Monthly Archives: March 2017

Amaya bankers demand poison pill to fend off future Baazov acquisition attempts

Canadian online gambling operator Amaya Gaming has taken steps to ensure that former CEO David Baazov makes no further attempts to buy the company and take it private.

On Friday, Amaya announced that it reached a deal to reprice and retrench its US dollar and Euro-denominated first lien term loans and amended the applicable credit agreement. Amaya, the parent company of online poker giant PokerStars, said it expects the refinancing will save it around US $15.4m in annual interest expense.

Among other things, the amended credit agreement waives the company’s required 2016 and 2017 excess cash flow repayments. This will free up around $48m that Amaya plans to use to pay down its remaining deferred payments to Isai and Mark Scheinberg, from whom Amaya purchased PokerStars in June 2014.

Interestingly, Amaya revealed that the amended credit agreement also “modifies the change of control provision to remove the ability of a certain current shareholder to directly or indirectly acquire control of Amaya without triggering an event of default and potential acceleration of the repayment of the debt under the credit agreement for the first lien term loans.” Amaya said the change was made “at the request of certain lenders.”

Amaya bankers demand poison pill to fend off future Baazov acquisition attempts

Canadian online gambling operator Amaya Gaming has taken steps to ensure that former CEO David Baazov makes no further attempts to buy the company and take it private.

On Friday, Amaya announced that it reached a deal to reprice and retrench its US dollar and Euro-denominated first lien term loans and amended the applicable credit agreement. Amaya, the parent company of online poker giant PokerStars, said it expects the refinancing will save it around US $15.4m in annual interest expense.

Among other things, the amended credit agreement waives the company’s required 2016 and 2017 excess cash flow repayments. This will free up around $48m that Amaya plans to use to pay down its remaining deferred payments to Isai and Mark Scheinberg, from whom Amaya purchased PokerStars in June 2014.

Interestingly, Amaya revealed that the amended credit agreement also “modifies the change of control provision to remove the ability of a certain current shareholder to directly or indirectly acquire control of Amaya without triggering an event of default and potential acceleration of the repayment of the debt under the credit agreement for the first lien term loans.” Amaya said the change was made “at the request of certain lenders.”

Betsson buys Premier Casino to boost Spanish market presence

Nordic online gambling operator Betsson has made a regulated Spanish market play via the acquisition of locally licensed online casino operator Premier Casino.

On Friday, Betsson announced that it had reached a deal to acquire Premier Casino for the low, low price of €3m in cash. Betsson says the acquisition is expected to close by the end of the month and is not expected to have a material impact on the company’s short-term results.

Betsson CEO Ulrik Bengsston said the acquisition was in line with the company’s long-term strategy of boosting its share of revenue from regulated online gambling markets. Bengsston noted that Spain’s online casino market has been experiencing rapid growth following the mid-2015 introduction of online slots, coming close to usurping sports betting as the market’s top vertical in terms of betting volume.

Premier Casino, which boasts 260k registered customers, is a pure-play casino operator but it also holds Spanish licenses allowing it to add sports betting and other gaming products. Betsson plans to use these licenses to launch additional brands in Spain in keeping with its multi-brand strategy, and Bengsston said Betsson’s experience in the UK and Italy makes Bengsston confident that “we will build leading brands also in Spain.”

Bitcoin surpasses gold value for the first time

A unit of bitcoin is now worth more than an ounce of gold.

The popular digital currency hit a new all-time high during Thursday’s trading, when it closed at $1,268 level. In comparison, an ounce of gold traded at $1,233.

Bitcoin has had a wild start to the new year, rallying more than 120 percent to reach $1,140.64 in early January—its highest since November 2013. The dramatic rally, however, came to an abrupt end when the digital currency’s price plummeted to $885.41 following reports that the Chinese government is eyeing to introduce cryptocurrency regulations.

The digital currency’s price has been rising steadily since then. Currently, bitcoin has been enjoying its longest stretch above the $1,000 level, which analysts believe is a clear indication that the cryptocurrency is stabilizing at a new price point.

Idaho Senate junks lottery-winner secrecy bill

Big lottery winners in Idaho may have to lay low and stay put in their hiding spot for the time being.

This as the Idaho Senate has rejected a measure seeking to protect lottery winners by keeping their identities secret.

KM-TV ABC6 reported that eight of the nine members of the Senate panel voted to throw out the measure of Republican Rep. Lynn Luker, of Boise, which aims to exempt lottery winners’ information from public records.

An Idaho Senate panel has killed legislation that would have allowed lottery winners to hide their identities.

The Industry Eye – Season 2 Episode 6

This week: The Kindred Group do some smart business, BetStars less so. Foxy Bingo live up to their name, the tax man takes a scoop & the Oscars meltdown is ignored by bookmakers.

Loading the player…

jwplayer(‘camediasplayer-324194’).setup({

file: “http://30.cdn.bit2host.eu/videos/industry-eye-season-2-episode-6-video.m4v”,

Tech firm buy prompts executive reshuffle at Iao Kun

A reshuffle of executives at Iao Kun Group Holding Co Ltd. (IKGH) is under way as the Macau casino junket investor completes the acquisition of a Chinese technology company.

Lam Man Pou stepped down from his position as chairman and director of IKGH’s board of directors on Wednesday, but will remain and chief marketing officer of IKGH, effective immediately. Vong Hon Kun also resigned from his CEO and board director position, but will stay on with the company as its chief operating officer.

The changes to the management and the company board came following IKGH’s announcement that it has finalized the acquisition of 51 percent of software technology development company Jia-Heng Industrial Ltd, which is the holding company of Guangzhou LiNiu Network Technology Co. Ltd.

LiNiu Network is a software technology development company that is currently developing an electronic business-to-consumer trading platform focused on the Chinese agricultural industry, according to IKGH.

Daily fantasy sports bill falters in Kentucky congress

Proponents for the legalization of daily fantasy sports (DFS) in the state of Kentucky have failed to muster enough support that will push for the enactment of a fantasy sports bill.

The death of House Bill 414 sponsored by Rep. Adam Koenig comes just a day after the victory of Daily Fantasy Sports in the state of Mississippi. It would be recalled that the Senate has already forwarded the fantasy sports bill to Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant for his signature.

According to Legal Sports Report, the death of H414 in the state congress was caused by a technicality.

House rules provide that a bill must be approved by two-fifths of the 100 members in House. Unfortunately, H414 was only able to muster 37 votes even though it garnered majority of the vote.

Roy Richie launches affiliate programme with Paysafe’s Income Access

Maltese online sportsbook and casino expands business relationship with Paysafe through new Income Access-powered affiliate programme

Montreal, QC. March 2017 – Roy Richie, the Malta-based online sportsbook and casino operated by BTM Entertainment Group, has launched an affiliate programme with Paysafe Group’s affiliate software provider Income Access. The new affiliate programme of Roy Richie, which already offers Paysafe’s NETELLER and Skrill digital wallets, will be managed using Income Access’ platform.

Roy Richie received a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority in December 2016 and offers players a comprehensive online sportsbook featuring a broad range of sports markets, including football, tennis and basketball as well as niche markets such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and e-Sports. The brand also includes SBTech-powered live sports-betting functionality for a range of sports and a last-minute bets section, which features events due to begin in the near future.

To complement its sports-betting offering, Roy Richie boasts a dynamic online casino. A full suite of casino games includes a wide selection of NetEnt online slots such as Guns N’ Roses and Starburst, table games such as blackjack and roulette as well as a live casino powered by video-streamed live-dealer specialist Evolution Gaming.

Aristocrat’s innovative RELM™ Cabinet Makes Striking Debut

RELM Brings Exciting New Choice to Operators Across North America

LAS VEGAS (March 2017) – The combined strengths of Aristocrat and VGT have ushered in a new era of what’s possible in stepper excitement with Aristocrat’s new RELM™ cabinet.

Built from the ground up specifically for traditional stepper players, the RELM™ cabinet perfectly blends VGT’s exceptional stepper technology with Aristocrat’s renowned content expertise to create a new player experience.

“With the new RELM™ cabinet, we have combined the stepper mechanics experience of VGT with the content know-how and design experience of Aristocrat to create a new cabinet and game portfolio. We are excited to introduce this stylish, new breakthrough development to our customers and to the industry,” said Aristocrat’s Senior Vice President of Global Products and Insights, Matthew Primmer.

PokerVision’s multi-platform network to co-produce reality content with Twitch poker celebrities

Poker Pros to stream Reality content live from a yacht in the Caribbean on Twitch and PVN

Calgary, Alberta – (March 3, 2017) – PokerVision Network (PVN), a wholly owned subsidiary of ePlay Digital Inc. (CSE:EPY) announced today that it will co-produce reality TV style content from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  PVN will provide behind the scenes footage of “Streamboat”, a week long marathon of poker featuring Twitch streamers and poker pros Bill Perkins, Jeff Gross, Jaime Staples and Matt Staples.  They will also be raising money for their individual charities while streaming live online poker from the Caribbean as well as hosting online qualifiers from Poker Stars who have won the chance to participate.

“We are creating an amazing poker life experience and we want showcase the fun we have on and off the tables,” stated poker player and philanthropist Bill Perkins.  “And we want to take you with us!  Win your way on to the yacht through PokerStars and you will party like the pros or party like me!”

“The eyes of the poker world will be on Bill Perkins’ luxury yacht in the Caribbean as four intrepid souls stream online poker while cruising the beautiful blue water in the US Virgin Islands,” commented PokerVision’s Director of Poker Programming Adam Schwartz.  “Three poker superstars are joining Bill for the marathon of fun in the sun. Jeff Gross, Bill’s close friend and winner of over $2.8 million in his career will be alongside the brothers that have taken online poker streaming by storm, Jaime and Matt Staples. PokerVision is very excited to be the network to bring the excitement of the event to the world through our various platforms.”

Pokerography: Results by Jamie Smart

Starring in this week’s Pokerography series is Results by Jamie Smart and how his principles on life can improve your poker game.

Intelligence thrives in poker. But intelligence doesn’t mean shit if you don’t understand how the world works, and this is where Jamie Smart steps in.

Influenced by the late Sydney Banks and the Three Principles of Mind, Consciousness and Thought, Smart helps you to discover your authentic self through his principles around Clarity, and it’s through this discovery that you find the ability to beat the game of poker was always inside of you.

The Number One Result

NYX content live with Rush Street Interactive’s social and real-money regulated casinos in the US

Rush Street is the first brick and mortar casino to launch NYX digital content via a single integration in both social and real-money US-regulated formats

Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2017: NYX Gaming Group Limited (TSX VENTURE: NYX) (“NYX”), the market leading end-to-end supplier to lotteries, casinos and gaming operators across the globe, is extending its reach in the US online gaming market with the delivery of digital content to Rush Street Interactive’s online casino brand, SugarHouse Casino.

Through a single integration with the award-winning NYX Open Gaming System (OGS), Rush Street now has access to an extensive portfolio of market-leading NYX content, delivered via their PlaySugarHouse.com real-money casino, regulated in New Jersey, and their SugarHouse Casino4Fun™ site.

Players can enjoy industry-leading games from NYX’s wholly owned subsidiary, NextGen Gaming, such as Merlin’s Millions and Gorilla Go Wild on the channel of their choice – including a significantly expanded mobile game selection.

Case studies from e-Residency, LHV, and IBM. Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Tallinn program is already available

On March 9, Tallinn will host the first Estonian large-scale conference dedicated to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies – Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference. It will bring together representatives of IBM, e-Residency, Bitcoin Foundation, Funderbeam, and other projects well-known in Estonia and abroad.

According to Smile-Expo, an event organizer, the major issue will include blockchain implementation in the Government Technology and banking sectors.

Blockchain implementation in the Govtech sector will be revealed in presentations of Kaspar Korjus (e-Residency managing director), Franky Hu (WageCan CEO), and Lasha Antadze (developer of e-Auction 3.0 blockchain platform).

Karolina Marzantowicz (IBM Distinguished Engineer), Kaidi Ruusalepp (founder of Funderbeam), and Jüri Laur (head of payment services at LHV bank) will tell about blockchain implementation in the banking sector.     

Betsoft Gaming to exhibit AAMS Slots3 titles at Enada Primavera 2017

Betsoft Gaming, the industry’s leading 3D iGaming supplier, have announced that they will be exhibiting the Slots3 titles that have received AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato) certification at Enada Primavera 2017, taking place at the Expo Centre in Rimini Fiera, Italy between 15 and 17 March 2017. Betsoft’s appearance at the trade show is a key part of their dedicated push into the highly regulated Italian iGaming market.

Betsoft’s twenty-two AAMS-approved games will be on demonstration at Betsoft’s stand, located at C5-158 at the show. These titles consist of some of Betsoft’s most popular Slots3 games that led the 3D revolution in iGaming – Alkemor’s Tower, Event Horizon and SugarPop!, among others.

“We are excited to be exhibiting at Enada Primavera this year,” said Julian Camilleri of Betsoft. “We have worked hard to bring these games to the stricter, more regulated markets, and the results speak for themselves. Our current offering of AAMS-approved games includes a broad range from our full suite catalogue, including classic table games alongside our industry leading Slots3 titles. And you can look for more of our Slots3 games to join those that have already achieved AAMS certification, such as 4 Seasons, Kawaii Kitty and Charms and Clovers, all of which have generated great revenue in unregulated markets. We invite all attendees of this prestigious show to stop by our stand at C5-158 to experience the best iGaming content the market has to offer.”

About Betsoft Gaming:

GiGse philosophy chimes with Trump mantra -‘The time for small thinking is over’

In his first speech to Congress, US President, Donald Trump stated: ‘The time for small thinking is over’, a theme which, according to Ewa Bakun, Clarion Gaming’s Head of Content, can be applied equally to the philosophy and topics delegates will address at GiGse. She explained: “The approach of addressing conventional thinking and turning it on its head is high on the agenda at GiGse. We’ve gone on the record as saying that GiGse’s role is to add some constructively disruptive thinking to the debates surrounding gaming in the United States and I am confident that will be the case.

“GiGse has a broad remit which as well as encompassing the here and now also includes debates about the future and what the future will really look like for US facing gaming brands. Delegates will be part of an event which has big thinking at its core and where the dominant question is why not? rather than why?”

GiGse’s straightforward 2-track format enables attendees to devise their social gaming journey alongside envisioning an AI customer experience – mastering on-premise mobile whilst plotting their next eSports tournament, all set against the backdrop of forthright political and social debate conducted at the highest level.

GiGse’s Early Bird promotion, which provides delegates with a $200 saving on registration, closes on Friday, March 10. The Early Bird enhances the value of participating in what is the most influential ‘future thinking’ gaming event taking place in North America.

Capitals atop Stanley Cup odds over Blackhawks, Wild, Penguins

The Washington Capitals are well on their way to winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the third time in eight years, but that will not mean a thing if they are not hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Capitals (42-13-7) are three points ahead of the Minnesota Wild (41-14-6) for the NHL’s best record right now, and they are listed as the +500 favorites (bet $100 to win $500) on the odds to win the Stanley Cup in June.

Washington also finished with a league-best 120 points last season but fell to the eventual league champion Pittsburgh Penguins (38-16-8) in a six-game second-round playoff series. The Penguins are seven points behind the Caps in the race for the Metropolitan Division title after losing 4-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks (40-18-5) on Wednesday.