Monthly Archives: October 2016

World Cup Round-Up: Germany, Belgium, Greece & Switzerland Have 100% Records Intact

The European qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia have come to a temporary halt with Germany, Belgium, Greece and Switzerland winning all three of their opening group matches.

France remains joint second favourites to life the World Cup after beating their main Group A rivals Holland in the Amsterdam Arena by a goal to nil.

A long distance strike from the world’s most expensive player, Paul Pogba, settled one of the plum ties of the week in the 30th minute. Holland, who were without Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder through injury, also lost Quincy Promes after 16-minutes. Promes scored twice in Holland’s 4-1 win over Belarus on Friday. Liverpool star Georginio Wijnaldum also limped off with a hamstring injury and could miss his side’s tie with Manchester United on Monday.

In the other Group A ties, Sweden maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign with a 3-0 win over Bulgaria. Belarus and Luxembourg drew 1-1. France is -275 to win the group. The Netherlands is +250 and Sweden is +800.

Global Bet and Editec in African Virtual Sports partnership

Virtual Sports specialist Global Bet continues to expand its operations within Africa through a new deal with Editec, the biggest lottery & gaming operator on the African continent.

Editec will launch Global Bet´s Virtual Sports and number games which will be available to players on retail and also mobile channels.

“I’m delighted to announce that Global Bet´s premium Virtual Sports will be available to Editec players, and I’m confident that players will be impressed by the variety and quality of the product offerings available.” said Daniel Grabher, CEO of Global Bet.

“Editec is a prestigious customer to partner with and I’m thrilled that they have chosen Global Bet’s Virtual Sports for their African operations. This is another step in ensuring we continue to operate as the biggest supplier for Virtual Sports in Africa”

Illinois cops seize $50k lottery winnings as proceeds of crime

An Illinois Lottery jackpot winner is out $50k after a court ruled that police were correct in claiming the ticket was purchased with the proceeds of crime.

Last week, the Fourth District Appeals Court ruled that Illinois police were right to seize the payout from the $3 scratch ticket following their November 2014 raid on the apartment of Terrance Norwood, who was sentenced one year ago to 16 years in stripes for drug trafficking, drug possession and weapons offenses.

At the time of the raid, Norwood told police that he was getting out of the drug trade because he’d just won $50k via a scratch ticket. Paperwork to claim the winnings had already been filed with the Illinois Lottery.

Norwood’s longtime live-in girlfriend, Tykisha Lofton, was present at the time of the raid, yet denied knowing her boyfriend was dealing cocaine and marijuana. She also claimed not to have noticed the SKS-style assault rifle Norwood kept in their bedroom.

Macau’s Golden Week visitors improve but are they gambling?

Macau saw a surge of visitors during the annual Golden Week holiday period, although the average visitor may not have been gambling as much as they used to.

Figures released Monday by the Macao Government Tourist Office show 1.15m tourists descending on Macau during the Oct. 1-7 period, an 8% increase over last year’s holiday.

Mainland Chinese accounted for 970k (84%) of the total visitors, up 6.9% from last year. Taiwan and Hong Kong residents posted even stronger year-on-year gains, rising 15.7% and 12.5%, respectively. All told, what the official media refers to as ‘Greater China’ accounted for 95.5% of Macau’s holiday traffic.

Macau’s 37,627 hotel and rentable apartment rooms enjoyed a 92.3% occupancy rate, 5.1 points higher than Golden Week 2015, helped in part by reductions in three-star and two-star room rates.

Republic of Georgia seeks operator to run lottery, extend reach to online, mobile

The Republic of Georgia is looking for someone to manage its national lottery and extend the lottery’s reach into the online and mobile spheres.

This week, Georgia’s Ministry of Finance announced it was accepting proposals from companies interested in a 10-year exclusive license to organize and conduct lottery operations in Georgia. Interested bidders must submit their proposals (along with a US $5m bank guarantee) by Dec. 12, 2016.

The tender documentation states that the winning bidder will be determined by its “understanding of the Georgian lottery market.” The winner must also have a history of operating a commercial lottery, with proof that these operations generated sales of not less than GEL 350m (US $149m) over the past five years.

Another criteria for determining the winning bidder will be “who will offer the highest payment” to the state budget. The government expects the operator to make quarterly payments equal to 8% of total lottery sales, with a minimum payment of $5m.

Fears that Trump Taj Mahal casino could reopen following ‘union-busting’

The Trump Taj Mahal has only been closed for 24 hours but speculation is already mounting that the Atlantic City casino could rise from the dead in a few months’ time.

The Taj Mahal officially shut its doors at 6am on Monday, after owner Carl Icahn failed to reach agreement on a new labor deal with the property’s striking unionized workers. Now rumors are circulating that the Taj could reopen in a few months with a workforce consisting entirely of non-union employees.

On Tuesday, the Press of Atlantic City quoted New Jersey state Sen. Stephen Sweeney suggesting that Icahn could be implementing a “union busting” plan that would involve reopening the Taj under a new name with a more pliant workforce.

Icahn hasn’t publicly indicated any intention to reopen the Taj under any circumstances, having stated that he saw “no path to profitability” for the property. But state gaming regulators confirmed that the property’s gaming license remains valid until it is surrendered to the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), something Icahn has yet to do.

New South Wales reverses course on greyhound racing ban

The Australian state of New South Wales has decided it won’t ban greyhound racing after all, a decision that has industry stakeholders cheering and animal rights advocates fuming.

In July, NSW premier Mike Baird (pictured) announced that greyhound racing would be banned in the state as of July 1, 2017. Baird based his decision on the findings of a Special Commission of Inquiry that was formed after investigative TV program Four Corners aired graphic evidence of animal cruelty at dog tracks.

But on Tuesday, Baird undid his shutdown order, telling reporters that hindsight had convinced him that “I got it wrong. Cabinet got it wrong. The government got it wrong.” Baird said his original order had been based on “a course that we believed was right” but a furious lobbying campaign by racing stakeholders had now convinced him otherwise.

Baird apologized to stakeholders for the fact that his administration “did not give the good people in the industry a chance to respond, a chance to reform.” Baird said it was only fair that racing “be given that one last chance” to prove it could operate without the “barbaric practices” of live-baiting exposed via the 2015 Four Corners episode.

News Corp Australia bets on Punters.com.au

Media giant News Corp Australia has placed a bet on racing affiliate website Punters.com.au in order to tap into the country’s AU$6 billion (US$4.53 billion) racing industry.

Herald Sun reported that News Corp has acquired the digital-media focused racing publisher for an undisclosed sum. According to News Corp. Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller, the purchase of Punters.com.au will enable them to reach out to a new generation of racegoers and punters.

“Punters.com.au is already the country’s leading digital form guide with a rich content offering and hosting an active social community. This partnership with Punters.com.au will allow us to take its tools, tips and news to a wider audience,” Miller said, according to the news website.

Dubbed as “the digital Racing Post of Australia, Punters.com.au has monthly average of more than 375,000 visitors and is expected to generate revenues of £3.4m in 2016 with a profit margin of almost 55%. The site also boasts several feathers in its cap, including the Affiliate of the Year at the EGR Australia Awards.