Monthly Archives: September 2017

Tom Dwan a Late Scratch on ‘Poker After Dark,’ Isaac Haxton Banks as Big Day One Winner of PLOMG

Tuesday’s episode of “Poker After Dark,” kicked off a week of “PLOMG,” a reference to Phil Galfond’s online poker screen name, “OMGClayAiken.” But as Brian Rast joked during the show, […]

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Malta Gaming Authority ‘sandbox test’ of cryptocurrency impact

Malta’s gaming regulatory body is proceeding with a ‘sandbox test’ of its cryptocurrency controls before allowing Malta-licensed online gambling operators to accept digital currencies such as Bitcoin.

On Monday, the Times of Malta reported that the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) had enlisted the help of auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to conduct the test, which involves introducing a fictitious cryptocurrency within a controlled environment and seeing what threats – if any – it presents to Malta’s overall economy.

MGA chairman Joseph Cuschieri said the Malta Financial Services Authority, the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit and the Central Bank of Malta would participate in the sandbox test and provide feedback.

In April, Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat revealed that Malta was working on a national strategy to promote blockchain technology, and a Muscat spokesman told the Times that the PM wanted to make Malta the “blockchain capital of Europe.”

Genting seeks sale of high-end London casino Maxims

Asian gaming operator Genting is looking to unload its London VIP casino Maxims, the second Asian-owned London casino sale to be announced this month.

After days of rumors, Malaysia’s Genting International formally confirmed that it had appointed property consultancy CBRE to flog its Maxims Casino Club property in Kensington. Genting is believed to be asking at least £40m for the high-end casino, which resides in a 150-year-old Victorian townhouse, Palace Gate House.

Genting acquired Maxims over a decade ago from UK casino operator Stanley Leisure. Genting currently operates over 40 casinos in the UK, of which five are controlled by the Genting International subsidiary, including Crockfords, the site of poker star Phil Ivey’s infamous ‘edge-sorting’ punto banco shenanigans in 2012 that remain the subject of legal wrangles.

Genting recently completed a “multi-million pound refurbishment” of Maxims’ three VIP gaming rooms, some of which feature “exquisite period features,” including the Dickens Room’s hand-painted stained glass ceiling. The property also features a whisky lounge bar and a restaurant specializing in “Arabic, Chinese and European cuisine.”