Monthly Archives: February 2019

Gambling, porn apps elude Apple police

Apple’s Enterprise Certificate program appears to be sour. There have already been issues regarding the program, after it surfaced last week that both Facebook and Google had misused the program to circumvent rules on the App Store to collect user data. Now, it appears that a number of gambling and porn-related apps have taken advantage of the program to be able to include their apps on the store.

According to TechCrunch, an investigation conducted by the media outlet revealed “a dozen hardcore pornography apps and a dozen real-money gambling apps that escaped Apple’s oversight.” They were able to do so by circumventing the weak screening process associated with Enterprise Certificate, or by flying under the radar after being attached to legitimate approvals.

TechCrunch adds, “The situation shows further evidence that Apple has been neglecting its responsibility to police the Enterprise Certificate program, leading to its exploitation to circumvent App Store rules and forbidden categories. For a company whose CEO Tim Cook frequently criticizes its competitors for data misuse and policy fiascos like Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica, Apple’s failure to catch and block these porn and gambling demonstrates it has work to do itself.”

Last week, TechCrunch revealed that Facebook and Google had manipulated the platforms rules to distribute apps that sought root access or which installed VPNs. Those apps allowed the companies to collect user traffic and phone data for market analysis. Apple suspended the certificates given to both companies, but has since lifted the suspension.

Showtime to air documentary on professional sports gambling

A new sports gambling documentary is coming, courtesy of Showtime Sports Documentary Films. The four-part series will be aired next month and reportedly takes a dive inside the lives of individuals behind the scenes in the industry.

The documentary, “Action,” lifts the veil on the lives of gamblers, oddsmakers, handicappers and more. One of the individuals featured in the film is David Oancea, better known as “Vegas Dave,” who pleaded guilty in federal court this past January on charges of unwittingly causing casinos in Las Vegas to violate established record-keeping procedures.

Action comes to an end with a piece on Super Bowl LIII. While the event didn’t produce the ratings the NFL had hoped for, it turned out to be the biggest gambling day of the year and sports books were more than happy with the turnout.

In a statement by Showtime Sports and Event Programming President Stephen Espinoza, “The world of sports gambling has fascinated Hollywood for decades. Through the lens of industry professionals and real-life gamblers within every virtual layer of the business – both legal and illegal – ‘Action’ delivers a one-of-a-kind look as sports gambling enters a brave new world.”

NBA All-Star Weekend: 3-point odds, Slam Dunk odds

The Charlotte Hornets, owned by a guy by the name of Michael Jordan, were supposed to host the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, but the league pulled it in July 2016 because of a North Carolina newly-passed law that limited discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the state. However, in May 2017 the NBA awarded the game back to Charlotte for this season after North Carolina rescinded that 2016 law.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Per usual, the All-Star festivities start Saturday night with the 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest – the Slam Dunk Contest used to overshadow the All-Star Game itself with legendary performances from the likes of Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter and others. However, the league’s biggest stars now avoid this contest for whatever reason. It has become less about dunking than using props, etc.

The biggest of the four names this year is New York Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., who is the +200 favorite after finishing third last season. He’s joined by second-year Atlanta Hawk John Collins (+225) and rookies Miles Bridges (+225) of the Hornets and Hamidou Diallo (+400) of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

New Research Reveals 90% of Casino Visitors Practice Responsible Gaming

With American acceptance of gaming at an all-time high, casino gamblers are actively practicing responsible gaming, according to new research released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA). Bettors report setting budgets, sticking to them and being aware of available responsible gaming resources at significantly high rates.

According to the research:

  • 9 in 10 casual bettors set a budget before they visit a casino;
  • 90 percent of those visitors report success in tracking their spending; and
  • 8 in 10 casual casino visitors and 9 in 10 avid casino visitors are aware of responsible gaming resources.

“Responsible gaming is our industry’s top priority,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “This research indicates that our unwavering commitment to responsibility is resonating with our customers. But success in this key area will never mean our work is done, and we look forward to continuing to work with gaming regulators, our partners in the fight against problem gambling and our employees to ensure customers continue to engage in this form of mainstream entertainment responsibly.” 

This research comes on the heels of a recent AGA study that highlighted continued growth in acceptance of gaming. That research indicates that 88 percent of American adults view gambling as an acceptable form of entertainment. Americans also have a positive view of the industry’s role as a community partner, with 80 percent of people recognizing gaming’s role as a job creator, and 6 in 10 Americans believing casinos help their local economies.

“Gaming has made great strides over the past few years with the public increasingly recognizing our industry as the community partner and economic driver we know it to be,” continued Miller. “I look forward to working with our members and all interested stakeholders to build upon this great momentum in the years to come.”

The U.S. gaming industry commits more than $300 million to responsible gaming annually, supporting education, training and rehabilitation programs across the country.

Last year, AGA launched the Responsible Gambling Collaborative, convening a renowned group of thought leaders, stakeholders and academics to chart a new course on the complex issue of responsible gaming.

AGA members adhere to the association’s Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct which guides industry commitments to responsible gaming and is updated annually to reflect new developments and industry innovations. In 2018, AGA updated the Code to enhance provisions on sports betting and responsible advertising.

Methodology: Today’s data comes from two separate polls completed in late 2018. Data on Americans’ acceptance of gaming comes from our survey of American’s attitudes toward gaming and was conducted by the Mellman Group of 1,000 registered voters, both online and on the phone. Data on casino visitors’ responsible gaming practices comes from a survey of 2,014 past year casino gamblers. This survey was conducted online by BrandOutlook.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $261 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.8 million jobs nationwide. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, gaming suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to achieve sound policies and regulations consistent with casino gaming’s modern appeal and vast economic contributions.