UK-listed online gambling operator GVC Holdings says it plans to resume raining dividends on shareholders following a solid H1 performance.

In the six months ending June 30, GVC says pro forma numbers – which treat GVC’s mid-2015 acquisition of Bwin.party as if it was already under the GVC tent in H1 2015 – saw revenue rise 8% to €432m and earnings improve 42% to €104.4m. Adjusted profit before tax more than doubled to €51.3m.

Turnover at GVC’s sports betting brands (Bwin, Sportingbet) gained 4% to €2.33b while keeping marketing spending to 21% of net revenue. Mobile numbers were particularly strong, with sports turnover up 55% while casino and games nearly doubled. Sports revenue was up 10% to €163.4m while gaming was up 20% to €157.2m

The Bwin.party sports labels benefited from a higher margin – 10% vs. 7.7% in H1 2015 – but GVC claims the figures also benefited from improved trading and risk management, including “the deliberate strategy to exit some unprofitable turnover.” GVC says it also convinced more Bwin bettors to try their luck in the site’s gaming verticals, resulting in a 27% rise in Bwin casino revenue.

Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) continues to languish despite the opening of the Sands China Ltd.’s new Cotai casino resort, the Parisian Macau and the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, according to the latest note released by brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd.

“Weaker than expected” was how Bernstein analysts Vitaly Umansky and Yang Xie described Macau’s GGR, posting an average daily rate of MOP571 million (US$71.5 million).

“The weaker than expected GGR during the week ended September 18th is in light of the opening of The Parisian and the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. However, the week’s results are still over 15 percent above the similar week last year,” the analysts said.

Assuming an average daily rate of MOP540 million (US$67.59 million) to MOP590 million (US$73.85 million) for the remainder of the month, Bernstein has forecasted that the former Portuguese enclave’s GGR would be “in the range” of MOP18 billion (US$2.25 billion), which would represent a year-on-year increase of 4 percent to 7 percent.

US stocks look set for another leg up starting tomorrow when the Fed will almost definitely balk yet again at raising interest rates. If it doesn’t and by some miracle raises interest rates by a measly quarter of a point, stocks will tank and it will present a great buying opportunity. Unfortunately for the US gaming sector, it’s slim pickings right now even with stocks likely about to move higher.

The big names like Penn National Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment have already spun off their real estate holdings into respective REITs in order to unburden themselves of considerable debt, but it hasn’t done much to help their respective situations. It’s like when Jerry Seinfeld made his national debut in 1981 on Johnny Carson with his routine on the 1,400lb man. Let’ say he loses 200lbs. “If you’re a friend of his, what are you gonna say to him? ‘You know you look great Bob! What are you down to, 1,200 now? You’re a rail baby, look at you!’ And what can he possibly say in response? ‘You know, I feel terrific!’?”

If we look at Penn, interest expense is already at $115 million quarterly and leverage is still at 470% despite the 2013 REIT spinoff. Even a small uptick in interest rates will crush any growth they currently have. Core inflation in the US is already passed the Fed’s official target of 2%, and has been above target since December 2015!

Does anybody talk about this? Not really. And why is the target 2%? Because that rate of inflation is not very noticeable. People don’t kick up protests over it. But when it is 3%, which could be any month now, the Fed will start have to start chasing with interest rate hikes, but they won’t help. In order to tackle inflation with interest rate hikes, the hikes have to step in front of the inflation rate, which would push the Fed Funds rate to 4%, for a move 350 basis points. Let’s see how Penn and Pinnacle deal with something like that.

US stocks look set for another leg up starting tomorrow when the Fed will almost definitely balk yet again at raising interest rates. If it doesn’t and by some miracle raises interest rates by a measly quarter of a point, stocks will tank and it will present a great buying opportunity. Unfortunately for the US gaming sector, it’s slim pickings right now even with stocks likely about to move higher.

The big names like Penn National Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment have already spun off their real estate holdings into respective REITs in order to unburden themselves of considerable debt, but it hasn’t done much to help their respective situations. It’s like when Jerry Seinfeld made his national debut in 1981 on Johnny Carson with his routine on the 1,400lb man. Let’ say he loses 200lbs. “If you’re a friend of his, what are you gonna say to him? ‘You know you look great Bob! What are you down to, 1,200 now? You’re a rail baby, look at you!’ And what can he possibly say in response? ‘You know, I feel terrific!’?”

If we look at Penn, interest expense is already at $115 million quarterly and leverage is still at 470% despite the 2013 REIT spinoff. Even a small uptick in interest rates will crush any growth they currently have. Core inflation in the US is already passed the Fed’s official target of 2%, and has been above target since December 2015!

Does anybody talk about this? Not really. And why is the target 2%? Because that rate of inflation is not very noticeable. People don’t kick up protests over it. But when it is 3%, which could be any month now, the Fed will start have to start chasing with interest rate hikes, but they won’t help. In order to tackle inflation with interest rate hikes, the hikes have to step in front of the inflation rate, which would push the Fed Funds rate to 4%, for a move 350 basis points. Let’s see how Penn and Pinnacle deal with something like that.

Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. is withdrawing its tender for the lone casino license in Cyprus.

Last week, reports surfaced that the three-way race to snag the gambling license has narrowed down to just one applicant after two of the bidders—Cambodia’s NagaCorp and the Philippines’ Bloomberry Resorts—reportedly failed to secure the necessary land deals.

Now, the Philippine Stock Exchange-listed casino operator confirmed that it has dropped out of the bidding process. Bloomberry director of investor relations Leo Venezuela told GGRAsia in an email that they “are no longer pursuing our bid to acquire a gaming license in Cyprus.”

Venezuela did not mention the reasons behind Bloomberry’s decision to pull out of the bidding, according to the news outlet.