After two days Tudhope is alongside Ryan Moore at the top of the table with three winners following his late surge on Move Swiftly (GB) in the June 19 Duke of Cambridge (G2) at Royal Ascot, which propelled the jockey past Frankie Dettori on Rawdaa.
Monthly Archives: June 2019
UK operators pledge major boost to responsible gambling funding
The UK’s biggest gambling operators have pledged to dramatically boost their funding of responsible gambling programs in an apparent bid to fend off future government crackdowns.
On Wednesday, the BBC reported that gambling operators Bet365, Flutter Entertainment (formerly Paddy Power Betfair), GVC Holdings, Sky Bet and William Hill had agreed to boost their voluntary responsible gambling levy from its current 0.1% of gambling revenue to 1% over the next five years.
The new 1% pledge was made in a letter sent this week to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which oversees gambling activities. The Financial Times reported that the letter followed a meeting on Friday between industry reps and the DCMS, at which the government told the industry that its responsible gambling proposals were inadequate to deal with the scope of the problem.
The five companies issued a statement saying they hoped to agree on “a long-term costed plan” for their voluntary contributions by the end of 2019. Expectations are that the pledged amount will eventually return an annual £60m-£100m to responsible gambling programs, including those run by the industry-funded GambleAware.
Sweden spank Lottoland; minister praises Italy’s gambling ad ban
Sweden’s gambling regulator has doled out yet another financial penalty package, this time to online lottery betting outfit Lottoland.
On Wednesday, the Spelinspektionen regulatory body announced the imposition of a SEK700k (US$74k) fine against United Lottery Solutions Ltd, operator of the Lottoland.se gambling site, for offering products not covered by its Swedish gambling license.
Lottoland doesn’t operate lotteries, instead offering players the chance to bet on the outcome of traditional lottery draws offered by (usually) state-run lottery companies. Sweden allows Lottoland.se to offer wagering on international lottery draws but the site was also offering betting on the Eurojackpot lottery, which in Sweden is strictly the turf of state-owned operator Svenska Spel.
In addition, Spelinspektionen determined that Lottoland was offering online scratch cards in violation of its local license. Spelinspektionen also claimed that Lottoland hadn’t been “sufficiently clear” in ensuring its customers understood that they weren’t participating in an actual lottery drawing.
Churchill Downs to Lease, Operate 'Racetrack Extension'
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously approved a Churchill Downs Racetrack request to lease and operate a “racetrack extension” at the new Louisville Thoroughbred Society.
Delaware Park Offering Four MATCH Series Races July 13
When the MATCH Series returns to Delaware Park July 13, eight horses will have the opportunity to qualify for the lucrative owner and trainer bonuses tied to each series division.
Dashing Willoughby Recovers in Time to Win Queen's Vase
Sent off at 6-1 after being available at 14-1 the morning of June 19, Dashing Willoughby tracked the pace set by Nayef Road and showed great grit and determination to fend off tenacious duo Barbados and Nayef Road in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.
Old Unions Reunited as Raffle Prize Takes Queen Mary
Raffle Prize showed the tenacity to match her ability when overhauling Wesley Ward’s American raider Kimari at the end of the June 19 Queen Mary Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, in which the 25 runners were confronted by driving rain.
Norfolk a Stakes Debut for American Pharoah Colt Maven
Maven, the first winner in the United States for American Pharoah, will make his stakes debut June 20 when he faces an expected 14 other juveniles in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot.
Century Casinos Acquires Mountaineer Operations
Publicly traded Century Casinos entered into a definitive agreement June 17 to acquire the operating assets of Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack, and Resort in a deal that also included operations of two Missouri casinos from Eldorado Resorts.
Crystal Ocean Secures Group 1 Win in Prince of Wales's
Crystal Ocean finally gained a deserved group 1 success with a strong staying performance in a rain-soaked running of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
New Jersey fines DraftKings for self-exclusion, ‘cooling off’ failures
Daily fantasy sports cum sports betting / online casino operator DraftKings has been fined by New Jersey regulators for violating rules on protecting self-excluded gamblers.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) recently published details of two regulatory actions taken against DraftKings, which offers daily fantasy sports, sports betting and online casino products in the state.
In the first action on June 6, the DGE imposed the maximum $2k civil penalty against DraftKings for sending promotional emails and direct mailings to an undisclosed number of individuals who’d signed a gambling self-exclusion registry. The DGE said it informed DraftKings of its regulatory violation on April 12, and that DraftKings had agreed to the penalty on May 1.
In the second action, the DGE imposed a civil penalty of $5k and ordered DraftKings to ‘disgorge’ an additional $3,277.36 that the company won from customers who’d gambled with the site despite having requested a ‘cooling off’ status be placed on their accounts, which should have prevented them from gambling for a designated period.
Canadian Owner/Breeder Gus Schickedanz Dies At 90
Gus Schickedanz, longtime breeder/owner and master of Shomberg Farm in Ontario, died June 17. His homebreds include multiple grade 1 winner Langfuhr and Canadian Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Wando.
Playson’s Business Development Manager Lars Kollind shortlisted for iGaming Idol Awards
Malta, 19th June 2019 – Lars Kollind, Business Development Manager at Playson, has been nominated for Sales Idol of the Year at the iGaming Idol 2019.
Kollind, who has helped raise the profile of the casino software developer since joining the company earlier this year, impressed the panel of expert judges with his management skills and commercial acumen.
Winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony, which takes place on 11th September at The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta.
The iGaming Idol Awards celebrates those who have excelled in their field of expertise and made a positive impact on the iGaming industry.
Mediacle agrees affiliate partnership with Nektan
Mediacle Group AB (publ) is pleased to announce it has expanded its partnership with Nektan to include the supply of affiliate software and services.
Nektan, one of the leading global gaming platforms and renowned service providers in the online casino sector, will be using Mediacle’s robust and powerful iGaming affiliate software, MAP across a number of its casino brands including Cheeky Win and Love Reels. With the support of Mediacle, Nektan aims to grow its brands further and consolidate its position as a leading mobile and online casino platform.
Shortlisted as the Best Affiliate Software by the EGR B2B Awards for three consecutive years, MAP iGaming Affiliate Software is an efficient affiliate management platform which provides easy affiliate campaign management for the iGaming industry. The MAP software comes with many innovative inbuilt features and add-ons that assures reliability, transparency and helps iGaming businesses optimise their campaigns for growth and better profit margins. The software also permits affiliates to run multi-level campaigns which aids in tracking all the marketing activities in a cost effective way.
Santosh Jain, the CEO of Mediacle, said, “Mediacle is extremely delighted to be associated with Nektan and our team is all geared up to offer the best affiliate services.”
The California lottery, public schools and the mystery of the 'missing' money
A columnist discusses lottery funding of education, and why people never seem to get the sense of where lottery proceeds end up.Financials, California, Opinion, Education
Bulgarian gambling industry becoming more and more interesting for international companies
EGT Interactive Legal Counsel / Compliance Manager to share industry insight about the Bulgaring market at CEEGC 2019 Budapest.
Recent headlines in the gambling industry media outlets have reported that the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance has appointed Alexander Georgiev as the new Head of Bulgaria’s State Gambling Commission, however there has been quite a few movements in the region that need mentioning.
The former head, Maria Filipova, is appointed as the deputy chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) and is now in charge of the Investment Activity Supervision Division.
The naming of the new and now former Head of Bulgaria’s State Gambling Commission comes after the dismissal of Ohnemir Mitev, who was accused by media publications in regards to the commissions’ inaction against the aggressive advertising of gambling on national televisions.
Bulgarian gambling industry becoming more and more interesting for international companies
EGT Interactive Legal Counsel / Compliance Manager to share industry insight about the Bulgaring market at CEEGC 2019 Budapest.
Recent headlines in the gambling industry media outlets have reported that the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance has appointed Alexander Georgiev as the new Head of Bulgaria’s State Gambling Commission, however there has been quite a few movements in the region that need mentioning.
The former head, Maria Filipova, is appointed as the deputy chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) and is now in charge of the Investment Activity Supervision Division.
The naming of the new and now former Head of Bulgaria’s State Gambling Commission comes after the dismissal of Ohnemir Mitev, who was accused by media publications in regards to the commissions’ inaction against the aggressive advertising of gambling on national televisions.
Meet up with Betinvest at the Brazilian Gaming Congress
It’s time for Latin America to host all the key players in the gambling industry at the Brazilian Gaming Congress from 23-25 June. You’ll find the Betinvest team at stand 7, captivating visitors with their wide portfolio of sports betting products and special offers.
“Brazil is an attractive location for the sports betting business. New regulations that the Brazilian government are going to adopt in the coming years will create new opportunities for our industry. As a leading provider of sports betting solutions, we’re obliged to keep abreast of, and be active in, the places and markets where the industry needs to be driven.
We’re looking forward to gaining more experience in the LATAM region and acquiring knowledge about local specificities at the panels, as well as networking and forming new partnerships.” – Alexandra Kalchuk, Business Development Manager at Betinvest.
For more information about Betinvest products and services, click here.
NBA’s 76ers owner signs eSports betting partnership
Esports Entertainment Group (EEG) has found a new partner. The eSports betting operated has entered into an agreement with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) for a multiyear betting deal that will see both entities marketing their respective operations in each other’s venues. HBSE is the majority owner of several pro sports teams, including the New Jersey Devils, the Philadelphia 76ers and EPL (ePremier League) soccer squad Crystal Palace.
In addition to those entities, HBSE also owns Dignitas, an eSports organization. Through the new partnership, Dignitas will promote EEG’s peer-to-peer gambling site, VIE.gg, which is designed to serve as an eSports gambling exchange. It is a marketplace where users can bet against each other on the outcome of matches while trading in real time. Some of the games covered by the portal are Dota 2, StarCraft III, Call of Duty and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Dignitas was founded in 2003, making it one of the oldest eSports organizations to still be operational. Its primary base is in the UK, but owned by a US company. Despite its close ties to both countries, Vie.gg cannot offer its services in either. The site does not have a license to operate in the UK, or in any of the US states that have legalized sports gambling, but is reportedly working to change this, at least in the UK. In the US, no state has yet to introduce legislation to regulate online eSports gambling and, until that happens, Vie.gg will have to sit on the sidelines.
The eSports industry is one of the fastest growing in recent times. The past couple of years have brought tremendous success to the space, and it is expected that the amount of money wagered on eSports competitions will be at least $12.9 billion by next year. Despite its popularity – Las Vegas has its own eSports arena and high schools and universities now offer eSports curriculums – the US is dragging its feet on introducing the necessary regulatory framework.
Gaming supplier Jade Entertainment increases Asian footprint
Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies, Inc, a casino gaming floor product supplier based in the Philippines, is hoping to become a major player in the Asian market. The company is ready to take the region by storm, offering a complete line of products for casinos that make it, in Jade’s words, a “one-stop shop” for casinos looking to outfit their venues.
GGRAsia conducted an interview with Jade’s founder and CEO, Joe Pisano, who asserted that the company now has “the product range to fully fit out a casino.” He added that it can supply an array of products, including traditional gaming tables, RFID-capable tables, gaming systems, redemption terminals where players can cash out their winning, and more.
To help with its expansion plans, the company has been able to establish offices across the region. Pisano indicates, “We now have offices in Malaysia, Vietnam, Macau, the Philippines. We plan to expand into Australia, so I’m going through licensing in Australia.”
The executive adds that Jade is capable of servicing large or small venues. It was recently tasked with outfitting the Corona Resort and Casino on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam and Pisano explains, “A lot of such places are new to the industry. We can provide them with a lot of services and support. Or we can supply the larger properties, where we now have a very big tech team.”