From Arkansas to California, trainer Richard Baltas has been busy with his stakes horses this week. He starts Lady Prancealot in the Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) Feb. 22 at Santa Anita Park.

One has to credit the UFC for trying to grow the popularity of its sport. It’s a no-brainer to stage an event in New York City or Los Angeles or London, but this Saturday’s Fight Night card is being held in the metropolis of … Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It’s the second time in the state for the UFC but first in the state’s third-largest city that is basically a suburb of Albuquerque.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The main card at the Santa Ana Star Center begins at 8 p.m. ET and is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz in a rematch. Interesting that a light heavyweight bout is the headliner as that was the case last week when pound-for-pound king Jon Jones retained his title with a win over Dominick Reyes.

Anderson (13-4), a 30-year-old American, is ranked No. 5 in the division. “Overtime” has won four in a row since back-to-back losses to Ovince St. Preux and Jimi Manuwa. Anderson was most recently in the Octagon in November 2019 and beat Johnny Walker by first-round TKO (punches). Only five of Anderson’s 13 wins are by KO or TKO, while the other eight are by decision.

TheScore stands out as a unique story in the gambling space. As so many operators start to compete in the U.S. space, theScore comes from a media background, but with plenty of name recognition. To understand the company’s path, our Becky Liggero Fontana spoke with John Levy, CEO of theScore.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLCwiuIYCsI?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

TheScore came to the gambling industry gradually, and from learning its own lessons in its previous expertise. “Our origins were a TV network in Canada and then through that we developed this digital world of the mobile app and we’re like the second most popular app in North America, ESPN is number one, were number two,” Levy began. “And we’ve always known that a high percentage of all the people who engage with us bet on sports. So it seemed unfulfilling for us just to become the super affiliate we looked at the market we said look the best thing to do is just go all-in. And we said, are we licensable? Absolutely because we kept ourselves perfectly clean for the last twenty years, hoping and praying that sports betting was gonna open up. Had to cut some deal, so we got a deal with Bet.Works, that allowed us to do the backend technology. Then we met Dennis Drazen from Monmouth Park, and that got us our license in New Jersey. And boom, five weeks ago we launched in New Jersey, we’re literally the only sports media company that’s actually the operator. We’re the bookie, and we’re having a lot of fun, and we’re learning like crazy. It’s amazing.”

While theScore is building up its gambling cred in New Jersey, they already have plans to expand further, starting with a deal with Penn National.”We’ve always said the New Jersey was just our entrance point, right?” he asked. “And our users, 65% of all of our users on our app come from the States. You know, we have 4 to 5 million average monthly users, they hit our app 100 plus times a month. This is always about doing a national footprint, but we have to do it on a state-by-state basis which is fine with us. So our options were one of two things: either we go state by state, or we find a bigger company, a gaming company, that actually kind of thought like us, and thinks like us, and they’re not many of them around. Like there’s a lot of the big guys, the MGM’s. They’re kind of stuck in legacy land and they got a lot of other interests to protect, huge revenue streams.”

BetConstruct opens up new paths for operators and igaming enthusiasts willing to enter the industry and hone their skills.

The knowledge and experience collected over the years of being in business, hundreds of partners and industry recognition prompted and encouraged BetConstruct to deliver industry-facing education for those who want to boost their standing in igaming.

Our International Gaming Business Academy helps operators and their personnel reinforce their knowledge in fields of trading, digital marketing, business development, international regulatory & responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, CRM, risk management and more. Not only BetConstruct gives an opportunity to operators take an extra step in their business development, but also trains fresh minds to enter the industry and find success as an industry expert.

The International Gaming Business Academy is ready to deliver courses both on-site at the company’s development office in Armenia and via online training.

Specialist payment provider to integrate its technology into full retail portfolio

Athens, 06th February 2020 – OKTO Group, the financial technology provider specialising in digital payment and player engagement applications, has partnered with leading Italian gaming company ARESWAY to supply its technology across its full retail portfolio.

With over two decades of experience in the Italian gaming industry, ARESWAY develops highly advanced solutions for the retail betting industry, boasting an engaging in-house gaming suite and innovative open platform for electronic gaming machines.

The agreement is set to give a wealth of Italian operators access to OKTO’s industry-leading payment solutions for gaming through a seamless integration with ARESWAY’s EOS open platform for VLTs.

Arizona Senate Bill (SB 1158) met its untimely death last year when it couldn’t gain enough support to rally lawmakers. The bill was designed to try to introduce sports gambling to the state, but haphazardly approached the subject, which may have been partially the reason it couldn’t tread water. SB 1158 is back, revived as SB 1525, and is hoping to do what its previous self couldn’t. However, the way things are set out in the bill, the safe money would be on SB 1525 finding the same result as its predecessor.

SB 1525 has been drafted by Senator Sonny Borrelli and Representative Steve Pierce. Given the vast control over the gaming industry that local tribes have, operating 16 of the 24 gaming venues in the state, the bill caters to them and would allow the tribes to set up sportsbooks and kiosks at their casinos. Additionally, it would also allow tribal-owned entertainment facilities, such as bars, nightclubs and any tribal location with a liquor license to set up sportsbooks or install kiosks.

Specifically, the legislation reads, “An Indian tribe that is authorized to operate sports betting pursuant to this section may operate sports betting through kiosks or similar machines that are located at one or more premises that have a bar license, a beer and wine bar license or a private club license that is issued pursuant title 4 and may enter into a lease or rental agreement for the purpose of operating sports betting with a person that holds a bar license, a beer and wine bar license or a private club license.”

The provision to allow sports gambling at non-casino facilities is going to meet significant resistance. According to federal law, which trumps local law and is the go-to authority for tribal gaming operations, tribes are only allowed to offer gambling on their own land that has been placed in federal trust. While some exceptions have been seen, it isn’t likely that one would be made in this case, and not where vast amounts of liquor can be mixed with wagers.

It was probably a plan that sounded good at the time – trick gaming machines at Miccosukee Resort & Gaming into spitting out false payout vouchers and cash in the winnings. However, what looks good on paper doesn’t always work in real life, and eight people that carried out the scheme at the Florida casino, walking away with more than $5 million, have found this out the hard way. According to a Department of Justice press release, they have now pleaded guilty to various crimes and will spend substantial time behind bars concocting their next scheme.

Michel Aleu, Lester Lavin, Yohander Jorrin Melhen, and Leonardo Betancourt are previous employees of the casino. In 2011, they hatched their plan with the help of one who worked on the video games for the venue. The machines began to offer the fake vouchers, which were handed off to co-conspirators to be exchanged for cash. When it appeared that the casino had not wisened up, they kept their plan in motion and walked away with $5.3 million, until finally being caught four years later.

When the theft was uncovered, the group was rounded up and prosecutors began exploring which legal books to throw at them. In the end, prosecutors finally charged them last July with conspiracy to steal funds of more than $1,000, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Next stop, a courtroom to enter their plea. That has now happened, according to a press release from prosecutors, and they have pleaded guilty to all of the charges.

They wouldn’t be facing a judge alone, however. Also implicated in the scheme were the wives of three of the suspects, Maria Del Pilar Aleu, Anisleydi Vergel Hermida and Milagros Marile Acosta Torres. They had also been dragged into the saga and have pleaded guilty to money laundering. All defendants entered their pleas over several different court appearances, with the last, Yohander Jorrin Melhen and Milagros Acosta Torres, admitting to their crimes last Friday.

Arcade games have been some of the most popular forms of electronic entertainment for two generations now. Companies have made billions of dollars from these games, and a general love of these games has led gambling machine manufacturers to combine them with gambling, and that is what Dragon Ascent is all about.

However, not everyone thinks this is a good idea. Lawmakers in both D.C. and Virginia are concerned about the game and are wondering if he should be allowed at all.

The problem is that many are questioned whether this is a game of skill or a game of chance. There is a significant difference between the two in terms of what is lawful within the state and the nation’s capital but the question may be moot.

The game has much the same appeal as an arcade game. There are joysticks as players compete to shoot down colorful dragons darting across the screen. However, instead of winning points to be crowned the champion, players can win money as their reward. It’s the perfect solution for users who have spent years playing these types of games.

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) has a new chief, which means the gambling industry in Victoria needs to be ready for changes. The organization is led by a board who responds to the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation and works to prevent gambling addiction in Victoria. Following the departure of Julie Ligeti as the chair of the VRGF, Tass Mousaferiadis is going to be installed as the new leader, and other changes are being made inside the top echelon that will most certainly build upon the country’s plans to control gambling on more levels than ever.

Mousaferiadis has served on the board since February 2017 and has a background in entities that focus on health and education. He is the chair of Eastern Health Services and of Star Health, and is also a board director for Foodbank Victoria, according to a press release on his appointment. Additionally, he has been in leadership roles with a number of organizations, including Beyond Blue and VicHealth.

Marlene Kairouz, Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation, says of the appointment, “Mr Mousaferiadis is passionate about the development and delivery of high-quality health policy, programs and services that are informed by the experiences of those affected and I have every confidence in his ability to lead the Foundation.”

Joining Mousaferiadis is coming in at the same time that another board member is moving up, as well. Monique Conheady has served on the board since 2013 and will now carry the title of Deputy Chair. She is a co-founder and former CEO of Flexicar, and has served on the governing board of Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority. Her increase in responsibilities comes as Belinda Duarte, with ties to the Wotjobaluk and Dja Dja Wurrung aboriginal people, resigns.

After seven events, the winner of the Australian Poker Open Championship is known and it is British poker legend Stephen Chidwick. The final event, the Australian Poker Open $100,000-entry Main Event was won by Michael Addamo for a massive $1,318,000. But the points gained by Stephen Chidwick saw him reach the promised land, overtaking Hungarian player Andras Nemeth and winning the Championship overall, cashing for over a million Australian dollars in total, including the $50,000 bonus prize for topping the leaderboard.

The final day of the Australian Poker Open’s Main Event began with a money bubble upon which hung the overall Championship title. Chidwick needed to finish in the top four to make the money and more importantly the points to become champion. He did so after an agonising hour of play for those with short stacks, but a thrilling one for fans tuning into PokerGO for the coverage.

It would be Australia’s own crusher, Kahle Burns, who busted in fifth place to hand Chidwick the APO Championship title and that $50,000 top prize.

Burns moved all-in with pocket kings and was called by the original raiser in the hand, Michael Addamo, who held queen-eight of spades. The flop saw two eights land and no help for Burns on the turn and river meant that the field was at four and the money bubble burst, Burns off into the afternoon shaking his head in disbelief, Chidwick declared Champion in the same breathless moment.

After seven events, the winner of the Australian Poker Open Championship is known and it is British poker legend Stephen Chidwick. The final event, the Australian Poker Open $100,000-entry Main Event was won by Michael Addamo for a massive $1,318,000. But the points gained by Stephen Chidwick saw him reach the promised land, overtaking Hungarian player Andras Nemeth and winning the Championship overall, cashing for over a million Australian dollars in total, including the $50,000 bonus prize for topping the leaderboard.

The final day of the Australian Poker Open’s Main Event began with a money bubble upon which hung the overall Championship title. Chidwick needed to finish in the top four to make the money and more importantly the points to become champion. He did so after an agonising hour of play for those with short stacks, but a thrilling one for fans tuning into PokerGO for the coverage.

It would be Australia’s own crusher, Kahle Burns, who busted in fifth place to hand Chidwick the APO Championship title and that $50,000 top prize.

Burns moved all-in with pocket kings and was called by the original raiser in the hand, Michael Addamo, who held queen-eight of spades. The flop saw two eights land and no help for Burns on the turn and river meant that the field was at four and the money bubble burst, Burns off into the afternoon shaking his head in disbelief, Chidwick declared Champion in the same breathless moment.