Triple Crown winner American Pharoah stepped off the van at Saratoga Race Course at precisely 3 p.m. Aug. 26 for his next assignment, the $1.6 million Travers Stakes (gr. I) coming up Aug. 29.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
DraftKings seventh highest TV ad spender last week
Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings was the seventh highest spender on television advertising in the past week.
According to iSpot.tv’s rankings, DraftKings spent an estimated $9,458,979 hawking its wares on television in the last seven days, spending significantly more than Verizon, McDonald’s and Nissan. Clearly, somebody’s gearing up for next month’s kickoff of a new National Football League season.
While the sum may seem staggering, it bears reminding that DraftKings’ deal with sports broadcaster ESPN reportedly requires DraftKings to spend $500m over the next three years marketing its product across ESPN properties. Also, the NFL is the undisputed king of DFS sports, so it pays to make hay while the sun shines.
In July, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins told AdWeek that DFS could be “among the top categories of advertising in sports over the next year” because “as a relatively new company, advertising has been the best way to introduce DraftKings to new players.”
Online Gambling Research Estimates 1 in 10 Adults Will Participate by 2019
Online gambling research is currently a rather active field as it’s the fastest growing form of gambling in the world according to the National Center for Responsible Gaming, and while its legalization is moving at a tortoise pace in the United States, a new study suggests its expansion on the global scale will mimic more […]
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Espinoza to Try Dancing With The Stars
Jockey Victor Espinoza has signed up to be one of the contestants in the new fall season of Dancing With The Stars.
Macau busts bogus UnionPay outfit as China cracks down on ‘grey funds’
Macau authorities have broken up an illegal payment processing operation just as China launched a fresh crackdown on underground banking.
On Monday, Macau authorities arrested 17 individuals on suspicion of credit card fraud at five local stores selling jewelry and electronics. The scam allegedly utilized altered point-of-sale terminals that tricked financial outfit UnionPay into thinking the transactions were taking place in mainland China rather than in Macau.
Macau Judiciary Police said the scammers had conducted 4,549 transactions over the past 14 months that cheated UnionPay out of HKD 710k (US $91,600) in transaction fees. Police seized over HKD 13m in cash during the arrests.
The use of similarly altered mobile UnionPay devices made headlines last summer after Macau pawnshops and jewelry stores were caught processing bogus transactions intended to get around China’s currency exportation restrictions. Monday’s arrests followed Friday’s announcement of a new anti-money laundering cooperation deal between Macau and Beijing
Hooters offers fantasy football challenge with Draftkings
News for those who give a hoot!
Hooters, in partnership with daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings, is challenging fans to beat ESPN analyst Jon Gruden in weekly match ups for the 2015 NFL season.
On September 10, football is back! And Hooters, targeting further fan coverage ahead of the start of the 2015/16 NFL season, announced an exclusive partnership with DraftKings to hook up its guests with a shot at more than $300,000 in cash.
The partnership will see an extension of DraftKings’ ongoing media deal with US sports channel ESPN. The Hooters Fantasy Football Challenge will give fantasy enthusiasts the opportunity to compete against former NFL coach Jon Gruden for the first six weeks of the season, awarding $50,000 each week.
Paddy Power Betfair Deal Brings Together Two Internet Gambling Giants in Monster Merger
Paddy Power Betfair may soon be an unstoppable force in the online gambling universe after a merger joining the two megapowers is finalized. Betfair and Paddy Power are already two of the better-known names in the world of gambling, especially in the United Kingdom. Now, the firms are set to join together to become one […]
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Texas Leaves Historical Racing Rules Intact
Despite the threat of losing funding from the state, the Texas Racing Commission voted to not repeal regulations it adopted earlier for historical race wagering.
Gift of $100,000 will help Childrena s Fund help children
From left, Edwin Marinez, of state parole in San Bernardino, James Araiza, of state parole in San Bernardino, and Peter Headley, of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Crimes Against Children detail, converse during a tour and dedication ceremony in memory of slain San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah MacKay on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at the Children’s Assessment Center in San Bernardino, Ca. The center, which is part of the nonprofit Children’s Fund, recently received a $100,000 donation from a lottery winner.
One-on-One with MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren
“They say, ‘yes, you can leave, pay me a gazillion dollars so I can take the gazillion dollars and make sure I have as much profit to the bottom line as if you are here.” “I say, no.”
5 Secret Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada
Believe it or not, some of the best luxury hotels in Las Vegas are hidden gems sitting right before your eyes. From private street entrances and wireless remote systems controlling lighting, TVs, music system and drapes, if you’re a high roller and you’ve got some extra money to splurge, Forbes.com compiled A High Roller’s Guide to Las Vegas’ Secret Hotels .
Will Vietnam ever get its gambling act together?
As Vietnam considers harsher punishments for illegal gambling, some politicians are urging the government to reconsider gambling’s legal status.
Vietnam, which outlawed the ‘social evil’ of gambling back in 1948, is currently weighing a proposal that would increase the severity of punishments on illegal gambling activities. Under the existing Penal Code, gamblers caught wagering stakes over VND 2m (US $88) face prison sentences starting at a minimum of three months.
The new plan would let many gamblers off the hook by boosting the stakes threshold at which charges would be filed to VND 5m. However, the proposal also calls for minimum prison sentences to be raised to one year. In cases where the stakes are over VND 50m ($2,220), convictions would result in minimum sentences of three years in prison.
But Thanh Nien News reported that some lawmakers are suggesting it’s time for a rethink of whether gambling really was a social evil. Noting that the 1948 law had failed to reduce gambling prevalence, Pham Xuan Thuong, who represents the northern province of Thai Binh, suggested a better solution would be to “organize gambling activities in a more sensible and manageable way.”
Alabama lottery proposal dead for now
Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, recently announced he will not push his bill to allow a statewide vote on a lottery and casinos during the second special session. Sen. Paul Sanford, R- Huntsville, said he will introduce his own lottery proposal for the first time, according to a report from the Associated Press.
LaFayette caregiver wins 2015 Kia
A LaFayette woman has cemented winning an exceptional prize from the Georgia Lottery. Tiffany Hall, 35, was selected as a winner of the Jackpot Series Second Chance Promotion, winning a 2015 Kia Optima EX.
Marietta man to embark with 2015 Kia
A Marietta man is revved up with excitement over winning a brand new vehicle courtesy of the Georgia Lottery. Roberto Santiago Sr. was selected as a winner from the Jackpot Series Second Chance Promotion, winning a 2015 Kia Optima EX.
Online gaming boosts Cherry AB H1
Nordic gaming operator Cherry AB has reported a strong financial results attributable to 55% revenue growth of the company’s online gaming.
Cherry AB posted a 35% increase in revenue to SEK202 million for the six months ending in June 30th, with online gaming accounting for 63% of the overall revenue.
Online gaming grew by 55% in H1 while deposits increased by 68%. Revenues for Yggdrasil were up 136% in the first half of the year.
Meanwhile, Cherry AB revenue increased 40% during the three months ended June 30 to SEK106.7 million, with online gaming accounting for 63% of group revenue, up from 54% for the same period in 2014.
Atlantic Lottery winning numbers from Tuesday draws
The Keno, Bucko and Shabam jackpots all went unclaimed after Atlantic Lottery made three separate draws for each game on Tuesday. The Keno numbers from Tuesday were 08-17-21-23-25, 32-34-37-42-44, 45-46-47-55-57, and 60-63-66-67-68.
Betfair and Paddy Power to agree A 5bn tie-up in latest gambling industry mega merger
High Street favourite Paddy Power and online bookie Betfair are looking to join forces to create one of the world’s biggest gambling businesses. The estimated A 5billion merger would create a business with revenues of A 1.1billion, making it larger than William Hill, which is Britain’s biggest bookmaker.
First Leovegas British Blackjack Championship Sees Winner Walk Away With £10,000 Grand Prize
LeoVegas’ first National British Blackjack tournament came to a close last week after a London-based blackjack fan beat seven other finalists to walk away with the £10,000 grand prize and a luxury holiday to Malta.
Hosted in Malta at the luxurious Casino Portomaso, the event saw the eight finalists compete in rounds of high pressure Elimination Blackjack for a share of an £18,000 pot.
Shenaly Amin, UK country manager at LeoVegas: “We understand how competitive the online mobile casino market is and this is why events like this are important to us. They help us engage with our existing players, attract new ones and reward those who made it all the way to the final. This is why we whisked the eight finalists, and their guests, off to Malta to treat them like winners even before the first card was dealt. Finalists enjoyed an amazing Mediterranean dining experience as well as an ultrasonic speedboat ride.”
To qualify for the final, entrants across the length and breadth of the UK battled it out on their computers, phones and tablets, playing the 16 variants of blackjack available at LeoVegas.com.
Russia’s Primorye to take on Macau as Asia’s largest gambling hub
Russia is eyeing to become the new destination of choice for Asian gamblers with the opening of its multi-billion casino complex—Primorye—near the city of Vladivostok.
Primorye’s first casino, Tigre de Cristal, is set to open its doors in September, according to Macau Daily Times. The casino resort is fairly modest in size, with only about 25 VIP gaming tables, 40 mass market tables, 800 slot machines, and 199 hotel rooms. So why is it in the news?
Tigre de Cristal has been developed and will be managed by Lawrence Ho’s Summit Ascent Holdings Ltd. Ho, as we all know, is also the man behind the City of Dreams developments in Macau and Manila.
Ho and other investors, including Russian firms Diamond Fortune Holdings and Royal Time Group, are planning to spend a total of $2.2 billion into the 1,500-acre entertainment complex, dubbed “Primorye” after the Russian name for the region. Tigre de Cristal will be the first of the 16 planned luxury casinos to open in the gambling complex.