Monthly Archives: September 2016

Philippines arrests 154 Chinese nationals running illegal online gambling site

Philippines immigration authorities have rousted a Chinese-run illegal online gambling and ‘cyber crime’ operation in the Clark Freeport Zone.

On Friday, Interaksyon reported that Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents had raided rented units on two floors in a building in Clark Field after receiving tips that illegal gambling was taking place. The BI agents acted after subjecting the property to “weeks of intense surveillance.”

The raid resulted in the detention of 154 Chinese nationals, including eight who’d yet to achieve the age of majority. The suspects entered the Philippines on tourist visas, many of which had expired by the time of the raids.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the suspects were being held at a Philippine Immigration Academy facility pending summary deportation proceedings for violating the terms of their visas.

Lawmaker seeks to clarify status of fantasy sports in Texas

Texas may soon join the growing number of daily fantasy sports-friendly states, if one state lawmaker has his way.

Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, D-Laredo, made a pledge on Thursday—hours before the kickoff of the season’s first NFL football game—to file a bill that will clarify the status of fantasy sports leagues in Texas.

In January, state attorney general Ken Paxton chased operators DraftKings and FanDuel out of Texas, saying daily fantasy sports is considered “prohibited gambling” in the state due to its prohibition of betting on events determined either “solely or partially by chance.”

Texans have already sent letters to the attorney general arguing the legality of fantasy sports games. Raymond, who is also a fan of fantasy football, told state reporters that fantasy sports leagues are in no way similar to the Roulette Wheel.

Apple integrates bitcoin payments in iOS 10 update

Tech giant Apple is warming up to digital currency.

During its recently held September keynote, the Cupertino-based hardware major announced that it is opening up its iMessage SDK to developers. Essentially, Apple is allowing blockchain based payments applications to be integrated with iMessage in the upcoming iOS 10 update.

One of the first third party apps to be included in Apple’s new iPhone 7 is Circle, a peer-to-peer payments technology that uses not only fiat currencies but also bitcoin as its payments rail. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said adding payments to iMessage reduces “the friction” for consumers.

Allaire was quoted by the South China Morning Post, saying, “There’s a hurdle to have to install a smartphone app so that I can pay my buddy and all the inputting and set up. To do it all within the iMessages app is a lot easier.”

PAGCOR orders closure of 53 LRWC eGaming parlors

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has ordered the closure of 53 electronic gaming and electronic bingo sites of gaming company Leisure & Resorts World Corp. (LWRC). The gaming firm currently operates 137 bingo outlets across the Philippines.

LRWC informed the Philippine Stock Exchange in a disclosure on Friday that its wholly-owned subsidiaries AB Leisure Exponent Inc. (ABLE) and Total Gamezone Xtreme Inc. (TGXI) received separate notices from PAGCOR to cease and desist their respective operations for not complying with the distance restriction guidelines defined in Section 2 of Regulation 3 of the Gaming Site Regulatory Manual.

Under Section 2, gaming sites must be 200 meters away from schools and churches.

With the closure of its 53 e-gaming cafes, LRWC said that revenues and net income foregone up to the end of 2016 for the affected sites are estimated to be P477 million (US$ 10.1 million) and P56.2 million (US$ 1.19 million), respectively, based on historical first seven months of 2016.

Jason Mercier Hoping to Win $102k SHR WCOOP Live on Twitch

The reigning World Series of Poker Player of the Year and 2015 Spring Championships of Online Poker Player of the Year, Jason Mercier, is planning to stream his action in the $102,000 World Championships of Online Poker Super High Roller on Twitch.

In a recent interview with PokerNews, Daniel Negreanu said the organisers of the 15th Annual World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) had gone a little nuts after declaring that entrants in the $102,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em 8-Max Super High Roller could re-enter.

It’s not just the organisers who have gone a little crazy.

Jason Mercier, who was once famously dubbed a ‘bad reg’ by Doug Polk, is the reigning World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year (POY) and 2015 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) POY, proving he knows a thing or two about winning poker tournaments.

UFC 203: Fan favorite Miocic, former WWE superstar Punk go for the jugular

September has just started and sports fans all over the world are already in a roller coaster sports ride with the opening of the National Football League and the FIFA qualifiers.

Capping the busy sports week is no other than the heart-pumping, testosterone induced Ultimate Fighting Championship where heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic will put his belt on the line for the first time since he defeated Fabricio Werdum. He will be facing Alistair Overeem at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.

Sportsbook Bodog said that Miocic is the clear pick of UFC fans to win the main event with -150 odds or 2/3 odds of retaining his belt. Overeem, meanwhile, have +120 or 6/5 odds of defeating Miocic.

UFC say it is 66/1 chance that the match between Overeem, which has won four consecutive fights, and Miocic will end in a draw. They think Miocic will win against Overeem from the inside distance (5/6).

10 Questions – George Oborne

In the second edition of 10 Questions, we delve into the mind of this British young lad who is trailblazing the way to the Indian gaming market for businesses and investors outside this vast South Asian country.

George Oborne is the Managing Director of India Bet, a content site which has transitioned into a free-to-play, social betting site catering to a massive user base in India. Only at 27, this tall and smiley gentleman with his boy-next-door looks can destroy your reservations about exploring India’s market potential with his candor and eloquence about the opportunities in one of the world’s largest population with access to the internet. This is remarkable for someone who was born and raised in the United Kingdom. And for that, we can all agree that George has become the industry’s non-Indian go-to-guy for anything about India.

1.

You are known in our industry as the go-to-guy for India. What sparked your interest in the country?

Calling the Clock: Vayo & Hallaert Warming Up For Nov Nine; WCOOP News; Cali Big Four Launch SoCal Championships

Gordon Vayo and Kenny Hallaert prepare for the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table with big scores; two famous names win PokerStars World Championships of Online Poker titles, and four of California’s largest card rooms prepare for the Southern California Poker Championships.

Two members of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine warmed up for the final table with big wins both live and online this week.

Gordon Vayo added $587,120 to his bank account after topping a field of 1,054 entrants in the $2,500 buy-in Winstar River Poker Series. It was a final table laden with stars with Layne Flack (4th), Grant Hinkle (5th), Chino Rheem (7th), Jeff Duval (8th), and Danny Fuhs (9th) all coming within a whisker of winning. Vayo is now the second favourite to win the WSOP Main Event just behind Cliff Josephy.

The 5/1 shot Kenny Hallaert also prepared well this week taking down the partypoker Online Grand Prix for $63,891. The Belgian, who last week managed the Unibet Open in Copenhagen in his capacity as Tournament Director, defeated a field of 4,531 entrants to take the online crown.

3-Barrels: Negreanu Hearthstone Legend; Eisenhower1 WCOOP Win; Ronal7do Wins Full Tilt Deal Jackpot

3-Barrels of an Amaya Gaming flavour as Daniel Negreanu reaches Legend status on Hearthstone; Christian ‘eisenhower1’ Jeppsson wins his second career PokerStars World Championships of Online Poker title, and Ronal7do wins the highest Full Tilt Deal jackpot since its conception.

Daniel Negreanu has a trophy cabinet bigger than most, and he has another accolade to cram into it after reaching Legend status on Hearthstone last week.

I don’t know much about the game, but I can read, and I have learned that making Legend status is as tough as my wife’s high heel. But what else do you expect from a man who has won six World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, two WSOP Player of the Year (POY) titles, two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles, and has won more money playing live tournaments than anyone alive or dead?

I AM LEGEND!!! 8-1 run with Midrange Shaman to finish off back to back Rogues. SO SICK!!! pic.twitter.com/G6BJBphOsb

Parisian Macao poaches 310 gaming tables from other Sands properties

Las Vegas Sands’ new Parisian Macao casino will open next week with 410 gaming tables, despite having only received 100 new-to-market tables from Macau regulators.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sands China president Wilfred Wong revealed that the company will transfer 310 underutilized tables from Sands’ other Macau properties to ensure a full complement of gambling options when the property opens on September 13.

Sands China was one of the first operators to plant their flag in Macau after SJM Holdings’ monopoly came to a close, so it has four other properties from which it can poach tables. Morningstar Investment Management Asia analysts suggested that Sands has a supply of nearly 600 underutilized tables on which it can draw.

The Parisian was formally granted 150 new tables this week but 25 of those won’t become available until Jan. 1, 2017, with the final 25 arriving the following year. Wynn Resorts’ Wynn Palace, which opened last month, was awarded the same table total in a similarly staggered release. The Parisian was also authorized to feature up to 1,600 new slot machines.

3-Barrels: SoCal Poker Championships; New Addition to Molly’s Game Cast; Delaware iGaming Record Best July Ever

3-barrels of an American flavour with the news that four of California’s largest casinos are set to unite for an annual Southern California Poker Championships; Scott Pilgrim star in talks to join Molly’s Game cast; and Delaware records best July iGaming results ever.

California’s Hawaiian Gardens Casino, Bicycle Hotel & Casino, Hustler Casino and the Commerce Hotel & Casino are all giants of live poker action in their own right, but what would happen if they pooled resources?

We are about to find out.

Thanks to the inquisitive mind of The Bike’s Casino Poker Manager, Eveliene Dullaart, all four poker rooms will combine to create the annual live tournament poker extravaganza: The Southern California Poker Championships.

Millennial eSports to Build a New eSports Arena in Las Vegas, But All Bets Are Off For The Time Being

Millennial eSports are set to build a new eSports in the Downtown area of Las Vegas but have told the press that there are no plans to incorporate betting on matches at this point.

If eSports is to stamp its rather large foot into the desert of Las Vegas, then it will land Downtown and not The Strip if the early prognosis is anything to go by.

News reports emanating from the Las Vegas Review-Journal (LVRJ) and Esports Betting Report have confirmed that plans are afoot to build a dual purpose eSports arena on Fremont Street that will be up and running by mid-November.

The 400-500 person seater arena, coupled with a purpose built studio, will be constructed on the third floor of the Neonopolis building in Downtown Las Vegas. The building formerly served as a cinema and nightclub, and the arena will take up 15,000 of the available 240,000 square feet.

Vietnam’s Ho Tram Strip resort wins preliminary okay for dedicated airport

Vietnamese authorities have reportedly approved plans for a dedicated airport adjacent to The Grand Ho Tram Strip casino, the country’s only large-scale integrated resort.

On Thursday, Vietnamnet Bridge reported that the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Committee had given preliminary approval to the Ho Tram Project Company Ltd’s proposal to build a specialized airport near the Loc An commune in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

The Ho Tram Project Company, which operates the titular resort, says the project is necessary to encourage more tourists to visit the casino. Presently, the closest airport is in Ho Chi Minh City, which is two hours away by car.

The plan still requires the thumbs-up from both the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Transport in order to proceed. The Company claims the airport project, which will span a 200-hectare area, will break even within 50 years of its opening.