Anti-corruption crusaders have mounted a legal challenge of the Philippines’ gaming regulator’s constitutional right to issue online gambling licenses.

Last week, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) issued 35 new ‘offshore’ gambling licenses, the first of the new Philippine Offshore Gambling Operator (POGO) licenses to be issued since PAGCOR announced the new licensing regime in September.

On Wednesday, the Union for National Development and Good Governance-Philippines (UNLAD) asked the Supreme Court to nullify PAGCOR’s POGO program, on the grounds that PAGCOR has no legal basis to oversee online gambling.

UNLAD’s petition states that PAGCOR “committed grave abuse of discretion” in approving the POGO program because it is “not authorized under its legislative franchise, Presidential Decree 1869, either to operate and regulate gambling on the internet catering [to] foreign based players and gamblers that are physically outside the Philippine jurisdiction.”

Bettors in Nevada may soon be able to use their wagering accounts for more forms of casino gambling.

State regulators are reportedly planning to discuss allowing the use of betting accounts—currently used only for sports betting and some online games—to bet on slots, video poker and bingo, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

“Currently, there are separate account-wagering regulations for each type of gaming, such as for mobile gaming, races and sports, interactive and slots,” said A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Gaming Control Board, according to the news outlet. “Each may have slightly different requirements. The aim of the changes we are making to the regulations is to bring them all into alignment so they have the same requirements for each, with only minor variances.”

The board plans to hold the discussions at a special workshop on Thursday.

Always welcoming young faces on the igaming market and open to new partnership opportunities, SoftSwiss is glad to announce the launch of Booming Games within its gaming portfolio. More than 50 varieties which embrace splendid 3D animated slots with exciting new themes and innovative graphics are now available to SoftSwiss clients.

Booming Games is a software house which was launched in 2014 to focus on the B2B sector and offer high-quality content to the gaming industry. In just two years of operation, the company has earned a solid reputation for their premium quality slots and high class service in the corporate sector. With offices in Malta, London, and the Isle of Man, the game content developer is targeting a wide geography of casinos with a distinct focus on the fastgrowing Asian market.

Booming Games, Head of Business Development, Frederik Niehusen remarks: “We are always delighted to embrace professional partnerships with such accomplished companies as SoftSwiss, increasing our coverage and bringing our slots to their established client base.”

It is important to note that Booming Games is also working with Bitcoin and providing its services to companies operating in the regulated cryptocurrency space (as well as in the fiat currency space). This is a crucial factor for SoftSwiss, the leader in the cryptocurrency online casino software market, as it extends opportunities for Bitcoin casinos operating with their platform.

The body that advises the government of India is discussing the feasibility of legalizing sports betting in the country.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, retired Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, chairman of the Law Commission of India, confirmed that they are “examining all legal aspects of betting in sports.”

“Once we make up our mind and prepare a skeleton in what direction we should proceed and what legal problems may arise, we will write to all the stakeholders,” the chairman told the news outlet.

In July, India’s Supreme Court accepted the recommendations made by the Lodha Committee to make sports betting legal through an enacted legislation. In 143-page judgment, the magistrates agreed with the committee that sports betting and match fixing were not the same bananas when they gave their stamp of approval for the legalization of sports betting in India. However, the magistrates left the decision to make sports betting legal in India to the Parliament since the issue “involves the enactment of a law which is a matter that may be examined by the Law Commission and the government.”

Moves to regulate digital currencies in Russia are facing another setback following reports the finance ministry is delaying the introduction of a bill regulating cryptocurrencies until 2017.

Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev was quoted by Russian media outlet Lenta saying he expects the adoption of the bill on digital currency to be adopted “not until the autumn of next year.”

For years, authorities in Russia, particularly the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federations, has been very vocal in opposing digital currency in the country. In fact, ministry officials has been working on a draft law that will punish those who use bitcoins and engage cryptocurrency trade and mining activities.

That bill, however, has met strong opposition even before reaching the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament. In May, the Ministry of Justice challenged the bill’s lack of a precise definition for money substitutes or ‘surrogates,’ which is the term that Russian officials often use to describe bitcoin.

The Colorado Racing Commission has greenlit the fantasy sports operations of Mile High Racing & Entertainment (MHRE) in the Centennial State.

MHRE announced that the state regulator has approved their request to offer fantasy sports contests in nine Colorado locations.

Mile High Fantasy Sports contests will be made available in the following locations: Havana Park in Aurora; Red & Jerry’s in Sheridan, Colorado; Sundance Steak House and Saloon in Fort Collins, Colorado; Big D’s OTB in Greely, Colorado; Post Time in Colorado Springs, Colorado; The 8 Track at Bank 8 Billiards in Grand Junction, Colorado; Southern Colorado Gaming and Event Center in Pueblo, Colorado; and Softball Country and El Patrón Sports Bar in Denver.

The contests will include professional football, basketball, hockey, baseball and other daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests. Las Vegas based USFantasy Sports is providing the content.

We did it, everyone. We achieved parity in the NFL. And it’s absolutely terrible. Can we go back to building super teams like the other two major sports? It was way more fun to bet on. All I know is that Dallas, Oakland and New England are probably the best teams in the league heading in to the last four weeks. After that, I really have no idea what to do. This season is so bad that a winless Cleveland team is almost slightly better than Jacksonville, which has just two more wins than them. I hate all of it.

1. Dallas Cowboys (11-1 SU and 9-3 ATS)

Any elite team can cough up a dud like the Cowboys did last Thursday, especially when you’re built around two rookies playing in a non-Sunday game. That’s fine. If The Giants make them look bad again, though, then we can (maybe) worry a bit more. For now, just chalk up their win against Minnesota to the old Thursday blues.

Next Game: Dallas -3.0 at NYG (Sunday Night)

December 2016 – ORYX Gaming is marking the festive season by delivering Fairytale Forest and Golden 7 Christmas slot games to its customers.

Fairytale Forest is a magical slot that invites players on an enchanting journey packed full of mystical creatures. This title was cast from its Flash version and has been optimised to ensure a faster game flow. Anaconda Eye Rapids was recently rolled out in the same manner.

There are free spins that can be multiplied a maximum of 10x and an engaging bonus game. Here players can use the unique re-pick feature to enjoy two opportunities to change their mind and increase the chance of winning the main prize.

ORYX’s second gift is Golden 7 Christmas and this is a festive version of the hugely popular Golden 7 Classic. Staying true to its classic casino origins, the new addition is played on a 5 x 3 matrix, with five paylines and one scatter symbol.

The first tranche of the final group games of the Champions League is in the bag. Arsenal goes through as group leaders for the first time in a very long time; Napoli beat Benfica to go through on top of Group B, and Celtic pick up a respectful draw in Manchester.

 Arsenal will move into the Round of 16 draw as group leaders courtesy of a hat trick from Lucas Perez in a 4-1 rout away to FC Basel. Paris St Germain – who would have gone through as group leaders with a home win against Ludogorets – could only manage a 2-2 draw.

It’s the first time Arsenal have won their Champions League group since 2011-12. It’s also the first time they have gone through the group phase unbeaten since they reached the final way back in 2005-06.

Arsenal looks good this season. They have only lost two games in 23 in all competitions, but they haven’t progressed past the Round of 16 of the Champions League for the past six seasons.

December 2016, London- This Thursday, December 8th at London’s Grange Hotel, Tower Bridge, the Brightest Mind’s Showcase, at the www.iGamingEntrepreneurs.com conference, will award one winning project a mentoring and professional services package worth over £25,000.

The prize, which will be judged by the mentors and service providers, will provide the winner with valuable insights from leading minds in the iGaming space, including four hours of mentoring each from Mark Blandford, founder of Sporting Bet and industry investor; Nicky Senyard, founder of Income Access; Melissa Blau, founder of iGaming Capital; and multi-family office, Boston.co.im who will provide payment and international development consulting.

The package also includes professional services packages including legal advice from iGaming legal experts Harris Hagan; specialist accountants BDO, creative specialists Vegas Kings, iGaming public relations experts Lyceum Media and compliance specialists NMI. This services package provides essential iGaming expertise in areas crucial for entrepreneurs developing their businesses in this sector.

The Brightest Minds Showcase will feature 60 second pitches from each of the exhibiting projects at the iGaming Entrepreneur Conference, and will hear questions from the mentors and service providers. All pitches, questions and answers will be directed towards the mentors and towards the attending investor community, who are looking to add new iGaming investments to their existing portfolios.

December 2016, London- This Thursday, December 8th at London’s Grange Hotel, Tower Bridge, the Brightest Mind’s Showcase, at the www.iGamingEntrepreneurs.com conference, will award one winning project a mentoring and professional services package worth over £25,000.

The prize, which will be judged by the mentors and service providers, will provide the winner with valuable insights from leading minds in the iGaming space, including four hours of mentoring each from Mark Blandford, founder of Sporting Bet and industry investor; Nicky Senyard, founder of Income Access; Melissa Blau, founder of iGaming Capital; and multi-family office, Boston.co.im who will provide payment and international development consulting.

The package also includes professional services packages including legal advice from iGaming legal experts Harris Hagan; specialist accountants BDO, creative specialists Vegas Kings, iGaming public relations experts Lyceum Media and compliance specialists NMI. This services package provides essential iGaming expertise in areas crucial for entrepreneurs developing their businesses in this sector.

The Brightest Minds Showcase will feature 60 second pitches from each of the exhibiting projects at the iGaming Entrepreneur Conference, and will hear questions from the mentors and service providers. All pitches, questions and answers will be directed towards the mentors and towards the attending investor community, who are looking to add new iGaming investments to their existing portfolios.

A pair of California poker players has won their civil court case after Iowan State Troopers robbed them of $100,000 in cash during a routine traffic stop in 2013.

Our cash may be coated in semen, urine and over 3,000 types of different bacteria. Exposure to it may cause acne, gastric ulcers, pneumonia and food poisoning. But we love it so much, if you take it away from us, we get quite upset. And in Iowa, the State Troopers just love taking it away from people.

In 2013, poker players William Davis and John Newmerzhycky were driving through the Hawkeye State after a productive visit to a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) event in Joliet when two State Troopers searched the vehicle and found $100,000 in cash. The two poker players would have to wait another three years before they saw it again.

Troopers, Justin Simmons and Eric VanderWiel, conducted the search without a warrant. They took the cash because the law allowed them to. They didn’t even have to offer an explanation, although they did state that they thought the money had a drug connection after one of the poker players was found to have a toke of weed.

Activist investor Jason Ader wants Canadian online gambling operator Amaya Gaming to forget David Baazov’s takeover bid and get back to making money.

Last Friday, Toronto’s Globe & Mail newspaper published a look at the “murky” finances underpinning Baazov’s C$24-per-share offer to acquire Amaya and take it private. The article quoted a letter that Ader’s SpringOwl Asset Management sent Amaya on Thursday, urging the board to reject Baazov’s bid and to cut the cord for good with their former CEO.

In the letter, SpringOwl CEO Ader (pictured right) said it is “time for the company to fully move on from the undue influence” of Baazov (pictured left). Ader called Baazov’s bid “a continued attempt by a discredited former executive to capitalize on the Amaya situation at other shareholders’ expense.”

Ader said SpringOwl was “not supportive of the self-interested, unsubstantiated potential transaction” which, given Baazov’s “current legal situation and the lack of clarity … has significant risks to closing.”

Casinos in Maryland continued their winning streak in November, the last month before the new MGM National Harbor opens to the public.

Figures released Monday by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency show the state’s five casinos brought in just under $92m in November, 2.5% more than the same month last year. The year-on-year gain extended the state’s revenue winning streak to 12 straight months.

As ever, Maryland Live! led the revenue chart with $50.2m, although this was down 2.7% year-on-year due to a $4m slots decline. Caesars’ Horseshoe Casino Baltimore maintained second place with $28.5m, up an impressive 16% year-on-year thanks to its slots improving by $3.6m.

Hollywood Casino Perryville ranked third with $5.6m, down 7% year-on-year, while Ocean Downs and Rocky Gap tied at just under $3.8m apiece, which represented a 5.6% gain for Rocky Gap and a 1.7% decline at Ocean Downs.

Casino operator Caesars Entertainment has finally revealed the name of its new South Korean joint venture partner.

On Tuesday, a subsidiary of Chinese hotel and property development firm Guangzhou R&F Properties Co Ltd formally announced the formation of a joint venture with Caesars’ South Korean subsidiary to build an integrated resort in Midan City on Yeongjong Island, part of the Incheon free economic zone.

In a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, R&F says it will hold 50% of the Incheon JV, while Caesars will hold the other half. Each party will contribute an initial $30.5m to the project, with further equity contributions of up to $110m per party.

These additional contributions are to be made in four tranches, each of which will be dependent upon the achieving of different milestones, including “certain necessary changes in the gaming licensing laws regarding credit rating requirements of the parties.”

Spread betting firms saw their share prices tumble on Tuesday after the UK’s financial watchdog proposed stricter rules for the sector.

On Tuesday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced new restrictions on selling contracts for difference (CFD) products to retail customers who may not understand the full ramifications of their ‘investments.’

The CFD category, which includes spread betting and ‘rolling spot’ foreign exchange products, can result in investors/bettors losing many multiples of their original stake. The FCA says its study of the sector indicates that 82% of investors lost an average of £2,200 on their CFD bets.

The FCA’s proposed changes include standardized risk warnings and mandatory disclosure of profit-loss ratios. Providers will also be forbidden from offering sign-up bonuses or other incentives to promote CFD products.

There are many factors that could drive the price of bitcoin up. Demonetization, a political upheaval, economic turmoil and even the slightest uncertainty in the global markets may cause the price of the popular digital currency to soar.

For instance, news of Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory triggered volatility in the markets in November, which, in turn, sent the price of bitcoin soaring above the $700 level. Several weeks before that, it was the Chinese yuan devaluation that caused the digital currency to settle comfortably in the $650 price range.

Now, another event could send bitcoin crashing through the $800 ceiling.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was forced to concede defeat after voters voted “No” to the country’s referendum on constitutional reform, which aims to overhaul the government’s parliamentary system.