Monthly Archives: June 2017

Jeff Sessions recuses himself from federal online gambling ban talks

Questions over the US Attorney General’s alleged Russian connections have indirectly complicated casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s bid to ban online gambling in the United States.

On Friday, Bloomberg reported that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself from any discussion of whether to undo the 2011 Department of Justice opinion that allowed states to determine for themselves whether to allow their residents to enjoy online gambling from the comfort of their homes, so long as it didn’t involve sports betting.

During his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Sessions (pictured) said he disagreed with that 2011 opinion and would “revisit” the opinion once he was sworn in as the country’s top law enforcement officer.

But Sessions’ recent hiring of attorney Charles Cooper to steer him through congressional investigations of (among other things) Sessions’ role in the firing of FBI director James Comey has complicated Sessions’ involvement in the gambling issue.

UK gov’t gambling review delayed until October “at the earliest”

The UK government says it won’t release the findings of its review of the fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) in bookmakers’ shops until October at the earliest.

On Thursday, Tory MP Tracey Crouch, who oversees the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) that is conducting the triennial review of the UK gambling industry, informed parliament that she doesn’t expect “any further announcement until October at the earliest” as to the results of that review.

The review is looking at whether to reduce the FOBTs’ current maximum stake of £100, with many opposition MPs and anti-gambling campaigners pushing for a reduction to just £2. The review is also examining whether to reduce the current maximum of four FOBTs per betting shop, as well as considering new restrictions on gambling firms advertising on television.

Crouch noted that the review was subject to a mandatory 12-week standstill period due to the UK’s recent snap election. This had “interrupted the final stages of our consideration of the evidence received and the subsequent internal cross-government process of approval and sign-off.” Crouch said the delays meant “we are back at the start of the process.”

Charania Completes Poker’s Triple Crown, Silver Wins First Gold, and Bolek Is Ultimate Bounty Hunter

On the penultimate day of June, Day 30 of the 2017 World Series of Poker, three players won bracelets. Mohsin Charania’s victory proved extra special, as it capped off one […]

The post Charania Completes Poker’s Triple Crown, Silver Wins First Gold, and Bolek Is Ultimate Bounty Hunter appeared first on .

European Union online poker liquidity deal due on July 6

Online poker liquidity sharing between European Union regulated gambling markets will be given official regulatory blessing next month.

On Friday, the gaming regulatory bodies in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain issued identical statements indicating that their long-awaited deal to share online poker liquidity among licensed operators in their respective markets will be signed in Rome on July 6.

The signing won’t immediately open the floodgates for poker players in each of those markets to square off against each other across a digital table. The statement indicates that the agreement will only “lay the foundations for cooperation” between the four nations. Regulators in each jurisdiction will then need to individually take the necessary steps “to make liquidity possible for the game of poker.”

These steps will include the thorny question of resolving the disparity in taxation of poker play in each of the jurisdictions, as well as issues involving responsibility for taking regulatory action in the event of some shenanigans involving players or operators in multiple markets.

How can bookmakers navigate the Mobile UX challenges in the European regulated market?

From 11thto 14th July BtoBet will be in Amsterdam as VIP Area Lounge sponsor at the iGaming Super Show. All operators will have the possibility to discover how to manage all sports betting Mobile Ux challenges.

Innovation in technology plays a key role in the mobile channel. In the sports-betting industry, both traditional and in-play, players are provided with a huge range of sports, events and bets. The selection of events must be quick and the customers need suggestions to access their preferred content, all in one click.

BtoBet has created a useful technical handbook to give tips and insights into how to manage mobile betting Ux. To discover more, download the full document here: http://www.btobet.com/en/mobileux

BtoBet’s CEO, Kostandina Zafirovska will be a speaker in the panel “Mobile Ux – the next big challenges for bookmakers” on 12th July at 16.45 – room 1. Anticipating the discussion, she highlighted:

IWG partners with 888

Supplier’s instant win titles have gone live across the operator’s bingo network

London, 30th June 2017: IWG – the award-winning supplier of online, instant win games – has struck a deal to deliver its content to leading operator 888.

Popular blockbuster titles Slingo and Cashbuster will be among the games rolled out across 888 Bingo with more to follow in the next few months.

Leon Thomas, Chief Commercial Officer at IWG, said: “We are thrilled to have agreed another major deal with one of the industry’s most respected operators.

OPE SPORTS announced as the new shirt sponsor of Huddersfield Town

Online gaming company agrees a multi-year partnership as the Club reveal Aaron Mooy as their record signing

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND (30th June, 2017) – Huddersfield Town has broken two records in one day as OPE SPORTS are revealed as the Club’s highest value front of shirt partner ever while Aaron Mooy completes his record-breaking move to the John Smith’s Stadium.

In the biggest deal of its kind for the Club, OPE SPORTS’ logo will feature across the Club’s shirt at all home and away games, pitch side LED and other branding at the stadium as well as across online and social media channels in the UK and internationally.

Mooy joins the Club following his season-long loan from Manchester City. The 26-year-old Australian international was a key part of The Terriers’ side that gained promotion via the play-offs, scoring in the decisive penalty shootout.

SBC Betting Forum line-up announced

30th June, 2017 (London) – The first edition of the SBC Betting Forum will feature contributions from many of the biggest names in sports betting when it takes place on 12th July at this year’s iGaming Super Show in Amsterdam.

Among the speakers already confirmed for the event, sponsored by VSoftCo Ltd., include BtoBet CEO Kostandina Zafirovska, Pinnacle’s Head of Marketing Harry Lang and VSoftCo Director Simon Westbury.

Other speaks at the event include:

Scott Longley, Journalist, Clear Concise Media