Tag Archives: igaming

Intralot taps into Microsoft Azure to enhance its digital ops

Lottery and gaming technology company Intralot has seen its ups and downs over the past couple of years and wants to iron out some of the rough spots. In order to do this, it believes a new partnership with Microsoft will provide the difference. The company announced a couple of days ago that it is going to begin to use Microsoft Azure to help it implement new business innovation strategies through better digital technology. 

With the help of the Azure cloud-based platform, Intralot looks to change the paradigm of how it currently conducts business. It is introducing new product lines, Lotos X and Intralot Orion, that will employ Azure’s power to increase their operational efficiency and help them receive quicker adaption in the gaming world. Lotos X is a product line designed for retail and Internet-based lotteries, while Orion targets the sports gambling segment by offering a cloud-based solution that can result in a shorter ramp-up period and immediate scalability. 

In teaming up with Microsoft, Intralot expects major changes to be introduced in order to help the company be able to respond quicker to the constantly evolving gaming space. Dr. Chris Dimitriadis, the CEO of Intralot Group, asserts, “We are delighted to partner with Microsoft as we accelerate the execution of our strategy in transforming the industries that we serve through digital technology. Lotos X and INTRALOT Orion are designed for building ecosystems around them, for rapidly achieving a diversified portfolio of gaming offerings, and for scaling to meet the new demand created by players and operators. Our products in Microsoft Azure open the way for an unlimited set of opportunities for gaming operators.”

The jump to cloud-based operations is not uncommon in the business world, and especially not in the iGaming segment. Where multiple regions and destinations are served by a single entity, using the cloud gives a huge advantage to ensure the operations run smoothly and consistently. Azure’s inherent scalability means easier adoption and fewer configuration requirements, allowing companies to transition with limited breaks in continuity. 

Kiwi winery deal turns into sour grapes for casino executives

Anyone who thinks Karma doesn’t exist can ask Glenn Schaeffer what he thinks. The former director of the Mandalay Bay Resort Group is now on the hook for more than $2 million after New Zealand’s Supreme Court determined that he had, by design or omission, duped a couple of fellow casino executives out of their investment money when he launched a winery in the country. That winery, Mahana Estates, was forced into receivership a few years ago and Schaeffer is now on the hook for what one investor described as a “shell.”

More than 12 years ago, Schaeffer convinced two friends, former MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren and former Pinnacle Entertainment CEO and chairman Daniel Lee, to invest in his up-and-coming winery and vineyard in New Zealand. Given the fact that he was supposed to be a savvy businessman (how else would someone become the director of a company like Mandalay Bay?), Murren and Lee broke out the checkbooks and gave him $1.6 million and $700,406, respectively, for what they believed to be investments to become partners and shareholders in the business. 

Things appeared to get off on the right foot for Mahala Estates and it enjoyed a lot of success. However, it all fell apart in 2018 and the business went into receivership. Murren and Lee then realized that the shares they thought they had purchased were not worth anything, and that Schaeffer, according to them, had been using their money as his own personal piggy bank. It now becomes a little clear why the operations failed. 

Murren and Lee felt tricked and, more than likely, as if they had been stabbed in the back; Schaeffer asserted he did nothing wrong. The pair of investors took their case to court in New Zealand and won after a judge determined he had made negligent statements about the operations and the investments. Murren said at the time, “I would not have invested if I had known the partnership was effectively a shell or a ruse, and that Glenn would instead keep the money and would also keep his own assets and investments in [Mahana] Estates in his own name.”

Int’l Entertainment unable to recover from COVID-19 in the Philippines

Casinos in the Philippines were finally able to reopen recently, but the damage from the continued shutdown caused by COVID-19 had already been done. In the first six months of the year, gambling revenue dropped 95% compared to what had been seen a year earlier, and everyone is scrambling to try to put their operations back in order the best they can. Some operators are going to find recovery to be more challenging than others, and one of these could be International Entertainment Corp. (IEC). According to its most recent filing, the completion of the most recent fiscal year this past June brought with it (pdf) a great deal of disappointment.

IEC is based in Hong Kong, but operates the New Coast Hotel Manila, until recently known as the New World Manila Bay Hotel, in the Philippines. It also leases space there to PAGCOR, the country’s gaming regulator and an operator of casinos. When COVID-19 moved in and began to take over, the Philippines, like other regions around the world, went on lockdown and casinos have suffered ever since. Caught up in the mix was the property, which remains closed in spite of the country’s decision to start allowing gaming activity to resume.

President Rodrigo Duterte paved the way for casinos to reopen their doors earlier this month and PAGCOR gave the green light for some casinos to operate at limited capacities. However, the New Coast Hotel has remained closed despite being able to start its recovery. This is most likely due primarily to planned changes to be made at the property.

In the meantime, IEC can only stand by and wait to see what happens. The company is undoubtedly impatient for things to return to normal, as the shutdown saw it take a $39-million loss in the fiscal year. Specifically, revenue from the leasing of the New Coast Hotel spaces to PAGCOR dropped 38.7% to $18.2 million compared to last year. In addition, its own hotel operations at the property saw a drop in revenue, as well, as they only reached 42% of what they had been a year earlier. That led to IEC only being able to capture around $10.6 million from the hotel operations. Adding to the losses for IEC was its lack of ability to host poker tournaments, which it earned through a deal with PokerStars two years ago, forcing this segment to only take in about $542,000.

Las Vegas still trying to overcome continued surge in crime

It’s almost as if the Wild West has returned to Las Vegas, despite the apparent presence of law enforcement to maintain order. For the past couple of months, Sin City seems to be dealing with an unusually high number of crimes – even by its own standards – and, in the past couple of weeks, more spikes have been seen. The latest comes thanks to the Aria Resort and Casino on The Strip, which saw the site of a shooting late Tuesday. That makes three shooting on The Strip in under a week. 

Tuesday’s incident took place in the valet area of the popular resort, but the reasons aren’t entirely clear. Fortunately, the shooter, who is still on the loose, apparently never participated in any type of target practice and no one was seriously injured. However, one unidentified woman had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment after a bullet grazed her. Reports indicate that it was just a minor injury. 

Six shots were said to have been fired during that incident, and it still isn’t clear exactly what may have provoked the shooter. The head of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, believes it could be tied to a lack of distractions, since many of the Vegas clubs are still closed because of COVID-19. He told a local TV station, KLAS-TV, “It’s just a lot of people in a small condensed area, and you infuse their desire to have a great time and infuse things like alcohol and drugs and it’s a bad combination.”

That was the second gun-related incident this past Tuesday. The other involved Harrah’s and Casino Royale, with police involved in a foot chase to catch a man brandishing a weapon. He was caught at Casino Royale and arrested, one more in the over 1,100 arrests made in the past couple of weeks around the Las Vegas area. In those arrests, police have recovered more than 60 firearms. 

Philippines taxman demands his due during POGO exodus

While it’s still unclear how many Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) will shut down or leave the country in 2020, or the economic impact such an exodus will have, the taxman still wants his due. The Department of Finance has made clear that they will look at the books of every online gambling operation that exits the country.

“Before a Philippine-registered entity can close its business, it is required to get a clearance from the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue). This triggers an audit where the BIR can determine if they have paid the correct taxes,” reporters learned from Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez via text message.

That exodus has already begun. While only 29 POGOs have been cleared to reopen operations, the real estate sector have a clear view of who’s getting ready to leave. “Last night, I got a call from one of the owners of a building in Makati, who’s saying that his Pogo and service provider-clients have started cancelling their lease contracts for lack of business,” said Dominguez.

If the exodus continues, it’s going to start looking pretty bad for the Philippines economy. “As of the second quarter of 2020, Pogos covered an estimated 11 percent of total leasable office space in Metro Manila, or about 1.34 million square meters,” property advisor Joey Bondoc told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “In the second quarter, office vacancy in Metro Manila stood at 5 percent. Hence, if all Pogos leave, we will see a 16-percent office vacancy—leased space by Pogos plus vacancy as of the second quarter,” he said.

Becky’s Affiliated: New opportunities for iGaming affiliates to be revealed at #CGLive 2020

On the morning of October 2nd EST, there is a unique opportunity for gambling industry and esports professionals to be inspired by disruptive BSV blockchain technology. 

For the first time in its history, the sixth CoinGeek Conference will feature a special gambling industry and esports track, taking place from 9:25-11:35 EST Friday, October 2nd, Day 3 of the event. The purpose of this track is to educate gambling and esports professionals on how BSV technology can improve their business and also educate BSV professionals on the gambling industry’s pain points so both sectors can work together to solve them.

The free-to-attend event is set to broadcast live from studios in New York City and London and will feature high-profile gambling industry speakers such as Unikrn’s Rahul Sood, Boyd Gaming’s Eric Bowers, Hero Gaming’s Sam Brown and many more.

Bitboss’s CEO and CTO will also be speaking, one on the “cashless casinos” panel and the other on the “iGaming future” panel as Bitboss is neatly positioned at the intersection of gambling and blockchain, both from a land based and online perspective.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen continues Betway partnership

Betway have one eye on the Ashes series in Australia, extending their partnership with former England star Kevin Pietersen until 2023.

Pietersen was happy to continue his role as Global Cricket Ambassador for Betway.

“This has already been such an exciting year for cricket and I’m delighted to be working with Betway and sharing my love of the game with fellow fans,” Pietersen said.

Team – @betway, another 3yrs! ??https://t.co/4abcFxnJTN

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen continues Betway partnership

Betway have one eye on the Ashes series in Australia, extending their partnership with former England star Kevin Pietersen until 2023.

Pietersen was happy to continue his role as Global Cricket Ambassador for Betway.

“This has already been such an exciting year for cricket and I’m delighted to be working with Betway and sharing my love of the game with fellow fans,” Pietersen said.

Team – @betway, another 3yrs! ??https://t.co/4abcFxnJTN

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen continues Betway partnership

Betway have one eye on the Ashes series in Australia, extending their partnership with former England star Kevin Pietersen until 2023.

Pietersen was happy to continue his role as Global Cricket Ambassador for Betway.

“This has already been such an exciting year for cricket and I’m delighted to be working with Betway and sharing my love of the game with fellow fans,” Pietersen said.

Team – @betway, another 3yrs! ??https://t.co/4abcFxnJTN

The IPL kicks off overseas for the first time

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins outside of India for the first time in the history of the tournament. Robin Williams once called cricket baseball on Prozac and while it may only draw a fleeting interest in the U.S, the sport is a religion in India; one of the largest betting markets in the world.

The IPL remains the lucrative tournament in the world cricket calendar, drawing the best international talent from around the world. Defending champions, the Mumbai Indians are the most successful side in the history of the IPL and will be aiming to win consecutive titles for the first time in their franchise history.

The Chennai Super Kings, led by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, remain the only side to have successfully defended the IPL title. Players are bought in an auction in December by team owners, and the Super Kings have recruited well. Dhoni will be joined by former South African skipper Faf du Plessis and Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood.

The Mumbai Indians remain a warm favourite to repeat their 2019 IPL success. Led by Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma, the side includes Chris Lynn, West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard and South African keeper Quinton de Kock.

The IPL kicks off overseas for the first time

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins outside of India for the first time in the history of the tournament. Robin Williams once called cricket baseball on Prozac and while it may only draw a fleeting interest in the U.S, the sport is a religion in India; one of the largest betting markets in the world.

The IPL remains the lucrative tournament in the world cricket calendar, drawing the best international talent from around the world. Defending champions, the Mumbai Indians are the most successful side in the history of the IPL and will be aiming to win consecutive titles for the first time in their franchise history.

The Chennai Super Kings, led by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, remain the only side to have successfully defended the IPL title. Players are bought in an auction in December by team owners, and the Super Kings have recruited well. Dhoni will be joined by former South African skipper Faf du Plessis and Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood.

The Mumbai Indians remain a warm favourite to repeat their 2019 IPL success. Led by Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma, the side includes Chris Lynn, West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard and South African keeper Quinton de Kock.

The resurgence in online bingo

This is a guest contribution by Lillian Grey, head of content at BingoSites.net. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

Lillian Grey from BingoSites.net says bingo is booming and that operators should leverage its popularity to drive player acquisition and retention

Online bingo participation has been on the rise in the UK over the past few months and that trend looks set to continue.

The growing opportunity presented by the bingo vertical has been seized upon on by big name operators such as PlayOJO, which recently launched PlayOJO Bingo.

Tennessee approves first three online betting operators

Tennessee sports bettors are gearing up for a November 1 launch of legal wagering after the state approved its first three bookmaker licenses.

On Wednesday, local media reported that the Tennessee Education Lottery committee had approved the state’s first three sports betting operator license applications. The thrillsome threesome are DraftKings (technically Crown TN Gaming), FanDuel (technically Betfair Interactive) and BetMGM, which had the audacity to apply under its actual brand name.

The successful applicants currently represent the three biggest US-facing operators in terms of online market share, which may or may not be the reason their names were the first drawn from this hat. A spokesperson said earlier this month that the Lottery had received four ‘complete’ operator applications plus another ‘incomplete’ application. A local firm, Tennessee Action 24/7, is the only other confirmed applicant.

The Lottery committee won’t meet again until October 5, at which other betting applicants may learn whether they’ll be joining the legal betting party when it gets underway on November 1. Lottery officials said earlier this month that the November date was a ‘no later than’ timeline and “we will start earlier if possible.”

WCOOP Main Event Day 3 sees Teun Mulder lead final table

It took just six and half hours for Teun Mulder to put himself in pole position for the PokerStars WCOOP title on Tuesday night. Whether he wins a World Championship of Online Poker title is something we’ll find out tonight.

Play got under way on Day 3 with 71 players left and the race for a final table chip-stack was a brutal and fast one. Dzmitry Urbanovich was one of several big names who were eliminated before the final 50 players were reached, with Christian Rudolph also among the early eliminations.

With six tables whittle to just three, several more big names went to the virtual rail, with Spanish poker crusher Sergio Aido, Gary Thompson and online poker legend Simon Mattsson all falling by the wayside.

It looked like we might have a WSOP Main Event winner at the final table at that stage, but sadly for the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Martin Jacobson, the Swedish star lost when all-in with pocket jacks against king-queen. Others fell at the same stage, with Daniel Rezaeli, Viktor Ustimov and Josip Simunic all missing out on the business end of the tournament. Ustimov’s departure was more than a little dramatic, with the Russian dropping piot after pot before being all-in with pocket kings against a flopped set of sevens.

PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg walks free, rings down Black Friday curtain

Online poker’s former top dog Isai Scheinberg has been sentenced to time served for his role in PokerStars’ former US-facing operations, ringing down the curtain on the nearly decade-long Black Friday saga.  

On Wednesday, US District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced Scheinberg to time served and a $30k fine for operating an illegal gambling business. Scheinberg pled guilty to that charge in March, after surrendering to US authorities in January following his arrest the previous summer in Switzerland.

Scheinberg was one of 11 individuals and four companies indicted on charges of illegal gambling, bank fraud and money laundering by the US Department of Justice on April 15, 2011. Scheinberg is the last of the individuals to face the music, while PokerStars is the only company that survived Black Friday’s financial fallout.

Inner City Press said Scheinberg was accompanied by his wife Dora at the sentencing, which could have sent him to jail for up to 18 months. But prosecutors had recommended that Scheinberg not serve any additional time in custody, based on a number of mitigating factors.

Colorado bettors give up on ping-pong; BetRivers remodel Penguins arena

Colorado’s sports betting market saw its handle more than double from July to August thanks to new operators and the return of major league play.

Figures released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Gaming show the state’s licensed bookmakers generated betting turnover of over $128.6m in August, up 117% from July’s figure. Of that sum, digital channels accounted for all but $2m.

August’s betting revenue totaled $1.88m, a step down from July’s $2.4m, as hold slipped nearly three points from July to 5.85%. The return of NBA action drove August’s handle surge, as basketball’s share of the wagering pie shot up 24 points month-to-month to 29.6%, while baseball slipped to second place despite rising nearly two points to 17.7%.  

Basketball’s resumption took a big bite out of ping pong, which had gamely tried to fill the void left by the pandemic-related halt of most major sports. Table tennis accounted for 24% of June’s wagers, but that dipped to 8.6% in July wagers and dipped further to just 3.5% in August. See you during the second COVID wave, fellas.

High-roller sues Ladbrokes for taking phone bets from Spain

UK betting operator Ladbrokes is being sued for millions of pounds by a disgruntled gambler who claims the company should have known his bets were placed illegally.

This week, Terry Allan, who owns a recruitment firm in Abderdeen, Scotland, sued GVC Holdings’ Ladbrokes division in London’s High Court, seeking reimbursement of £3.37m that the 57-year-old Allen claims to have lost betting with the firm over a three-year period spanning 2016-18.

Allen says his total betting losses are significantly greater than £3.37m, but he’s yet to calculate losses for the years 2014 and 2015. Allen is also seeking 8% annual interest on both his declared losses and those he’s yet to reveal.

Allen claims to have bet up to £400k per week through a specific Ladbrokes betting shop in Aberdeen’s Rose Street, becoming so familiar to shop staff that he had a dedicated phone line installed to ensure he didn’t have to wait to make his wagers.

Crown CEO wrong guy to ask re casinos’ VIP gambling ops

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts is coming under fire as its CEO admitted his cluelessness regarding VIP gambling activity.

The New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) inquiry into Crown’s suitability to hold a state gaming license heard from company CEO Ken Barton on Wednesday. Barton acknowledged that VIP gamblers steered to Crown casinos by junket operators were “certainly a higher risk than other customers” in terms of complying with anti-money laundering (AML) rules.

But Barton (pictured), who was Crown’s CFO before assuming the CEO reins in January, expressed ignorance of the fact that the Suncity junket was operating a “cash desk” and facilitating large cash transactions with high-rollers in its VIP gaming room at Crown Melbourne.  

Evidence of these transactions surfaced last October when local broadcaster Nine aired security camera footage showing individuals handing over ‘bricks’ of $50 and $100 bills to Suncity staff, bypassing the casino’s main cashier cage and the extra scrutiny that comes with more traditional deposits.

Betway Kenya loses legal fight over 20% punters’ winnings tax

Online sports betting operator Betway has been hit with a nearly $1.5m back-tax judgment by a Kenyan tribunal, in yet another blow to the country’s struggling gaming sector.

On Wednesday, Kenyan media reported that a Tax Appeals Tribunal had ordered Betway to pay the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) a total of KSH158m (US$1.46m), the vast majority of which was due to outstanding withholding tax on Betway punters’ sports betting winnings.

Betway was one of dozens of Kenyan-facing betting operators that had their local licenses suspended in July 2019 due to the KRA’s claim that they owed hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes. The KRA based its claim on a disputed definition of how to apply a 20% tax on punters’ winnings, with the KRA claiming the tax applied not just to winnings but also to a punter’s original stake.

While market-leading operators SportPesa and Betin opted to shut their Kenyan-facing operations rather than accede to the KRA’s demands, Betway’s license was reinstated in August 2019 after it agreed to apply the new tax in line with the KRA’s definition.

Finland’s Paf reduces gamblers’ annual loss limits for third time

Finnish online gambling operator Paf is once again reducing its customers’ loss limits while the pandemic struggles of local rival Veikkaus are forcing the government to find alternative funding for social programs.

Paf, which holds a gambling monopoly in Finland’s autonomous Swedish-speaking Åland Islands, announced that it was reducing its customers’ annual loss limit by another €5k to €20k effective January 1, 2021. Paf CEO Christer Fahlstedt said his group wanted to show that “it is possible to survive as a gaming company without income from the biggest players.”

Paf originally established a €30k annual loss limit in September 2018, then cut that figure to €25k last October. The second reduction came despite the original limit reducing the company’s annual income by 16% as high-rolling gamblers cut their spending by one-third.

Fahlstedt said Wednesday that Paf’s annual income would likely decrease by an additional €2m-€3m as a result of this latest reduction, but Paf wanted to demonstrate that it was “a gaming company that sells exciting entertainment for adults without trying to squeeze the last drop of money out of them.”