Monthly Archives: June 2018

The Mouthpiece: Perhaps the leagues should pay integrity fees

This is The Mouthpiece, a guest contribution by Martin Owens. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

A specter is haunting professional sports in the United States. It is the specter of sports betting.1 Both at the professional and college level, for  players, owners, and leagues. For generations, involvement with gambling on any level was professional suicide for any player, any owner, for any person connected in any way with big league and pro sports. It meant dismissal, disgrace, banishment for life. Just ask Pete Rose.

The actual reasons for this gut level attitude go back far beyond any particular scandal or incident, All the way back to 19th century England, where the so-called public school system (actually private) was set up to produce useful, Christian, patriotic citizens. One of the pillars of this system was team sports. “Mens sana in corpore sano” ran the phrase: healthy mind in a healthy body . While much of what passed for professional sports in those days (racing, boxing, cockfights, etc.) was shot through with corruption, payoffs and dirty tricks, the gentleman amateurs playing cricket and rugby and soccer would set the example of fair play and good sportsmanship. And thereby change society for the better.

This legacy, the idea that sports are good for society continues to exert powerful  influence all over the world. The idea that sports are something special and virtuous translates hard dollars. Lots of ‘em. Pro sports stadiums and arenas are routinely financed from taxpayer funds, even in cities that can’t really afford it. Professional sports enjoys relative immunity from antitrust and labor laws. To tell it like it is, pro sports gets a pass where other industries and interests are taxed and regulated to a fare-thee-well.

NOVOMATIC debuts new product line-up in Latin America at PGS

A new range of cutting-edge NOVOMATIC gaming equipment for international casino markets was launched in 2018 and will now be previewed in Latin America for the first time at the Peru Gaming Show. Taking place on June 20-21 in the heart of Lima, PGS is gearing up to be its largest edition to date and NOVOMATIC will make a standout presentation of new cabinets, single games, multi-games and game mixes, as well as standalone and linked progressive jackpots.

On Stand #58 at the Peru Gaming Show 2018, NOVOMATIC will showcase a range of brand new gaming equipment in Latin America. The new cabinets PANTHERA™ 2.27 and PANTHERA™ Curve 1.43 will be on prominent display. The two-screen version PANTHERA™ 2.27 features a straight-forward design and powerful performance, and at PGS will present the new NOVO LINE™ Interactive Edition X game mix with ten leading titles that include Viking & Dragon™, Amazon’s Diamonds™ and Book of Ra™ Temple of Gold.

The single-screen cabinet version PANTHERA Curve™ 1.43 features a 43” curve screen with 4K display and delivers a wide selection of single- and multi-game content. At PGS, a bank of six cabinets will present six titles – Asian Fortunes™, Book of Ra™ Mystic Fortunes, Treasure of Tut™, Goddess Rising™, Voodoo Fortunes™ and Pyramid Fortunes™ – all connected to the linked progressive jackpot solution Enchanted Fortunes Linked Jackpot™, also on show for the first time in the region.

Widely popular in Peru, as well as throughout Latin America and the rest of the world, the V.I.P. Lounge™ 2.32 cabinet returns to the show, this year featuring the new Impera Line™ HD Edition 6, which is already gaining in popularity across the region with a mix of new and classic titles such as Blue Moon™, Fruit Cubes™ and Book of Ra™ deluxe. Its sister cabinet, the new V.I.P. Lounge™ Curve 1.43 will make its debut in Latin America at PGS – ready to hit the market with its 43” curve screen in 4K and highly comfortable V.I.P. Scorpion Chair, this new cabinet will present NOVO LINE™ Concurve Edition 4 with a range of slots that include a variety of features and Standalone Progressive Jackpots.

NOVOMATIC debuts new product line-up in Latin America at PGS

A new range of cutting-edge NOVOMATIC gaming equipment for international casino markets was launched in 2018 and will now be previewed in Latin America for the first time at the Peru Gaming Show. Taking place on June 20-21 in the heart of Lima, PGS is gearing up to be its largest edition to date and NOVOMATIC will make a standout presentation of new cabinets, single games, multi-games and game mixes, as well as standalone and linked progressive jackpots.

On Stand #58 at the Peru Gaming Show 2018, NOVOMATIC will showcase a range of brand new gaming equipment in Latin America. The new cabinets PANTHERA™ 2.27 and PANTHERA™ Curve 1.43 will be on prominent display. The two-screen version PANTHERA™ 2.27 features a straight-forward design and powerful performance, and at PGS will present the new NOVO LINE™ Interactive Edition X game mix with ten leading titles that include Viking & Dragon™, Amazon’s Diamonds™ and Book of Ra™ Temple of Gold.

The single-screen cabinet version PANTHERA Curve™ 1.43 features a 43” curve screen with 4K display and delivers a wide selection of single- and multi-game content. At PGS, a bank of six cabinets will present six titles – Asian Fortunes™, Book of Ra™ Mystic Fortunes, Treasure of Tut™, Goddess Rising™, Voodoo Fortunes™ and Pyramid Fortunes™ – all connected to the linked progressive jackpot solution Enchanted Fortunes Linked Jackpot™, also on show for the first time in the region.

Widely popular in Peru, as well as throughout Latin America and the rest of the world, the V.I.P. Lounge™ 2.32 cabinet returns to the show, this year featuring the new Impera Line™ HD Edition 6, which is already gaining in popularity across the region with a mix of new and classic titles such as Blue Moon™, Fruit Cubes™ and Book of Ra™ deluxe. Its sister cabinet, the new V.I.P. Lounge™ Curve 1.43 will make its debut in Latin America at PGS – ready to hit the market with its 43” curve screen in 4K and highly comfortable V.I.P. Scorpion Chair, this new cabinet will present NOVO LINE™ Concurve Edition 4 with a range of slots that include a variety of features and Standalone Progressive Jackpots.

FeedConstruct video streams snooker

Sport data provider adds Snooker to the list of in-house streamed sport types.

Having 120+ monthly events, the offering provided by FeedConstruct will be of a high interest in Great Britain and in the chinese gaming market where snooker’s popularity continues to develop. The games played by our professionals are perfectly tailored to be the day-time entertainment for the players. To contribute to contribute to player satisfaction and retention, FeedConstruct also offers its odds feed solution for snooker.

David Hakobyan, director of sport studio comments, “Snooker is a region-specific game. With almost every major tournament organized either in China or the UK, it still is a pastime game for many and an exciting event to follow and bet on. Recognizing the peculiarity of snooker and the demand for it, we created this exclusive offering that features real-time gameplay for a greater player engagement.”

About FeedConstruct:

BtoBet sets its eyes on Peru

After analyzing the current gaming scenario in Latin America, with Peru set to regularize its online gaming market in the coming months, BtoBet has decided to expand its operations to what is rightly considered to be an up and coming market. And with the region seen as a key market with unique characteristics that could well propel the country to the forefront of the iGaming industry in LatAm, the company has published an Industry Report focusing on the various elements that constitute the reasons why the region is attracting such a big interest.

BtoBet already boasts of a very strong presence in Latin America, particularly in Colombia and Mexico. However, considering Peru’s shifting stance towards the regularization of its online market, BtoBet’s Chairman Alessandro Fried has deemed it as an essential growth for the company to further its expansion in LatAm. “Given the upcoming sweeping legislation that is set to be introduced, Peru scales high on our agenda,” declared Fried. “And with the region attracting interest from various operators, even on an international level, the time is ripe for BtoBet to enter such an interesting scenario.”

The region already has a very strong reputation from a retail perspective, with experts across the region widely viewing its current regulatory framework as a big success and counting as one of the most solid and competitive regulations in the region. The task now is to do the same for the online sector, where online gambling, including sports betting, is informally permitted, but unregulated.

However, with people of the calibre of Manuel San Roman Benavente, the head of Peru’s gaming authority La Dirección General de Juegos de Casino y Maquinas Tragamonedas (DGJCMT) firmly stating their believe that the online sector will be regulated by the end of the year, it is easy to see why such a big interest has garnished for this Latin American country.

SlotsAdviser.com relaunches with a great new look and lots more features for online slots fans

SlotsAdviser.com is a one-stop shop for all online gambling news and now looks as great as the high-quality content its users love. A great new design is packed with new features that make using the site easier and more rewarding for information-hungry online slots players.

SlotsAdviser.com was launched in July 2017 to provide online slots players with the best advice on casino sites and the games they offer.

On top of that, SlotsAdviser is a comprehensive guide to the online slots world. At the site, players can read reviews not just of casino sites and slots, but also of software operating systems, payment and banking options, and learn where to find the best welcome offers, bonuses, and free spins.

The site’s new look is also backed with a new classification system that lets slots fans find the information they need super-quickly.

Polish gov’t slammed for delaying simplified online betting signups

A Polish trade association has publicly slammed the government for making it too difficult to register with Polish-licensed online sports betting operators.

Late last month, Pracodawcy RP (Employers of the Republic of Poland) published a missive accusing the Ministry of Finance of “making it difficult to develop the bookmaking market” and “hindering” local operators’ ability to compete with internationally licensed gambling sites.

Specifically, the group accused the Ministry of dragging its feet on allowing locally licensed online bookmakers to offer simplified account registration for new customers.

Under this process, customers could fill in minimal data, make a deposit and place a wager before the impulse escapes them. Full registration would have to be completed within 30 days, and withdrawals would be impossible until full registration was done.

888Live Barcelona: Constantin wins the Main Event; Shehadeh close again

The Romanian Adrian Costin Constantin wins the 888Live Barcelona Main Event after qualifying via a satellite, as Luigi Andrea Shehadeh puts up a stirling defence finishing seventh.

Here’s the thing with final tables. Sometimes, they can be like cans of pop, all shook up by some naughty teenager with a crane in his pants, and other times they feel like a tin of corned beef without a tin opener.

I imagine this one felt like the latter.n

I write ‘imagine’ because despite being in the Casino Barcelona, sitting a few feet away from the action, I didn’t feel it. There was no bite. I felt no desire to take a seat and start munching.

partypoker merge French and Spanish markets; €1m guaranteed in weekly comps

partypoker has joined the EU Shared Liquidity Online Poker Market fun after merging both the French and Spanish markets on Monday, immediately putting Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier to work with a meaty bounty on his head.

ElkY is about to earn his corn.

Four months after PokerStars entered the EU Shared Liquidity Online Poker Market, banging on its chest like King Kong, along comes partypoker like a deer running away from a hunter.

partypoker merged French and Spanish player pools on Monday. To celebrate the new union, the French will see a doubling of their multi-table tournament (MTT) offering, and both get to see what all the MILLIONS fuss it about. The Spaniards had a new software upgrade in April bringing them up to the same standard as the .com network.

Gambling and the Law: The Supreme Court changes everything

The post originally appears on http://www.gamblingandthelaw.com/ and we republished with permission.

Late last year, I wrote a blog about the then pending sports betting case, entitled, “The Most Important Case of the Century.”

It turned out to be even bigger than that.

In the coming days and weeks I will be discussing in detail what this major change in the law means. But here is a summary of what happened and why, and what questions remain.

Cavaliers home underdogs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals

In the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Toronto Raptors – the East’s top regular-season team – should have won Game 1 of their series at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Raptors collapsed in almost spectacular fashion and lost in overtime. That seemed to take all the wind out of the Toronto players’ sails and the team was shockingly swept by LeBron James and company.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Now, we aren’t saying that the Cavaliers are going to be swept in the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors, but Cleveland should have won Game 1 as a huge road underdog yet lost in devastating (and for J.R. Smith, embarrassing) fashion. That seemed to totally deflate the Cavaliers in Game 2 as they never led in a 122-103 loss. Of course, this is the fourth straight NBA Finals meeting between the teams and that was the first game in which the Warriors led wire-to-wire.

Up 2-0, Golden State can all but end the series on Wednesday night in Cleveland as a 4.5-point favorite. No team in NBA history has rallied to win a series down 3-0. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine the Cavs beating the Warriors four of the next five games to win the title barring an injury to Steph Curry or Kevin Durant.

WSOP Review day 7: Petrangelo wins bracelet #2 and $2.9m beans

A World Series of Poker review solely dedicated to Nick Petrangelo’s remarkable win in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller, beating Elio Fox, heads-up, to win $2.9m.

You have a choice as a poker player. Pull off your shirt and drag your skinny ego underneath the glare of the cracking bulbs, or hide in the shadows.

Tournament poker.

Or.

Maryland casinos smash revenue record as all six venues gain

Maryland’s six casinos set a new all-time monthly revenue record in May, led by an equally record-setting performance by the state’s newest venue.

Figures released Tuesday by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Agency show the state’s six licensed casino operators generated combined gaming revenue of $156.5m in May, up 14.7% from the same month last year and easily eclipsing the previous record of just over $150m set this March.

May’s gains were across the board, with statewide slots revenue shooting up over 15% to $96.5m, while the table game figure was up 14% to $60m. The slots figure alone is $4.5m more than the total gaming revenue generated in November 2016, the last month before MGM Resorts’ National Harbor opened to the public.

Speaking of, May was also a record-setting month for National Harbor, which generated revenue of $62.3m, over 23% higher year-on-year and nearly $2m more than the property’s previous record (also set in March 2018).