“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”. – William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2

In the least surprising news possible, a flurry of copycat lawsuits have been filed to capitalize on the recent court ruling in Washington state that declared the social casino games of Big Fish Games to be a form of illegal gambling.

On Monday, GeekWire broke the news that four other social gaming operators – DoubleDown Interactive, High 5 Games, Huuuge Games and Playtika – had been sued for allegedly violating Washington’s strict gambling laws.

The original lawsuit focused on the state’s vague definition of illegal gambling as risking “something of value” on the outcome of a contest of chance or a future event beyond the gambler’s control. A federal court judge claimed that because Big Fish’s virtual chips were the only means by which players could play on the site, than they indeed represented ‘something of value.’

Online gambling operator Kindred Group wants Sweden’s government to break up state-owned operator Svenska Spel to ensure a level playing field under the new online gambling regime.

Sweden’s Ministry of Finance published the full text of its new gambling legislation on Sunday, spelling out the details of the regime that will allow international online gambling operators to apply for local licenses for the first time.

But Sweden has pumped the brakes on plans to privatize Svenska Spel, which currently enjoys a monopoly on online sports betting and other gaming options. The current plan is for Svenska Spel to maintain its sole control over land-based casinos and slot machines, while competing with private operators in the newly liberalized online gambling market.

Private operators previously expressed concern over this plan, saying Svenska Spel will enjoy an unfair advantage, including being able to market its online operations directly to its database of land-based gamblers. Kindred Group, the parent company of Unibet, is urging the government to privatize Svenska Spel’s online operations to ensure it doesn’t enjoy other competitive advantages, including the obvious favor of the state.

Casino operator MGM Resorts International may have to wait a little longer to determine whether it will be allowed to operate a casino in Connecticut.

The Connecticut Post reported that there’s a 50% chance that Connecticut lawmakers will pass a bill seeking to expand casinos in the Nutmeg State, especially with only a few weeks before the Congress adjourns the General Assembly. According to House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, the chances for any casino-related bills to sail through the Congress are slim.

“There’s dueling reports that keep coming out in talking about the fiscal viability of a casino in Bridgeport and what it would do to the state’s finances,” Aresimowicz said, according to the news outlet. “I think we have to have a comprehensive view of gambling here in the state of Connecticut and what that looks like.”

MGM has lobbied hard to construct a new casino on Bridgeport’s waterfront to counter the proposed casino of Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes in East Windsor, which received a green light from lawmakers in 2017. MGM supported the moves in Congress to repeal Public Act 17-89 (PA 17-89), which authorized the East Windsor gaming facility.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to close the Philippine island oasis of Boracay has opened a box of problems for Macau-based casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG).

The Philippine Star reported that a senator and a member of the Philippine House of Representatives have filed twin resolutions seeking to investigate the six-month closure of Boracay as well as the approval of casino construction in the island.

On Tuesday, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch critic of Duterte, filed a resolution seeking to investigate the Philippine president’s order to shut down Boracay, claiming that the directive was made to facilitate the start of the construction of GEG’s $500 million integrated resort on the island.

Trillanes also called out Duterte on his alleged bluff that Boracay island will be converted into an agricultural zone under the country’s land reform program, saying that farming isn’t suitable in the country’s major tourist destination.

Keep calm investors, billionaire James Packer isn’t pulling out Crown Resorts Ltd. from the Australian Stock Exchange anytime soon.

On Wednesday, a Reuters source doused speculations that the world’s No.7 casino company will become private following Packer’s exit in March.

Packer had been toying with the idea of taking the Crown Resorts private since he first quit the $6.7 billion company in 2015. However, Packer set aside the idea as the company decided to expand Crown’s business portfolio overseas.

A lot of things happened in between 2015 and 2018, including Packer’s complete retreat from Asia and the company’s global expansion plans as a result of the arrests of Crown Resorts staffers in China. By early 2018, Packer found himself back in Crown board—and so is the idea to make Crown Resorts private.

The finishing acts of the first two quarter-final matches see Roma become only the third club in history to overturn a three-goal first leg loss into a win, and Liverpool is back in the semi-finals after a decade’s absence.

Roma 3 v 0 Barcelona

I was reading Alice in Wonderland to my 18-month old daughter last night.

“Don’t like it.” She said.