THE AMERICAS
Amaya Gaming set a March 21 date for PokerStars’ New Jersey launch while warning that Stars’ former owners won’t help pay its $870m legal bill in Kentucky; Intertain’s CEO stepped down after the company scrapped its executive bonus plan; Virginia became the first state to send a pro-DFS bill to its governor; Western Union found itself the subject of an FBI online gambling probe; California’s new online poker bill would make it a felony to play on international sites; New Jersey published skill-based game regulations; Caesars Interactive Entertainment had a record year thanks to social gaming gains and racing took a back seat to social gaming in Churchill Downs Inc’s 2015 report; Rock Gaming rebranded as JACK Entertainment; Donald Trump mulled a Las Vegas casino joint venture with Phil Ruffin; Nevada sportsbooks set another new sports betting record; more legal hassles forced Wynn Resorts to postpone its Everett casino project; the World Series of Poker released its 2016 schedule and the Global Poker Index handed out its American Poker Awards; Rafi Farber said MGM Resorts was a great buy and a study examined the legacy of America’s Indian casino gaming industry.
EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST
Former Bwin.party CEO Norbert Teufelberger was charged with bribery over a failed Turkish betting license bid; William Hill’s 2015 profit fell after £87m in new UK gambling taxes while Ladbrokes posted its first annual loss in a decade; Playtech’s grey/black-market Asian business grew 49% in 2015; Denmark’s regulated online gambling market closed out 2015 on a high note; Tabcorp set a spring date for its UK online gambling launch; Mr Green vowed to launch its sportsbook before Euro 2016; an Israeli government report said Eilat casinos could generate $500m per year; Lee Davy recapped the inaugural Global Poker League draft; Bates, Wells & Braithwaite solicitor Gemma Boone explained why start-ups should mind their legal P’s and Q’s before launching and William Hill’s Crispin Nieboer offered tips on how to inspire technical innovation at your company.