Monthly Archives: September 2016

PAGCOR shoots down PhilWeb’s mobile lottery proposal

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chair Andrea Domingo has nipped gaming technology provider PhilWeb Corporation’s mobile lottery venture in the bud.

ABS-CBN News reported that the state regulator rejected the proposed lottery betting system of PhilWeb called PAGCOR Text Bonanza, in which chosen lottery numbers are texted by a bettor to the joing PhilWeb-PAGCOR servers via mobile messaging services of telecommunications companies in the country.

The PAGCOR Text Bonanza project proposal was submitted to the state regulator on August 24 as PhilWeb attempts to salvage the jobs of roughly 5,000 employees and to maintain the continued existence of the gaming technology provider.

But Domingo, in thumbing down the proposal, said in a statement: “I sympathize with the affected employees but there is nothing that I can think of that we can do for them. Although they can apply and qualify to fill up any of our job vacancies in our office.”

NOVOMATIC takes enhanced gaming entertainment to G2E in Las Vegas

As NOVOMATIC continues to gain traction in North America, the company retakes it multi-level booth at G2E 2016 with a host of new cabinets and game mixes ready to excite local players. The full V.I.P. suite will be previewed in the US for the first time, with a showcase that includes the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. II and V.I.P. III, the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. Royal and V.I.P. Lounge™. In addition, the EXECUTIVE SL™ will be returning to the show and the brand new GAMINATOR® Scorpion will make its US debut.

Following last year’s introduction of the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. II in the US, the new range of V.I.P. machines delivers multiple options to create unparalleled Very Important Player experiences on the casino floor. At G2E, NOVOMATIC Americas will shine a spotlight on the ‘V.I.P. Lounge’ immersive entertainment experience. The NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. III, which boasts two giant 50” screens, and the NOVOSTAR® V.I.P. Royal, with a giant curved 65” screen, will be rolled out to selected US jurisdictions soon after G2E.

The EXECUTIVE SL™ multiplayer terminal is built on the huge success of the NOVOSTAR® SL1 and heightens the electronic table gaming experience. This leading cabinet will be displayed with virtual ‘Flying’ versions of Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Sic Bo and Poker 3. The dealer-operated Novo TouchBet® Live-Roulette, together with automated Novo Multi-Roulette™ and Novo Flying Roulette™, as well as Baccarat and Blackjack games, will be connected on the terminals to demonstrate Simultaneous Betting™ functionality live at the show.

Highlighting the NOVOMATIC Americas G2E experience are cutting-edge games, developed specifically for the North American market which include the premiering Tales of Darkness™ series with four hypnotic themes – Full Moon™, Luna Eclipse™, Break of Dawn™ and Midnight Heat™. An expansive selection of new titles being released for the US will also feature at G2E and include Black Jaguar™, Dancing Dragon™, Orca™, Asian Fortunes™, Pure Jewels Extreme™ and JackPOP!

Calling The Clock: California Online Poker Bill Dies; PokerStars Launch Celebrity Duel; Phil Galfond to Launch RunItOnce Poker Room

In this week’s Calling the Clock we bring you news of the death of online poker in California in 2016; a new YouTube show by PokerStars called Duel, and a new online poker room from Phil Galfond.

Any hopes that Californians had of playing online poker on a fully regulated and licensed site by year end died on Wednesday. As predicted, the last minute changes that sought to bar PokerStars for five years, and the subsequent refusal to back the bill by the tainted red spade, meant Senator Adam Gray didn’t even bring the bill to a vote.

Unperturbed, PokerStars turned their attention, and their millions of dollars, to the rest of the world, releasing a new online video series on YouTube called Duel.

The show, featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Aaron Paul, John Boyega, Mireia Lalaguna Royo, and Sara Sampaio, shows poker as a fun sport enjoyed by some of the chicest, trendy, and most modern people in the world.

40,3 BTC win at mBit Casino

It has not been so long since we heard about the wonderful 25 BTC big win in Endorphina´s 4 Of a King slot at mBit Casino. Now it is time to celebrate again! Fortune stays strong with Endorphina games and it was Geisha slot that brought a dreamy win to a lucky player this time.

Geisha is a 5-reel, 25-line online video slot inspired by the famous Japanese artists. The game is obviously set in traditional Japan and you can expect blooming cherry trees, three beautiful geishas and their accessories spinning on the reels. This slot game is all about beauty, refinement and tranquility and it is no surprise that it´s very popular especially among women.

The big win happened during a Free games feature, Geisha slot offers this feature when 3 or more Scatters appear on the reels. This combination appeared in 116th spin and led to the wonderful 40,3 BTC win during 10 free spins.

The lucky player managed to score additional 9.15 BTC, 10.25 BTC and 15.95 BTC the very same day in Geisha slot, making it a 75.65 BTC in total winning.

College Football Dream Opening Saturday

You’d be hard pressed to turn back the pages, and subsequently recall a more intriguing docket of games on a college football opening Saturday. For starters, there are an unprecedented three contests that pit ranked teams against one another. Furthermore, there are three more non-conference encounters involving football programs with a rich history, and those include one ranked team in each game.

#22 North Carolina vs. #18 Georgia 5:30 PM ET

This contest will take place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Technically it will be considered a neutral site venue. Nonetheless, Georgia Bulldog fans travel well to begin with, and the short trip from Athens to Atlanta means they’ll be there in abundance.

Unfortunately for the loser, it will be an uphill climb if they consider themselves as legitimate contenders for a national title. It wouldn’t be a stretch to consider this an elimination game in that regard. Saturday will be the much anticipated debuts of new Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, and highly touted true freshmen quarterback Jacob Eason.

Live Dealer: Evolution does Romania; NetEnt goes mobile; Playtech adds 21+3

Evolution Gaming has teamed with UK-based game supplier iSoftBet to launch Romania’s first official live dealer studio.

On Thursday, Evolution announced that it was putting the final touches on the new studio, which will be based out of the Grand Casino Bucharest, one level below the main gaming floor.

The facility, which is set to go live later this month, will be the first certified live dealer studio to operate in Romania’s newly regulated online gambling market and iSoftBet says its Romanian clients will be offered a selection of Evolution’s core games streamed live to their desktop, smartphone or tablet.

NETENT LAUNCH LIVE MOBILE

PokerStars Confirm Retirement of the APPT; The APT Announce Macau Return

PokerStars has confirmed the retirement of Asia Pacific Poker Tour brand at the end of the year, and the Asian Poker Tour announces two new events including a return to Macau after a three-year absence.

It’s been a week since PokerStars officials announced the retirement of the European Poker Tour (EPT) brand and the creation of the PokerStars Championships and Festivals structure.

Within that timeframe organisers of the Aussie Millions announced their intentions to break away from the PokerStars sponsored Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and we reached out to Stars to get a definitive answer on the future of the APPT.

Officials confirmed that the APPT would go into retirement at the end of the APPT Manila Megastack 6, Nov 29 – Dec 4, 2016.

NagaCorp faces surprise back tax bill

Cambodian casino operator NagaCorp is facing an unexpected tax bill after local authorities announced a surprise audit.

On Tuesday, the Phnom Penh Post reported that the government had launched an audit of the NagaWorld casino after finding “discrepancies” in its tax filings. Specifically, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is looking at the property’s non-gaming revenue.

NagaCorp holds a monopoly on casino gambling within a 200-kilometer radius of the capital until the year 2035. The company also struck a sweetheart deal that sees it pay an effective tax rate of 2% on its gaming revenue, while paying a flat fee on non-gaming revenue that has grown from $30,500 in 2002 to $214k in 2015.

Last year, the government hit NagaCorp with a back-tax bill of $9.4m based on a reexamination of its non-gaming revenue. NagaCorp told investors that the payment was a “one-off” but the government reportedly plans to hit the company with a bill for an additional $10m payable on its 2016 non-gaming revenue and even more once the property’s Naga 2 addition opens in 2017.

Slingo.Com Launches its First Ever TV Sponsorship Campaign with E!

London, September: It was announced today that Slingo.com, the mobile gaming operator, has joined forces with E! Entertainment Television, NBCUniversal International Networks’ pop culture channel, to launch its first ever television sponsorship deal.

The campaign will run from September 2016 for twelve months on selected reality programming, including: Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Total Divas and Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, broadcast after 9pm. In addition to broadcast, there will also be digital presence.

The rebranded Slingo idents were created by Sassy Films and feature a fictitious reality show couple, Pommagne and Delorean, along with their long suffering PA L’Avigne and Snarl Lagerfeld the Chihuahua, who is the real star of the show.

To launch the sponsorship, Slingo is offering players a chance to attend a red carpet movie premiere in London.  During the course of the sponsorship, Slingo players will be have the opportunity to win more E!-inspired prizes including an all-expenses-paid trip to Hollywood to attend an A-list awards show in 2017.

Newzoo Predicts 2016 eSports Revenue Forecast Will Jump by 7% Growing to $493m by Year End

Data crunchers Newzoo has released a new report to paid subscribers revealing a belief that eSports revenue for 2016 will grow to $493m by year end, a 7% growth on the original forecast made at the turn of the year.

The men in white lab coats over at Newzoo have released some promising news for those paying a subscription fee for the up to date knowledge of all things eSports numbers.

It was a Newzoo subscription or my annual subscription to Stamp Magazine, and there was only ever going to be one winner. Fortunately, Newzoo has leaked enough information from the report to the poor, with the main talking point being an increased revenue forecast for the remainder of the year.

When Newzoo released their Global eSports Marketing report at the turn of the year, they predicted eSports revenue would reach $463m by year end. The latest forecast puts that figure at $493m, a 7% increase since January and a projected 51.7% increase year-on-year.

Online Casino Reports Enters Romania with ONJN Licence

Online Casino Reports is a leading news and reviews portal for the global online gambling industries, with specialised sites available for players living all over the world. And the latest to launch is Online Casino Reports Romania, with national residents able to access the new site from September 2016 onwards.

Balanced News and Reviews

Online Casino Reports is excited to be entering the Romanian iGaming market and carving out a place as the leading news portal and review site for players living in the country. Online Casino Reports has already convinced Romania’s Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN) of its commitment to delivering honest casino reviews and fair offers alongside detailed and balanced industry reports.

To adhere to national standards, Online Casino Reports Romania will only report on operators that have been approved by and are currently regulated by ONJN. This is to ensure Online Casino Reports’ Romanian readers are only made aware of online gambling sites that have been proven as safe, reliable, compliant, and legal.

Louie Spence is new face of Spin Genie

SpinGenie.com is pleased to announce a fabulous rebrand in which ‘Spin the dog’ will be replaced by none other than Louie Spence as the all-new Spin Genie himself. Yes – high-kicking and pirouetting his way to the brand, Louie Spence will bring all the fun and sass of showbiz, with a playful, tongue-in-cheek tone and plenty of attitude that will make the Spin Genie experience even more entertaining and memorable for players.

The arrival of Louie Spence to SpinGenie.com is bound to grab the attention of players all over the UK, as he promises to make the mundane magical! Expect saucy innuendos, cheeky banter and lots of laughs.

Patrick Southon, CEO of Gaming Realms, Spin Genie’s holding company said, ‘We are delighted to have Louie Spence on board. Spin Genie hosts games that are fast and fun, and Louie exudes these qualities perfectly. We are confident that Louie will add lots of entertainment and pizazz to the brand, and we hope that our players will enjoy the transformation.’

Louie Spence said, ‘I’m delighted to be the new Spin Genie – any excuse to dress up in flamboyant costumes and strut my stuffin front of the camera! The games are energetic and fabulous (just like me) so I couldn’t think of a better person to fill Spin Genie’s shoes – could you?!’

Kenya imposes new gambling taxes; mobile betting leads to surge in money transfers

Kenya has imposed new taxes on gambling operators after mounting concerns over the proliferation of gambling and the idea that the government was not getting its cut.

On Tuesday, Kenya’s parliament approved a new Finance Bill, which will require betting firms to pay 7.5% of net revenue, while gaming companies will pay 12% and lottery operators will pay 5% of turnover. The new tax regime could take effect as early as next week.

The tax changes were originally part of a new Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Bill, which had undergone second reading in Parliament last week. But the bill was scrapped and its tax provisions were transferred to the Finance Bill at the request of the the Treasury. New gambling legislation that will impose tighter regulations on the sector is reportedly under development.

Kenya has one of Africa’s more liberal gambling markets, having witnessed the launch of the first domestic online betting site way back in 2011. There are now over a dozen digital platforms catering to Kenyans’ gambling needs.

Tigre de Cristal VIP gambling surges after junket deals

VIP gambling activity has skyrocketed at Russia’s Tigre de Cristal casino following new deals with junket operators.

This week, Summit Ascent Holdings filed papers with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange laying out the performance of Tigre de Cristal, the only casino currently operating in the Primorye gaming zone on Russia’s eastern shore, just outside Vladivostok.

Summit Ascent says VIP gambling turnover has “dramatically increased” after striking fixed-room deals with two junket operators. The company had previously relied on casual junket relationships, based on its desire to “preserve the bargaining power” of the casino.

Tigre de Cristal officially opened its doors last November, and recorded HKD 258m ($33.2m) in VIP turnover that month. By June, VIP turnover had nearly tripled. But July’s unaudited figure shows VIP turnover hitting HKD 2b, rising again to HKD 2.2b in the first 30 days of August.