Monthly Archives: January 2021

Cherokee overrule protest of Indiana casino purchase

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (ECBI) have silenced dissent concerning their recent $250 million purchase of the Caesars Southern Indiana casino. Their Tribal Council voted down a formal protest in a January meeting.

Attorney Robert Saunooke, a member of the tribe, filed the formal protest against the purchase with the backing of 14 other Tribal members. They believe the December 17 vote to approve the deal was rushed into, wasn’t the best deal that could have been struck, and didn’t allow the voting members enough time to consider the facts.

Taking the matter seriously, it was the first item discussed in the tribe’s January 14 meeting. The protest was ultimately voted down 56-44. The EBCI Attorney General’s office also agreed with the original deal. Principal Chief Richard Sneed defended the merits of the December 17 vote:

“This decision was thoroughly vetted and every decision we make is in the best interest of the Tribe…if anyone wants to sit down and go over the numbers, we’re happy to do that. The assertions made in Mr. Saunooke’s resolution, they’re all patently false.”

North, South, East and West to battle following NFL Divisional games

It’s East vs. West, North vs. South for the NFL Conference games. The Divisional Round games wrapped up this weekend, giving football fans plenty of excitement and sports gamblers plenty of action. Not everything worked out as planned, but there are now just four teams remaining. The Conference Championship games will be held this coming weekend, the last hurdle between an unusual NFL season and a Super Bowl title.

The NFC North’s leaders, the Green Bay Packers, have the opportunity to give quarterback Aaron Rodgers something he has yet to accomplish. For the 16 years he has been with the team (the only NFL team of which he’s been a part), he has never been able to play an NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field. That will change this coming weekend after the Packers beat the LA Rams in decisive fashion this past Saturday.

The Packers came out swinging and never relented until the final seconds dissolved on the clock. They won without much work, taking the 32-18 victory that saw Rodgers throw for a touchdown and also run one in on his own. Through three quarters, the Packers scored on five straight drives, and the fourth quarter became a lesson on clock management.

The Buffalo Bills were first in the AFC East and, for the first time in almost three decades, are going to the AFC Championship Game. They leaped over the Baltimore Ravens this past Saturday to get to where they are in a game that was about as lopsided as they come. The Ravens were 11-5 going in; the Bills were 11-3. However, nothing went right for the Ravens, who ended the day with just three points in a 17-3 loss.

Massachusetts casino revenue slumps over holidays

Massachusetts casino gaming continues to struggle due to the effects of Covid-19. Gaming revenues slumped year over year in December, 2020, restricted by reduced operating hours and capacity limitations.

The state’s three casinos, Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Resorts’ MGM Springfield, and Penn National’s Plainridge Park, reported $49.8 million in revenue for the month, dropping 40.1% from 2019 levels, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission notes. Encore led the way with $29.3 million, Springfield following in second with $11.4 million, and the slots only Plainridge Park saw $9.2 million.

That totaled for nearly $15 million in tax revenue for the state. Encore and Springfield each were taxed at 25% of their Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), while Plainridge was taxed at a higher, 49% rate. That led the slots only facility to contribute more in taxes than Springfield, bringing in $4.94 million to the state.

The significant drop from 2019 revenues can equally be blamed on Covid-19 restrictions and deflated customer visitation. The casinos must close at 9:30pm since new restrictions were put in place in November, and a max capacity of 25% started on December 26, expected to be in effect until atleast January 24.

Soft2Bet nets PCI DSS data accreditation

Cyprus, 15th January 2021 – Casino and sportsbook platform provider Soft2Bet has been certified by The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

The company was accredited with the certification after passing a rigorous audit, recognising its capability to securely protect the transfer of credit and debit card data between customers and payment service providers.

The news showcases Soft2Bet’s strong compliance credentials, which are also demonstrated by the SGA, MGA and Curacao licences held by the market-leading casino and sportsbook platform provider.

The company’s latest certification indicates its unwavering commitment to protecting the data of players using the 30+ operator brands in its portfolio, which is set to be enhanced with a new flagship sportsbook in early 2021 and currently includes the SBC-award winning Wazamba.

Clive Hawkswood joins Gambling Integrity, the UK’s leading consultancy in gambling governance

Gambling Integrity are delighted to welcome Clive Hawkswood to the team. Clive joins Gambling Integrity following his Chairmanship of Responsible Affiliates in Gambling (RAiG). Prior to this he was Chief Executive of the UK’s Remote Gambling Association from August 2004 to January 2019 where he represented the industry’s interests with a range of international regulators and governments. He was closely involved in the development of industry best practice across a range of regulatory and social responsibility issues. This included regular dialogue with the British Gambling Commission and Government. For many years he was a board member of GambleAware and he was the first Chairman of GAMSTOP, the national online self-exclusion system. 

Malcolm Bruce, Founder of Gambling Integrity said: “Clive brings huge depth of knowledge of the online gambling industry together with a deep commitment to player protection and the prevention of gambling-related harm. He will be working with us to develop and enhance our Pre-Audit Review (PAR) service, which provides reassurance to operators that they are in good shape from a regulatory perspective before they are audited, inspected, or have their licences reviewed by the British Gambling Commission.’

Clive Hawkswood says: “It is always better to seek out and address any regulatory failings, especially where they relate to player protection, before they are identified by the Gambling Commission. With operator boards being held directly responsible for serious breaches, I am sure that more than ever they will want to have the fullest confidence in the controls and systems within their companies. I am delighted to now be part of the Gambling Integrity team working with our clients to ensure their boards are fully briefed on the steps they need to take to maximise regulatory compliance and good corporate governance.”

Gambling Integrity helps organisations focus on safer gambling, by training and mentoring staff, advising on sustainable business models and ensuring regulatory compliance.

First Dates gets Foxy

Foxy Bingo announces it will launch a year-long TV sponsorship deal of the popular dating show, First Dates, from January 2021. 

Running throughout the year on both Channel 4 and E4, the campaign is set to feature Foxy starring in various sponsorship idents before each episode, with the deal covering new and repeated programmes, as well as spin-offs, such as First Dates Hotel and First Dates Australia. 

The deal includes 32 episodes (with each repeated once weekly) across the various programmes and channels throughout the year. 

Speaking about the new sponsorship, Anna Venturas, Brand Director of Foxy Bingo, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring First Dates throughout 2021, the show really resonates with our audience and we truly believe that this will be a perfect fit for both the programme and our brand”.

Head of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries Ivan Rudyi to speak at Ukrainian Gaming Week 2021

Ivan Rudy, Chairman of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries will become the speaker at Ukrainian Gaming Week 2021, which will be held on February 24-25. Event will be organized by Smile-Expo.

Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries is a key body on the Ukrainian gambling market. It provides control over activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling. The state structure was created by the Cabinet of Ministers in order to ensure transparent interaction between business and regulatory authorities.

The regulator oversees the launch of the gambling business, its legalization, licenses market participants and monitors their work. The main mission of the commission is to create a system that will simplify the working conditions in the gambling and lottery sector.

The powers of the collegial body include:

Which Premier League manager is favourite to be sacked next?

The Premier League is a uniquely pressurised environment in which to play football, but as we all know, the manager often carries the can. From Jurgen Klopp to Pep Guardiola, through Jose Mourinho and including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, every Premier League manager operates in the full knowledge that a bad run of results can lead to their dismissal.

Who are the favourites to lose their job in Premier League and who should you be backing to be the next manager to leave his post? Let’s take a look at the latest sportsbetting futures market to offer terrific value for sportsbettors during lockdown.

The Favourites

Of the current favourites, each could appeal to you in different ways. The current bookies favourite is Chris Wilder (5/2), who has presided over the worst start to a Premier League season ever at Bramall Lane. That could and possibly should have cost him his job already, but it hasn’t, for the valid reason that The Blades were cutting their cloth at a table they weren’t expected to survive at for a year anyway. Destabilising the squad now would condemn them to relegation and the perils of trying to survive in the The Championship with a broken roster and direction. When they are relegated, keeping Wilder will give them the best chance of surviving and bouncing back at the first attempt.

Seven poker quotes from WSOP bracelet winners to inspire you

Winning a World Series of Poker bracelet is the inspiration for many poker players to take up the game, from playing with their friends locally to attempting to turn their hobby into a profession by becoming a poker player for their job.

When it comes to poker inspiration, then, who better to learn from than seven players who have won WSOP bracelets, the fabled gold trinkets that symbolize your arrival as a player to be reckoned with?

Let’s take a look at some of the best poker quotes to give you the kind of week at the felt that youcould build a bracelet run upon.

1. “Fold and live to fold again.”

Premier League Gameweek #18 Review – City on the March

With so much at stake in a Premier League season dominated only by inconsistency, every game seems to be getting more important. The current league campaign has almost reached the halfway stage for most clubs, with only Aston Villa having more than two games in hand on the pack.

With a titanic tussle at Anfield and a showdown between two terrific teams at the King Power Stadium to look back on in detail, who came out on top at the peak of the Premier League? Let’s take a look back at the biggest action.

Leicester City 2-0 Southampton

The Foxes prevailed at the King Power Stadium as Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made his 400th appearance against The Saints.

Paulius Plausinaitis Wins $10 Million Guaranteed WSOP Circuit Online Main Event

Paulius Plausinaitis took down a $10 million guaranteed WSOP Circuit Main Event on the GGPoker poker site — a $1,700 buy-in tournament — for $1,236,361. He beat a tough final table table that included tournament crusher Joseph Cheong.

Paulius Plausinaitis won one of the biggest WSOP Circuit events in history. (Image: WSOP.com)

Plausinaitis hails from Lithuania, home of the legendary Tony G, one of the most colorful and loud poker players ever. The recent Circuit ring winner outlasted a field of 6,395 players, making it the largest Circuit event in history.

Cheong is no stranger to crushing massive field tournaments. In 2010, he finished third for $4,130,000 in the WSOP Main Event, a tournament with 7,319 unique players. And at the 2019 WSOP, he won his first and only bracelet in a 6,214-player field ($1,000 Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em for $687,782).