Noted online bookmaker Pinnacle has launched a business-to-business sports betting technology platform service called Pinnacle Solution.

On Thursday, the Malta- and Curacao-licensed Pinnacle announced the debut of Pinnacle Solutions, which claims to provide “an unrivalled sportsbook service that allows its partners to utilize Pinnacle’s industry experience and expertise.”

Pinnacle Solutions currently boasts two product offerings: a plug-in iFrame API featuring a sportsbook skin, mobile compatible site, risk management services, four different odds formats and multiple currencies, all available in 13 different languages. Pinnacle also offers a turnkey solution for customers who currently lack their own gaming site.

Pinnacle believes its new B2B service offers three main features that would-be sportsbook operators will find enticing: an award-winning eSports offering, ‘increased profit potential’ based on a 4% hold of betting handle, and ‘unbeatable odds’ via Pinnacle’s famously low margins (average 3.7% vs. industry average of 7.2%), which Pinny says are low enough that operators can increase them to boost profits while remaining competitive.

Internationally licensed online gambling firms continue to stream out of the Australian market in response to the new regulatory environment.

Earlier this month, Australian customers of Antigua-licensed BetOnline and Sportsbetting.ag and the Curacao-licensed Tigergaming.com reported receiving emails informing them that the sites would be exiting the Australian market effective April 16.

Customers of the sites have been given until April 30 to withdraw their account balances and the impacted sites’ sign-up screens no longer include Australia as a country option. In addition to sports betting and casino options, the sites belonged to the Chico Poker Network, which is now closed to Australian players. The sites’ affiliate programs, Commission.bz and PartnerEarnings, are similarly done with Down Under.

An email from BetOnline to an Australian gambler indicated that “due to regulatory compliance we no longer accept Australian players.” An email from TigerGaming clarified that the new policy was “due to changes in Australian gaming law and the introduction of the Interactive Gambling Amendment Act.”

Two major sports leagues have sent their former stars to Connecticut to bargain for sports integrity as plans to legalize sports betting moves forward in the state.

The Hartford Courant reported that National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) deployed former Boston Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell and former Mets pitcher Al Leiter to Connecticut on Tuesday to convince lawmakers to consider the aspect of sports integrity in their sports betting measure.

Compared to other states, major leagues considered the Connecticut legislature to be well-ahead of the sports betting legislative curve.

“We think Connecticut has a real chance to pass a state-of-the-art statute here that could act as a model for other states,’’ MLB Senior Vice President Morgan Sword said, according to the news outlet. “We’ve been very impressed with the level of expertise that these guys have on this issue.’’

A special session to rewrite Florida’s gambling laws is now off the cards.

The Miami Herald reported that Florida lawmakers have decided to give the proposed special session on gambling a pass after weeks of behind-the-scenes talks.

The breakdown of negotiations came a week after Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced that the state had extended its casino revenue sharing agreement with the Seminoles through May 2019.

Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami, had been trying since Easter to convince their colleagues in the upper and lower chambers of Congress to resurrect a dead gambling bill in a special session. The two negotiators wanted the state gambling law sorted out and resolvedby Congress ahead of the November ballot. They fear that Florida residents will only complicate their role once the voters cast their ballots on the issue of expanding gambling options in the state.

Casino operator MGM Resorts International’s first quarter results got another boost from Trump’s tax cuts, but it wasn’t enough to offset declines at its domestic resorts.

On Thursday, MGM reported consolidated net revenue of $2.82b in the three months ending March 31, up 4% from the same period last year. But expenses rose 10.3% to $2.5b, pushing operating income down 27.6% to $360m, while net income rose 8.2% to $223.4m.

However, that net income figure got a $94m non-cash boost from the new US tax rules. A similar phenomenon boosted MGM’s Q4 results by a significantly larger windfall just as the new tax rules took effect.

Investors were unimpressed, pushing MGM’s shares down nearly 9% at time of writing. MGM China’s shares closed Thursday’s trading down 2.3% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Casino and race betting operator Churchill Downs Inc (CDI) is heading into this year’s Kentucky Derby on a high note.

Figures released Wednesday by the Kentucky-based CDI show the company generated revenue of $189.3m in the three months ending March 31, a 13% improvement over the same period last year. Adjusted earnings improved more than one-third to $49.2m while net income soared to $182m versus just $7.3m one year ago.

However, that net income stat includes $168.3m from CDI’s sale last November of its Big Fish Games social gaming operation to Australian gaming technology firm Aristocrat Leisure. Factoring out that windfall, CDI’s adjusted net income was a more realistic $15.8m.

CDI’s land-based casino operations led the Q1 revenue parade with $98.1m and adjusted earnings of $44.3m, year-on-year gains of 12% and 25.4%, respectively. CDI burnished its casino portfolio in March via the acquisition of Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Pennsylvania and the Lady Luck Casino Vicksburg in Mississippi.

Chinese authorities have broken up a major illegal online gambling ring, arresting over one hundred suspects in two major operations.

On Thursday, the state-run Xinhua media outlet reported that police in the populous southern province of Guangdong had arrested over 140 suspects, froze bank accounts containing RMB85m (US$13.4m) in funds and seized property worth an additional RMB130m in their targeting of an illegal online casino ring.

Police in the city of Jiangmen reportedly received their initial tip-off about the online gambling ring last October. Their subsequent investigation indicated that the ring operated six online casino websites and had agents on the ground in 12 cities in Guangdong, as well as three cities in the adjacent Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Police staged their first raids on March 12, netting over 110 suspects. A follow-up raid on April 2 resulted in the detention of another 30 suspects. China is expected to ramp up its targeting of online gambling sites, particularly online sportsbooks, ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup kickoff in June.