UK gambling regulators intend to take a closer look at new gambling products such as eSports skin betting and the role of digital currencies like Bitcoin.

On Tuesday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) issued its annual report, in which CEO Sarah Harrison – who assumed the reins of power last year – laid out the UKGC’s upcoming priorities, including the warning that “a further area for continuing future focus will be on emerging products and digital currencies.”

While Harrison offered no details on the UKGC’s digital currencies concerns, she said eSports “has scope to present issues for regulation and player protection.” In addition to real money eSports betting markets, Harrison singled out “trading in-game items which blur the lines between gambling and social gaming.” Harrison said the UKGC would engage with stakeholders to minimize the risks these new products pose “particularly to children and young people.”

Skin betting has been plunged into disrepute in recent weeks following revelations that eSports stars had been publicly promoting betting sites without disclosing their ownership of the same sites. Other sites stand accused of rigging the outcome of sponsored players’ skin betting activity to give other players the illusion of higher win rates.

UK gambling regulators intend to take a closer look at new gambling products such as eSports skin betting and the role of digital currencies like Bitcoin.

On Tuesday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) issued its annual report, in which CEO Sarah Harrison – who assumed the reins of power last year – laid out the UKGC’s upcoming priorities, including the warning that “a further area for continuing future focus will be on emerging products and digital currencies.”

While Harrison offered no details on the UKGC’s digital currencies concerns, she said eSports “has scope to present issues for regulation and player protection.” In addition to real money eSports betting markets, Harrison singled out “trading in-game items which blur the lines between gambling and social gaming.” Harrison said the UKGC would engage with stakeholders to minimize the risks these new products pose “particularly to children and young people.”

Skin betting has been plunged into disrepute in recent weeks following revelations that eSports stars had been publicly promoting betting sites without disclosing their ownership of the same sites. Other sites stand accused of rigging the outcome of sponsored players’ skin betting activity to give other players the illusion of higher win rates.

Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada is taking a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook by changing the name of his new Philippines casino to Okada Manila.

On Tuesday, the Okada-controlled Tiger Resorts Leisure & Entertainment announced that its in-development $4b integrated resort in Manila’s Entertainment City gaming zone was ditching its working title of Manila Bay Resorts in favor of Okada Manila.

During Tuesday’s brand launch in Makati City, Tiger Resorts president Steve Wolstenholme said the company was “still keeping the name Tiger – that’s our holding company – but Okada Manila really exemplifies what we are.”

Wolstenholme confirmed that Okada Manila remained on track for a soft opening of its first phase this November but played coy when asked to pin down how soon the second phase – which consists of more retail space, another hotel and more “family-oriented” offerings – would open to the public, saying only that the goal remains to open all phases “in the next five years.”

India’s Supreme Court (SC) has ordered sweeping reforms inside the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), opening the door for the possibility of a legalized sports betting in the country.

On Monday, the SC accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 from becoming its members.

But the highlight of SC Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla judgment was it adapted the recommendation of the committee – headed by retired Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha – to make sports betting legal through an enacted legislation, according to Lawyer Vidushpat Singhania, a sports law expert and a partner at Krida Law.

“The Supreme Court yesterday has directed the Indian legislature at the central level to consider legalization of sports betting within the country,” Singhania, which provided a softcopy of the judgment to CalvinAyre.com, said in an e-mail.

Savan Vegas Hotel and Entertainment Complex’s legal saga continues.

This time, Sanum Investments Ltd. and its parent company, Lao Holdings NV, announced that is has filed a petition opposing the “motion to dismiss” that was filed by San Marco Capital Partners LLC. The opposition was filed with the United States District Court in Delaware.

A bit of recap: 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. Under the partnership, Lao Holdings owned 80 percent of the casino hotel complex, while the remaining 20 percent was under the control of the Laos government.

The government, however, seized the property in 2012, when it claimed that the operators owed $23 million in back taxes. This led to arbitration proceedings, which were settled in June 2014. The settlement required the two companies to sell their interest in exchange for Laos dropping its tax-dodging and criminal bribery charges.