Category Archives: In The Biz

N.L. Downs A.L., 7-2, in Strat-O-Matic Simulation; Slim Jim Phantom Tops Drew Carey Managing Squads

Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich’s two-run home run in the fourth inning was one of five circuit clouts in the game as the National League topped the American, 7-2, in Strat-O-Matic’s simulation of the All-Star Game Tuesday night. TV host Drew Carey (American) and musician Slim Jim Phantom (National) managed the teams during a live video stream on Wizard World Virtual Experiences.

Fans can watch a replay of the contest on Twitch, Facebook or YouTube.

Yelich’s shot gave the N.L. a 2-0 lead. One out later, Matt Carpenter of St. Louis followed with another blast for a 3-0 edge for Phantom’s squad.

Carey’s Junior Circuit team pulled to within 3-2 in the sixth, but three runs in the bottom of the frame put the game out of reach.

“It’s just great to be part of this,” said Phantom, an avid baseball and Strat-O-Matic fan who hosts a fantasy baseball show on SiriusXM Radio, following the victory. “It’s keeping baseball going. We were all going crazy, and Strat-O-Matic was so helpful, we’ve been able to play fantasy ball all year. The same thing I love about Strat-O-Matic when I was a kid I love about it now.”

“I’ve been playing this game since the ’70s,” added Carey, a member of several Strat-O-Matic leagues, including one with Phantom. “I used to play my brother all the time, some of my fondest memories of growing up and always loved the game.”

Max Scherzer of Washington earned the win with a scoreless inning. Gerrit Cole of the Yankees gave up the three fourth-inning runs and took the loss.

Strat-O-Matic will continue its simulation of the regular season until the teams return to action on the field. Fans can follow the action, updated daily at 2 p.m. ET, at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/.

Replay: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/679963416

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.

GGPoker offer players a chance to follow the silk road to glory

The prospect of playing a World Series of Poker bracelet event is different for every player. For professional poker players, the forthcoming GGPoker and WSOP.com hosted series provides a chance to earn more money in MTTs than would usually be possible, with swelled player fields and big guaranteed prizepools.

For the regular player who turns a profit at the game, some of the events represent a chance to up the stakes and take a shot at a bigger top prize than would usually be possible. There will be a huge number of player who take on the events that are recreationals, however, and they’ll be hoping to do so by travelling on the Silk Road.

What’s the Silk Road? Well, it’s a satellite path where you can enter World Series events for as little as $2. We’ve come a long way from Chris Moneymaker, haven’t we? With millions of online poker players reveling in the ability to play in multiple series events in the last few months, the lack of live poker tournaments – in particular the Las Vegas-based WSOP itself – has been tough to take. These sorts of promotions make up for a lot of the value lost, however.

There are no steps or satellites, with each event leading to a direct ticket, which means that for many events, only a handful – or fingerful – of tickets will be available. You’ll need to perfect that short-handed game in order to do well, then, and in that sense, these events play a little more like a freeroll with one or two big prizes than satellite events with 20-30 tickets on offer in every single game.

Betsson Enters the US Online Sports Betting Market in Colorado

Betsson will enter the US online sports betting market by signing an agreement with its partner Dostal Alley Casino who will provide market access for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) online sports betting in the US state of Colorado. Betsson plans to launch its proprietary sportsbook in the first part of 2021, after regulatory approval. 

This is a strategic move reflecting Betsson’s drive to grow in new regulated markets, providing access for Betsson to the rapidly expanding online sports betting market in the US. The agreement is for an initial term of 10 years. This initiative is a first and cautious step into the US market, designed to benefit Betsson with key learnings, brand presence and initial customers. This new market entry reflects Betsson’s general business strategy of prudence where the aim is to grow in a financially safe manner, with low risk, ensuring a long term sustainable and growing business.

Betsson has the ambition to build US presence, initially with a small office in Colorado. Betsson’s vision is to create the best user experiences in the market, tailored to regional customer needs and differences. The move also gives Betsson an opportunity to showcase the strength of its sportsbook in the US market and supports the ambition to sell its proprietary sportsbook to Business-to-Business (B2B) customers in the future.

Colorado was the 18th state in the US to legalise online sports betting effective from 1 May this year, allowing 33 licences, each to include one, so called, `skin’. Gambling duty is 10% on Gross Gaming Revenue and customers are allowed to register and bet online while within the state borders. The online sports betting market in Colorado is estimated to reach approximately $200 million at saturation (source H2GC). Colorado is a wealthy state in the top-third of the US states by GDP with nearly six million inhabitants and growing. It is both a tech and sports hub with its own teams in major American sporting leagues.

CinDee Spellman, CFO of Dostal Alley Casino comments: “As a company with over 28 years in the gaming business, we are thrilled to welcome Betsson to the US as we partner with them for online sports betting in Colorado. With their decades of experience in online gaming we are confident that they will bring the very best experience to players in the Centennial State!”

Pontus Lindwall, CEO and President of Betsson AB says: “I am very excited to reach this milestone, further expanding Betsson’s global reach by entering a new continent through the fast-growing online market in the US. Dostal Alley Casino has more than 60 years of experience of doing business in Colorado and will play an important role in our journey to build US presence. The whole country has a strong culture of gambling and is now experiencing online penetration at accelerated pace, where consumers are transitioning from traditional retail outlets to also now bet on their mobile devices. We have followed the development in the US closely since the possibility of a repeal of the PASPA and have carefully considered ways to enter the market. We are now looking forward to exploring the potential with our proprietary sportsbook.”

AGEM Board of Directors Actions for June 2020

Greg Lee, chairman and CEO of Eureka Casinos, the resort hotel company he built with his parents Ted and Doris Lee, recently announced the creation of the Lee School Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a joint collaboration with the Lee Business School at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With a total pledge of $1… Read more »

The post AGEM Board of Directors Actions for June 2020 appeared first on GGB Magazine.

Ready Nutrition Announces Leading Academic Researcher And Nutrition Expert Beals As Chief Science Officer

Ready Nutrition (@ready nutrition), one of the fastest growing sports nutrition companies in America, today announced Dr. Kim Beals, a nationally renowned sports nutrition and physical performance researcher and educator, has accepted the position as Chief Science Officer for the Ready Team.

A registered dietitian and a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Dr. Beals is an Associate Professor in Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh where she has worked for the past 25 years.   She published over 60 peer-reviewed scientific papers, technical reports and abstracts and given numerous invited lectures across the country and internationally. Dr. Beals has held numerous service and leadership positions in various professional organizations including the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, American College of Sports Medicine, American Dairy Association and Action for Healthy Kids. 

“I joined the Ready Team to be a part of a company committed to using sports nutrition to help athletes be their best.” said Dr. Beals.  “Studying and researching sports nutrition for over 25 years, it’s so exciting to work with a team developing sports nutrition products and programs based on science to help athletes achieve their goals.”

Dr. Beals will head Ready’s R&D division, spearheading its efforts to bring the latest in scientific performance ingredients and functional product formulations to market that best nutritionally assist athletes and other fitness-minded individuals in achieving their performance goals.

“This reaffirms our commitment of constantly trying to get better and providing best-in-class, science-based sports nutrition products in order to support athletes achieve their performance goals,” said company founder and president Pat Cavanaugh.  “I expect Dr. Beals, with her expertise and scientific reputation, to make an immediate impact for the Ready Team.”

World Sports Network Launches Sports Betting Podcast With Bill Krackomberger

World Sports Network (WSN.com) has recently expanded its sports news and entertainment coverage in the United States by announcing a new podcast partnership with expert sports bettor Bill Krackomberger.

nBill Krackomberger commented on the new show, “I’ve been approached to do podcasts before but I believe this is the right place for it. After betting on sports professionally for over twenty-five years I am looking forward to a show where we will educate sports bettors with real actionable advice every week.”

James Whitelock, Head of Marketing at WSN, “We are very excited to launch this new podcast in partnership with Bill Krackomberger. Bill sits in the middle of an extensive community of sports bettors in the US, I believe this relationship will drive WSN forward and provide a great platform for sports bettors looking for an edge from respected experts.”

The show is intended for novice and professional sports bettors and will feature special guests, many of whom are Bill’s friends and acquaintances and known bettors in their own fields. Bill is joined on the show by Rosalie Michaels, a daily fantasy sports analyst, who will go into betting concepts with him.

The show will be available on all popular podcast services.

Grants Pass Downs Rides Into Summer Meet

Grants Pass Downs will kick off its summer racing season tomorrow, Tuesday, June 16. The 8-race opening day program will feature the Shady Cove Stakes, with a full field of 10 thoroughbreds competing for a purse of $12,000 at a distance of five furlongs. The meet will boast more than 80 races scheduled over nine dates – June 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and July 1, 6, 7 and 8 – with $60,000 available in purses each day. Post time is set for 4:00 p.m.

Lighting was installed this spring to facilitate twilight racing, and the track was widened to support bigger fields. Thanks to a grant from the Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (OTOBA), Grants Pass Downs was also able to complete a number of other safety-focused projects including the installation of a new retaining wall, fencing, breakaway distance markers and additional sand to improve the track surface. The stall area was also expanded to accommodate up to 450 horses to meet growing demand. Those stalls are now nearly full as hundreds of horsemen and women from around Oregon and across the West have come to Grants Pass to participate in the meet.

“The uncertainty of these times hasn’t dampened any of the enthusiasm we’ve felt from our partners in the racing community since commercial racing came to Grants Pass last year,” said John Everly, racing secretary at Grants Pass Downs. “Demand remains very high, and even with the addition of more stalls in the barn area and fields expanding from eight to 10 horses with the widened track and an expanded starting gate, races should be pretty full throughout the meet.”

In accordance with current Oregon state health guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the meet will be held without fans in attendance. Racing fans unable to attend due to the current public health guidelines are encouraged to watch and wager at TVG.com and other advance-deposit wagering (ADW) websites, as well as at participating off-track betting (OTB) locations around the state. Grants Pass Downs has also expanded its wagering menu and will offer two new bets during the Summer Meet—a fifty cent Jackpot Pick Five with a $5,000 guaranteed pool and a 15% takeout rate, and a one dollar early Pick Four. For a list of participating ADW sites and OTB locations, visit https://gpdowns.com/wagering/.

“The health and safety of our athletes, staff, partners and guests is our highest priority, and we have put new protocols in place to ensure a safe, fun environment for all as we resume racing operations,” said Rod Lowe, director of racing and chief operating officer at Grants Pass Downs. “We’ll be encouraging the use of masks or face coverings by all guests. Additionally, hand sanitizer stations have been set up in high traffic areas throughout the premises, and social distancing reminders – like signage and floor markings – have been posted throughout the premises.”

Grants Pass Downs will allow a maximum of 250 nonessential people on site on racing days, including owners and their guests, sponsors and corporate partners, and members of the media.

New Jersey Sportsbooks Surprise in May but Still Lag by Nearly $400 Million, According to PlayNJ

PlayNJ.com

New Jersey’s online sportsbooks more than doubled the state’s combined handle in May, but still fell short of an ordinary May by nearly $400 million, according to PlayNJ estimates. This while online casinos and poker rooms continue to boom, buoying the Garden State’s gaming industry.

“May’s increase is a positive sign, but until major professional sports resume and Atlantic City casinos reopen, the gaming industry will look nowhere near normal,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “But optimism can be found with DraftKings, which has become a darling of Wall Street since it became a publicly traded company. That shows just how much confidence investors have in the future of sports betting.”

New Jersey’s online sportsbooks managed to boost the state’s monthly handle to $117.8 million, up 115.8% from $54.6 million in April, according to official reporting released Friday. But May’s handle is down 63.1% from $318.9 million in May 2019 and still well short of the more than $500 million in bets that would have been made in an ordinary May, according to PlayNJ estimates.

May’s bets produced a surprising $9.9 million in gross revenue — more than tripling the $2.6 million in April 2020 — yielding $1.3 million in state taxes.

Sports categorized as “other” than football, basketball, and baseball generated $95.4 million in bets in May, up from $88 million in May 2019.

“The bottom-line sports betting numbers aren’t pretty, but there is a silver lining in how online sportsbooks have managed to survive these shutdowns,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for PlayNJ.com. “New Jersey’s operators have been creative in keeping bettors engaged and sportsbooks generating revenue, even when fringe sports are the only real attraction. Thanks to some imagination, it appears online sportsbooks will help the industry get through this.”

Without retail sportsbooks, online sportsbooks were the only revenue generator for the state. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet led the market with $4.3 million in gross revenue.

“We are just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Gouker said. “Retail sports betting will take time to return to something resembling normal. But the path to recovery for online sportsbooks is simple: Sports need to come back. That is finally starting to happen.”

Meanwhile, online casinos and poker rooms rose to a new monthly record in May with a combined $85.9 million, up 7.5% from the record $79.96 million in April and up 134.7% from $36.6 million in May 2019.

Online casinos and poker generated a record $2.8 million per day during the 31 days in May, up from $2.7 million per day in April. That revenue yielded $12.9 million in state taxes. The Golden Nugget’s dominance of the market continued with $29.1 million in revenue, up from $27.6 million in April.

“Land-based gambling revenue almost certainly won’t return in June, and it will take some time to recover even when it does come back while Atlantic City casinos presumably navigate reduced capacity and relatively weak tourism demand,” Ramsey said. “Because of that, online casinos will be relied upon to bridge the revenue gap, even once land-based casinos reopen. Even if that online revenue can’t replace what has been lost from the shutdown, the overall gaming industry would be in much worse shape without it.”

For more, visit PlayNJ.com/news.

Bookies need Alabama to Upset Florida in 2009 SEC Championship

2009 SEC Championship

College football bettors are looking forward to watching the first ranked Florida Gators take on the second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2009 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta this Saturday December 5th, 2009 at 4 PM EST. The bookies offshore and in Vegas are anxious as well with significant handle expected on the first big game of December. Both teams roll into the game undefeated with National Title aspirations on their mind. The winner gets a ticket to play in the 2010 BCS Championship Game and the loser will most likely play in the Sugar Bowl.

Pretty much every betting shop on the planet needs Nick Saban’s Alabama squad to upset Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators.

The Crimson Tide will certainly have revenge on their mind considering that the Florida Gators beat Alabama in the 2008 SEC Championship 20-31. The loss last year was the first of the season for Alabama and knocked Saban’s crew out of the BCS Championship game, which Florida went on to win. Expect Alabama to be focused on their assignments this week and fired up for this game.

Strat-O-Matic 365 Adds League Commissioner Feature For Baseball, Football Online Games

credit: Mike Morbeck

With live sports still on hold (though hopefully coming back soon!), fantasy leagues have been looking for ways to keep their members together, combining their love of baseball and football with the camaraderie that goes with participating with friends. And for the first time, the popular Baseball 365 and Football 365 products from Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, give commissioners the tools to manage leagues of recent and all-time great rosters, with games simulated daily, just like regular fantasy sports.

Commissioner league users can invite specific guests to compete, incorporate league settings, draft teams at any pace, and even fill out spots with computer-controlled “bot” teams. Players serve as GM and manager, setting lineups, pitching rotations and managing styles (baseball) or starters, schemes and tendencies (football) for a realistic fantasy experience.

Baseball 365 Commissioner leagues can choose from the 2019 season, a new “All-Time Greats 9” set of more than 5,300 cards, additional single-seasons of 1982, 1986, 1999, 2007 through  2018, or mystery card sets from every decade from the 1960s through the 1990s. Football featured cards include the 2018 season, as well as an All-Time Franchises set with greats dating all the way back to the 1940s.

“Many Strat-O-Matic players are also huge fantasy sports fans, and just like Strat-O-Matic leagues stay together for years, a lot of the fun of fantasy is playing with your friends” said John Garcia, Strat-O-Matic’s Director of Research and exec-in-charge of 365. “There’s nowhere else to go right now to buy out a fantasy league in baseball or football with your friends.”

“The Commissioner leagues combine the excitement and strategy of Baseball 365 and Football 365 with the convenience and control that keep leagues and friends together,” said Bernie Hou, Director of 365 for Strat-O-Matic.

Grants Pass Downs names Jason Beem as track announcer for 2020 racing dates

Grants Pass Downs has named veteran race caller Jason Beem as track announcer for its 2020 commercial race meets. Beem will call all nine days of summer racing, beginning Tuesday, June 16 through closing day, Wednesday, July 8, as well as the track’s fall meet. Final dates for fall racing have yet to be determined.

A seasoned track announcer, social media personality, podcast host and author, Beem brings over 15 years of experience calling races to Grants Pass Downs. He has experience calling meets around the country, at Colonial Downs, Louisiana Downs, Monmouth Park, Portland Meadows and River Downs, among others. He hosts a daily horse racing podcast called The Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast, and is known for his annual “Beemie Awards,” held each December to celebrate the best moments in horse racing social media.

“We are excited to add Jason’s talent and vast experience in horse racing to the upcoming summer meet,” said Randy Evers, president of Grants Pass Downs. “His infectious enthusiasm for our sport is the perfect fit for calling our races, and he is certain to inject an extra wow factor in an unusual time. Our summer race dates will be held without spectators to maintain health and safety during the pandemic, but we are confident that Jason’s unique voice will help accurately reflect the excitement we’ve felt from the Grants Pass community.”

Beem, a Pacific Northwest native who grew up attending races at Longacres and Portland Meadows, is eager to lend his talents to the track for the first commercial races in Oregon this year.

“I’m honored to join the team at Grants Pass Downs as they continue to build on Oregon’s long and storied horse racing legacy,” said Beem. “The leadership and staff at Grants Pass Downs are doing an excellent job driving the next era of horse racing in the state while keeping hundreds of horsemen and women at work in Southern Oregon. I consider Oregon a second home and am thrilled to be a part of this team for the summer and fall meets.”

The summer race meet at Grants Pass Downs will kick off without spectators on Tuesday, June 16. Post time is set for 4 p.m. each day. Races will be available for spectators to watch and wager on TVG Network and other advance deposit wagering sites, and carried by Oregon’s off track betting sites. A full list of participating ADW sites and open off track betting sites are available on Grants Pass Downs’ website at www.gpdowns.com.

Colorado’s $25.5 Million Sports Betting Revenue And Survey Results Indicate The State Is Ready For Gambling’s Return

During a time of casino closures and league shutdowns, Colorado bettors have shown their willingness to engage with the state’s newly regulated sports betting offer. Since launching on May 1, the state has generated $25.5 million in gross, unaudited sports betting revenue. In a recent survey by ColoradoSharp.com, 75% of respondents said they would return to casinos “as soon as they’re open.” All signs point to a statewide boom for betting revenue when full-fledged gambling returns to The Centennial State.

“Colorado’s month-one results cement the state as a leader in the US gambling arena. $25 million in revenue is impressive on its own, and it’s even more impressive when you consider how sparse the gambling options are during a globally trying time,” said Chris Nesi, Managing Editor for ColoradoSharp.com. “This first month showcases the strength of the Colorado gaming industry, and I think we’ll continue to see impressive numbers from the state in the future.”

The Covid-19 pandemic hit Colorado hard. Related closures resulted in revenue loss nearing $100 million through April 30 alone. However, amid a challenging time for the state, Colorado’s successful first month of sports betting generated more than $25 million. Compared to Indiana’s launch month, the number is particularly impressive: Indiana earned $35 million in October 2019 when it debuted sports betting absent any casino closures. Colorado’s success in light of league cancellations and virtually no casino activity bodes well for the future of sports betting in the state. The first month’s $25 million signals a general desire for betting in Colorado, a conclusion supported by ColoradoSharp.com’s recent casino reopening survey.

In the survey, three-quarters of participants said they would return to casinos as soon as they reopen, even though the state has no current timeline for reopening land-based casinos or sportsbooks. The survey showcased Colorado’s excitement for gambling’s return, though not without some caution. 75% of survey takers intend to wear a mask when visiting a casino, and 50% said it is “very important” that casinos take social distancing safety measures upon reopening.

For complete survey results, visit ColoradoSharp.com.

Las Vegas Sands’ Singapore casino under DOJ money laundering microscope

Las Vegas Sands’ Singapore casino Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is reporetedly being investigated by the US Department of Justice for potential violations of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the DOJ had issued a grand jury subpoena in January to a former MBS compliance chief seeking information on “money laundering facilitation” and possible abuse of internal financial controls in the casino’s dealings with its VIP gamblers and junket operators.

MBS responded to Bloomberg’s inquiries saying it takes any suggestions of impropriety seriously and investigates all assertions of wrongdoing brought to its attention. The DOJ has neither confirmed nor denied the report and Bloomberg sources claimed that neither MBS nor its parent company had received any requests from the DOJ regarding this latest probe.

It’s unclear if the DOJ subpoena has any connection with a corruption case currently before the courts in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. Heru Hidayat, president of local shipping giant PT Trada Alam Minera, stands accused of pilfering state assets and laundering the cash through casinos in Macau, New Zealand and Singapore, including MBS and its local rival Resorts World Sentosa.

Las Vegas Sands’ Singapore casino under DOJ money laundering microscope

Las Vegas Sands’ Singapore casino Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is reporetedly being investigated by the US Department of Justice for potential violations of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the DOJ had issued a grand jury subpoena in January to a former MBS compliance chief seeking information on “money laundering facilitation” and possible abuse of internal financial controls in the casino’s dealings with its VIP gamblers and junket operators.

MBS responded to Bloomberg’s inquiries saying it takes any suggestions of impropriety seriously and investigates all assertions of wrongdoing brought to its attention. The DOJ has neither confirmed nor denied the report and Bloomberg sources claimed that neither MBS nor its parent company had received any requests from the DOJ regarding this latest probe.

It’s unclear if the DOJ subpoena has any connection with a corruption case currently before the courts in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. Heru Hidayat, president of local shipping giant PT Trada Alam Minera, stands accused of pilfering state assets and laundering the cash through casinos in Macau, New Zealand and Singapore, including MBS and its local rival Resorts World Sentosa.

DraftKings inks betting deal with Michigan’s Bay Mills tribal casino

Sports betting operator DraftKings has added Michigan to its list of legal wagering states via a deal with a local tribal casino operator.

On Thursday, DraftKings announced that it had signed on with the Bay Mills Resort & Casino outside Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which is operated by the Bay Mills Indian Community. The deal covers a retail sportsbook as well as mobile and online betting, although Michigan isn’t expected to have its digital betting regulations in place until next year.

The deal, which is subject to the standard regulatory conditions, will expand DraftKings’ presence in US legal betting states to 10, joining Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

DraftKings share price, which has been on an absolutely untethered-from-reality tear since its listing on the Nasdaq exchange in late-April, is currently up around half-a-buck to $40.70, roughly four times its value at the time of its initial public offering. 

TAB NZ buckles to COVID pressure, axing 30% of its staff

The New Zealand Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) have announced a 30% staffing cut to subsidiary TAB NZ due to the economic pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was confirmed that 230 staff, including 150 permanent staff, were axed in a cost-cutting exercise that will save the company NZ$11 million. RITA COO Stephen Henry stated that the cancellation of sporting events in New Zealand would cost the company $14 million.

Popular TAB NZ bookie Mark Stafford was the highest-profile victim of the job cuts. The twenty-year veteran had made a name for himself, providing odds on All Blacks and Black Cap matches.

Stafford thanked the New Zealand public for their support on Twitter: