Alberta appears set to become the next Canadian province to launch online gambling operations under its local government monopoly.

On Friday, CBC News reported that the provincial government’s Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) had quietly issued a request for proposals for technology suppliers to power a proposed digital gambling offering.

The RFP, which envisions both desktop and mobile gambling options, has reportedly received favorable responses from “a handful of companies,” the identities of which weren’t specified.

Alberta has been flirting with approving online gambling for a few years now, but never seems to follow through. AGLC senior communications officer Chara Goodings now claims that the plan is about “providing a safe place” for Albertans to gamble online, although everyone knows it’s really about boosting government revenue.

An affiliate of Macau’s leading casino junket operator Suncity Group has moved its corporate headquarters next door to Primorye casino operator Summit Ascent Holdings.

On Thursday, Summit Ascent’s board of directors informed the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it had relocated its principal place of business to Unit 1704 on the 17th floor of the West Tower of Hong Kong’s Shun Tak Centre, a commercial complex built by former Macau casino icon Stanley Ho.

On Friday, Suncity Group Holdings Ltd announced that it had relocated its principal place of business to Unit 1705 on the 17th floor of the West Tower of Hong Kong’s Shun Tak Centre.

In other words, the two companies are now next-door neighbors. It’s unclear precisely what this means for the future of both companies, but their mutual leadership apparently sees value in eliminating the space between them.

ZEAL Network shareholders have approved their company’s plan to acquire digital lottery broker Lotto24, rejecting a rival plan from online lottery betting operator Lottoland.

On Friday, Zeal held a general meeting in London, after which the company announced that 60% of its shareholders had approved necessary preconditions for the proposed acquisition of Lotto24, a former ZEAL subsidiary that was spun off into a standalone entity in 2012.

Following Friday’s vote, ZEAL CEO Helmut Becker congratulated shareholders for sharing the company’s vision of uniting ZEAL and Lotto24 to create “the leading private digital lottery broker in Germany.” Becker claimed the proposed acquisition will create “significant value” for shareholders of both companies, their customers, German states and their lottery beneficiaries.

ZEAL said it would now proceed with its formal pitch to Lotto24 shareholders and expects the acceptance period for the takeover offer will start by the end of this month.

There’s an old saying that I’m quite fond of, “Shut up and take my money.” It’s a fairly simple sentiment. I have money, I want what your offering, so let’s just get this over with. It’s an idea that frequently applies to online gambling. The player wants to get their bets in urgently, they have money, and there shouldn’t be anything more complicated than exchanging the money for a wager. Now, the best way for operators to take that money is to start accepting Bitcoin SV (BSV).

Most operators will have several deposit options available to their players. There are the more direct options, like credit cards; however, they are subject to fees and the likelihood that banks will deny the transaction. Some accept direct bank transfers, but that can require a bunch of information and maybe an extra call to the bank to set it up. Then there are the third party wallets, like Neteller, which also requires set up, includes fees, and is fraught with other problems.

The crucial problem with all of these options are they are dependent on a third party to help move the player’s money along. If they fail to do that, or simply don’t want to, then the player is more likely to start shouting that old saying I like more forcefully, and they’ll likely be saying it to the operator.

Without a doubt, the easiest way to break down these barriers, and make it easy for both the player and the operator, is to deposit with BSV. Without any middleman to say no, BSV allows the operator to just take the money. The player can start wagering with their funds in seconds, guaranteed, as BSV is built to massively scale to the demands of the network, and won’t fail or slow down when you need it most. Like the third party wallets, there will be some setup, but then it has all of the benefits and none of the negatives of any other option.