Monthly Archives: June 2017

PKR founder Jez San punts on blockchain-based casino

Jez San, the man behind online poker site PKR.com, is turning to blockchain to add transparency to gambling.

A familiar face and name in the online gambling industry, San is known for developing blockbuster video games, creating the world’s first 3D graphics chip with Nintendo, earning the first OBE in the video game industry, and founding PKR.

This time, the self-taught computer programming is rolling out a project called Funfair, which “aims to put online gambling” onto bitcoin’s underlying technology, the blockchain. In an interview with El Reg, San said the project uses “smart contracts” contained within the Ethereum blockchain “to ensure players’ money paid in during a game is held separately from stakes won by the house.”

“Using our tech—we think it’s a selling point, we can have a fairer game—it absolutely can’t cheat,” San said, according to The Register report.

PAGCOR lifts suspension order vs. Resorts World Manila

State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has lifted the suspension order it issued against Resorts World Manila (RWM) three weeks ago.

PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo on Thursday has given Travellers International Hotel Group the greenlight for the resumption of its operations following the latter’s compliance with the state-regulator’s required security and safety improvements.

The conditions that PAGCOR set in order to allow RWM to resume operations include the hiring of a new security agency and experts to assess and improve safety and security systems; Increased number of x-ray machines and metal detectors; Doubled up deployment of guards with firearms.

PAGCOR added that RWM has conducted an on-going review and improvement of safety and security protocols for various emergency scenarios, as well as additional safety and security seminars for employees.

Online player celebrates life-changing win with €7.5m jackpot on NetEnt’s Hall of Gods

NetEnt, the leading provider of digital gaming solutions, has dropped one of its highest ever jackpots of €7.5m on Hall of God, as lifetime payouts reach almost €80m.

The exact amount of €7,525,932.97 was claimed on the Folkeautomaten.com brand operated by ComeOn!. The 47-year-old Norwegian winner was playing the desktop version of the popular Norse mythology-themed game Hall of Gods.

NetEnt, which offers the industry’s largest global online jackpots, has paid out more than €54m in progressive jackpots in the past year. This is the second €7m-plus NetEnt jackpot in six months, after a UK player landed €7,437,199.55 on Mega Fortune Dreams™ in December 2016.

Since 2012, Hall of Gods’ lifetime payout has surpassed €57m, with €20.5m generated in the last year alone.

Playtech launches Wild West themed Heart of the Frontier

Omni-channel game includes show-stopping features and the chance to win a fistful of mega prizes

London: June 29th 2017 – Playtech, the world’s leading omni-channel gaming software, systems and services supplier, has launched Heart of the Frontier, a new, rootin’, tootin’, shootin’ omni-channel Wild West-themed slot game, packed with exciting features and bonus rounds.

Take a trip back in time to the American West in this five-reel, 20-line slot game, featuring three fearless gun slinging cowgirls, ready to showdown across the reels.

Available in retail, online and playable across all devices, this action-packed game boasts a host of exciting features including expanding and stacked wilds, free games, a timeless western themed backdrop and incredible graphics certain to keep players entertained.

WSOP Review: Yoon and Yockey win bracelets in the MONSTER STACK and PLO

Brian Yoon takes down the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em MONSTER STACK, and Bryce Yockey does likewise in the highly competitive $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8-or-Better Championship.

Brian Yoon returned from a nine-month self-imposed sabbatical to take down Event:#47: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack and record his first million dollar score.

When it comes to sculpting World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet wins, Yoon has gotten it down to a fine art. Not only has the 27-year-old from Torrance, California, won every single final table he has ever pushed his Hush Puppies under, but they have all been huge scores.

Yoon’s first bracelet came in 2013 when he took down the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Little One For One Drop, earning $663,727. Yoon had to pass 4,756 entrants on that particular circular staircase to heaven, and the experience must have helped him defeat the 6,717 entrants who stood in his way in this one. His second bracelet came in 2014 when he beat 550 people to win the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Eight Handed event for $633,341.

Yggdrasil goes live with Georgia’s largest operator

29th June, 2017 – Yggdrasil Gaming has gone live in Georgia after agreeing a deal with the country’s largest online operator, Adjarabet.

The agreement will see Yggdrasil games available in the jurisdiction for the first time.

It will also see the supplier’s award-winning collection of in-game promotional tools, BOOST™, including BRAG and Missions, provided to Adjarabet.

Fredrik Elmqvist, CEO at Yggdrasil Gaming, said: “This is a significant moment in Yggdrasil’s growth, with our first entry into the fast-growing Georgian market.

Kazuo Okada ‘unfit’ to be a company director – Universal Ent. President

Embattled Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada is ‘unfit’ to the director of a public company and Universal Entertainment Corp. president Jun Fujimoto vows to back up his allegations.

A supposed private letter of Fujimoto dated June 21 made rounds ahead of the scheduled annual meeting of Universal shareholders on Thursday. Reuters, which saw the letter, reported that this was the first time Fujimoto shared his thoughts on Okada’s predicament since the latter was removed from his post in a rare Japanese boardroom coup.

Fujimoto minced no words as he called out Okada’s purported illegal dealings, saying that he had evidence to prove his allegations. The Universal Exec, however, did not say what that evidence was

“I think Chairman Okada is unfit to be in management of a public company,” Fujimoto said in the letter, which was written in Japanese. “I’m confident that I can prove that with irrefutable physical evidence.”

Novomatic’s claim against EGT is dismissed by district court of Berlin

In October, 2016, with a press release Novomatic AG informed that it is initiating court proceedings against Euro Games Technology Ltd. based in Sofia and its German sales partner D-Systems GmbH at the District Court of Berlin. Novomatic took the view that some games of Euro Games Technology Ltd. systematically and unfairly use some essential elements of its games. Immediately following the oral hearing on May 9, 2017, the District Court of Berlin dismissed Novomatic AG’s claim for injunctive relief, information and damages. Within the reasons given for the judgement the District Court of Berlin outlined that claims of Novomatic may neither be based on trademark law nor on competition law. The District Court of Berlin did not recognize an illegitimate use of essential game elements.

Vladimir Dokov, CEO of EGT, commented: „We were very confident that the District Court of Berlin would dismiss the claim. We considered the allegations as unfounded from the beginning, as our products are highly innovative and our R&D department focuses on current and modern technologies. We will continue to expand our market position on the basis of our own developments and advanced know-how.”

 About EGT:  

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, Euro Games Technology (EGT) is considered of being amongst the fastest growing companies in the global gaming industry. EGT’s activities relate to the development, production and distribution of a diverse range of gaming products. Today, they are operated in over 80 countries in Europe, America (South, Central and North), Asia, and Africa. EGT’s technical achievements are presented annually at the most prestigious international exhibitions of the gaming industry. Currently the company employs over 1350 professionals and has 20 foreign offices and dealers in different regions around the world.

Playtech BGT Sports expands SSBT footprint across independent operators

Leading provider agrees deals with five new bookmakers and extends with four others

29th June, 2017, London – Playtech BGT Sports (PBS), the leading provider of omni-channel sports betting solutions, has significantly increased its SSBT presence in independent bookmakers with a host of new commercial agreements.

New deals have been signed with BG Bet, Wilf Gilbert, Victoria Gate Casino, Sean Graham and Star Sports Mayfair over recent months.

Likewise, the following independent operators have extended their current deals with PBS: Corbett’s, Toals, Bet Sid, Toolan’s, GR8Odds and S&D. The improved contracts will see average terminal density levels double in these shops.

Becky’s Affiliated: The inspiring story behind Onfido’s machine learning innovation

For any of you who follow my column, you’re already aware of my passion for innovation and I absolutely love profiling young, passionate professionals innovating in a competitive space.

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Mr Green and SBTech among 15 new exhibitors for Betting on Sports

Mr Green and SBTech are among the 15 first-time exhibitors at the Betting on Sports 2017 Conference organised by SBC Events across 12-15 September.

Having expanded the product display to cater for up to 50 exhibitors at #boscon2017, 65% of the 1,768 sqm exhibition space at Olympia Conference Centre has now been sold, but there are still opportunities available for operators, suppliers, affiliates, sports clubs, regulators, payment providers and media companies across the sector.

Olympia has been chosen as a suitably impressive location for the second edition of the largest international sports and betting trade conference. A £30 million redevelopment and rebranding of the Olympia London business in 2013 included a complete renovation for the conference centre, which makes it the perfect location for the event.

Joining Mr Green and SBTech as first time exhibitors at an SBC Events-organised conference will be Erlang Solutions, Trustly, eMerchantPay, Other Levels, OddsRing, LeonBets, Secure Trading Group, EvenBet Gaming, Finnplay, Tal Ron Drihem, AlgoSport, GameCo and Millennial Esports, sponsors of the Betting on Esports track from 13-14 September.

Pariplay Ltd. awarded Alderney Gambling Control Commission licences

B2B & B2C Alderney eGambling Licences are part of software provider’s ongoing global growth and diversification strategy

June 2017 – Pariplay Ltd., a gaming technology company serving iGaming operators, land-based casinos and iLotteries, has announced that it has been awarded two eGambling Licences by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), the online gambling regulator in the Channel Island of Alderney. The licences are a Category 2 eGambling Licence for B2B service providers and a Category 1 eGambling Licence, regulating Pariplay-operated online gambling brands.

Pariplay’s new AGCC Licences build on the software provider’s existing regulatory framework for its iGaming, mobile on premise, social gaming and video lottery terminal platform solutions as well as its diverse portfolio of iGaming content. Pariplay is a long-standing UK Gambling Commission Remote Gambling licence holder and received its Remote Gambling licence from the HM Government of Gibraltar’s Gambling Division in Q2 2016.

Recognizing Alderney’s evolution into a global hub for online gambling and the importance of AGCC regulation to operators, players and the wider industry, Pariplay applied for a Category 2 eGambling Licence from the regulator. Its B2B AGCC licence serves as a further endorsement of Pariplay’s integrity as a company as well as the high quality and reliability of its branded and original online video slots, instant win, bingo and keno games as well as its gaming platforms solutions.

Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) to host Midwest Regional Gaming Regulator’s Seminar in Missouri next month

LAKEWOOD, NJ (June 28, 2017) – Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®) is pleased to announce that its experts will host the Midwest Regional Gaming Regulator’s Seminar in Kansas City, Missouri, July 13.

Attendees can expect highly informative, interactive forums created specifically for the region. GLI has arranged for world-renowned industry thought leaders to discuss the following topics and more:

• What to Do in the Event of an Online Breach – Protocols for Regulators

• Verification and Inventory Management Tools for the Modern Gaming Floor: Lessons from the Field

Mashpee Wampanoag’s Taunton casino project hits fresh snag

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Massachusetts casino project has been thrown into doubt after the tribe withdrew its request for federal recognition of its land rights.

On Tuesday, Mashpee Wampanoag representatives issued a statement saying the tribe was no longer seeking a Department of Interior opinion on whether land taken into trust by the federal government in 2015 qualified for continued sovereign land status. The Department’s opinion was expected to be issued on Tuesday.

Last year, a federal judge ruled that the government erred by taking the land into trust, so the Department of Interior began an investigation into whether the land – 170 acres in Mashpee and 151 acres near East Taunton – qualified for sovereign control status under a different legal category.

The East Taunton acreage south of Boston is the prospective home of the tribe’s First Light Resort & Casino, but East Taunton residents aren’t wild about having a casino in their backyard and their legal challenge led to last year’s federal court ruling blocking the plan.

Ignacio López wins PokerStars Festival Marbella; Hendry talks poker

Ignacio López, a 29-year-old tax assistant from Madrid, has won the PokerStars Festival in Marbella, and the seven-time World Snooker Champion, Stephen Hendry, talks about his experience in the Marbella event.

There are worse alternatives than Marbella if you want to play some poker, for serious money, outside of the merry-go-round that is the World Series of Poker, and that’s where PokerStars were hanging out this past week.

The PokerStars Festival camped out in the Casino Marbella, and the €700,000 GTD €1,100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event was the meat in that particular meat and potato pie.

PokerStars has a strong presence in the Spanish market, and it showed with 949 entrants smashing the guarantee, creating a €911,040 prize pool for bankers to purr over.

New homegrown technology set to revolutionize table games

June 2017, Las Vegas – New high-tech shuffling machines will hit the market in 2018, offering a table-game platform that promises to increase productivity, reduce card costs, and attain never-before-realized levels of game protection.

Called the “Shark Trap System,” the platform features a network of super shufflers with the capability to detect marked cards, asymmetries, normal wear and tear, and much more, all in real time. The technology works tirelessly and invisibly to detect everything from the tiniest of discrepancies to blatant scams with scientific precision, and all without human intervention or the need to disrupt the games.

Shark Trap Gaming & Security Systems originally collaborated with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s Department of Mechanical Engineering to design and build the early prototypes. Lou DeGregorio, president of Shark Trap, stated, “UNLV has done an exceptional job getting us to the point where our one- and two-deck shufflers are ready for manufacturing.”

Also according to DeGregorio, “Based on our research, both here and abroad, card marking scams and strategies that target design asymmetries continue to be a security risk, and it’s a much bigger problem than what has been reported. Cheaters have more access to sophisticated cheating equipment than ever before from online sources all over the world, and today’s advantage players are more dangerous than their predecessors, making these threats difficult to detect until long after the damage is done.”

The International set to exceed $20m; Vodafone opens esports channel

A double whammy from the world of esports with The Dota 2 International prize pool looking set to breach the $20m barrier and Vodafone opens a new esports channel in Spain.

Who would have thought that the boys and their toys phenomenon would have created a range of electronic sports that could one day take on physical sport in a fist fight and create a few bruises?

That’s what’s happening, only because we are in the midst of it, we can’t see it.

Dota 2’s The International is on course to smash last year’s record for the largest esports prize pool in history thanks to impressive sales of Battle Passes and Levels.