Italy’s regulated sports betting market suffered only a slight dip in August following two months of World Cup-boosted wagering.

Figures published by Italian gaming affiliate Agimeg show August’s combined retail and online sports betting revenue hitting €111.4m, a 34.4% improvement over the same month last year and down only slightly from the €114.3m recorded in July.

Online wagering accounted for just under €50m in July, up 27.8% year-on-year, with Bet365 claiming a 17.1% share, followed by runner-up SKS365 (14.9%) and Playtech’s new Italian toy Snaitech (10.5%). For the year-to-date, online betting revenue is up 41.5% to €411.4m.

The retail betting throne was claimed by the new Gamenet/Goldbet combo, which claimed a 18.7% share. Snaitech wasn’t far back with 16.5% and GVC Holdings’ Eurobet brand ranked third with 14.7%.

Russian online superstar, Denis ‘aDrENalin710′ Strebkov, has won an unprecedented four titles at the 2018 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker; Benny Glaser, Ole Schemion and Nick Maimone also get in on the fun. 

The door creaks open, like the beginning of Robert Smith’s Close To Me, but nothing comes through. Donald has nuked my thoughts. The screaming white noise of the inside of my skull is all that remains.

I wish I stayed asleep, today. 

I never thought this night could ever be this close to me. 

Three short poker news stories combined into one long one with Fabian Quoss exiting poker, Treasure Island shutting its poker room on the Las Vegas Strip, and the results from the WPTDeepStacks Main Event in Portugal. 

I’m going for a walk in 15-minutes.

A man from Spain said I shouldn’t cross my legs, not wear tight underpants, and to take off my shoes and socks and walk in the sand. So, in 15-minutes, I am going to find a children’s playgroup, and go mental in the sand pit.

I am a prime heart-attack victim.

Nevada’s experiment with so-called ‘entity betting’ mutual funds has resulted in federal securities regulators filing legal complaints against two funds.

On Monday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published complaints it filed late last week against two Nevada-licensed sports wagering entities – Nevada Sports Investment Group LP and Contrarian Investments LLC – for violating federal securities laws.

According to the Nevada Sports complaint, the group raised slightly over $1m from 35 betting clients in around 20 US states after registering in Nevada in September 2015. The SEC claims the company failed to determine its clients’ status as accredited investors and also failed to file a registration statement, despite not qualifying for an exemption from said registration.

Contrarian raised over $437k from some 25 investors in 12 states and Canada, but similarly failed to do proper vetting of its customers or file the necessary registration statement.

US tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) has won the right to manage gaming operations at Canada’s largest casino.

On Monday, Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp (OLG) announced that it had selected MGE as the service provider for its ‘Niagara Gaming Bundle.’ MGE will now handle day-to-day management of gaming operations at the Fallsview Casino Resort, Casino Niagara and the planned 5k-seat Niagara Falls Entertainment Center, which will be located adjacent to the Fallsview property.

MGE was selected for the Niagara bundle following what MGE chairman Kevin Brown called a “very competitive” procurement process, and MGE looks forward to partnering with local stakeholders and becoming an important part of the Niagara community.

OLG president Stephen Rigby said MGE would help “ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Niagara gaming market, particularly in relation to markets across the border.” MGE is expected to take over the Niagara bundle’s day-to-day ops by the summer of 2019.