After the Indiana Horse Racing Commission approved the transfer of ownership of Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand, to Caesars Entertainment, the Indiana Gaming Commission approved the sale June 28.
Monthly Archives: June 2018
Amax International net loss narrows to $6.5M
Macau junket operator Amax International Holdings has manage to slash its net loss by as much as 94.87 percent in the financial year that ended March 2018, thanks to its “flourishing” business operations in Vanuatu and Cambodia.
In a disclosure to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Amax announced that it brought down its net loss to HKD50.7 million (US$6.5 million) in the 12 months ending March 2018, from HKD988.5 million (US$125.97 million) in previous financial year.
Meanwhile, the company’s loss per share amounted to approximately HKD0.07 (US$0.0089) compared to approximately HKD1.96 (US$0.25) in the last financial year.
The decrease of its net loss was a result of the firm’s continued streamlining efforts and the reduction of the recognition of its impairment losses during the year, according to Amax.
Bittrex CEO Bill Shihara joins Unikrn advisory board
Esports betting platform Unikrn has tapped Bill Shihara, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex, to improve the accessibility and security of its digital token, UnikoinGold (UKG).
On Thursday, Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood announced that Shihara will be joining the company’s advisory board as part of its aggressive campaign to expand its UKG network and to offer crypto sports betting in the near future. Shihara’s primary role as the company’s crypto adviser will be to provide “insight and direction for increasing UKG adoption and security,” according to Sood. He touted Shihara’s decision to come onboard Unikrn as “game-changer” to the company’s future.
The appointment of Shihara came six months after Bittrex, a Seattle, Washington-based cryptocurrency exchange, launched its UKG trading.
In a statement, Sood said he is counting on Shihara’s “incomparable insight and direction for increasing UKG adoption and security,” noting that the Bittrex CEO “provides the insight of one of the world’s most qualified crypto leaders.”
BetterBetting World Cup App now in full swing
29 June 2018, London, UK – BetterBetting, a Blockchain-based, decentralised peer-to-peer sports betting system, has soft launched their World Cup 2018 betting app. This unique system, released in time for the World Cup on 14th June, provides a mechanism for two parties to bet with one another on the blockchain with secure contracts.
Ethereum contracts are key to the system as they escrow funds from both parties and hold them until settlement. All bets are placed and settled using the BETR token, released in an initial token offering and currently trading and available for purchase on major exchanges such as HitBTC, Bancor, IDEX, Etherdelta, Bisq and Waves.
“The World Cup is a great event to test our first release. We have had a very positive response and look forward to increased usage over the coming weeks. The team has worked incredibly hard to produce this technology in the time scale we set post our successful ICO. Further releases will feature improved user interfaces, functionality and user experience. They will include main football leagues in time for the 2018/19 season, including the English Premier League, Spanish Primera Liga and the German Bundesliga. We intend to add sports in accordance with user feedback and demand so there may well be additional sports even before the European football season starts.” CEO Adriaan Brink commented
BetterBetting have deployed several products to facilitate this Blockchain betting: The first instance of a BetterBetting Node (BBN) which manages the dissemination of odds and provides APIs to power independent user apps, a BETR Wallet to make it easy to store and use BETR tokens and an Android App that uses the BBN APIs and exposes an easy-to-use odds selection interface.
Next top Twitch poker streamer could win PokerStars Platinum Pass
Run It Up wants to send a Twitch streamer to the PokerStars Poker Players Championship (PPC) next January. It has announced a contest that will award “the next great Twitch Poker streamer’ with a package that includes entry into the PPC, as well as other premiums. The contest will run until November 15, and the qualifications are fairly straightforward.
To qualify, streamers must first opt in by July 27. This can be accomplished by sending an email with the streamer’s name, Twitch page, country of origin and s short introductory paragraph to [email protected]. The contest will be open for four months, and the winner will be chosen by a committee of poker players and through a poll to be published on Twitter. The committee members are Jason Somerville, Kevin Martin, Lex Veldhuis, Ben Spragg, Jaime Staples, Fintan Hand and Jeff Gross.
Next, participants must play for real or play money on PokerStars and log at least 150 hours streaming on Twitch. When the milestone is reached, three finalists will be selected. Those finalists will be judged according to average concurrents, chat interaction, additional hours broadcast, live cashes, presence in the Twitch Poker community and ability to fulfill the role of “Twitch Poker Ambassador.”
A video led by Somerville of the contest and the requirements can be found here.
Pariplay enters Italian iGaming market with StarCasinò.it
Italian players can now enjoy Pariplay’s video slots through a partnership with a leading Italian online casino brand
29th June 2018 – Pariplay Ltd., a gaming technology company serving iGaming operators, land-based casinos and lotteries, has announced its entry into the Italian iGaming market. This development will see the global gaming software provider supply casino games to leading Italian online casino brand StarCasinò.it, which is part of Betsson Group’s brand portfolio.
Already active in multiple global gaming markets and regions, including the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and Belgium, Pariplay is strongly focused in 2018 on expanding the presence of its portfolio of games in Western Europe. The company’s entry into the regulated Italian market forms an integral part of its broader European strategy.
Pariplay’s milestone move into the Italian gaming space follows the integration of a range of branded and original casino content with Betsson Group’s Italy-facing StarCasinò, which is licensed by AMSS, the Italian Gambling Authority. Atari® Asteroids, Atari® Star Raiders, Valiant Entertainment’s Bloodshot®, and Sharknado® are among the initial Pariplay branded video slots set to be made available, while original slots such as Froots will also be enjoyed by Italian players.
Paysafe scoops up two 2018 EGR North America Awards
Montreal, Canada (June 29, 2018) – Paysafe, a leading global payments provider, has been named winner of two awards at the fourth annual EGR North America Awards ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania last night. The first accolade for the company was to Income Access, Paysafe’s marketing technology and services provider who won its fourth consecutive ‘Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year’ award. Paysafe then earned further recognition when the company was named ‘Payments Company of the Year’ for the second time, first being in 2015 under Optimal Payments.
The EGR North America Awards celebrate excellence in the North American online gaming industry, honouring the iGaming operators, land-based casinos and service providers who have shown outstanding performance and innovation over the past 12 months. By awarding these two accolades to Paysafe, EGR’s judges acknowledged the company’s continuing impact as a key player in the iGaming, e-sports, and online gambling sectors, whether it’s Paysafe’s payment products and services such as payment processing, digital wallets and paysafecard or Income Access’ technology and digital marketing solutions.
Commenting on the two awards, Paysafe’s EVP of Business Development, Neil Erlick said: “In the post-PASPA American landscape, winning these two awards speaks volumes to the value that Paysafe and Income Access brings the industry in North America. At Paysafe, we remain committed to delivering leading and differentiated solutions as we understand how to help gaming operators stay ahead of the curve.”
Erlick added “Being selected for this accolade and seeing our efforts recognised by industry peers is the greatest honour of them all. We look forward to continuing to play a pioneering part in payments and customer acquisition for the gaming and lottery industries.”
KamaGames signs exclusive partnership with Unity Ads
Dublin, Ireland – June 29th 2018 – KamaGames, the largest European social mobile poker operator, today announced its new, exclusive monetisation agreement with Unity Ads.
This new partnership sees KamaGames agreeing to only provide in-app rewarded video advertising via the Unity Ads mediation platform across its portfolio of hugely popular social casino games.
Speaking of the deal, Andrey Kuznetsov, KamaGames’ CEO, said “The decision to partner with Unity Ads was an easy one based on the platform’s impressive metrics such as high eCPMs, (effective cost per thousand impressions), Fill Rate (the percentage of ads served based on the total number of page impressions) and the overall quality of provided content. Additionally, this agreement allows us to reduce the actual app “Weight” in the App Store as Unity offers simple integration via their Unity Engine and since all of our games are made with this engine, we do not need to integrate any additional SDK for monetisation”. “Our DAU in Q2 2018 has grown by 87% compared to Q2 2017, so we expect to increase our ads revenue at least two-fold thanks to Unity Ads” Kuznetsov added.
Julie Shumaker, VP of Global Business Development for Unity Ads commented “We are delighted that KamaGames has chosen Unity Ads. Unity has already enjoyed a strong partnership with KamaGames over the past five years and now this recent collaboration is set to make it even more successful.”
BtoBet’s chairman, Alessandro Fried, to discuss artificial intelligence at AI Malta Summit
• BtoBet publishes Industry Report, “AI: The Present and the Future of iGaming”
BtoBet’s Chairman, Alessandro Fried, will be joining a panel of leaders in the field of Artificial Intelligence and discuss this disruptive technology with a particular interest in the iGaming industry at the Artificial Intelligence Malta Summit that will take place in St Julians from the 12th till the 13th July. Widely viewed as a visionary in his field, especially when it comes to iGaming embracing next generation technology based on Artificial Intelligence, Fried will be elaborating on what constitutes Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, their use, and essentially their benefits for the industry both in terms of the operator and the player.
Regarding AI’s implementation in the iGaming industry, Fried noted that “it comes without saying that Artificial Intelligence is a fundamental tool in the iGaming industry, with operators relying heavily on AI to analyze data, predict outcomes and manage their day to day operations.”
He further stated this scenario is made all the more attractive due to the fact that Artificial Intelligence has evolved in a way that enables it to be managed across all the industry’s channels – be it retail, desktop or mobile – providing operators with the opportunity to analyse all aspects concerning their business, and thus act accordingly.
EPIX® Sets Premiere Date for The Contender – hosted by Andre Ward
Mark Burnett’s 12-Episode Boxing Competition Series Reveals 16 Fighters Vying for the Champion Belt
by Tanner Simkins @TannerSimkins
Premium pay television network EPIX® has announced the 16 fighters who will be facing off with one another for the championship belt on the revival of boxing franchise series The Contender this fall. The highly anticipated 12-episode season, from MGM Television and Paramount Television, will premiere on EPIX on Aug. 24, 2018 at 10 PM ET/PT.
Hosted by undefeated boxing champion Andre “Son of God” Ward, the first-of-its-kind competitive documentary series for the network will feature 16 fighters pushing their limits in grueling elimination-style fights and testing their grit and determination to achieve their boxing dreams. The fighters will be overseen by legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach, and renowned Philadelphia trainer Naazim Richardson.
“The Contender takes unscripted TV to its grittiest. It has incredible professional fighters and real professional fights. The edge of your seat drama and true stories sets a tone that our audiences will be expecting and I love it,” said Mark Burnett, President of MGM Television.
“With this new iteration of The Contender, the focus is on the gritty, personal stories of the fighters battling for boxing glory,” said Michael Wright, President, EPIX. “It was important for us to find individuals who not only displayed the boxing chops and resilience in the ring, but who also showed a depth of heart and humor outside of it. Our 16 fighters are vivacious, tough, funny, sensitive, driven and inspiring, and we are excited for our fans to get to know their stories and root for them inside the ring and out.”
The 16 Contenders come from a wide variety of professional boxing backgrounds and stations in life, bringing their unique stories, personalities, strengths and motivations to the series.
Each fighter will be vying to be declared the new 160-pound middleweight champion of The Contender and take home the winner’s six-figure purse — a prize, which, for all the fighters, represents a better life for their families and loved ones who have been there with them through all the ups and downs of their journeys.
The 16 fighters on The Contender this season are:
Ievgen “The Ukranian Lion” Khytrov, Age: 29, Rank: 20, Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.- A Ukrainian immigrant, Olympian, Ievgen Khytrov recently relocated to America to pursue his dream of becoming a world champion and to create a better life for his family. A dedicated, quiet, religious man. He’s also the one to beat.
Eric “Babyface Assassin” Walker, Age: 34, Rank: 68, Hometown: Plaquemine, La. – Incarcerated at 15 years old and spent 14 years behind bars for robbery and attempted murder, Eric “Babyface Assassin” Walker learned to box while in prison. He is now fighting for a second chance at life, living proof that it’s never too late to live out your dreams.
John “Apollo Kid” Thompson, Age: 29, Rank: 70, Hometown: Newark, N.J. – After losing his mother to AIDS at six years old, this married performing artist, painter and fighter, John “Apollo Kid” Thompson is here to prove to the world that he can’t be boxed into a single category despite holding impressive titles including the 2015 WBA-NABA Super Welterweight, WBO Inter-Continental Super Welterweight and Boxcino Tournaments.
Malcolm “The Punisher” McAllister, Age: 27, Rank: 172, Hometown: Long Beach, Calif. – Always at the center of schoolyard fights growing up, Malcolm “The Punisher” McAllister now channels his energy into helping others rebuild outside of foreclosure and his young, growing family. In boxing has built an impressive KO record and the 2014 Golden Gloves title on his journey to take the title of The Contender.
Brandon “The Cannon” Adams, Age: 28, Rank: Inactive, Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. – A bold fighter in the ring, Brandon “The Cannon” Adams knows firsthand what it means to push through adversity and step up to care for his family when there’s no one else around to. Coming from a poverty stricken neighborhood, this larger than life father of two marks his return to boxing after a three year hiatus, initiated by a loss to fellow competitor, John Thompson.
Quatavious “Cash” Cash, Age: 26, Rank: 161, Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. – This Atlanta native is the current record-holder for fastest KO in Georgia, a four0time Golden Gloves state champ and Bronze medalist. Quatavious Cash is fighting for his late mother and for the chance to prove that a life of fighting street gangs can be channeled for good.
Shane “Sugarman” Mosley, Jr., Age: 27, Rank: 149, Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif. – The lone single contender, son of legendary Hall of Fame boxer “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Shane “Sugarman” Mosley Jr. is fighting to step out of his father’s shadow and carve out his own legacy.
Daniel “El Chapulin” Valdivia, Age: 25, Rank: 116, Hometown: Tulare, Calif. – A natural salesman and real estate agent by day, nicknamed “El Chapulin” (“Grasshopper”) for his boundless energy, Mexican immigrant Daniel Valdivia was born to step into the ring. With several titles including the NABF Super Welterweight Champion as an underdog, he’s chasing fame to prove giving up college for boxing was the right move.
Michael “The Silverback” Moore, Age: 31, Rank: 252, Hometown:Cleveland, Oh. – Reformed from a hard life on the streets, fraught with drugs, death and family suicide, Michael Moore is a natural hustler and leader. Married with two kids, Moore is constantly moving from state to state with his family in tow in pursuit of the boxing dream.
Gerald “G5” Sherrell, Age: 24, Rank: 216, Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa. – A fan of the original Contender series growing up, Gerald “G5” Sherrell is an undefeated and explosive fighter with a level of unrivaled and self-proclaimed swagger. Hailing from the projects, this multiple time Golden Gloves, Silver Gloves and Junior Olympic competitor, this local zoo security guard by day, and young father by night, is looking to bring boxing glory back to his hometown of Pittsburgh.
Morgan “Big Chief” Fitch, Age: 34, Rank: 154, Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa. – Injury-plagued throughout his career, the Native American hailing from Southern Louisiana is a married father of three. Knowing that he’s old for the sport, Morgan “Big Chief” Fitch has one last shot at making his boxing dreams come true.
Marcos “Mad Man” Hernandez, Age: 24, Rank: 104, Hometown: Fresno, Calif. – Having been bullied from a young age after an accident left him with burns on 30 percent of his body, Marcos “Mad Man” Hernandez is fighting for his young autistic son, in hopes that he won’t be bullied the same way he was. With Junior Olympics, 2012 Blue and Gold titles and “Mexican-go-forward” style fighting he may be overlooked and underestimated.
Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson, Age: 33, Rank: 39, Hometown: Philadelphia, PA – At a time when he needed to sell drugs to support himself at the age of 13, a stepfather’s ultimatum: be grounded or go to the boxing gym was his saving grace. Now a humble father of two, and sitting with one of the best rankings in the competition, his 24 KO’s send a signal that he will not fight silently but his cocky attitude has beat him more than just once.
Lamar “Omega” Russ, Age: 31, Rank: 115, Hometown: Wilmington, N.C. – One of four kids raised by a single mom and the first person in his family to graduate college, Lamar “Omega” Russ takes pride in being the underdog, and beneath the loud exterior is a boxer that needs to prove he can put his money where his mouth is. HBO, ESPN and a first round KO on Showtime do all the talking.
John “The Rock” Jackson, Age: 29, Rank: 63, Hometown: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands – A divorced father of two, this slick and agile boxer, Virgin Islander John “The Rock” Jackson started fighting at 12 years old, following in his world champion father Julian Jackson’s footsteps at the Pan American Games and 2008 Olympics. He comes from wealth but cares for the underprivileged and dreams of making his island proud bringing visibility to those struck by recent natural disasters.
Devaun “Unique” Lee, Age: 30, Rank: 82, Hometown: Jamaica Queens, N.Y.
When one of his friends was shot and killed at 16, Devaun “Unique” Lee knew he needed a way out from the mean streets of Queens. Boxing keeps him straight. So do long hours fueling airplanes and caring for his five year old daughter. The real love of his life. Fatherhood and the sport are the motivation to take his NY State Middleweight championship to the next level.
The original Contender series ran for four seasons (2005-2009) and launched multiple fighters into contention for world titles, including title winners Sergio Mora, Cornelius Bundrage, Sakio Bika, and Sam Soliman.
Eric Van Wagenen serves as executive producer and showrunner of the revived franchise alongside Mark Burnett. The format is owned by MGM Television and Paramount Television.
EPIX is available nationwide through cable, satellite, telco and streaming TV providers including Charter Spectrum, Cox, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse, Dish Network, Sling, PlayStation Vue and, as of June 13, Comcast.
About MGM Television
MGM Television is a leading producer and global distributor of premium content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalog of television episodes and feature film titles including such premiere entertainment franchises as James Bond, Rocky, Stargate and The Hobbit trilogy. Current scripted and unscripted projects include Fargo (FX); Vikings (HISTORY); The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu); Get Shorty (EPIX); The Voice (NBC); Survivor (CBS); Shark Tank (ABC); Teen Wolf (MTV); Steve Harvey’s FUNDERDOME (ABC); Beat Shazam (FOX); Signed (VH1); Lucha Underground (The El Rey Network); and through its distribution entity, Orion TV Productions, the syndicated daytime courtroom series Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court and Couples Court with The Cutlers. In addition, MGM owns Evolution Media, the innovative unscripted television producers of The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules, Vanderpump Rules: Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky, and Sweet Home Oklahoma (Bravo); Botched (E!); Bug Juice (Disney Channel) and Growing Up Supermodel (Lifetime). MGM’s television programming regularly airs in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
About EPIX
EPIX, an MGM company, is a premium pay television network, delivering the latest movie releases and biggest classic film franchises, plus original programming including series, documentaries, and comedy specials – all available on TV, on demand, online and across devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX became profitable in its first year of existence and is now available nationwide to 70 million homes through cable, telco, satellite and emerging digital distribution platforms. A pioneer in the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere,” EPIX was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across hundreds of consumer devices including Apple TV, iPhone and iPad, Amazon Fire TV, TiVo, Chromecast, and Android TV, delivering more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHd (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX) and Snapchat @EPIXTV.
About Paramount Television
Paramount Television is a leading studio, developing and financing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television content across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. The studio’s robust slate includes Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” (Amazon), “13 Reasons Why” (Netflix), “Maniac” (Netflix), “Shooter” (USA), “Berlin Station” (EPIX), “The Alienist” (TNT), “The Haunting of Hill House” (Netflix), “Catch-22” (Hulu), “First Wives Club” (Paramount Network), “Looking for Alaska” (Hulu), “Briarpatch” (USA), “Boomerang” (BET), “Shantaram” (Apple), “Dream Team” (BET), “The Contender” (EPIX) and “Snow Crash” (Amazon), among others. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.
SportAD wins Best New Game at prestigious 2018 EGR Awards
Startup’s innovative “FastFantasy” games see strong demand and performance in NJ and PA
Philadelphia, PA – June 29, 2018 – SportAD — a Washington DC-based sports gaming startup — has won “Best New Game” at the 2018 EGR North America Awards, for its “FastFantasy” title, a game that combines sports betting formats and payouts with fantasy sports scoring. The early-stage company, which is part of the Verizon/AOL sponsored Fishbowl Labs technology incubator, beat out established heavyweights Scientific Games and online leaders BetConstruct, Ruby Seven and Ezugi, to win the category. FastFantasy, described as “sports betting lite” by reviewers, launched July 2017 into New Jersey’s regulated online gaming market through the company’s partnership with Resorts Digital, and has since expanded to other regulated states.
SportAD focuses on creating games for the “propositions” segment of the wagering market (estimated at more than 20% of the total US betting market). Using raw sports data and the company’s proprietary analytics platform, SportAD creates daily games that enable partners to offer real-money sports contests from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and Soccer using their existing multi-channel gaming platforms, giving customers the ability to play via mobile, online and retail.
SportAD’s games appeal to highly-engaged and casual players alike. Their FastFantasy game, for example, combines popular “Over-Under”, “Matchups” and “Parlay” sports betting formats with fantasy sports scoring to create games that can be played by users quickly while allowing them to enter multiple times. Completing a FastFantasy entry takes less than a minute, providing a much more accessible experience compared to the time-consuming entry process of conventional fantasy sports games.
CryptoFriends back in Barcelona at WGES to discuss Blockchai, Crypto and AI
After celebrating their first birthday in Malta, CryptoFriends will be back in Barcelona at the World Gaming Executive Summit (WGES) between 3-5 July to continue building more smart connections.
Barcelona is one of Europe’s most tech savvy and innovative cities, the location for Spain’s new blockchain technology centre, and is currently one of the best places for tech meetups, iGatherings and events on the continent.
Organised by Terrapin, the WGES will take place in the iconic, beachfront W-Hotel and will accommodate 160 speakers alongside an industry crowd of 500+ people. Furthermore, it will focus on, for the first time, cutting edge technologies including blockchain, crypto and AI, and how they can be used in the gambling industry and beyond.
Eric Benz, CryptoFriends Ambassador and Co-Founder of Clear Protocol is very optimistic about the effect that blockchain will have on the gambling industry, he says:
Macau police go shark hunting, net 113 arrests
This week the Judiciary Police in Macau have been doing a little fishing. The law enforcement agency has nabbed 113 people accused of taking part in a loan-sharking operation that was targeting gamblers in Macau casinos. That operation reportedly made loans in excess of $8.92 million, and the law enforcement action is said to be the largest single-case arrest in the Macao Special Administrative Region since it was turned over from the Portuguese in 1999.
21 apartments were raided on Tuesday around Cotai. Those raids resulted in the arrests, as well as the seizure of account books, loan slips, gambling chips, jewelry and around HKD$2 million (US$254,000). The operation was said to be very organized and employed techniques designed to thwart police surveillance. Law enforcement officials believe that the group could have been operating since 2011.
The raids were conducted following an investigation that began from intelligence collection in 2016. The police were able to determine that the group maintained a strict division of tasks by the members, including the identification of potential borrowers, accounting management and the issuance of credits. During the investigation, it was determined that some gamblers who did not pay their debts were placed in confinement by the group.
Among those arrested was the group’s reported leader, a Hong Kong resident. The majority of the others are believed to be residents of mainland China.
Loan to developers of ‘The 13’ casino project repayable on demand
South Shore Holdings Ltd. (SSH), the developers of ‘The 13’ casino in Macau, have announced that a loan with a principal value of $387.4 million is now payable to the lenders “on demand.” A covenant on the loan, originally required that the hotel operations be open by the end of July, 2017; however, SSH has renegotiated the terms several times with the lender since the original agreement was signed. In a filing from yesterday, SSH now hopes to open the hotel by July 31 of this year – instead and has contacted the lender about another extension. The unnamed lender has still not provided written confirmation by the time this story was written.
Since there has not been a response by the lender, SSH has stated in its announcement, “As a result, as at the date of this announcement, such bank borrowings are repayable on demand.” It added that it felt certain that it could “obtain all the licences for the operation of hotel business from the relevant authorities by the end of July 2018.”
In its 2017 annual filing, which was published in July of last year, SSH – then known as ‘The 13 Holdings Ltd.’ – said that it had already drawn around $384.7 million from a six-year term loan of approximately $388.5 million that it had been provided through a “mainland China-based bank.” That same month, Bloomberg reported that the company had missed its hotel opening deadline condition that had been stipulated in another loan agreement worth $382 million that was issued by the Bank of Communications Co. Ltd.
For its annual report through March 31, 2018, filed yesterday, SSH said, “Up to the date of this announcement, the group has not been rejected on the application for extension.” It also added, “The bank has frequent communications with the group on the progress of hotel opening preparation and also shows the positive support on the group. Therefore, the directors of the company do not expect the application of further extension will be withheld by the relevant bank.”
GameSecure launches real-time self-exclusion tool for iGaming industry
Vancouver based company looks to reduce risk to self-excluded iGamers and industry operators
June 29, 2018 – Vancouver, BC – Vancouver based tech company Bencon Technologies Inc. has announced the release of their iGaming voluntary self-exclusion technology solution, GameSecure. GameSecure aims to help at-risk gamblers opt out, not just from one iGaming site, but all sites in real-time. This solution is set to eliminate the imbalance of a player reaching out for help, with local resources and support, and not being able to access that help in a timely manner because of the delays associated with back and forth of offline information transfers from operator to regulators. GameSecure ensures that support is delivered seamlessly across all operators in real-time will deliver the player protection and peace of mind that an online exclusion is truly an online exclusion.
With the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), and as states across the United States continue to approve regulated online gaming and sports betting offerings, the exposure and liability for at-risk gamblers to gain access to iGaming content will only increase. With record fines for not protecting vulnerable players, as evidenced by the fines issued to 888 in 2017 of £7.8m and SkyBet of £1m, it is imperative that regulators and operators implement tools that ensure player access can be blocked immediately across all operations within each jurisdiction.
“We really support this initiative,” said Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), “GameSecure provides a timely and much-needed option for regulators and operators to use technology to solve a major problem in regulated gaming today. Currently even well-intentioned self-exclusion programs fail players and operators because they do not provide coverage and support seamlessly across a jurisdiction. We strongly encourage all stakeholders to adopt innovative programs like GameSecure as an ethical and effective way to conduct gaming responsibly and reduce the social costs of gambling addiction.” NCPG is the national advocate for problem gamblers and their families.
Williams trails Kvitova on Wimbledon Women’s draw odds
For the most part, Wimbledon, like the other Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, seeds according to WTA rankings. However, that tournament also takes into account a player’s past grass-court success as Wimbledon is the only major played on that surface.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
For the 2018 tournament, which begins Monday at the All England Club in London, organizers had to take into account another factor for seeding the women’s side: a return from pregnancy. Because American Serena Williams missed nearly all of last year and the start of 2018 due to her pregnancy, she had plummeted in the world rankings to a current number of 183rd. Clearly, Serena is not the No. 183 player in the world.
The All England Club can make seedings change if deemed “necessary to produce a balanced draw.” That’s what it did on Wednesday when Serena was given a No. 25 seed, unlike the French Open in which she was unseeded. The U.S. Open also will consider a player’s return from pregnancy going forward.
Poker Central Acquires PPA, Reboots Advocacy Group as ‘Poker Alliance’
With the Poker Players Alliance cash-strapped and running out of steam in the absence of being underwritten by PokerStars, the increasingly significant Poker Central has scooped up the Washington DC-based […]
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CHRB Makes Changes to Board of Stewards at Del Mar
About a month after members of the California Horse Racing Board promised changes to the composition of stewards on the Southern California racing circuit, changes have indeed been made ahead of the upcoming summer meet at Del Mar.
Calling the Clock: million dollar wins for Deeb & Klein; Poker Central save the PPA
Another round-up of weekly poker news including million dollar wins for Shaun Deeb and Loren Klein, a new lease of life for the Poker Player’s Alliance and more.
I give it a shake. More than five and things get tricky. I go to wash my hands. Three taps. I pick the one that’s broken. I always choose the broken one. We are creatures of habit after all. I take the same urinal, stand in the same pool of piss, and then try to bathe the germs under the same broken tap.
I move to another.
I stare into the mirror. Those circles that have begun to hang beneath my almond shaped eyes when I wake up are gone.
World Cup round-up: the boys from Brazil go through with the Swiss
Another round-up from the World Cup in Russia sees Brazil and Switzerland qualify for the knockout stages after Neymar and the boys beat Serbia, and the Swiss draw against Costa Rica.
I just ate a vegan burger called The Cowless Burger. It was a monster. A mixed bean patty, shredded beets and carrots, vegan cheese, two fried onion rings, lettuce and BBQ sauce.
As I sat in the courtyard, the sun beating the crap out of me, onion rings burning the roof of my mouth, heat enclosed around me like I was living inside a kettle, I thought, “Christ, this is good.”
What was it?