Monthly Archives: June 2020

Cricket to return to UK, but remains under COVID-19 cloud

The English cricket summer continues to be thrown into doubt; 10 members of the touring Pakistan side have tested positive to COVID-19. The players that tested negative to COVID-19 will be permitted to enter the U.K.

All members of the Pakistan touring party are expected to be tested within 24 hours of entering England. The English Cricket Board is desperate for the tour to continue after the loss of the flagship Hundred tournament earlier this season.

The touring Pakistan side have been scheduled to play England in three Tests and three T20 matches at the beginning of August. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) boss Wasim Khan is expecting the schedule to continue, despite the latest setback. “The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per the schedule,” he said.

English cricket clubs are struggling financially as the prolonged restrictions have meant that cricket is having to compete with the Premier League for television ratings.

POGO inmates escape jail, operations restart questioned

The sources of Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) scandals seem to have an endless supply of material. If the online gambling industry, and the people of the Philippines, have any hope to gain some semblance of stability, law and order, it will fall on Philippines authorities to do their job. With inmates escaping jail, and POGOs allegedly resuming operations without receiving authority to do so, that seems like a lost cause.

News broke on June 24 that six Chinese inmates at the detention facility inside Camp Karingal had escaped on June 22. The inmates had originally been arrested during a December 19, 2019 raid, in which 342 Chinese Pogo employees (although the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation would now classify the firm as a NOGO) were arrested for working without a proper visa.

The six detainees didn’t have their freedom for very long. They were arrested at 9:30 pm on June 23.

As a result of the negligence of the facilities guards, Quezon City Policy Department Chief Brig. General Ronnie Monetjo has announced 15 police officers would be relieved of their duty. While it’s unclear exactly how the inmates escapes, and what penalties the officers will face, the guards will face criminal charges for their negligence.

Marigliano takes opening PLO Poker Masters Event

The opening event of the Pot Limit Omaha Poker Masters Online PLO Series Event #1 has been won by Marcello Marigliano for $249,053 after his heads-up victory against Gavin Cochrane.

With 72 players, the bubble burst leaving nine players in the money, and Norwegian player Andreas Torbergsen was the first to leave with profit, cashing for $26,182, the same amount that Niklas Astedt of Sweden and the Finnish player Niko Soininen did for finishing 8th and 7th respectively.

The final table of six players saw Maltese player Lasse Nielsen depart for $32,400 when his ace-king-jack-deuce hand lost out to Mark Demirjian on the river, the latter rivering two pair. It was a former WSOP bracelet winner who left in 5th place for $46,800 as Danish sensation Jesper Hougaard had the impressive looking ace-king-queen-queen overtaken by Marigliano’s queen-ten-nine-eight, which found running cards to hit a straight after the players were all-in on an eight-high flop.

It would be Demirjian who left the party in 4th place, earning $64,800 for his efforts. All-in with a double-suited ace-queen-ten-six which failed to significantly catch against both Cochrane and Marigliano, who called the Lebanese player. Cochrane flopped top set and that pushed the ventual winner out of the hand, eliminating Demirjian after the five-card runout.

As the UK continues to come back online, casinos left in the dark

Casinos and other gambling venues in the U.K now know exactly where they stand in the overall hierarchy of commercial importance. As the nation begins to return to normal following the coronavirus pandemic, commercial activity is being allowed to resume. Leisure and hospitality businesses are the latest to be greenlighted for a return; however, casinos are going to have to wait. That’s right – gambling venues rank lower than septic tank and sewer cleaners. 

Across the country, restaurants, bars, movie theaters and other commercial businesses will be back in action as of July 4, as long as they observe a “one-meter (3-foot) plus rule,” according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s latest decree. He told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the day marks a new “Independence Day” for the country, adding, “Today we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end and life is returning to our streets and to our shops, the bustle is starting to come back and a new but cautious optimism is palpable.”

To be fair, casinos weren’t singled out completely – they share the same fate as swimming pools, nightclubs and indoor gyms. However, the move seems consistent with an overall anti-gambling sentiment that has infected the higher ranks of the U.K government recently. So many restrictions have been placed on the industry that the country is going to wind up missing out on a serious source of revenue just when it needs it the most. 

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) is baffled by the delays, calling a continued lockdown “nonsensical.” Casinos have been working to adhere to health and safety protocols just like everyone else and, in some cases, have even gone further than what was required. Occupancy and table capacity limits have been put in place, facemasks are going to be mandatory, two-meter (6.5-feet) separations have been instituted between gaming machines and plexiglass dividers are installed where feasible. 

Danske Spil has a new leader after unanimous selection

Denmark’s gambling and lottery operator has a new captain at the helm. Peter Christensen, a former member of parliament (MP), has been tapped to lead Danske Spil into a new era of gaming, bringing with him a lot of political experience and connections. Christensen was selected to replace Peter Gæmelke, who is stepping down after ten years on the job and will take the wheel after a unanimous decision by the gaming operator’s board. 

Christensen is a member of the Danish Venstre Liberal Party and served as the country’s Minister of Taxation in 2011 and the Minister of Defense in 2015, according to SBC News. At the time, former Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen was running the show in the country, and Christensen is ready for his new role. He said in a statement, “It is a great privilege to help secure the financial foundation Danish sports and further social directive which I have personally benefited from. It is very important to me that gambling games remain as an entertainment feature. Danske Spil has an important social role in continuing to ensure a balanced and responsible gaming market in Denmark.”

Denmark’s finance minister, Nicolai Wammen, confirmed the appointment of the new chairman this week, which will lead to Christensen bowing out from his involvement with the Det Danske Klasselotteri, a state lottery operator. There, the new Danske Spil head had served as a non-executive director since 2018, and his resignation will take effect sometime during the latter half of this year. 

Christensen is going to have his work cut out for him. In addition to having to deal with declining revenue as a result of the coronavirus, 2020 hasn’t been a good year for Danske Spil in general. The operator released its financial report for the first quarter last month, indicating that its year-on-year growth was not as strong as it had hoped. The quarter saw drops in iGaming and gaming machine activity, but these were offset by positive growth in the firm’s lottery operations. Overall, for the quarter, Danske Spil saw $186.3 million in revenue, of which $97 million came from lottery sales. 

No sports gambling “realistic” in Washington State until next year

Sports gambling was approved in Washington State this past March after Governor Jay Inslee signed off on House Bill 2638 (HB 2638). The legislation allows state tribes to launch sportsbooks and, with 29 federally-recognized tribes in Washington, there’s a lot of gambling action that could be seen. It would be great if sports gambling could be offered now, since the four major sports leagues in the US are getting ready to return to action. However, according to the Washington State Gambling Commission (WGC), don’t bet on sports wagers to be allowed this year – 2021 is a more “realistic” goal. 

Since sports gambling was legalized, four tribes have already begun working on ways to alter their gaming compacts with state officials, and two others have submitted requests to change theirs. However, WGC Director David Trujillo asserts that the process of renegotiating the agreements takes time. He said in a statement that the commission wants to be “realistic even if realism is not what people want to hear.” 

Part of the delay is the myriad of components that make up the gaming compacts and Washington’s gambling laws. The commission is already addressing licensing and regulatory requirements and developed five different workgroups to discuss sports gambling. Also up for discussion are how to handle enforcement and problem gambling, all of which have to be considered alongside the compact negotiations. Before sports gambling can be allowed, every component has to reviewed and approved. 

There’s also the fact that Trujillo is currently otherwise disposed. He cannot dedicate as much time as he would like to his commission responsibilities since he is currently with the Washington National Guard as a captain serving as the unit’s chief of staff. As a result, commissioners have put tribal sports gambling on the back burner, but Trujillo has tried to keep abreast of the situation. He added in his statement, “I think we all agree that we want sports betting to be beneficial … and that any ills are mitigated. We want the process to move as quickly as possible, but the reality is that we are only one agency … we are not sitting idly by, we are dedicating our staff to show lawmakers that we are worthy of this role.”

Nagasaki pushes forward with IR dreams, Osaka still on hold

If and when Japan is able to finally move forward with its plans to allow three integrated resorts (IR) to appear on the horizon, the prefectures of Osaka and Nagasaki are expected to be at the top of the list of potential candidates. Both came out the gate strong, highly motivated and determined to reach the finish line in record time. As they rounded the first bend, they encountered their first hurdle, a delay by national lawmakers on laying the foundation. The second bend found another obstacle, bribery and influence peddling. While those two inconveniences slowed things down a little, nothing could prepare anyone for the trouble on turn three – the coronavirus. The global pandemic has taken its toll on most economic activity around the world, but the casino industry has been hurt the most. As Japan gets back on its feet, Osaka and Nagasaki are now putting the finish line back in focus, but it appears that Osaka hasn’t been able to return to its previous gallop and will need more time to clear its head. 

Nagasaki has previously made it clear that it doesn’t want any more delays than would be absolutely necessary. Local officials there said two months ago that they were moving forward with a request for proposal (RFP) and introduced the Kyushu-Nagasaki IR Basic Concept. In keeping with its plan, the prefecture just wrapped up a three-week event that included virtual meetings to discuss the big IR picture, as well as the RFP process and what’s expected from operators.

According to Masahiko Kunihiro of Nagasaki’s IR planning department, the meetings, which were able to be conducted despite the coronavirus, were an “important step” ahead of the official RFP launch and that they enabled all participants looking to get involved to understand exactly what’s expected of them. Likewise, those potential candidates were also given a forum to explain their current operational readiness following the hit received by COVID-19 and discuss what’s needed to make a full recovery.

Kunihiro adds, “Nagasaki Governor Hodo Nakamura last week stated that the current plan is to commence with the RFP process in the summer and decide on the IR partner in the winter of this year. Considering the current national schedule, the prefecture and IR partner will then spend several months creating an IR Implementation Plan to submit to the central government.”

Illinois senator calls out Chicago casino licensing delays

Illinois gaming regulators are intentionally shirking their responsibilities. That’s the opinion of Senator Dave Syverson, who has called out the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) for not being more proactive in approving a gaming license so a casino could be built in Rockford. He feels the board has had plenty of time and manpower to discuss the issue, especially since the coronavirus has allowed other topics of discussion to be tabled for the past couple of months. Syverson is looking for change and wants it soon.

Hard Rock International (HRI) is the only casino operator to have been approved by the Rockford City Council to develop a casino in the city. However, before the project can move forward, the IGB has to give its blessing. Syverson said, according to The Center Square, “With the casinos closed and the video gaming closed, you have 250 [IGB] employees that are sitting around doing nothing. The staff that’s working on the application, they’re still there, they’re still being paid. In addition, you have all this other staff with nothing to do who could have been assisting them in getting it done. COVID should not have slowed it down, it should have helped them to expedite their work.”

The lawmaker is baffled by the IGB’s assertion that it needs until this October to make a decision. That would be a year after HRI’s application was received, and he calls it “ridiculous” that the board needs so much time to decide on a “simple application.”

Illinois began to embrace the idea of new casinos when Governor J.B. Pritzker signed off on a bill a year ago that paved the way for six new gambling properties to be added to the state. The law gives the IGB 12 months to approve an application, but that doesn’t mean that the board needs to take the full allotment, especially when there isn’t much else to be discussed. Syverson is concerned that the delay will mean a Rockford casino won’t be ready until 2022 at the earliest, costing millions in lost revenue and lost employment.

MLB finally ready to hit the field, Opening Day about a month away

Professional baseball in the U.S. has had a tough few years. It has had to deal with major cheating scandals – some of which still haven’t been resolved – and then the loss of its regular schedule when the coronavirus pandemic forced it to shut down ahead of Opening Day. The cherry on top was the blatant disregard of passion for baseball, and love of money, that led team owners and players to spend over two months trying to negotiate a deal to get back on the field. After unable (or unwilling) to reach an agreement on their won, the two sides allowed Commissioner Rob Manfred to intervene and, to the surprise of many baseball fans, players and owners have now kissed and made up. MLB is coming back and could be here within a month.

Manfred decided that 60 games would be enough to call it a season, explaining in a statement on Monday, “Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon. We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with Baseball again soon.” The union signed off on the arrangement yesterday, and players are expected to begin training by July 1.

Teams will play a total of 40 games against division rivals, as well as 20 interleague games. 30 players will be included in the initial lineup, but teams are expected to submit 60-men rosters. According to Mark Feinsand with MLB.com, the 30-man lineup will be reduced to 28 after two weeks and then again to 26 after Week Four. In addition, there will be a designated hitter for the entire league and, if a game goes to extra innings, second base will see a baserunner every half-inning in order to speed up the game.

The idea now is to have Spring Training begin on July 1, with the season getting underway on July 23 or 24. The schedule was put into place after owners and players reached an agreement on a variety of health and safety issues last night, for which MLB explains, “The health and safety of players and employees will remain MLB’s foremost priorities in its return to play. MLB is working with a variety of public health experts, infectious disease specialists and technology providers on a comprehensive approach that aims to facilitate a safe return.”

Chile to let casinos launch online gambling to offset COVID-19 losses

Chile’s struggling casino operators could be allowed to expand into online gambling under a plan floated by the government to offset operators’ COVID-19 struggles.

On Tuesday, Chilean media reported that the government plans to send Congress a proposal to allow automatic renewals of the operating permits of 14 casinos that were scheduled to expire this year. The casinos’ right to operate would be extended for 12 months, after which the originally planned bidding process for renewal of the permits would occur.

All 26 of Chile’s casinos were closed in mid-March due to COVID-19 and have yet to reopen. The government announced last week that the casinos might not be reopened until September or possibly even October.

This is weighing heavily on both the casino operators and the municipalities that host them. Some of the casinos are operated by local governments that derive more than half of their operating budgets from gaming revenue.

Gaming’s contribution to Malta economy hits €1.56b in 2019

Malta’s gaming sector was the fourth-largest contributor to the local economy in 2019, although those contributions will likely take a step back in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) released its 2019 Annual Report and Financial Statements, which put the gaming sector’s estimated contributions to the local economy at a gross value of €1.56b, up 9.6% from 2018’s figure, which was itself up nearly 12% from 2017. Gaming accounted for 13.3% of the overall economy last year.

Total gaming sector full-time employment was up 9.1% to 7,417,  despite land-based gaming jobs falling by 20 to 824. Total employment related to the gaming sector hit 11,747, equal to around 4.8% of the overall economy. The online sector was comprised of 64% of non-Maltese in 2019, down 3.3 points year-on-year.

There were 294 companies holding a total of 298 MGA-issued gaming licenses at the end of 2019, up from 283 companies holding 286 licenses in 2018. The MGA received 89 license applications in 2019, of which 44 were either rejected or withdrawn.

Suncity’s Vietnam casino Hoiana holding ‘operational preview’ June 28

Suncity Group’s resort casino project in Vietnam will open for an ‘operational preview’ this weekend, part of the company’s ongoing evolution into an Asia-Pacific casino player.

On Tuesday, Suncity Group Holdings announced that the Hoiana integrated resort near Danang will welcome its first guests on Sunday, June 28, as a preview of some of the elements planned for the project’s Phase 1 development. Phase 1 was originally scheduled to open last year but has suffered a number of delays, the latest due to COVID-19.

While Phase 1 will eventually feature four swanky hotels, only one – the Hoiana Hotel & Suites – is apparently ready to welcome guests during the preview (the duration of which went unstated). The 18-hole Hoiana Shores Golf Club, designed by course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., has been operational since early March. There will also be a “wide array” of dining, drinking and shopping options on hand.  

Most importantly, the Suncity-managed casino will be more than willing to welcome guests onto its floor, and while the casino eventually plans to offer 140 gaming tables and 300 slot machines, the precise makeup and number of gaming positions available during the preview wasn’t specified. The project was issued a 60-year ‘casino operating license’ last month.

Fedor Holz and Martin Mulsow bag online majors

A big weekend in online poker saw huge poker professionals bag big wins in major online events, as Fedor Holz, Ole Schemion and Artur Martirosyan continued strong lockdown periods with more poker profit.

Fedor Holz won the Summer Series High Roller for $156,377 as the $5,200-entry event saw 149 entries rack up a prizepool of $745,000. With eight players reaching the final table, another man who is in great form was first to depart the action, as Russian player Artur Martirosian cashed for $26,055 and he was followed out of the tournament by another well-known player who has amassed plenty of profts over the last three months in Conor Beresford.

Gediminas Uselis from Lithuania was next to go, and others who busted along the way featured Laszlo Bujtas who won $72,547 for finishing in 4th place. It was Joao Vieira who would battle with Fedor Holz heads-up, but the German closed it out to claim the top prize.

Summer Series High Roller final table results:

Trio of favorites on Travelers Championship odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

On March 12, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass outside Jacksonville, Florida, went off as scheduled. However, the coronavirus sent the PGA Tour’s 2020 schedule into chaos after the first round of that tournament, which was the last to start on its originally scheduled date.

This week, the first tournament since to start when it was first scheduled is the Travelers Championship from TPC River Highlands outside Hartford, Connecticut – Hartford is the insurance capital of the United States for those who don’t know (and of course Travelers is an insurance company).

While officials of the Travelers Championship would never admit this publicly, the coronavirus hugely helped their tournament in terms of quality of field with eight of the world’s Top 10 committed (once again, though, no Tiger Woods). Why did the coronavirus benefit this event?