Monthly Archives: August 2017

Extended gains: Bitcoin climbs above $3,400 to new all-time high

Bitcoin is out to prove that the scaling debate is a thing of the past.

The digital currency extended its gains to a new all-time high on Monday, when it reached an unprecedented $3,440 on Bitfinex. Bitcoin is currently trading at $3,415 with a market capitalization of $56.3 billion, according to Bitcoin.com data.

Experts point to increased investor confidence in the future of cryptocurrency as the reason behind the price jump. Ronnie Moas, founder of financial research firm Standpoint Research, told CNBC that investor confidence is “what supports the cryptocurrency right now.”

Previously, BlockTower Capital CIO Ari Paul chalked up bitcoin’s recent gains “to a brief rally” following a “relatively uneventful” split.

Compliance Briefing: London launches 6 step guide to GDPR compliance

In advance of its upcoming conference on 12th October 2017, Compliance Briefing: London has released its 6 step introductory guide to GDPR compliance. The business community is becoming increasingly aware of the new legislation that comes into effect in less than a year’s time. However, with a range of contradictory reports and papers currently in circulation, it is difficult to make a judgement on which direction to take.

As Jaime Debono, Managing Director of conference organisers the iGaming academy explained “There are a lot of unknowns out there with regards to GDPR at the moment and we have attempted to address some of them with our 6 step guide. All businesses, whatever their size, must be GDPR compliant. This guide’s aim is to cut through the noise and provide a basic framework on which to build your GDPR compliance strategy.

“Of course, this is only a basic guide and readers will be able to learn far more on how to action the plan by attending our full conference at County Hall, London on 12th October. However in the meantime, our publication will help them set out the path they intend to take.”

Steps covered in the guide are:

NFL preseason betting preview: Week 1 kicks off Wednesday night

After the Dallas Cowboys edged the Arizona Cardinals 20-18 in last Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game to push as two-point betting favorites, the Carolina Panthers will kick off Week 1 of the NFL preseason this Wednesday by hosting the Houston Texans as three-point home chalk.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

And Carolina fans and bettors hope to get their first look at electrifying rookie running back Christian McCaffrey in a game situation in the contest.

McCaffrey was drafted eighth overall by the Panthers out of Stanford and might be seen running the wildcat offense at times versus the Texans. Carolina starting quarterback Cam Newton is working his way back from a shoulder injury, so reserves Derek Anderson and Joe Webb should get most of the work under center.

Horse Racing Ireland push for betting tax hikes; punter will pay

Horse Racing Ireland is proposing that the Minister of Finance increase betting tax from 1% to 2.5%, and exchange commissions from 15% to 37.5% and the punter will pay.

Irish punters should be preparing for an increase in betting tax, after a petition submitted to the Irish Department of Finance Tax Strategy Group process, by Ireland’s horse racing governing body, proposed an increase in betting duty and exchange commissions.

The Tax Strategy Group was born out of the 2016 Finance Bill Committee Stage Debates, where a group of old fuddy-duddies chomping on cigars agreed that a thorough examination of the betting tax structure, in Ireland, was well overdue. The consultation process included all betting stakeholders, and the deadline for submission to the group passed on 19 June 2017.

Amongst those sending papers tied tightly to the ankles of Ravens were Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), who has suggested that the 1% betting tax be increased to 2.5%, and the duty on betting intermediaries should be increased from 15% of the commission to 37.5%.

The Alibaba Group to turn Macau into a ‘Smart City’ by July 2021

Alibaba Group, the world’s largest retail giant, has signed a four-year partnership with the Macau government to turn the gambling mecca into a ‘Smart City.’

Elon Musk will send the first manned mission to Mars.

Not NASA.

There is a shift in power, where there was once the government, we now have billionaire entrepreneurs willing to invest their revenue into the enhancement and survival of the human race.

EPL review: Man Utd to finish ahead of Chelsea & City in title race

With another Premier League season on the horizon, Lee Davy, attempts to make it two correct predictions on the bounce, with Man Utd his choice of 2017/18 Premier League Champions.

Almost a year ago to the date, I predicted that Chelsea would win the Premier League.

Cue roses from the gallery.

Let’s see if we can do it again.

Australian anti-gambling group use shock tactics to squeeze Pokies club

An anti-gambling group in Melbourne has decided to use shock tactics in their bid to have a local Pokies club closed down, by distributing flyers portraying graphic violence outside nearby schools.

Australians love Pokies Machines.

In 2015, New Australian Gambling Statistics showed that Australians blew through $23 billion on a broad variety of gambling games, with Pokies the most popular form with $11.6 billion fed through the mouth of the electronic guzzlers.

But not everyone in Australia is a fan.

PokerStars Festival: The Squid wins in Bucharest; Bansal wins in Manila

Sam Grafton earned the largest live score of his career when he took down the inaugural PokerStars Festival Main Event in Bucharest, and India’s Uday Bansal did the same in Manila.

After I have finished writing this, I will take a bath with my nipper. We’ll read the world’s first noisy water book {that hardly makes a sound}, and play with her bath toys, amongst which is a squid we call SamSquid. 

It even has the same accent.

Sam ‘SamSquid’ Grafton isn’t just a famous bath toy that lives in Cardiff. He is one of the most loved poker players in Europe. Grafton has earned close to $5m as one of the hardest working online grinders in the business. But it’s his personable presence on the live felt that has made him a star, and he is started to rack up some impressive scores to go along with that gift of the gab.