Monthly Archives: March 2020

Illinois land-based betting starts Monday, Michigan on Wednesday

Legal sports betting is coming to both Illinois and Michigan next week, but only if bettors are willing to hoof it on down to a local casino.

On Friday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced that Detroit’s three commercial casinos “expect to be authorized” to conduct onsite sports betting starting at 1pm on Wednesday, March 11. The MGCB has no authority over the state’s tribal casinos, each of which will announce their own betting plans in due course.

The MGCB plans to give the commercial casinos their final approval on Tuesday following each operator’s presentations at a public meeting. The MGCB has already issued provisional licenses to the companies who are providing the casinos with betting kiosks.

Speaking of, MGM Resorts’ MGM Grand Detroit has already installed two rows of betting kiosks just outside the Moneyline Sports Lounge that the property opened last October. MGM said Friday that it will invite “local sports legends” to the sportsbook’s official launch on Wednesday afternoon.

Stakers flips bird at UK regulator over gambling license suspension

Online gambling operator Stakers is hitting back at the UK gambling regulator for suspending its license due to alleged compliance failures.

On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced the suspension of the gaming license held by Malta-based Stakers Ltd due to what the regulator called “a number of compliance issues.” Stakers was ordered to limit its contact with UK customers to account withdrawals pending a review of the company’s UK license.

Most companies that have been subject to UKGC discipline tend to go quietly, but Stakers has chosen an alternate route. UK visitors to Stakers.com now see a pop-up featuring the brand’s two comic characters Mr Boo and Mr Kie – Bookie, get it? – and a message that their “thrilling adventure” had been “suddenly interrupted” and thus “the train is stopping!”

The message went on to say that “despite our efforts to to [sic] tighten the compliance rules even more was required from our community.” The site assured UK customers that “your balances are secure, withdrawals will be processed in the matter [sic] those are received.”

Finland’s Paf acquires Swedish gambling rival Mandalorian Tech

Finnish gaming operator Paf has acquired Swedish rival Mandalorian Technologies to boost its fortunes in the latter country’s regulated online gambling market.

On Friday, Paf announced that it had acquired the operations of Malta-based Mandalorian Technologies Ltd, which include the No Account Casino, No Account Bet, Prank Casino and Prank Bet dot-com sites.

Mandalorian’s sites have licenses issued by the Malta Gaming Authority as well as licenses issued by Sweden’s Spelinspektionen gambling regulatory agency. Paf, which holds a gambling monopoly in Finland’s autonomous Swedish-speaking Åland Islands, claims that the acquisition will make it “one of the ten largest gaming companies in Sweden” and signals the company’s “long-term ambition to be a leader” in Sweden’s regulated market.

Paf CEO Christer Fahlstedt said his group had been following Mandalorian’s growth “closely for almost a year,” noting that the company “did not exist two years ago and their journey has been fantastic.”

“I’m going to go down swinging.” – Andre Agassi’s career that nearly never was

Tennis greats are never born, only made. While modern greats Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have set new records in terms of Grand Slam victories, other legends came before them. We have already featured Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors in this series, three men who redefined the sporting focus tennis enjoyed.

Between those greats retiring and the current ‘Holy Trinity’ taking over the mantle as greats who would sweep all before them, however, there was a fantastic yet often overlooked period of tennis, dominated by three Americans – Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier. Between then, the trio won an incredible 18 Grand Slam titles. We’ve already written on the power and majesty of ‘Pistol’ Pete Sampras. We continue our look at these understated trendsetters with an indulgence in Andre Agassi bizarre, often frustrating, but ultimately fairytale career.

Of the three American sharpshooters we’re featuring in this series of articles, Andre Agassi’s career is one that almost defies narrative, so broken was the path of his career.

The young Andre Agassi was a fantastic tennis player as a child, winning from the age of 12 pretty consistently. When he was 13, Agassi was sent to Nick Bolleteri’s Florida-based tennis academy, refused to take money for him, he was that good, stating, “Take your check back. He’s here for free.”

FA Cup 5th round review – Chelsea give Liverpool a lesson, Spurs knocked out by Norwich

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

An entertaining tie at Stamford Bridge saw Chelsea knock the league leaders Liverpool out of the F.A. Cup. With the visitors struggling in their Champions League phase tie against Atletico Madrid and losing their first league game to Watford at the weekend, they lost again as Chelsea took them apart on an evening when debutant Billy Gilmour shone in midfield.

Frank Lampard’s side were the more urgent throughout, and goals from Willian and Ross Barkley were enough to see The Blues through to a quarter-final where they will host Leicester City. Willian’s effort squirmed through the hapless Adrian in goal for Liverpool, but there was no stopping Ross Barkley’s strike for the decisive second. The former Evertonian slalomed through the Liverpool side from his own half before jinking into some space ahead of Joe Gomez and smashing an unstoppable shot into the bottom left corner.

Liverpool huffed and puffed, bringing on Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah, but they were impotent in threatening Kepa’s goal and Chelsea prevented the Merseysiders dreaming of the treble any longer. Liverpool may still win the league at a canter, but they may well look back on this period as a worrying sign that next season won’t be as easy as the start of this one was. Chelsea, only alive in this competition, are now joint second favourites to win the F.A. Cup.