By now, no one can be shocked by the amount of economic damage caused by COVID-19 around the world. What had been viewed as just a momentary setback when the global pandemic began has turned into a massive saga of plummeting revenues and skyrocketing unemployment that has endured for a year. While COVID-19 vaccines are beginning to be introduced, it will take a while for their effects to be felt, which means the global economy will continue to suffer. The casino industry took a massive blow from the coronavirus and saw properties shut down for months on end, with some permanently closed. A new report just released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) shows the impact on the U.S. gaming segment caused by COVID-19, but also reveals how operators didn’t waste time implementing new social responsibility protocols to help communities deal with the situation. 

According to the AGA report from last week, 989 casinos in the U.S. closed because of the pandemic. Those closures led to around 650,000 employees being furloughed or permanently let go. As a result, $105 billion in economic activity was lost across the country, with 564 communities that had relied on revenue from gaming operations losing a major source of funding. Overall, the first 11 months of the year saw total gaming revenue drop 32% compared to the same period a year earlier. 

Despite struggling to keep their operations afloat, gaming operators didn’t hesitate to step up and provide assistance to the communities they served. The AGA points out that, partially through the operators’ efforts, the country was able to implement procedures quickly and effectively that will help the recovery process. Those efforts were initiated immediately, with casino operators donating protective gear, masks and other equipment needed to stave off a larger COVID-19 attack. They also tapped into their logistics and supply chain channels to ensure coronavirus test kits could be distributed everywhere without delays.

Casino operators have also donated huge amounts of food to families in gaming communities that were impacted by the work stoppages. A number of casino companies agreed to continue to pay their employees during the shutdown, and more have created emergency relief funds that offer financial assistance to former and current employees. Even as the future economic situation still remains somewhat murky because of the prolonged pandemic, many casino operators have been working hard to keep communities moving forward.

Jim Murren, the former boss at MGM Resorts International before Bill Hornbuckle was handed the reins, has been busy since leaving the casino operator. He was reportedly to be tapped to lead Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 defense almost a year ago, but also has been involved in several other activities. One of these is a special acquisition company (SPAC) he founded, Acies Acquisition Corp., that was launched late last year. On the heels of its successful initial public offering (IPO), it has now found its target and is merging with social casino developer Playstudios, Inc. As a result, the developer can brag of being worth around $1.1 billion.

Murren’s Acies and Playstudios will complete the deal sometime in the second quarter of this year, according to an announcement (pdf). Part of the delay is because of the normal regulatory red tape found with any major deal such as this. But, there is also the fact that Murren has a non-compete agreement he signed with MGM that prevents him from getting involved in any business that is tied to “gaming facilities” until after March 22. 

The SPAC attracted a lot of interest from deep-pocketed investors to support the merger, which drew funds from BlackRock, ClearBridge Investments, Neuberger Berman Funds and even Murren’s old company. They all contributed to a $250-million private investment in public equity (PIPE) round that saw Acies shares sold at $10 each. The agreement has already started making money, with Acies’ stock price going from $11.50 yesterday morning to $12.10 by the time the markets closed.

Moving forward, once the arrangement is finalized, “the company is expected to have approximately $290 million of cash and a public equity currency to accelerate PLAYSTUDIOS’ growth initiatives, which include substantially expanding product development and acquisitions of other gaming and related companies,” adds the announcement.

A new year could be a new start for Macau. The special administrative region (SAR) is set to receive it’s first batch of COVID-19 vaccines just in time for Chinese New Year.

The gambling mecca will receive 100,000 doses from the China National Pharmaceutical Group to start. Plans are being made to roll out the vaccine. More doses are expected to arrive later in the month, and then another batch in Q3.

“We are negotiating with the suppliers so that the vaccine arrive as fast as possible. Vaccination is not just purchasing the doses, we still need to conduct many preparatory works. Establish appointments, registry, etc […] We will start vaccination around the CNY period,” Conde S. Januario Hospital Doctor, Alvis Lo Iek Long said in today’s pandemic update press conference.

Vaccines are optional, and those who receive shots will have a choice of which vaccine they prefer, but there is a priority system. Front line health personnel, high occupational exposure groups and those who need to visit high-risk areas are at the front of the line, with casino workers in this group due to their exposure to the public.

Emerging Payments Association (EPA) boss Robert Courtneidge is an advocate for payment solutions. Courtneidge took some time to share his three decades of experience and talk about the future of the space with Calvinayre.com lead reporter Becky Liggero Fontana.

Courtneidge says that even though the EPA had been around for more than 20 years, it had only started to grow in its current form recently:

“The Emerging Payments Association has been going for probably 20 years, in reality, but it’s only under its current name for the last few years. It’s something that’s been growing over time, it’s got a lot of ambassadors now and we have working groups and our aim is a mixture of creating social events to enable people in the industry to mix and network and grow their own brands within the industry.”

https://youtu.be/M5vsQnZiMgcVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Robert Courtneidge dives into the world of emerging payments (https://youtu.be/M5vsQnZiMgc)

The embattled former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe says he’s been set up. Cedric Cromwell has filed a motion to dismiss charges of bribery leveled against him, claiming he was set up by the Trump administration.

Cromwell filed his motion to dismiss on January 19, asking to be freed from accusations made on November 13, 2020. He faces 10 charges in federal court, including two charges of accepting or paying bribes, another for conspiracy to commit bribery, and a couple of charges revolving around extortion.

 “The charges allege that Mr. Cromwell violated the trust he owed to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling in a press release on Nov. 13, 2020.

If you ask Cromwell, the Trump administration put him up to it. “This legal action is definitely a Trump set up,” Cromwell told Native News Online.

The embattled former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe says he’s been set up. Cedric Cromwell has filed a motion to dismiss charges of bribery leveled against him, claiming he was set up by the Trump administration.

Cromwell filed his motion to dismiss on January 19, asking to be freed from accusations made on November 13, 2020. He faces 10 charges in federal court, including two charges of accepting or paying bribes, another for conspiracy to commit bribery, and a couple of charges revolving around extortion.

 “The charges allege that Mr. Cromwell violated the trust he owed to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling in a press release on Nov. 13, 2020.

If you ask Cromwell, the Trump administration put him up to it. “This legal action is definitely a Trump set up,” Cromwell told Native News Online.

The Premier League action has come thick and fast for five months and now into the second half of the 2020/21 season, there is no let up for the 20 EPL teams searching for success.

To some, such as the Manchester clubs and Liverpool, that success is getting their hands on the Premier League trophy, with its ludicrous crown. To others such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur or Leicester City, finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League would be a tremendous achievement. To the clubs currently in the bottom, just staying in the Premier League would be an amazing feat.

Let’s take a look at three clashes involving sides fighting for very different targets.

Manchester United vs. Southampton (Tuesday, 8.15pm GMT kick-off)

Russia’s licensed online sports betting operators contributed a record sum to local sports bodies in 2020, despite the months-long shutdown of most sports activity due to COVID-19. 

On Monday, the First Self-Regulatory Organization of Russian Bookmakers (First SRO) announced that its members contributed RUB923m (US$12.15m) to Russian professional and youth sports bodies in 2020. That’s 60% higher than the total RUB577.3m that First SRO members contributed to local sport in 2019. 

The quarterly contributions painfully reflect last year’s pandemic-related disruption to sports schedules, as Q1’s total of RUB118m slipped to just RUB79m in Q2 before rebounding to RUB149m in Q3 as major league play resumed. 

But new laws that took effect at the end of Q3 required heftier contributions from Russian bookmakers by extending the levy to bets placed on international sports. The result was a total contribution of RUB577m, nearly four times Q3’s sum.  

Polish bookmaker Totolotek SA is closing its retail betting operations, while the country’s latest online betting licensee is raising eyebrows due to its ties to a ‘rogue’ international operator. 

Totolotek recently announced that it would close its 116 retail betting points of sale in Poland effective March 31. The move was prompted by the pandemic’s impact on retail operations of all kinds and the resulting migration of retail bettors to Totolotek’s Polish-licensed online betting site. 

The retail closure will result in the redundancy of around 150 staff, to whom Totolotek is promising support in finding new employment. Totolotek, which is owned by a joint venture involving the Gauselmann Group’s Merkur Sportwetten subsidiary, says retail betting customers will have 90 days in which to collect on pending wagers that ultimately prove to be winners. 

Meanwhile, local media reported that Poland’s Ministry of Finance had granted regulatory approval to the country’s 20th licensed betting operator, Bukmacherska Sp. z o.o, which will operate in Poland using the Fuksiarz brand. The company, which was established in May 2019, is reportedly backed by several individuals with past and present ties to major European gambling operators.  

Expect the spread of sports betting across the U.S.> to continue in 2021. Morgan Stanley Research believes as many as 12 states will get there, with much of it coming in the first half of the year.

In their analysis, Thomas Allen, Michael M DeLalio and Ed Young note that the total number of states with legalized sports betting should reach 35 by the end of the year. They also expect as many as 3 more to legalize online gambling (raising the total to 9). They write:

“Notably, there are 6 Governors who have publicly asked their legislatures to pass laws, 3 states whose citizens have passed referenda, and in the remaining states bills that have already been filed.”

The drive, they note, is to correct budget deficits. Several states, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota and Mississippi included, have obstacles that they expect won’t be surpassed this year.

Every year for the past 37 years, football fans have anxiously waited for the Super Bowl. Not just for the excitement of the hits and breakout runs, but also for the commercials. It has become an annual tradition to determine who can outdo whom with the most creative spots, some of which can cost over $5 million, just for the airtime. One advertiser has become a standard feature over these past 37 years, always expected to bring something new and exciting to the game, apart from the quarterback sacks and last-second touchdowns. Super Bowl LV is not going to feature ads from Budweiser this year, which means no dalmatian sticking out his tongue at his jealous friends and no Clydesdales. However, there will be a first this year, as DraftKings has picked up a couple of spots to highlight sports gambling this year. The company better be ready to wow viewers, or it will be sidelined quicker than a red-shirted rookie.

Budweiser decided to forego Super Bowl ads this year in order to focus on raising awareness for COVID-19 vaccines. The company feels that it has a larger social responsibility and that its marketing dollars can be better spent ensuring everyone is educated during an event that can draw over 100 million viewers. However, Budweiser’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB), isn’t completely giving up on its annual ritual, and will have some spots running on digital channels, where the cost is much less. In addition, some AB brands, such as Bud Light and Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade, will be featured in Super Bowl spots.

Other beverage companies are going to be absent, as well. Coca-Cola is out because it wants to “[invest] in the right resources,” while PepsiCo is changing its lineup so it can put more effort into the Super Bowl halftime show, which it is sponsoring. That means Pepsi and Coke won’t be battling as the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle, but PepsiCo plans on having some of its second-stringers, like Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay, make appearances in TV spots.

As an indication of the changing gambling environment in the U.S., DraftKings will have several ads on TV during the Big Game. There will be two 15-second commercials appearing in the second and third quarters that will promote a fourth-quarter gambling pool that is free to join. The sports gambling and fantasy sports operator doesn’t have any direct sports gambling promotions lined up for the Super Bowl, but it all starts with baby steps. 

The ties between mobsters and the early days of Las Vegas are well-documented. There has been plenty of attention given to the subject over the years, and one of the figures said to have helped mob bosses get their hands dirty in Sin City was Jimmy Hoffa. At the time, he was in charge of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), having served as its president from 1957-71. He reportedly provided, illegally, millions of dollars in the way of loans using the union’s Central States Pension Fund and, when the heat got to be too much, suddenly disappeared in 1975, reportedly taken out by the mob itself. However, no one ever came forward to admit to killing Hoffa and the whereabouts of his body have remained shrouded in controversy. If two journalists from Fox News are to be believed, the search may be over. 

Hoffa has been the subject of multiple movies and documentaries over the years and was portrayed by Jack Nicholson in an eponymously-named filmed. The Irishman, a movie by Martin Scorsese in 2019, rekindled the interest in locating Hoffa’s body and the theories that surround his disappearance. Some say he was “offed” by a friend; others say he was “whacked” by a mafia hitman. However, at the core of all of the rumors is a link to Hoffa’s demise at the will of the mob. 

Eric Shawn and Dan E. Moldea of Fox began looking into Hoffa’s disappearance as part of a new documentary for the media outlet, and uncovered something they believe to be a positive identification of Hoffa’s location. Moldea was one of the first to document the controversial disappearance, publishing The Hoffa Wars in 1978. As part of the journalists’ investigation, they interviewed Frank Cappola, the son of the man who claimed to have buried Hoffa, Paul Cappola, Sr. Frank had been told where the body was buried, but swore secrecy and promised his father he would never reveal the location. However, perhaps knowing that his own demise was imminent, Frank broke that vow and shared his secrets.

Hoffa is reportedly buried just outside the property line of an 88-acre landfill in New Jersey – a landfill previously owned by the Genovese Crime Family mobster Phil “Brother” Moscato and Paul Cappola. He is said to have been shoved in a 55-gallon steel drum that was put in the ground before other drums were thrown on top. The journalists visited the site with ground-penetrating radar that reportedly detected a number of “round anomalies” right where Cappola said they would be. Moldea finds it difficult to contain his excitement, asserting, “Frank’s story is the best darn story that I have heard about this case in the 44 years since I first started investigating Hoffa’s murder.”

Newsweek has determined that Caesars Entertainment is one of the most responsible companies in the U.S. The casino operator was chosen by the magazine for its dedication to environmental, social and corporate governance issues, landing among the top 399 companies that made it to the list. It was the only gaming company included, and other gaming operators now have the bar set for them.

Newsweek puts together its annual “America’s Most Responsible Companies” list together with consumer data and statistics firm Statista. The entrance of Caesars among the top 399 comes following the merger of the former Caesars with Eldorado Resorts, which has led to the creation of a new business model that puts greater attention on community efforts. The new Caesars has begun to dedicate more resources to environmental protection and climate change, and is also known for its approach to diversity in the workplace. According to company data, 50% of its global workforce was comprised of females at the end of 2019, and just under 50% of its leadership positions are held by women. In addition, 61% of the workforce is comprised of “employees of color.”

The list put Caesars at 104, 42 spots higher than it had achieved last year. The company was given a total score of 79.7 points out of 100, with 78.1 for its environmental score, 83.8 for social and 77.3 for corporate governance. It occupies the number-one spot on the list’s Entertainment, Leisure and Dining subcategory. To put things in perspective, the overall top company was HP, which was given a score of 93.2.

Tom Reeg, the former Eldorado CEO who now leads the new Caesars company, said of the results, “We often talk about the power our incredible Team Members have to create guest experiences that drive our lasting successes at Caesars Entertainment. That same power is amplified in their commitment not just to guests, partners, and the environment, but to each other and to the communities in which we live and work.” He added, “It’s through the steadfast work, compassion, and generosity of dedicated Caesars Team Members that we can make a positive impact that continues to grow each year.”

The U.K Gambling Commission (UKGC) has been implementing a lot of changes lately as it looks to assert closer scrutiny on how gaming operators manage their businesses. It constantly explores the industry from different angles to figure out what changes it can introduce, even calling on gamblers to help shape its policies. As the UKGC advances its initiatives, it is now looking for a great deal of feedback and guidance from virtually everyone in the gaming ecosystem, asserting that operators aren’t reacting quickly enough when it comes to protecting their users. 

SBC News reports that the UKGC is launching a consultation to determine how online gaming operators interact with their users. The commission wants input from all sorts of companies, as well as their customers, operating in the gaming space in order to determine “what protections should be offered by online gambling operators to prevent harms to their customers.” The UKGC decided to launch the new investigative study after field research showed that operators are “sometimes too slow to protect customers.”

According to UK gambling laws, operators have to complete a thorough verification check on their users to ensure they are properly identified and registered. This is designed to help prevent money laundering, as well as to provide a mechanism that can assist in identifying potential gambling issues. Operators are required to intervene any time a user is suspected of having a gambling problem, stepping in to provide access to addiction and gambling education programs.

The UKGC said in a statement, “Action to protect customers could mean that more customers have to provide information to gambling operators about their income and what they can afford, or give permission for credit agencies to provide information. Many customers are reluctant to provide information to gambling businesses and they may feel that they would prefer such information to be private.”