South Korea has ordered Seoul-area casinos to close as the region tries to control a surge in COVID-19 infections.

On Sunday, South Korean officials announced the country had notched 271 additional COVID-19 infections, the first time in nearly a week that new infections had fallen below 300. But this minor victory wasn’t enough to lower the weekly average and thus the country is imposing tough new restrictions that are set to take effect at 12am on Tuesday (24).

The regions of Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon have been ordered to ‘Level 2’ of the country’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy, which prohibits all events at which over 100 people might gather. Bars, nightclubs and, yes, casinos will be ordered to close entirely for the next two weeks.

The news is a further blow to South Korea’s struggling foreigner-only casino operators, some of which learned last week that their maximum capacity would be lowered to 20% of normal as the impacted regions went from Level 1 to Level 1.5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUU9aha6mAI&feature=youtu.beVideo can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Robin Eirik Reed wants a space for thought leadership in iGaming (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUU9aha6mAI&feature=youtu.be)

Robin Eirik Reed, Investor, Chair and CEO of Ichiban Ventures, is all about innovation, but not in the way you usually think of when you look at iGaming. Having recently become a shareholder for iGaming NEXT and a driving force behind Ichiban, he joined our Becky Liggero Fontana on this week’s episode of The Long Con.

The two began by talking about Reed’s background, and how he got into the gambling industry. “Back in the days before I went into iGaming, I did journalism school and was going to be a war correspondent actually,” he said. “I wanted to be where the action was and report on the most important stuff that goes on in the world. And then I stumble into a flat where there were some poker players living and before I knew it, I was part of this industry and never looked back since.

That journalism background helped create a huge interest for him in iGaming NEXT. “When I came across [Pierre Lindh, Managing Director of iGaming NEXT] and saw what the guys were doing, I got really intrigued because when I started learning about tech and about gaming and the business, I started looking at TechCrunch, I started looking at Ted, I started looking at the blogs from Silicon Valley, and these types of sources,” he said. “I think we need something like that in iGaming. I think we need a place where thought leadership can be exchanged, shared, great to produce, I think we need a place where people can come on camera, speak openly, speak freely, and more.”

It was fun while it lasted, but Nevada’s casinos are about to take another hit. Just after midnight tonight, a new order passed down by Governor Steve Sisolak will force all gambling facilities, bars and restaurants are going to take a “pause” in their operations for three weeks, with capacities being reduced from their current level of 50% all the way down to 25%. The changes are due to a new spike in COVID-19 cases and, if they don’t work, Sisolak is prepared to implement even stricter policies. 

The reduction is an attempt to avoid a complete shutdown like the one seen earlier this year in the state. However, the governor has made it clear that the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) is prepared to enforce the rules and asserts, “If [casino operators] don’t follow [the restrictions] they will suffer the consequences,” Sisolak warned. “We are in constant contact with the Gaming Control Board. It’s time to act. I am not issuing a shutdown order.” For its part, the NGCB will apparently be given “great latitude” in assigning penalties to violators.

The 25% capacity limit is for all properties at all times, even Thanksgiving this Thursday. In addition, no restaurant or any other foodservice establishment – including those at casinos – is able to receive walk-in customers. All tables will be seated by reservation only, and no table will be allowed to seat more than four people.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 fiasco, Nevada has seen a total of 133,888 cases that resulted in 2,017 deaths. As of yesterday, there were another 2,155 new cases and six more deaths, and the governor is confident restricting gatherings of any kind will halt the virus from spreading further. He explains, COVID is filling up our hospital beds and that threatens all Nevadans. This is our biggest threat… This cannot become our reality.”

It’s hard to imagine being forced to sit in the same position for any length of time – many of us like to remain constantly active, moving around from place to place as we complete different tasks and refuse to think we need to take a break. However, our bodies might not agree with us, even if we don’t listen to them. High blood pressure, anxiety and more are our bodies’ ways of telling us to give it a little downtime, no matter how much it goes against our nature. For many, meditation is a great way to give the body what it wants but, for those who can’t envision remaining cemented in a particular spot for anything more than a minute, it’s not an option. However, it can be, and there are ways even meditation haters can enjoy the experience.

For most of us, imagining someone meditating means viewing the person sitting down, legs crossed, eyes closed and fingers extended while reciting some chant in a foreign tongue. However, there’s a little-known secret that you should know. Meditation isn’t about sitting uncomfortably for 20, 30 minutes. In fact, it’s all about comfort. You can sit, you can lie down, you can stand on your head to meditate – whatever allows you to be comfortable.

There’s also no law that says you must remain perfectly still during meditation – the meditation police won’t come knocking at your door if you decide to scratch your nose decide to stretch a leg. The idea behind meditation is to relax the body and mind; if you fight these natural urges, you diminish any possibility of enjoying the benefits of the exercise.

The really good news for those who like to stay active all the time is that there is no given amount of time required for it to be considered a successful meditation session. If you only have five minutes and can relax during that time, you’ve accomplished your goal. It’s even possible to meditate for as little as one minute, and there are online guides that can fill you in on all the details.

The life of Doyle Brunson – nicknamed the Godfather of Poker – has been an extra ordinary one. From the basketball court – yes, really – to the poker felt, the man who became known as ‘Texas Dolly’ changed the game of poker forever when he became known as ‘the man in the hat’.  

Humble Beginnings and Hoop Dreams  

Doyle Brunson was born in 1933, six years before the start of the second World War, and would grow up as an extremely sporty individual. Running a 4:43 mile and starring at basketball, there was a real chance Brunson would have ended up in the NBA were it not for a broken leg that ruined his chances of a sporting career.  

Instead of sports, Brunson took to the poker felt and immediately found an affinity with the challenging environment he would go on to dominate. He gambled on everything from golf to poker, and traveled around areas such as Louisiana, Fort Worth and Oklahoma playing the game he loved and loved winning at. When the World Series of Poker came along in 1970, Brunson was already a huge part of the poker community and became one of the world’s best.  

The Philippines is racing to set up a legal framework for online cockfighting. But until everything is ready and the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) gives the go-ahead, local authorities are trying to hunt down those currently offering what’s locally called e-sabong.

The House committee on ways and means have approved a substitute tax bill for online cockfights and derbies. While the previous bill would create transparency around cockfights for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), this one specifically calls for a tax equivalent to 5% based on gross receipts from offsite betting activities on locally-licensed cockfights and derbies.

In the measure, “offsite betting activities on locally-licensed cockfights and derbies” are defined as cockfighting activities that involve placing, acceptance, and facilitation of wagers through remote or electronic means and licensed by local government units. It excludes offerings provided by either PAGCOR or the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

This provides a clearer bill, should it become a law, to legalize, supervise and tax online cockfighting offerings going forward. But with them still existing in a legal grey area, local authorities are still cracking down.

In order for Macau to start recovering some of the revenue lost due to COVID-19, the quickest route will be through the premium mass gambling segment. An increased focus on this market could lead to short-term gains to help the city’s casinos, as well as Macau, begin to fill the void left by the coronavirus pandemic. According to Bernstein Research, the premium mass gamblers are poised to shore up casino activity better than others, which is needed as the government is reporting a drop in Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) of around 64% for the third quarter of the year. 

Although Macau has taken a major hit from COVID-19, the mass market suffered the least in the third quarter of the year. Mass market gaming increased by 77% sequentially over the previous quarter, well above the 51% reported for the VIP segment. The mass market can attract larger numbers of gamblers, which would translate into faster short-term gains for the city. 

Certain properties would have to alter their business models in order to refocus on the mass segment. Bernstein feels that properties like Wynn Resorts and Melco Resorts and Entertainment are geared more for the high rollers, and these “may initially underperform.” However, Wynn Resorts (Macau) President Ian Coughlan is ready to push forward and told investors on a conference call recently, “We’ve noticed very strong premium mass pickup in [Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace], and they are different destinations, but one hasn’t grown at the expense of the other. So, we’re very encouraged by premium mass activity in [both properties].”

When the dust finally settles from the global pandemic, VIP gambling might continue to take a back seat to the mass segment. As one of the primary feeders for Macau, China has historically led the VIP segment, but the country’s crackdown on gambling could force casino operators in the city to refocus their energy on the mass segment, as well as other, non-gaming attractions to reboot Macau. 

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) must be flush with cash – mountains of it. That’s the only logical explanation for why the CNMI Lottery Commission has agreed to give Imperial Pacific International (IPI), the controversial casino operator behind Saipan’s Imperial Palace, more time to pay its past-due debt. IPI had previously been told to pay up “or else,” but it has called the bluff and has come out ahead. 

IPI is on the hook for $36 million it is supposed to pay to the CNMI’s community benefit fund (CBF). It owes $36 million for not paying the full amount in previous years, as well as $20 million currently. However, the Lottery Commission has agreed to defer the $20-million payment for three years and the $36-million payment for five years. These extensions are grossly lengthy and smack in the face of an ultimatum IPI was given this past August to either get up to date with all of its outstanding bills or face a possible revocation of its license for the Imperial Palace. 

The Lottery Commission agreed in October to give IPI six months to pay its most recent CBF contribution, which was due on October 1. The casino operator requested the two new extensions because it acknowledges that it has no money, and the Lottery Commission discussed its options with CNMI Assistant Attorney General John Lowrey and Commonwealth Casino Commission Executive Director Andrew Yeom before announcing its ruling, according to Marianas Variety. 

Apparently, the commission feels that IPI is holding all the cards and doesn’t believe that, should the company have its license revoked, another entity would step in right away to take over Imperial Palace. Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig is quoted as saying, “Keep in mind that should IPI leave or the casino commission revoke the casino license, realistically, how long before we have a new casino investor here to build a new casino to regenerate revenue? It could be three years.”

The safest thing for India to do about gambling is to legalize and regulate it. That’s the message from Minister of State for Finance and former president of the Board of Crick Control Anurag Thakur, speaking at an ICICI Securities event on November 19.

From his point of view, the way to get match fixing in cricket under control is to allow legal wagering on the sport. That will allow for “monitoring people allegedly involved in fixing,” he said, and stop “unholy and corrupt” practices, as well as generate new tax revenue.

Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, agreed wholeheartedly. “If we look at the problem of match-fixing, then the trends in betting can give us leads on whether something unholy is happening or not. Betting can become a potent tool to stop fixing,” Shah said.

“My suggestion will be to legalise betting and gambling activities, which are underground. They continue to exist in our society,” he added.

A stunning weekend of English Premier League action began with a ding-dong in the North-East and ended with a Sunday night summit meeting at Anfield. 

There were own goals, mistakes and some tired, well-travelled legs, but there were also moments of sublime skill. We’ll start in North London, where Jose Mourinho got the better of an old adversary in Pep Guardiola. 

Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Manchester City 

It was Jose vs Pep in North London, but in truth it was a mismatch on the pitch as Spurs showed Manchester City a clean pair of heels all over the pitch. 

The Day 1 flights of the Caribbean Poker Party Warm-Up have been terrific entertainment, with Danish player Klaus Mortensen and Holland’s Tom Delaine leading the way in flights 1a and 1b after the final hand clicked players back to the lobby.

It’s been all change in the partypoker Caribbean Poker Party this season, with the action moving from the Baha Mar resort to the online partypoker lobby instead. Despite that, the $10 million guarantee that comes with the CPP this year between November 15th and 25th is reaching its guarantees and producing some spectacular prizepools.

It was Klaus Mortensen who ended Day 1a of the Caribbean Poker Party Warm-Up and with a half-million-dollar guarantee, there was a $500 bounty on every player’s head in the a Progressive Knockout (PKO) formatted event.

Day 1a saw 115 entries and ended with Danish player Klaus Mortensen on top, having collected an immense $4,594 in bounties and a stack of over 22 million chips.

With 15,400 hands of the Chance Kornuth match in the Galfond Challenge, Phil Galfond has recovered slightly from being a quarter of a million dollars down to sit just $82,500 down as the halfway point approaches.

With many poker fans enjoying both this heads-up clash and the one that is going on between Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk in tandem, it has been terrific to have the option of PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) to break up the no limit hold’em action, or vice versa if your taste prefers.

The latest action in the Galfond Challenge has something of a recovery mission for the man himself. On the 26th Day of the latest challenge against Chance Kornuth, Galfond turned the tide, winning just under $50,000 in the session to reduce his arrears and more importantly, stop the momentum of winning days for his challenger.

On Day 26, a series of small pots gave Galfond a five-figure win where 500 hands turned into a profit of circa $50,000. Day 27 brought two big hands for Galfond with aces and then kings, a pot worth $36,000 going the way of the host when his K-K-5-5 picked up the hand on a board of 2-A-5-Q-2 against Kornuth’s A-K-J-3. The day ended with Galfond winning a massive $143,000 – a huge chunk of his debit wiped out.

Denmark’s gambling market bucked the global trend in Q3 as its online casino and sports betting revenue declined while land-based gambling improved.

Figures released Friday by Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden regulatory agency show locally licensed gambling operators generated revenue of DKK1.53b (US$244.2m) in the three months ending September 30, a 4.9% decline from the same period last year but a significant improvement from the DKK1.16b generated in Q2 2020.

Land-based casinos were the only vertical to post annual growth in Q3, a healthy 6% rise to DKK87m, while the nation’s slots halls were basically flat at DKK334m. Apparently, the pandemic lockdown created some pent-up demand amongst technophobic Danes, so it will be interesting to see if this trend is more than just momentary overcompensation. 

Online casino revenue slipped nearly 2% to DKK555m, with slots accounting for 74% of this sum, up around 1.6 points year-on-year. Roulette claimed nearly 10% while blackjack took a 7% slice. Desktop computers continue to fall out of favor with casino players, falling 4.5 points year-on-year to 40.4% in terms of stakes.

Sweden’s online gambling market posted only a modest revenue gain in the third quarter, while the local regulator has spanked yet another operator for violating bonus offer rules.

Figures released Friday by the Spelinspektionen regulatory body show Sweden’s overall gambling market generated revenue of just over SEK6b (US$700.5m) in the three months ending September 30, a gain of only 1.3% from the same period last year and 2% higher than Q2 2020.

Swedish-licensed online operators reported revenue rising 5.8% year-on-year to SEK3.7b, beating Q1 2020’s previous market-best by a mere SEK33m. The lottery and slot machine operations of the state-run Svenska Spel had an even better quarter, rising 7.7% to just under SEK1.5b, the segment’s best showing this year.

Spelinspektionen said it had no concrete figures for how much revenue was generated in Q3 by internationally licensed online gambling operators serving Swedish customers without local permission. However, Swedish-licensed operators believe the new pandemic limits on online casino deposits and bonuses have driven a lot of traffic to these international interlopers.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, and amid a trend that is finding more casinos shutting down because of COVID-19, Pennsylvania is about to get a new gambling property. The Cordish Companies will open its first retail casino in the state next week when it holds a full launch of its Live! Casino Pittsburgh on November 24. The casino has been holding soft launches leading up to the big day and is apparently now ready to take the plunge. 

This venue is one of five satellite casinos Pennsylvania gaming regulators have approved to be built as the state’s gaming market continues to expand. The Cordish Companies, which has primarily focused on the development of entertainment districts, brought its Live! brand to the state a couple of months ago with an online alternative and is now heading into the brick-and-mortar gaming segment. 

The new venue can be found at an existing shopping mall, making it the first to be set up in a commercial shopping center. The timing couldn’t be better, as the Live! Casino Pittsburgh will be able to capitalize on any foot traffic available as consumers get into the holiday gift-buying spirit. At the same time, however, COVID-19 is going to keep a certain crowd away. However, Jon Cordish of The Cordish Companies is ready, and states, “As a family-owned business for over 100 years, today marks a special day for my family and The Cordish Companies, as we expand our Live! Casino brand into Pennsylvania for the first time.”

The venue covers two floors and the first floor includes 30 gaming tables and 750 slot machines, as well as a sportsbook operated by FanDuel. The upper floor includes dining and drinking options, such as Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar and the Sports & Social Steel City, and is open to all ages. Access to the casino, however, is restricted and no one under 21 can enter. 

Just in time for Thanksgiving, and amid a trend that is finding more casinos shutting down because of COVID-19, Pennsylvania is about to get a new gambling property. The Cordish Companies will open its first retail casino in the state next week when it holds a full launch of its Live! Casino Pittsburgh on November 24. The casino has been holding soft launches leading up to the big day and is apparently now ready to take the plunge. 

This venue is one of five satellite casinos Pennsylvania gaming regulators have approved to be built as the state’s gaming market continues to expand. The Cordish Companies, which has primarily focused on the development of entertainment districts, brought its Live! brand to the state a couple of months ago with an online alternative and is now heading into the brick-and-mortar gaming segment. 

The new venue can be found at an existing shopping mall, making it the first to be set up in a commercial shopping center. The timing couldn’t be better, as the Live! Casino Pittsburgh will be able to capitalize on any foot traffic available as consumers get into the holiday gift-buying spirit. At the same time, however, COVID-19 is going to keep a certain crowd away. However, Jon Cordish of The Cordish Companies is ready, and states, “As a family-owned business for over 100 years, today marks a special day for my family and The Cordish Companies, as we expand our Live! Casino brand into Pennsylvania for the first time.”

The venue covers two floors and the first floor includes 30 gaming tables and 750 slot machines, as well as a sportsbook operated by FanDuel. The upper floor includes dining and drinking options, such as Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar and the Sports & Social Steel City, and is open to all ages. Access to the casino, however, is restricted and no one under 21 can enter.