The Media Image Head of SEO and Social Darren Sheffield gives tips on things to consider on mobile users and social media on this episode of Social Media Tip of the Week.
Key considerations
Users on mobile and desktop act differently
Users on mobile see your posts differently
Users on mobile often have limitations to what they can download
Big video files will work less effectively
Do not send a user to a non-responsive or non mobile optimised landing page from your post
This is a guest contribution by Zach Kay, a poker writer at sportswriters.us/pokerwriter. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.
In 2015, the TV shows High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, which many poker enthusiasts once enjoyed, are no more than fond memories. Other than coverage of some well-known circuits such as the EPT and big live events like the WSOP Main Event, televised poker is not receiving the investment it once did. But investors do not simply stop investing. They just look for other opportunities. Perhaps a new emerging market on the world’s largest streaming service is an attractive option?
Twitch.tv, a domain owned by Amazon, is a hosting and broadcasting company that allows users to both upload and stream content in real time. It boasts over 100 million users every month and was ranked 4th in peak internet traffic in the US for the week ending 3rd Feb. That ranking surpasses sites such as Tumblr, Valve, Hulu, and Facebook.
Twitch divides its content into “Channels”, which subdivide into individual streams. At the time of writing, the Poker channel had 2,029 viewers with the top streamer contributing 1,321 viewers. By comparison the most popular channel League of Legends, had 204,558 viewers with the most popular streamer contributing 134,521 viewers. It is therefore fair to say that Poker is far from dominating the twitch community in the near future. However it does consistently place in the top 30 channels, which is impressive given the short time it has had to gain exposure since its addition to the site.
I believe Poker has the potential to become extremely popular on Twitch as it shares the same qualities as the most viewed channels. League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter Strike, and Hearthstone. The common denominator in all of these games is competitive online strategy. While the idea of introducing the competitive e-gaming and poker markets has been suggested as a way of increasing player numbers before, it has proved challenging. While the core skills and interests overlap, traditional poker marketing has not been able to reach out to these gamers in an effective way. With the Poker channel consistently holding a place on the front page of Twitch due to its top 30 ranking, it seems Twitch is the first medium to offer poker effective exposure to the gaming community. Clearly, I am not the only person who believes that Twitch holds potential. PokerStars themselves have begun streaming live footage from EPT events and several well-known professionals have joined the trend.
For Poker, as an industry to capitalise on the exposure it might gain via Twitch, content created by streamers will need to adapt. It will have to be exciting enough to hold the interest of new recreational players and evolve as these players learn the game. The majority of the current audience on the Twitch Poker channel are already poker players, by no means professionals, but they are for the most part familiar with the game before discovering Twitch. The streamers personality and willingness to interact with their followers, both while streaming and via social media, will also be key. A robotic pro explaining why “check call leading the turn in this spot from the small blind is best for your range here” is not something prospective and recreational players are going to be able to understand let alone relate to and enjoy.
This leads us to the impact a potential influx of new players could have and raises some difficult questions on the distribution of strategy. I am of course realistic. A second “Poker Boom” resulting from a massive migration of gamers to poker is extremely unlikely. However, I believe the potential gains from just a fraction of that market are significant enough to consider. Any new players increase the liquidity of poker sites with new deposits. New players are also basically all losers when they start out which is great news for all the Regulars. The only negative from acquiring these new players would be: if a greater than average number of them turned into long-term winners over time. It is of course very difficult to estimate this. At first, it might seem like those interested in competitive gaming are likely to be great candidates for winning poker players but note that the vast majority of people watching the streams of pro gamers probably do play the games but are certainly not professional players. With this in mind, I think we would see a similar distribution as we have seen before between regular and recreational players. The other issue is that streamers distributing strategy via twitch will have a similar effect in making the games tougher as sites like CardRunners and DeucesCracked several years ago. Awareness among professionals has certainly grown in recent times with regards to making strategy available, and recently there has been a decline in willingness to do so. For many different reasons, there will always be some willing to share strategy advice and they are within their rights to do so regardless of the long-term effect on the game. Will it be these players discussing strategy who are the most watched by new and recreational players? This seems unlikely to me and so the risk seems worth the potential reward from my perspective.
ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS SET TO BE HELD IN XIAN ON 2 MAY, GUANGZHOU ON 30 MAY AND SHENYANG ON 12 JUNE
Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced that the next three events in China will take place in Xian, Guangzhou and Shenyang. ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS will be held in these cities on 2 May, 30 May and 12 June respectively. The events are part of a ten-city tour across mainland China in partnership with IMC Live.
CEO OF ONE Championship, Victor Cui, stated, “ONE Championship continues its upward trajectory towards becoming the number one sports organization in the world with a series of groundbreaking events in China. ONE Championship continues to be a trailblazer by bringing world-class mixed martial arts action across mainland China while breaking both live and television viewership records. Fans all over the world can prepare to be thrilled with adrenaline pumping action featuring the best mixed martial artists from around the world.”
For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA
About ONE CHAMPIONSHIP™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship™ is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world
About IMC Live Group China
The World Series of Poker will expand their brand further than ever before, by extending their World Series of Poker Circuit series to strategic locations around the world.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has taken a leaf out of the PokerStars playbook by creating strategic partnerships with land-based casinos from around the world.
In a press release received from the poker powerhouse. The WSOP have revealed that they have entered into international partnerships with casinos from three countries that love their poker.
A few weeks ago, I brought you news of the WSOP’s plans to host their first-ever European WSOPC event in Italy, and their first-ever international event being held in Morocco – Mexico have also been added to that impressive list.
The partnerships allow the recipients of the handshake to license the WSOP brand to specifically selected poker rooms, host WSOPC events, and create a satellite platform for the WSOP and WSOPE series.
“It’s time to emphasize the “World” in World Series of Poker and more aggressively partner with leading casino operators at the regional level,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “We know players crave a WSOP-like experience in their home market and believe our organizational expertise and unique tournament formats will bring a winning formula.”
The first event is on the horizon. The Casino de Marrakech Es Saadi will host the first international event March 7-15. There will be eight official gold ring events, including a €1,350 Main Event, and special WSOP & WSOPE satellites will also be running.
Daniel Negreanu called Alexander Dreyfus a ‘visionary’ after the inaugural Global Poker Index American Poker Awards and American Poker Conference turned out to be a tremendous success.
Alexander Dreyfus said that poker is an old game, but a new industry. It does feel like that. The Frenchman has provided that feel. He has picked the game up by the scruff of the neck, given it a good old-fashioned spit wash, and now it looks shiny and new.
Part of that new look is the American Poker Awards (APA). It looked amazing. The highlight reel put together by PokerNews put a smile on my wife. 14-awards were dished out to the deserved. It was great to see nearly all of them turning up to pick up their award in person. I guess the only surprise was the lack of tears.
Daniel Negreanu called Alex Dreyfus a ‘visionary’. He is. This was a smart move. If you think awards ceremonies serve no purpose then you are wrong. These awards ceremonies are important for poker. It’s part of the new wave of new wave.
So who won, and more importantly how many winners did I predict?
I decided to take my shot at predicted nine awards and I only got two wrong. How did Daniel Colman’s record-breaking year not merit enough votes for him to walk away with the Breakout Player of the Year award? It’s quite simple really. Colman’s media shun – he was one of the few people not to turn up at the APA for example – means he is not gaining any fans. He won’t care one iota. Not today; perhaps tomorrow? Brandon Shack-Harris was the lucky recipient of Colman’s lack of appeal.
The other prediction that I got wrong was my vote for Raising for Effective Giving (REG) to be handed the award for Charity of the Year. That award went to Dan Shak and the team behind the “All-In for Kids” charity. Congratulations to everyone who puts the time and effort behind that initiative.
PokerStars have announced the signing of Jason Somerville, and the forthcoming launch of the official PokerStars Twitch channel, and Spain’s Vicente Delgado decides against renewing his sponsorship deal with the same company.
“Let’s be honest: who expected Jason Somerville to make Team Pro in 2015?”
The words of PokerStars scribe Brad Willis after revealing that Jason Somerville was joining the world’s largest online poker room as a member of Team Pro.
I did.
I’m not alone.
A lot of people expected Jason Somerville to sign for PokerStars.
Online poker rooms have been dropping sponsored pros like Frank Gallagher drops E’s. I’ve agreed with them. There’s no purpose in keeping, what is essentially a cost, if it doesn’t provide value.
The UK-based Lithuanian, Matas Cimbolas, is the new Sky Poker UK Poker Championships High Roller winner, after defeating Andy Bacon in heads-up action in Dusk till Dawn.
A lot of people like Dusk till Dawn (DTD).
That’s why it wins the Best British Card Room award, at the British Poker Awards, every single year.
But Matas Cimbolas REALLY likes it.
The UK-based Lithuanian was unheard of until Nov 2014, when he walked away with the £200,000 first prize at the World Poker Tour (WPT) UK Main Event at DTD.
I watched him closely during that event. At no time did I think he would make a ripple. To me, he was another Muggle hoping for a little bit of magic. He got it. He won the whole goddam thing.
A one hit wonder?
New Jersey’s sports betting advocates have filed their last legal briefs ahead of oral arguments before the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals take place on March 17.
The state’s second attempt at passing sports betting legislation would allow wagering at Atlantic City casinos and state racetracks. The state’s opponents – the US Department of Justice (DOJ), four pro sports leagues and the NCAA – have argued that New Jersey can’t selectively repeal the federal PASPA sports betting prohibition, but must adopt an all-or-nothing approach.
In Friday’s filing, New Jersey’s advocates point out that it was the federal courts who originally suggested that states had the authority to define the “exact contours” of their PASPA adherence. The DOJ had previously argued that PASPA was constitutional because it allowed states to repeal its prohibitions “in whole or in part” while the leagues had allowed at least the theoretical possibility that states could prohibit “some but not all forms of sports gambling” without contradicting PASPA’s edicts.
New Jersey also poked holes in their opponents’ arguments that the new legislation “confines sports gambling to state-licensed gambling venues” and thus amounts to the state taking an active oversight role, something PASPA forbids. New Jersey points out that the law would also allow betting to take place on the premises of two closed racetracks – Garden State Park and Atlantic City Race Course – neither of which are currently licensed by any agency of the state.
A separate brief filed by the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA) attempts a divide-and-conquer strategy by asking whether any of the leagues could individually choose to allow bets to be taken on their games. The NJTHA argues that should (for example) NBA Commissioner Adam Silver strike a deal to allow basketball wagers at New Jersey tracks, the other leagues would “have no basis to seek or obtain an injunction covering other people’s games.”
The NJTHA also argue that the leagues have “unclean hands” via their embrace of daily fantasy sports. Having sworn in court that the integrity of their games would suffer irreparable harm from New Jersey betting, the leagues “invoked federal equitable jurisdiction to prevent others from engaging in conduct that they, themselves, were, and are, actively engaged and from which they make millions.” Such an “unconscionable double standard” reduces the “time-honored doctrine of unclean hands to a dead letter.”
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has become the latest to pull its online lottery services offline as Beijing looks to clean up the lottery business.
On Saturday, Alibaba’s consumer site Taobao.com and mobile payment service Alipay abruptly suspended online lottery sales. The Taobao Lottery’s official Weibo account informed players that winning tickets already sold would be honored while players who’d signed up for pre-paid tickets would have their money refunded within “at most, 5 working days.” Taobao was responsible for 11.3% of online lottery sales, according to stats released during last year’s FIFA World Cup.
In January, several top-level ministries in Beijing ordered provincial lottery administration centers to shut down all unauthorized online sports and welfare lottery operators by March 1. Last week, shares in Shenzhen-based 500.com – one of only two companies Beijing has officially authorized to participate in an online sports lottery pilot program – plunged after the company announced it was “temporarily” suspending sales of four online lottery products responsible for around 10% of its revenue.
Meanwhile, 500.com is using the dramatic downgrade in its share price to launch a share buyback program. In a decision announced on Saturday, 500.com’s board of directors authorized the company to repurchase up to $30m of its outstanding shares from time to time depending on market conditions.
More trouble is mounting for 500.com in the United States, where the company’s shares are listed on the NASDAQ exchange. China Daily reported that a class action lawsuit may be brewing after the law firm of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman opened an investigation into possible disclosure irregularities and insider trading. A 500.com spokesman said the firm was aware of the investigation but had yet to receive an official complaint regarding the matter.
THE AMERICAS
Pennsylvania’s new online gambling legislation turned out to be poker-only; online state lotteries reportedly asked Lindsey Graham for a RAWA carveout; Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino joined New Jersey’s online gambling operators; Nevada and Delaware said they could be sharing online poker liquidity within a month; Nevada sportsbooks are already on a tear and regulators just approved Olympic wagering; Antigua’s Prime Minister warned the US of “remedies” to resolve their WTO dispute; Churchill Downs’ Big Fish acquisition is already paying off; Caesars tried to torpedo a creditors’ investigation into its asset transfers; New York’s attorney general opened an investigation into the casino bidding process; Monmouth Park inked a daily fantasy sports marketing deal; the NHL doubled down on its opposition to sports betting; Google loosened restrictions on social casino advertising; Bill Beatty explained why RAWA won’t pass; Kriby Garlitos explained why May 2 will be 2015’s biggest sports betting day and Rafi Farber found genius in Intertain’s acquisition financing strategy.
EUROPE
William Hill had a much better year than Ladbrokes; Playtech’s revenue from Asian-facing licensees rose 240% last year; Deutsche Telekom announced an online betting plan but German lottery operators want the government to intervene; Portugal approved new online gambling legislation; Zynga shut its UK-facing real-money sites; Italy relaxed its grip on its online sportsbook operators; the UK’s House of Lords equated fixed-odds betting terminals with masturbation; Spain and Italy considered new gambling advertising restrictions; Victoria Coren Mitchell stole the show at the British Poker Awards; the Aviation Club de France was placed into liquidation; Jersey Gambling Commission director Andy Jarrett discussed the life of a regulator in a post-POCT world; DAB Gaming’s Geoff Read believes social gaming boasts the best games and CoinGaming.io’s Mark McGuinness called Microgaming’s embrace of Bitcoin one giant leap for mankind.
ASIA
Macau casino operators got spooked after legislators proposed capping tourist numbers; SJM Holdings’ mass market gains couldn’t cover its VIP decline; a Shanghai high roller ran up a $160m casino debt; Genting Singapore’s remaining high-rollers got lucky; Sportingbet vanished as William Hill Australia began consolidating its brands; 500.com shares tanked after temporary shutdown of 10% of its online sports lottery products; South Africa’s Sun International eyed Asian expansion; virtual betting operators in India love the Cricket World Cup; Indian poker site Adda52 unveiled their first pro team; Macau Legend and Dynam Holdings announced their deal was going nowhere and Macau casino dealers called mainland Chinese unruly and Hong Kong gamblers whiny.
Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne appears to be losing patience with American officials over the negotiations to resolve the two countries’ World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute.
For over a decade, Antigua has been seeking redress from the US after Antigua’s licensed online gambling operators were denied access to US customers. In 2006, the WTO declared that the US had no right to block Antiguan operators on the grounds of protecting consumers while simultaneously permitting US horseracing operators to accept online wagers. The US was ordered to pay Antigua an annual $21m until a resolution was reached but the US has yet to ante up dollar one.
Since Browne was sworn into office last June, he has taken a markedly different approach than his predecessor toward resolving the WTO dispute. In September, Browne fired attorney Mark Mendel, who was hired by the previous administration to handle the case, and offered the US a “significant concession” in order to rejuvenate the stalled bilateral talks. That same month, Browne met with US Trade Representative Michael Froman and came away “encouraged” by their discussions.
On Friday, Browne was in the Bahamas, delivering an address at the 26th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the group that represents 15 regional nations. In his address, Browne noted that the 11th anniversary of the original WTO ruling in Antigua’s favor was coming up in just two weeks. Browne emphasized that Antigua has yet to see a penny of the $168m in penalties the US now owes.
Browne told CARICOM delegates that Antigua had “been patient and we have been reasonable” but “the casualness with which the ruling of the legitimate international body has been treated, and the neglect of a legally-binding obligation have implications for every country represented in this room.”
Browne reminded his audience that “there are remedies legally available to my government that have been stipulated by the WTO. We hope that we are not forced to resort to these remedies, but we have a duty of care to our people that we cannot disregard.”
Such remedies include the legal right to offer royalty-free digital downloads of American corporations’ intellectual property. In his discussions with the USTR, Browne has so far adopted a stance that is far more carrot than stick. Clearly he’s beginning to realize that the USTR might need a good beating to force them to treat Antigua with the respect a sovereign nation deserves.
Italy is taking steps to overhaul its online gambling regime, including reduced tax rates and increased sports betting options.
The biggest change is a shift from the onerous tax on betting turnover, which ranges from 2% to 5% depending on the type of wager. Under a new proposal expected to pass by the middle of March, online betting, bingo and tournament poker would now be subject to a maximum 20% tax rate on gross gaming revenue, the same system that already applies to online casino and cash poker verticals.
DLA Piper’s Italian market watcher Giulio Coraggio told eGaming Review the plan to set a uniform rate across all verticals was necessary to boost Italian-licensed operators’ chances of competing with internationally licensed competitors. The tax plan contains a provision for a reduction below 20% should the regulated market prove unable to make further headway.
Italy is also taking the leash off its online sports betting operators by bringing an end to the palinsesto ufficiale, the official list of accepted wagering types. When the market first launched a few years ago, Italian regulator AAMS kept an extremely tight lid on the types of markets licensed betting operators could offer. This list doubled in size in September 2013 and some forms of in-play wagers were finally permitted last October but operators still feel constrained compared to their dot-com brethren.
Under a proposal currently being weighed by the Italian government, betting operators would no longer have to rely on AAMS to monitor and settle sports betting markets. Coraggio said the government might also allow operators to offer non-traditional betting products like the ‘cash out’ feature that has proven popular among UK bettors.
Italy’s regulated sports betting market saw stakes rise 81% in January but lucky punters pushed revenue down 12% to €18.1m. Poker revenue was also down, falling 17% to €16.9m, dragged down by a 25% decline in cash games revenue to €9.1m, while tournament revenue dipped 4% to €7.8m. But casino revenue continued to grow, rising 15% to €25.9m.
This week’s iGaming Legislative Symposium in Sacramento, California offered an appropriately dubious view on the state’s chances of passing online poker legislation in the near future.
As compiled from a torrent of tweets from the likes of @OPReport, @CAPokerNews, @steranseattle and @ftreric, the confab got off on a pessimistic foot during the keynote address from Assemblyman Mike Gatto, who has authored one of the three distinct online poker bills vying for passage in the current legislative session.
Gatto said that, going into this year, he’d pegged the odds of a bill passing in 2015 at 50:50. Gatto said he now views chances for passage by 2016 at no better than 35%, largely because stakeholders remain as divided as ever.
Gatto said politicians were being confronted with “15 different factions coming in and saying ‘this is a line in the sand, my way or the highway, we hate you for the rest of your life,’” leading pols to wonder “why do I even want to vote for this bill?”
Gatto also said online poker remains a fringe issue for most state residents, and thus a low priority for politicians. Of the over 57k emails Gatto’s office received in 2014, only four or five were about online poker.
PECHANGA MORE BOTHERED BY TRACKS THAN BAD ACTORS
Gatto’s AB 9 legislation contains a strict ‘bad actor’ clause that would bar participation by the likes of PokerStars. Gatto’s bill is supported by the influential Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Portugal’s new online gambling legislation has been approved by the Council of Ministers, needing only the signature of President Aníbal António Cavaco Silva to become law of the land.
The legislation will end the online monopoly of Santa Casa de la Misericordia and allow international companies to apply for online gambling licenses, although it remains to be seen how many companies will be interested. The new regime involves tax rates that have been slammed by many observers are unworkable, particularly a variable tax rate on sports betting turnover of between 8% and 16%.
Online casino and poker are to be taxed at 15% of gross gaming revenue if an operator’s annual income is less than €5m. The rate rises 3% for every €1m in income over €5m, capping at 30% once annual income hits €10m.
The country hopes this new regime will generate €25m annually for the government’s tax coffers. But PricewaterhouseCoopers analysts have suggested the betting turnover tax could cause up to 80% of licensed operators to quit the market in the first year, and that could reduce the country’s online tax revenue by €20m over the first three years.
Turismo de Portugal, a branch of the Ministry of Finance, will oversee the new online gambling regime. The country hopes to issue the first online licenses before the year is through. Interested operators will have to pony up a security bond of €500k before their application will be accepted.
PORTUGAL’S CASINO TAX HELL
Illegal online gambling is being cited as one of the culprits behind a 33% decline in Portuguese land-based gaming revenue over the past six years. Local newspaper Público says casino revenue fell 2% in 2014 to €267m from a high of €381m in 2008, the year the global economy collapsed.
Take Our Poll
President Obama’s pick to serve as the next attorney general, Loretta Lynch, is having a hard time finding Republican supporters. She expressed her stance about Justice Department’s 2011opinion, saying that she will unlikely reverse it, which is why we decided to ask our readers, “Will Loretta Lynch reverse 2011 DOJ’s 1961 Wire Act’s opinion once confirmed as attorney general?”
55% said, “No” while 45% voted “Yes.”
During a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary last month, Lynch was asked by Sen Lindsey Graham her familiarity with 2011 DOJ opinion that reinterpreted the Interstate Wire Act of 1961. Lynch initially said that she was familiar with the opinion but hadn’t studied it in detail, but in a follow-up written response, she said that, if confirmed, she would unlikely reverse DOJ’s current opinion of RAWA.
Despite having different opinion on topics such as online gambling and legality of the president’s executive action on immigration from Republicans, Lynch’s nomination got still got approved on Thursday, with a 12-8 votes, advancing her nomination to the full Senate.
Social gaming developer Zynga has yanked its UK-facing real-money online gambling operation, a partnership with UK-listed online gambling operator Bwin.party.
Launched with great fanfare in April 2013, the ZyngaPlus casino and poker products were intended to allow the San Francisco developer to transition its popular social gaming products from dealing in virtual credits to cold hard cash. Sadly, the launch was greeted with as much enthusiasm as a beer fart in a crowded elevator and it was only three months later that Zynga announced it was reversing course on its broader real-money ambitions.
On Thursday, ZyngaPlus players received emails informing them that the sites would be closing “shortly” and advising them to withdraw their balances. A Zynga spokesperson told eGaming Review the company remained “committed to delivering customers unparalleled free-to-play mobile gaming experiences in the mainstream, evergreen categories they care the most about.”
A Bwin.party spokesman said ZyngaPlus’ demise didn’t necessarily spell the end of its relationship with Zynga. Bwin.party claimed the two parties were “discussing a number of other potential projects for future development.” Bwin.party’s attempts to diversity its offering have proven equally futile, as evidence by the January shutdown of Bwin.party’s Sportster Bet and Win social sports betting product after less than six months of operation.
Bwin.party had reportedly found a buyer for its money-losing Win social gaming division in Rising Tide Games, the new startup founded by former 888 Holdings and Zynga exec Maytal Olsha, although those sale talks have reportedly fallen apart. Despite its falling revenue, Zynga still has sizeable cash holdings and might be amenable to taking Win off Bwin.party’s hands, especially since the struggling Bwin.party is clearly a motivated seller and could be willing to let Win go on the cheap.
Nevada casinos snapped their five-month losing streak in January as revenue rose 7.8% to $952.7m.
The numbers were even better on the Las Vegas Strip, where revenue rose 15.4% to $576.8m. The rebound was largely due to a 69% rise in baccarat revenue to $137.8m. Baccarat enjoyed a 17.35% win rate, compared to a record low 9% in January 2014. However, baccarat volume fell 13.5% in January, the fifth straight month that baccarat whales have kept a tighter grip on their wallets.
Blackjack revenue was flat at $97.8m, while roulette rose 37% to $34.5m and craps fell 7% to $28m. The rest of the table games finished as follows: three-card poker ($13.7m, +22%), mini-baccarat ($11.1m, +3%), pai gow poker ($9.6m, +3%), let it ride ($3.2m, -4%), pai gow ($3m, -26%), keno ($1.9m, -6%) and bingo ($450k, +7%). Slots revenue fell 1% to $561.2m.
Nevada sportsbook revenue rose 51.7% to $20.3m, the fifth straight month sports betting revenue has topped the $20m mark, a new state record. The numbers were driven by a 28.7% rise in basketball winnings to $14m, another new Nevada record for the month of January. Basketball stakes hit $177m and hold reached 7.9%.
Football revenue was up 90% to $4.7m on a 2.54% hold, making a total football win of $106m from September through the Super Bowl. Pari-mutuel race betting revenue was up 7.25% to $4.7m while ‘other’ wagers rose 134% to $1.7m. Parlay cards rose 268% to $964k but this was cancelled out by laggard baseball bettors cashing in $992k worth of winners.
Meanwhile, Rep. Dina Titus has reintroduced federal legislation that would repeal the 0.0025% tax on Nevada sportsbook betting handle. On Friday, Titus sent a letter to the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means reiterating her position that the $9m to $11m the state sends Washington each year via this tax was a pittance in federal budget terms but that same sum could do some real good if it stayed in Nevada. Titus’ previous effort to repeal the tax went nowhere.
UK betting operator William Hill reported record operating profit in 2014 thanks to continued strengths in its digital division.
Revenue rose 8% last year to £1.6b while operating profit rose 11% to £372m. However, exceptional items dragged net profit after tax down 9% to £206.3m. Results were buoyed by the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which generated nearly £227m in wagers, of which Hills kept £40.5m. Compared to the 2010 footie fest, retail wagering declined £4m while online grew by £108m.
William Hill Online revenue rose 18% to £527.4m, representing 32% of the overall revenue pie. Digital sportsbook revenue rose 19% to £253m thanks largely to mobile wagering, which rose 48%, representing 56% of digital sports revenue. Mobile stakes grew 55% while desktop stakes grew by a comparatively paltry 11%. Mobile win margin (9%) also outpaced desktop (6.2%). Pre-match handle rose 23% to £2.1b while in-play handle rose 36% to £1.6b.
Digital gaming revenue rose 17% to £274m, with casino up 23% to £235m. Bingo fell 2% to £23.7m while the poker vertical fell 18% to £14.9m. As with sports, mobile gaming was the star performer, with revenue up 117%, representing 32% of total gaming, while desktop gaming revenue fell 3%.
Revenue from outside the UK accounted for 18% of the total, up from 15% in 2013 and twice 2012′s 9%. In Italy, revenue rose 39% thanks to an increased range of sports betting products on offer and the launch of mobile gaming and sports products. In Spain, revenue was up 64%. Hills had a 9% share of the 2014 Italian sports betting market and a 19% share in Spain. Combined, the two markets generated a net loss of £6m but Hills hopes to break even in both markets in 2015.
William Hill Australia generated 8% of group revenue, with stakes up 18%, revenue up 41% to £122m and profit up 106% to £24.7m. William Hill US betting handle rose 21% and revenue rose 31% to £29.7m. Hills’ telephone wagering business saw handle fall 16% and revenue was down 28% to £11.8m, resulting in a net loss of £800k for the division.
Hills retail operations continued to account for the bulk (57%) of revenue. OTC wagering handle grew slightly but OTC revenue fell 5% to £450m thanks to punter-friendly results and a bad comparison with 2013’s high win rate. Gaming machine revenue rose 6% to £462m. Hills had 2,362 shops at the end of 2014.
Nevada sports books received some good news on Thursday as the Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously approved an amendment to state gaming regulations to allow betting on Olympic athletic events.
The change allows Nevada books to begin accepting wagers on the 2016 Summer Games in Rio De Janeiro and bookmakers wasted little time, offering lines on men’s basketball, track and field, and swimming.
It was previously believed that the return of Olympic betting to Nevada would be limited in some capacity, particularly as regards to International Olympic Committee-sanctioned events controlled by judges. But the commission opted to allow betting on any “sanctioned event,” although the chairman of the Gaming Control Board has the authority to remove an event or contest at his discretion. Current chairman A.G. Burnett told reporters that conversations on what sports to allow and what not to allow will happen before the Olympics start so don’t expect an immediate answer on this front until next year.
With the ban on Olympic betting now lifted, the Rio shindig will be the first Olympics that Nevada books can put place betting lines on since 2000 Games in Sydney. Olympic betting was outlawed in 2001 when Senator John McCain spearheaded a ban on betting on amateur sports. Somewhat confusing was the notion that McCain’s definition of “amateur sports” didn’t include college athletics, including football and basketball.
Books understand that betting on the Olympics won’t move the needle much as far as handle is concerned. But it does strip away the competitive disadvantage Nevada books experienced anytime the Olympics was held.
Thursday 12th February, 2015 – Bitstarz is back with more innovation to improve the overall experience of all their active players. Today they announced a new integration of the Cubits Merchant API. This system accepts Bitcoins and allows players to immediately transfer them to real currency in a quick, simple and very secure way. This is where all the bitcoin players are going to benefit. They can now deposit bitcoins through cubits and convert the currency to Euro allowing them the option to play on 400 extra games by the giant provider Quickfire.
Players that deposit bitcoins through the new Cubits payment gateway and convert it to Euro, now also have the option to convert the Euro back to bitcoins. This would only be possible if the deposit is made with bitcoins through cubits. Same goes for withdrawals. You can only withdraw through the same payment method that you have deposited with, so if you have made a deposit with Skrill you cannot withdraw with cubits into bitcoin.
The Head of Marketing, Nikolica Vadaski told us, from today, all our players will surely welcome this added value in their gaming experience with open arms. Players who only play with bitcoin will no longer be limited in their play options. They can now play on all Microgaming games that previously only could be played with Euro.
Cubits CEO, Tim Rehder commented: “Working together with Bitstarz to bring Bitcoin payment to their great range of games has been an amazing experience, combining a professional collaboration with an inspiring exchange of ideas. We believe the Cubits Platform, the Bitstarz Casino, and above all, the players, will all greatly benefit from this step forward.”
Cubits are one of Europe’s fastest growing Bitcoin marketplaces. Their user interface is clean, simple and easy to use. Currently accepting 17 national currencies, people can buy, sell, and use Bitcoin almost instantly with the Cubits Wallet.
As of today Bitstarz has extended its buffet of options. It offers over 600 games to play with and a choice of over seven real currency options (Euro, Australian dollars, British pounds sterling, Canadian dollars, Norwegian kroner, Swedish kronor, US dollars) and also the crypto currency – Bitcoin. Players can mix and match as they please. You can safely say that this new Cubits wallet introduction has made all of the Bitstarz available games multi-currency friendly adding heaps of flexibility to the player’s choice.
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