Monthly Archives: November 2018

Betsoft Gaming named Best Mobile Gaming provider at Malta Gaming Awards

29/11/2018 – Valletta, Malta – For the fourth time in 2018, Betsoft Gaming has been recognised as an industry leader by an independent panel of judges.  In the face of formidable competition, Betsoft was named Mobile Gaming Provider category at the 2018 Malta Gaming Awards – a distinction earned through its long-running commitment to seamless cross-platform development.

A highlight of Malta Gaming Week, the awards were handed out as part of a glittering evening of entertainment on Tuesday, 27th November.  Mingling with a judging panel made up of representatives from the country’s Gaming Authority, international consultancies, iGaming organisations, and investors, guests came from all over the island to acknowledge the best the iGaming industry has to offer, and to support several Maltese charities.

All ticket proceeds from the evening will be donated to local causes, and a charity auction was held, where Maltese artwork, Fabergé jewellery, and a Portugisier Chronograph reached higher-than-expected selling prices.

As a sponsor and a prominent fixture in the country’s booming iGaming industry, Betsoft was proud to directly support Maltese organisations like The Malta Community Chest Fund, Centru Tbexbix, and the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation.  Calleja himself, a world-renowned operatic tenor who was born in Malta, also performed during the awards ceremony, as well as comedian Steve Hili, and musician Desi Campbell.  Other guests of honour included Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, and blockchain evangelist Brock Pierce.

US casino equipment supplier bought by Japan’s Angel Holdings

U.S.-based casino equipment supplier Gaming Partners International (GPI) had a successful second quarter this year. Its net income grew to $2.5 million and its revenue increased by 51.6% to $24.7 million. That made GPI more valuable and it took advantage of its position to make a deal.

The company is putting the final touches on an acquisition that will see it be handed over completely to Angel Holdings GK, a Japanese firm that makes and supplies card games and playing cards for the retail and gaming markets. In the deal, Angel will purchase 100% of the company for cash and it will then be absorbed by an Angel subsidiary in the U.S., AGL Nevada Corp, to which Angel holds 100% of the stake. Following the acquisition, GPI’s brand identity will be kept intact.

Angel is going to pay $13.75 per share for the all-cash deal. With 7.96 GPI shares outstanding, the agreement will see $109.5 million change hands.

According to Angel, “The merger agreement provides for a go-shop provision under which, subject to certain limitations and conditions contained in the merger agreement, GPIC and its board of directors may actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter into negotiations with parties that offer alternative proposals to the proposed merger transaction until February 2, 2019.”

Vietnam preparing to open casino doors to locals

Vietnam citizens who enjoy gambling will finally get the chance to participate in their favorite pastime without running afoul of the law. According to a report by Asia-focused media outlet Nikkei, a three-year test program is going to begin next year that will allow citizens to gamble at a certain casino on Phu Quoc Island, a popular tourist destination located in Kien Giang. Perhaps lawmakers are finally coming to the realization that it is better to legalize gambling and regulate it, and not let illegal gambling run rampant.

The central government approved the plan, which could lead to more projects, such as other casinos and horse racing facilities, dotting the Vietnam landscape. Regulators only this month approved the plans for a horse racing facility in the Soc Son District that has been patiently waiting for ten years.

Vingroup, a major real estate developer in Vietnam, will be the primary beneficiary of the pilot program. It owns the casino, which has a capital investment of over $2 billion and is part of an entertainment complex that was funded by Vingroup subsidiary, Phu Quoc Tourism Investment and Development.

The casino is not yet operational. The entire complex has been completed, but the casino is still waiting on its license from regulators. Provided the license comes soon, the casino could be put into operation early next year. The licensing process is an arduous one, requiring a number of different components.

West Virginia bettors beating up Greenbrier sportsbook

West Virginia’s newest legal sports betting operation had an underwhelming October, leaving the state with little revenue to tax.

On Wednesday, the West Virginia Lottery Commission (which oversees the state’s varied gaming operations) reported that the state’s two licensed sports betting operators handled total wagers of nearly $10.2m in October, more than one-third higher than the $7.5m the state reported in September.

Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino, which was the first state gaming operation to open a sportsbook in late August, handled $9.36m in wagers last month, up from $7m in September. Hollywood’s betting revenue totaled just over $630k, of which the state claims 10% as its share.

Over at the members-only Greenbrier Resort, the Fanduel-powered sportsbook’s first full month of operation brought in wagers of $796k, more than twice the sum wagered in the two weeks the book was open in September. However, the Greenbrier’s upper crust bettors collected over $832k in winnings, leaving the book with no revenue and the state with no taxes.

Gambling.com Group targets US Sports Betting with relaunch of Bookies.com

Gambling.com Group Plc (the “Group”) acquired Bookies.com as part of a transaction which closed in February of this year. The Group is proud to relaunch the website with a new, US first focus.

The new bookies.com offers reviews, bonuses, tips and news on the regulated sports betting industry in the United States. American sports betting consumers now have an authoritative resource for locating and registering with legal, regulated American sports betting websites. The Group will continue to add coverage for all US states with regulated sports betting as well as a host of additional, interactive features. Content for the UK market has also been included as the website’s historical user base is in the United Kingdom.

“In complete contrast to the United Kingdom, the American sports betting market is today dominated by offshore operators who continue to illicitly serve US consumers. Affiliates have a much more important role to play in the US market, that of educating the consumer about which operators are actually legal and which are not. We are happy to take the lead on this education effort,“ remarks Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive at Gambling.com Group Plc.

The Group aims to capitalize on the tremendous momentum behind the expansion and regulation of sports betting in the United States with bookies.com and its other websites. As of today, ten US states have approved legislation to allow for retail sports betting. Of those ten, four have elected to allow for online or mobile sports betting. The Group expects many more states to consider sports betting regulation in 2019 and for there to be an increasing focus on allowing mobile sports betting, due to the impressive mobile figures coming out of the New Jersey market and disappointing figures coming out of states which did not initially allow for mobile wagering.

Blockchain revolution is here: in honor of Bonifacio Day, tickets to the Philippines’ major blockchain conference at half price

Andrés Bonifacio is the country’s national hero.  He led the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire in 1896. Due to this revolution, the country reconquered its independence, and November 30 remained in hearts and minds of Filipinos as the Memorial Day of the national hero.

Currently, there is another revolution in the Philippines, which could be even greater because of concerning the technological sector. It refers to the blockchain revolution.

Just imagine that money can be instantly transferred anywhere in the world without any fees. Imagine that concluding an agreement with a stranger, you will feel certain that nobody will be deceived. Imagine that all actions of the state are transparent, while the laws are equal for everyone. It is blockchain that can create such an economy and society.

What should be done to make dreams come true? How to speed up the blockchain revolution? These issues will be revealed by world-renowned crypto experts at Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Philippines.

Pennsylvania okays three more casinos for sports betting

Pennsylvania’s sports bettors will soon have more legal wagering options after state regulators gave tentative approval to three casinos’ sportsbook plans.

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approved the transactional waiver of European technology outfit Kambi, which will provide betting services for the state’s market-leading Parx Casino following a recent deal with Parx’s owner Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment. The PGCB approved Parx’s sports betting application in early October.

The PGCB also gave tentative license approval to Rush Street Interactive (RSI), which plans to provide betting (with Kambi’s help) for the state’s SugarHouse and Rivers casinos. Both venues are owned by RSI’s parent company Rush Street Gaming and received their own betting approvals at the end of October.

Philly.com quoted PGCB spokesman Douglas Harbach saying both Parx and SugarHouse would likely begin their two-day test runs of their temporary sportsbooks “sometime in the next several weeks.” Rivers had previously stated that it hoped to launch betting this weekend but a casino spokesman told WXPI that preparations were still ongoing and that the launch would happen “soon.”

Ireland’s betting tax hike going ahead as planned January 1

Ireland’s tax hike for betting operators will go ahead as planned on January 1 while the government conducts its review of the hike’s impact.

Last week, media outlets reported that Ireland had decided to postpone the planned January 1 doubling of the current 1% tax on Irish-licensed bookmakers’ betting turnover, in order that Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe could conduct a review of the tax hike’s likely impact on the betting industry.

However, the Finance Ministry has since confirmed that the turnover tax hike – as well as the increase in betting exchange commissions tax from 15% to 25% – will go ahead as scheduled. The Ministry has promised to consider revising the tax in the nation’s 2020 budget depending the results of the review, which will reportedly be delivered sometime in Q1 2019.

The Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) has warned that the increased turnover tax will lead to the closure of hundreds of local betting shops, particularly those run by independent operators. The IBA has lobbied the government to consider an alternate scheme in which retail bookies would pay 10% tax on betting revenue, with online bookies paying 20%.

College Football Championship week betting preview

It’s conference championship weekend around college football, and we will know the national semifinals and all the bowl matchups come Sunday with the release of the final College Football Playoff rankings for 2018.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The first Power 5 title game is Friday night as No. 10 Washington (rankings from latest AP poll) faces No. 17 Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game from Levi’s Stadium outside San Francisco – that’s where the national title matchup will also be played. The Huskies are 5-point favorites, but that game has no bearing on the national semifinals. The winner heads to the Rose Bowl against a Big Ten opponent. Washington is just 1-6 ATS in its past seven games.

Will the Big 12 get a team in the College Football Playoff? Only if No. 5 Oklahoma trounces No. 9 Texas in that conference title game on Saturday afternoon from outside Dallas. Even a big Sooners win might not be enough as it could depend on what happens in the SEC title game and what Ohio State does as well on Saturday. OU’s only loss this year was against Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on October 6, 48-45. The Sooners are -7.5 this time but have failed to cover their past six against the Longhorns.