The ancient Greek statue of the Colossus of Rhodes represented the gods in all their power and glory, and this year’s first-ever homonymous WSOP event is looking like it may live up to its namesake. In a media conference call with World Series of Poker executives earlier this week, the event’s promoters said all records […]
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Racetrack-based casinos in New York saw overall net win drop 1.4% from 2013 to 2014, a potentially worrisome sign as the state will expand the number of larger, commercial casino developments.
A German court has ruled that the country’s online sports betting licensing process was fundamentally flawed, opening up the distinct policy that the entire process will have to be redone.
On Monday, the Administrative Court of Wiesbaden released its ruling on a challenge brought by an Austrian sports betting operator who failed to win one of the 20 federal online sports betting licenses awarded last September. The Court ruled that the licensing process had violated numerous laws, raised transparency concerns and violated European Union edicts against restrictions on the freedom to provide services.
The Court took particular offense at the Hessian Interior Ministry’s failure to disclose selection criteria in advance of the licensing process, as well as the Ministry’s lack of emphasis on operators’ need to identify methods of mitigating problem gambling behavior.
The Court’s ruling must still be ratified by the Higher Administrative Court but observers are already predicting the German government will be required to restart the licensing process from scratch. The 20 federal licenses have yet to be formally issued due to appeals by failed applicants, who took issue not only with the chaotic licensing approach but also the artificial cap on the number of licenses.
New Jersey’s regulated online gambling market failed to set another monthly revenue record in April as poker continued its inexorable decline.
Figures released Wednesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) showed the state’s regulated market generated revenue of $12.7m in April, up 11% over the same month last year. However, the figure is $500k less than the monthly record set in March.
Online poker continued to retreat, generating just under $2m in April. That’s down 9% from the previous month and down 23% from April 2014. The casino vertical generated $10.7m, down 2% from the previous month but up more than one-fifth year-on-year.
The Borgata/Bwin.party/Pala Interactive combo retained its market leading position, earning just under $4m, down $200k from March. The Borgata’s casino vertical generated $2.9m (-3%) while poker contributed $1.1m (-10.5%).
The National Issues Forum is part of the American Horse Council’s annual convention, June 14-17, in Washington D.C.
Canadian online gambling operator Intertain Group lost C$26.1m (US $21.8m) in the first quarter of 2015 as acquisition costs undid a tenfold revenue gain.
Intertain, whose operations include the Jackpotjoy, Costa Bingo, Vera&John and InterCasino brands, reported revenue of C$32.8m in the first three months of 2015. That’s up from just C$3.1m in the same period last year, before Intertain acquired the UK-facing online bingo businesses of Jackpotjoy and Costa Bingo plus the Nordic-facing Vera&John online casino site.
The Vera&John operations were the revenue leader at C$15.2m, although the site recorded a C$580k loss for the quarter. The Mandalay/Costa Bingo operations generated C$9.9m in revenue and net income of just C$86k. InterCasino was the net income star, posting a C$3.3m profit on revenue of C$7.7m. However, the InterCasino tally includes C$5.6m from a revenue guarantee with Amaya Gaming, from whom Intertain purchased the InterCasino operations in 2013.
Intertain completed the Jackpotjoy acquisition in early April, so its figures aren’t included in the revenue column. But Intertain says the business generated earnings before interest and tax of £13.9m on revenue of £35.7m (C$67.1m).
Mr. Z, who finished a troubled 13th in the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), has been entered in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and will run in the colors of Calumet Farm.
Classic winner American Pharoah leads field as NBC Sports Group presents 6 1/2 hours of Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I) coverage May 15 and May 16 from Pimlico Race Course.
Timing Is Everything; Brands Berra And Brady Linked Together
by Joe Favorito @JoeFav
There is a tinge of irony that on the day Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were dealing with the heavy-handed ruling by the NFL, politicians on New Jersey were circulating a petition to have Yogi Berra recognized for The Presidential Medal of Freedom. While many opined about the issue of the Brady brand for the long term (there won’t be much damage if any), the Berra brand, on the Hall of Famer’s 90th birthday, is one to be cherished, and not just for his prolific baseball career. There are very few individuals in the New Jersey lore transcends the era in which they made their mark. Springsteen, Lombardi, Senator Bill Bradley, President Woodrow Wilson, Sinatra would fit the mold. And then there is Yogi.
Yogi Berra’s legacy is as vibrant today as it was when the St.Louis native first arrived in the area to take the first steps as a Hall of Fame catcher with the New York Yankees. The difference today is that Berra legacy is not just about sports or his Italian American heritage or even his larger than life presence in and around Montclair, New Jersey. It is about pride, consistency, leadership and education, a legacy which can now be told year-round to an even larger audience with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, hard by the first base line of Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University.
The Center underwent a $3.2 million renovation in 2011, and houses plenty of things Yogi, and features new video displays and other tidbits to enhance the experience, as well as the stadium shaped auditorium, which hosts more programs dedicated not just to baseball, but to learning experiences for all ages, with programs that focus on sportsmanship and social justice, two traits Berra has always held in high regard on and off the diamond.
But how can Berra’s legacy, built on malapropisms and baseball, withstand such a test of time? The key comes from the man himself, someone who was able to balance a successful business career in the offseason with a legendary career on the field. A man who stood by his principals and rarely bent the rules, and went on to take those same ideals to the front office, leading both the Mets and Yankees to the World Series.
In a time where athletes were not really known for thinking long-term for business, the Yogi brand was seen on Yoo-hoo and Wiffle Balls, even a spot withWiffle Balls, in commercials and card shows, and was never associated with anything that was controversial in nature. It is a brand that stands for loyalty and family, and as the years go on, has incorporated stronger social values and education into the plan as well. All of those factors speak very clearly in a challenged society, and have made the museum and learning center so much more than the precious artifacts it has and the events it holds. It speaks to a larger societal issue of positive values and dedication to community, which is really why the Yogi brand has continued so long. Yes it is about a quirky former ballplayer and the stories he can still tell so well. But more importantly it stands for quality in a world where sometimes quantity is placed on a higher level and the quick win is better than long term success.
That is not to say that leadership in athletics or entertainment is fully compromised today. A legion of leaders both in and away from sport can point to what Berra built as a standard for what they have tied themselves to today, even with all that goes on and the microscope anyone of note is under today. As far as Brady goes, his reputation for the long term will also survive and thrive in all likelihood. However for a lasting brand that has transcended time largely unscathed, one could look to the Yankee legend as a standard-bearer, and one who is deserving of any honor, event from POTUS, more now than ever.
– See more at: http://joefavorito.com/2015/05/12/timing-is-everything-brands-berra-and-brady-linked-together/#sthash.rM2BweM1.dpuf
Maryland Jockey Club vice president and general manager Sal Sinatra is preparing for his first Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I) since taking charge last winter.
The Pentagon’s inspector general revealed some specifics regarding instances of civilian and military personnel using government credit cards.
According to the Pentagon’s inspector general, Defense Department credit cards were used to charge personal expenses at casinos and “adult entertainment establishments” including a Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club and the Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club in Las Vegas.
An audit also found that credit cards were charged $952,258 at casinos and $96,576 at adult clubs in the year that ended on June 30, 2014.
There were 900 charges on the cards for adult entertainment including $4,686 for Sapphire Club, $1,614 for Flynt’s Hustler Club, $2,100 in Vegas Showgirls club, $308 to the Dreams Cabaret while 4,437 transactions at gambling establishments with Maryland Live Casino in Hanover and the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, were among the locations.
666Bet released a statement giving customers until May 24 to make withdrawal request, or payment will not be processed.
A statement was published by UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) on behalf of 666Bet and MetroPlay since the operators are unable to send emails to customers.
“We have made arrangements to enable our customers to withdraw outstanding balances from their accounts with www.metroplay.com and www.666bet.com. All withdrawal requests made since the websites were reinstated are being processed. These will be paid as quickly as possible although it may take longer than the normal three to five day period to process them, as each payment requires manual approval,” said statement from Metro Play Ltd. “Customers who have not yet made a withdrawal request have until 24 May 2015 to request a withdrawal, although refunds will be made beyond this period. Requests submitted after this time will not be processed.”
UKGC has issued its own statement giving a response to a possible question of what happens next if the customer misses the May 24 deadline.
Rebecca Liggero talks to Ralph Tegtmeier aka Fantomaster, as he discuss tactics that he uses for success with China’s premier search engine Baidu.
Ralph Tegtmeier discussed on how to beat the “Great Firewall of China”. Tegtmeier has been in the SEO world since 1995 and is known for his “blackhat” SEO tactics, tactics that he uses for success with China’s premier search engine Baidu.
According to Tegtmeier, “the secret sauce to success” with SEO in China is “PowerCloaking 3.0”, a strategy that splits traffic between search engine spiders and humans and “tricks” the search engine into ranking the site(s). What’s key to remember when cloaking is to keep a “squeaky clean” white site (the main affiliate site), clone that site and use those clones for cloaking but make sure the cloaked sites cannot be traced to the clean one.
The Floyd Mayweather–Manny Pacquiao fight numbers are in, and it generated more than $500m, ranking the highest-grossing pay-per-view of all time.
Okay, the Mayweather-Pacquiao went down in the history as the Fight of the Century that never was. So let’s look at what have happened so far.
Mayweather retained his unbeaten record after a unanimous-points victory over the Philippine senator but it’s okay because some think that he’ll be a president anyway.
Pacquiao revealed that he had suffered a right shoulder injury, which caused his bettors and fans to cry foul, filing lawsuits left and right.
Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia), regarded as the premier and huge Asian trade event and regional sourcing platform for global gaming and entertainment products, which will be held at the Venetian Macao, is just a week away.
For three days, i-Gaming conference, held in-conjunction with G2E Asia, will be the center of the online gaming community in Asia from land-based and online bingo, casino, lottery, mobile and social gaming. It offers an excellent opportunity among i-gaming solutions providers to meet qualified and high value buyers, and establish new contacts, launch new products and gain insights to the latest industry development on regulations and to ensure your company to capture the market share in the Asian region.
G2E will also introduce one2one event for IT solutions and Interior design and décor.
Other features for G2E Asia 2015 – an event which is also organized by the American Gaming Association – include “My G2E Asia Network’, a mobile communications application that promises to help vendors and buyers connect even before they get to the show.
Casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) says it may have to pay federal authorities up to $20m to resolve a money laundering investigation.
CEC filed its quarterly report with the US Securities Exchange Commission on Monday, and the “other matters” section cites the ongoing investigation of alleged violations of the Bank Secrecy Act at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. CEC was made aware of the federal grand jury investigation in 2013 and has been cooperating with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
CEC says that on April 29, representatives from Caesars Palace and FinCEN had a face to face, at which the government laid out “in general terms the results of their investigations and proposed a range of potential settlement outcomes, including fines in the range of $12 million to $20 million.” Caesars Palace says it is “evaluating” the offer before its next meeting with the feds in June.
CEC reminded readers that Caesars Palace is a subsidiary of CEC’s main unit Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. (CEOC), which is embroiled in some truly sordid bankruptcy proceedings. CEOC’s performance has been deconsolidated from CEC’s statements, so the size of the money laundering fine won’t affect CEC’s future results. So this is actually a positive story. Hell, make it $25m, or one dollar more than Sands paid, just for bragging rights!
LONDON, May 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Award-winning provider of leading online betting and gaming solutions, SBTech has signed a deal with leading egaming software provider Gameplay Interactive (GPI) to provide a powerful sportsbook localized for the Asian market.
Gameplay Interactive powers some of the region’s leading brands, including w88.com, all of whom will benefit from the seamless integration of SBTech’s powerful sportsbook that has been tailored specifically for the unique Asian sports betting market.
SBTech’s powerful sports betting interface features all the popular Asian bet types, including Asian handicap and Over/Under, as well as over 200 other different bet types across more than 30 sports, and coverage of more than 18,000 live events per month.
Gameplay Interactive CEO, Calvin, comments on the deal: “We’re excited to have SBTech’s sportsbook as the latest addition to the Gameplay Interactive platform. We understand the local player demographic and requirements, which enabled us to conclude this successful partnership with SBTech to distribute the product into the Asian market. This partnership shall offer our operators an impressive Asian market facing sportsbook and new distribution channels for betting in addition to GPI’s impressive collection of high-definition Live Casino, 3D Slot Games for both Web and Mobile. We are looking forward to working closely with SBTech and exploring new opportunities together.”
Tucked into the depths of New Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s budget plan is a proposal to tax lottery winnings over $600.Pennsylvania, Legislation, Taxes, Government
PokerStars have created two more online poker millionaires, after players from Taiwan and Bulgaria won the Challenge All-In Shootout final tables. Jake Cody defeats 1,714 players to win the Supersonic.
PokerStars promised to create five millionaires, in the space of two months. This weekend they created number seven and eight.
Recreational online players Juanyi ’JUANYI828’ Lin, from Taiwan, and ‘citoject’, from Bulgaria, managed to weave and bob their way through a series of free-to-enter online tournaments, before winning their respective six-handed All-In Shootouts, this weekend, to become the 25th and 26th players to win $1m+ prizes playing online poker.
The two players join Poland’s ‘bladsonpoker’ and Russia’s ‘CccpVodka’ who each won $1m first prizes playing in $5 Spin & Go lottery style 3-Handed S&G’s. The other four millionaires have come from the live felt courtesy of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Grand Final in Monte Carlo: Erik Seidel picked up €2,015,000 for his victory in the €100,000 Super High Roller, Dzmitry Urbanovich picked up €1,446,600 for his runner-up finish in that event, Adrian Mateos bagged €1,082,000 for winning the Main Event, and Charlie Carrel picked up €1,114,000 for victory in the €25,000 High Roller.
Poker Affiliate World has agreed a new deal with Draftkings enabling their parent company iBus Media to enter the North American market place for the first time since Black Friday.
PokerNews have cemented their relationship with the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) market, after their parent company iBus Media agreed a deal with Draftkings that will see the pair create a new cost per acquisition (CPA) structure, allowing affiliates of all kinds to benefit from referring players to the highly successfully DFS site.
The relationship will be managed through iBus Media’s affiliate marketing arm PokerAffiliateWorld.com (PAW). The news is further evidence of iBus Media’s intention to get heavily involved in the DFS market. In March, iBus Media acquired the DFS portal FantasyWired.com. Speaking at the time of the acquisition iBus Media Chief Creative Officer, Matthew Parvis, told PokerNews that they had ‘been keeping a close eye on the daily fantasy sports space for a while,’ and the purchase of FantasyWorld.com, ‘represented a great chance for the group to further explore the vertical and put the experience gained in the poker industry at the service of daily fantasy sports enthusiasts.’
This is further evidence of that exploration.