It was always going to be different on the online streets. After the novelty and nuance of Daniel Negreanu’s victory live on PokerGO in the first 200 hands of his ‘Heads-Up Feud’ against Doug Polk, the action moved online to WSOP.com… with vastly different results. 

Current Tally-

Hands played 624 of 25k

Results -$101,792.78

Playing a World Series of Poker event is a lot of fun, regardless of whether its online or at a live venue. It’s even more fun, of course, if you win, but imagine for a moment that you win the whole tournament and a WSOP Circuit event after registering for the event just seconds before late registration closes. 

If you don’t have to imagine, then you’re Ryan Leng and you just became $113,040 richer overnight. 

Leng has previous with the World Series of Poker (WSOP), having won the $1,500-entry Bounty event just a couple of years ago. 

This time around, Leng played online, of course, with much of this year’s poker schedule forced behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WSOP Circuit event he would eventually win was one that he registered for after playing pickleball and signing up on his mobile phone in the car park for $525, according to this interview with PokerNews. 

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) dramatically boosted financial penalties against licensees in its most recent fiscal year, while warning operators not to take advantage of consumers during the country’s second pandemic lockdown.

On Friday, the UKGC released its latest Compliance & Enforcement Report, detailing the efforts it took in the 12 months ending March 2020 to ensure its land-based and online licensees stayed on the straight and narrow path, as well as the penalties it imposed when operators chose to colour outside the lines.

The UKGC issued 12 financial penalty packages or regulatory settlements in 2019-20 worth over £30m, a more than 50% hike from the £19.6m collected from regulatory slackers in 2018-19. The UKGC suspended five operating licenses, revoked 11 and commenced reviews of 49 personal management license (PML) holders.

UKGC CEO Neil McArthur said the 2019-20 report showed the regulator wasn’t afraid to “take tough action” against its licensees. McArthur added that the UKGC’s growing focus on “those in boardrooms and senior positions” should leave no doubt that it would “continue to hold people to account for failings they knew, or ought to have known, about.”

A fugitive Taiwanese online gambling billionaire has been arrested after initially escaping a crackdown on his operations this summer.

On Thursday’s, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced the arrest of a man identified only as Zhuang on suspicion of illegal gambling, money laundering and involvement in organized crime.

Taiwan News reported that Zhuang was none other than Chaung Chou-wen, chairman of Taichung-based Xin Li Wang Intl Holding Group, who has been granted honorary titles in Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia for his significant investments in local development projects.

Chuang (pictured) reportedly went underground in August after the CIB targeted an illegal online gambling business in Taichung City. Those raids followed an initial raid on an affiliated gambling network in January.

A fugitive Taiwanese online gambling billionaire has been arrested after initially escaping a crackdown on his operations this summer.

On Thursday’s, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced the arrest of a man identified only as Zhuang on suspicion of illegal gambling, money laundering and involvement in organized crime.

Taiwan News reported that Zhuang was none other than Chaung Chou-wen, chairman of Taichung-based Xin Li Wang Intl Holding Group, who has been granted honorary titles in Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia for his significant investments in local development projects.

Chuang (pictured) reportedly went underground in August after the CIB targeted an illegal online gambling business in Taichung City. Those raids followed an initial raid on an affiliated gambling network in January.

Sports betting technology provider Kambi Group set a record-setting pace in the third quarter of 2020 on US expansion efforts and the resumption of major league play.

Figures released Friday by the Stockholm-listed Kambi show the company generated revenue of €28.1m in the three months ending September 30, up 22% from the same period last year. Operating profit nearly doubled to €6.5m as margins gained 8.4 points to 23.3% and after-tax profits shot up 122% to €5.1m.

Kambi’s good fortune came as major leagues returned to action following their pandemic-related suspension this spring. This resulted in betting turnover at Kambi clients rising 62% year-on-year to €669m, easily outpacing the previous high of €560m in Q4 2019. Kambi CEO Kristian Nylén said the difference between Q3 and Q2 2020 “couldn’t have been starker,” with September accounting for 43% of Q3’s total.

Kambi boasted 17 launches (three online, 14 land-based) during Q3, including Penn National Gaming’s hotly anticipated debut of its Barstool Sportsbook app in Pennsylvania in September. Kambi also signed a major new client in Churchill Downs Inc’s BetAmerica brand, while inking a long-term extension with existing partner LeoVegas.

The gambling industry learned the hard way in 2020 that Soccer, or Football if you prefer, is an irreplaceable part of any sportsbook offering. At a pair of panels at the SBC Digital Summit CIS, experts looked at the best way to keep the offering alive going forward, and the lessons learned from when it mostly went away.

At the first panel, named “Betting and Sports,” retired Barcelona midfielder Gaizka Mendieta discussed the need to keep sports betting safe for the customer to keep regulators in countries like, oh let’s say Spain, happy. “There’s now a sense of responsibility from official bodies and organizations to make it responsible for those who have access to these platforms. I know for sure because I’ve worked with different organizations that they’re trying to combine those two things.”

Speaking of Spain, which placed sponsorship and advertising limits on gambling operations, Mendieta believes there is a way forward to make everyone happy. “In particular, the Premier League and La Liga are working on trying to find a middle point where they’ll be allowed to do so and La Liga is now in talks with the government. In La Liga, I think about all but four or five clubs all have some sort of partnership with betting related companies.”

He revealed that sports leagues can do more thanks to gambling partnerships. “Thanks to these revenues and income, they can support grassroots, academies, etc. It’s beyond what most people do actually see in this relationship.”

Foxwoods Resort Casino is going to try a new tactic to attract certain gamblers. The property in Mashantucket, Connecticut is creating a gambling area specifically for the 55-and-over crowd, converting one of the existing gambling floors to an area exclusively for the age group. In addition, the venue will host a party today to get things going, complete with a DJ and Boone’s Farm wine. 

Foxwoods boasts of its new endeavor, “It’s time to let the grown-ups play! The safe, sanitized and socially distanced Rainmaker Casino at Foxwoods is exclusively for guests 55 plus from 10AM to midnight every weekend in November! Listen to the best of the 80s while playing your favorite slot machine. Play using your Foxwoods Rewards Card to enjoy special Fox Perxs and giveaways right at the machine. Enjoy complimentary beverages while you play and Happy Hour cocktails made with Boones Farm and kamakazis. [sic]”

The introduction of the space is designed to get more people back in the casino after it was shuttered in March because of COVID-19. Because it’s a tribal casino, it didn’t have to adhere to state anti-COVID-19 policies, but the Mashantucket Pequot tribe decided to take a break like everyone else before reopening at the beginning of June. Despite a strong re-entry that saw Foxwoods report gross gaming revenue that was off by only 4.9% from June of last year, traffic has trailed off some since then and August and September revenue has dropped. The casino has been running at just 25% its normal capacity, and August saw a year-on-year decline of 25%, while September had a 20% decrease. 

Foxwoods was recently recognized as the top casino outside Las Vegas by USA TODAY. Its assortment of gaming options has attracted a niche crowd that includes mostly an older demographic and prides itself on providing an atmosphere that is routinely highlighted as one of the best in the business. It has carried over that commitment as the state, and the country, continue to deal with COVID-19, and says in a statement, Foxwoods continues to hold a positive safety track record driven by guests and team members continually respecting health protocols and maintaining social distancing.”

The global tennis community has been dealing with a match-fixing scandal that has already accused over 130 individuals, from players to officials, of being involved. Not even the French Open has been immune from the fraudulent activity, and the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) has had its hands full getting to the bottom of a wide-reaching investigation. The TIU has now taken action against two Bulgarian players, both brothers, for their participation, convicting them of several corruption offenses.

Karen and Yuri Khachatryan are now going to take some time off from tennis and will have to break out the wallets to provide compensation for their errant activities. Karen has been banned for life from tennis and will have to pay $250,000, while brother Yuri received a ten-year ban and has to cough up $50,000. The bans and fines follow a little more than a month after unranked Spanish player Gerard Joseph Platero Rodriguez was hit with a four-year ban, including a six-month suspended sentence, and a $15,000 fine.

Karen is said to have violated the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) on a number of occasions, including five instances of match-fixing and nine of soliciting other players to throw matches, as well as continuously attempting to impede the TIU’s investigation. Yuri also violated the TACP by attempting to solicit players to rig matches, lack of cooperation with the investigation, tampering with evidence and providing false information, gambling on matches and assisting others so they could gamble on matches. 

The TACP specifically prohibits certain gambling-related activity, including the “[solicitation] or [facilitation] any other person to wager” and the “attempt to contrive the outcome” of a match. Players, officials, coaches and virtually anyone tied to the sport are prohibited from gambling on tennis matches and from offering money or incentives to a player in order to get them to help fix a game. The TACP also requires that those in the tennis ecosystem cooperate in investigations, and the Khachatryans’ efforts to derail the investigation has now cost them all the work they put into tennis.

Of the almost 60 casinos owned or operated by Caesars Entertainment, only one has remained closed since COVID-19 came into the U.S. and began wreaking havoc. The Rio All-Suite Hotel And Casino wasn’t able to return to the Las Vegas gambling scene like everyone else, but could soon join the party. Caesars announced yesterday during its quarterly earnings call that the off-Strip property will be back in business before the end of the year. 

Caesars shared its latest financial health details with the world yesterday, projecting significant EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent) growth for the third quarter compared to what was seen in the previous quarter. Fiscal Q2 saw the company reporting EBITDAR of $10 million, while fiscal Q3, once the final numbers are crunched for October, is expected to produce EBITDAR of $50 million. As a result, the company is ready to push forward and get its entire portfolio of casinos back in operation, with Rio’s opening closing out that list. 

Several casino operators have recently cut back their operating hours in Las Vegas because of COVID-19’s continued threat. Both MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts announced recently that they would shut down a few days each week because of slower traffic, but Caesars is apparently not seeing the same declines. CEO Tom Reeg said yesterday that the company has no plans to retreat and added, “Business continues to get stronger (in Las Vegas). We’re not going to be talking about closing properties midweek. We’re opening properties.”

Caesars said in its update that its hotel occupancy levels are hovering around 50% during the week and around 90% on the weekends. These figures are based on reduced capacity limits ordered by the state and Governor Steve Sisolak, but Reeg believes that changes will be made soon that will allow capacities to be increased, and that these changes could come by the beginning of next year. Those updates can’t come soon enough for any business in Las Vegas or elsewhere in the state.

Digital currencies will likely play a large role in the future of the gambling industry, and Malaysia, if it will have any role in that, is getting ready. The Securities Commission of Malaysia (SCM) has published new guidelines for digital assets, revising their previous guidance effectively as of October 28.

The new guidelines cover a range of businesses dealing with digital currencies, including markets, custodian services and Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOS.) The SCM noted the new guidelines were designed to promote “responsible innovation in the digital asset space, while at the same time managing emerging risks and safeguarding the interests of issuers and investors.”

The initial guidelines from the regulator established rules for fundraising through digital assets. They go into effect at the end of 2020, but these new guidelines add much more clarity for the broad scope of digital asset businesses, and require them to follow sensible rules to protect customers and other businesses they partner with.

Notably, IEO platforms will now be required to perform due diligence processes on issuers, assess suitability for meeting local compliance, and apply anti-money laundering assessments, as well as terrorist financing provisions. Custodian services will have to meet similar requirements.

If Imperial Pacific International (IPI) can’t even make payroll, it’s unclear how casino regulators and lawmakers can expect it to pay millions of dollars in outstanding license fees and other financial obligations. It seems that, after already being unable to pay employees and being forced to put funds into a special employee payroll account, the embattled casino operator behind Saipan’s Imperial Palace in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is up to its standard modus operandi and has, once again, failed to pay its employees.

According to Marianas Variety (MV), IPI acknowledged that it doesn’t have the money right now to cover its payroll because of “funding challenges,” reportedly leaving employees without a month’s worth of income. The delay is said to cover the period running from October 9 to November 6, and IPI’s CEO, Donald Browne, sends his apologies to employees for the delay. There was no word on whether or not the delay affected only low-level workers, or if salaried executives were impacted, as well. 

The lack of cash to pay its employees is just the latest in a recognized, standard pattern at IPI, and lawmakers may finally be out of patience. Tina Sablan, a member of the CNMI’s legislature, told MV, “IPI has repeatedly violated local and federal labor laws, employment contracts, and the casino commission’s order to reserve funds for payroll and avoid continuing delays. This is completely unacceptable. I feel for the employees of IPI who have endured these payroll delays and payless paydays for months now. I feel for the former employees who have also been waiting for termination pay, repatriation tickets, and other benefits owed for months. I feel for all the workers from previous years who are still owed wages and compensation for work they have done and injuries they have suffered.”

Imperial Palace closed in March due to COVID-19, and it isn’t clear when things will return to normal. The huge resort had been undergoing expansion prior to the coronavirus pandemic and that project has seen a number of setbacks, as well. It already is on the hook for as much as $5.6 million to a former contractor, Pacific Rim Land Development, LLC, and recently became the target of another lawsuit from a different contractor who is still waiting to be paid. IPI is said to already owe as much as $37 million in regulatory and other fees, in addition to the contractor bills, with no clear picture of how it can recover. It was recently given the chance to allow an investor to cover the Pacific Rim bill while it contests the amount in court, but that doesn’t come close to covering everything it owes. 

Now that casinos in Macau are starting to see a little more gambling action, they’re also having to deal with a slight increase in fraud cases tied to money exchanges. Judiciary Police (JP) in the city made several arrests related to the activity in September, following a lull brought about by the downturn in visitation due to COVID-19, and have now added more people to the list of apprehensions. The JP reported yesterday that it had arrested a small handful of individuals for new fraud cases, as well as some stemming back to last year.

In total, there were reportedly six fraud cases that involved money exchange gangs often found working the casino circuit. In one case, a 51-year-old Chinese mainlander was taken into custody following an incident at an unspecified casino on November 2. She reportedly took just under $3,900 from a gaming table and, perhaps out of remorse, returned them later. A casino employee is said to have caught her in the act and, when the venue had the JP move in to arrest her, she admitted to having swiped the chips.

Just before that, on October 30, two individuals were arrested following a lengthy wait. In June of last year, a casino had received an anonymous letter that two accomplices had robbed the casino, and the JP ultimately determined who the culprits were and finally arrested a 48-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman for their roles in the crime. They are said to have conducted six robberies at the casino, possibly of other gamblers, as well as one robbery at a different property. They are said to have been able to walk away with around $21,000 as a result of the thefts, but have denied any wrongdoing. 

In yet another incident the JP has managed to close, an individual now stands accused of trying to scam a 33-year-old out of around 617,000 yuan ($93,000). He reportedly came into contact with someone looking to exchange the Chinese currency for Hong Kong dollars (HKD), which the 33-year-old fraudster was more than happy to accommodate. He is said to have handed over a bag full of cash to the victim, who didn’t bother checking the contents completely. Inside the bag were legitimate bills, but they were mixed in with “practice” money, but it didn’t take long for the police to locate the suspect and arrest him. He claims innocence, and the investigation continues.

With mixed messages coming from Ganapati leadership, what did employees think of the B2B’s sudden fall from grace? New reporting from Russian language Estonian site ERR.ee indicates they think they were pawns in someone’s bigger scheme.

Ganapati’s story made no sense to employees

Although we previously found out Ganapati was leaving Estonia in July, ERR notes employees started having salary delays in March, and were told of the bankruptcy process in May. Ganapati has consistently claimed the closure came due to the pandemic., but this came somewhat as a surprise to the company’s workforce. “It turned out that it was going bankrupt and transferring everything to Asia was easy. And no one cares,” said one employee anonymously to the outlet.

The inference is clear: employees don’t think the sudden closure was really about the pandemic. And they’re willing to entertain ideas that Ganapati’s top brass aren’t being truthful about other things. “We still do not understand if there is any kind of crime here. But we want to understand what happened,” said another laid off worker.