Nagaland recently made history in India as the first state to have an online skill games legislation.

GLaw.in reported that Nagaland Gov. PB Acharya has already given his assent to the Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion of Online Games of Skill Bill, 2015, on April 7. No longer a bill, the Act just need to be published in the Official Gazette, after which the government will start drafting regulations and licensing details—a process that is expected to take at least two or three more months.

The Online Skills Games Bill was passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly back in March, almost nine months after it was introduced by Chief Minister TR Zeilang.

It is the first legislation in the country that addresses the issue of games of skill such as poker, rummy and fantasy sports. The bill specifically defines gambling s “wagering or betting on games of chance” while exempting games “where there is preponderance of skill over chance.”

Nagaland recently made history in India as the first state to have an online skill games legislation.

GLaw.in reported that Nagaland Gov. PB Acharya has already given his assent to the Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion of Online Games of Skill Bill, 2015, on April 7. No longer a bill, the Act just need to be published in the Official Gazette, after which the government will start drafting regulations and licensing details—a process that is expected to take at least two or three more months.

The Online Skills Games Bill was passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly back in March, almost nine months after it was introduced by Chief Minister TR Zeilang.

It is the first legislation in the country that addresses the issue of games of skill such as poker, rummy and fantasy sports. The bill specifically defines gambling s “wagering or betting on games of chance” while exempting games “where there is preponderance of skill over chance.”

Things are going well for Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd.’s venture in Saipan, at least for the first quarter of the year.

The Hong Kong-listed firm’s temporary casino on the Pacific Island, which forms part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, posted an unaudited overall gross gaming revenue (GGR) of US$186.6 million in the first three months of 2016.

This means the Saipan casino raked in an average of US$62.2 million monthly, up by 36 percent compared to the monthly average in November and December of 2015. VIP revenue in the first quarter of 2016 reached US$176.9 million, while mass table gaming segment contributed US$8 million and slot machines posted US$1.8 million.

In its filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Imperial Pacific also noted that VIP table gaming rolling chip turnover for the first quarter was US$6.1 billion or about US$2 billion monthly, representing a 30 percent increase compared to the monthly average of US$1.6 billion in November and December last year.

Things are going well for Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd.’s venture in Saipan, at least for the first quarter of the year.

The Hong Kong-listed firm’s temporary casino on the Pacific Island, which forms part of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, posted an unaudited overall gross gaming revenue (GGR) of US$186.6 million in the first three months of 2016.

This means the Saipan casino raked in an average of US$62.2 million monthly, up by 36 percent compared to the monthly average in November and December of 2015. VIP revenue in the first quarter of 2016 reached US$176.9 million, while mass table gaming segment contributed US$8 million and slot machines posted US$1.8 million.

In its filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Imperial Pacific also noted that VIP table gaming rolling chip turnover for the first quarter was US$6.1 billion or about US$2 billion monthly, representing a 30 percent increase compared to the monthly average of US$1.6 billion in November and December last year.

Breaking Bad Star, Aaron Paul, is the first poker-playing celebrity to join the Global Poker League (GPL) after signing to represent the LA Sunset in the Americas Conference.

Aaron Paul is part of the Global Poker League (GPL).

Let that sink in again.

Aaron Paul is part of the Global Poker League (GPL).

Lee Davy sits down with Living it Loving it Managing Director, Neil Barrett, to talk about the Multi Venue Series concept, why it was decided to launch in the Iberian peninsula, and much more.

Last week, we broke the news that Living it Loving it (LILI) had created a new tournament concept called Multi Venue Series (MVS) poker, and teamed up with their sparring partners The World Poker Tour (WPT) to launch it at a new festival: WPT National Iberia.

The new festival is one of ‘firsts’. It will be the first time the WPT have held an event in Portugal. It will be the first time that a tournament organiser has attempted to run three events, simultaneously, across three different venues.

I love the idea, and so I caught up with LILI’s Managing Director, Neil Barrett, to ask him a few questions about the new concept, and this is what he had to say.

Lee Davy sits down with Living it Loving it Managing Director, Neil Barrett, to talk about the Multi Venue Series concept, why it was decided to launch in the Iberian peninsula, and much more.

Last week, we broke the news that Living it Loving it (LILI) had created a new tournament concept called Multi Venue Series (MVS) poker, and teamed up with their sparring partners The World Poker Tour (WPT) to launch it at a new festival: WPT National Iberia.

The new festival is one of ‘firsts’. It will be the first time the WPT have held an event in Portugal. It will be the first time that a tournament organiser has attempted to run three events, simultaneously, across three different venues.

I love the idea, and so I caught up with LILI’s Managing Director, Neil Barrett, to ask him a few questions about the new concept, and this is what he had to say.

The government of Laos will get no help from US courts in pursuing claims against the former operators of the Savan Vegas casino.

Last Thursday, a federal court judge in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands granted a motion to dismiss a petition brought by the Laotian government seeking the issuance of subpoenas against Bridge Capital LLC, the alleged power behind the former operators of the Savan Vegas Hotel & Entertainment Complex.

If you’re just joining us, in 2007, the Laotian government entered into a joint venture with a consortium consisting of Netherlands-registered Lao Holdings and Macau-based Sanum Investments to run the Savan Vegas casino. But the government seized the property in 2012, claiming to be owed $23m in back taxes and penalties from the operators.

After the JV went south, the parties began arbitration proceedings, which were settled in June 2014. The terms required Lao Holdings and Sanum to sell their interest in exchange for Laos dropping its tax-dodging and criminal bribery charges. Both parties quickly accused the other of violating the settlement, and here we are.