Monthly Archives: July 2016

PokerStars New Jersey Posts So-So First Quarter

PokerStars New Jersey has officially wrapped up its first quarter, and the results are good and bad. The world’s most popular online poker site re-entered the United States market in late March for the first time since April 2011, but only in New Jersey. Since then, the company has been an industry leader in the […]

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Antigua preps digital download strategy after “regrettably paltry” US WTO offer

Antigua’s Prime Minister says his country’s “patience is wearing thin” over the United States’ refusal to negotiate a fair resolution to the two countries’ World Trade Organization (WTO) online gambling dispute.

This week, Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered an address to the nation detailing his frustration in getting the US to abide by the 2004 WTO ruling that Antigua-licensed online gambling operators had been unfairly blocked from accessing the US market.

Browne said the illegal US action had resulted in “lost lucrative jobs for our people and significant revenues to our National Treasury” while the US “benefited by hundreds of millions of dollars from penalties and fines derived from prosecuting” Antigua-based gaming operators.

In 2007, WTO arbitrators determined that Antigua’s economy had suffered a $21m annual loss from the US gambling ban. As the US has so far refused to pay a penny of these damages, the total outstanding bill now exceeds $200m, and Browne says a relatively poor nation like Antigua “cannot afford to be deprived” of this sum.

New rules for electronic table games in Macau expected in 2017, DICJ says

Regulations for Macau’s increasingly popular electronic table games will undergo an overhaul in the coming months.

Macau casino regulator Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) plans to revise the existing regulations for electronic table games in the territory by 2017. Bureau director Paulo Martins Chan told local reporters over the weekend: “We’ll be doing regulation [for electronic table games]—this is not in our work plan for this year, but next year.”

Under the current table cap, DICJ allows between 50 and 60 electronic table game (ETG) seats as equivalent to one traditional gaming table inside Macau casinos, according to data from Union Gaming Research Macau Ltd.

However, the number of ETG seats in Asian casino markets is forecast to grow by nearly 3,100 over the next three years, with the potential for a further 2,500 seats in the years beyond 2018.

Affiliate Network & Management Agency Ihre Consulting, undergo Company Expansion with new staff and additional office in South America

2015 and 2016 have been 2 game-changing years for Ihre Consulting. Throughout 2015 they gained 2 new members of staff; Accounts Administrator Leanne Dawson who is based in the London office and Affiliate Manager Christofer Johansson who is based in the Head office in Stockholm, Sweden. Both Leanne and Christofer were recruited from outside the industry, but bring to the table drive, ambition and excitement for the iGaming industry.

Within the first seven months of 2016, Ihre Consulting welcomed Ran Shalom into the Tel Aviv office and Fred Roman who will be based out of South America.

Ran Shalom moved into the industry 2 years ago, and where he was focused on the lottery side of the business before joining Ihre Consulting. Fred Roman has 10 years in the iGaming industry, joining Ihre Consulting in July 2016 from his 6 years at PokerStars. Fred is well known, and well respected within the industry and many will recognize him from his attendance at many trade shows throughout the years.

Also in the team is Claire Wellard as COO, promoted from Director of Operations last year and Simon Johansson as Affiliate Director, promoted from Affiliate Manager last year.

Genting Singapore not immune to weakness in mass tables, analyst says

Marina Bay Sands’ weakness in mass tables is painting a bad picture for its rival, Genting Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa.

Casino operator Las Vegas Sands reported this week that revenues for the second quarter of 2016 was flat at its Singapore integrated resort. VIP turnover at the Marina Bay Sands dropped by 29 percent, but it was offset by a 0.7 point rise in VIP win and a 6 percent spike in slots handle.

In addition, Marina Bay Sands reported a 10 percent year-on-year drop in mass table volume, and an 8 percent year-on-year decline in mass table GGR on a Singapore dollar basis. This, according to Union Gaming Asia, is Marina Bay Sands’ first year-on-year decline in mass table GGR “on a constant currency basis” since 2012.

“Not surprisingly, VIP volume declined significantly with management noting that the most weakness is at the highest end of the market,” Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen said in a note.

Gibraltar bourse adds bitcoin-centric Exchange Traded Instrument

Heads up digital currency fans: Europe now has a regulated product for cryptocurrency.

The Gibraltar Stock Exchange announced on Monday that it has added BitcoinETI, an asset-backed Exchange Traded Instrument that exclusively invested in bitcoin—making it the first European regulated product for digital currency.

The BitcoinETI was approved for listing on the GSX last July 22, the bourse said in a statement. It will also be co-listed on the Deutsche Boerse this week under the ticker “BTCETI.”

So what does this mean for the popular digital currency?