Las Vegas casinos continue to grapple with a rising issue of violence along the strip, with several high-profile incidents over the last month. The latest of these saw South Point Hotel Casino security staff shoot an armed man. According to reports, the assailant had fired a weapon and refused to drop the gun outside casino property.

At a press conference, Las Vegas police officers praised the conduct of the security team at the South Point Hotel Casino.

“Those security officers showed a tremendous amount of strength due to the fact that there were concerns for their backdrop, being the valet area of the hotel.”

This isn’t the first-time casino staff have been forced into action. Police were called to the MGM Grand Casino after reports of a shooting inside the casino. Two people got into an argument on the casino floor and one produced a fireman. One casino patron attempted to disarm the man, and one round was fired when the gun dropped on the floor. The weapon was turned over to casino security personal, as local police continue their search for the suspects involved in the incident.

Heading into last night’s Monday Night Football (MNF) game between the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, the Saints were heavy favorites to win. They were getting -435 on the moneyline, while the Chargers were getting a very long +345. However, no shortage of football fans balked at the numbers, expecting the Chargers to give the Saints, and gamblers, a run for their money. They didn’t disappoint, either. The Chargers lit up the scoreboard, and it took the Saints overtime and an extra effort to pull off the win. 

It never does much good to pick apart a game and wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently, but, if it helps Chargers fans, this game could have easily gone their way. An interception against Saints quarterback Drew Brees gave the Chargers gave the team momentum, and the fact that they were up 20-3 going toward the end of the first half shows the talent they brought to the field. Rookie QB Justin Herbert was on fire, giving his team three touchdowns in the opening half. He would add a fourth in the second half, ending the night 20-of-34 and becoming the first NFL rookie QB ever to throw four TDs on MNF. 

Despite the commanding lead, Brees would take charge of the game to bring the Saints back from behind. The defense stepped up, as well, keeping the Chargers out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. Brees, who popped up over the line for his own TD in the game, rallied and tied the score 20-20 about four minutes into the last quarter, and the Chargers were suddenly left feeling a little exposed. 

The Chargers finally picked up their fourth TD of the game, but the Saints responded with less than a minute on the clock, tying the score once again, 27-27. That Saints TD came off backup QB Taysom Hill, who had earlier botched a play to the dismay of fans, as he took the ball into the end zone. The Chargers had one last chance to win in regulation and did a good job trying to move the chains, but it wasn’t enough. With five seconds on the clock, they had to go for a 50-yard field goal for the win, but the football took a bounce off the upright, and the game headed into overtime.

Australia’s gamblers went a little stir-crazy during their pandemic lockdown, if the results from a new survey are to be believed.

A survey released Monday by the Australian Gambling Research Center (AGRC) attempts to quantify the behavior of Aussie gamblers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that saw the closure of nearly all land-based gambling operations and the temporary halt to major league sports play.

Gambling In Australia During COVID-19 surveyed 2,019 gamblers during June-July 2020, drawing respondents via social media ads, ‘e-news alerts’ and word of mouth. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents were male, with an average age of 38 years.

Horseracing was the most popular form of gambling prior to and during COVID-19 restrictions, enjoyed by 57% of respondents in both periods. Sports betting ranked second with 46% participation prior to and 45% during COVID-19. Lotteries were third with 41% prior, 38% during.

The chances of Joe Biden or Donald Trump becoming President – or remaining as President, of course – in November have been a bigger source than anything outside COVID-19 for as long as we can remember.

Poker professionals regularly talk about Trump and Biden with the same passion as if they were two high rollers battling it out for the other’s bankroll, so with that in mind, how close is the forthcoming U.S. Election to a game of poker? 

One Democrat supporter who is demonstrably anti-Trump is Daniel Negreanu, the Canadian poker legend regularly tweeted his reaction to Trump’s latest comments, actions or arguments. Or his COVID-test.

This should tell you the state of the country right about now:

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Week 7 of the 2020 college football season is the last without Big Ten action, so things will only get better from here.

The SEC is the only conference to ever get two teams into the College Football Playoff, which happened in the 2017 season when conference champion Georgia and at-large Alabama both got in. They would meet in a memorable national championship game when the world was introduced to Tua Tagovailoa as he threw a walk-off touchdown pass in overtime for the Tide.

It’s very possible the SEC could get two teams into this year’s playoff and also that it could be Georgia and Alabama again. No question the marquee matchup of Week 7 is the No. 3 Dawgs visiting the No. 2 Tide at 8 p.m. ET in a potential SEC Championship Game preview. Needless to say, it would be tougher for Saturday’s loser to reach the conference title game, much less the playoff. Although, both should be favored in the rest of their regular-season games. The Tide are 6-point favorites and on a 33-game home winning streak, winning those by an average, ironically, of around 33 points per game.

The PGA Tour will incorporate BetMGM-supplied live betting odds into its CJ Cup broadcasts, while Bet365 has rolled out a new in-play golf betting product that is turning heads.

On Monday, the PGA Tour announced that this week’s Golf Channel broadcasts of The CJ Cup @ Shadow Creek will feature live betting odds courtesy of Tour partner BetMGM. This marks the first time the Tour is permitting live betting promotion in its television coverage after testing the integration on its digital platforms during August’s Wyndham Championship.  

The Tour inked an official betting partnership with BetMGM in August and the parties seem eager to make the most of this pact. PGA Tour senior VP, Media & Gaming Norb Gambuzza said betting partnerships were all about engaging fans “in new and creative ways” and the Tour hopes to learn some valuable lessons from its CJ Cup experiment.

The BetMGM ‘telecast executions’ will appear twice per hour, offering leaderboards with ‘open’ and ‘current’ odds for tournament winner, along with odds for head-to-head matchups, top finishes, winning margin, wire-to-wire winner, holes-in-one and playoffs.

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts suffered from “a failure of culture” that led to its VIP gambling compliance shortcomings, according to a long-time member of its board of directors.

Monday saw Crown director Andrew Demetriou take his turn in the hot seat at the New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) inquiry into Crown’s suitability to hold a state gaming license for its Crown Sydney property, which is slated to open in December.

Witnesses who appeared before the inquiry earlier this month have revealed a level of seemingly willful cluelessness on the part of Crown’s board and senior managers regarding the company’s skirting of VIP gambling compliance obligations. Demetriou (pictured) said Tuesday that the board’s lack of awareness was “not a failure of our processes, but it speaks more of a failure of culture.”

ILGA commissioner Patricia Bergin suggested Demetriou was being overly charitable regarding Crown’s actions, noting that the company has yet to shut down shell companies that were set up to help Chinese high-rollers move money off the mainland to Crown casinos, despite these accounts having been flagged by regulators over a year ago. 

It doesn’t take a huge leap of imagination to wish that for your birthday you’d win a major poker tournament. It is, after all, a common gift, often made to oneself; that ticket into a tournament you wouldn’t normally stretch to. But poker professionals wish for it too, and certainly those as dedicated to the grind as 888poker ambassador Dominik Nitsche.

When the German woke up on his birthday, the main difference was that he was already on Day 2, though he had a lot of hard work to do to make the day not one that could have been spent unwrapping presents instead. Coming into the day, which would eventually last eight hours and earn the four-time WSOP bracelet winner over $121,000 on his 30th birthday, Nitsche had just seven big blinds.

With a million-dollar guarantee, the 888Millions SuperStorm Main Event included 3,196 entries and only 567 of those players returned to stacks on Sunday afternoon. Only 300 of those players would make the money and earn a profit, and Nitsche wasn’t the only 888poker ambaasador in the mix, with Martin Jacobson and Ana Marquez both chasing the top prize too.

It wasn’t long before that bubble burst, just over an hour into the action, and while Marquez and Nitsche both survived it, Jacobson fell by the wayside without making the cut. For Marquez, it was stay of execution as she fell in 219th place for a cash of $700. Nitsche, of course, would run all the way to the final table of nine, though others such as Ben Warrington and Tom Hall would miss out despite running deep.

Switzerland wants to go domestic with its gambling industry. It frowns upon foreign operators targeting its residents, and continues to scour the Internet for entities that might not meet its stringent guidelines. The Swiss Federal Casino Commission (ESBK) for its German acronym) has already banned a number of different domains that it found violated its policies, and added several more last week. One of the latest is Blockchain-based gaming operator Coingaming Group, which has found its Sportsbet.io platform shown the door in the country. 

Switzerland doesn’t want foreign gambling brands to have a presence in the country, and the ESBK is constantly looking for violators. Last week, it blocked a total of 36, bringing to 285 the total number of domains that are now banned from offering their gaming services to Swiss residents. In addition to Sportsbet.io, Bob Casino, CampoBet, Luck Bird Casino and more are now also persona non grata. 

When the ESBK adds a new name to its blacklist, it shares the data with the country’s Internet Service Providers (ISP). These, in turn, are required to block access to those websites. Those who try to circumvent the restrictions or who don’t adhere to the ESBK’s requirements can find themselves in court, being brought up on charges of violating Switzerland’s Swiss Money Gaming Act. Since Comlot, the country’s telecom authority, maintains its own blacklist, there’s no escape from regulatory oversight, and ISPs would be smart to react quickly to remove access to the offending sites.

Switzerland updated its gambling laws at the beginning of last year, paving the way for iGaming in the country. However, per additional regulations that were put in force in July 2019, no one is allowed to offer services to the country without first receiving a gaming license. Six casinos were initially approved to offer online casino games, while the ESBK has been working nonstop to prevent unauthorized access. Across the first six months of the restrictions, the commission had ordered 110 domain names to be banned, and had launched criminal cases against 108 operators for providing illegal gaming services. 

Switzerland wants to go domestic with its gambling industry. It frowns upon foreign operators targeting its residents, and continues to scour the Internet for entities that might not meet its stringent guidelines. The Swiss Federal Casino Commission (ESBK) for its German acronym) has already banned a number of different domains that it found violated its policies, and added several more last week. One of the latest is Blockchain-based gaming operator Coingaming Group, which has found its Sportsbet.io platform shown the door in the country. 

Switzerland doesn’t want foreign gambling brands to have a presence in the country, and the ESBK is constantly looking for violators. Last week, it blocked a total of 36, bringing to 285 the total number of domains that are now banned from offering their gaming services to Swiss residents. In addition to Sportsbet.io, Bob Casino, CampoBet, Luck Bird Casino and more are now also persona non grata. 

When the ESBK adds a new name to its blacklist, it shares the data with the country’s Internet Service Providers (ISP). These, in turn, are required to block access to those websites. Those who try to circumvent the restrictions or who don’t adhere to the ESBK’s requirements can find themselves in court, being brought up on charges of violating Switzerland’s Swiss Money Gaming Act. Since Comlot, the country’s telecom authority, maintains its own blacklist, there’s no escape from regulatory oversight, and ISPs would be smart to react quickly to remove access to the offending sites.

Switzerland updated its gambling laws at the beginning of last year, paving the way for iGaming in the country. However, per additional regulations that were put in force in July 2019, no one is allowed to offer services to the country without first receiving a gaming license. Six casinos were initially approved to offer online casino games, while the ESBK has been working nonstop to prevent unauthorized access. Across the first six months of the restrictions, the commission had ordered 110 domain names to be banned, and had launched criminal cases against 108 operators for providing illegal gaming services. 

When Japan’s government first approved the idea of allowing integrated resorts (IR) to be built, virtually the entire gaming industry jumped on the news. There was no shortage of interest from casino operators looking to become a part of the new market as soon as possible, and the initial indications were that the first three casino properties could be ready to go as early as 2024, or 2025 at the latest. However, life got in the way and all the plans are completely discombobulated for a number of reasons. It didn’t help that, even before the ink was dry on the new legislation, the government had to deal with a bribery scandal from a would-be operator, but COVID-19 also gave the country a kick in the gut. As Japan slows down considerably on its IR progress, several target destinations considered as the front-runners for an IR, such as Nagasaki and Wakayama, are slowing down, as well. 

Japan now doesn’t anticipate having the IR application process ready to go until the fall of next year, well past the initial 2019 launch. The problematic introduction of casino gambling to the country has continued to receive one blow after another, and it didn’t help that the biggest proponent and architect of the legislation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, had to relinquish his position for health reasons right in the middle of all the turmoil. Now, a new Basic Policy draft just released last Friday is introducing another delay, with public comments needed before any forward movement on the IR front is seen. The public has until November 7, instead of last Friday, to weigh in on IRs and the newly revised Basic Policy. 

As a result of the continuing delays, Nagasaki will take advantage of the extra time to go over its proposal for hosting an IR in more detail and possibly put together additional features that will make it stand out from the rest of the crowd. While some locations have become less enthusiastic about the subject of IRs, Nagasaki is apparently ready to move full steam ahead and do what it can to secure one of the first three licenses that are expected to be issued when (and if) the national government finally gives the green light. 

Wakayama is still interested, as well; however, the prefecture’s governor, Yoshinobu Nisaka, is more vocal over his frustration with the Japan Diet and its continued delays with the IR program. To many, the delays seem unnecessary and speak of other, larger issues at the national level, but the governor has other reasons to be frustrated. Every time another postponement or suspension is introduced, it gives gambling opponents more time to find support for their cause and could also make it more difficult for some locations to compete against larger players. 

Two of the three greatest male tennis players in history met on the clay of Roland Garros’ Philippe Chatrier court for what may prove to be the most important finals of their lives on Sunday as Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win his 20th Grand Slam title.

With the race on between the two men – and Roger Federer of course – to be called the greatest of all-time (or GOAT), Nadal knew that if he won, he would draw level with Federer on 20 Grand Slams, while Djokovic could reach 17 titles with victory, bringing him to within swinging range of Nadal’s 19 Grand Slam wins before this match.

That Nadal won 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 with comparative ease says just how well the Spanish player played against his fiercest recent rival in his career.

After this match, Djokovic and Nadal have now played 56 games against each other in their careers, and while this match only reduced Nadal’s deficit in total to 27 wins and 29 defeats, in Grand Slam terms, the Spaniard is the man. With a record of 9-6 against Djokovic and 10-4 against Federer, Nadal has reigned supreme against two opponents who have been at their absolute peak across separate halves of his own career.

Another indicator that the Philippine online gambling sector is shrinking has revealed itself. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reported that the number of foreigners seeking employment permits has been cut in half in 2020.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay noted that the exact number of alien employment permits (AEPs) given to foreign workers so far in 2020 has been 73,640. Over 84% of that number were given to employees from Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs), but that’s well down from the total of 158,710 AEPs given for the same period in 2019, with 77.9% going to POGOs.

“This showed a substantial decrease of 49.69 percent or 61,453 compared to the total issuance in 2019, due to the limited inbound travel restrictions and limited operations of POGO-related establishments,” Tutay noted.

Of the POGO employees given AEPs, 90% were Chinese, he noted. Other countries sending labor were Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.

Another indicator that the Philippine online gambling sector is shrinking has revealed itself. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reported that the number of foreigners seeking employment permits has been cut in half in 2020.

Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay noted that the exact number of alien employment permits (AEPs) given to foreign workers so far in 2020 has been 73,640. Over 84% of that number were given to employees from Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs), but that’s well down from the total of 158,710 AEPs given for the same period in 2019, with 77.9% going to POGOs.

“This showed a substantial decrease of 49.69 percent or 61,453 compared to the total issuance in 2019, due to the limited inbound travel restrictions and limited operations of POGO-related establishments,” Tutay noted.

Of the POGO employees given AEPs, 90% were Chinese, he noted. Other countries sending labor were Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.

Two years ago, voters in Louisiana decided that they wanted daily fantasy sports (DFS) legalized in the state. It could be stated that support was overwhelmingly strong, with 47 of 64 parishes saying yes. With that in mind, there’s a good chance the state will see even more sports-related options come soon, with Louisiana voters set to vote on the creation of a regulated sports gambling market next month. The initiative couldn’t come at a better time, either. 

Louisiana, like most states, saw its piggy bank start to become much lighter because of COVID-19 and the halt of most commercial activity. One of the biggest supporters of the state’s economy, the casino industry was suddenly plunged into darkness, and the chance of a swift recovery seemed virtually impossible. Louisiana has since had to deal with one hurricane after another, which resulted in additional casino closures and even greater revenue losses. Launching sports gambling in the state could help offset those losses. 

Louisiana lawmakers paved the way for a vote on sports gambling earlier this year, and it’s now up to the state’s residents to decide what happens next. By November 3, giving a little extra time for absentee ballots and other votes to be counted, the state should know what the general public thinks of the idea. If approved, Louisiana would be able to put more residents to work and start to capture greater amounts of revenue that currently go to Mississippi and that state’s regulated sports gambling market. 

The sponsor of the legislation, Senator Cameron Henry, is hopeful that the bill will find the public support it needs. He asserts, “This is a revenue-generator. Everybody is struggling with the sales tax. This would obviously be an addition to anything they would normally receive.” Louisiana needs new revenue sources, especially if it is to avoid additional sales taxes that would impact everyone. 

Yesterday’s NFL Week 5 lineup included a number of great games, but was also a source of issues, with some teams still dealing with COVID-19 problems. For those games that were able to proceed, though, the action was non-stop, and there was no shortage of scores that didn’t exactly end up the way most people thought. This is the new 2020 NFL season, where anything – and everything – is possible. 

The Cleveland Browns continue to impress this season. They were 3-1 going into yesterday’s game against the 3-1 Indianapolis Colts and, after having gone 6-10 last season, this year initially wasn’t expected to be much different. The Browns have emerged as a completely different team, though, and showed why yesterday. They picked up a total of 385 yards against a team that had only allowed an average of 236 this season and converted 50% of their third downs – the Colts defense had stopped almost 70% of the conversions prior to the game. This performance, along with a Philip Rivers pick-6, gave the Browns the advantage, and a 32-23 win. This could be the first year since 2002 that the Browns make the playoffs, provided they don’t fall into a trap first.

The Dallas Cowboys had a huge scare yesterday. During the game against the New York Giants, quarterback Dak Prescott went down with what appeared to be a major career-ending ankle injury. However, after being rushed into surgery, the prognosis is looking good. He will still be out for the season, but will at least be able to continue to play football. The Cowboys looked like the same ol’ team yesterday, falling by 14 points and looking at another loss. However, they turned things around before the first half came to an end, and Prescott was able to score a TD on a trick play before his second-half injury. The Cowboys held on with Andy Dalton stepping up to fill in for Prescott, leading the team to a 37-24 victory.

The Atlanta Falcons need a new head coach and GM, so anyone interested should get the resume sent over – you can’t do a worse job than head coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons dumped him and GM Thomas Dimitroff after Atlanta took its fifth loss of the season, this one against the Carolina Panthers. Led by Teddy Bridgewater, the Panthers are having a solid season after getting off to a slow start. They have now won three games in a row and are looking like the championship team from a few years ago. They still have work to do if they expect a playoff appearance, but Bridgewater’s 313 yards and two touchdowns yesterday shows promise. 23-16 was the final score, and the Panthers now face a large opponent next Sunday in the Chicago Bears.