Monthly Archives: April 2015

Big Fish Games is Churchill Downs Inc’s top earner in Q1

Just in time for Derby Week, gaming operator Churchill Downs Inc. (CD() reported new earnings and revenue records in Q1 2015

CDI reported revenue of $250.9m in the three months ending March 31, a 50% gain over the same period last year. Adjusted earnings were up 97% to $48.3m and cash from operating activities rose 73% to $89.7m.

The figures were boosted by CDI’s late-2014 acquisition of social and mobile gaming operator Big Fish Games, but expenses associated with that $885m purchase resulted in a $19.3m net loss for the quarter. On the plus side, the company’s net debt decreased by $70m to $700m.

CDI’s new Big Fish toy is now its top earner, contributing $91.9m in revenue and $20m in earnings. Big Fish’s social casino games provided the bulk ($49.3m) of total bookings and marked a 67% year-on-year improvement. Quarterly average paying users rose 50% and average daily bookings per paying user rose 12%.

Which lucky EastEnders pair are about to become millionaires?

One lucky couple will get a rare happy storyline when they buy a lottery scratchcard and discover that they have scooped A 1 million. The scenes are due to air next week and the storyline is said to be an antidote to harrowing events such as the murder of Lucy Beale and Dot Branning’s trial after the death of her son, Nick.

Morgan Stanley Downgrades Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment

In a new report, analysts at Morgan Stanley downgraded their outlook for the Macau gaming market and its four major U.S. listed players — Las Vegas Sands Corp. , MGM Resorts International , Wynn Resorts, Limited and Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd — from In-Line to Cautious. In addition, analysts reduced their gross gaming revenue grow forecasts for Macau through 2017.

Bryan Micon, Bitcoin Poker Pioneer, Charged With Unlicensed Gaming

  Bryan Micon, the pioneer behind Bitcoin poker site, SealsWithClubs, has been charged with “operating an unlicensed interactive gaming system” in Nevada. According to reports in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, an arrest warrant has been issued for the online poker operator. Should Micon be convicted of the Class B felony, he could face 10 years […]

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Micromillions Player Quits His Job, Bank Denies Winnings

Tragic news reaches us from Italy, where a young poker player has learned a valuable lesson about the premature enumeration of chickens prior to the prescribed incubation period. “RuiDeck” went on the run of his life at PokerStars’ recent Micromillions Main Event, charging through 22,000 players to finish a very-impressive third for $59,480.98. Great, you […]

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Japanese lawmakers reintroduce casino legislation

Japanese legislators are taking one more crack at passing their oft-delayed casino bill.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that a group representing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Japan Innovation Party and the Party for Future Generations officially submitted the casino legislation for debate. The hope is that legislators will find time to discuss and approve the casino bill before the current 150-day ordinary session of Japan’s Diet ends on June 24.

Frankly, it’s hard to see why the bill can’t immediately proceed to a vote, given that it’s unchanged from the same bill that failed to come up for a vote last year. The legislation would amend Japan’s constitution to permit casino gambling, paving the way for the introduction of a second bill that would spell out the nitty gritty of casino operations, including the number of licenses, tax rates and so forth.

The LDP’s Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito reportedly consented to allowing the bill’s submission. Komeito has previously expressed unease about legalizing casinos, saying the Japanese public didn’t understand the full ramifications of venturing down this particular highway to hell. The LDP doesn’t actually require Komeito’s support to pass the bill, but Japanese politicians have traditionally sought to achieve unity before passing controversial legislation.

Churchill Releases First Quarter Earnings

Churchill Downs Inc., reported April 27 first-quarter results that showed net revenues of $250 million, up 50% over the same quarter of 2014, primarily due to its acquisition of Big Fish Games. For the first quarter, Churchill reported Churchill also reported a net loss of $1.6 million, or $0.09 per share, compared with a loss of $700,000, or $0.04 per share, in the same quarter of 2014.

Derby Game Seeks to Give Away $1 million

By Frank Scandale @Fscandale @TheDailyPayoff

If you combine a little bit of skill with a paddock full of luck, you could be walking away with $1 million this weekend when the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby goes off.
At the very least, the creators and backers of this inaugural online event hope the casual horse racing fans become more attached to the sport as they try to grow the audience with a combination of betting and appreciation for the sport.
Walter Hessert, co-founder and chief product officer of DerbyGames, a social online horse racing game, said the odds are better to win if you pay even a little attention to the Kentucky Derby leading up to the race Saturday.
The goal is to pick each of the 20 horses in their exact order of finish to win the $1 million.

“The odds are long.  If you know nothing, a completely random entry is 1 in 20 factorial.  But, knowing just a little about the horses improves your odds a lot,” Hessert said.Those interested in participating in the Derby Million Dollar Challenge should go to www.derbymillion.com and rank the Derby horses in the correct order of finish to win the $1,000,000 grand prize.

Entry is free through Saturday, May 2 at 12 pm ET. Along with their rankings, contestants must provide their name, a valid email address and zip code. Contestants will be encouraged to share their entry with their friends using the hashtag #DerbyMillion and if the winner of the grand prize entered the sweepstakes through a friends referral link, then that friend wins $100,000 – so it “pays to share,’ Hessert said.

Hessert’s company partnered with America’s Best Racing, a multi-media fan development and awareness-building platform initiated by The Jockey Club,
in an effort to combine those with a love of the sport with those who enjoy wagering on the horses.
“It’s a fun way to digitally engage the audience for that Derby day,” he said. “Then we get to follow up with emails and develop more fans, which is the goal.”