Monthly Archives: February 2016

Becky’s Affiliated: ICE 2016 follows through on promise to start-ups with BetUP, SnapBet & iGaming Ideas

ICE 2016 made a big push to cater to start-ups and innovation in the online gambling industry, a theme that has been going strong for a few years now at Clarion’s events. Features of ICE dedicated to start-ups included Pitch ICE, Start-up Academy, GamCrowd Studio for start-ups and the “games to watch” competition.

Feedback from start-ups about their time at ICE was overwhelmingly positive, at least according to the start-ups I spoke with.  My good friend David Sargeant, Founder of iGaming Ideas, works many start-ups but two in particular, BetUp and SnapBet, found great value in attending ICE 2016.

BetUp is an in-play fan engagement tool that uses a pools model to both entertain and educate sports fans.  At ICE, BetUp announced Unibet as their launch partner.

“What we’ve done with BetUP is not only create an intuitive live betting experience but also build a narrative around that experience. We are putting in-play into a wider context so it will appeal to the type of sports fans who might otherwise be intimidated by standard fixed-odds betting”, said Tamir Berler, CEO and Founder of BetUP.

Becky’s Affiliated: ICE 2016 follows through on promise to start-ups with BetUP, SnapBet & iGaming Ideas

ICE 2016 made a big push to cater to start-ups and innovation in the online gambling industry, a theme that has been going strong for a few years now at Clarion’s events. Features of ICE dedicated to start-ups included Pitch ICE, Start-up Academy, GamCrowd Studio for start-ups and the “games to watch” competition.

Feedback from start-ups about their time at ICE was overwhelmingly positive, at least according to the start-ups I spoke with.  My good friend David Sargeant, Founder of iGaming Ideas, works many start-ups but two in particular, BetUp and SnapBet, found great value in attending ICE 2016.

BetUp is an in-play fan engagement tool that uses a pools model to both entertain and educate sports fans.  At ICE, BetUp announced Unibet as their launch partner.

“What we’ve done with BetUP is not only create an intuitive live betting experience but also build a narrative around that experience. We are putting in-play into a wider context so it will appeal to the type of sports fans who might otherwise be intimidated by standard fixed-odds betting”, said Tamir Berler, CEO and Founder of BetUP.

Phil Galfond Outs Scammer; Bill Perkins Challenges Dan Bilzerian to a Dare

Phil Galfond goes to print to name and shame Samuel Touil as a man who shouldn’t be trusted, and Bill Perkins is up to his old tricks again, this time, challenging Dan Bilzerian to a dare.

What makes Sammy run?

I’m not talking about the Budd Schulberg classic that became a Broadway musical. I’m talking about high stakes cash game player, Samuel Touil, and you don’t need to answer the question. I already know. It’s the pen of Phil Galfond.

I’ve had a man-crush on Galfond ever since I became a member at BlueFire Poker. I used to look forward to his musings over at philgalfond.com and then, one day, after writing a brilliant piece on Viktor Blom: The Man, The Myth, The Legend, his pen ran out of ink.

Phil Galfond Outs Scammer; Bill Perkins Challenges Dan Bilzerian to a Dare

Phil Galfond goes to print to name and shame Samuel Touil as a man who shouldn’t be trusted, and Bill Perkins is up to his old tricks again, this time, challenging Dan Bilzerian to a dare.

What makes Sammy run?

I’m not talking about the Budd Schulberg classic that became a Broadway musical. I’m talking about high stakes cash game player, Samuel Touil, and you don’t need to answer the question. I already know. It’s the pen of Phil Galfond.

I’ve had a man-crush on Galfond ever since I became a member at BlueFire Poker. I used to look forward to his musings over at philgalfond.com and then, one day, after writing a brilliant piece on Viktor Blom: The Man, The Myth, The Legend, his pen ran out of ink.

Prime Minister inaugurates the new MGA offices at SmartCity Malta

The Malta Gaming Authority’s (MGA) new offices, at SmartCity Malta were officially inaugurated on 16 February, 2016 by the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr Joseph Muscat, the MGA’s Senior Leadership Team and other distinguished guests.

With a floor area spanning over 2,562 square metres spread on two floors, the new MGA offices meet the latest environmental standards, technological infrastructure, corporate environment and modern facilities which have substantially improved the working environment for the 150 employees. Furthermore, the new offices incorporate all the facilities needed for the Authority to carry out its functions and activities in-house being press events, networking events, seminars and training for staff. The open plan and “hot desking” environment also caters for future growth.

In his opening address, Joseph Cuschieri, the MGA’s Executive Chairman, highlighted the milestones that have contributed to the success of the gaming authority since its inception in 2004. Mr Cuschieri mentioned the fact that Malta was the first EU Member State to enact comprehensive legislation on remote gaming. He added that industry stakeholders consider Malta as a thought leader and one of the foremost tried and tested jurisdictions in the world. He then extended his heartfelt thanks to the MGA’s employees and all those who lent their support to the success story of the Malta Gaming Authority. Mr Cuschieri mentioned that the most important project of the MGA this year is the new Gaming Act which is expected to be presented in Parliament before the summer recess. The Executive Chairman announced that the new legislation will be a game changer for Malta and will future proof Malta’s status as a jurisdiction of excellence. Some of the changes include new consumer protection measures as well as the simplification in the licensing structure from the current model to a Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) framework. This will eliminate duplication of checks and speed up time to market for the operators.

Speaking at the inauguration, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Dr Jose’ Herrera, praised the MGA for another milestone in its success story. “The new offices are equipped with the latest technology so that the Authority will be able to continue to deliver positive results as reflected in the interim performance report published just a few weeks ago. The gaming industry contributes substantially to Malta’s GDP and it is in our interest to sustain this sector.”

Prime Minister inaugurates the new MGA offices at SmartCity Malta

The Malta Gaming Authority’s (MGA) new offices, at SmartCity Malta were officially inaugurated on 16 February, 2016 by the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr Joseph Muscat, the MGA’s Senior Leadership Team and other distinguished guests.

With a floor area spanning over 2,562 square metres spread on two floors, the new MGA offices meet the latest environmental standards, technological infrastructure, corporate environment and modern facilities which have substantially improved the working environment for the 150 employees. Furthermore, the new offices incorporate all the facilities needed for the Authority to carry out its functions and activities in-house being press events, networking events, seminars and training for staff. The open plan and “hot desking” environment also caters for future growth.

In his opening address, Joseph Cuschieri, the MGA’s Executive Chairman, highlighted the milestones that have contributed to the success of the gaming authority since its inception in 2004. Mr Cuschieri mentioned the fact that Malta was the first EU Member State to enact comprehensive legislation on remote gaming. He added that industry stakeholders consider Malta as a thought leader and one of the foremost tried and tested jurisdictions in the world. He then extended his heartfelt thanks to the MGA’s employees and all those who lent their support to the success story of the Malta Gaming Authority. Mr Cuschieri mentioned that the most important project of the MGA this year is the new Gaming Act which is expected to be presented in Parliament before the summer recess. The Executive Chairman announced that the new legislation will be a game changer for Malta and will future proof Malta’s status as a jurisdiction of excellence. Some of the changes include new consumer protection measures as well as the simplification in the licensing structure from the current model to a Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) framework. This will eliminate duplication of checks and speed up time to market for the operators.

Speaking at the inauguration, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Dr Jose’ Herrera, praised the MGA for another milestone in its success story. “The new offices are equipped with the latest technology so that the Authority will be able to continue to deliver positive results as reflected in the interim performance report published just a few weeks ago. The gaming industry contributes substantially to Malta’s GDP and it is in our interest to sustain this sector.”

Otherlevels Announces Agreement with Leading European Gaming Company

LONDON (February 2016): OtherLevels today announced that it has signed an agreement with global online gaming company, bwin.party (LSE: BPTY).

Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, bwin.party commands leading market positions in each of four product areas: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, partypoker, partycasino and Foxy Bingo.

Brendan O’Kane, OtherLevels MD and CEO said, “Building on our success in the UK, this agreement expands our presence into the broader European market. We see significant opportunity across Europe due to the rapid upsurge in mobile entertainment choices, and leading operators investing heavily in maximising engagement with their users. We very much look forward to working closely with bwin.party and driving further success for them and their users.”

bwin.party will use the OtherLevels platform to extend their digital communication reach across their mobile products. Having integrated mobile messaging capabilities, bwin.party will engage users with more relevant and timely content across the mobile apps, in addition to having much greater insight into user behavior.

Otherlevels Announces Agreement with Leading European Gaming Company

LONDON (February 2016): OtherLevels today announced that it has signed an agreement with global online gaming company, bwin.party (LSE: BPTY).

Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, bwin.party commands leading market positions in each of four product areas: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, partypoker, partycasino and Foxy Bingo.

Brendan O’Kane, OtherLevels MD and CEO said, “Building on our success in the UK, this agreement expands our presence into the broader European market. We see significant opportunity across Europe due to the rapid upsurge in mobile entertainment choices, and leading operators investing heavily in maximising engagement with their users. We very much look forward to working closely with bwin.party and driving further success for them and their users.”

bwin.party will use the OtherLevels platform to extend their digital communication reach across their mobile products. Having integrated mobile messaging capabilities, bwin.party will engage users with more relevant and timely content across the mobile apps, in addition to having much greater insight into user behavior.

Love is Blind: The Dangerous Affair Between Pro Leagues and Daily Fantasy Sports

This is a guest contribution by Bob Reisenweber is the, COO of Betiply. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you. 

Over the past few years there has been an explosion in the popularity of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) in North America. There are currently around 57 million players across the USA and Canada and, after some hefty investments from top sports teams and sports media, the two leaders in the industry, FanDuel and DraftKings, have been valued at nearly $1 billion each. All in all, it is an extremely popular and profitable industry.

However, with allegations of insider trading having been thrown at DraftKings and FanDuel, and an FBI investigation underway, there is a huge question mark hanging over the unmonitored operations of DFS companies and their dealings with the sports leagues and media. It looks like the brief, but fruitful honeymoon could soon be over.

A scandal that’s spoiling the fantasy

Love is Blind: The Dangerous Affair Between Pro Leagues and Daily Fantasy Sports

This is a guest contribution by Bob Reisenweber is the, COO of Betiply. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you. 

Over the past few years there has been an explosion in the popularity of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) in North America. There are currently around 57 million players across the USA and Canada and, after some hefty investments from top sports teams and sports media, the two leaders in the industry, FanDuel and DraftKings, have been valued at nearly $1 billion each. All in all, it is an extremely popular and profitable industry.

However, with allegations of insider trading having been thrown at DraftKings and FanDuel, and an FBI investigation underway, there is a huge question mark hanging over the unmonitored operations of DFS companies and their dealings with the sports leagues and media. It looks like the brief, but fruitful honeymoon could soon be over.

A scandal that’s spoiling the fantasy

Jordan to take another stab at legalizing tourist-only casinos

Jordan is considering lifting its longtime ban on casino gambling in a bid to attract more international tourism and to give the country’s flagging economy a badly needed boost.

Last week, Ammon News reported that Jordan’s vice-prime minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb had given a speech at the Amman Chamber of Industry in which he suggested the country should license casinos in popular tourist destinations, including Aqaba and Petra.

The vice-PM insisted that only foreign passport holders would be allowed to access the casinos, with Iranian tourists singled out as the prime pool from which the new casinos would draw their clientele.

Aqaba is situated on the Red Sea, just across the Gulf of Aqaba from the Israeli resort town of Eilat, which just announced that it was considering authorizing between two and four casinos of its own. Like Jordan, Israel currently doesn’t permit casinos, and Israeli religious conservatives aren’t taking the proposal well.

Jordan to take another stab at legalizing tourist-only casinos

Jordan is considering lifting its longtime ban on casino gambling in a bid to attract more international tourism and to give the country’s flagging economy a badly needed boost.

Last week, Ammon News reported that Jordan’s vice-prime minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb had given a speech at the Amman Chamber of Industry in which he suggested the country should license casinos in popular tourist destinations, including Aqaba and Petra.

The vice-PM insisted that only foreign passport holders would be allowed to access the casinos, with Iranian tourists singled out as the prime pool from which the new casinos would draw their clientele.

Aqaba is situated on the Red Sea, just across the Gulf of Aqaba from the Israeli resort town of Eilat, which just announced that it was considering authorizing between two and four casinos of its own. Like Jordan, Israel currently doesn’t permit casinos, and Israeli religious conservatives aren’t taking the proposal well.

Princess Margaret Lottery Prize Home Withdrawn Following Discovery Of Neighbouring Grow House

A luxury Markham home, is no longer up for grabs as a prize in the Princess Margaret Lottery, as it was found be be right next door to an legal marijuana grow house. The 3,000 square foot, fully furnished home on Jeffrey Nidha Crescent was withdrawn after organisers were made aware of the grow house and of the resultant odour in the locality.

Princess Margaret Lottery Prize Home Withdrawn Following Discovery Of Neighbouring Grow House

A luxury Markham home, is no longer up for grabs as a prize in the Princess Margaret Lottery, as it was found be be right next door to an legal marijuana grow house. The 3,000 square foot, fully furnished home on Jeffrey Nidha Crescent was withdrawn after organisers were made aware of the grow house and of the resultant odour in the locality.