Monthly Archives: July 2016

Over 200 foreign workers ordered out of Saipan casino

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd. is feeling the pinch amid the government’s crackdown on foreign workers on the Pacific Island.

Commonwealth Casino Commission executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero told Saipan Tribune that the Hong Kong-listed casino operator already had to let go of more than 130 foreign workers amid a breached cap on workers on the island this fiscal year.

Imperial Pacific’s Saipan subsidiary, Best Sunshine International, also shepherded around 90 employees from the casino in June, according to the report.

Deleon Guerrero pointed that the numbers he mentioned were “just what we’ve licensed,” noting that the figures could go up since they still have to check the exact number with Best Sunshine.

MGM Macau in hot water for alleged smoking ban breach

Casino hotel MGM Macau is now under fire for allegedly violating the Special Administrative Region’s ban on smoking in public places.

In a press statement, Macau’s Health Bureau announced that the agency has rounded up a total of 9 individuals caught smoking in unauthorized areas inside the casino. The violators were slapped with fines by health authorities.

But what concerns the Health Bureau even more was the fact that MGM Macau, which is operated by MGM China Holdings, Ltd., failed to comply with the city’s rules on smoking in public places. The health team noticed that the hotel didn’t have ‘no smoking’ signs in some areas inside its casino

“During the inspection it was noticed that some areas within the casino did not have the ‘no smoking’ signs required under the existing regulations,” said the Health Bureau. The bureau stated it has issued an official notification and that it would be following up the case.

Macau’s horse racing revenue loss gallops to $11M in 2015

The Macau Horse Racing Company has announced that its revenue losses has ballooned by 72.3 percent in 2015.

According to a notice published in the Official Gazette, the company—which runs the Macau Jockey Club—said it lost more than MOP88 million (USD11.1 million) last year, a huge spike compared to the MOP51.2 million deficit the company reported in 2014.

The last time the Macau Jockey Club made profit was in 2005, Macau Business Daily reported, and the horse racing company’s losses are inching closer to MOP4 billion.

Gross gaming revenue from horse race betting in Macau dropped by 45.6 percent year-on-year, reaching MOP166 million last year, data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau showed.

Oh, the irony: Is money-making juggernaut NFL fearing sports betting’s shadow?

Just when two of the big three American sports leagues – the NBA and MLB – have warmed up to the idea of US sports betting in the future, money-making enterprise NFL is having cold feet about jumping on the bandwagon.

Yahoo! Finance reported that the NFL is not rushing to join calls for the legalization of sports betting in the US, as it expresses their apprehension on how legalized gambling would affect the football games itself.

The NFL, known for being tight-lipped on all issues, gave a hint of its position on legalized sports betting through its senior labor relations counsel Brook Gardiner, who spoke at the 30th annual National Conference on Problem Gambling, in Tarrytown, New York.

Gardiner expressed fear that the integrity of the sport will be compromised should NFL throws its support for the legalization of sports betting.

Bitcoin wallet lets users pay via Twitter as cloud storage provider ditches Paypal feature

One bitcoin wallet is looking beyond emails and bitcoin addresses for peer-to-peer transactions.

iPayYou recently rolled out its “Pay-by-Twitter” feature, a first-of-its-kind tool that allows users to send bitcoin using the receiver’s handle on the popular microblogging platform. The recipient can opt to hold the bitcoins in his or her iPayYou account, or send the bitcoins to someone else, or trade the digital currency for dollars that will be deposited into their bank account.

“Twitter is one of the most widely used social media networks worldwide and despite the speed of technological innovation in the 21st century, no other full-service bitcoin wallet offered this feature until now,” iPayYou founder Gene Kavner, a former Amazon executive, said in a statement.

Seafile ditches Paypal payments, turns to bitcoin

GIG to strenghten position as top employer brand

“In Gaming Innovation Group we are looking «To make the iGaming industry an open and connected eco-system, for the benefit of all». We are in the early days of this vision  but just reached a major milestone: After nearly two years of careful planning and consideration. Today I signed our new offices in St. George’s Bay Malta. A Campus for GIG”, as Reed is commenting GIG’s pending move which will be strengthening the Group’s position as one of the top employer brands in Malta and among iGaming brands world-wide.

 

Reed: “We want to attract the most passionate people”

Reed goes on to say: “We want to attract the most passionate people, and we want to give them an environment and community where they can be the most effective and innovative version of themselves. We have dozens of roles open within nearly every career path in Software engineering, Marketing, Design, HR, Finances, Customer service, Legal or BI. If you get a sense of our company and feel this is right for you, then reach out to us: [email protected].”

BtoBet’s Alessandro Fried Shares His Views on eSports Betting

Lee Davy sits down with the CEO of BtoBet to figure out why eSports has caused the stampede it has, who the eSports consumers are, and how everyone in the eSports betting community can learn to provide the very best products for them.

June 1, 2016.

BtoBet and Betradar join forces to create a platform for betting outlets looking to add the exciting new market of eSports to their roster of products.

I knew quite a bit about Betradar.

Calling The Clock: ONE DROP Goes Posh With Plenty of Dosh; Holz Heater; Schwartz Sunday

In this week’s Calling the Clock we bring you news of the ONE DROP omitting professional players from the field; the continuing rush of Fedor Holz, and much more.

In 2011, Erik Seidel won $6.5m in live tournament cash after going on a heater of a lifetime. In 2014, Dan Colman upped that when he won $22.3m.

It’s happening again.

Right in front of our very eyes.

Change of Fortunes for Unlucky LeoVegas Player after £1 Million Win

Being down on your luck is a struggle for anyone, but for one man this has all changed after a win of over €1 million while playing online slots with mobile casino LeoVegas.com. The Swedish winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, is now planning to use his windfall to help support his family and improve his life.

The player won €1,100,000 while playing popular UK game Siberian Storm on the LeoVegas mobile app. He bet a mere €1.50 on the game before going on to take the seven-figure jackpot.

The winner said: “I was just relaxing at home on the couch when I decided to kill a bit of time on LeoVegas. It’s still so surreal for me; I can’t believe I’ve actually won. I can’t wait to spoil my sons and grandchildren. We have had a string of bad luck recently – struggling with unemployment – and it looks like things are finally changing.

“I never usually play Siberian Storm. I just had a feeling to try a new game and it has certainly payed off! Siberian Storm is certainly my new favourite game.”

Vietnamese online gambling site uses Facebook Live video to lure customers

A Vietnam-facing online gambling site is using the Facebook Live streaming service to market its wares to punters.

According to a report by Zing.vn, a Facebook fan page named Co Bac Vip (VIP Gambling) recently streamed a 45-minute video of a girl in what appears to be an online gambling live dealer studio playing the popular Vietnamese xoc dia game, in which coin-shaped tokens are shaken in a bowl, which is then inverted, revealing the lucky (or not) result.

The video was played in a loop all day, attracting over 54k views and 2,100 comments. The page included links that took users to Cobacvip.com, an actual online gambling site where players could wager real money on xoc dia and other casino games or bet on sports.

Casino gambling is illegal in Vietnam, unless you’re a foreign tourist or a Vietnamese citizen holding an international passport. The government is toying with the idea of relaxing these restrictions, but they’ve been saying that for a while, and until that happy day arrives, local residents’ only options are underground gambling dens, casinos located across the border in Cambodia or internationally licensed online gambling sites.

Maryland comptroller proposes daily fantasy sports consumer protections

Daily fantasy sports are one step closer to becoming legal in Maryland after the state Comptroller proposed regulations to govern DFS activity.

On Thursday, Comptroller Peter Franchot (pictured) issued a set of proposed DFS guidelines based on his belief that the activity had “established a significant presence” in the state and it was appropriate to ensure that “the games are fair, anticompetitive abuses are declared out of bounds, and appropriate taxes are paid.”

The guidelines – which aren’t binding until the legislature concurs – largely resemble the consumer protections first established by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and which have been mimicked by other states that have taken steps to authorize DFS within their borders.

Franchot’s guidelines would limit play to those 18 years or older, prohibit games based on college sports, ban the use of “anticompetitive” third-party scripts and tag “highly experienced” players with a scarlet letter so noobs know to steer clear.

Maryland comptroller proposes daily fantasy sports consumer protections

Daily fantasy sports are one step closer to becoming legal in Maryland after the state Comptroller proposed regulations to govern DFS activity.

On Thursday, Comptroller Peter Franchot (pictured) issued a set of proposed DFS guidelines based on his belief that the activity had “established a significant presence” in the state and it was appropriate to ensure that “the games are fair, anticompetitive abuses are declared out of bounds, and appropriate taxes are paid.”

The guidelines – which aren’t binding until the legislature concurs – largely resemble the consumer protections first established by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and which have been mimicked by other states that have taken steps to authorize DFS within their borders.

Franchot’s guidelines would limit play to those 18 years or older, prohibit games based on college sports, ban the use of “anticompetitive” third-party scripts and tag “highly experienced” players with a scarlet letter so noobs know to steer clear.

WSOP ME Review: Lopez Leads Day 2C Field; Vornicu Leads Overall

Brazilian Gustavo Lopez ended Day 2 with the chip lead after 1,416 players scraped through the day. 2,176 players will begin Day 3, and Valentin Vornicu will be the overall chip leader after his superb Day 2A/B showing.

You realise it’s a marathon when you have played over 20-hours of poker, and there are still 2,176 players between you and $8m. It’s the tournament the pros will tell you is the easiest, and also the hardest. It’s a competition where you need your annual supply of luck hand delivered over a 10-day period. It’s the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

Yesterday, I recapped Valentin Vornicu’s impressive performance where he emerged as the chip leader of Day 2A/B. Today, we will cover the main talking points of Day 2C.

3,252 players survived from the 4,240 that created a WSOP Main Event single day attendance record a few days ago. The plan was the same as Day 2A/B, and that was to play five and a half levels, or 11-hours of poker.

Sky Racing World Reports Record-Breaking Results for Fiscal Year 2016

Distributor of Southern Hemisphere horse-racing content to North and South America reports year-on-year growth across all products

Louisville, KY. July 14th, 2016 – Sky Racing World, a Louisville, Kentucky-based distributor of international horse-racing content to the Americas and subsidiary of leading Australian wagering operator Tabcorp, has announced unprecedented results for its fiscal year 2016, ending June 30th, 2016. The exclusive supplier of Australasian racing content to the North American market has most notably expanded its offering over the last 12 months to include both South African and Argentinian races, in addition to its longstanding Australian and New Zealand coverage.

Sky Racing World saw particular success with its core product, Australian racing, and reported a $215 million turnover, which is a 13% increase on its 2015 fiscal year. Sky Racing World’s Australian offerings totaled over 7,800 meetings this year, which is consistent with last year. Notable events included the Sydney Racing Carnival, where the brand saw its strongest turnover day and generated $1.4 million on April 1st, 2016, the second day of The Championships.

The financial results can be partly attributed to the quality of this year’s Australian racing season and the wagering benefits associated with an average race field size of 11. North American players took advantage of the strong dividends paid out though their wagering platforms and enjoyed the sensational racing entertainment available.

Station Casinos unveil Reno expansion plans, new mobile sports betting app

Nevada-based Station Casinos is looking to build a new casino in Reno, more than a decade after its original Reno plans fell through.

On Thursday, Nevada media reported that Station – which now operates under the umbrella of Red Rock Resorts – had filed an application to build a casino and entertainment facility on an eight-acre parcel of land on S. Virginia Street across from Reno’s Convention Center.

Station doesn’t yet have a construction start date but the 84k-square-foot project is expected to cost between $50m to $70m to build. Station intends to use the unrestricted gaming license it acquired from the Reno Turf Club after that project was closed by the city in 2004.

The grandfathered license means Station won’t have to build hotel rooms on the property, but Station is planning to include a bistro-style café, bowling alley, cinema, a state of the art sportsbook and sports bar, as well as the standard gaming floor options.