This is a guest contribution by Willem van Oort, founder of Gaming in Holland and Stefan Vermeulen works as a journalist for several (mostly financial) media. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

The intended privatization of land-based casino chain Holland Casino has taken a decisive step forward. Last week, the Dutch government sent a bill to Parliament containing a proposal to sell the state-controlled casinos. A deal will probably be concluded by late 2017. But how much can the Dutch State expect to get for Holland Casino?

Political background

Back in 2012, the new government coalition consisting of right-liberals (VVD) and social democrats (PvdA) decided the Dutch State no longer needed to keep its monopoly on running casinos. In their coalition agreement, VVD and PvdA agreed that Holland Casino would be privatized within a few years.

This is a guest contribution by Willem van Oort, founder of Gaming in Holland and Stefan Vermeulen works as a journalist for several (mostly financial) media. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

The intended privatization of land-based casino chain Holland Casino has taken a decisive step forward. Last week, the Dutch government sent a bill to Parliament containing a proposal to sell the state-controlled casinos. A deal will probably be concluded by late 2017. But how much can the Dutch State expect to get for Holland Casino?

Political background

Back in 2012, the new government coalition consisting of right-liberals (VVD) and social democrats (PvdA) decided the Dutch State no longer needed to keep its monopoly on running casinos. In their coalition agreement, VVD and PvdA agreed that Holland Casino would be privatized within a few years.

After a prolonged buildup, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma’s Pokertribe.com site has launched a free-play poker site, with real-money operations set to start in August.

Pokertribe.com currently displays a “play now” button to its homepage, along with a clock counting down the days, hours, minutes and (wait for it) seconds until Aug. 1, when the real-money option will reportedly commence.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Failin and a US federal judge have signed off on the Iowa Tribe’s plan to offer real-money online gambling to customers outside the state’s borders, similar to the deal Failin struck with a different state tribal group in 2013, before that tribe’s new leadership concluded the plan was really, really silly.

Pokertribe.com intends to cater to customers outside the US, who for some as yet unexplained reason will ignore the thousands of other online gambling sites currently at their disposal in order to wire money to a brand new site that looks as if it’s only accessible via the internet’s Wayback Machine, despite its claim of using “the most modern technology available.”

After a prolonged buildup, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma’s Pokertribe.com site has launched a free-play poker site, with real-money operations set to start in August.

Pokertribe.com currently displays a “play now” button to its homepage, along with a clock counting down the days, hours, minutes and (wait for it) seconds until Aug. 1, when the real-money option will reportedly commence.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Failin and a US federal judge have signed off on the Iowa Tribe’s plan to offer real-money online gambling to customers outside the state’s borders, similar to the deal Failin struck with a different state tribal group in 2013, before that tribe’s new leadership concluded the plan was really, really silly.

Pokertribe.com intends to cater to customers outside the US, who for some as yet unexplained reason will ignore the thousands of other online gambling sites currently at their disposal in order to wire money to a brand new site that looks as if it’s only accessible via the internet’s Wayback Machine, despite its claim of using “the most modern technology available.”

Struggling casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp (CEC) has amended the restructuring plan for its bankrupt main unit by promising creditors an extra $2.5b.

For over a year now, CEC has been attempting to convince creditors to agree to the restructuring of Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), which listed $18.4b in debt when it filed for Chapter 11 protection in January 2015.

CEC had proposed a restructuring that would have cut $10b off CEOC’s debt, but junior creditors weren’t buying what CEC was selling, convinced that their lawsuits over CEC’s controversial pre-bankruptcy asset transfers would force CEC to make things right.

On Wednesday, CEC amended its restructuring plan, promising to contribute $4b to the plan, $2.5b more than the parent company had originally offered, but still less than the $5.1b legal liability that an independent examiner has concluded CEC could face due to those asset transfers and other fiscal shenanigans.

Struggling casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp (CEC) has amended the restructuring plan for its bankrupt main unit by promising creditors an extra $2.5b.

For over a year now, CEC has been attempting to convince creditors to agree to the restructuring of Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), which listed $18.4b in debt when it filed for Chapter 11 protection in January 2015.

CEC had proposed a restructuring that would have cut $10b off CEOC’s debt, but junior creditors weren’t buying what CEC was selling, convinced that their lawsuits over CEC’s controversial pre-bankruptcy asset transfers would force CEC to make things right.

On Wednesday, CEC amended its restructuring plan, promising to contribute $4b to the plan, $2.5b more than the parent company had originally offered, but still less than the $5.1b legal liability that an independent examiner has concluded CEC could face due to those asset transfers and other fiscal shenanigans.

India has welcomed PokerNation, the country’s new dedicated online poker site.

Tuesday saw the official launch of Pokernation.com, an online poker site operated by Playwin, the lottery and gaming brand of Pan India Network Ltd, which is part of the Essel Group conglomerate.

The site is part of MPN’s Indian Poker Network, which includes Khelplay and Thrill Poker, and joins a growing list of skill game sites available to India’s teeming masses. However, Playwin claims Pokernation is the first such site “dedicated only to the sport of poker and focused towards propagating its acceptance in the country.”

Aside from its poker-only focus – avoiding other locally popular skill games such as rummy – Pokernation’s VP of marketing Sree Ram Somayajula say the site stands out for its “emphasis on teaching the finer nuances of the game to beginners and amateurs.”

India has welcomed PokerNation, the country’s new dedicated online poker site.

Tuesday saw the official launch of Pokernation.com, an online poker site operated by Playwin, the lottery and gaming brand of Pan India Network Ltd, which is part of the Essel Group conglomerate.

The site is part of MPN’s Indian Poker Network, which includes Khelplay and Thrill Poker, and joins a growing list of skill game sites available to India’s teeming masses. However, Playwin claims Pokernation is the first such site “dedicated only to the sport of poker and focused towards propagating its acceptance in the country.”

Aside from its poker-only focus – avoiding other locally popular skill games such as rummy – Pokernation’s VP of marketing Sree Ram Somayajula say the site stands out for its “emphasis on teaching the finer nuances of the game to beginners and amateurs.”