Paraguay is reportedly planning to shake up its sports betting industry by reducing its current seven licensed operators down to just one.

Last week, RDN.com reported that Paraguay’s National Gaming Commission (Conjazar) is preparing a Highlander-style ‘there can be only one’ showdown by forcing the country’s existing seven sports betting operators to compete for a single monopoly concession.

According to Conjazar, the majority of the seven betting operators have been operating under provisional licenses granted by the executive branch a year-and-a-half ago, although one operator – Daruma Sam S.A., which operates under the Aposta.la brand (although that brand is the subject of a trademark dispute with another provisional licensee) – has been conducting retail and online wagering operations in Paraguay since 2014, which may or may not give it the edge in the bidding war to come.

Conjazar justified its decision to streamline the country’s betting sector as a means of boosting the government’s tax take. The government of this country of less than 7m people currently charges operators 4% of their betting revenue, but this results in the state only collecting about $140k per month. The prevailing theory is that a single operator will be willing to pay a higher rate if the government eliminates their competition.

China has removed two lottery officials from their positions after an investigation produced evidence of corruption, including using their positions to conduct improper sexual relations.

On Sunday, China’s official state news agency Xinhua reported that two high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ Welfare Lottery distribution and management center had been dismissed for corruption and violating the Communist Party’s code of conduct.

An investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection determined that lottery center director Bao Xuequan had taken advantage of his post to solicit bribes in the form of gifts and shopping vouchers from individuals looking to make some illicit profits. Bao was also accused of improper sexual relations and “using an office that was bigger than the standard.” Shame!

The center’s deputy director Wang Yunge was similarly accused of accepting shopping vouchers and having improper sexual relations, as well as having used his official car “for private purposes for a long time.” (No word on whether he also pocketed any office paper clips for home use.) More seriously, Wang was also suspected of leaking state secrets, which probably explains why he “violated political discipline and resisted investigation.”

Russia is proposing to significantly restrict its citizens’ access to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies under the guise of consumer protection.

In a surprise move, Russia’s deputy finance minister Alexey Moiseev signaled that the government plans to restrict the sale of cryptocurrencies to “qualified investors,” leaving the Moscow Stock Exchange as the only medium through which these select investors could purchase Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

In an interview with the Russia 24 television channel, Moiseev justified the proposed restriction based on his view that cryptocurrencies are likely to be pyramid schemes. Moiseev said “ordinary people” were ill-equipped to deal with cryptocurrencies, as they are “very dangerous investments that could lead to loss of money.”

Russia’s authoritarian government has taken a traditionally harsh stance toward cryptocurrencies, having previously proposed legislation that would criminalize the use of ‘surrogate’ financial products. While that legislation promised hash penalties for those caught using or mining Bitcoin, Moiseev was mum on what penalties were in store for anyone caught violating the latest proposal.

The Netherlands’ land-based casino monopoly saw one of its properties completely destroyed by fire over the weekend.

Early Sunday morning, a fire broke out at the Holland Casino location in Groningen in the north of the country. While an estimated 150 firefighters were able to gain control over the situation by Sunday afternoon and no guests or staff were injured, the property was completely destroyed. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Holland Casino chairman Erwin van Lambaaf told local media that he had no figures regarding how much cash may have been consumed in the flames, but given that Saturday is the property’s busiest night of the week, the amount lost could be considerable.

Van Lambaaf called the event “a black page in Holland Casino’s history” and expressed concern for the immediate future of the property’s roughly 200 employees. While Holland Casino’s board is reportedly considering its options, including opening a temporary gaming location in the city, van Lambaaf couldn’t guarantee that the company would seek to rebuild a permanent venue in Groningen.

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific Holdings International (IPI) saw its revenue more than double in the first half of 2017 but rising expenses – including a steep hike in bad VIP gambling debts – kept a tighter leash on profits.

A filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday showed IPI’s gross revenue of HKD 7.3b (US$933m) in the six months ending June 30, an increase of 82.5% over the same period last year. But expenses more than tripled to HKD 2.9b, resulting in a more modest 26% gain in adjusted earnings to HKD 1.62b, while profit rose nearly 9% to HKD 912m.

VIP gaming accounted for nearly HKD 7.1b of IPI’s H1 revenue total, while mass market table games generated only HKD 147m and slots and electronic table games contributed a mere HKD 34m.

The H1 figures represent activity at the now closed ‘temporary’ casino Best Sunshine Live. In July, IPI transferred Best Sunshine’s gaming operations to IPI’s new permanent venue Imperial Pacific Resort • Saipan, which is still finishing work on its hotel and other non-gaming amenities.

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific Holdings International (IPI) saw its revenue more than double in the first half of 2017 but rising expenses – including a steep hike in bad VIP gambling debts – kept a tighter leash on profits.

A filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday showed IPI’s gross revenue of HKD 7.3b (US$933m) in the six months ending June 30, an increase of 82.5% over the same period last year. But expenses more than tripled to HKD 2.9b, resulting in a more modest 26% gain in adjusted earnings to HKD 1.62b, while profit rose nearly 9% to HKD 912m.

VIP gaming accounted for nearly HKD 7.1b of IPI’s H1 revenue total, while mass market table games generated only HKD 147m and slots and electronic table games contributed a mere HKD 34m.

The H1 figures represent activity at the now closed ‘temporary’ casino Best Sunshine Live. In July, IPI transferred Best Sunshine’s gaming operations to IPI’s new permanent venue Imperial Pacific Resort • Saipan, which is still finishing work on its hotel and other non-gaming amenities.

The government of Western Australia has reportedly opened up discussions to offload state-owned betting agency TAB.

On Monday, the Australian Financial Review reported that the government of WA Premier Mark McGowan is set to appoint an adviser on the sale, after the state’s Treasury received pitches from several banks.

TAB, operated by Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA), was originally placed on the market in 2014, but the protests from the racing industry dampened the government’s efforts to sell the betting agency. Two years, later, then Racing and Gaming Minister Colin Holt tried to test the market’s appetite for the TAB assets, to no avail.

Now, it appeared that Holt’s successor, Paul Papalia, is discussing a possible sale with the racing industry.