The U.S. Department of Justice’s legal counsel office reversed a 2011 opinion that the Federal Wire Act applies only to sports betting, potentially throwing the small U.S. Internet gaming market into question.Legal, Online Gambling, Technology, Sports Betting, Government
At the same time that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its opinion that the Wire Act covers all forms of online gambling, several states are still pushing forward with legislation to offer the billion-dollar industry to their residents. Among those looking to enter the sports gambling fray are Michigan, New Hampshire and Virginia.
Michigan residents received a shock last month when the state’s outgoing governor, Rick Snyder, pulled out a huge red “Rejected” stamp and vetoed an online gambling bill that had made it through Congress with virtually no resistance. While he argued that more research was needed on the subject before allowing legislation to move forward, many began to wonder if he didn’t deny the bill simply out of spite, or as a favor to someone in the gaming industry.
Not to be dismayed, the author of that bill, Representative Brandt Iden, is going to administer CPR on the legislation and bring it back to life, but adds that it will be even better. Iden told GamblingCompliance that he plans on reintroducing his bill and that it will not only offer online gaming, but sports gambling, as well.
In New Hampshire, a bill seeks to approve sports gambling in certain, dedicated retail outlets. House Bill (HB) 480-FN still needs approval by policy makers, but would authorize the state’s Lottery Commission “to conduct sports betting directly or through an authorized agent via the use of mobile internet devices and through physical sports book retail establishments.”
According to a report by GGRAsia, Caesars has sent a response to a “formal request for information” (RFI) it received by authorities in Tomakomai, Japan. The request is in relation to the casino company’s wishes to build an integrated resort (IR) in the city when Japan finally opens the bidding process. Tomakomai is the industrial port of Hokkaido, the northernmost island and prefecture of Japan.
In a written statement to GGRAsia, the president of international development for Caesars, Steven Tight, explained, “In Tomakomai, we responded to the formal request for information by the city government and request for concept by the Hokkaido government.” He added that the company hopes that its initial proposal for a Tomakomai IR would demonstrate that it has been “responsive to the specific objectives and concerns of the local government.”
The proposal, according to Tight, ensures that the IR development “is in ‘harmony with nature’, bringing back high-quality jobs to the city, promoting regional tourism and spreading economic benefits throughout Hokkaido.”
Only a few days ago, Caesars participated in the “Hokkaido IR Showcase” event that was held in Sapporo, the capital of the prefecture, which included discussions on Hokkaido’s possibilities of hosting an IR. The event also saw participation from other casino giants, including the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (Mohegan Sun), Hard Rock International, Melco Resorts and Entertainment and SJM.
The Sanford C. Bernstein brokerage has reiterated the expectation that Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) is going to suffer this month. It forecasts that the GGR could contract by a minimum of 8%, but that it could reach as high as 12%, year-on-year. The predictions are slightly more bleak than those offered by Japan-based brokerage Nomura and, if accurate, would be the first time in almost two years that Macau’s GGR has retracted.
Bernstein analysts Vitaly Umansky, Eunice Lee and Kelsey Zhu state that the GGR in the gambling mecca for the week of January 7 – 13 saw a downturn due to several factors, including “continued enforcement of the smoking ban; the crackdown of the illegal point-of-sale scheme; and visitation slowdown in anticipation of the Chinese New Year in early February.”
The smoking ban was introduced on January 1, 2018, but casinos were given a year’s grace period to come into compliance with smoking at tables in VIP rooms. There are still a number of casinos that have not implemented the new smoking regulations, which include completely closed smoking lounges and advanced smoke extraction equipment.
The “illegal point-of-sale scheme” reference stems from a scam that allegedly moved $153 million from China to Macau last year, and which resulted in the evasion of China’s currency export controls. That investigation is still active.
Now that it has been able to put a series of employee strikes behind it, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment in Canada is getting down to serious business. According to a press release, the company has acquired Chances Casino Kamloops and will take over the day-to-day operations of the casino yesterday. Gateway is now the only gaming provider in Kamloops, operating both Chances and Cascades Casino Kamloops.
The company states in the press release, “This strategic acquisition marks the latest step in Gateway’s growth strategy which has seen the company expand their footprint and product offering across Canada with their proprietary casino and restaurant brands. With the addition of Chances Kamloops, Gateway now operates 26 properties in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario with approximately 8,600 employees.”
The company’s CEO, Tony Santo, adds, “This is an exciting day for everyone at Gateway as we welcome Chances Kamloops and their employees to the Gateway family. I’d like to thank the Hart Family for their commitment to the Kamloops communities and we look forward to working with them on a smooth transition.”
Gateway owns 26 gaming properties across Ontario, Edmonton, Alberta and British Columbia. It has around 8,600 employees and its casino portfolio offers 429 table games (of which 48 are poker tables), 13,818 slot machines, 561 hotel rooms and 82 restaurants. The company is also the new service provider for the Central Gaming Bundle in Ontario, which gave it two additional properties and is planning on building a third in Wasaga Beach.
India’s GST Council, in its most recent meeting, refrained from deciding on whether to lower the 28% goods and services tax (GST) on lotteries.
According to local news outlet Business Today, the council is still considering “diverse opinions” on the tax rate, which has generated controversy among lottery companies, who have warned that a high tax will lead to an increased in underground operations.
Police have been on the lookout and have indeed arrested several lottery center owners alleged to have committed fraud by giving customers handwritten lottery tickets rather than printing out official ones, in order to avoid GST payments.
A group of ministers (GoM) has been formed specifically to look further into the issue, before it is taken up again in the next council meeting.
Transylvania – 15 January 2019 – On 13 January, the team at European Gaming Media and Events has celebrated 4 years of activity and the plans are high for the next 5 years.
The company has recorded huge growth in 2018 and is looking to expand further and reach a larger audience, while also increasing quality and customer relations management.
“We are excited about the future plans and embracing the momentum of recording monthly increases in our online visibility. Last year we broke our daily visitor record and set the number to 4585 visitors. This year we are already seeing an even bigger increase in our daily readership and in the number subscribers. This year we will launch several services, which will enable companies to grow their teams, but also to increase communications and brand awareness. We are also considering more dedication towards reaching more continents and bringing knowledge for our daily readers. This will of course include attracting new talent to our team and growing in numbers.
On the events division, we are going to have two new destinations in 2019 and planning to set our presence in the US market by the first semester of 2020. By expanding our presence in Europe, we are looking for all the support from the industry to establish a standard for quality content and on the topic panel discussion. We have a lot of ground to cover as we are still in the underdog league of the industry and the growth we are recording is the just the beginning!” stated Zoltán Tűndik, Founder, Co-Owner and Head of Business at European Gaming Media and Events.
Tuesday 15th January 2019 – Patagonia Entertainment is primed to expand its offering into the Philippines after a number of its popular Video Bingos have been certified for the iGaming market.
Video Bingos are well loved in the Philippine market and expected to deliver major growth for the business. Patagonia has marked its entry into the region with two significant operator partnerships. The entire casino games library has been certified in time for the start of 2019.
Gaining certification for the Philippines comes quickly after Patagonia went through the process for Colombia. Progress continues with certifying the portfolio for Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom. BMM has collaborated closely with Patagonia to ensure all games are certified and tested.
Patagonia’s in-house creative studio produces the best Video Bingo titles in the market. These have a fast-learning curve and perform equally well with players looking for some light entertainment and more adventurous high rollers. These games are particularly popular in the LATAM and Asian markets where Bingo has a strong historical and cultural presence. Each game is developed in HTML5 to enable players to access content from any mobile
The new governor of Illinois is keen to remind everyone that he wants more gambling in the state. In an interview with the local outlet Belleville News-Democrat, J.B. Pritzker made clear his goals to build casinos at state borders.
The goal is to balance the budget, and Pritzker sees casino revenues as a way to do that. “There certainly are opportunities for us to expand casino gaming in the state,” Pritzker told the news outlet. “So those are a couple of ways for us to expand gaming.”
He prefers to build the casinos near the state border, specifically to act as a firewall against money leaving the state for competing casinos. This contradicts with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s desire for a casino in the state’s biggest city. To that, Pritzker says, “Where you put a casino matters to how many dollars might flow from places they haven’t seen dollars flow before. … We ought to be thinking about how do we keep the dollars here that are being expended in other states.”
J.B. Pritzker was inaugurated as the 43rd Governor of Illinois on January 14, replacing incumbent Republican Bruce Rauner. It’s his first elected position, but not for a lack of trying, as he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998 and lost in the primaries. He comes from a very wealthy family, with the Hyatt hotel chain as one of their holdings. He’s the third richest politician ever elected to office.
Macau, January 2019 – Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia, the leading Asian trade event and the largest regional sourcing platform for global gaming and entertainment products, is excited to announce its newest show segment – Financial Technology Asia. The segment will be launched at the expo’s 13th consecutive edition, which will take place from 21 to 23 May 2019 at The Venetian Macao.
Financial Technology Asia will be jointly organized by G2E Asia and Blockchain Labs Co., Limited.
Jack Liao, Chief Executive Officer of Blockchain Labs, notes, “We’re absolutely delighted to work with G2E Asia to co-organize Financial Technology Asia. G2E Asia is well-established as the ‘must attend’ annual event of the Asian gaming and entertainment industry. It is a great honor and privilege to be entrusted by G2E Asia to join hands in launching Financial Technology Asia as one of the key segments and highlighted features of the upcoming event in May 2019.”
Financial Technology Asia will spotlight Asia-Pacific’s skyrocketing FinTech industry, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 72.5 percent from 2015 to 2020, reaching US$72 billion. It will provide a unique opportunity for financial technology and solution providers to showcase the latest solutions and services, including cloud financial solutions, block chain technology, cybersecurity, FinTech and payment solutions.
The London Affiliate Conference 2019, to be held from February 6 to 9 at ExCeL in London, will have over 5,000 attendees, including leaders in the gaming affiliate industry. Organizer iGB Affiliate promises for it to be the biggest event in its 13-year history.
As always, admission is free for all affiliates.
Aside from the educational value of the talks to be held, the event offers numerous opportunities for networking during the four days.
On Wednesday, February 6, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Guoman Hotel, participants are offered welcome drinks, sponsored by WPN Affiliates. That night, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. the following day, is the opening night networking party, held at the famed Zigfrid von Underbelly, at 11 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NU. Sponsored by Codere, allow yourself to let loose in the company of new friends in the business. As iGB Affiliate puts it, “Let your curiosities take over and explore the mythical place of Zigfrid von Underbelly, what started with a man and turned into a myth this quirky venue will surely delight.”
The US Department of Justice has reversed its previous opinion that the Wire Act applied only to sports betting, setting up a showdown with the states that have launched intrastate online gambling markets.
In December 2011, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued an opinion that interpreted the 1961 Wire Act as only applying to online sports betting. This opinion paved the way for multiple US states to launch intrastate online lottery, casino and poker operations within their borders.
On Monday, a new OLC opinion (read it here) surfaced, initially spotted by Online Poker Report. This new opinion – dated November 2, 2018 and authored by OLC Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel – reverses that 2011 opinion.
Both the 2011 and 2018 opinions hinge on what is essentially a question of grammar, specifically, the absence of a comma in the section that prohibits “the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest.”
Just after acquiring a B2B licence from the UK Gambling Commission, Red Rake Gaming will make its first appearance as exhibitor in the biggest gaming event in the world.
Red Rake Gaming invites all its customers, friends and visitors of ICE London along to its stand N9-325 to gain an insight in to Red Rake Gaming and its next groundbreaking releases planned for 2019. As first time exhibitors, Red Rake Gaming looks to further cement its position as a premium provider of gaming solutions to the regulated market around the globe.
In less than three years of delivering real money casino games to the industry, Red Rake Gaming has built a reputation of delivering top quality content thanks to the innovative and forward thinking Red Rake Gaming development team reinforced by the most well known Global operators being part of the Red Rake Gaming family.
Red Rake Gaming will be showcasing 5 different casino genre’s offered to their partners: slots, video bingos, video pokers, blackjack and roulette, making Red Rake Gaming a one stop shop for casino operations.
Operator closes key acquisitions and announces launch of two new tier-one betting sites ahead of ICE & LAC
Malta: 15th January, 2019 – Carousel Group, a rapidly growing iGaming start-up operating in the regulated online gambling sector, is in the final stages of preparing to launch two new betting brands, SportsBetting.com and RaceBook.com.
SportsBetting.com is being positioned as the ultimate destination to bet on global sports while RaceBook.com is a dedicated platform for racing enthusiasts.
Both brands will be targeting players in Europe and Latin America via a Malta Gaming Authority licence, but the operator is also looking to acquire UK, Swedish and US licenses as part of its ambitious growth plans into regulated markets around the world.
International iGaming company Fortuna Gaming have launched their latest site “Slotzo” www.slotzo.com on the Aspire Global Platform. Whilst the site has a primary focus on Slots players, it also offers a full Casino experience. The site has been designed to be clean and clutter-free and to provide an efficient entry for players to get straight into their preferred content.
Scott Manford, CEO of Fortuna Gaming said “As we continue to push our marketing efforts internationally, we wanted a Platform that could offer us excellent functionality, flexibility, and the features that we knew our players were looking for. The Aspire platform is a complete solution, that, as we continue to move into new territories and markets, gives us the tools we need to satisfy the demands of an increasingly diverse and disparate customer base. We will look to expand our portfolio of brands with Aspire as we develop new market specific concepts.”
Jov Spiero, Vice President of Sales at Aspire Global added “We are extremely excited to have Fortuna Gaming on board as a B2B partner on the Aspire Global platform. We have witnessed their rapid growth and been impressed with their expertise and passion for building great sites for their players. We believe the Aspire platform gives them a level of control and choice that will allow them to rapidly leverage their marketing abilities to deliver superb results. We look forward to working with them on Slotzo and indeed on new concepts and ideas”
About Aspire Global
January 15, 2019, Las Vegas, Nevada: Bet.Works™, a U.S. based igaming and sportsbook technology platform supplier, announced today that Quinton Singleton has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Singleton is a well-respected leader in the U.S. gaming space with over 12 years of executive experience across operators and suppliers, including developing and implementing the strategic roll out of U.S. sports betting for Scientific Games, a global leader in technology-based gaming systems and owner of OpenBet (the largest regulated sports betting technology product), and actively working with legislators, regulators and trade associations to expand legalized sports betting and igaming.
He also has professional experience as a certified public accountant and attorney, formerly with Deloitte and Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie.
In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Singleton will manage the operations of Bet.Works with a focus on go-to-market strategy and operations, and delivery of the omni-channel sports betting and igaming platform into existing and newly regulated jurisdictions across America.
Week 22 of the English Premier League ends with Manchester City closing the gap to four points with a comfortable victory over ten-man Wolves at The Etihad.
After murdering Rotherham 7-0, and mutilating Burton Albion 9-0, I imagine Wolves had an inkling that Man City would give them a good hiding when they howled underneath the Blue Moon of The Etihad, and that’s exactly what happened.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side was the first to stop City taking all three points from an English Premier League (EPL) game when they held them to a 1-1 draw at Molineux in August, but after the first 20-minutes of the rematch, you knew there was Bob Hope of a repeat.
This season, City have been the masters at scoring early, and within ten minutes, they were ahead with a greyhound of a goal. Aymeric Laporte started the move with a defence-splitting daisy-cutter from the back, Leroy Sané was onto it like a whippet, and Gabriel Jesus bundled his laser-like low cross into the back of the net.
Another round-up from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure at the home of Myles Munroe this time with the New York Times Bestselling author, Maria Konnikova, playing the ‘projection’ game.
PokerStars PCA Report: playing the projection game with Maria Konnikova Audio
If you like big upsets, well, you might have to wait for the NCAA Tournament’s March Madness to get your fix in a major sporting event. That’s because the NFL‘s conference championship Sunday is completely chalk with the top two seeds in the AFC and NFC facing off. It’s also the first time in the Super Bowl era that the top four offensive teams in the league all made the final four.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
While the numbers have changed from the Divisional Round, the order of favorites to win Super Bowl LIII on the first Sunday of February in Atlanta hasn’t changed. The NFC top-seeded New Orleans Saints are +175 to win the second Super Bowl in franchise history. They would be right at home in Atlanta as they play there once per season against the NFC South rival Falcons.
New Orleans has never lost a home playoff game with Drew Brees as its starting quarterback with the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Rams (+350) heading to the bayou for Sunday’s first game. For a while this season, the Rams were Super Bowl favorites, but that changed when they lost in New Orleans 45-35 in Week 9. Los Angeles had little problem dumping the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round as Sean McVay became the youngest head coach to ever win a playoff game at age 32.
Another round-up from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure live from the land of Lenny Kravitz including Justin Bonomo winning the second $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em Single Day event and news of the lineup of Season 2 of PokerGO’s Stories From The Felt.
[Image credit: Carlos Monti]
Another day in paradise is over, and a familiar name clings onto the headlines like an expensive paper clip – Justin Bonomo has won the second of three $25,000 Single-Day No-Limit Hold’em events.
The tournament attracted 47-entrants, and Bonomo turned it into a juiceless lemon somewhere in the nether regions of 10 and 11 hours of opens, calls and raises. It’s his first victory since winning the $10m first prize in the $1m buy-in Big One for One Drop at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).