Monthly Archives: February 2020

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) illuminates the path to greatness for regulators at the 20th Annual North American Regulators Roundtable

NIGC Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., Futurist Gabe Zichermann to deliver keynote addresses

LAS VEGAS (February 11, 2020) – Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) will illuminate the path to greatness for hundreds of regulators at its 20th annual North American Regulators Roundtable. The event is staged March 4 and 5 at the Tropicana Las Vegas and features leading subject matter authorities from around the world addressing the gaming industry’s most timely topics.

Delivering highly anticipated keynote addresses are NIGC Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer and NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., who will speak about the expansion of tribal gaming in the U.S. Additionally, futurist Gabe Zichermann will speak about gamification and artificial intelligence.

“We have labs strategically placed all over the world, and suppliers of all sizes bring their latest technologies to our labs at all phases of the R&D process. Because of that, we see the future as it is unfolding. With the Roundtable, we bring that prescient knowledge to regulators – guiding, educating, and working side-by-side to bring that future to fruition, providing insights from world-leading experts to help illuminate the path forward,” said GLI’s President and CEO James R. Maida.

Maine legislators fail to override Gov. Mills’ betting bill veto

Maine’s legal sports betting hopes have been cruelly dashed once again as the state’s legislators failed to override their governor’s veto of betting legislation.

Tuesday saw Maine’s House of Representatives vote 85-57 in favor of overriding Gov. Janet Mills veto in January of the LD553 sports betting bill the state’s legislature had approved last summer. But overriding the veto required the support of 2/3 of each of the state’s legislative chambers, meaning 95 House members needed to vote ‘aye’, so this is a proper ve-no.

Last week, Maine’s state senate managed to achieve that 2/3 benchmark, albeit just barely, by voting 20-10 in favor of telling the good governor just how wrong she was to declare that Maine wasn’t ready to “join the frenzy” of states legalizing sports betting. It was the first time either of the state’s legislative bodies had successfully voted down a Mills’ veto.

Following the senate’s vote, local media reported that Republican senator Lisa Keim, who voted in favor of the override, hadn’t actually meant to vote ‘yes’. According to some other senators, by the time Keim had communicated her mistake to the Senate president, the bill was on its way to the House and, like an intercontinental ballistic missile, couldn’t be recalled.

FlowPlay CEO Derrick Morton named Chair of CEOs Against Cancer Washington Chapter

Seattle- February 11, 2020 – The American Cancer Society (ACS) announced today that FlowPlay, creator of one of the most powerful immersive gaming platforms, has appointed Derrick Morton, FlowPlay CEO and co-founder as chair to the Society’s CEOs Against Cancer, Washington chapter. In his first meeting as chair today, Morton will address the Washington chapter and share his vision and new ideas for 2020. In his new role, Morton will drive chapter recruitment and work to unite fellow CEOs to change the course of cancer by leveraging the collective knowledge, power and resources of the ACS.

Morton’s appointment comes on the heels of FlowPlay’s biggest fundraising year to date, in which the company raised more than $100,000 for the ACS. A leader of in-game fundraising, FlowPlay is a member of the ACS’s Gamers vs. Cancer program, which brings together gamers, industry partners and individual content creators to position gaming as a new way to solve important societal issues. Through the sale of virtual ACS-branded charms in the company’s flagship social casino, Vegas World, FlowPlay raised more than $50,000 and $40,000 for the Road To Recovery and Reach to Recovery programs respectively. The funds provided patients with thousands of rides to cancer treatment and recovery assistance to hundreds of women battling breast cancer.

“As a member of CEOs Against Cancer for the past year, I have seen its impact first hand,” Morton said. “From groundbreaking research and early detection advocacy, to funding new treatment options and access for patients, the ACS and this segment of the organization are instrumental in the ongoing fight against cancer. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve our community as chair and hope to make a real difference by recruiting new members and building upon the momentum from last year.”

The CEOs Against Cancer Washington chapter is making steady progress in the fight against cancer. In 2019, the Washington chapter welcomed five new members and raised $580,656 to invest in groundbreaking research and cancer control projects. CEOs from any industry are encouraged to learn more about their local CEOs Against Cancer chapter here or by reaching out to [email protected]. Fellow gaming industry organizations can learn how to partner alongside Gamers vs. Cancer, and launch an in-game fundraising event here.

Kindred extends partnership with Pala Interactive LLC in Indiana and Iowa

Pala Interactive, a leading online real money and social gaming platform provider, today announced that following the successful launch in Pennsylvania in November 2019, the Kindred Group has entered into a multi-year license agreement for Pala’s proprietary online real money gaming platform for Indiana and Iowa.

Pala Interactive will provide the Kindred Group with its proprietary technology and services, including player account management platform, sports betting content from Kambi, a full suite of marketing technology and online casino products as and when regulations allow.

“It has been a pleasure to launch the Kindred Group in Pennsylvania,” said Jim Ryan, CEO Pala Interactive. “We are incredibly proud that such an innovative company has trusted our flexible and capable Gaming Platform to grow their business in Indiana and Iowa.”

SVP Kindred US Manuel Stan comment that “Kindred is delighted with the successful implementation of Pala’s Online Gaming Platform in Pennsylvania and Pala Interactive was the obvious choice when we decided to enter new U.S. states.”

Imperial Pacific cuts casino staff hours in coronavirus response

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International (IPI) is the latest Asian gaming operator to reduce its employees’ work schedules in response to the coronavirus crisis.

On Tuesday, the Marianas Variety published a statement it received from IPI detailing the company’s plans to cut the work hours of staff at its Imperial Palace Resort by 30% due to the “impact on travel demands throughout all of Asia” from the coronavirus outbreak. But IPI stressed that it remains “fully committed to the [Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands] as always.”

IPI then detailed its nearly six-year history on Saipan, during which “our company has struggled, our employees have struggled, and our ability to create a steady stream of income has suffered.” IPI says it “has invested around $1 billion in the CNMI and paid over $300 million in taxes and fees to the government,” while IPI itself “lost over $500 million accumulatively.”

IPI then attempted to explain its decision to ignore its business gross revenue tax (BGRT) obligations, saying “IPI’s understanding is that it overpaid taxes by over $40m which will result [in] a refund.” IPI reached a deal last week to pay roughly 60% of the $30m the government claimed it was owed.

Why the EFL Championship will be the best title race in England this season

This year’s English Premier League may have been packed with excitement, goals and skills the like of which no other league regularly hosts across all its teams, but the title race has been done since around November. Liverpool have been as ruthless as they were last season, maybe adding a shade more cold-bloodedness along the way.

This season, however, Manchester City’s absent defence has left them porous, and while Leicester, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all shown patches of great form, individual performances of greatness do not win a league season. To do that you need one of two things, and they are 1) consistency or 2) a complete lack of consistency across the entire division.

What are the chances of the latter, we hear you ask? We can only reply ‘You must not have been watching The Championship this season.’

As the EFL Championship neared Christmas, the apparent narrative had West Brom and Leeds United heading up without a challenge, sat as they were 11 and 10 points clear of the playoff places.  Since the festive period, however, Leeds have fallen apart, taking a measly nine points from 30 on offer across their last 10 games. West Brom have done better, but not by much and Slaven Bilic’s side are looking over their shoulders too.

XFL and Sportradar Announce Exclusive Media Partnership to Provide Fans and Partners Rapid Access to Data and Statistics

NEW YORK, NY – February 11, 2020 – Sportradar, the world’s leading provider of sports data and content, today announced a media partnership with the XFL that will provide fans and partners quick access to data, statistics and league information. The inaugural XFL season kicks off on February 8 and concludes with the championship game on April 26.

As an official sports data partner of the XFL, Sportradar offers a play-by-play data feed specifically designed for media usage, including websites, apps and digital platforms like fantasy sports. This ensures that anyone following XFL games and engaging with league content has access to the most up-to-date data and statistics.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the XFL in its inaugural season as an official sports data partner,” said Steve Byrd, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at Sportradar. “There is a big appetite amongst the media industry for the XFL’s official data. We’re looking forward to delivering this coveted content to our media partners and, ultimately, the fans.”

“Sportradar is a leader in the distribution of sports data and content and adding their expertise to our world will allow us to broaden our reach,” said Jeffrey Pollack, President and COO of the XFL. “Through this partnership our fans will have even more access and opportunities to engage with our games, teams and players.”

2020 Daytona 500 odds & betting trends

No major American sports league starts its season with its biggest event, but NASCAR does and that sport’s Super Bowl is this Sunday at Daytona International Speedway on the east coast of Florida with the 62nd running of the Daytona 500, also known as the “Great American Race.” It’s usually the highest-rated motorsports event in the USA every year as well as the most-wagered.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

NASCAR’s top circuit is no longer called the Monster Energy Cup Series but simply NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. Instead of having one mega-sponsor take over naming rights, NASCAR has four premier partners: Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, GEICO and Xfinity. This year also will be the last in NASCAR for the Gen-6 car, to be replaced by the Gen-7 in 2021.

Daytona and Talladega were the only two superspeedways on the circuit where drivers had to use restrictor plates. Those were to keep speeds down, but all they usually did was ensure everyone is grouped up and that there’s one monster wreck – always called the Big One in each race. Some drivers thrived in plate races for whatever reason. However, the 2019 Daytona 500 was the last with the plate. Instead, NASCAR switched to tapered spacers at every track to keep speeds in check.

Marty Mathis leads partypoker MILLIONS Super High Roller at halfway stage

Day 1 of the partypoker MILLIONS South America Super High Roller was something of a success at the Punta del Este resort in Uruguay. If you’re wondering where that is or what attracted players to the region as well as the money, then you obviously missed our recent preview. For many of the biggest names in poker, however, the Super High Roller was well worth attending, as they face one day of action to see if they can turn their $25,000 entry into a massive $325,000 score.

Day 1 saw some very big names not make the cut into Day 2 by surviving the day. Players such as Fabrizio Gonzalez, Robert Heidorn, Anthony Zinno, Kenny Hallaert and Yuri Dzivielevski all busted during Day 1, but while they floundered, others were making hay.

Only five players will cash in this event, so the fifteen who survived will see only a third of their number make a profit, the min-cash being worth $60,000. Day 1’s chip leader was Marty Mathis, who closed out the day having quadrupled his starting stack of a million chips at blinds of 2,500/5,000. Mathis was in fine form all day, and was very closely followed by his nearest challenger when the chips were bagged up, with James Romero totalling 4,300,000.

Another player to enjoy great success at the tables on Day 1 was Scotland’s most successful tournament poker player of all time, Niall Farrell. In one crucial hand, he raised it up with the queen-nine of spades only to see a three-bet from Antonio Martinac, who had pocket kings.

Germany betting lobby urges rethink of gambling treaty draft

Germany’s sports betting industry lobby group is urging state governments to make ‘improvements’ to their new draft gambling treaty or forever surrender punters to black market options.

On Tuesday, the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) issued a statement urging the 16 German state governments to ‘increase the attractiveness’ of their proposed new federal gambling treaty, which aims to finally authorize online casino and poker products if/when it takes effect on July 1, 2021.

But the treaty would impose monthly caps on player deposits, limit online slots stakes to €1 per spin, severely restrict in-play sports betting, prevent customers from logging into two online gambling sites simultaneously (apparently to prevent odds-shopping), require players to hold separate accounts for each gaming vertical and prohibit third-party marketing affiliates.

DSWV president Mathias Dahms said the draft treaty was “a first step towards modern, market-compliant gaming regulation” but the treaty also features “structural undesirable developments … which will pose challenges for future gaming regulations.” Dahms warned that “a rigid set of rules … will neither help player protection nor lead to squeezing the black market.”

Kindred’s Unibet, Caesars strike betting deals for Indiana, Iowa

Nordic online gambling operator Kindred Group has reached a US sports betting and online gambling market access deal with casino operator Caesars Entertainment.

On Tuesday, the Stockholm-listed Kindred announced that it had sealed deals with Caesars that will give Kindred’s flagship Unibet brand 10 years of access to sports betting and online gambling operations via tie-ups with Caesars casinos in Indiana (Horseshoe Hammond) and Iowa (Harrah’s Council Bluffs).

The betting operations are a given but other online gambling options will depend on those two states approving the necessary legislation. The deals are also dependent on Kindred receiving the necessary permits in each state but that shouldn’t pose a problem provided no Kindred execs go completely rogue over the next year or so.

Kindred’s US-facing online betting and gaming operations are currently limited to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and thus the Caesars deal effectively doubles Unibet’s US reach. The deal announced Tuesday also allows the two parties to extend their deal to “potentially additional states” should the initial relationship prove fruitful.

Philippine market gaming revenue jumps 15% to $4.92b in 2019

Philippine-based gambling revenue was up across the board in 2019, with the notable exception of locally licensed online gambling operators.

Figures released this week by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) show gaming revenue either generated or overseen by PAGCOR hit PhP248.5b (US$4.92b) in 2019, a 15.1% improvement over 2018’s results and nearly 41% higher than the market recorded in 2017.

Total casino revenue was up 15.4% to PhP216.4b, with PAGCOR-operated casinos up a modest 2.7% to PhP36.9b while PAGCOR-licensed private casino revenue surged 18.3% to PhP179.5b. Of that latter figure, PhP165.3b (+17%) was generated by casinos in Manila’s Entertainment City gaming zone.

The private casinos reported solid gains across all verticals, with non-junket revenue up nearly 16% to PhP74.5b, junket-fueled VIP gambling up 18.8% to PhP51b and electronic gaming machines (EGM) shooting up 21.3% to just under PhP54b.