Singapore’s casino sector will soon have a new source of potential visitors, as the small city-state has decided to lift border restrictions for travelers from Taiwan. With some necessary safety checks, Taiwanese visitors can start visiting Singapore starting December 18.

Taiwan has no new Covid-19 infections reported in the last 28 days. That made it a perfect travel partner, said Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Ong Ye Kung. He declared Taiwan a “very safe partner to do a unilateral opening.”

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) agreed with the assessment, declaring that Taiwan had “a comprehensive public health surveillance system and has displayed successful control over the spread of the Covid-19 virus.”

If you don’t live in Taiwan, don’t get any fancy ideas. The CAAS has noted that anyone coming from Taiwan must have spent the previous 14 consecutive days there, and may only arrive “on direct flights without transit.” They must also take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, download the “TraceTogether” tracing app and apply for an “Air Travel Pass.” But assuming they test negative for the virus, visitors won’t have to quarantine.

India’s online race betting experiment is over almost as soon as it began amid a flurry of anti-online efforts by individual states. 

On Friday, the Indian state of Karnataka rescinded the online betting permit it issued earlier this year to the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) as a means of rescuing a racing season that had been laid low by COVID-19. The government advised the BTC that the permit was “hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.” 

The BTC received in-principle approval for online betting this summer as the pandemic prevented the track from admitting any customers, leaving it with no way to conduct wagering operations. As a result, the BTC was forced to cancel its summer season entirely. 

The BTC’s winter season kicked off last month before the company’s betting app, digital wallet and streaming service were ready for prime time but digital wagering finally commenced on November 21. 

Not all gamblers like to use drugs, and not all gamblers visit Thailand. But for the slice who like to do both those thinks, don’t do them both at the same time, at least not yet.

Most drugs are still very illegal in Thailand

Thailand recently made news, loosening restrictions on some narcotics, opening them up for sale for research purposes. Cocaine, morphine, ketamine, codeine, opium, medicinal opium and methadone, all category II drugs locally, can be purchased by pre-approved groups for medicinal or research purposes.

That does not mean you can suddenly buy a dime of coke in Bangkok or Phuket and have a great time. Thai Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin had to clarify that use of cocaine, cannabis, opium and morphine are still illegal. Kratom leaf, which can be chewed or taken in other ways and has effects similar to cocaine, is in the process of being legalized and regulated, and can already be used in 135 villages by adults.

Boyd Gaming just picked up some much-needed cash. The casino operator has announced that it is finalizing the sale of one of its Nevada casinos, but was mum on how much money the deal means for the company’s wallet. The Eldorado Casino in Henderson is now only awaiting final approval from state regulators before it officially can become part of the portfolio of DeSimone Gaming.

Eldorado never reopened after Nevada relaxed its anti-coronavirus protocols, with the company not expecting it to be a major source of revenue. In announcing the sale of the property to DeSimone Gaming, VP of Corporate Communications David Strow referred to it as a “non-core” property that only “represented a very modest part” of Boyd’s revenue-generating assets. While casino operators anxiously returned to gambling once COVID-19 restrictions were listed, Eldorado was noticeably kept out of the plans and acknowledged that the property would remain shuttered until June of next year. It was one of three that Boyd kept closed, with the other two being Eastside Cannery and Main Street Station. The company has not stated when these other two venues might reopen.

DeSimone Gaming is picking up a property – most likely at a very good price – in a city that has a lot of promise as a large gambling destination moving forward. Eldorado is located in Henderson in Southern Nevada, which is home to a number of existing casinos, as well as a new one that was just announced. Marnell Gaming Management wants to build a new resort in the city and is now working with the Henderson City Council to make it a reality. The city is also home to practice facilities for two major sports teams, the Las Vegas Raiders and the American Hockey League’s Silver Knights, the affiliate team of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.

The new owner of Eldorado may not enjoy the brand recognition companies like Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International have, but it is no stranger to Nevada’s gambling scene. It is part of a large real estate development company, First Federal Realty, that purchased the Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino from MGM in 2015. That casino has the bragging rights of being the oldest continuously operational casino in the U.S. and is also located in Henderson.

Walt Disney has notoriously been an opponent to sports gambling over the years, adamant that the activity had no place in its “family-friendly” business. However, it took a big swig of sports gambling when the NBA Bubble hit Disney World in Orlando, FL earlier this year as the league needed a way to keep out of the clutches of COVID-19. That taste lingered and the company apparently liked it. As the parent company of the sports-focused ESPN, Disney has decided that it’s now a fan of sports gambling and is going to embrace the activity to help ESPN boost its lagging operations. 

ESPN recently announced that it was going to be forced to let around 300 employees go and cancel 200 open positions. It had already implemented pay cuts to some executives and on-air personalities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and it has continued to slide in the market. Part of the reason, other than COVID-19, is the fact that virtually everyone else in the sports world is jumping on the sports gambling bandwagon, and Disney is now ready to climb on, as well. 

In a recent investor call, Disney said that it would bring sports gambling content to ESPN, emphasizing the role it can play for its ESPN+ streaming platform. The company believes it will prove to be a “key opportunity” and an “important area of growth” for ESPN as it looks to reclaim the status it once held as the leader in sports content. This is a complete flip from Disney’s previous stance on the subject, which had chairman Bob Iger stating at one point, “I do think that there’s plenty of room [for sports gambling], and ESPN has done some of this already and they may do more to provide information in coverage of sports that would be relevant to and of particular interest to gambling and not be shy about it, basically being fairly overt about it. But getting into the business of gambling, I rather doubt it.”

Disney was one of the entities that fought hard against casino expansion in Florida in 2018. It gave millions of dollars to campaign against legislation that was to appear on the state ballot that year, but its efforts turned out to be a waste of money. Florida voters agreed to allow new legislation that would give them more input into how the state’s casino market was shaped. 

UFC 256 heralds the return of Tony Ferguson as part of the co-main card UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The self-proclaimed ‘Chief Security Officer’ of the UFC is back to face Charles Oliveira in what potentially looms as a career-defining moment. After more than a decade in the business, a win against Oliveria could finally pave the way for that elusive title shot for “El Cucuy.”

You don’t need to look closely at his body of work to see that Ferguson has gone beyond the limits of human endurance and somehow managed to bounce back. The last time that we saw Ferguson, he was stopped by Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 on Fight Island. While Gaethje claimed the interim light weight title, Ferguson was a victim of circumstance. Originally slated to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the title, he lost out to Gaethje with 90 seconds left in the match.

We’ll see a different type of Ferguson this weekend, unburdened by a potential title shot. “I put all my energy into making everyone else happy who I thought were in my close circle. I had the whole world on my back. I don’t have to do that anymore ” said Ferguson

Oliveria is a different type of fighter than the one that we have seen previously. Oliveria is riding a seven-match winning streak against some quality opposition. Look for the Brazilian to take a lead Gaethje’s tactics at UFC 249.

Mixed messages are coming out of Macau regarding the concession tender process expected to be held in 2022. On the one hand, there are industry insiders, including former government officials, who believe that it will be virtually impossible for the issue of casino license approvals to be discussed that year. On the other, the government is confident that there won’t be any need to delay the issuance of concessions. Analysts from Macquarie Capital have spoken up on the subject and hints at the possibility of an extension coming so the topic can be addressed at another time.

In an updated published this past Wednesday, Macquarie analysts Edward Engel, Chad Benyon, Jordan Bender and Aaron Lee asserted that a public tender in 2022 might simply roll over the existing concessions or, if that doesn’t happen, an extension could be given. They explained, “With Macau officials focused on the pandemic and economic recovery, odds are increasing that current gaming licences are extended beyond 2022,” adding, “Policymakers are managing a tight timeline, where Macau’s Chief Executive has committed to passing the revised gaming law in [by] fourth-quarter 2021. This would leave just circa six months for licence retendering, offering little room for error.”

Should the existing concessions be renewed with only minimal discussion, the licensees would probably enjoy almost an identical structure to what they see now, but with 10-year instead of 20-year concessions. This is primarily due to the ongoing, and deteriorating, poor relationship between the US and China, which is now tenuous at best. Rumors that Macau might begin to switch from the Hong Kong dollar to the new Chinese digital yuan at its casinos add speculation that changes might be coming, even though Macau’s gaming regulator has denied those rumors.

If the concessions aren’t automatically renewed in 2022, then an extension of two to three years would most likely be the only other alternative. That is seen as the most likely option, given the fact that the new gaming laws will probably not be ready until the end of next year. These would need to be reviewed and discussed by everyone involved before the concessions could be discussed, and the window of opportunity on those discussions is rapidly getting smaller.

The Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is about to be given more power over casino activity. The House of Representatives approved legislation yesterday that gives the agency more oversight of the casino industry, as well as control over gaming licenses. Previously, those licenses were issued by the Commonwealth Lottery Commission. The CCC now only needs Governor Ralph DLG Torres to sign off on the bill for it to become official, and it will be interesting to see what happens next with Imperial Pacific International (IPI).

IPI and its CEO, Donald Browne, were recently held in contempt of court for missing a major court-ordered payment related to an ongoing legal battle between the casino operator and virtually the whole of the CNMI. While it isn’t clear whether the new bill, House Bill 21-11, is a direct result of that fight, it’s possible that the CCC has felt that its hands have been tied, preventing it from taking more drastic measures in order to get IPI to cooperate. The bill was passed unanimously by House members and will provide the CCC with a lot more latitude in how it addresses casino matters.

In addition to taking over the licensing process, the CCC will now be able to establish and maintain a new regulatory fee fund for the commission. This fund was previously controlled by the CNMI Finance Secretary, and IPI is way behind in its annual obligatory contributions for licensing and other fees for its Imperial Palace casino in Saipan. CCC Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero points out that the revised legislation has been attempted for several years and asserts, “It would strengthen the casino commission’s ability to enforce the mandates of the original gaming law, [Public Law] 18-56. And would really clarify and remove some of the ambiguities,” adding, “We, the CCC, do not have the authority on quite a lot of areas that we are blamed for.”

Lawmakers are skeptical that the CCC will take control of its duties the way the laws are designed, but are ready to put pressure on the commission to ensure it follows through. Representative Joseph Leepan Guerrero, who represents Saipan, wants the CCC to follow through on any warnings it issues and stated, “No more of this, ‘We’re thinking of imposing fines.’ Impose it! Put a lock on that casino if they are not in compliance.” That was a reference to the CCC threatening at least twice to kick IPI out, but then not following through on those threats.

Former NetEnt employees in Malta aren’t happy, and they’re letting it be known. The General Workers’ Union (GWU) have filed an industrial dispute against NetEnt and Evolution for their recent layoffs, accusing them of breaching the law on collective redundancies. And if the court of public opinion has any impact, the former employees are putting in the work to win.

The laws breached, according to the GWU, regard a failure to recognize the worker’s union, a refusal to provide a written statement regarding the redundancies, and a “wholesale breach” of redundancy regulations. Some of the information the union expected Evolution and NetEnt to provide would include the number of employees normally employed, details about compensation, and other information.

At least 300 employees and as many as 500 were layed off from NetEnt’s Qormi studio. Evolution executives had warned that employees would be made redundant following their acquisition of the company.

The GWU have also made clear that they are doing their best to help the employees, hoping to realize fair compensation for them. The Gaming Malta foundation is also helping with placement, as well as the Economy Ministry and Jobs Plus, who are looking for positions for them to be onboarded.

The Americas

Retired boxing superstar Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather is set to return to the ring in an exhibition bout. Mayweather confirmed on his Instagram account that he is set to take on YouTube star Logan Paul in a “super exhibition” bout in February 2021; DraftKings has secured a market success deal in Connecticut via one of the state’s two tribal casino operators. The deal with the Foxwoods Resorts Casino sets the stage for a prospective online sports betting partnership; Online gambling payment processor Paysafe Group Holding is preparing for a US public market debut following a $9b merger. Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp II announced that it had come to terms on a US$9b deal to merge with the London-based Paysafe; Casino Maverick have entered the iGaming market in Argentina. The operator has teamed up with LatamWin, after receiving approval of a license by the provincial gaming regulator; Harrah’s New Orleans is set for a major revival as Caesars announced plans for a renovation to the property. Caesars Entertainment will spend $325 million to redesign the resort and add a second hotel tower.

Europe

Following a review of the T&C’s maintained by 13 Swedish-licensed online gambling operators, the Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) pinpointed “a number of shortcomings.” The Swedish watchdog flagged that there was “significant room for improvement” in the T&C’s some of which were considered unreasonable by the regulator; Peergame has launched their Affiliate Partners Program, inviting a limited number of partners to join their limited time closed beta. If successful Peergame has promised to open the program to prospective partners; Swedish authorities have fined local horseracing operator ATG over breaches on deposit limits. Authorities ordered the operator to close the workaround that allowed customers to exceed deposit limits; Russian bookmakers are crying foul over the government’s plans to increase their financial contributions to local sport. The alarming move will see a significant cost increase to operators who accept bets on local Russian sports;

Pennsylvania’s casinos are going back under pandemic lockdown, while Maryland’s venues will see their capacity halved (again). 

On Thursday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced new pandemic lockdown rules that will see 12 state casinos shut their doors effective 12:01am on Saturday (12). The state’s one other casino, Rivers Casino Philadelphia, was shut on November 20 under that city’s new ‘Safer at Home’ restrictions. 

At present, Rivers Philadelphia is tipped to reopen on January 2, while the other 12 casinos won’t be allowed to welcome customers until 8am on Monday, January 4. The new rules apply not just to casinos but also virtually any venue offering indoor entertainment.  

Wolf, who made his announcement from quarantine after himself testing positive for COVID-19, used words such as ‘frustrating’ and ‘painful’ to describe the new lockdown, but the situation was sufficiently “dire” to warrant “further mitigation efforts” after the state recorded around 1k COVID-related deaths in the past week.  

Michigan’s new online gambling/sports betting sites may not launch until the new year, but the first 15 horses have officially entered the starting gate. 

On Thursday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced it had issued the first 15 provisional licenses for the online gambling and sports betting partners of the state’s commercial and tribal casino operators. 

The diplomas went to BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Fox Bet, GAN, Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Kambi, NYX Digital Gaming, Parx Interactive, Penn Sports Interactive, PointsBet, Rush Street Interactive, Churchill Downs Inc’s TwinSpires, William Hill and Wynn Sports Interactive. 

As for when any of those licensees’ sites might launch, MGCB exec director Richard Kalm said it will depend on how quickly the platform providers meet other regulatory requirements, including independent testing of platforms and games, approval of internal controls and securing occupational licenses for certain key staff. 

It’s a monumentally big weekend in the English Premier League. With summit meetings, relegation six-pointers and local derbies aplenty, it’s going to be an absolute corker. We’ve taken a look at the best matches from a sportsbetting perspective and provided a tip for each game.

Let’s get the EPL lesson on.

Leeds United vs. West Ham (Friday, 8pm GMT kick-off)

This should be a goalfest. It’s taking place on Friday night, so you’ll need to get in early for this one, but under Marcelo Bielsa, The Whites have been relentless, and West Ham look there for the taking after crumbling at home to Manchester United.

Russia has sanctioned a major online gambling payment processor just as the government is seeking to bring all online betting transactions under its own oversight. 

On Thursday, shares in Russia’s Qiwi Bank fell 12% on news that the Central Bank of the Russian Federation had prohibited Qiwi from making electronic payments on behalf of foreign merchants or facilitating transfers to prepaid corporate cards for a period of six months starting December 7.

The penalties, which included a RUB11m (US$150k) fine, were imposed following a Central Bank audit of Qiwi transactions with international firms between July 2018 and September 2020. The specific nature of these suspect transactions has yet to be disclosed. 

Qiwi issued a statement saying it was “in dialogue” with the authorities “to eliminate the identified violations, as well as negotiate a partial cancellation and reduce the level of restrictions imposed.” Qiwi estimated that up to 40% of its current payments revenue would be negatively impacted by the restrictions.   

Japan has admitted that its long-delayed casinos won’t likely open until the latter half of the decade, and that’s if nothing else goes wrong. 

On Wednesday, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) agreed on a revised draft of the country’s basic policy on developing integrated resorts (IR). The formal policy is expected to be finalized by the end of December. 

The government now says it will start accepting prefectural governments’ proposed development plans starting October 1, 2021, with the deadline for submission extending to April 28, 2022. That’s around nine months later than the government’s most recent schedule. 

And that isn’t the only extended timeline the LDP was forced to acknowledge, as it now says the launch target for the three possible casinos has been pushed back from the ‘mid-2020’s to the ‘late-2020s.’ Hard to believe that at one point the government expressed hope that casinos would open in time for Tokyo’s hosting of the 2020 Olympic Games. 

The life and times of Phil Ivey wouldn’t make a good Hollywood movie, but only because films are usually limited to hours instead of days. The man who has won 10 WSOP bracelets, piled cash high in Macau and played High Stakes Poker when it first came into fashion remains an enigma despite being one of the most well-known poker legends still playing.  

Image courtesy www.cardplayer.com

How did the man who many believed had no house in the early days of his career come out on top after several battle with the house itself? Let’s take a step back in time with a true poker idol – Phil Ivey.  

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