In the fast-moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements from the gambling industry. Our Press Release section is updated constantly, and we publish roundups of the latest partnerships twice a week.

Footstock Relaunches Affiliate Programme with Paysafe’s Income Access

Fantasy sports brand to leverage Income Access’ in-house affiliate management team and network

Many YouTube series featuring poker players are the same. They feature a challenge where the poker player begins with a nominal amount to put down, say, $50 and they propose to turn it into a five-figure bankroll, like $10,000.

That’s exactly the premise of the latest Charlie Carrel video series on YouTube, so why is watching Charlie Carrel so different to watching any other player, both online or live?

For a long time, Charlie Carrel existed in a world of poker players I personally had no knowledge of – the high roller set. It had only passed me by due to pure chance really; at the start of my poker reporting career, I was rightly tested out in some smaller events that had less eyes on. In fact, sometimes, just my eyes. But that’s the right way for it to be and sooner rather than later, I found myself in Prague in the presence of Charlie and his good friend Ben Heath.

Together, Carrel and Heath socialized on breaks, studied poker hard together and often swapped action, so it made sense to watch what they were both doing. Both were young, precocious and at a level of poker so far above players their own age that it struck me as fairly unique, and certainly in terms of British players.

Bwin’s Russian-licensed online gambling site has permanently shut its digital doors, while Bet365’s Russian plans appear to be just getting started. 

This weekend, the Bwin.ru site stopped working for local bettors, who found the site’s home page displaying a message saying only that the site was “unavailable at present,” citing unspecified “system maintenance work.” The site’s social media feeds went silent and questions regarding the outage went unanswered. 

On Monday, Bwin.ru confirmed that its closure was permanent, based on “rapidly changing realities and new legislative initiatives.” In order to “make Bwin’s withdrawal from the Russian market as comfortable as possible for all customers, we have reached an agreement with one of the industry leaders, Parimatch.”

Bwin customers will reportedly find the funds held in the Bwin.ru accounts transferred to Parimatch.ru, and customers who decide to wager with Parimatch “will be able to receive a unique bonus offer.” The migration to Parimatch will reportedly be complete by the end of the month.   

Crown Resorts is going through a massive shakeup after the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) deemed the casino operator unsuitable to hold a license. Several top dogs on the company’s board stepped down and there was talk that CEO Ken Barton was going to give up his position, as well. That exit has now been confirmed, but Crown will reportedly give Barton some lovely parting gifts for his participation. 

According to The Guardian, Barton, who had only led the company for about a year, is expected to receive a nice compensation package as he packs up his things. He will reportedly receive AUD$3 million ($2.33 million) in severance pay, which will be more than enough to keep him going for a while. The money comes as part of his employment contract, which stipulates that he be paid a year’s salary if he leaves the company without notice. Only “serious breach or misconduct” could have prevented Crown from paying the severance. 

Barton’s exit, and the cashout, comes as he was singled out by the ILGA and its Bergin inquiry for his “serious lack of judgment,” a refusal to respond to notices of potential money-laundering activity at Crown and his close relationship to former Crown boss James Packer. Packer has been accused, among other things, of still secretly running the company after his ouster, which could have allegedly only been made possible through information provided to him from Barton. 

With Barton heading for the exit, Crown’s board chair, Helen Coonan, will have to take on additional responsibilities for now. She will wear the CEO hat while the company searches for a new boss, something she publicly states is not a role she accepts enthusiastically. She said in a Crown notice to the Australian Securities Exchange, “Assuming the role of executive chairman is a decision I have not taken lightly but the board feels it provides leadership stability and certainty at this important time for the business.”

Imperial Pacific International (IPI) Chair Cui Li Jie may have been portrayed as a helpless victim by her legal team, but the courts aren’t buying it. Attorney Juan Lizama told a judge last month that she doesn’t run the casino operator and doesn’t have the skills to oversee its activity, despite the fact that she is a reportedly billionaire entrepreneur, and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Chief Judge Ramona Manglona didn’t bite. She now wants Cui to explain why she shouldn’t be locked up for civil contempt and why she shouldn’t be fined for failing to comply with a court-ordered subpoena.

Cui and IPI have been under fire for a lot of reasons lately, but this particular episode of the ongoing drama centeres on construction workers, as well as a construction contractor. The company that made huge promises with its Imperial Palace casino resort, but which has failed to deliver on any of them, was sued for alleged labor law violations and human trafficking, for which a subpoena was issued to Cui last month. However, Cui never responded, according to the latest complaint.

The Guam Daily Post reports that one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, Bruce Berline, Cui received the subpoena on January 18, but, the next day, one of her associates tried to “intimidate the process server” by threatening “legal trouble” if he didn’t take it back. On January 19, IPI reportedly returned the subpoena, ostensibly as an attempt to deny it had been delivered. Berline told the courts, “Neither this attempt at intimidation nor the act of returning the physical subpoena negates its legal validity.” He added, “Ms. Cui also never moved the court to quash or modify the subpoena. On Jan. 26, Ms. Cui then failed to appear for the deposition or produce any documents. Ms. Cui clearly violated her legal obligations under the subpoena.”

As a result, Berline asked Judge Manglona to hold Cui in contempt of court, and the judge has ordered her to speak up. She faces a fine of $10,000 a day until she complies with the subpoena, and the judge could hit her with even more sanctions, including possible jail time for noncompliance. Cui has to respond by this Wednesday if she wants to avoid any further issues. 

Hoosiers love their basketball. Ask anyone in Indiana and they’ll tell you that basketball isn’t just a sport; it’s a religion. The Indiana University Hoosiers’ basketball program has always been one of the best in the U.S. and the NCAA Hall of Champions is located in Indianapolis as a testament to the state’s attraction to basketball. On the NBA level, the Indiana Pacers have a massive following across the state, and all the attention given to hoops is paying off in a big way. Indiana continues to set new records with its sports gambling market, most of which is coming from basketball.

In February of last year, the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) reported a handle of $187 million, a 10% increase from January. That wasn’t surprising, given the NFL Super Bowl action; however, assuming the money went to football would be wrong. The Big Game received $11.6 million in bets, while college and pro basketball accounted for over $90 million. 

Indiana continued to raise the bar on the sports gambling industry when the state’s sportsbooks recorded $251.4 million in November of last year, a $20-million increase over the prior month’s action. Much of that was destined for football as the NFL and college games were heating up, but, if there was any doubt of the importance of basketball in Indiana, the most recent numbers will push all of it aside. The IGC just released the latest figures on sports gambling and January was another record-setting month, the fifth consecutive month of breaking records. $348.2 million was wagered in the state last month, an increase of 11.2% over December and more than 100% over January 2020. Of that amount, $133.2 million went to hoops, making it the most money ever spent on one sport in the state. Football only got $77.6 million of the action. 

That’s not only good news for sportsbooks operating in the state, but it’s good news for the state’s budget, as well. With a tax of 9.5%, January gave Indiana’s government almost $2.8 million in tax revenue and, over the past 12 months, the state has received over $20 million. That’s not too bad for a local industry that has only been around since September 2019. 

It’s not easy trying to be a provider of illegal gambling activity in California. The Golden State has a history of digging up underground gambling houses and isn’t slowing down. Last week, police in Anaheim descended on a business they suspected was operating as a slaphouse, an illegal gambling site, and weren’t wrong. By the time the raid was over, around 70 people had been arrested, even as many tried to scatter like rats from a sinking ship.

What was reportedly a furniture store was actually an illegal gambling property. Police spent two months gathering evidence and securing their case before moving in last Wednesday, serving a warrant that morning and confirming their suspicions. Inside, there were gambling machines, money and guns, as well as a number of gamblers. Some of those busted out windows as they tried to make a run for it, only to be met outside by more police, including members of the local SWAT team.

The slaphouse was reportedly able to function undetected 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Police had received numerous complaints about the operation before they launched their investigation, and are becoming more familiar with the seedy underground gambling scene that continues to emerge across California. Most of these, in addition to offering a form of entertainment California lawmakers don’t want to address, involve illegal weapons and, on occasion, illegal drugs, making them a public risk that has to be contained. 2019 saw a number of slaphouses busted, most around the Los Angeles area. Other cities have to deal with them, as well, with Long Beach often a favorite go-to spot for criminals.

This is the second time in five months that Anaheim police have intervened in an illegal gambling house. Last October, 70 people were arrested when they moved in on a supposed slaphouse, uncovering video gaming machines, electronic gaming tables and more. That raid apparently didn’t provide the example that it should have, as the raid last week occurred right next door to that October bust.

Almost three years ago, Universal Entertainment Group had a dream. It wanted to see Okada Manila, owned by subsidiary Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, listed on a stock exchange somewhere. Things didn’t go as planned initially, but it’s time for the pieces to be put in place, and Universal is going to make another run. This time, it wants help from a special acquisition company (SPAC) in the U.S. so it can fulfill its dream. Given the rise in popularity of SPACs in the gaming industry lately, Universal probably won’t have too much difficulty finding a partner, as long as its sordid past can be kept behind it.

Universal wants a SPAC, also often called a blank-check company, willing to take a chance on helping Okada Manila become a publicly-traded company in the U.S. It hopes to land a spot on either the NASDAQ or the NYSE, and will take whatever it can get. The resort’s continued cost-saving efforts to combat COVID-19 have reportedly paid off, and Universal is convinced that the timing is perfect for a public launch. 

In a letter sent to investors last week about the search for a SPAC, Universal asserted, “In view of this situation, [and] having positioned its IR Business as the core business of the Company Group, the Company recently arrived at the decision to pursue a detailed examination of the listing of that business on either the U.S. NASDAQ Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange with the aim of realizing the further expansion of that business and greater corporate group value.”

2020 saw a lot of interest being given to SPAC deals, and that was just the beginning. 244 blank check companies connected with entities looking for a way to go public, ultimately attracting $78.2 billion through initial public offerings (IPO). However, 2021 is on par to see even greater activity, with 134 SPACs having attracted $39 billion from the start of the year until last Friday.

A lot of Hawaiian lawmakers may have opinions on how to start up a casino industry in the state, but the decision of how to move forward will rest with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports the DHHL will have five years to decide if casinos are a good idea.

This next step in Hawaii’s hope for a casino industry comes as proposed amendments to Senate Bill 1321 would give them the responsibility. With the measure, the DHHL has until December 21, 2026 to decide if it was casinos in the state.

The proposed reason to have casinos in Hawaii is to help DHHL fund their Home Lands beneficiaries’ program. 28,000 Hawaiian natives are waiting to be allotted homes to return to on their ancestral lands.

Under the new proposed amendments, the DHHL would have to endorse casinos with “a super majority.” If the DHHL agrees casinos are the best idea, it would not automatically legalize casino gambling across the islands. Native land would be prohibited, said Senator Maile Shimabukuro.

Restrictions on Nevada casinos are loosening today, February 15. Governor Steve Sisolak has announced that casinos can expand their capacity from the previous 25% limit to 35%.

“As we ease restrictions, we must follow the science and studies, which states clearly and repeatedly that closures to certain settings are more impactful in reducing disease transmission,” Sisolak said February 11 update on Nevada’s COVID-19 response efforts. “While we are hopeful that trends will continue to decrease if all mitigation measures are followed, we must remain flexible – as we have done all along.”

These restrictions could be relaxed thanks to a much-improved Covid-19 transmission rate. Whereas there were 2,709 average daily cases in the early days of December, the most recent 14-day average is 650 cases.

On top of the 10% jump, if the pandemic continues as expected, businesses will be allowed another jump to 50% capacity on March 15. But if everyone does their part and reduces Covid-19 spread by April 15, Nevada will hand control over to local jurisdictions. “In order to reach this goal, counties will have from now through the end of April to demonstrate a decrease in COVID trends, adequate hospital capacity within their region, and evidence that they can continue performing an adequate level,” Sisolak said.

At the start of the weekend, it was still all to play for in the Premier League as Liverpool were looking to solidify a place in the top three and put pressure on leaders Manchester City. By late on Saturday evening, the gap between last year’s top two was 13 points in favour of The Citizens, and a procession for Pep Guardiola’s side looks more than likely.

With other big sides such as Leicester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all in action, who got the better of their opponents and which sides will be looking over their shoulders?

Let’s take a look back at the action.

Leicester City 3-1 Liverpool

When it’s played right, poker should inspire everyone at the table, win or lose. Of course it’s nice to walk away from the felt a winner, but it shouldn’t define your mood. If it does, maybe you’re in the wrong game.

Better a rye smile and a few funny words than anything is our motto and it’s with that spirit in mind that we present to you seven final quotes from the great game to inspire your own week at the felt.

Let’s get the lesson on!

1. “People would be surprised to know how much I learned about prayer from playing poker.”

The Australian Open action over the weekend has both reduced the field in the Men’s Singles event and improved the chances of anyone backing the top three as Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal all made stride towards the business end of the year’s first Grand Slam.

Others fell by the wayside, however, including both men who were involved in the game of the Australian Open so far.

Kyrgios Leads by Two Sets, Loses in Five

The roar of approval for Nick Kyrgios in taking on Dominic Thiem could have been heard from the moon as the bad boy of men’s tennis clashed with a player he had previously described as exciting as “watching paint dry”.

GambleAware is on a mission. It wants to ensure that responsible gaming is at the forefront of all U.K. gambling operators’ minds at all times and is developing a new system to help it achieve that goal. As the country’s main responsible gambling advocacy group, GambleAware is always looking at how to support its objectives, and is now bringing in Expert Link to give it some additional support. The two entities are going to team up to develop GambleAware’s new ALERTS initiative. 

ALERTS, Affected Lived Experience Research, Treatment and Support Group, was devised to enhance responsible gaming initiatives in the U.K., while also supporting equality and diversity in the gaming industry. It is built around individuals with “lived experience” in gambling harm, and GambleAware is funding the program for 18 months. After that, the goal is to have the group auto-sufficient and self-sustaining, possibly even sourcing its own funding to become more independent. 

Expert Link has been brought in to co-design the platform because of its work with “marginalized communities,” according to GambleAware. It has worked with individuals who have experienced social condemnation and has been involved in the creation of policies to address social issues. It’s hoped that ALERTS, with the assistance of both GambleAware and Expert Link, will become an integral part of national gambling policies to help shape the UK’s gaming industry. Explains GambleAware Research Director Alison Clare, “We hope this new group will serve as a single, inclusive network that is representative of all people with lived experience of gambling harms across Great Britain. We know there are other lived experience groups already out there doing good work in this area, and this new group will fill any gaps and reach those who are harder to engage with. Our ambition is to see this independent network grow and develop so that it can help inform all aspects of the gambling debate, from policy and regulation, to research, treatment and prevention.”

ALERTS will work through a membership model, with those members setting priorities and internal structures. Expert Link will help establish the start-up process and will likely continue to be involved after it’s up and running to ensure it stays on track. The platform will focus on existing treatment services and act as an advisor to several entities, including GambleAware, the National Clinicians Network Forum and the National Gambling Treatment Services.