An online casino launched under the radar in New Brunswick, Canada last August is being made accessible to more gamblers. Operated by the Atlantic Lottery Corp. (ALC), the site is expected to be made available to residents of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and will give gamblers in those areas the ability to place larger online wagers than ever before. The effort follows an announcement made by the company last October, when it said that it was going to push forward with expanded online gaming options to counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALC has had a rough couple of years, partly due to restrictions on gambling and partly due to the coronavirus. As it struggled to gain strength, it introduced its online casino in New Brunswick last year, implementing a CAD$500 ($392.75) limit per hand on blackjack and a CAD$100 ($78) limit per turn at a slot machine. ALC had difficulty finding a decent amount of support for its online casino operations, but the revenue slide caused by COVID-19 proved to be the catalyst it needed. 

Prince Edward Island leaders have tried to keep online casinos away for over ten years, but is now reportedly more amenable to the idea, as are more governments everywhere. According to the CEO of ALC, Chris Keevill, too much money continues to be directed to offshore operators, leaving places like Prince Edward Island and others without much-needed revenue. Keevill asserts, “Offshore operators who are marketing to Atlantic Canadians really picked up steam over COVID. We don’t think that they operate with the best interests and safety of Atlantic Canadians in mind.”

ALC has had an annual initiative to try to expand its online gambling operations and has routinely asserted that a virtual casino could produce as much as CAD$80 million ($62.8 million) over a seven-year period. That figure is likely to be higher now, given the expanded attention directed to online gaming, and a significant portion of that revenue would be turned over to governments for their programs. The company has been silent on the exact amount of money it has been racking up through its New Brunswick segment, but has reportedly told Prince Edward Island leaders that they can expect up to CAD$750,000 ($589,000) in profit in only the first year of operation. That’s not too bad, considering the government had forecast a budget for the new year of CAD$2.2 billion ($1.8 billion). 

How much do you let your walls down when interacting with colleagues, superiors and direct reports? Do you keep a stiff upper lip and only reveal the depths of your personality when necessary, or are you completely transparent? For many of us, we can make the choice, and which path you chose is important.

Minter Dial recently wrote a wonderful piece on “Should You Bring Your Whole Self to Work?,” discussing the transparency scale available to all of us, and it got me reflecting on my own history with transparency in the office. And in discussing upcoming yearly performance reviews with a colleague, some of Dial’s points really started hitting home, so I thought I’d share some of my own experiences and thoughts.

In my mind, how transparent you are in the workplace largely depends on three factors: how comfortable you are letting your guard down, where you work and who you’re interacting with. Some jobs and industries require you to be more secretive, some people can’t be trusted, and some people just can’t let loose. Simple as that.

Also, there are some topics you just probably shouldn’t be transparent about. Some people have ruined their careers by proudly voicing their politics, exposing their personal lives to those with different cultural norms, or just being a bit of a weirdo. The idea of “professionalism” often doubles as a way of keeping everyone from getting a little too weird or offensives.

Calabria, Italy is about to be overrun this week. The city is going to be the site of one of the largest trials in the history of the country, with 355 people suspected of being tied to the ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate ready to face a judge, according to a report by the Daily Mail. This is the same mafia that has ties to organized crime around the world, including the operation of drug trafficking outlets and illegal casinos and sportsbooks in a number of countries. It’s also the same group that is said to be linked to Wirecard, the failed payment processing company that went under after as much as $3 billion went missing last year. 

Calabria is now under siege, but not by a military force. Instead, it is overwhelmed by security personnel and police trying to keep everyone safe. The public prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, has had police protection for over 30 years as he continued to try to bring an end to organized crime in Italy. When supposed mafia members have had to appear in court in previous years, there has been no shortage of bloodshed, with mobsters willing to murder prosecutors, witnesses and anyone else who might help send them to jail. 

Reports have asserted over the years that the ‘Ndrangheta syndicate has operated over 1,500 betting shops and around 82 online gambling sites. It has also trafficked in cocaine and illegal arms, supported a large refugee center in Europe and has no limits on what it’s willing to do to gain more power. 68 people tied to the mob were arrested in an anti-mafia raid recently, but that didn’t stop the organization, with its global reach, from being able to pick up and continue on.

This time, though, things are a little different. As the new trial is set to get underway, prosecutors have been able to find assistance from the son of one of the syndicate’s mob bosses. Emanuele Mancuso has been helped the government build its case and has been under police protection, but is still a potential target should someone look to seek revenge on him for turning his back on the family.

The iGaming NEXT: POWER Hour is back, starting 2021 with a great lineup of conversation on Friday, January 15. This monthly series of social digital gatherings is starting the year off right with four great topics nine amazing participants.

At 3:00 CEST, Green Jade Games’ Chairman Jesper Kärrbrink starts us off with an Industry update. Although he’s only slated to speak for 10 minutes, Kärrbrink always has a great perspective on the gaming industry and the world beyond it, and it could just be the best 10 minutes of your day.

Following that is a Fireside Chat on “Is Entertainment the future for iGaming? Nicola Longmuir, CCO of Push Gaming will be joined by Sam Brown, CCO of Hero Gaming, and continue iGaming NEXT Online’s look at how gambling can learn from the entertainment industry.

At 3:30 CEST, Better Collective’s Head of strategic events Sjona ODonnell will be joined by Hero Gaming CMO Scott Dodson for the Fireside Chat: “That’s entertainment! With the rise of addictive technology, how can gambling compete for consumers time in what is a largely unregulated marketplace for its competitors.” The question is right there in the title, you have to tune in to see what their answer is.

The iGaming NEXT: POWER Hour is back, starting 2021 with a great lineup of conversation on Friday, January 15. This monthly series of social digital gatherings is starting the year off right with four great topics nine amazing participants.

At 3:00 CEST, Green Jade Games’ Chairman Jesper Kärrbrink starts us off with an Industry update. Although he’s only slated to speak for 10 minutes, Kärrbrink always has a great perspective on the gaming industry and the world beyond it, and it could just be the best 10 minutes of your day.

Following that is a Fireside Chat on “Is Entertainment the future for iGaming? Nicola Longmuir, CCO of Push Gaming will be joined by Sam Brown, CCO of Hero Gaming, and continue iGaming NEXT Online’s look at how gambling can learn from the entertainment industry.

At 3:30 CEST, Better Collective’s Head of strategic events Sjona ODonnell will be joined by Hero Gaming CMO Scott Dodson for the Fireside Chat: “That’s entertainment! With the rise of addictive technology, how can gambling compete for consumers time in what is a largely unregulated marketplace for its competitors.” The question is right there in the title, you have to tune in to see what their answer is.

Resorts World Genting (RWG) will once again have to tighten its belt, as new Covid-19 related restrictions in Malaysia will force the operation to operate at reduced capacity and hours.

The resort is opting to reduce their operations due to a predicted decline in visitors between January 13 and 26, the period of a new interstate travel freeze. “With this announcement, we anticipate a decline in the number of visitors to RWG,” the resort wrote on their site. “Hence, we will be operating at a lower capacity and some of our offerings may not be available from 13 January 2021.”

“Some of our hotels, facilities, attractions and other offerings will be subjected to revised operating hours, limited availability or temporary closure. Kindly visit our website regularly for further information,” they added.”

The new travel ban was announced on January 11, following a rise of new Covid-19 infections peaking over 3,000 a day. The Movement Control Order calls for a freeze on travel between six states: Penang, Selangor, Federal Territories, Johor, Melaka and Sabah.

Online casino sights need to stay on top of the hottest slot offerings to keep up with the competition. We’ve got the newest slots released in the past week, so you can check them out and decide if you want them on your site.

Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements from the gambling industry. Our Press Release section is updated constantly, and we publish roundups of the latest partnerships twice a week.

Relax Gaming shines with Kluster Krystals Megaclusters

Relax Gaming, the igaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, is kicking off the year with another blockbuster slot game, Kluster Krystals Megaclusters.

The casino resort market in the Russian Far East continues to move forward and one of the anchors of the massive project, the Tigre de Cristal is helping shape the future. The Summit Ascent Holdings property has already discovered how much VIP gambling will drive growth and, despite Suncity Group having purchased a majority stake in the casino project last year, Summit Ascent wants to keep its marketing efforts in-house as much as possible. To that end, it doesn’t want Suncity to get overly involved in attracting high-rollers to the property.

Analysts with Goldman Sachs provided an update on the state of affairs at Summit Ascent, based on information provided by the casino operator last week. The company held a “corporate day” last week to discuss what’s going on behind the scenes and asserted that it wants to work on bringing in its own VIP customers and wants to extend credit directly to players, but will rely on Suncity’s large database of names to direct traffic. Suncity owns over two-thirds of Summit Ascent, which owns a little more than 77% of the casino in Vladivostok. 

According to the analysts, “While this would allow the company to preserve more profit without having to pay junket commission, it would also mean Summit Ascent has to bear credit risk on its own. Management believes it is manageable, given its limited VIP exposure initially. Overall, they believe US$200 million EBITDA is achievable in the longer run.” 

Tigre de Cristal shut down in March of last year, like casinos around the world, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in July, ready to get back and pick up where it left off. Prior to the shutdown, the property had seen huge gains in slot and VIP operations, with profit increasing to $10.57 million from the $980,000 it had seen a year earlier. The post-shutdown picture has improved, as well, with the casino showing positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for the last six months of the year, as opposed to a loss in the first half. That was backed by a significant jump in VIP revenue, despite continued international travel restrictions, and Summit Ascent believes it can manage its VIP activity on its own going forward. 

FuboTV, the sports streaming service, has taken another major step into the gambling industry. The company has announced their purchase of online sportsbook Vigtory.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but FuboTV disclosed they expect the deal to be concluded in the first quarter of this year. The streaming service’s plan is to integrate Vigtory into their TV platform, while still making it available for those not currently subscribed to FuboTV. The full integration is expected to happen before the end of 2021.

Sam Rattner and Scott Butera, founder and co-CEO of Vigtory respectively, will take on roles as COO and President at FuboTV. The pair came to Vigtory after leaving BetMGM in 2020. who joined the company last year following a stint at BetMGM, are joining FuboTV’s gaming division as chief operating officer and president.

Shares of the streaming service quickly climbed on the news, climbing 34% to $36.48. This marks a steady step in the company’s recovery, which peaked at $68 a share last year, but then bottomed out at $24.24, as skeptics sold the company based on its sub-par offering against the competition.

About ten months ago, Penn National Gaming decided to sell the physical land under the Tropicana Las Vegas to real estate investment trust (REIT) Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) while it continued to operate the casino and the rest of the amenities at the Las Vegas Strip property. Now, Penn is prepared to walk away completely and is accepting offers from potential buyers who want to purchase the property and the operating rights. While the casino operator is reducing its Vegas presence, another is still trying to get in, but Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is finding it difficult to get going amid a global coronavirus pandemic. 

The link between Penn and GLPI is solid, given that the REIT was part of the casino operator’s operations until 2013. It now holds a lot of the real estate Penn operates, and the plan to unload the Tropicana may have been in the works from the time GLPI took possession of the real estate last year. The new sale was confirmed by Michael Parks, the VP of CBRE Capital Advisors, but adds that there is no official sales price. 

Two years ago, the property may have been able to go for around $700 million, double what Penn received when it sold the real estate to GLPI, but the COVID-19 situation has caused a lot of movement in real estate values. Still, the Tropicana has outperformed expectations and could command a higher price than other venues that are being put up for sale. 

As Penn is potentially considering a smaller Vegas footprint, Virgin is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to enter the market. The site of the former Hard Rock Las Vegas has been completely converted to carry the Virgin logo and design, but sticking to a schedule as COVID-19 continues to pummel Las Vegas is proving difficult. The grand opening of the new property has been delayed once again.