Author Archives: The Daily Payoff

Poker on Screen: Smile (2021)

The latest example of poker on screen isn’t a glitzy Hollywood movie or a stylish cameo to bulk out a gangster film. It’s not a tournament or cash game highlights show, either.

Smile, produced by Norwegian filmmakers Kari Wåle and Linn Amundsen, is a documentary that follows the last steps of Thor Hansen’s journey in poker and in life itself. Diagnosed with incurable cancer, Hansen’s prolonged battle against the disease took in the making of the film and it one of the single most fascinating films you’ll ever watch.

It goes without saying that Thor Hansen is a poker legend, but the two-time WSOP bracelet winner is also a hero to Norwegians who play the game and it’s not hard to see why in a documentary where Hansen, despite the impossible battle he faces, is constantly smiling.

While the jovial Norwegian has not yet made his way into the Poker Hall of Fame, it is an induction that surely will come in time. He’s impossible not to like, not only because of his infectious lust for playing poker (“I’ll be playing on my deathbed, you guys can bring cards!”) but his humility and acceptance of his fate.

Super Bowl 55 scoring & defensive props preview

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Weather could be a factor for Super Bowl 55 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening from Tampa as some rain is in the forecast. Could that affect the kickers? Raymond James Stadium is an open-air facility.

The over/under for longest field goal in Super Bowl 55 is 47.5 yards, with the under a -130 favorite. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is one of the league’s best as he was 25-for-27 on field goals during the regular season with a long of 58, while in the playoffs he is 4-for-5 with a long of 50. Tampa Bay’s Ryan Succop has a minor advantage kicking in his own stadium and knowing the winds, etc. He was 28-for-31 on field goals during the regular season with a long of 50 and is 8-for-8 in the playoffs (Bucs have played one more game than the Chiefs) with a long of 46.

When Kansas City won in Tampa 27-24 on Nov. 29, weather was no factor. Butker was 2-for-2 with a long field goal of 29 yards and Succop was 1-for-1 with a long of only 26. The over/under for shortest make in the Super Bowl is 27.5 yards, which would mean a team kicking a field goal from around the 10. The total field goals made prop is over/under 3.5, with the under a slight -135 favorite.

Game Over: Which Online Video Games Cause the Most Arguments among Couples

Various COVID-19 lockdowns across the world have meant a big boost for video gaming online. Let’s be honest, there’s not much else to do. And what better way to spend your downtime than immersing yourself in another world, or an alternative life, while playing with real people or even pals online?

However, we know that sometimes gaming can cause relationship rifts. In fact, according to Iain Macintosh’s book, ‘Football Manager Stole My Life’, the titular game was cited as a factor in a whopping 35 divorce cases back in 2012.

Here at CardsChat, this got us all wondering which online games are causing the most arguments in relationships right now. We decided to find out by asking over 1,000 adults in the UK.

Whether you’re the Fortnite fanatic, the put-upon partner of a Call of Duty devotee, or simply annoyed because you can’t get on the console yourself, this one’s for you …

Affilka by SoftSwiss enters into partnership with WildTokyo Casino

Affilka, an Affiliate Marketing Platform developed by SoftSwiss, has concluded a deal with a third-party casino WildTokyo Casino. 

A newly launched Affiliate Program “AffRepublic“, provided by WildTokyo Casino, will run on Affilka, enabling its users with a combination of security and all the necessary functionality for efficient workflow and partner cooperation. 

Affilka has already shown some amazing results working with a variety of brands operating on the SoftSwiss online casino platform. And now, it keeps on gaining momentum and actively expanding its third-party client portfolio. As in Q4 of 2020 alone, Affilka onboarded 4 new third-party clients and that is just the beginning. 

Affilka is an affiliate marketing platform developed by SoftSwiss. A reliable, safe and trustworthy tool for iGaming operators to manage, track and analyze their affiliates and their marketing performance in real-time. The solution allows to unite several casinos or sportsbook brands and products under one referral program as well as offering automated payouts to affiliates via built-in payment processing methods, an advanced commission constructor, powerful reporting and in-depth analytics.

Chris Moneymaker Joins US-Facing Poker Site Americas Cardroom

Chris Moneymaker was an unemployed poker pro for all of four weeks. The ex-PokerStars ambassador has just announced a new sponsorship deal with Americas Cardroom (ACR).

Chris Money has partnered with Americas Cardroom just a few weeks after ending his contract with PokerStars. (Image: Twitter/ACR)

CardsChat spoke to Moneymaker after his split from PokerStars. He told us that a “great new opportunity” had come his way, but he couldn’t say what it was.

Now we know that opportunity was a partnership with Americas Cardroom. Fueling his decision to represent the US-facing poker site is a desire to stay home and play online.

FYX announces blockchain-based competitive eSports platform

RALEIGH, North Carolina – February 4, 2021 – FYX, a Raleigh-based eSports infrastructure and technology provider specialising in the development of blockchain-based solutions, today announces the upcoming launch of its flagship competitive eSports platform at fyxgaming.com.

FYX is a re-branded continuation of the blockchain-based eSports platform initially developed under the Kronoverse name and is presently in its final development phases ahead of a scheduled public launch later in 2021. The FYX platform leverages the unique characteristics of blockchain technology to power a competitive eSports experience like no other, with native cash matches and tournaments, verifiable game integrity, integrated betting and wagering functionalities, as well as new methods of monetisation for game developers.

The FYX platform has been built to be game engine-agnostic, with a range of integration options through an SDK and API available to developers of all sizes – from AAA studios right through to small indie developers – with no up-front implementation costs. Once integrated, developers are eligible to earn a share of all fees from paid competitions involving their game, as well as gain access to a suite of data and analytics information from gameplay.

Underpinning the FYX platform is the Bitcoin SV blockchain, which provides a massively scaled network capable of handling huge volumes of payment and data transaction throughput at a predictably low cost required by enterprise-grade blockchain applications. The Bitcoin SV blockchain will be used to verify player identity and facilitate instant tokenised fiat payments for FYX, with its public data ledger permanently storing individual match data in real-time – offering auditable game integrity and unlocking a host of unique new features, including on-demand replay and advanced data analytics.

Casino entrepreneur targets New Orleans neighbor for new venue

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) out of Los Angeles, California, has been around for almost 22 years and has had its hands in the casino industry for much of that time. It served as a holding company for Peninsula Gaming, which was sold to Boyd Gaming nine years ago for $1.45 billion, and is behind Bossier City’s DiamondJacks Casino & Hotel in Louisiana. COVID-19 forced the property to shut down in May of last year, but P2E wasn’t ready to give up on Louisiana’s casino industry. It wants to build a new property in Slidell, just outside of New Orleans, but there’s a problem. Bossier City is in Caddo Parish on the northern border of Louisiana, while Slidell is in St. Tammany Parish in the south. 

In Louisiana, casino licenses are issued by the parish, not the state. As a result, P2E, led by CEO Brent Stevens, would have to first receive approval by state lawmakers, who would authorize (or deny) a request to put a measure on the ballot in St. Tammany Parish. Then, local residents would have to approve (or deny) the request if it were to make it to the ballot. After that, state gaming regulators would have to approve the relocation of the license, provided voters had agreed, as well as approve any development plans. 

Even if lawmakers agree to allow the ballot measure to appear, P2E has a battle ahead. Years ago, St. Tammany Parish voters found a casino gambling measure on the ballot, which they were quick to deny. Just under two-thirds of the voters rejected that measure in 1996; however, were more supportive of sports gambling last year. A sports gambling measure that appeared on the ballot in November found 67% of the voters approving the possibility of sportsbooks coming to the parish.

Slidell is about 35 minutes to the northeast of New Orleans, just over the 5-Mile Bridge. If Stevens and P2E are able to gain the support needed, the new venue would potentially be a $250-million resort close to Lake Pontchartrain and the Lakeshore Marina. It would offer the casino and a hotel with 250 keys, but no information about other amenities have been provided. While it’s possible that COVID-19 might make parish voters more amenable to the idea of a casino, as has been seen elsewhere, Stevens has to realize the uphill battle he’s about to fight.

Westgate’s top prop picks for Super Bowl LV

The good news is that Super Bowl LV is now just four days away. The bad news is that Super Bowl LV is now just four days away. The NFL season has flown by and, while MLB, the NHL and the NBA are going to help keep professional sports action running, more football fans should try to petition their respective lawmakers to require a year-round NFL league. In the meantime, we will have to settle for what we can get, and the Big Game this weekend has plenty of action ready for fans, as well as gamblers. A look at some of the leading prop bets available at the Westgate SuperBook show what everyone thinks about this contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

To ease into things, the coin toss is leaning slightly toward tails. Many people believe that the results of the coin toss are split evenly at 50/50; however, this isn’t the case, so there is definitely some entertainment value available. Mathematician Persi Diaconis showed that the odds were 51/49, with the advantage given to the side that was facing up when the coin was flipped. This hasn’t been the case with the Super Bowl coin toss, though. The Super Bowl coin, made of silver and gold, features the Super Bowl logo on one side (heads) and the teams’ logos on the other (tails). Out of the past 27 games, tails has won 17 times, even though heads was facing up.

Westgate has a line up for whether either team will score points in the first six and a half minutes of the game. While both the Chiefs and the Bucs have extremely strong offenses, this one might be a “no” based, in part, by another trend found with Brady. The quarterback, before heading to Tampa Bay prior to the current season, was scoreless in all but one of his Super Bowl appearances in the first quarter.

The Bucs could be the first to score a penalty in the game. Tampa Bay’s defense is going to try hard from their first set of plays to stop Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and this could lead to an error, possibly pass interference, early in the game. Hill is also getting an Over/Under of 4.5 yards on his first rushing attempt and averaged 9.5 yards per carry this season, per NFL.com. Both teams are going to be on edge as the Big Game gets underway, and early penalties on both sides are likely.

XB Net partners with CrossBet for premium North American racing

4th February 2021 – XB Net, the leading provider of premium content for U.S. horse and greyhound racing, has announced its latest partnership with rising-star operator, CrossBet, an emerging force in Australian sports betting, to expand its international racing coverage.

The deal harnesses XB Net’s delivery of live pictures, data and betting services from a peerless network of over 50 North American tracks (approximately 90% of U.S. horse racing) enabling CrossBet to flexibly fill its programming schedule with a steady stream of rapid-cycle betting opportunities. This dynamic content is proven to drive digital “dwell” time for new and existing sports fans across the Australian operator’s proprietary and innovative mobile applications and betting interfaces.

CrossBet’s breakthrough sportsbook runs off unique data and pricing models, allowing customers to enjoy sophisticated and reactive odds, featuring competitive pricing on all sports, as evidenced by its highly-progressive international racing offering.

XB Net remains the proven pacesetter for live North American racing content, managing international rights, data, odds and live broadcast and video streaming on behalf of its growing global portfolio of partners. Channeling low-latency feeds from more than 2,500 meetings, showcasing over 25,000 races per year, North American racing is engaging more and more bettors as international operators look to provide a legitimate 24/7 for enhanced fan engagement, no matter the time of day.

Wynn still interested in Japan, despite dwindling options

Don’t count Wynn Resorts out of the Japanese Integrated Resort (IR) competition just yet. The casino operator denies reports that they’ve abandoned the hunt, while a European operator is reported to be cutting back on their own efforts.

“Wynn Resorts continues to closely monitor the integrated-resort situation in Japan and views the country as a strong potential market,” Wynn told the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper.

Reports surfaced earlier this week that Wynn was bowing out of a potential Yokohama bid, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still interested in Japan. It’s just Yokohama has too many issues, they write:

“While Wynn’s positive pursuit of an IR development in the country is undiminished, it will not be participating in the upcoming request-for-proposal process by the City of Yokohama, because there is not yet clarity regarding the post-COVID-19 international IR market nor the definitive national basic policy to meaningfully update our previously submitted plans and to complete, with the necessary detail, the documents published by the city.”

Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup – February 4, 2021

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 from the gambling industry. Our Press Release section is updated constantly, and we publish roundups of the latest partnerships twice a week.

Evoplay Entertainment showcases leading credentials with EveryMatrix

Supplier signs with one of B2B gambling’s most prominent players