PokerStars has received formal approval to launch its new Portugal-licensed online poker and casino site.

On Monday, the gaming overseers at Portugal’s Serviços de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) formally announced that they had issued an online gaming license to REEL Europe Ltd, an offshoot of PokerStars’ parent company Amaya Gaming, paving the way for the launch of the new Pokerstars.pt website.

The SRIJ’s License 005 entitles PokerStars to offer tournament poker, Hold’em and Omaha cash games, as well as blackjack and French roulette. The new website will mark the first time Portuguese players will be able to legally gamble on PokerStars since the company exited the market in July 2015 following the country’s adoption of new gambling regulation.

For the moment, Pokerstars.pt is still displaying a ‘coming soon’ type splash screen. When the site does eventually launch, action will be limited, as the diminutive Portuguese poker market will remain ring-fenced until a deal is struck to share liquidity with regulated markets in other European Union member states like France, Italy and Spain.

PokerStars has received formal approval to launch its new Portugal-licensed online poker and casino site.

On Monday, the gaming overseers at Portugal’s Serviços de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) formally announced that they had issued an online gaming license to REEL Europe Ltd, an offshoot of PokerStars’ parent company Amaya Gaming, paving the way for the launch of the new Pokerstars.pt website.

The SRIJ’s License 005 entitles PokerStars to offer tournament poker, Hold’em and Omaha cash games, as well as blackjack and French roulette. The new website will mark the first time Portuguese players will be able to legally gamble on PokerStars since the company exited the market in July 2015 following the country’s adoption of new gambling regulation.

For the moment, Pokerstars.pt is still displaying a ‘coming soon’ type splash screen. When the site does eventually launch, action will be limited, as the diminutive Portuguese poker market will remain ring-fenced until a deal is struck to share liquidity with regulated markets in other European Union member states like France, Italy and Spain.

Antigua’s trade representative has given the United States until the end of the year to comply with its World Trade Organization responsibilities or face the consequences.

On November 23, Antigua made a formal presentation to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body regarding the now 12-year-old ruling that America’s trade policy vis à vis gambling and betting was in violation of its obligations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services. (Read the full presentation here.)

Specifically, the WTO found fault with America’s policy of permitting its domestic horseracing industry to offer interstate online betting while simultaneously blocking Antigua-licensed betting sites from offering similar services to US bettors.

The WTO ordered the US to pay $21m per year until it either scrapped its domestic online betting industry or allowed Antigua-licensed sites access to the US market. To date, the US has done neither of these options, nor has Antigua received one penny of this annual $21m, the total obligation of which has now accumulated to over $250m.

Antigua’s trade representative has given the United States until the end of the year to comply with its World Trade Organization responsibilities or face the consequences.

On November 23, Antigua made a formal presentation to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body regarding the now 12-year-old ruling that America’s trade policy vis à vis gambling and betting was in violation of its obligations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services. (Read the full presentation here.)

Specifically, the WTO found fault with America’s policy of permitting its domestic horseracing industry to offer interstate online betting while simultaneously blocking Antigua-licensed betting sites from offering similar services to US bettors.

The WTO ordered the US to pay $21m per year until it either scrapped its domestic online betting industry or allowed Antigua-licensed sites access to the US market. To date, the US has done neither of these options, nor has Antigua received one penny of this annual $21m, the total obligation of which has now accumulated to over $250m.

A Rhode Island town, divided by hotly contested casino vote, has started to mend its wounds.

Tiverton town in Rhode Island is pushing through with its casino plan after a town ballot, which aims to allow Lincoln, Rhode Island-based casino operator Twin River Management Group to transfer its license for the aging Newport Grand slots parlor to a new Tiverton casino, has been narrowly approved by voters on November 8.

The measure easily won statewide approval, but it passed by just 368 votes in Tiverton, which has a population of about 16,000.

Portland Press Herald reported that Tiverton officials face a daunting task to proceed with the plan without antagonizing those who opposed the measure.

Chinese authorities busted a “cross-border gambling ring” with illegal operations extending to Laos and Myanmar.

Reuters reported the syndicate were allegedly responsible for smuggling 400 Chinese national out of the mainland and into Laos and Myanmar, which is in violation of the Chinese law.

The smuggled Chinese nationals were either brought to the said Southeast Asian countries either to work there or to gamble in casinos. The gamblers were believed to have wagered more than RMB500 billion (US$72.56 billion), according to the report.

In Jincheng city in Shanxi province, authorities reportedly rounded up at least 94 people.

Amid dwindling funds for sports training, Australia’s Olympic chief John Coates has joined calls for the government to set up a A$50 million ($37.35 million) online lottery.

Reuters reported that Coates was “100 percent supportive of the lottery proposal” made by Mark Arbib, a former sports minister recently appointed Athletics Australia chief, and Swimming Australia boss John Bertrand, since it will help keep Australia’s sports program competitive in the face of rising spending by their rivals.

It cited the case of the UK – a traditional close rival of Australia at the Summer games – as a reason why the country should rely on lottery to fund its sports program.

During the Rio 2016 Olympics, UK improved its medal standing to second place, thanks to a huge increase in funding for elite sports courtesy of the country’s national lottery.

After the Stockholm-listed gambling operator, Unibet, announced plans to host a Ladies Battle Royale at Unibet Open Bucharest, Lee Davy, expresses his view on why the event is a great concept.

Before poker there was pool. Every Thursday night I would get hammered. I could hardly see the balls. Skit – the captain – kept a log of individual results. Next to my name, in big red letters, were the words:

LOST TO A GIRL

The defeat occurred when I played against the Top Club at home, so when we played away, the lads were winding me up, asking if I was going to be beaten by ‘the girl’ again.