Monthly Archives: July 2020

500.com’s Japan casino bribery scandal widens, annual report delayed

Struggling online gambling operator 500.com’s woes continue to mount on fresh political bribery allegations in Japan and a warning from New York financial regulators.

On Tuesday, Japanese media reported that a second member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had admitted receiving cash and favors from 500.com during a visit to the company’s Shenzhen headquarters and later to a Macau casino as 500.com’s guest.

Takaki Shirasuka admitted accepting ¥1m (US$9,300) in cash as well as allowing 500.com to buy his gambling chips at the unspecified casino. Shirasuka’s office issued a statement saying that the lawmaker believed “none of his actions constitute anything illegal.”

Incredibly, public prosecutors don’t intend to file criminal charges against Shirasuka (pictured), based on their view that, while he was a member of a cross-party group of legislators promoting Japan’s push to establish a domestic casino industry, he had no influence over which companies will receive the three initial licenses up for grabs.

New Jersey online gambling fails to set record, sports betting rebounds

New Jersey’s online gambling market failed to maintain its record-setting pace in June, while sports betting revenue continued to rely on some questionable activities to make up its numbers.

Figures released Tuesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) show the state’s licensed online casino/poker operators generated combined revenue of $84.9m in June, a 123.1% improvement from the same month last year but around $1m below May 2020’s record $86m.

June’s online casino revenue was up 124.3% year-on-year to slightly less than $81.4m, just a whisker behind May 2020’s total. Online poker revenue effectively doubled year-on-year to $3.54m, but this was about $1m below May 2020’s figure, which was itself down from April’s record $5.15m. Alas, irrational hope of a second online poker boom, we hardly knew ye.

For the year-to-date, New Jersey’s online revenue stands at $422.7m, up 99.4% from the total generated over the first half of 2019. Online casino is up 94.7% to $402.2m while poker rose 88.9% to $20.5m.

Australia’s Tabcorp inks exclusive MLB betting partnership

Australian lottery and betting operator Tabcorp Holdings has signed an exclusive wagering partnership with Major League Baseball.

On Tuesday, Tabcorp announced that it had struck a deal to make its TAB land-based and online betting brand the sole official wagering partner of MLB. Terms of the ‘multi-year’ deal weren’t disclosed.

The deal will offer the 4,400 TAB retail venues access to MLB Network’s 24/7 programming, as well as up to 10 live games per week. The MLB Network content will be broadcast via Tabcorp’s racing and sports network Sky. The TAB betting app and website will feature all MLB games as well as MLB Network content courtesy of MLB’s international streaming partner Sportradar.

In addition to viewing options, TAB bettors will have the chance to obtain “exclusive MLB content including tickets, player experiences, competitions and more.”

Ukraine parliament okays gambling expansion bill

Ukraine’s gambling expansion plans are go after the country’s parliament approved the second reading of the necessary legislation.  

On Tuesday, 248 members of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of Bill 2285-d, which authorizes the expansion of both land-based and online gambling operations. The vote after the bill’s second reading exceeded the required 226 votes needed for passage, leaving only President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s signature to become law.

Ukraine outlawed most forms of gambling in 2009 but policing unauthorized gambling activity proved not only ineffective but costly. Ukraine’s cash-strapped government hopes to raise UAH4.5b (US$166m) this year from licensing and taxing various gambling activities, including online sports betting, casino and poker (tournaments only, cash games are apparently permitted only at casinos).

The legislation also permits casinos in four- and five-star hotels, except in Kiev, where only five-star venues can participate. A nationwide maximum of 40k slot machines can be approved  for use in three- to five-star hotels, with licenses issued via a competitive bidding process. Retail bookmaking will also be permitted.

Broncos, BetMGM Agree To Multi-Year Sports Betting Partnership

image: .sanden.

The Denver Broncos and BetMGM, a market-leading sports betting and gaming platform from ROAR Digital, LLC – the joint venture between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings (LSE: GVC), announced today that they have entered into a multi-year agreement.

As an official sports betting partner of the Broncos, BetMGM and MGM Resorts will provide premium fan experiences, including a new BetMGM Lounge at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, VIP travel packages, and benefits through MGM Resorts’ loyalty program, M life Rewards. The strategic partnership also includes a free-to-play mobile game, digital marketing assets, and in-stadium promotions and signage.

“This partnership with the Broncos allows us to showcase not only a premier BetMGM sports betting and gaming platform, but also the world-class entertainment experiences delivered by MGM Resorts,” said BetMGM’s Chief Marketing Officer Matt Prevost. “We’re excited to bring both of these to Broncos fans at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium and across the country, while offering BetMGM users new ways to engage with their favorite football team.”

The BetMGM Lounge, located on the Level 1 concourse adjacent to Gate 4 and outside Section 111/112, will allow fans 21 years of age and older access to a full-service premium bar, a luxury lounge, live odds and assistance with BetMGM’s mobile app. Additional in-stadium promotions, highlighted by BetMGM’s season-long First Possession Payoff, will be announced at a later date.

The free-to-play game will be available to Broncos fans directly on The Bronco’s official mobile app. The game will offer eligible fans the opportunity to test their sports prediction skills and win MGM Resorts prizes, including trips to MGM Resorts properties nationwide.

Denver Broncos Chief Commercial Officer Mac Freeman said, “When we began the process of identifying potential partners in this category, our goal was to provide Broncos fans with unique ways to engage with sports betting. Together with BetMGM, we can now offer our fans and M life Rewards members in Colorado new opportunities such as in-stadium gaming lounge, VIP travel packages to MGM Resorts around the country and a free-to-play game through our mobile app.”

BetMGM recently launched in Colorado in partnership with the Midnight Rose Hotel and Casino. The BetMGM mobile app is available for download in Colorado on both iOS and Android. New customers to the BetMGM Colorado app will receive $100 in free bonus credit when placing a first bet of $10 or more on any Denver Broncos Game or Broncos future wager using bonus code BRONCOS at registration. For more information, follow @BetMGM on Twitter.

Ryan Depaulo and Michael Lech both win WSOP bracelets

Two more World Series of Poker bracelets have been won in the online series, with two huge personalities winning the most precious jewelry a poker player can ever wear.

Event #12

In Event #12, the $500-entry BIG 500 NLHE event was one of the best stories of the WSOP Online Series so far.

With 2,427 entries overall, there was a $1,092,150 prizepool and the tournament ended at a Whole Foods parking lot after over 12 hours of poker when Ryan Depaulo’s internet connection held up in his car and he took down the $159,563 top prize to win his first-ever WSOP bracelet.

Pandemic continues to batter state lotteries and programs

Unsurprisingly, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter state programs and lotteries as lottery revenue streams take a hit. While some state lotteries saw unprecedented sales increases within the past few months, diminished sales in other states leave others in a realm of uncertainty, looking for ways to make up for the deficits.Insider Buzz, Financials, Sales, Medical

English soccer legend Jack Charlton loses final battle with cancer

England World Cup hero Jack Charlton has succumbed to a long battle with lymphoma, passing away at the age of 85. Charlton was surrounded by family in his home in Northumberland when he passed away.

Charlton was remembered for being a part of England’s legendary squad, alongside his brother Sir Bobby, that claimed the 1966 World Cup. Charlton was a tough central defender who spent his entire playing career at Leeds United, he claimed every domestic honour in English soccer, including the 1969 league title.

The family released a statement shortly after:

“As well as a friend to many, he was a much-adored husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we cannot express how proud we are of the extraordinary life he led and the pleasure he brought to so many people in different countries and from all walks of life. He was a thoroughly honest, kind, funny and genuine man, who always had time for people. His loss will leave a huge hole in all our lives but we are thankful for a lifetime of happy memories.”

Wimbledon allocates 2020 prize money to players

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) made the bold decision to allocate the prize pool from the 2020 Wimbledon tournament to the playing group. The All England Tennis Club will distribute £10m in prize money to 620 players who were on the track to play the 2020 tournament.

The decision was taken after Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II, due to the COVID-19 outbreak across the U.K. and the rest of the world.

The move will keep the careers of the majority of players outside the main group alive. With no satellite tournaments or majors for the last four months, some players have struggled to make a living or pay for training.

AELTC announces prize money in lieu of The Championships 2020 alongside initial decisions for The Championships 2021 ⬇️#Wimbledon

Adam Kling talks gaming on Bitcoin SV on Blockchain Gaming World podcast

This is a guest contribution by Patrick Thompson, a writer with CoinGeek.com. Kronoverse CEO Adam Kling recently spoke about why esports simply work better on Bitcoin SV. This article first appeared on CoinGeek.com.

Kronoverse CEO Adam Kling recently guested on the Blockchain Gaming World podcast, where he and host Jon Jordan explored a range of topics including the Bitcoin SV-powered game CryptoFights, how Kling got involved in the blockchain gaming space, why the CryptoFights team chose BSV as their back-end, Kling’s vision for CryptoFights and the problems the Kronoverse team faced when building on Ethereum, as well as the vision the Kronoverse team is working towards achieving. 

We encourage you to listen to the full episode. But in the meantime, here is a part of the conversation between Kling and Jordan that is very insightful—why the Kronoverse team decided to build on BSV.

Why Kronoverse built on BSV

EveryMatrix gains Associate Member status in the European Lotteries Association

Thursday, June 9th, 2020, Malta

EveryMatrix is pleased to join the European Lotteries Association by securing the status of Associate Member. As an established B2B technology provider within iGaming, EveryMatrix will take its place among other esteemed lottery suppliers in the space.

Built on three core values – responsibility, sustainability, and integrity, the European Lotteries Association’s mission is to protect consumers in the fast-paced lottery sector. EveryMatrix adheres to the highest standards of integrity, responsible gaming, and is perfectly aligned with the Association’s purpose.

Ebbe Groes, Group CEO of EveryMatrix, comments: “We are happy to receive our Associate Member status in the European Lotteries Association. This is a recognition of EveryMatrix as a reliable partner in the lottery space and we are glad to be in a such good company. The Association’s responsible gambling policies and best practices should be the standard for any company in the iGaming space.”

Washington Redskins name odds: Warriors, Red Tails and Red Clouds favorites

After 87 years of using the name, the Washington Redskins have finally gone ahead with the decision to drop their problematic team name and go with something new. News of the name change broke on July 13 after an internal review was conducted by the team (and years of protest from U.S. tribal activists), and the sports books are already taking wagers on what the new team name will be. Thanks to Bodog, we have a look at some of the more likely candidates.

The leading favorites, odds wise, are either the Washington Red Tails Or Washington Red Clouds, both currently sitting at +275. Both of these names would likely keep something close to the team’s color scheme, and each in their way would honor a piece of history. The Red Tails name was one of the nicknames for the Tuskegee Airmen, fighter pilots of World War 2, while Red Cloud was a Native American warrior who defeated U.S. army troops and burned down their forts. These are easy favorites, specially as the Red Tails won a rebrand contest and has the support of local legislators.

But if the public had much of a say in the matter, the Redskins name would have gone away years ago. So what does Dan Snyder Want? The next leading favorite in the odds are the Washington Warriors at +300. Snyder has previously tried to trademark the name, but couldn’t seal the deal.

Next in the odds are the Washington Presidents at +700, but it feels like a pretty unlikely name. The name brings plenty of potential gimmicks and some proud nostalgia to lean on, sure, but think of all the jokes they would invite. ‘He couldn’t make the catch, his hands were too small!’ or ‘He’s listed as questionable for the game with bone spurs.’ Not a fan.

Could ultimate tennis showdown winner Matteo Berretini be the long shot who wins the US Open?

As tennis fans, we all know what it takes to win a men’s Grand Slam. With Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in contention for every title, an unbelievable level of play has to be combined with a fearsome dedication to staying in optimal condition and a mentality that is impervious to self-doubt.

That, however, was before lockdown came.

Post Coronavirus, no-one truly knows what the U.S. Open, which starts next month, will look like. Novak Djokovic is one of several players who have come down with COVID-19, and there are many rumours that the world number one and Australian Open from January won’t be in attendance. Federer has a knee problem and Nadal has been very quiet on whether he will definitely play the event, while others, such as Nick Kyrgios, have condemned the organisers for even arranging the tournament in the first place.

Put simply, the U.S. Open as a whole is a complete and utter shambles, but it still has to be won by someone. Who it might be could provide the sportsbetting shock of the year so far.