The extent of the damage caused by the alleged Ponzi scheme set up by Mike Stanley and his Layezy Racing betting syndicate has been laid bare in the High Court, where it emerged £158.7 million is owed to creditors.
Monthly Archives: September 2020
Class, Distance Hurdles for Weston in American Pharoah
Ryan Hanson’s Weston is the only graded stakes winner in the field of eight entered in the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) Sept. 26 at Santa Anita Park but the gelding’s owner/trainer still sees a tough test ahead.
Kentucky’s pseudo-slots under threat after Supreme Court ruling
Kentucky’s pseudo-slot machines are under threat after a court ruled that they don’t fit within the state’s pari-mutuel wagering definition.
On Thursday, the Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously declared that some ‘historical racing’ (alternately known as ‘instant racing’) machines currently operating in the state do not constitute pari-mutuel wagering as defined by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC).
Specifically, the Court found that the Encore system (formerly known as Exacta) “does not create a wagering pool among patrons such that they are wagering among themselves as required for pari-mutuel wagering.” Bettors are also not betting on the same event in the same race.
The machines feature virtual replays of real-world races with all the identifying information stripped out, making wagering on the outcome essentially the same as betting on a random number generator (RNG) slot machine.
Eaton's McDonald Assesses Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland Sales
With the Sept. 25 session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale set to bring down the curtain on the beginning of the annual yearling auction season, consignor Reiley McDonald gives thumbs-up to both Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland for their efforts.
Bodhicitta Aims for Grade 1 Success in Rodeo Drive
Surging Bodhicitta, who has put together an impressive season racing in Southern California turf races, will try to put the cherry on top when she starts in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) Sept. 26 at Santa Anita Park.
McConnell Bill Authorizes Strict Control of Medications
New bill gives the new Authority powers to control all substances administered to horses under its jurisdiction. Under the proposal, a “covered horse” comes under the jurisdiction of the new Authority after its first timed workout at a racetrack.
Kentucky Horse Council Announces New Executive Director
The Kentucky Horse Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Coleman as the new Executive Director of the Lexington-based organization.
Baffert Sends Out Trio to Contest Chillingworth
A competitive field of six fillies and mares lines up to start in the Chillingworth (G3), formerly run as the L.A. Woman Stakes.
Northern Ireland casino legalization hope; Republic bookies face tax hike
Northern Ireland’s gamblers are just fine with legalizing casinos while bookmakers in the Republic of Ireland are anything but fine over yet another tax hike.
Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities (DfC) launched a consultation last December to gauge public sentiment toward gambling. The public was invited to weigh in on everything from allowing casinos (land-based and online), the role of gambling marketing and whether Northern Ireland needed its own gambling regulator.
On Wednesday, DfC official Michael McAvera informed the government that the consultation had received 382 responses, of which three-quarters came from individuals. Around 60% of these responses favored casino legalization, while nearly two-thirds want to give retail bookmakers the right to open on Sundays.
There was also overwhelming support (97%) for requiring gambling operators to fund responsible gambling efforts and addiction programs. Full details of the consultation’s findings won’t be released for a few weeks, after which legislators will decide what actions are appropriate.
Casinos Austria layoffs loom as rivals seek end to online monopoly
Casinos Austria plans to lay off up to 600 staff as the scandal-plagued firm deals with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations.
This week, Casinos Austria AG (CASAG) informed Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) that it could turf as many as 600 staff – roughly one-third of its payroll – due to the financial blow suffered from the pandemic-related closure of its 12 casinos and sports betting shortfalls as major leagues halted play this spring.
Under AMS rules, layoffs can proceed 30 days after notification. It’s unclear how many jobs will actually face the axe, as the company is negotiating with its unions over potential buy-outs and shifts to part-time employment. CASAG originally announced plans for up to 500 layoffs this summer as part of its ‘ReFIT’ restructuring plan but said this week that it hopes the number will be “significantly fewer than 600.”
CASAG booked a €112m profit in 2019 but the company said it expects to book a net loss of around €65m this year and the layoffs are intended to help trim €40m from the expenses column by 2022.
Benbatl, Kameko to Clash in Joel Stakes
Benbatl recorded his best form in Britain when running away with the Shadwell Joel Stakes (G2) race last year by five lengths from King of Comedy, but this year’s contest promises to be a completely different test.
Setback for Historical Racing in Kentucky Supreme Court
A Kentucky Supreme Court opinion Sept. 24 potentially could jeopardize a major source of purse funding in the state as the court determined that at least one brand of historical horse racing game that has operated in Kentucky is not pari-mutuel.
Baidu co-founder arrested for promoting online gambling
China’s cross-border gambling crackdown has led to the arrest of a co-founder of search engine giant Baidu for allegedly facilitating promotion of illegal online gambling sites.
On Thursday, Chinese media reported that Shi Youcai, a Baidu co-founder who left the company in 2011 but was recalled to a sales role in 2019, was detained several days ago by police in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. Baidu has so far declined to comment on the arrest but reports are that Shi is suspected of promoting online gambling sites based outside China.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Baidu has been accused of allowing gambling sites to promote their wares on the search engine, which handles 90% of online queries in China. In 2016, Baidu was accused of turning a blind eye to ‘stealth’ marketing, in which users clicked on an innocuous link returned via a search query and instead found themselves directed to internationally based gambling sites.
Last year, Baidu and rival Sohu had their news portals suspended for a week after China’s cyber watchdogs found fault with their efforts to purge ‘vulgar’ information, including gambling, porn and political views that clash with Beijing’s worldview.
Warrior's Charge Auditions for BC Dirt Mile in Ack Ack
Though its $100,000 purse is modest, 13 horses entered the one-mile Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs Sept. 26, led by Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables’ multiple stakes winner Warrior’s Charge.
Feel Glorious Seeks Graded Stakes Win in Noble Damsel
The belief that turf races produce large fields with close competitive finishes is surely reflected in the $100,000 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares.
22BET sign as PSG’s African betting partner
22BET has been named as the new African betting partner for French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG). The deal is set to cover the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons of Ligue 1 football in France. The deal between the French Champions and 22BET was facilitated by Sportstradar, capitalising on the PSG’s popularity throughout Africa.
Sportstradar Global Sponsorship Director Hampus Lofkvist was delighted with the partnership announcement. “This is a significant strategic move to tap into the popularity of PSG in Africa. Through one marquee partnership, the use of digital and virtual advertising technology, 22BET will benefit from exposure and engagement opportunities with fans in some 30 plus countries,” Lofkvist said.
“We congratulate our client on their official partnership with Paris Saint-Germain. This is a great fit between two ambitious brands who share exciting plans for the future. We look forward to supporting 22BET leverage this opportunity and achieve growth throughout a continent that has a deep passion for football,” he added.
Paris Saint-Germain Chief Partnerships Officer Marc Armstrong was quick to praise the partnership in a statement to the media:
LT named Aston Villa betting partner
English Premier League club Aston Villa have named Asian betting brand LT as their betting partner for the upcoming 2020/21 English Premier League (EPL) season.
LT have sought to establish a foothold in the EPL, signing a deal for this season. Villa Chief Commercial Officer Nicole Ibbeston praised the outcome in a statement on Aston Villa’s website:
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with LT and work with them to grow our fan base internationally. As a brand with a global reach, we are excited to see LT feature on our first team’s shirt sleeves for the first time this season on Monday night and for the rest of this campaign.”
LT CEO Ronald Tan was excited about the partnership and weighed in through a statement.
UFC 253 odds: Undefeated fighters highlight card
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
It’s very rare for any UFC fighter to reach double-digit victories without a loss simply because all it takes is one punch, kick or choke out to lose in this sport. It’s brutal. What’s almost unprecedented is a championship fight featuring two undefeated fighters, but that’s what MMA fans will be treated to this Saturday at UFC 253. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion Israel Adesanya and No. 2 contender Paulo Costa.
The UFC ranks the 31-year-old Nigerian Adesanya (19-0) as its No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter behind Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Stipe Miocic. Adesanya, considered one of the best strikers in MMA history, got his first UFC title fight (interim) against Kelvin Gastelum in April 2019 and won by unanimous decision as around a -200 favorite.
“The Last Stylebender” was only a slight favorite in a title unification bout against Robert Whittaker in October of last year but won by second-round knockout (punches) to become the undisputed middleweight king. Adesanya was then scheduled to meet Costa at UFC 248, but Costa couldn’t go due to a torn left biceps. Instead, Adesanya faced Yoel Romero in March and beat the former U.S. Olympic wrestler by unanimous decision. Adesanya is priced at -185 for this fight and has 14 of his 19 wins by KO/TKO.
Watch Calvin Ayre talk blochchain and CoinGeek Live
Calvin Ayre, founder of Calvinayre.com, CoinGeek and AyreMedia, is excited about the near-future possibilities made possible by Bitcoin SV (BSV). He recently joined Charles Miller of CoinGeek to discuss the latest developments on the BSV blockchain, and discuss the upcoming CoinGeek Live conference, running from September 30 to October 2.
CoinGeek Live is the sixth conference to feature expert talks on the latest developments in Bitcoin, but the first to go all-digital, as Covid-19 sidetracked the original plan to host it in New York. Ayre discussed what we might expect to see at the conference:
We are definitely taking advantage of being in New York to talk more about the financial possibilities of this platform, but I also think we had to include the enterprise component to it because as the technology scales, and more and more people find out about it, and the few enterprise solutions that people know about, because there’s some that are being worked on that aren’t public right now, but as people get more aware of those, there’s there is a growing interest in how this technology can solve real world enterprise problems.
Ayre predicted that as interest in Bitcoin continues to grow, conferences will have to adapt as well. “I see this conference evolving to where there’s going to be channels,” he said. “So if you’re interested in consumer applications, there will be the big ones like this, there’ll be a consumer application channel, the finance side there’ll be a finance channel, if you’re an infrastructure person there’s going to be an infrastructure side.”
Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup – September 24, 2020
In the fast-moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.
Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.
ORYX Gaming live in Latvia with Optibet deal
ORYX Gaming, a Bragg Gaming Group company (TSXV: BRAG, OTC:BRGGF), has entered Latvia for the first time with market leading operator Optibet.