Tag Archives: igaming

Artificial intelligence can detect COVID-19 faster and easier

Just ahead of the revelation that both President Donald Trump and First Lady Melanie Trump are apparently infected with COVID-19, reports surfaced on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the latest coronavirus strain. These AI solutions are using algorithms in different ways to determine if a potential case exists when someone undergoes an initial exam, and are said to offer an instant determination. While these results may not help prevent the virus, they can help speed up the testing process so that treatment can begin sooner. 

Both studies explored the use of chest X-rays to detect cases of COVID-19. One, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota and M Health Fairview, a Minneapolis-based healthcare company, used a total of 118,000 X-rays to build its AI algorithm. 100,000 were of negative COVID-19 patients, while the remaining 18,000 were from patients who had tested positive. From there, by analyzing the results, the algorithm was able to identify patterns that could distinctly be attributed to a positive coronavirus case. 

The chest X-ray is standard protocol at many hospitals when someone arrives and is thought to be carrying the virus. With the AI solution, which will now be introduced to 12 M Health Fairview hospitals, the results of the X-ray can be provided in a matter of seconds. The program is being facilitated by Epic, a nationwide medical records management company. 

Explains Christopher Tignanelli, MD, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School, who is also listed as co-lead for the research, “This may help patients get treated sooner and prevent unintentional exposure to COVID-19 for staff and other patients in the emergency department. This can supplement nasopharyngeal swabs and diagnostic testing, which currently face supply chain issues and slow turnaround times across the country.”

Thursday Night Football finds Denver taming the Jets

Thursday Night Football brought together two NFL teams with goose eggs in their wins column this season. The Denver Broncos and the New York Jets were staring down 0-3 starts heading into their battle, and everyone knew someone would have to continue their losing streak by the time the night was over. What many had thought would be a chance for Jets head coach Adam Gase and his crew to shine and finally turn things around didn’t develop, though, and Jets fans, as well as a large number of sports gamblers, walked away more than a little frustrated. 

The Jets were favored to win last night, partly due to Broncos injuries and a new-ish Broncos quarterback, Brett Rypien. The game got off to a good start to back up that prediction when quarterback Sam Darnold scrambled enough to find an opening and score the first touchdown of the game (and the only TD for the Jets on the night). However, it was all downhill from there, and the Jets’ offense would not see the end zone a single time, and would only see the red zone once. 

The Broncos’ defense took revenge on Darnold starting with the Jets next offensive series, planting his right shoulder in the turf. He was forced to limp off to be examined, but was able to return just a short time later. Joe Flacco stepped in to fill the void, but it didn’t do any good. The Jets only managed the one offensive touchdown, one defensive touchdown after an interception and five field goals. 

The Broncos offense and defense simply proved to be too much for the Jets, surprising since the team was riddled with injuries to many of its starters. Rypien, a third-stringer who had only once made a brief appearance on an NFL field, made his full debut last night, and his underwhelming performance is an indicator of how difficult things were for the Jets – not the Broncos. Rypien threw for 242 yards as he completed 19 of 31 passes, converting two of his aerials into touchdowns. However, he also put up three interceptions – one for a Jets TD. 

Brazil’s Supreme Court says feds can’t block state lotteries

Brazil’s national lottery monopoly is history after the nation’s top court declared that individual states had the right to offer their own products.

On Wednesday, the nine ministers on Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court unanimously ruled that while the Union (federal government) has the right to pass laws that govern lottery operations, there’s nothing in the law that prevents states from operating their own lotteries under these rules.

The Court was responding to a suit filed by the state of Rio de Janeiro, which took exception when the federal government ordered the state lottery to shut down a couple years ago. The state estimated that this would put a major hole in its operating budget and decided to take the feds to court.

In 1967, the federal government approved Decree 204/67, which granted it the exclusive right to operate lotteries, under the guise of preventing “the emergence and proliferation of prohibited games.” But this decree didn’t formally repeal a 1944 decree that permitted both state and federal lotteries.   

Alberta launches online casino to ‘repatriate’ gamblers’ cash

Online gambling, at least the locally licensed kind, has finally come to the Canadian province of Alberta.

On Thursday, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission (AGLC) announced the launch of PlayAlberta.ca, an online casino and lottery site powered by NeoPollard Interactive. The product is accessible via desktop, tablet and smartphones to Albertans over 18 years of age, provided they’re physically located in the province.

For the time being, there’s no poker product and no sports betting – even the limited parlay betting currently permitted under Canada’s arcane wagering laws – but the site is promising to add “more features” in the coming months. AGLC insists PlayAlberta will generate modest revenue of C$3.74m in fiscal 2021 (which ends March 31) but expects to raise C$150m (US$113m) within the next five years.

AGLC president Alain Maisonneuve said the site hopefully wouldn’t cannibalize the province’s land-based gambling options, which are seriously struggling right now. The province estimates its share of gaming revenue will be down C$900m this year after casinos were ordered shut from March to June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twin River buys Jumer’s casino, eyes Illinois sports betting opportunity

Casino operator Twin River Worldwide Holdings (TRWH) has bought into the Illinois market with an eye towards cashing in on the state’s growing sports betting market.

On Thursday, TRWH announced a $120m cash deal with rival Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment to acquire the latter firm’s Jumer’s Casino & Hotel in Rock Island, Illinois. TRWH expects the deal to close in Q2 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

Jumer’s (pictured) has a 40k-square-foot gaming floor with 870 slots, 25 gaming tables, a 205-room hotel, as well as an event center, sports bar, nightclub and four restaurants. The deal price represents a multiple of approximately 7.4x trailing earnings for 2019 and TRWH expects the property to be immediately accretive to earnings.

The deal would boost TRWH’s growing casino empire to 13 properties across nine states, and TRWH CEO George Papanier said the company would continue to “opportunistically expand our regional presence” despite lingering uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Russia gets 21st online bookmaker via William Hill (not that William Hill)

Russia’s newest online sports betting operator comes courtesy of a license issued to bookmaker William Hill, although not the William Hill you’re thinking of.

On Thursday, Russia welcomed its 21st licensed online bookmaker, Pin-Up.ru, which is currently offering wagers on both real-world major league activity and the eSports variety. The site is a member of the Bookmakers Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO), all of whose members use the Qiwi processor to handle payments for their customers.  

Pin-Up.ru is operated by Moscow-based William Hill LLC, which was issued a Russian betting license way back in 2014. This Hills was set up in the expectation of some kind of joint venture partnership with the UK bookmaker of the same name, but nothing ever came of these plans and the Russian firm has finally decided to go it alone. 

Russia recently approved legislation modifying the rules for local betting operators, which took effect on September 30. Among the new rules is a requirement for all holders of ‘dormant’ betting licenses to either launch a functioning business within six months or surrender the license, so here we are.

UEFA Champions League draw sees Manchester United in group of death

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s major achievements at Manchester United include qualifying for the Champions League and reaching three semi-finals in one season – not an insignificant advance of most of the managers who came before him following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.  

Perhaps the greatest single game the Norwegian presided over, of course, was the stunning aggregate victory sealed by a last-minute Marcus Rashford penalty past Gianluigi Buffon. It led to one of the greatest celebration photographs of all-time:  

Legends. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/l7x74snTs6

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 6, 2019https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

German-facing online gambling ops protest tight ‘toleration’ timeline

Germany’s new online casino ‘toleration’ policies will bite deep into UK gambling operator GVC Holdings’ earnings next year, as German sports betting operators warn the government to seek ‘achievable’ goals.

On Thursday, GVC warned investors that Germany’s ‘transitional tolerance policy’ for online gambling operators wasn’t likely to have a material impact on its 2020 earnings. However, next year’s earnings will likely be around €70m below the company’s previous expectations.

Germany’s 16 states announced last month that German-facing online gambling operators wouldn’t face legal punishment for offering online casino products, provided they implemented the rules of the new federal gambling treaty now, rather than wait for the scheduled July 1, 2021 date by which the treaty will take effect.

This toleration policy was always a bit murky, but GVC helpfully spelled out its understanding of its obligations going forward. As of October 15, online casino table games must be switched off until individual states issue the necessary licenses. There are also limits on the types of in-play sports betting markets operators can offer.

Triton Million hits British TVs for free tonight

If you wished you’d seen last year’s record-breaking Triton Million: A Helping Hand for Charity tournament, then tonight is your lucky night as you can watch it for free on U.K. television at 10pm GMT.

Triton Poker agreed the deal this week to show the programme on FreeSports channel, and you can watch the £1 million buy-in event tonight and for the next 10 weeks at 10.00pm on Freeview HD channel 64, Sky HD channel 422, Virgin HD 553, TalkTalk 64, and BT Vision channel 64, as well as the FreeSports own online player, which you can access here.

With 54 entries, the mix of professional players and business leaders was perfectly balanced. With a £54 million prizepool and £19 million top prize, the winner would see their name go down in history, but there would be another twist at the final table too. We won’t spoil it, but it’s a history-making achievement that still resonates today.

Around the world, fans from Canada, Israel and many other Eastern European locations have enjoyed the Triton Million action. Tonight it’s the turn of Great Britain to tune into the action and be thrilled by what happens on the screen.

Macau casino gaming revenue down 90% in August

Macau casino gaming revenue grew by two-thirds in August from the previous month, but nonetheless posted its sixth straight month of at least 90% year-on-year declines.

Figures released Thursday by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) show casino gaming revenue of MOP2.2b (US$277m) in August, a 90% fall from the same month last year. For the year-to-date, gaming revenue is down 82.5% to MOP38.6b.

Glass half-full types will note that August’s revenue was 66.2% better than July 2020’s result, and while the annual decline was 90% on the nose, that’s 3.2 points lower than May’s 93.2% annual decline, which until this point was the lowest 90-plus negative score since April.  

But August’s sum was lower than most analysts had forecast, given that China had authorized the resumption of travel visas from Guangdong province – Macau’s primary source of gamblers – in late August. Hopes are high that the extension of this visa relaxation to the rest of China on September 23 may help boost October’s stats.

PokerStars introduces active waiting list to protect the game

PokerStars have introduced active waiting lists in order to protect rookie and recreational players from the predatory practices of some regulars.

The aim of the Active Waiting Lists system is to create more active cash games but also prevent the practice of “bum hunters”. This is when a more experienced player will only sit at a table with a recognised mark: generally, a new player or a recreational player.

In a statement on their blog, PokerStars assured customers that the new feature is “about making the game fairer and the experience better for most players.”

Some online poker operators in the past have looked to tackle this issue by banning the use of seat scripts; coding which helps a player easily find a softer table. Other operators have also made games anonymous by removing table names.

European Gaming Congress announces virtual speaker line-up

Europe’s largest gaming compliance meeting of the year assembles industry heavyweights

Thursday, 01st October 2020: European Gaming, Central and Eastern Europe’s leading betting and gaming media platform, has announced its finalised list of speakers and sponsors for this year’s European Gaming Congress.

With the virtual edition of the European Gaming Congress 2020 taking place between Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th October, a total of 75 speakers have been assembled for Europe’s largest gaming compliance meeting of the year.

The two-day speaking track will be joined by representatives from the Maltese, French and Austrian regulators, including Dr. Yanica Sant (Head of International Affairs and Policy at the Malta Gaming Authority), as well as Martin Lycka (Director of Regulatory Affairs at GVC Holdings), Malcom Bruce (Founder and Senior Partner at Gambling Integrity), and Maris Catania (Head of Responsible Gaming and Research at Kindred Group).

Caesars finalizes sale of Harrah’s Reno

A day after announcing their blockbuster deal to buy William Hill, Caesars Entertainment has separately concluded a deal to sell Harrah’s Reno to Las Vegas-based developer CAI Investments. The building sold for $41.5 million.

The original Harrah’s casino will be turned into a mixed-use project with the future name ‘Reno City Center.’ “This is one of the best locations in downtown Reno, and its redevelopment into a true live-work-play destination will allow two full city blocks to realize their full potential,” said David Woods, CBRE first vice president. CBRE conducted the sale for Caesars and VICI Properties Inc.

This deal was first announced in early 2020, but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. A quarter of the proceeds will go to Caesars, while VICI Properties will keep 75%.

Even before the deal was concluded, CAI had begun work on remodeling the building for its future role in revitalizing downtown Reno. Those efforts have become a point of controversy, as CAI has pissed off local construction union LIUNA Local 169 by hiring 60 non-union workers.

The World Poker Tour announces WPT Online event in India

The World Poker Tour (WPT) continues to break into new markets, partnering with Adda52 to launch a new online poker event for India. The tournament will run from November 5 to 22, featuring 154 events and a guaranteed prize pool of $1.8 million USD.

Head of Business for Delta Corp Poker, Manish J. Adnani was excited to be partnering with WPT, for the upcoming Indian event.

“We expect to continue setting higher standards for online poker in the Indian Sub-continent, rollout a memorable experience on Adda52.com and offer the Indian players a platform to achieve glory at the world stage,” Adnani said.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska was excited to have the tour expand into India.

Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup – October 1, 2020

In the fast-moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

Yggdrasil adds ReelPlay to rapidly growing YG Masters programme

Infinity Reels slot supplier gains access to GATI technology to further extend market reach

GGPoker Bans 13 Players after Real-Time Analysis Investigation

Poker sites have fought back against the rise of HUD’s, or Heads-Up Displays for many years. Providing real-time analysis (RTA) of other players at the table on many points of focus that as a player at a live table you wouldn’t normally be able to do, HUDs are banned by many sites, including the GGPoker Network (GGPN). 

This week, GGPoker announced on their site that they have discovered multiple users of RTA on their site and put out a statement, including the following: 

“At GGPoker Network (‘GGPN’), we firmly believe Poker to be a battle of wits that is meant to be experienced without the use of any Real-Time Assistance (‘RTA’) whatsoever. To this end, we were among the first to prohibit heads-up displays, and we have been quick to ban players in the past that were using prohibited software. 

While there will always be deceitful individuals trying to cheat the game and steal from their fellow players, our Security Team continues to be on the cutting edge with regards to detection and protection and maintains a zero-tolerance policy to Real-Time Assistance. 

Imperial Pacific tries to force regulators’ hand over Imperial Palace

Imperial Pacific International (IPI) was threatened with having its license for the Imperial Palace casino in Saipan yanked if it didn’t pay its outstanding debt to the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) in two weeks. That was three months ago. IPI then came forward in August and confirmed that it would be impossible to come up with the $15.5 million regulators were waiting for, but added that it was willing to pay in installments if the CCC accepted. Now, the operator has offered some new terms to its Casino License Agreement (CLA) to be able to continue in Saipan, seemingly unwilling to accept the fact that it isn’t in a position to make demands. However, given the CCC’s inability to follow through on its threats to hold IPI accountable time and again, IPI might, once again, be able to avoid self-destruction. 

IPI wants its annual regulatory fee, set at $3 million, cut in half. It also wants the mandatory $20 million community fund contribution to be erased for the year and wants permission to go after gamblers who don’t pay their debt – because, of course, IPI is a role model for paying its debts on time. The debt-collection exercise would be backdated to 2015, and 15% of anything collected would be given to the government as tax revenue. These are only a few of the changes IPI asked for in a letter, “Points for the 9th amendment of the CLA,” it sent to the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) this week. 

In addition, IPI wants to continue its monopoly on Saipan’s casino market, which shouldn’t sound appealing to anyone. The company’s continuing examples of skirting laws and regulations have already led to a number of investigations and lawsuits, and its debt is mounting. It reported a loss of $103.2 million for the first half of this year, and alleges that gross trade receivables stemming from VIP gambler action are at $1.17 billion. The fact that it would allow gamblers to run up that much debt speaks volumes about IPI’s ethical and moral fortitude. 

If regulators agree to the deal, IPI would pay its 2021 license fee in two payments, instead of one, with 2022 returning to the normal, single-payment arrangement. In addition, the casino operator is demanding the introduction of online gaming and a concession on license fees in the future if a catastrophe, such as COVID-19, forces it to close down for 30 days or more. From the tone of the letter sent to the CNMI government, a denial of the terms will mean that IPI will continue along its current path, which includes not paying its bills or employees on time and taking advantage of the CCC at every turn. The ball is now in the regulators’ court. 

Almost a quarter of casino workforce in Atlantic City still jobless

Things are starting to look up for Atlantic City and its casinos, but there is still a long way to go. New Jersey’s, and the East Coast’s, gambling hub has suffered one blow after another over the past couple of years, but nothing compared to the fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the city struggles to get back on its feet after a flurry of punches to the gut and face, it has been able to bring back a large part of its workforce to get some help. However, according to regulators, almost 25% of that workforce is still waiting by the phone for a call to return. For many, that call will most likely never come.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) said this week that, as of the first of last month, there were 22,352 employees now back in action at Atlantic City’s nine casinos. However, that is a drop of 21.8% from the 6,233 seen a year earlier, and things aren’t likely to improve as the city enters the last quarter of the year. The fall and winter are typically slow for New Jersey because of the weather, and this won’t provide casinos with a huge reason to bring back more workers. Many casinos are already gearing up for a longer slowdown, relieving 2,528 employees from July to August and reducing the overall Atlantic City workforce a further 10%.

According to a report by the Press of Atlantic City, the Borgata could suffer the worst among Atlantic City’s casinos. This is due, in part, to the nongaming amenities found at the casino, which are still suffering. Jane Bokunewicz, the coordinator of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality & Tourism at Stockton University, explained to PAC that the Borgata has “more of a nongaming footprint than others. The food and beverage and convention jobs at Borgata would be among the most vulnerable under current circumstances.”

Indoor dining returned to New Jersey on September 4; however, it had been prohibited for 172 days. That suspension was devastating for all restaurants and dining facilities and, even though they’re now open, they can only operate at a maximum of 25% their normal capacity – not enough to even cover the bills in many cases. The Borgata was the last of the nine casinos in Atlantic City to reopen, a delay that had been based, in no small part, on the food and beverage restrictions ordered by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

CoinGeek Live Day 1 looks at Bitcoin’s ‘fusion of data and money’

The first day of CoinGeek Live saw several Bitcoin experts explaining how the future of money and the internet will look with Bitcoin SV. This 3-day conference kicked off with a focus on payments, financial services, regulation, and the newest developments on the BSV blockchain.

The day kicked off with a message from Bitcoin Association Founding President Jimmy Nguyen. He focused on the history and vision of Bitcoin, and its destiny as the “one world chain.” Thanks to BSV returning to the original protocol set out by Dr. Craig S. Wright, under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin is now providing immense business power by acting as a ledger for not just payments, but data as well. “It’s a fusion of data and money,” Nguyen said.

Unlike the other blockchains that have popped up since 2008, Bitcoin will act as “the foundational rule set for an entire network,” Nguyen said, and is “re-inventing the internet.”

To do that, Bitcoin has to grow, and BSV has been allowed to scale massively. BSV currently processes over 2,800 transactions per second, and is looking to hit 50,000 in the near future. That’s because any blockchain hoping to serve enterprise needs has “got to scale,” Nguyen said, and it has “to scale big.”