Monthly Archives: April 2016

Melco Crown Philippines stutters into 2016 with net losses widening by 45%

Melco Crown Philippines Resorts Corp. net losses continued its stumble with net losses in 2015 widening by as much as 45 percent to PHP9.14 billion (US$269 million), compared with the previous year’s PHP6.3 million.

In a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange, Melco Crown said its swelling losses were caused by the “increase in total operating costs and expenses arising from the full year resort operations in 2015, as well as the interest expenses (net of capitalized interest) as a result of lower interest capitalization since the project completion in the first quarter of 2015.”

The first full year of City of Dreams Manila’s operations contributed to the spike in Melco Crown’s total net operating revenues, which surged to PHP13.73 billion from P430.20 million in 2014. However, the total operating costs and expenses also rose year on year to PHP20 billion from PHP4.66 billion in the previous year.

Casino revenues, on the other hand, added PHP11.9 billion to Melco Crown’s profits. That figure represents about 87 percent of the casino operator’s total net operating revenues, while rolling chip volume reached P150.6 billion with a low win rate of 2.3 percent.

Czech lower house gives final approval to raising tax on gambling

Czech Republic is moving closer towards raising thetax on gambling in the country.

On Wednesday, the lower house gave its final endorsement to the bill that will increase the taxes on gambling companies starting next year, Reuters reported.

Under the bill, tax on slot machines will increase from 28 percent to 35 percent, while all sports betting or lotteries will be taxed at 23 percent. This tax is separate from the regular corporate tax rate of 19 percent that gambling operators in the country are required to pay, according to the report.

The tax bill will now go through the upper chamber of the Parliament before landing on the president’s lap for signing.

Czech lower house gives final approval to raising tax on gambling

Czech Republic is moving closer towards raising thetax on gambling in the country.

On Wednesday, the lower house gave its final endorsement to the bill that will increase the taxes on gambling companies starting next year, Reuters reported.

Under the bill, tax on slot machines will increase from 28 percent to 35 percent, while all sports betting or lotteries will be taxed at 23 percent. This tax is separate from the regular corporate tax rate of 19 percent that gambling operators in the country are required to pay, according to the report.

The tax bill will now go through the upper chamber of the Parliament before landing on the president’s lap for signing.

Becky’s Affiliated: Transitioning from an established affiliate program to building a new brand

How to successfully launch a new online casino brand in a highly competitive market is something just about everyone in our industry would like to master.  As we covered a few weeks ago, a number of larger affiliates have taken white labels and launched their own brands, but the itch to make a move to an operator goes beyond the just affiliates in our industry.

Over the years in iGaming, I’ve seen high profile affiliate mangers move from legacy affiliate programs representing a number of older brands to an affiliate program representing one or two new brands.  Lloyd Apter, one of the most seasoned affiliate mangers in our space, has been in the industry for over a decade and made a move from managing established Micrograming brands to managing Casino Cruise’s affiliates and marketing.

Casino Cruise was launched in 2014 and Apter has been tasked with recruiting affiliates to work with the program and to grow brand awareness across the board.  I spoke with Apter about some of the pros and cons of working with newer and smaller brands vs. more established ones and some of the challenges he’s faced along the way.

Becky Liggero: Thank you so much for joining me today, I’ve always enjoyed catching up with you over the years.  What is the biggest challenge you faced when launching a new online casino brand in our highly competitive space?

Compare Free Casino simplifies the process of finding the perfect provider

The launch of Compare Free Casino’s new comparison site is designed to simplify the search for the perfect gaming provider. The website, which launched this month, uses only the most important factors that potential new customers search for when identifying a new operator.

There are a number of easy to use filters which will produce those casinos offering the highest levels of bonuses while anyone with a specific need for criteria such as Classic or Progressive Slots, Live Dealers or Scratch Cards can also quickly find a suitable list of companies meeting their needs.

Online Marketing Manager Paul Vickers said, “Our goal was to create an impartial comparison site that featured a comprehensive listing of UK online casinos. One that allowed people interested in online gaming to find something ideally suited to them.

A way to easily sort through the massive choice of sites and bonuses to quickly find the games and offers they wanted, rather than wasting time having to search the web for separate reviews and information.”

Oshi Branches out Beyond Bitcoin

Having launched as a Bitcoin specific casino in November 2015, Oshi Is now open to Fiat money and the change comes alongside the introduction of a number of new site features. The operator is now accepting EUR for deposits and withdrawals and currently showcases a number of EUR supported games via its software partners SoftSwiss, BetSoft and Amatic.

It’s a move that is designed to give more flexibility for players while enabling oshi! to expand that list of partners.

“The introduction of Fiat money in the form of Euros at Oshi not only gives our customers extra payment methods to deposit and withdraw, but also allows us to offer more games from your favourite providers such as Microgaming (coming soon!),” Explained Chief Technical Officer Tom Finlayson.

In addition, new site features include an enhanced search facility which not only looks by name but also by the description and the tags for each game. The introduction of tagging helps players to find similar games based on criteria that they are specifically interested in. Currently each game displays 10 tags that are relevant to it, such as the theme, the number of reels, the colour scheme, and allows players to click on a tag to find other games with similar attributes.

Compare Free Casino launches with enhanced search features

Compare Free Casino is a new comparison site with an extensive set of search criteria that allows new customers to identify their perfect provider. The site looks to simplify the process of finding an operator by introducing a number of tailored filters that are easy for the user to follow.

The website compares over 150 casinos and features a filter that allows you to choose those with the biggest bonuses and welcome offers. There are 5 separate financial levels starting with a £100.00 bonus ceiling and rising to those providers who promise over £2,500 in welcome funds when new players sign up.

But the site goes beyond the financial element and introduces other filters. Users can also search by lists of available games including scratch cards and progressive slots and it is also possible to isolate those operators who are providing the increasingly popular Live Dealer service.

“We surveyed a number of experienced and novice casino users to find the search parameters that would be the most useful to them. What information would they need to have, to know if a Casino was the right fit,” explained Compare Free Casino’s Online Marketing Manager Paul Vickers.

California online poker backers to throw legislative Heil Mary on Hitler’s birthday

Supporters of regulating online poker play in California are looking to throw a legislative Heil Mary on Adolf Hitler’s birthday, according to media reports.

On Tuesday, CardPlayer’s Brian Pempus quoted California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) chairman Steve Stallings saying an amended version of state Assemblyman Adam Gray’s AB 2863 online poker bill would get a committee hearing by the end of this month.

On Wednesday, OnlinePokerReport’s Steve Ruddock got more specific, quoting sources saying the Assembly’s Governmental Organization Committee would hold an informational hearing on Gray’s legislation on April 20, although AB 2863 isn’t yet listed on the agenda for next Wednesday’s hearing.

Frankly, we can’t think of a more auspicious date on which to sing online poker’s praises, given that April 20 would have been Adolf Hitler’s 127th birthday. After all, who can forget Hitler’s gutsy but ill-advised decision to go all-in with a 2-7 off-suit against Stalin’s aces at the 1942 EPT Stalingrad?

Champions League Review: Bayern Are Favourites After Barcelona’s Demise

Barcelona is out of the UEFA Champions League after losing by two goals to nil against Atletico Madrid, and Pep Guardiola is still on course to face his new club Man City after his Bayern side squeeze past Benfica 3-2 on aggregate.

I always thought the only team capable of beating Barcelona in this year’s Champions League was Atletico Madrid. Tonight they proved my gut right. They eliminated them from the quarterfinals two years ago, and Diego Simeone’s men have done it again after winning by two goals to nil at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Jimmy Greaves once said, “football is a funny old game.” How right he was. A fortnight ago, Barcelona had enjoyed a 39 match unbeaten run. Walking into the cauldron of the Vicente Calderon, they had lost two out of their last three. In contrast, Atletico was hammering balls into the back of their home net for fun with 11 in their last three home games.

Five of those goals had come from Antoine Griezmann, and one doubts he would have started tonight’s game had Fernando Torres not been missing through suspension after being sent off in the first leg. The Frenchman did start, and boy did he make a difference.

Champions League Review: Bayern Are Favourites After Barcelona’s Demise

Barcelona is out of the UEFA Champions League after losing by two goals to nil against Atletico Madrid, and Pep Guardiola is still on course to face his new club Man City after his Bayern side squeeze past Benfica 3-2 on aggregate.

I always thought the only team capable of beating Barcelona in this year’s Champions League was Atletico Madrid. Tonight they proved my gut right. They eliminated them from the quarterfinals two years ago, and Diego Simeone’s men have done it again after winning by two goals to nil at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Jimmy Greaves once said, “football is a funny old game.” How right he was. A fortnight ago, Barcelona had enjoyed a 39 match unbeaten run. Walking into the cauldron of the Vicente Calderon, they had lost two out of their last three. In contrast, Atletico was hammering balls into the back of their home net for fun with 11 in their last three home games.

Five of those goals had come from Antoine Griezmann, and one doubts he would have started tonight’s game had Fernando Torres not been missing through suspension after being sent off in the first leg. The Frenchman did start, and boy did he make a difference.

New lottery allows Australians to bet on the WEATHER – and the prize is $1million

Chances of rain, about 10-to-one! New lottery allows Australians to bet on the WEATHER – and the prize is $1million Talking about the weather at the office water-cooler may now pay off for more than just small-talk after the introduction of a new $1 million lottery. Australians can now turn their fascination for forecasts – and gambling – to the Weather Lottery, where punters can choose the value of the weather in each state at 12pm each day.

New lottery allows Australians to bet on the WEATHER – and the prize is $1million

Chances of rain, about 10-to-one! New lottery allows Australians to bet on the WEATHER – and the prize is $1million Talking about the weather at the office water-cooler may now pay off for more than just small-talk after the introduction of a new $1 million lottery. Australians can now turn their fascination for forecasts – and gambling – to the Weather Lottery, where punters can choose the value of the weather in each state at 12pm each day.

Betradar rolls out Live Sports Centre for this year’s Euros and Copa America

Betradar, the world’s leading supplier of sports and betting related data services, has released special editions of its renowned Live Sports Centre for two of this summer’s key soccer events: the Euro 2016 in France and the Copa America Centenario, which will be hosted in the USA.

France will be the go-to-destination for fans of 24 participating nations for June’s Euro 2016 tournament. The 50% increase in teams this year will make it an outstanding competition: more players, more matches and more media awareness than ever before.

This summer, there will be more soccer for fans based on the other side of the Atlantic, as the Copa America Centenario kicks off in the USA. The 100 year anniversary of the South American Football Federation will see the competition take place outside its regular four-year rhythm which was established in 2007. To mark this special occasion, the tournament will also have many more participants than ever before, and, for the first time in its long history, it will be played outside of South America, as ten cities in the United States will host the 32 matches in June.

“To equip websites or mobile applications around the globe with the most comprehensive sports data solution fans can wish for, Betradar has developed enhanced special editions of its successful Live Sports Centre to cover all pre-/post match and of course live facts during the European Championship and the Copa America” said Lorenzo Caci, Director Sales at Betradar. “Fans have been waiting for the kick-off of those two soccer festivals for months. They expect something special, and that´s where we come in. Without having to invest a lot of time and resources into developing a tournament specific offering in-house, our clients can spoil their customers with a product that is fast and reliable and informs them in their native language about everything that’s relevant. We even embedded social media feeds from players and teams into our EC and CA 2016 Live Centres. The product includes new features such as the “Betting stimulations” widget – Questions and interesting statistical facts are presented live during the matches can give punters the momentum and the confidence they need to place another bet.”

Betradar rolls out Live Sports Centre for this year’s Euros and Copa America

Betradar, the world’s leading supplier of sports and betting related data services, has released special editions of its renowned Live Sports Centre for two of this summer’s key soccer events: the Euro 2016 in France and the Copa America Centenario, which will be hosted in the USA.

France will be the go-to-destination for fans of 24 participating nations for June’s Euro 2016 tournament. The 50% increase in teams this year will make it an outstanding competition: more players, more matches and more media awareness than ever before.

This summer, there will be more soccer for fans based on the other side of the Atlantic, as the Copa America Centenario kicks off in the USA. The 100 year anniversary of the South American Football Federation will see the competition take place outside its regular four-year rhythm which was established in 2007. To mark this special occasion, the tournament will also have many more participants than ever before, and, for the first time in its long history, it will be played outside of South America, as ten cities in the United States will host the 32 matches in June.

“To equip websites or mobile applications around the globe with the most comprehensive sports data solution fans can wish for, Betradar has developed enhanced special editions of its successful Live Sports Centre to cover all pre-/post match and of course live facts during the European Championship and the Copa America” said Lorenzo Caci, Director Sales at Betradar. “Fans have been waiting for the kick-off of those two soccer festivals for months. They expect something special, and that´s where we come in. Without having to invest a lot of time and resources into developing a tournament specific offering in-house, our clients can spoil their customers with a product that is fast and reliable and informs them in their native language about everything that’s relevant. We even embedded social media feeds from players and teams into our EC and CA 2016 Live Centres. The product includes new features such as the “Betting stimulations” widget – Questions and interesting statistical facts are presented live during the matches can give punters the momentum and the confidence they need to place another bet.”

DFSgold Announces DFSgold Player of the Year Presented by Jaybird

ATLANTA – April, 2016 – PRLog — DFSgold today announced a partnership with premium active lifestyle brand Jaybird as sponsor of the newly launched DFSgold Player of the Year. The DFSgold Player of the Year presented by Jaybird will recognize the year’s top daily fantasy sports player.

Jaybird produces premium, market leading sports tech products including their acclaimed X2 Bluetooth wireless headphones. Jaybird X2 delivers wireless music and calls coupled with superior audio performance rivaling the best in wired headphones.

Jaybird will be the presenting sponsor of the 2016 DFSgold Player of the Year.

“The daily fantasy sports community is an engaged and growing market and we’re excited to partner with DFSgold,” said Jason Kimball, SVP Brand and Partnerships at Jaybird. “This devoted group of sports fans loves music and podcasts and there is no better way to experience those things than with Jaybird’s innovative products.”

DFSgold Announces DFSgold Player of the Year Presented by Jaybird

ATLANTA – April, 2016 – PRLog — DFSgold today announced a partnership with premium active lifestyle brand Jaybird as sponsor of the newly launched DFSgold Player of the Year. The DFSgold Player of the Year presented by Jaybird will recognize the year’s top daily fantasy sports player.

Jaybird produces premium, market leading sports tech products including their acclaimed X2 Bluetooth wireless headphones. Jaybird X2 delivers wireless music and calls coupled with superior audio performance rivaling the best in wired headphones.

Jaybird will be the presenting sponsor of the 2016 DFSgold Player of the Year.

“The daily fantasy sports community is an engaged and growing market and we’re excited to partner with DFSgold,” said Jason Kimball, SVP Brand and Partnerships at Jaybird. “This devoted group of sports fans loves music and podcasts and there is no better way to experience those things than with Jaybird’s innovative products.”

FA Cup Review: Man Utd Favourites to Lift Trophy

Manchester United are favourites to win the FA Cup after beating West Ham by two goals to one in the final ever FA Cup game to be played at the Boleyn Ground.

Manchester United is on course to win their first FA Cup trophy in over a decade after coming away from the Boleyn Ground with a surprising victory thanks in large part to the magnificence of Marcus Rashford and David De Gea.

West Ham was always a gall bladder stone for United throughout the Sir Alex Ferguson reign, but United would always march into West Ham as the favourites. Times have changed. The class of Dmitri Payet, the guile of Manuel Lanzini, and the control of Mark Noble means that these days it’s the Hammers who play the most adventurous football.

That didn’t happen tonight. Once again Louis van Gaal gave youth a chance and they didn’t disappoint. It was a hark back to the good old days with the trio of Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial plundering the front line – youth, pace, trickery, and in the 54th minute a goal of superlative quality from that man Rashford.

FA Cup Review: Man Utd Favourites to Lift Trophy

Manchester United are favourites to win the FA Cup after beating West Ham by two goals to one in the final ever FA Cup game to be played at the Boleyn Ground.

Manchester United is on course to win their first FA Cup trophy in over a decade after coming away from the Boleyn Ground with a surprising victory thanks in large part to the magnificence of Marcus Rashford and David De Gea.

West Ham was always a gall bladder stone for United throughout the Sir Alex Ferguson reign, but United would always march into West Ham as the favourites. Times have changed. The class of Dmitri Payet, the guile of Manuel Lanzini, and the control of Mark Noble means that these days it’s the Hammers who play the most adventurous football.

That didn’t happen tonight. Once again Louis van Gaal gave youth a chance and they didn’t disappoint. It was a hark back to the good old days with the trio of Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial plundering the front line – youth, pace, trickery, and in the 54th minute a goal of superlative quality from that man Rashford.