Author Archives: The Daily Payoff

Imperial Palace construction to stop after IPI found in contempt

Ray N. Yumul has to know what he’s getting into as he prepares to become the next CEO of Imperial Pacific International (IPI). The former senator in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is reportedly set to take the helm as soon as all the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted, but will have his work cut out for him moving forward. IPI never seems to get out from under the blanket of controversy surrounding its Imperial Palace casino in Saipan, and a new court order has been handed down for IPI to bring almost all of its operations to a grinding and sudden halt. According to the Saipan Tribune, the company has been held in contempt of court following the latest salvo against it, this one coming from the US Department of Labor (DOL).

IPI hasn’t been able to properly pay its employees for months, a serious flaw that led the DOJ to view the employees’ current situation as a humanitarian crisis solely caused by IPI’s inability to put its affairs in order. Employees have gone months without receiving pay and, according to the complaint against IPI, have been forced to live in squalor after the company cut off their access to basic necessities such as food, electricity and water. The DOL asked CNMI Chief Judge Ramona Manglona to intervene, and she now has. The judge has ordered IPI to stop all construction on Imperial Palace, as well as to halt all of its operations, with the exception of those tied to payroll and security. 

Judge Manglona agreed with the DOL that the company, as well as chairman Cui Li Jie, should be held in contempt of court. However, Cui avoided being arrested, as per the judge’s earlier threat, after he showed up in court to participate in the DOL hearing. Donald Browne, IPI’s former CEO who had also been under threat of arrest, seems to have avoided the judge’s wrath, as well. Browne just relinquished his position last month, paving the way for Yumul to be considered for the unstable position.

IPI will have to take a break for a week, according to Judge Manglona’s order, after which she will expect a new update from the company. That update is expected to show that IPI has finally been able to comply with the sanctions that led to the contempt of court claims, or if the company can show that it has compensated all of its workforce for the five missing payrolls that are due. IPI will also have to show that it has been able to give its employees acceptable living conditions. 

Mike Postle’s Internet Bully Trolls Have Mysteriously Disappeared

Mike Postle had many keyboard warriors defending him against cheating allegations, but those Twitter accounts have gone noticeably silent for months. And the accused poker cheater is having issues presenting his civil lawsuit against those he claims defamed his character.

Mike Postle isn’t having much luck these days. (Image: YouTube)

Veronica Brill, a player and commentary at Stones Gambling Hall, accused Postle of cheating in Sep. 2019. She alleges the Northern California poker pro somehow had access to his opponent’s hole cards during Stones Live streams.

Postle instantly denied the accusations and has stood by that stance ever since, although he’s avoided the public eye for quite some time. He told CardsChat News back in 2019 that Brill was just “jealous” of his greatness. Many poker players began investigating by watching countless hours of Stones Live streams. Most came to the conclusion that he cheated based on his uncanny ability to seemingly never make an incorrect decision on the river.

INTRALOT pick Algosport to provide innovative Bet Builder products

January 21st, 2021 – London, U.K. (Press Release): Innovative U.K. based sportsbetting technology company Algosport are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement to provide Bet Builder products to industry giant INTRALOT.

Under the terms of the deal, current and future INTRALOT customers will benefit from market-leading Bet Builder products initially for pre-match football, but with the ability to expand to include In:Play betting options across a wide variety of sports, with Cashout supported as standard. Unlike some other providers, Algosports proprietary technology will be housed within INTRALOT’s current platform infrastructure, increasing accuracy and robustness, plus reducing the latency and other problems seen with some API or feed-based solutions.

Leigh Heardman, CEO at Algosport, said, “This is a really exciting deal for Algosport, and we are really pleased to be working with INTRALOT, who are one of the biggest names in betting and gaming”

Alongside traditional same game multiples for sports such as soccer and basketball, Algosport are also continually enhancing the service and recently added innovative products for handball and snooker betting markets. In addition, Algosport recently became one of the first providers to offer Bet Builder products for eSports titles such as FIFA 2020. These innovations have proved incredibly popular with operators, as eSports betting replaced some of the revenue lost due to Covid-related reductions in the sporting calendar.

Gaming Industry News Weekly Recap – Week of January 18

The Americas

Hustler founder Larry Flynt scored a minor court win in his battle to keep his card rooms open. Flynt’s legal team continue to battle the state of California over the ownership laws relating to card rooms; Dan Gilbert has sold his interest in the Ohio casino market to Jack Entertainment. Jack Entertainment will oversee the management of three casinos in the Cleveland area; MGM Resorts has abandoned its bid to acquire Entain PLC. The speculation led to a steep plunge in Entain’s share price; Atlantic City casinos continue to come under enormous economic pressure. The city’s casinos have been forced to extend their closure policies for a further month; Former U.S. President Donald Trump has given notorious sports gambler Billy Walters a lifeline. In one his final acts as president, Walters five-year sentence for securities fraud was commuted; Grupo Caliente is set to expand its partnership with Genius Sports. Grupo Caliente is set to extend its partnership in Mexico and the Latin American region to include all sportsbook activity for the Caliente.mx brand; The lawyer for Mike Postle has announced he is stepping off the case. Postle’s lawyer stepped back as two defendants in the case hit Postle with an anti-SLAPP. America’s online gaming marketing court a break with a ruling on the 1961 Wire Act. A two-judge panel of the U.S. Court of the Appeals for the First Circuit sided with the New Hampshire Lottery Commission in a historic ruling;

Europe

Genting U.K. continues to struggle with the COVID-19 situation, closing casinos in Bristol, Margate and Torquay, as well as reducing staff at several other locations across the UK; Former Responsible Affiliates in Gambling Chairman Clive Hawkswood has joined Gambling Integrity. Hawkswood has spent decades in the industry developing best practice across a range of regulatory and social issues; Entain’s plan to buy Enlabs AB has run into trouble as Texas hedge fund Alta Fox Capital Management is refusing to sell. The battle is set to continue with the Texas fund finding enough support to halt the sale; Danske Spil has struck a deal with Playtech Sports to introduce sports gambling products. The Danish lottery is set to add titles to the local lottery market; Entain plc have appointed a new CEO to replace the outgoing Shay Segev. Independent Director Jette Nygaard-Andersen is set to take over in the top job, with CFO Rob Wood named as her deputy.

Midweek Premier League Preview – Pogba stunner keeps United on top

The latest round of Premier League fixtures has seen the big clubs and the best players step up to the mark. With atrocious weather conditions, the most talented players often dictate play and in James Maddison, Bernardo Silva and Paul Pogba, Leicester City, Manchester City and Manchester United had artistry in abundance as they wrapped up three points against tough opposition.

Let’s go back through the action and pluck out the best of it.

Leicester City 2-0 Chelsea

A convincing win for The Foxes saw Chelsea fall apart without the protective influence of N’Golo Kante in midfield. Leicester, fresh from a 2-0 win against Southampton just a few days earlier, were on the front foot from the first whistle, taking the game to their more decorated opponents with flair and steel in equal measure.

FanDuel first for legal betting in Virginia thanks to NFL club ties

Virginia’s legal sports betting market is off to a sputtering start following confusion over why FanDuel is the only brand to have received permission to launch. 

On Thursday afternoon, Flutter Entertainment’s FanDuel brand officially began taking online wagers from Virginia bettors. Flutter subsidiary Betfair Interactive US received its betting permit on Wednesday from the Virginia Lottery, which oversees gambling activity in the state. Virginia is now the 17th US state (18 if you count the District of Columbia) to launch some form of legal wagering.

The launch followed a day of confusion in which FanDuel’s Twitter feed excitedly announced the brand would be “LIVE in VA in less than 24 hrs,” only to revise that proclamation minutes later to a launch coming “soon” followed by abject silence. Neither the company nor the Lottery has since shed much light on this apparent messaging cockup. 

Last November, the Virginia Lottery said it had received 25 applications for a maximum 12 mobile sports betting licenses, but FanDuel is the only brand so far to have received its launch signal. Most states aim for a simultaneous launch of all or at least a majority of successful applicants to ensure no operator gets an unfair first-mover advantage. 

South Korea casino heist suspect arrested, bulk of cash recovered

A South Korean casino heist appears to be falling apart following the recovery of most of the stolen cash and the arrest of one suspected thief. 

On Wednesday, authorities on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju announced the arrest of an unidentified 30-something Korean male. The suspect is believed to have played a role in the recent theft of KRW14.5b (US$13.4M) in cash from several VIP gaming room safes at Landing International Development’s Jeju Shinhwa World resort casino. 

The Yonhap news agency said police are keeping details quiet for the time being, except to say that the arrested individual is “an employee of an agent company that attracts and manages casino customers.” Police said the man was not a casino staffer, meaning the suspect likely works for one of the Jeju casino’s junket partners. 

Police remain on the lookout for the alleged ringleader, a 55-year-old Malaysian female casino executive who failed to return to work after her holidays. On January 4, Landing reported the absence of the purloined cash and the fact that the female staffer appeared to have wiped surveillance video before heading off on vacation late last year.

South Korea casino heist suspect arrested, bulk of cash recovered

A South Korean casino heist appears to be falling apart following the recovery of most of the stolen cash and the arrest of one suspected thief. 

On Wednesday, authorities on the South Korean holiday island of Jeju announced the arrest of an unidentified 30-something Korean male. The suspect is believed to have played a role in the recent theft of KRW14.5b (US$13.4M) in cash from several VIP gaming room safes at Landing International Development’s Jeju Shinhwa World resort casino. 

The Yonhap news agency said police are keeping details quiet for the time being, except to say that the arrested individual is “an employee of an agent company that attracts and manages casino customers.” Police said the man was not a casino staffer, meaning the suspect likely works for one of the Jeju casino’s junket partners. 

Police remain on the lookout for the alleged ringleader, a 55-year-old Malaysian female casino executive who failed to return to work after her holidays. On January 4, Landing reported the absence of the purloined cash and the fact that the female staffer appeared to have wiped surveillance video before heading off on vacation late last year.

F.A. Cup 4th round sportsbetting preview

The latest round of the F.A. Cup takes place a fortnight after the 3rd Round for most but for others, such as Southampton, just days after their progression from the last round. The Saints may have prevailed 2-0 on Tuesday night against Shrewsbury, but they have a tough-looking fixture next as they take on the holders Arsenal.

Let’s take a look at that fixture and a titanic tussle at Old Trafford as we offer you some special sportsbetting tips of the 4th Round of the oldest and best cup competition in world football.

Southampton vs. Arsenal (Saturday, 12.15pm GMT kick-off)

With Southampton having only qualified for the 4th Round of the F.A. Cup on Tuesday at the expense of Shrewsbury Town, this game could come a little soon for The Saints. That said, players such as James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings will be desperate to fire the South Coast side to glory and taking on the holders will hold no fear for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team.

F.A. Cup 4th round sportsbetting preview

The latest round of the F.A. Cup takes place a fortnight after the 3rd Round for most but for others, such as Southampton, just days after their progression from the last round. The Saints may have prevailed 2-0 on Tuesday night against Shrewsbury, but they have a tough-looking fixture next as they take on the holders Arsenal.

Let’s take a look at that fixture and a titanic tussle at Old Trafford as we offer you some special sportsbetting tips of the 4th Round of the oldest and best cup competition in world football.

Southampton vs. Arsenal (Saturday, 12.15pm GMT kick-off)

With Southampton having only qualified for the 4th Round of the F.A. Cup on Tuesday at the expense of Shrewsbury Town, this game could come a little soon for The Saints. That said, players such as James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings will be desperate to fire the South Coast side to glory and taking on the holders will hold no fear for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team.

Poker Idols – Puggy Pearson

Old-style poker players had something different about them. Maybe it’s the sepia that some of the footage of them is now shown in; they’re viewed through a filter from which seems to seep time itself. Poker players of old have become part of the folklore that surrounds the game and that applies to no-one more than poker idol Puggy Pearson.  Puggy Pearson was a world champion, a raconteur and is now remembered as one of the few men who were there at the formation of the World Series of Poker in 1970. But who was he really? Let’s cast our eye back in time to find out.  

The Tennessee Titan  

Born in 1929 and raised in Tennessee, Walter Clyde Pearson got the nickname ‘Puggy’ after he suffered a broken nose in a childhood accident. Despite having a disfigured nose from the age of 12, Pearson would join the navy at 17 and served three terms at sea, becoming a prolific gambler and poker player during his time in the Navy.  

Pearson wouldn’t win his first WSOP bracelet until 1971, but then, he hadn’t invented the poker tournament yet. Yes, you read that correctly. After years of playing cash game poker, it was in the early 1950s that Pearson shared his idea for a ‘freezeout’ tournament with Nick ‘The Greek’ Dandalos. The idea more than took off. Dandalos then took the concept to Benny Binion and after encouragement from players such as Pearson, Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim, the World Series of Poker was founded in 1970.  

Poker Idols – Puggy Pearson

Old-style poker players had something different about them. Maybe it’s the sepia that some of the footage of them is now shown in; they’re viewed through a filter from which seems to seep time itself. Poker players of old have become part of the folklore that surrounds the game and that applies to no-one more than poker idol Puggy Pearson.  Puggy Pearson was a world champion, a raconteur and is now remembered as one of the few men who were there at the formation of the World Series of Poker in 1970. But who was he really? Let’s cast our eye back in time to find out.  

The Tennessee Titan  

Born in 1929 and raised in Tennessee, Walter Clyde Pearson got the nickname ‘Puggy’ after he suffered a broken nose in a childhood accident. Despite having a disfigured nose from the age of 12, Pearson would join the navy at 17 and served three terms at sea, becoming a prolific gambler and poker player during his time in the Navy.  

Pearson wouldn’t win his first WSOP bracelet until 1971, but then, he hadn’t invented the poker tournament yet. Yes, you read that correctly. After years of playing cash game poker, it was in the early 1950s that Pearson shared his idea for a ‘freezeout’ tournament with Nick ‘The Greek’ Dandalos. The idea more than took off. Dandalos then took the concept to Benny Binion and after encouragement from players such as Pearson, Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim, the World Series of Poker was founded in 1970.