forum

MALTA (September 29, 2016)

The inaugural iGaming Education Forum aims to ‘grow the industry’ through education when it opens at this year’s SiGMA conference, and this aim is validated by the inclusion of recognised industry specialist, Maris Bonello, who will be delivering the Responsible Gambling course in November. Bonello, who works as Integrity Analytics Manager at one of the largest online gaming companies in Europe, Unibet, will be driving social responsibility as a top priority at the forum whilst also pushing the industry to be “more responsive to change” when dealing with the topic and the stigmas which surround it.

Confirming the acceptance of the invitation to speak, iGaming Academy Director Jaime Debono, said: “Maris is an ideal fit for the iGaming Education Forum and we’re pleased to have someone in her position delivering this vital course. Her background at Unibet and the award-winning work she completed with the innovative detection tool PS-EDS (Player Safety – Early Detection System) highlights her passion for the subject matter and her knowledge of policies and practices used to promote consumer protection and awareness. Responsible Gaming is integral to the future of the iGaming sector and we know Maris will provide the best guidance to all attendees on how to respond to situations related to this topic.”

Commenting on the Responsible Gambling course at this year’s iGaming Education Forum, Maris Bonello, explained: “Responsible gambling is so important for anyone working in this industry and the more time passes, the more we are seeing this topic gain more momentum and importance. In the course I will provide first-hand experience on a number of topics covering psychology of gambling, gambling regulatory requirements and proactive approaches to responsible gambling in the online gambling world.”

Maryland lottery official defends bid award

In the battle for Maryland’s lottery central system, technical criteria outweighs the cost.

The Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency has found itself with its back against the wall as it defends its decision to pick the most expensive of three contract proposals for a new lottery central system.

In awarding the controversial lottery contract to gaming technology provider Scientific Games Inc. (SGI), Maryland Lottery Director Gordon Medenica pointed out that the technical criteria of the $262 million contract over eight years trumps than the high cost differences when compared to overall lottery sales.

He explained that SGI received the top ranking by a lottery committee on “technical” criteria that includes the data center, hardware, software, communications, field service, operations, marketing, game support and more.

Two World Title Fights Set For ONE: Defending Honor In Singapore On 11 November

29 September 2016 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced additional bouts for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR, which is set to rock the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 11 November. In the main event, ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki will defend his title against Eduard Folayang of the Philippines. In the co-main event, ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov will do battle with former titleholder Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia in a highly-anticipated rematch.

Tickets for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR are available click here.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui, stated: “2016 has been an amazing year for ONE Championship. After meeting with the biggest names in the industry at the Asia MMA Summit, we are proud to announce a spectacular fight card set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium this November. We are going in with two world title fights that will set the ONE Championship cage ablaze with world-class MMA action and excitement, along with a series of really solid supporting bouts.”

Lightweight veteran Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Shizuoka, Japan, is one of the world’s most decorated mixed martial artists. He is the DREAM Lightweight Champion, former Shooto Welterweight Champion, and the reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion. The 33-year-old Aoki is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Yuki Nakai and has won multiple grappling tournaments across the globe. He also holds a black belt in judo. A veteran of over 40 professional bouts which includes an impressive 25 victories by submission, Aoki’s reputation as a grappling specialist is unrivaled. Aoki is currently riding a nine-fight win streak, and is set to step back inside the ONE Championship cage to defend his lightweight title against Eduard Folayang.

The Technology To Face The New Needs Of The IT Market Soon Presented In Rome At Enada Gaming Show

Mobile users in Italy are about 50 million and statistics are predicting to reach 51,3 million in 2 years. The penetration of smartphones in the country hit the 62% this year and will be around the 68,5% in 2018. If we consider Social Media, Italy counts 23,3 million subscribers while the number increases up to nearly 40 million when analyzing the Online (65,6% of the population).

Online and mobile connections in the country are very popular and by the end of this year, the Italian authority for the regulated market will release 15 thousand permits for betting – corner shops and 120 licenses for the online gaming, allowing new gaming opportunities. At this point, being compliant with the low won’t be enough for the Italian operators and they will look for an advanced technology that enables them to face the emerging market’s requirements.

In fact, the evolution of iGaming and sports betting technology in recent years has encouraged a transformation of player expectations. Players wish to encounter the same brand with the same offer on each channel. At the same time, from a management perspective, operators experience the problem of administering multiple systems that are integrated at the front-end, but separate on the back-end. This means that operators require a valid omnichannel solution that allows them to have a single back-end from which to administer all channels.

Btobet’s CEO, Alessandro Fried, said:

Indian court admits suit vs. online lotteries, offshore casinos

Two petitions challenging the operations of offshore casinos and lotteries has been filed in two local courts in India.

Social activist Kashinath Shetye has filed a petition questioning the legality of the offshore casinos’ operation in River Mandovi before the High Court of Bombay at Goa, according to a report of Herald Goa.

The petitioner contends that none of the offshore casinos in River Mandovi have CRZ permission which is required for their operation. Sheteye is convinced that the court should stop the operations of the said offshore casinos for being illegal.

He cited the licenses issued to the concerned casino operators, which stated that offshore casinos should be anchored at least 12 nautical miles from the shore.

Fedor Holz joins Noëtics Hood as tournament ambassador

Noëtics Hood´s Poker textiles are designed for globetrotting Poker professionals. The high quality and maximum comfort in design make them the best choice whether spending long hours at poker tables or travelling to a next tournament. Clothing that works perfectly on and off the poker events is the reason why Noëtics Hood first caught Fedor Holz´ attention.

Holz has had an unbelievable year on the live circuit, winning six titles at fourteen final tables and cashing for nearly $16 million along the way. Apart from his unstoppable poker skills he knows the importance the right clothing makes in live poker tournaments, getting the competition to notice you, while letting you to concentrate in the game. “I’ve been excited about the company and its product since the first moment and I can’t wait to see every poker player wearing his own individual Noëtics hoodie”, says Holz.

“Fedor Holz as Noëtics Hood´s Tournament face and Patrik Antonius as Cash Game face form together a brilliant team giving a clear picture of the level we operate at, as well as strengthening our image that our products are designed and directed to Poker players around the world” comments Ari Pakarinen, Noëtics Hood´s Executive Designer.

“I am super enthusiastic to collaborate with Holz who is not afraid to wear hoodies with unique fabric combos and textures” says Pakarinen and continues “My designs are practical and comfortable but they also reflect the energy, the tension and the passion for the game”.

Week 4 Thursday Night Football Betting Preview

Among other reasons, the Cincinnati Bengals are big favorites against the Miami Dolphins due to their track record of avoiding extending losing streaks.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Bengals are listed as 7.5-point favorites against the Miami Dolphins, with a total of 45 points, for the two 1-2 teams’ Thursday Night Football betting matchup. Cincinnati is a -360 moneyline favorite, while Miami is a +280 underdog on those odds.

Cincinnati, which is coming off losses against the Pittsburgh Steelers, is 5-0 both straight-up and against the spread in its last five games after consecutive losses. The biggest concern about the Bengals is whether their offensive line, which has already allowed 12 sacks, will be able to protect QB Andy Dalton.

LeoVegas Winners Net Mega Fortune

Two LeoVegas players have hit the jackpot playing the popular Mega Fortune Series. The Swedish winners are already making plans for their winnings, including buying a new car, travelling and investing in property and shares.

The first winner from Sweden, who wishes to remain anonymous, won over £100,000 playing Mega Fortune on the LeoVegas mobile app. He staked just £5 on the game before going on to take the six-figure jackpot.

The winner said: “I was relaxing in bed after a long day at work when I decided to have a go on LeoVegas. I couldn’t believe it when I won the jackpot at first – I definitely didn’t get much sleep that night! I’ve already started looking at holiday destinations and new cars as well as a few apartments!

“I’d played various games with LeoVegas in the past but my new favourite is definitely Mega Fortune. I’ve never won this big in my whole life!”

Cambodia bust online gambling karaoke parlor; Malaysia bust online cockfighting

Cambodian authorities have shut down a Chinese-run online gambling site operating out of a Poipet karaoke parlor.

On Wednesday, Interior Ministry officials announced that they had ordered the closure of the unlicensed online gambling business due to the operators having failed to secure the necessary paperwork. Police found 63 Chinese nationals on the property, but since all had the necessary visas, none of them were arrested.

The karaoke parlor’s owner had rented part of the property to a Chinese businessman, who reportedly had obtained government permission to operate an online gambling business but had yet to receive the official go-ahead from Finance Ministry officials.

Cambodia Daily quoted a director of the Interior Ministry’s central security department saying that the gambling business would be permitted to resume its operations once the paperwork was in order.

Delta Corp in talks to buy Indian rummy site Ace2three.com

India’s largest gaming and hospitality company is reportedly negotiating a deal to acquire online rummy website Ace2three.com.

Reports surfaced on Tuesday that Delta Corp. is in discussions to with Head Infotech Pvt. Ltd., which operates Ace2three.com.

Jay Sayta of GLaws.In quoted a report from news channel ET Now, which suggested that the hospitality company may be shelling out between USD80 and 100 million in a stock and cash deal for the rummy site. The acquisition is expected to be announced by mid-October, according to the news outlet.

The deal, if it pushes through, will make Delta Corp the number one player in the online skills games space in India.

Ultraplay Launches Outlaws eSports Academy

The largest to date competitive gaming tournament in Bulgaria Game Evolution inspired the main partner and sponsor of the eSports event – UltraPlay to start their own eSport Academy for young talents who dream to compete at the worldwide gaming stage.

With great pleasure UltraPlay announces that they have succeeded in gathering two teams of young eSports stars playing CS:GO and Overwatch who now have their own professional contracts. The teams were respectively first and second place winners on the tournament.

“I am so happy that now I get the chance to work with UltraPlay – the leading company in our industry. Me and my teammates are going to work very hard in order to achieve our first goal – to be at least in Top 30 world CS:GO rankings”, said Ivan Stratiev – Rock1nG, captain of CS:GO team.

The brand new eSports academy is called OutLaws and it brings together the most dedicated young Bulgarian gamers who now have the chance to compete in the largest world gaming tournaments.