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Stars Group, Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort Bringing Online Betting and Gaming To New York

The Stars Group Inc. today announced that it entered into an agreement with the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort for betting and gaming market access and certain retail sports betting operations in the State of New York.

The agreement grants The Stars Group an option to operate and brand real-money online sports betting, poker and casino in New York on a first skin basis, subject to license availability, state law and regulatory approvals. The agreement also provides that The Stars Group will provide support services for the launch and operation of a retail sportsbook at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in Northern New York.

“We are excited to announce this agreement with Mohawk, which further strengthens our market access as we work to build our FOX Bet business into one of the leaders in the emerging U.S. online betting and gaming market,” said Robin Chhabra, CEO of FOX Bet, the new U.S. sports betting brand of The Stars Group.

Todd Papineau, General Manager of the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort commented, “We are thrilled to elevate the sports betting experience for our guests in our new sports lounge, a 5,200 square foot sports betting hub that will be ready during the NFL season. Once permissible in the state, we will be prepared to accept sports wagers through our new kiosks. With its online betting and gaming solutions and FOX Bet and PokerStars brands, we believe The Stars Group is the ideal partner for us and it is positioned to become a leader in the U.S. online betting and gaming industry. We are delighted to work with The Stars Group, one of the world’s largest, most licensed online gaming companies, to leverage the opportunity presented by online betting and gaming in the State of New York.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Mohawk will receive a revenue share from the operation of the applicable online offerings by The Stars Group and The Stars Group will receive a revenue share from the operation of the retail sportsbook from Mohawk.

Technavio: Top 5 Vendors in the US Casino Gaming Market from 2017 to 2021

Gambling is one of the significant sources of revenue in the US because due to the high taxes attached to it in the country. This revenue is invested in public as well as private sectors that help in creating employment opportunities in the region. This is encouraging the government to legalize various forms of gambling that includes casino gaming. Thus, the easing of government regulations is expected to stimulate growth in the US casino gaming market during the forecast period. Furthermore, this industry research report also presents a competitive analysis of the market by platform (online and traditional), by type (commercial, tribal, limited stakes, and iGaming), and by game type (poker, blackjack, slot machines, roulette, and others).

Competitive vendor landscape

The casino gaming market in the US is highly competitive with major vendors such as Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, INTRALOT, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts, Penn National Gaming, and Wynn Resorts competing based on price, quality, and market presence.

“The reconfigurable electronic gaming machines are gaining immense popularity owing to their benefits, such as easy to update, upgrade, and user-friendly. Unlike the conventional type of machines, electronic gaming machines can be reused, which reduces the inventory cost for vendors. Thus, the increasing popularity of reconfigurable electronic gaming machines will fuel the market growth during the next five years,” says a senior analyst at Technavio.

Top five US casino gaming market vendors

Boyd Gaming

Boyd Gaming has operations in about 25 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada and several other US states. Besides Nevada, the company has casinos in Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, and Louisiana, among others. Boyd Gaming operates three main segments Midwest and South, Downtown Las Vegas, and Las Vegas Locals.

Caesars Entertainment

Caesars Entertainment owns and operates almost 50 casinos, majorly in the US under brand names that include Caesars, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe. Its major properties include Horseshoe, Harrah’s, Rio casinos, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood on the Vegas Strip, and Paris Las Vegas. The company’s operations comprise hotels, riverboat casinos, and gaming establishments.

INTRALOT

INTRALOT is an entertainment corporation that owns and operates gambling, lottery, and betting businesses. INTRALOT is a supplier of innovative game content, integrated gaming, interactive gaming services, racing management, sports betting, and transaction processing systems. It offers 400 types of games and has a presence in 57 jurisdictions in all five continents.

Las Vegas Sands

Las Vegas Sands owns and operates integrated resorts that feature celebrity chef restaurants, convention, and exhibition facilities, entertainment and retail centers, premium accommodation, gaming facilities, and other amenities. It generates revenue from gaming facilities, food and beverage services, and retail.

MGM Resorts

MGM Resorts International owns and operates integrated hotels, casinos and entertainment resorts in the United States and Macau. The company operates through three segments: MGM China, Las Vegas Strip Resorts, and Regional Operations. Its casino resorts offer convention, hotel, gaming, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. The company’s casino operations include table games and race, slots and sports book wagering.

World’s Fastest Gamer Season Two Launches Biggest-Ever Prize In Esports Racing

Today marks the launch of World’s Fastest Gamer season two – bringing together ten of the fastest esports racers on the planet to battle it out to win a year racing for real at some of the world’s most iconic circuits with leading race team, R-Motorsport, a strategic partner of Aston Martin

World’s Fastest Gamer season two will bring together ten of the fastest esports racers on the planet to battle it out to win a year of racing for real at some of the world’s most iconic circuits.

The winner will become a professional driver and race Aston Martins with R-Motorsport at iconic circuits including Monza, Paul Ricard, Brands Hatch, Nurburgring, and in the Spa-Francorchamps and Daytona 24 hours.

Eight finalists come from the biggest esports racing championships of 2019. Two more will enter via wildcard qualifiers held in the coming weeks, one exclusively on mobile on the Gear.Club app, the other online on rFactor 2.

Finalists will undergo rigorous selection trials in the UK with the top six flying to R-Motorsport’s HQ in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Two will go through an intensive four-day set of challenges and will compete in an on-track shootout at the Hockenheim finale for Germany’s “Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters” – DTM.

Head judge Juan Pablo Montoya and WFG season one winner Rudy Van Buren will decide who has what it takes to claim the prize worth more than $1 Million.

Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix and Daytona 24 hours winner Montoya is well placed to pick a worthy winner.

“I have raced online for several years and use simulators to stay sharp,” Montoya said. “I know there is huge talent in the virtual world because gamers regularly beat me! I know the skills between real and virtual are transferable, so my job on WFG is to make sure these gamers are hungry and perform under pressure.”

Van Buren became a Formula 1 simulator driver with his WFG season one victory. His story was watched by millions online and reached 400 million households on networks including ESPN, CNBC, Sky and Fox.

World’s Fastest Gamer founder, Millennial Esports Corp. (“Millennial” or the “Company”, TSX VENTURE: GAME,OTCQB: MLLLF) President, Darren Cox, believes the competition has the potential to unearth real-world motorsport talent.

“Esports racing has grown significantly since our first project more than ten years ago, but still there is a huge undiscovered talent pool out there,” Cox said.

“WFG is the bridge between the virtual and real worlds and we will again provide unparalleled access to both sides of our sport through all digital and broadcast platforms.”

Founded in 2014, R-Motorsport has established itself as one of the world’s top GT racing teams.

“In our short history R-Motorsport have had great success and impact on track with Aston Martin,” R Motorsport’s Co-owner and Team Principal Florian Kamelger said. “With Darren’s team at Millennial Esports we now have a foot in the virtual world that provides our partners with a new platform within motorsport.”

The R-Motorsport squad has extensive experience racing Aston Martin entries in high level global motorsport championships including the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Blancpain GT Series and the world’s most important international touring car championship, the DTM.

“This project shows the increasing interest in Aston Martin in the real and virtual world and I am confident that this will catapult our brand to leaders in the burgeoning esports space,” said Aston Martin President and Group CEO, Andy Palmer.

VSiN, MSG Networks to Bring Sports Betting Content to N.Y.

VSiN (Vegas Stats & Information Network) has announced an agreement with MSG Networks that will bring VSiN’s sports betting content to the New York market five days each week.

Starting Monday, the sports betting network’s show, “Follow the Money,” began airing on MSG Networks every weekday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Hosted by Mitch Moss and Paul Howard, the 3-hour show is an informative and entertaining sports talk show that blends actionable betting information with irreverent commentary and gambling stories.
“MSG Networks is the best possible broadcast partner to reach sports fans and betting enthusiasts throughout the New York area,” said Brian Musburger, founder and CEO of VSiN. “We’re thrilled to continue to work with innovators like MSG Networks to deliver sports betting news and information to the growing number of Americans wagering on sports. I’m excited to highlight our programming on the world’s biggest stage at the center of the sports and entertainment universe.”

VSiN’s sports betting content airing on MSG Networks will also be available on MSG GO, MSG Networks’ live streaming and video on demand platform for smartphones, tablets and computers.

WPT Hits Latin American Audience With Spanish Broadcasts On TV Azteca

The World Poker Tour’s established three-pillar strategy for creating extraordinary live events, distributing the highest level of poker content, and utilizing innovative online monetization methods is coming to a Latin American audience on July 12.

The World Poker Tour today announced the arrival date of WPT® television programming and social gaming in Latin America across a wealth of distribution channels via TV Azteca. On Friday, July 12, World Poker Tour’s Season IX will debut on TV Azteca’s Channel 7 in the coveted 11:00 p.m. local time slot.

This announcement comes on the heels of TV Azteca entering into a term sheet with the World Poker Tour’s sister company, Allied Esports. The term sheet provides for TV Azteca to become a shareholder of Allied Esports, a global esports entertainment company, through $5 million equity investment in Black Ridge Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BRAC). As previously announced, Allied Esports and WPT, both currently owned by Ourgame International Holdings Limited, will be acquired, once all applicable shareholder and regulatory consents have been obtained, by Black Ridge Acquisition Corp. to form Allied Esports Entertainment.

The TV Azteca-distributed WPT television show will complement WPTGO, the social poker gaming site jointly developed by TV Azteca and WPT specifically for the Latin American online and mobile gaming marketplace. The intended timing of WPTGO’s release will be contemporaneous with the premiere date of the WPT television show on Channel 7.

WPTGO, which we believe will be the first social poker gaming platform created exclusively for the Spanish-speaking community, will include poker, casino games, and education, and will incorporate a new rewards program.

As previously announced, the World Poker Tour and TV Azteca entered into a multi-faceted deal to bring the WPT’s poker content library to a massive Latin American audience. The debut of the World Poker Tour television show on TV Azteca and the launch of WPTGO will be the first steps of a long-term approach to bring the premier name in poker to millions of homes throughout Latin America.

The WPT television show’s premiere date on TV Azteca, and the launch of WPTGO, ties to the strategic pillars first established when the strategic agreement was signed in March 2019. WPT and TV Azteca are committed to continuing the growth of the WPT’s globally renowned poker content through localizing it for the Latin American market, and monetizing the WPT brand-name across Latin America through WPTGO and WPT-branded merchandise in retail stores throughout the region. In addition, WPT and TV Azteca remain aligned in their efforts to bring live WPT events to Latin America. Timing for events as part of the world-class WPT LATAM Tour will be announced at a later date.

WPT’s episodes will be localized for the Latin America market, featuring Spanish-speaking talent delivering the action for TV Azteca viewers. Inés Sainz, a Mexican television personality and a journalist for Azteca Deportes, will anchor the show. Commentating alongside Sainz will be Santiago González Álvarez and professional poker player Angel Guillén. Guillén is a recognized high stakes player and a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, who will bring his poker expertise to the TV Azteca audience.

TV Azteca is the number-one sports network in Mexico and controls more than 40 local broadcast and regional free-to-air stations, as well as providing cable packages, including Netflix and HBO, for the region. TV Azteca’s free-to-air stations reach over 95 percent of the Mexican market and have the potential to make WPT appointment programming. WPT will air on TV Azteca’s Channel 7 immediately following weekly futbol coverage, which we believe will reach an unprecedented audience throughout the region.

“The deal between the World Poker Tour and TV Azteca reaches an incredible level of activation with the commencement of the WPT television show and launch of WPTGO across Latin America,” Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour, said. “The continued growth of the alliance between WPT and TV Azteca allows us to further expand our content and social poker gaming assets to this burgeoning Latin American audience and grow the game of poker in ways never previously imagined. It is my pleasure to formally welcome Inés Sainz, Santiago González Álvarez, and Angel Guillén to the WPT Family and watch them reach viewers across Latin America.”

For more information regarding the World Poker Tour, head to WPT.com.

DraftKings Launches Flash Bet For More Instantaneous Live Wagering Experience

DraftKings Inc. announced today the launch of Flash Bet; a faster, easier way for customers who love sports to engage in every minute of action through live betting and instant winnings. Released just in time for Wimbledon, the unique offering is the first of its kind and available only on the DraftKings Sportsbook. This new product feature continues the company’s reputation of being the first to market with new and innovative sports betting technology.

Flash Bet will allow customers to place live, in-game wagers quickly between points in a given match. Once bettors place their wagers via the Flash Bet tab on the mobile or online DraftKings Sportsbook, they will be able to view a timeline of their bet’s results and receive payouts seconds after the play is over. Embedded match graphics will show the ball as it moves across the court in real-time with descriptions of the service, points won and court type. The product is currently exclusive to live tennis wagering as DraftKings remains dedicated to enhancing every moment on the court into an elevated fan experience.

“Live wagering is already widely popular today, but also represents a crucial part of the customer experience and engagement tomorrow,” said Jordan Mendell, Senior Vice President of Product Research and Development. “Short of playing on the court themselves, we are wholly invested in bringing our customers as close as possible to Wimbledon this year, while also giving them a taste of the lightning-quick innovations to come.”

As an industry leader for mobile and online sports betting, DraftKings has applied its prime positioning as a sports technology company to satisfy a growing customer base in excess of 11 million and counting. Flash Bet is another example of the innovative approach DraftKings has taken to develop a world-class product by streamlining the in-game wagering experience and helping usher in an expeditious era of sports betting through mobile technology advances.

The DraftKings Sportsbook app is available to download for both iOS and Android.

GAN Launches Internet Sports Betting for Parx Casino

GAN, an award-winning developer and supplier of enterprise-level B2B Internet gambling software, services and online gaming content in the United States, today announces that GAN and Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. trading as ‘Parx Casino’ (“Parx Casino”) have launched Internet sports betting in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and as of yesterday, is now available online 24/7 following a three-day soft launch period.

Parx Casino’s nominated third party sports betting application software provider KAMBI was integrated by GAN into the GAN Platform. Parx Casino patrons can also link their Reward Card online to their counterpart Internet gambling account, enabled by GAN’s U.S. patented integration framework. Internet casino gaming is expected to launch on July 15, subject to all requisite regulatory approvals.

Highlights

Pennsylvanian regulated Retail Sports betting is forecast to generate in excess of $100m1 in gross win in the first 12 months and Internet Sports betting is forecast to generate a further $189m2 in the same period, in addition to the Pennsylvanian regulated Internet Gaming market forecast to generate $200m3 in gross gaming revenue online during the first twelve months of operation.

Parx owns and operates the #1 land-based casino property in Pennsylvania located a short distance from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city. In the most recent fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, Parx Casino generated $570m from on-property slot machines and table games, representing an 18% share of the Pennsylvania’s $3.2bn gaming market.

GAN’s US-patented technology enables Parx Casino patrons enrolled in the on-property loyalty program, to sign up online and instantly link their reward cards to their online account permitting those guests to trade in their reward points earned from on-property gaming for cash online and/or to earn rewards points from Internet gaming and/or sports betting to be subsequently redeemed on-property.

Agua Caliente Band Of Cahuilla Indians To Build Palm Springs Arena

THE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS, OAK VIEW GROUP ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO BUILD STATE-OF-THE-ART SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ARENA IN DOWNTOWN PALM SPRINGS

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a federally recognized Indian Tribe, and Oak View Group (OVG), the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries, today announced its partnership to build a new state-of-the-art privately financed sports and entertainment arena on Agua Caliente land in downtown Palm Springs.

Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, has signed on as a strategic partner to supply the new arena with its large stable of top touring artists and premium live events. Additionally, NHL Seattle, led by owner David Bonderman, and OVG have jointly submitted an application for the 32nd AHL Franchise expansion team, which, if awarded, would play in the new arena in Palm Springs for the fall of 2021.

Located on 16 acres of tribal land, the arena will be more than 300,000 square feet and feature as many as 10,000 seats or more and include modern amenities such as suites and premium hospitality clubs. The arena will include an adjoining facility that will serve as a year-round community gathering space as well as the training center for an AHL team.

“This is a unique partnership that will forever change the face of sports and entertainment in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley,” Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe says. “We are creating a healthy community gathering place for Coachella Valley families and visitors from around the world to celebrate, play and experience diverse entertainment opportunities in a state-of-the-art arena.”

This project adds to the excitement already being generated by the ongoing construction of the Tribe’s Agua Caliente Cultural Center in downtown Palm Springs, which features a new state-of-the-art museum and world-class spa opening in 2020. Add to that the future construction of the Tribe’s third casino in nearby Cathedral City expected to break ground in the near future.

The arena will be built for conventions, large meetings, international events, as well as award shows and exhibitions. Privately funded at no risk to the City of Palm Springs or taxpayers, the news comes as OVG is in the midst of a building boom. In the past 24 months, OVG has announced the development of venues in Seattle, Belmont Park in Elmont New York, the University of Texas in Austin, the new Winter Olympic 2026 venue in Milan, and now Palm Springs.

Construction of the new arena in Palm Springs is expected to create thousands of permanent and temporary jobs for the community. Groundbreaking and construction are scheduled for February 2020. The arena is expected to open by fall 2021 in coordination with the Seattle NHL franchise for the 2021-2022 AHL season. Oak View Group is currently leading and financing a $900 million-plus project at Seattle’s KeyArena that, when completed in 2021, will be home to Seattle’s NHL team.

“With each venue, we’ve had the privilege of building and managing, Oak View Group has consistently continued to raise the industry standard, and the arena in Palm Springs will be no exception,” said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group. “We look forward to working with Agua Caliente to build what we consider to be one of the most premiere music and professional sports arenas in the world.”

“The new arena in downtown Palm Springs is a terrific project. If we are successful with our application for an AHL Franchise, it would represent an exciting opportunity to bring the first professional hockey team to this region,” said Tod Leiweke, CEO of NHL Seattle. “We are confident that the market is ready to embrace a winter sports team and that the community will help us achieve the minimum level of season tickets and premium sales we need.”

“We’re pleased to be able to partner with Oak View Group and Agua Caliente for this new state-of-the-art arena and look forward to bringing in top touring artists and live events to the valley for years to come,” said Bob Roux, President, US Concerts, Live Nation Entertainment.

With a focus on the prioritization of technology, sustainability, and green initiatives, the world-class arena will be built for music and host the best and biggest names in the music industry on an annual basis, as well as serve as a home for artists to rehearse before the start of their respective tours.

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh Goes Live with BetRivers.com

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, along with sports betting provider, Rush Street Interactive, today launched Rush Street’s second online and mobile sportsbook for Pennsylvania—called BetRivers.com.

This is a first for Pittsburgh and for Western Pennsylvania. Fans of Rivers’ popular in-casino sportsbook can now take that same action on location via mobile devices, laptops and desktops. Bettors need only visit BetRivers.com to register.

Registration can be completed anywhere—inside or outside Pennsylvania. As such, users need not be inside the casino to set up an account. To wager, bettors simply must be physically located within the state of Pennsylvania and at least 21 years old.

BetRivers.com will kick off its two-day test period starting Tuesday, June 25, from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Wednesday, June 26, from 2 p.m. to midnight. All bets placed during the test are real-money wagers, with complete features and options available—the only difference being limited hours of operation. Pending review and approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, 24/7 online and mobile wagering at BetRivers.com will commence immediately thereafter.

“This summer marks Rivers Casino Pittsburgh’s tenth anniversary,” said Bill Keena, Rivers Casino general manager. “We’re celebrating one decade while planning ahead for the next. Full-service online, mobile and in-casino sportsbooks are where the industry is headed, and thanks to our Team Members, we’re already there.”

All sports and all wagering types available at the in-casino sportsbook are available at BetRivers.com. Millions of betting options on thousands of games—locally and around the world—will be at bettors’ fingertips, with an intuitive customer interface similar to the self-service kiosks on property.

On laptops and desktops, players just visit BetRivers.com to get started. Android users must also visit the website on their mobile devices and download the app to wager. For now, Apple users can register using their mobile devices but will need to wager via laptop or desktop computer. Betting from iPhones and iPads should be available soon.

“It’s an exciting time for Pennsylvania sports fans,” said Richard Schwartz, president of Rush Street Interactive. “With NFL preseason just a month away, game days this fall will be next-level.”

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh’s digital and in-casino sports wagering operator is Rush Street Interactive PA, LLC, (RSI) and its affiliates. RSI operates BetRivers.com along with Pennsylvania’s first online and mobile sportsbook, PlaySugarHouse.com. RSI has generated over 50% of all retail sports betting in Pennsylvania since the market opened in November. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and SugarHouse Casino Philadelphia are the top-performing sportsbooks in Pennsylvania, respectively.

CryptoCasino.com Launches on the FunFair Blockchain Platform

CryptoCasino.com, managed by affiliate RakeTheRake, has today launched as a licensed white label on FunFair Technologies’ leading blockchain casino platform.

FunFair’s first external white label, CryptoCasino.com is now well set to tap into the rapidly growing millennial blockchain casino audience. The sector has already seen the equivalent of a billion dollars wagered in 2019 alone.

The sought-after brand will also gain instant access to FunFair’s audience of 65,000 FUN token holders, along with its own vast player base cultivated over years of running its world-leading affiliate program.

Crypto Casino is RakeTheRake’s first foray into both the online casino space and blockchain, demonstrating how FunFair’s low-cost, easy-to-integrate platform can offer those, who may have previously been deterred, to launch a successful casino operation.

Showcasing FunFair’s proprietary Guaranteed Fair technology and a burgeoning games portfolio that rivals traditional offerings, CryptoCasino, is set to further raise the standard of blockchain gaming.

Karim Wilkins, Founder and CEO at RakeTheRake, said: “Becoming FunFair’s first white label with Crypto Casino gives us great satisfaction. We’re extremely confident in our brand, the platform and the innovative affiliate technology, and we can’t wait to take CryptoCasino and its players to the moon.”

Jez San, Co-Founder at FunFair, said: “Crypto Casino’s launch is a major landmark on the FunFair roadmap and we’re excited to partner with expert marketeers in RakeTheRake who will drive further adoption to our gaming ecosystem.

“We continue to update our platform to ensure it’s as user-friendly for those with and without crypto knowledge and working on the next steps with RakeTheRake and its Crypto Casino players will confirm our position as the leading blockchain gaming provider.”

Cryptocasino.com is now live and available to play at those in accepted countries, with a limited time sign up offer of $60’s worth of FUN available to new players to celebrate the launch.

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Set for Aug. 1-13

he Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) will celebrate its seventh season of highly anticipated, top tournament play at South Florida’s iconic entertainment destination Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. SHRPO will kick off Thursday, Aug. 1 with the $600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (NLH) series opener highlighting a $1 Million Guarantee.

Unique to South Florida, SHRPO is known for its one-of-a-kind finisher – The Big 4. The Big 4 is a collection of four-tournament finales that feature staggered structures, timed so the events play down simultaneously in front of a live audience. Filmed by Poker Night in America and televised on CBS Sports Network, The Big 4 will be played at the resort’s Hard Rock Event Center on Tuesday, Aug. 13. All of the synchronized poker action will be live streamed on SHRPO.com.

“SHRPO is our flagship series and has put South Florida front and center on the poker map since the first $10 million guarantee in August 2013,” said Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood Tournament Director Tony Burns. “The tournament attracts a global audience and we’ve amped up this year’s series with new pricepoints as well as the return of The Big 4, a finisher unlike any other in the industry.”

Carrying combined prize pools of $6.5 million, The Big 4 premium events include:

$5,250 SHRPO Championship NLH (Single Re-Entry), $3 Million Guarantee, starts at 11 a.m.on Friday, Aug. 9
$2,650 NLH (Single Re-Entry), $1 Million Guarantee, starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11
$1,100 NLH (Re-Entry), $500,000 Guarantee, starts at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 12
$25,500 High Roller (Re-Entry), $2 Million Guarantee, starts at noon on Monday, Aug. 12

Other events surrounding The Big 4 include the $50,000 Super High Roller NLH (Re-Entry) highlighting a $1 Million Guarantee, which starts on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 1 p.m. and a $10,000 One-Day NLH event starting on Tuesday, Aug. 13 highlighting a $500,000 guarantee.

The resort’s Hard Rock Event Center will serve as the primary tournament space during the 13-day series. SHRPO’s footprint boasts capacity for more than 90 tables providing plenty of space for poker tournament players from around the globe.

Last year’s SHRPO Championship saw Brandon Eisen best 914 entries for more than $770,000, while The Big 4 events saw 2,099 combined entries awarding more than $9.2 million in prize money – a figure that easily surpassed the $6.5 million guaranteed.

On Wednesday, Aug. 7, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino again hosts the Jeff Conine Celebrity Poker Classic benefitting the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. The charity event will kick off with an exclusive VIP player party in the Terrace Ballroom at Hard Rock Event Center from 5:30 – 7 p.m. prior to the tournament’s start time at 7 p.m. Guests will enjoy live music, cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres and a chance to win a variety of prizes including a seat in the SHRPO Championship. Buy-in for the charity event is $300 and players can re-enter throughout the evening. Former major league baseball player Jeff Conine will be in attendance along with other celebrities.

Tournament promotions include Seminole Gaming’s signature “Win a Seat” program. Participants can visit HardRockPoker.com to enter for a chance to win entries into major poker tournaments at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, including three winners of a $5,250 entry into the SHRPO Championship.

Poker hotel rates during SHRPO will start at $139 on weekdays and $189 on weekends. For more information and to view the series schedule, future tournament details and make hotel reservations, please visit SHRPO.com. Follow us on Twitter at @SHRPO and @SHRThePokerRoom.

Covers.com Celebrates $25,000 Streak Survivor Contest Winner

Covers.com, the leader in free-to-play sports betting contests, celebrated a milestone over the weekend when their contest player ‘mctrap’ got 21 consecutive wins in the Streak Survivor contest. He won $25,000 in cold-hard cash and a place on the coveted Streak Survivor All-Star list.

Streak Survivor is Covers.com’s sports betting contest for new and experienced sports bettors alike, where players can test their handicapping skills on most major sports. The more consecutive correct picks, the more they win. It’s that simple. Contestants vie to win cash and Covers prizes, including our $25,000 and $100,000 top prizes.

The landmark win for mctrap came on Saturday evening as he selected the Over 11 runs in the San Diego Padres-Colorado Rockies MLB game. As exciting as this achievement is, mctrap’s streak isn’t over yet: he’s now only four winning picks away from the $100,000 grand prize, which hasn’t been won since 2007.

“Our brain is like a pattern-seeking survival machine and the habits are how we ensure that we don’t always have to think too hard about what we’re going to do,” mctrap explained in an interview last Wednesday. “We look for familiar situations, so I have certain criteria that I look for as far as handicapping habits and I’ve just kind of developed those habits and I rely on those.”

His $25,000 prize is a fitting number as Covers enters into its 25th year anniversary in 2020.

“Running our Covers contests is an important part of providing a fun and engaging experience for our users. We are delighted to see Streak Survivor contestant mctrap doing so well, winning the $25,000 prize and close to our grand prize of $100,000,” says Mark Harper, General Manager of Nova Scotia Sports Media Pros and Covers Media Group.

mctrap is feeling good with his $25,000, but make no mistake: His streak is not finished yet and he has his sights on the $100,000 grand prize. His next pick isn’t in yet and he has until June 25 to make that selection.

PointsBet Announces Pricing of Global IPO

PointsBet, a premier global sportsbook operator, today announced the pricing of its initial global public offering of 37,500,000 shares under the Initial Public Offering (Offer) as described in the Prospectus dated May 23, 2019. The shares were issued at the offer price of $2.00 per share, and PointsBet will have 110 million shares on issue with 26,930,020 shares subject to mandatory ASX escrow conditions.

Launched in Australia in 2017, with an expansion to the United States in January 2019, PointsBet is a rapidly growing sportsbook with unique offerings and a bettor friendly approach. PointsBet has introduced a slew of bettor-first initiatives including, Good Karma Payouts, which provides bettors relief in the event of unlikely circumstances that sway the fate of the game, Early Payouts, and an exclusive $10,000 gameday guarantee for all NBA and NHL playoff games, as well as the entire MLB and NFL seasons.

“Similar to the way we allow fans to take part in sporting events, our public offering allows fans to take part in us, as a company and as a platform,” said PointsBet global CEO, Sam Swanell. “The global public offering comes at a time of rapid growth for the company and industry at-large and we are eager to utilize this momentum to continue to make sports betting an exciting and rewarding experience for all our customers.”

Headquartered in New Jersey, PointsBet’s footprint in the United States continues to expand. The company has a deal with Catfish Bend Casino in Iowa to unveil the company’s first physical sportsbook in America, as well as agreement with New York’s Tioga Downs Casino Resort subject to the passing of enabling legislation. The additional funds from the IPO will be used to finance continued expansion in evolving markets.

PokerStars Debuts UFC® KO Poker Game

UFC KO Poker hits the PokerStars online felt on June 23, bringing the thrill of the UFC^® even closer to players with the opportunity to unleash spectacular poker knockouts inside the world-famous Octagon^®.

PokerStars’ exclusive global partnership with UFC brings a new product that rewards the victorious with cash prizes every time a knock-out blow to a rival player is delivered.

On June 23 the new UFC KO Poker Series also kicks off, featuring more than $10 million in total guarantees across 68 events and an array of opportunities to win an unforgettable trip to Anaheim, California for UFC^® 241: CORMIER VS. MIOCIC 2, which takes place on Saturday, August 17 at the Honda Center.

“UFC KO Poker is the perfect pairing of the thrill and skill of both UFC and poker,” said Bruce Buffer, UFC announcer and PokerStars Ambassador. “This no-mercy format is so much fun and nothing beats a knockout. I’m excited for the KO Poker warriors to join us in California for UFC^® 241: CORMIER vs. MIOCIC 2.”

From the Virtual Octagon to the Real-life Arena

There are three UFC^® 241: CORMIER VS. MIOCIC 2 packages up for grabs:

Become the player with the highest number of knockouts across all UFC KO Poker Series events.
Take out three or more opponents across all UFC KO Poker Series events to win a ticket to an All-In Shootout (AISO) on July 2, which will award a UFC® 241: CORMIER VS. MIOCIC 2 package.
Crush the hopes and dreams of at least six opponents across all UFC KO Poker Series events to win a ticket to a second All-in Shootout on July 3, also awarding a package.

“Knockouts are synonymous with both poker and UFC,” said Christopher Coyne, Chief Marketing Officer, Stars Interactive Group. “Our new game and the UFC KO Poker Series have all the ingredients to get both PokerStars and UFC audiences excited to join us in the virtual Octagon for more thrills, more entertainment and more exciting rewards. We’re looking forward to seeing who will be crowned our UFC poker champions!”

For UFC lovers in Southern Europe PokerStars will host a UFC KO Poker Week, with €2 million guaranteed across 42 events. In Italy, the UFC KO Poker Week will guarantee €1 million over 30 events.

UFC KO Poker Series highlights:

$109 buy-in UFC KO Series Sunday Million Main Event on June 30 features a $1.5 million guarantee
Event buy-ins range from $11 to $2,100
Satellites can be found from just $0.11
UFC Spin & Go’s awarding KO Poker Series tickets – including a seat in the Main Event – start from just $2.75

NJ Online Gambling Sites Generate $52.09 Million in May 2019

NJ online gambling operators generated a total of $52.09 million in online poker, casino, and sports betting gross revenue compared to a total of $53.08 million in the previous month. Sports betting revenues are still led by FanDuel Sportsbook (Sports betting revenue reports under Meadowlands,) and online casino revenues continue to be led by the group of sites under Golden Nugget Casino.

Online gaming revenue declined 1.8 percent in May compared to the prior month, according to figures released Wednesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. New Jersey online gambling operators report revenues in three gaming categories;

$36.54 million in gross online casino gaming win
$13.75 million in gross online sports betting win
$1.79 million in gross online poker gaming win

New Jersey online gambling operators saw a slight dip in revenues in May as the sport season moved into one of the slowest periods of the year. However, despite dropping sports revenue, May marked the second largest online casino revenue month since market inception, generating $36.54 million.

Gross revenue growth on casino games was led by operators under the umbrellas of Golden Nugget Online Casino and Resorts Online Casino. Golden Nugget’s $14.07 million reporting includes gross casino game revenues from Golden Nugget Online Casino and SugarHouse Online Casino, to go along with both Betfair Online Casino and FanDuel’s online casino players. Resorts Online Casino’s $7.28 million gross casino games revenue comes from play at DraftKings, Mohegan Sun Online Casino, Resorts Online Casino, and PokerStars, which was a jump up from the previous month as they continue their growth into 2019.

“It’s encouraging to see sustained online casino growth in Q2 as we lead into the slow betting & online casino months of the year. This just proves the power of sports betting as a key factor in building up online casino play. The big story ahead will be with Pennsylvania, who launched online sports betting last week and should have online casino in market by the end of July. It will be a big year for the online gambling industry in America.” said BonusSeeker.com Managing Editor, Rich Migliorisi.

New Jersey Online Gambling Revenue by the Numbers – May 2019 (in $ millions)

Casino
Golden Nugget	$14.07
Resorts	$7.28
Borgata	$5.51
Caesars	$3.76
Ocean Resort	$0.476
Hard Rock	$1.52
Tropicana	$3.92
Total	$36.54

Poker
Golden Nugget	$0
Resorts	$.689
Borgata	$.394
Caesars	$.715
Ocean Resort	$0
Hard Rock	$0
Tropicana	$0
Total	$1.79

Combined (Casino + Poker)
Golden Nugget	$14.07
Resorts	$7.969
Borgata	$5.9
Caesars	$4.47
Ocean Resort	$0.476
Hard Rock	$1.52
Tropicana	$3.91
Total	$38.34

Sports
Bally	$.235
Borgata	$.119
Golden Nugget	$-.017
Hard Rock	$-.039
Ocean Resorts	$.626
Resorts Digital	$4.10
Meadowlands	$7.86
Monmouth	$1.79
Tropicana	$.008
Total	$13.75

Eldorado Resorts To Divest Several Properties

Eldorado Resorts, Inc. announced today that it entered into definitive agreements to sell Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort in New Cumberland, WV; Isle Casino Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau, MO; and Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville in Caruthersville, MO, for aggregate consideration of $385 million in cash. Pursuant to the terms of the agreements, Century Casinos, Inc. will acquire the operating assets of the three properties for approximately $107 million, subject to a customary working capital adjustment, and VICI Properties Inc. will acquire the land and real estate assets of the three properties for approximately $278 million.

The transactions are subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and are expected to close in early 2020.

Tom Reeg, Chief Executive Officer of Eldorado, commented, “The agreements to divest Mountaineer Casino, Isle Casino Cape Girardeau and Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville are consistent with our continued focus on optimizing the results from our regional gaming platform, generating growth through strategic acquisitions and realizing value through sales. The sale price for these three properties represents an attractive multiple of their aggregate trailing twelve months cash flows and provides additional capital that we expect to deploy for shareholder value enhancing initiatives. Following the completion of these transactions, Eldorado will continue to benefit from our geographically diverse portfolio of regional gaming assets that we believe have potential for further margin growth and increased cash flow.”

Macquarie Capital is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Milbank LLP is acting as legal counsel to Eldorado in connection with the proposed transactions.

Commercial Casino Gaming Revenue Reaches $41.7 Billion in 2018, an All-Time High

Gaming revenue for the U.S. commercial casino industry reached an all-time high of $41.7 billion in 2018, up 3.5 percent from the previous year, according to data released today in the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) State of the States 2019: The AGA Survey of the Commercial Casino Industry.

Key findings from the State of the States 2019 report include:

The commercial casino sector—with 465 casinos—logged its fourth consecutive year of gaming revenue growth and outpaced the national economic growth rate in 2018;
The industry generated $9.7 billion in gaming taxes for state and local governments, a number that does not account for the billions more in sales, income and other taxes that benefit communities; and
Half of the 24 states with commercial casinos reported record annual gaming revenue with nearly every state seeing gains in 2018, contributing to the strength of local economies across the country.

“Year after year, the commercial casino industry has reaffirmed its role as an economic powerhouse in the United States,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “More people than ever are experiencing the economic and social benefits of gaming in their communities, due in part to the expansion of legal sports betting across the country.”

The rapid expansion of legalized sports wagering following the Supreme Court decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018 played a role in the industry’s record year. Total industrywide revenue from sports betting grew to $430.2 million in 2018, up from $261.3 million in 2017. AGA anticipates this growth to continue as additional states legalize and regulate sports wagering.

“Growth in the commercial gaming sector enables the industry to continue to reinvest in communities, enhance partnerships with small businesses and nonprofits and provide career opportunities for nearly two-million American workers,” Miller added.

AGA’s annual State of the States report details the commercial gaming industry’s financial performance, including analyses of each of the 24 states with commercial gaming operations. The report, developed with Gambling Compliance, also provides a breakdown of the legality of types of gaming and number of casinos by state, summarizes major gaming policy discussions and previews opportunities and challenges for the industry.

DraftKings Launches Women’s World Cup Fantasy Games

For the first time ever, DraftKings will offer its innovative daily fantasy games for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, making women’s soccer the 13th DFS category for DraftKings, which continues to lead the pack in available sports among fantasy operators.

“All eyes will be on the matches in France, and we are excited to offer soccer fans a more engaging way to enjoy the action,” said Matt Kalish, CRO and co-founder of DraftKings. “The passion of our fans informs our innovation and product roadmap, so for such a special event that only comes along every four years, we wanted to ensure our full complement of offerings would be at their fingertips.”

Fueling the DraftKings Women’s World Cup contests are the company’s data capabilities, which will source match and player information at every moment of play for fans to leverage in their daily fantasy selections. Customers can enjoy DraftKings Classic and Showdown modes for World Cup matches, constructing lineups of six players while staying within a $50,000 salary cap range and designating a “captain” slot that grants one player a bonus multiplier. Classic contests will require selecting players from more than one match, while Showdown contests must include players from each team in a single match.

In addition to the daily fantasy contests available in eight countries around the world – including the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia – fans in New Jersey and Mississippi will be able to legally bet on the Women’s World Cup for the first time via DraftKings Sportsbook, with mobile only available in New Jersey.

To get in the game inside the game during the Women’s World Cup, players can either head to www.draftkings.com or download the DraftKings app via iOS and Android.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Releases Annual Report on Casino Gaming’s Impact on PA’s Horse Racing Industry

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today released the Annual Racetrack Casino Benchmark Report detailing the impact of Pennsylvania casinos on the Commonwealth’s horse racing industry. The report is now available for download from the PGCB’s web site https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov.

The report includes and compares information from calendar year 2018. Among the report’s findings is that tax generated by the play of slot machines amounted to $242 million that was earmarked for enhancements of race purses, assisting breeding operations located in Pennsylvania, providing health and pension benefits for horsemen, and to support agricultural initiatives.

The report also shows that casinos that have racetracks continue to invest in backstretch improvements. Since 2006, operators have spent over $73 million to build or renovate buildings and structures.

The horse racing tracks operating in conjunction with casinos in Pennsylvania are:

Thoroughbred

Parx Casino in Bucks County
Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie County
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County

Harness

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Luzerne County
The Meadows Casino and Racetrack in Washington County
Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Delaware County

Additionally, the report and its accompanying detailed statistical summary, provides a 5-year historical summary on:

Attendance at Pennsylvania’s racetracks;
A breakdown of PA Race Horse Development Trust Fund distributions;
Figures for breeding of both thoroughbred and standardbred horses;
Number of live races held in Pennsylvania and number of horses competing;
Purses awarded; and
Taxable handle and live racing handle.

Myesports Ventures Ltd. Announces Grand Opening of the Gaming Stadium

Myesports Ventures Ltd (the “Company” or “TGS”), a company hyper-focused on building Canada’s first esports Arena, is proud to announce The Gaming Stadium Grand Opening, Presented by TELUS PureFibre. The doors will open on June 28, 2019, at its new facility in Richmond, British Columbia. The Gaming Stadium is a center of excellence HUB for esports competitions, training, gaming leagues and tournaments.

he Gaming Stadium, powered by TELUS PureFibre — ensuring all gaming is supported by a 10 GB symmetrical network — features a large main gaming stage, equipped with 12 PCs, a gaming area off-stage with 48 PCs and boasts seating for up to 110 spectators.

Esports has soared in popularity, even as recently as the last two years. In 2018, it accounted for nearly 400 million viewers worldwide, while OTT and traditional cable platforms took notice, with media and licensing rights topping $180 million. By 2022, worldwide esports revenues are expected to rise to 1.58 billion according to PwC. “We are positioning TGS to lead in the space by delivering tournaments, leagues, training programs for new esport athletes and programs to support the existing pro player base. The beauty of the arena is that it’s also multi-faceted, which allows us to service both the competitive side of esports, as well as the content production side by capturing our athletes in action during live and streamed competitions. There is something for everyone, whether you’re a potential gamer, streamer or just someone who wants to come and watch gameplay, we’ve got you covered,” says Spiro Khouri, VP of Sales & Marketing.

The Grand Opening festivities will be open to the public starting at 5 p.m. with free advance tickets being made available Friday, June 7, at 9 a.m. via www.thegamingstadium.com. The entire event will be live streamed on The Gaming Stadium’s Twitch channel located at twitch.tv/thegamingstadium.

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