Monthly Archives: February 2021

Marjorie Taylor Greene odds: Will she keep her congress seat?

Freshman Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia’s 14th district, has already made an impact on her peers, but not in the way you’d usually hope for. The controversial, QAnon supporting legislator is already the matter of debate and scrutiny, leading to speculation that she may be stripped of her committee responsibilities, and even ejected from Congress.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Expelling a member of congress requires a two-thirds majority of the House, or 290 votes. With Democrats in control of 221 seats, they would need to convince 69 Republicans to vote out Greene, which in all likelihood will only happen with the support of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

So what has Greene done wrong? Well for starters, she is seen as one of the lawmakers responsible for the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol building. She denies this, blaming it on Democrats. Other lawmakers noted they were also uncomfortable with Greene’s refusal to wear a mask when they sheltered from the domestic terrorists.

The UKGC’s affordability checks could cause some sports to disappear

The U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) is relentless in its pursuit of handicapping the gaming industry as much as possible. U.K. authorities don’t seem to have an issue with underage drinking or domestic abuse, both of which have increased over the past two years, but find someone spending €100 and suddenly there’s a problem. One of the many controls the UKGC wants to implement is an “affordability check,” which would require scrutiny of anyone who loses over £100 ($137) a month. This, combined with the commission’s crack down on gambling advertising, could lead to a number of sports throwing in the towel and giving up.

The founder and chairman of Matchroom Sports, Barry Hearn, asserts that all of the measures the UKGC is implementing to protect consumers are going to have a negative impact on sports activity. Matchroom promotes sports such as snooker, darts, boxing and more, and the commission’s move to completely eliminate gambling advertising in sports would be a “disaster” to all of them. Hearn, who is also the chairman of World Snooker, bases his assessment on history, having seen what happened when the U.K. decided to ban tobacco sponsorships from sports in 2005.

Some might argue that snooker, et al. was able to bounce back from that tobacco ban, even though it was crippled for a couple of years. However, what allowed them to stage a rebound was the approval of gambling sponsorship laws that were introduced in 2007. Losing this now, especially amid the COVID-19 crisis and Brexit, would be permanently detrimental to a number of sports, predicts Hearn.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to provide consumer protection from activity that might be harmful, as long as the measures don’t outweigh the costs. According to a number of studies, the U.K. gambling market is composed of only around 3% of individuals that could be classified as “problem gamblers.” This is drastically lower than the percentage associated with problem drinking; however, it is still possible for a 16-year old to belly up to the bar and ask for a pint. Many “problem gambling” studies have been led by gambling opponents who specifically worded their surveys in such a way as to entice responses that would benefit their cause, bringing into question the validity of all of those studies.

MLB season just weeks away as players tell owners no deal on delay

MLB team owners had hoped the start of the new season could be pushed back as the world still grapples with COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic forced last season to be delayed just as Opening Day was about to be held, and there have been concerns that, with the virus still running wild, a similar situation could arise this year. However, MLB players, through the MLB Players Association (MLBPA), have told the owners to dig in and figure out what they need to do to protect everyone, refusing to approve any delay to the new season. 

The MLBPA has formally rejected the owners’ request for a longer break in the baseball action that had asked to push the start of spring training out to March 22 and Opening Day to April 29. With the response now given, the MLB season is only a couple of weeks away, with spring training to begin as planned on February 17 and Opening Day to be held on its expected date, April 1. Perhaps if the owners had been more willing to offer monetary incentives to players, they would have been willing to accept a deal. 

The players union explained in a statement about the upcoming schedule that everyone felt as though the owners were trying to back them into a corner. The teams were trying to shorten the season while requiring players to take the field for more doubleheaders, and were also trying to force players to accept certain collective bargaining agreement conditions the MLBPA had already refused. A statement by the union added, “Although Player salaries would not be initially prorated to a 154-game regular season, MLB’s proposal offers no salary or service time protections in the event of further delays, interruptions, or cancellation of the season. The MLBPA Executive Board and Player leadership reviewed and discussed the owners’ proposal throughout the weekend and today. The clear-cut result of these deliberations is that Players will not accept MLB’s proposal, will instead continue preparations for an on-time start to the 2021 season, and will accept MLB’s commitment to again direct its Clubs to prepare for an on-time start.”

MLB team owners were reluctant to agree to the layout and tried to present a counterproposal, which was also rejected. As a result, the league has resigned itself to the fact that the players won this round (another victory for players), and said in an announcement, “In light of the MLBPA’s rejection of our proposal, and their refusal to counter our revised offer this afternoon, we are moving forward and instructing our Clubs to report for an on-time start to Spring Training and the Championship Season, subject to reaching an agreement on health and safety protocols.”

Super Bowl gamblers have a “sure bet” in Tom Brady

Super Bowl LV is approaching quickly. The Kansas City Chiefs will look to defend last year’s championship against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday in a game that is forecast to be a fight down to the wire. This is the first time that any NFL team has played in a Super Bowl in its home stadium, something that happened by sheer coincidence this year, and the Bucs are counting on six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady to help them make history. Despite going into the game as 3-point underdogs, the Bucs are ready to put on a show and sports gamblers may have a place to park some gambling money on a “sure thing,” thanks to Brady.

The quarterback won all of his Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, having been with the team from 2000 to 2019. He appeared in nine Super Bowls during that time and has a distinctive, perhaps intentional and methodical, approach to the game. In all nine games, he never led the Pats out of the gate quickly, with the opponents winning the first quarter each time. 

In eight Super Bowl appearances, Brady and the Pats were held to zero in the first quarter; only in one, Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, did they get on the board, but that was limited to a field goal. BetMGM has taken notice, giving a first-quarter line to the Bucs of +0.5 points and an Over/Under of 10.5. Based on Brady’s history, taking the Chiefs to dominate the first quarter and going for the Under is a better bettor’s option.

That isn’t to say that the Bucs are going to lose the Super Bowl, even though they’re +3, as Brady is an accomplished veteran who knows how to make big plays. However, only looking at first-quarter stats, the Bucs have been slow this year. They rank 13 in points for the quarter, according to TeamRankings, at 5.5 points, with the Chiefs in a three-way tie for tenth place at 5.6 points. BetMGM boosted the odds for the Bucs in the Big Game after the first, with the Over/Under listed as 16.5 points, 10.5 points and 14.5 points for each consecutive quarter. 

Mohegan Gaming gets a boost from Moody’s

Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment (MGE) has a lot on its plate right now. As the casino operator deals with COVID-19 like everyone else, it has had to shuffle around some priorities. However, it remains focused on its expansion plans, even if some delays are needed, and has developments beginning to merge around the globe. Moody’s Investors Services has weighed in on how things are going and gave MGE’s parent company, Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA), a little support.

With so much going at MGE around the world, at the same time it deals with a major global pandemic, the casino operator has sought financial assistance. It announced last month that it had inked an agreement on a senior secured revolving credit facility worth $262.87 million and that it had also issued second-priority senior secured notes worth $1.175 billion through a private placement. The credit facility matures in April 2023, while the latter notes mature in 2026. Both of those allowed the company, in part, to pay off some of MGE’s existing debt.

Partly in response to the additional funds, Moody’s bumped the MTGA’s corporate family debt rating from Caa2 to Caa1. The Caa category is used to categorize obligations that are “speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk,” but the Caa1 rating means that there is a “stable” outlook. Moody’s also took the MTGA’s “probability of default” rating to Caa1-PD, a step up from the Caa2-PD it previously held. The Caa-PD classification covers corporate ratings that are potentially “speculative of poor standing subject to very high default risk, and may be in default on some but not all of their long-term debt obligations.”

The ratings company was a little more supportive of the revolving credit facility than it was the senior notes placement. IT gave the former a B1 rating, while the notes received a Caa1. Both, however, indicate that there is high credit risk involved. 

US gaming industry hit hard by COVID-19, but gave overwhelming support

By now, no one can be shocked by the amount of economic damage caused by COVID-19 around the world. What had been viewed as just a momentary setback when the global pandemic began has turned into a massive saga of plummeting revenues and skyrocketing unemployment that has endured for a year. While COVID-19 vaccines are beginning to be introduced, it will take a while for their effects to be felt, which means the global economy will continue to suffer. The casino industry took a massive blow from the coronavirus and saw properties shut down for months on end, with some permanently closed. A new report just released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) shows the impact on the U.S. gaming segment caused by COVID-19, but also reveals how operators didn’t waste time implementing new social responsibility protocols to help communities deal with the situation. 

According to the AGA report from last week, 989 casinos in the U.S. closed because of the pandemic. Those closures led to around 650,000 employees being furloughed or permanently let go. As a result, $105 billion in economic activity was lost across the country, with 564 communities that had relied on revenue from gaming operations losing a major source of funding. Overall, the first 11 months of the year saw total gaming revenue drop 32% compared to the same period a year earlier. 

Despite struggling to keep their operations afloat, gaming operators didn’t hesitate to step up and provide assistance to the communities they served. The AGA points out that, partially through the operators’ efforts, the country was able to implement procedures quickly and effectively that will help the recovery process. Those efforts were initiated immediately, with casino operators donating protective gear, masks and other equipment needed to stave off a larger COVID-19 attack. They also tapped into their logistics and supply chain channels to ensure coronavirus test kits could be distributed everywhere without delays.

Casino operators have also donated huge amounts of food to families in gaming communities that were impacted by the work stoppages. A number of casino companies agreed to continue to pay their employees during the shutdown, and more have created emergency relief funds that offer financial assistance to former and current employees. Even as the future economic situation still remains somewhat murky because of the prolonged pandemic, many casino operators have been working hard to keep communities moving forward.

Playstudios, SPAC founded by former MGM boss set to merge

Jim Murren, the former boss at MGM Resorts International before Bill Hornbuckle was handed the reins, has been busy since leaving the casino operator. He was reportedly to be tapped to lead Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 defense almost a year ago, but also has been involved in several other activities. One of these is a special acquisition company (SPAC) he founded, Acies Acquisition Corp., that was launched late last year. On the heels of its successful initial public offering (IPO), it has now found its target and is merging with social casino developer Playstudios, Inc. As a result, the developer can brag of being worth around $1.1 billion.

Murren’s Acies and Playstudios will complete the deal sometime in the second quarter of this year, according to an announcement (pdf). Part of the delay is because of the normal regulatory red tape found with any major deal such as this. But, there is also the fact that Murren has a non-compete agreement he signed with MGM that prevents him from getting involved in any business that is tied to “gaming facilities” until after March 22. 

The SPAC attracted a lot of interest from deep-pocketed investors to support the merger, which drew funds from BlackRock, ClearBridge Investments, Neuberger Berman Funds and even Murren’s old company. They all contributed to a $250-million private investment in public equity (PIPE) round that saw Acies shares sold at $10 each. The agreement has already started making money, with Acies’ stock price going from $11.50 yesterday morning to $12.10 by the time the markets closed.

Moving forward, once the arrangement is finalized, “the company is expected to have approximately $290 million of cash and a public equity currency to accelerate PLAYSTUDIOS’ growth initiatives, which include substantially expanding product development and acquisitions of other gaming and related companies,” adds the announcement.

Macau vaccines don’t come soon enough to save Chinese New Year

A new year could be a new start for Macau. The special administrative region (SAR) is set to receive it’s first batch of COVID-19 vaccines just in time for Chinese New Year.

The gambling mecca will receive 100,000 doses from the China National Pharmaceutical Group to start. Plans are being made to roll out the vaccine. More doses are expected to arrive later in the month, and then another batch in Q3.

“We are negotiating with the suppliers so that the vaccine arrive as fast as possible. Vaccination is not just purchasing the doses, we still need to conduct many preparatory works. Establish appointments, registry, etc […] We will start vaccination around the CNY period,” Conde S. Januario Hospital Doctor, Alvis Lo Iek Long said in today’s pandemic update press conference.

Vaccines are optional, and those who receive shots will have a choice of which vaccine they prefer, but there is a priority system. Front line health personnel, high occupational exposure groups and those who need to visit high-risk areas are at the front of the line, with casino workers in this group due to their exposure to the public.

Robert Courtneidge dives into the world of emerging payments

Emerging Payments Association (EPA) boss Robert Courtneidge is an advocate for payment solutions. Courtneidge took some time to share his three decades of experience and talk about the future of the space with Calvinayre.com lead reporter Becky Liggero Fontana.

Courtneidge says that even though the EPA had been around for more than 20 years, it had only started to grow in its current form recently:

“The Emerging Payments Association has been going for probably 20 years, in reality, but it’s only under its current name for the last few years. It’s something that’s been growing over time, it’s got a lot of ambassadors now and we have working groups and our aim is a mixture of creating social events to enable people in the industry to mix and network and grow their own brands within the industry.”

https://youtu.be/M5vsQnZiMgcVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Robert Courtneidge dives into the world of emerging payments (https://youtu.be/M5vsQnZiMgc)

Former Mashpee Wampanoag claims he was setup by Trump admin

The embattled former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe says he’s been set up. Cedric Cromwell has filed a motion to dismiss charges of bribery leveled against him, claiming he was set up by the Trump administration.

Cromwell filed his motion to dismiss on January 19, asking to be freed from accusations made on November 13, 2020. He faces 10 charges in federal court, including two charges of accepting or paying bribes, another for conspiracy to commit bribery, and a couple of charges revolving around extortion.

 “The charges allege that Mr. Cromwell violated the trust he owed to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling in a press release on Nov. 13, 2020.

If you ask Cromwell, the Trump administration put him up to it. “This legal action is definitely a Trump set up,” Cromwell told Native News Online.

Former Mashpee Wampanoag claims he was setup by Trump admin

The embattled former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe says he’s been set up. Cedric Cromwell has filed a motion to dismiss charges of bribery leveled against him, claiming he was set up by the Trump administration.

Cromwell filed his motion to dismiss on January 19, asking to be freed from accusations made on November 13, 2020. He faces 10 charges in federal court, including two charges of accepting or paying bribes, another for conspiracy to commit bribery, and a couple of charges revolving around extortion.

 “The charges allege that Mr. Cromwell violated the trust he owed to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling in a press release on Nov. 13, 2020.

If you ask Cromwell, the Trump administration put him up to it. “This legal action is definitely a Trump set up,” Cromwell told Native News Online.

Longest Session of the Challenge Ends in Doug Polk’s Favor

Even Doug Polk knows his heads-up battle against Daniel Negreanu is no longer in doubt. He said as much during the Upswing Poker live-stream in which he won another $212,000 over more than seven hours of play, far and away the lengthiest of 35 sessions.

Doug Polk is on pace to finish up his battle against Daniel Negreanu winning an impressive 10 big blinds per 100 hands. (Image: YouTube)

With only around 1,500 hands remaining, Wednesday’s session very well could be the end. That’s right, folks, the challenge that feels like it’s gone on for eternity is finally approaching its conclusion.

Although there isn’t much suspense in terms of who will win the heads-up contest, there are still some reasons to continue paying attention. First off, many poker players have side bets on the outcome of the match, including Polk’s overall profit. And will Negreanu make the final tally respectable?

Parimatch CPO: We want to become the Netflix of gaming

Parimatch is changing the perception of the betting industry and building a technological entertainment platform. The company’s goal is to move away from the classic idea of bookmaker and become a gaming and entertainment platform. The company took the first steps and presented the Footboss game in the fall. The chief product officer of Parimatch, Sergey Berezhnoy, helps to understand how a simple session game changes the idea and approaches to betting.

The Footbooss’ concept

Footboss’ ultimate gaming adventure is to free 10 major football stadiums from the giant invaders. The game’s key character is the coach, whose task is to prepare his players for effective penalties and non-standard solutions day after day.

At first glance, the game seems simple, but with every new session, a player discovers many directions in which he could learn more or advance. Thanks to the random distribution of rewards and tasks, the journey becomes unexpected: you always get different things, quests, and heroes. Also, an additional interest is given by the effect of “kinder-surprise for adults” in the form of loot boxes.

Midweek Premier League Preview

The Premier League action has come thick and fast for five months and now into the second half of the 2020/21 season, there is no let up for the 20 EPL teams searching for success.

To some, such as the Manchester clubs and Liverpool, that success is getting their hands on the Premier League trophy, with its ludicrous crown. To others such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur or Leicester City, finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League would be a tremendous achievement. To the clubs currently in the bottom, just staying in the Premier League would be an amazing feat.

Let’s take a look at three clashes involving sides fighting for very different targets.

Manchester United vs. Southampton (Tuesday, 8.15pm GMT kick-off)

Marquee matchups on Tuesday NBA odds slate

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

No question that the marquee matchup around the NBA on Tuesday (February 2) is at 7:30 p.m. ET and nationally televised by TNT when the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Brooklyn Nets in a potential NBA Finals preview. The Clippers are the second favorites to come out of the Western Conference and have the best record in the NBA as of this writing, and the Nets are the Eastern Conference favorites.

Assuming they all play, and that’s never a sure thing in these COVID days, five of the best 15 or so players in the league will share the same court in the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and Nets’ Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

Leonard and George missed two games last week in the COVID protocols but returned Friday. They are two of the most ferocious defenders in the NBA and it will be terrific basketball watching them try and slow down Durant and Harden (not so much Irving as he’s a point guard and won’t be guarded much by the bigger but slower Leonard and George).

Russian bookmakers’ kickbacks to sport soar under new rules

Russia’s licensed online sports betting operators contributed a record sum to local sports bodies in 2020, despite the months-long shutdown of most sports activity due to COVID-19. 

On Monday, the First Self-Regulatory Organization of Russian Bookmakers (First SRO) announced that its members contributed RUB923m (US$12.15m) to Russian professional and youth sports bodies in 2020. That’s 60% higher than the total RUB577.3m that First SRO members contributed to local sport in 2019. 

The quarterly contributions painfully reflect last year’s pandemic-related disruption to sports schedules, as Q1’s total of RUB118m slipped to just RUB79m in Q2 before rebounding to RUB149m in Q3 as major league play resumed. 

But new laws that took effect at the end of Q3 required heftier contributions from Russian bookmakers by extending the levy to bets placed on international sports. The result was a total contribution of RUB577m, nearly four times Q3’s sum.