The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has added GECO Gaming, Sportsradar and iSoftBet to the list of operators and service providers licensed to offer products in the UK online gambling market.

Sportradar’s subsidiary Betradar has been awarded remote and operating licenses to provide its UK-based clients with virtual sports services. This applies for the integration via XML-feed-integration as well as via Betradar’s Remote Game Server.

“We’re delighted to have met the high quality standards set by the UKGC which at the same time underlines the quality of Betradar’s products,” said Neale Deeley, Commercial Director at Sportradar. “This official license lets us look forward to expand and to offer great products and services to clients in the UK market. Being a key market this was of high importance for us and we can now target further growth.”

Wagermill and Gaming Lab’s GECO has also been awarded a UK license, plus a Category 2 license from the Alderney Gaming Control Commission (AGCC).

Angry customers have created a petition for 666Bet on change.org, which provides a free petition tool for millions of users, titled Give Us Our Money Back!

It has been a month since the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has suspended Metro Play Limited’s license, which covers both the Metroplay.com and 666bet.com sites, due to a money laundering and fraud investigation. Until now, both sites remains offline and hundreds of furious punters have not been paid their winnings.

Thieving maggots, scum, joke of a company were just a few words these ranting customers described the Isle of Man-based online gambling company 666Bet as they asked the operator to pay up.

Officials at the online gambling firm tried to calm the customers by releasing a statement today saying, “We apologize for the continued delay in returning customer funds. We are currently seeking the appropriate approval from the UK Gambling Commission to re-open 666BET and Metro Play to enable customers to access their accounts. We hope to have further news shortly. Thank you once again for your continued patience but please be assured that we are doing all we can to return our customers’ funds.”

Xapo, Bitcoin debit card and secure wallet provider, partners with global eSports Cyber Evolution (CEVO) and Bitcoin-based gaming service Leet to create a new gaming platform that offers a bitcoin-enabled competitive gaming experience to players.

CEVO runs several e-sporting tournaments, offering popular games such as League of Legends, Team Fortress 2 and Counterstrike. CEVO users can now earn Bitcoin by playing games and challenging their friends.

Leet, which also offers free and pay-to-play tournaments across a variety of AAA games, allows its players to win real money, which can be withdrawn using Xapo wallet—where bitcoin balance will be stored. Leet will charge 2% fee on League of Legends earnings.

“We believe that gaming presents one of Bitcoin’s most exciting growth opportunities, as fast, inexpensive and secure bitcoin payments have the potential to open the global gaming community to players who lack access to a bank account or credit card,” XAPO said in a statement. “CEVO users will now be able to earn and challenge their friends for bitcoins across some of the world’s most popular games.”

As we count down the days to the biggest night of the year in boxing, betting action surrounding the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is taking a life of its own.

Ever since sportsbooks opened the lines for the fight – well before it was officially announced, there has been a steady stream of bets being taken it. Most have been on the side of Pacquiao, which largely explains why his opening line of 3/1 has dropped to as low as 7/4.  By contrast, Floyd opened as low as 3/10, but all the action on PacMan has moved Money Mayweather’s odds to as high as 1/2. The odds for both fighters are still expected to fluctuate depending on the betting market so if you still haven’t put money down on the fight, now’s the time to start paying attention.

When’s the best time to bet on Manny Pacquiao?

Ideally, you should have bet on Pacquiao when the odds were first offered because it’s unlikely that you’re going to get higher odds than 3/1 at this point. Granted, the current 7/4 odds isn’t that bad since your $100 will still net you $175 in winnings, or $275 if you count your $100 bet. You could still wait it out and let the late money on Mayweather to arrive, which could push Pacquiao’s odds back up to as high as 2/1, maybe even 9/4.

Jordan Spieth may not yet be the household name that Tiger Woods is, but Spieth’s incredible performance at the 2015 Masters will go a long way in building that legend. The 21-year old completely ran roughshod over Augusta, finishing the four-round tournament with a score of 18-under par.

I’m not an avid fan of golf, but I know well enough from watching Woods during his heyday what a tornado on a golf course looks like. Spieth was that tornado at Augusta, turning the world’s most prestigious golf major into a personal showcase of skill and talent. At times, Spieth even made it look easy, flashing that unmistakable eye of dominance I used to see from Tiger. Spieth really put on a show, displaying the kind of world-class golf game average Joes like us can only dream of having. It may have come at the expense of robbing us of what could’ve been an exciting finish to the tournament, but you still have to respect and appreciate greatness when you see it.

Jordan Spieth showed us greatness at the Masters and it was special.

Not everybody is happy that Spieth dominated the Masters. Sure, they’re happy for him that he won the Green Jacket and infused life and buzz into the sport of golf, but sportsbooks knew that Spieth winning the Masters was their worst-case scenario. With Spieth’s record-breaking first round, a lot of sportsbooks were left scrambling trying to recoup whatever losses – it’s likely to be huge – they stand to get hit with after initially offering Spieth at 10/1 odds to win the Masters.

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Philippine journalist Erwin Tulfo has launched a blistering public attack against Jack Lam, chairman of the Jimei Group, one of Macau’s top-five casino junket operators.

Tulfo (pictured on the left) used his column in Sunday’s Manila Times to accuse Lam (pictured on the right) of operating online casinos that have not been licensed by national gambling regulator PAGCOR.

Paradoxically, Tulfo goes on to accuse Lam of having “issued sub-licenses” to Chinese and Korean nationals to operate online gambling from his Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino complex in the Clark Special Economic Zone north of Manila.

Tulfo points out that Lam’s Philippine operations are licensed only for land-based gambling. As such, “Lam is engaged in illegal operations” and officials at the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) “are in cahoots” with Lam. Tulfo suggested Lam’s activities have “gained the ire of certain officials” at the Philippines Bureau of Immigration and PAGCOR.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) has appointed Mark Jocks as its new chairman for a one-year term.

Jocks assumed his role following the departure of former KGC chairman Dean Montour, who stepped down on March 31 after seven years on the job. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) thanked Montour for his years of service and wished him all the best in his future endeavors.

Jock’s appointment was supported unanimously by all 12 MCK chiefs. Gaming Portfolio Chief Gina Deer said Jocks had “extensive experience in various parts of the online gaming industry, including regulatory support and information technologies.” Jock joins current commissioners Lori Jacobs and Melanie Mayo in overseeing the vast online gambling business regulated by the KGC.

PEI ONLINE GAMING AMIBITONS SPARK LAWSUIT

THE AMERICAS

Amaya Gaming sold its Chartwell and Cryptologic software operations to NYX Gaming Group and Amaya CEO David Baazov was targeted by Quebec’s insider trading probe; Major League Baseball put limits on its players’ fantasy play and the commish says bets are more evil than steroids; Zynga founder Mark Pincus announced he was resuming his CEO duties; one-fifth of one percent of mobile gamers account for two-thirds of revenue; doubt was cast on reports of California tribes coming together over online poker; Delaware’s online gambling sites haven’t earned a penny for their casino partners; the surviving Atlantic City casinos improved their profitability in 2014; Florida legislators’ gambling ambitions went off-script again; former betting tout Adam Meyer had his bail revoked; Christian ‘Chipgate’ Lusardi was sentenced to five years in prison; I. Nelson Rose explained why online gambling operators won’t screw up interstate online poker liquidity and Rebecca Liggero previewed the top-five ‘must attend’ sessions at the 2015 iGaming North America confab.

EUROPE

A key Dutch pol says it’s full speed ahead for the Netherlands’ online gambling legislation; Cherry AB launched its first branded white-label site; Bwin.party’s Foxy Bingo added casino options; Italy’s online gambling market grew very little in 2014; Romania’s lottery found itself under investigation over illegal slot machines; Betway signed on as Snooker UK’s title sponsor; the UK Gambling Commission stalled its CEO’s departure; Genfour’s Ian Dunning discussed what Robotic Process Automation can do for the gaming industry and Lee Davy paid tribute to the late Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot.

Poker great Phil Ivey is among the celebrities featured in a new ad campaign for the 2015 Chrysler 300 sedan.

The first 60-second commercial (viewable below) of Chrysler’s new ‘Drive Proud’ campaign features Ivey and a number of other “kings and queens of America” striding regally toward, er, something or other.

While they’re walking, Game of Thrones’ star Peter Dinklage adds an appropriately ominous voiceover about how there’s no “royal blood” in the US of A, and thus all the goodies are just waiting for people of suitably bold and dynamic personality to “reach out and take it.” (We don’t actually think Dinklage is suggesting you walk down to your local Chrysler dealer and just take a 300 off the lot, but you’ll never know until you try, will you?)

In addition to Ivey – identified in the accompanying presser as a “professional gambler/entrepreneur” – the spot features San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, photographer Kwaku Alston, restaurateur Caroline Styne and a few others. None of the individuals are identified by name in the spot, leaving it up to the viewer to use their Audubon Field Guide of Minor American Celebrities to identify these uncrowned royals.

The commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB) believes players who gamble deserve harsher punishment than players who take performance-enhancing drugs.

Commissioner Rob Manfred (pictured) appeared on CNBC’s Squawkbox program on Friday, shortly after the announcement that the league would prohibit its players from participating in daily fantasy baseball contests that involved the chance to win a prize of some value.

Manfred told CNBC that there was a “line in the law” that distinguished fantasy sports from traditional sports betting, referring to the fantasy sports carveout from the 2006 UIGEA. Manfred said MLB had carefully studied the issue before getting into bed with DFS provider DraftKings. Manfred went on to say that DFS was “really, really important to us in terms of engaging young people.”

CNBC host Joe Kernen asked Manfred about former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose’s lifetime ban from baseball for betting on games. Kernen wondered why “known juicers” were currently starring in the league while Charlie Hustle languished in Hall of Fame purgatory.