Australian poker pro Michael Addamo leads the final table of players into this week’s Super MILLION$ event on GGPoker, but with players such as Artur Martirosyan snapping at his heels, the three-time champion won’t be assuming its fourth time lucky.

Addamo’s record in the GGPoker Super MILLION$ events is pretty legendary, even for a comparatively new series. To date, he’s played all 20 events, cashing in five of them. That’s impressive enough, but when you consider that three of those cashes were outright wins, he’s the man to fear for the other eight players heading into tonight’s final, which will be broadcast on the GGPoker Twitch channel.

With over $1.3 million in Super MILLION$ winnings, Addamo is the man to stop, but he’s unlikely to have it all his own way with some seriously good opponents. Talented Russian pro Artur Martirosyan has over 2.8 million chips with which to battle for the title and he’s only a three-bet ahead of Austria’s ‘MrGambol’.

With a minimum prize of $42,435 for 9th place on offer, there’s plenty to sweat for Martirosyan’s  26 GGPoker investors, each of whom will be hoping he can win the top prize of $324,053 instead.

Denmark’s gamblers have increasingly shown a preference for online betting ever since the launch of a competitive, regulated market in 2012.

On Tuesday, Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden regulatory body released a study that tracked the nation’s slow but steady transition away from land-based gambling to locally licensed online gambling operators. Danes who gamble online also overwhelmingly prefer doing so via mobile devices rather than desktop computers.  

The study noted that Denmark’s total gambling revenue was DKK7.8b (US$1.24b) in 2012, the first year in which the state-owned Danske Spil was forced to adapt to online competition. Of that sum, around DKK2.4b was spent online, representing 31% of the total.

That online share has increased every year since, resulting in online spending of DKK5.2b out of a total DKK9.8m in 2019, giving online a 54% share of last year’s pie. Online officially overtook land-based gambling in 2018 with a 52% share.

Gambling operator GVC Holdings has unloaded its UK and Ireland on-course bookmaking operations as the nation’s racing sector remains stuck in pandemic lockdown.

On Tuesday, GVC confirmed that it had sold its Coral and Ladbrokes brands’ on-course bookmaking operations at 85 UK racetracks and another 21 in Ireland to John Hooper, who operates a betting business under the name Sid Hooper. Terms of the sale weren’t disclosed.

GVC trading director Tom Ritzema said this was a decision that “has not been taken lightly” and the company was “very sad” to see the brands disappear from racetracks after decades of operations. Ritzema insisted that GVC “remains totally committed to horseracing,” as evidenced by its Coral/Ladbrokes brands race sponsorships and the fact that GVC is “the biggest single provider of betting revenues” to racing.

UK bookmakers have been deprioritizing their on-course betting operations for years as the ability to wager online led to decreased punter interest in queueing in the rain at bookmakers’ stalls. Hooper acquired 82 on-course pitches from GVC rival William Hill two years ago.

China’s beleaguered lottery operators – and UK gambling operator GVC Holdings – are facing further regulatory restrictions just as they’re finally getting back on their feet.

Last week, China’s Ministries of Finance and Civil Affairs issued a joint statement regarding the “orderly delisting” of lottery games that feature a short duration between purchasing a ticket and learning the outcome of one’s wager.

In January 2019, Beijing ordered its sports and welfare lottery administrators to halt the promotion of ‘high-frequency’ (sports) and ‘quick-opening’ (welfare) lottery products. The products, which were estimated at the time to account for between one-quarter and one-third of lottery sales, were apparently leading to “large-scale irrational purchases” by impatient players.  

The Ministries’ recent announcement claimed these marketing restrictions had “played a positive role in curbing the unauthorized use of the Internet to sell lottery tickets and restrict large-value betting.” But further curbs are apparently required to ensure these gains aren’t lost.

Tribal casino owners of the Gold Country Casino Resort in California have begun legal proceedings against two former employees for skimming.

The two former employees allegedly skimmed $2.9 million from the tribal casino; the tribe filed a civil lawsuit in the Sacramento Federal Court seeking $38 million. 

The suit alleges that the two former employees skimmed the $2.9 million for personal trips. Over a five-year period, the employees used a “secret credit card” on charges for limousines, concert and flight tickets and trips to Las Vegas, Disneyland and Palm Springs. The suit also alleges numerous instances of money laundering over the same period.

Former tribal CFO Deborah Howard and administrator Jesse Brown have recently married and have contested the allegations.

Rats have been named by local city officials in Las Vegas after a major power outage at the Paris Las Vegas casino.

City officials claimed that the rodents were behind the blackout, with a major infestation reported at a near-by power utility switch that led to the strip casino being plunged into darkness for several hours

#BREAKING the hours long @ParisVegas power outage last night is blamed on RODENTS inside an @NVEnergy “transfer switch equipment” @KTNV pic.twitter.com/59pb3g0y4n

— Joe Bartels (@Joe_Bartels) October 23, 2020https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The Tennis Integrity Unit(TIU) has appointed a new legal director to their organisation, as the body moves to become a fully independent anti-corruption watchdog ahead of the 2021 season. The TIU have also revealed they will be renamed as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on 1 January 2021.

The TIU have appointed Ben Rutherford to take up the role of Legal Director. At the TIU Rutherford will be expected to tackle corruption and match-fixing issues, with the role to expand to take on anti-doping within world tennis in 2022. 

Rutherford has a strong background in sports administration, having served as Senior Legal Counsel and Integrity Unit Manager for World Rugby. During his time at World Rugby, Rutherford established a high-level anti-corruption and integrity program and created anti-corruption partnerships with INTERPOL and the Gambling Commission.

Rutherford commented in a statement that he was delighted with the new opportunity with the TIU. “I have had a fantastic eleven years at World Rugby and I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done there. It is fascinating to be at the start of a new journey in tennis with the formation of the ITIA and I can’t wait to begin,” Rutherford said.

A raid on a mansion in Toronto, Canada last month may have uncovered more than just illegal gambling. Known as Project End Game, police found a huge operation that included a casino catering to high-rollers and possible human trafficking, and it was later revealed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have once met the man behind the operations, Chinese national Wei Wei. The investigation into the casino continues, and the latest revelations are more than a little troubling. Like something out of a James Bond flick, Wei Wei may have been a Chinese government operative assigned to infiltrate governments and influence politicians. 

Global News reports that Canadian intelligence believes the casino may have been connected to the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations (CACA), a pro-Beijing group that represents around 100 Chinese associations in Canada. It reportedly works with Chinese state officials to foster better relations between the two countries, but some assert that it is really nothing more than a cover fabricated by China to launch legal and illegal activity in countries around the world. 

This hypothesis seems to be supported by both Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which have been investigating networks that might be tied to China and organized crime. The link to the casino comes directly through Wei Wei, a business partner of CACA’s chairman, Yongtao Chen. According to sources, those links are “mind-blowing” and point to transnational cartels run by China that are operating in Toronto and Vancouver, and which are running a number of illegal casinos across the country in order to launder money and conduct their infiltration measures.  

The mansion that housed the illegal casino was better equipped than some established gambling venues. It reportedly offered baccarat tables for as much as $20,000 per hand and even had a high-end restaurant with a maître ‘d. The mansion is said to have 53 rooms, all of which were used for gambling and alleged sex trafficking. 

A raid on a mansion in Toronto, Canada last month may have uncovered more than just illegal gambling. Known as Project End Game, police found a huge operation that included a casino catering to high-rollers and possible human trafficking, and it was later revealed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have once met the man behind the operations, Chinese national Wei Wei. The investigation into the casino continues, and the latest revelations are more than a little troubling. Like something out of a James Bond flick, Wei Wei may have been a Chinese government operative assigned to infiltrate governments and influence politicians. 

Global News reports that Canadian intelligence believes the casino may have been connected to the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations (CACA), a pro-Beijing group that represents around 100 Chinese associations in Canada. It reportedly works with Chinese state officials to foster better relations between the two countries, but some assert that it is really nothing more than a cover fabricated by China to launch legal and illegal activity in countries around the world. 

This hypothesis seems to be supported by both Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which have been investigating networks that might be tied to China and organized crime. The link to the casino comes directly through Wei Wei, a business partner of CACA’s chairman, Yongtao Chen. According to sources, those links are “mind-blowing” and point to transnational cartels run by China that are operating in Toronto and Vancouver, and which are running a number of illegal casinos across the country in order to launder money and conduct their infiltration measures.  

The mansion that housed the illegal casino was better equipped than some established gambling venues. It reportedly offered baccarat tables for as much as $20,000 per hand and even had a high-end restaurant with a maître ‘d. The mansion is said to have 53 rooms, all of which were used for gambling and alleged sex trafficking. 

In the fast-moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

New egaming specialist targets rapid growth with Isle of Man licence

Casino game software supplier Skyline Solutions is aiming to become licensed in the Isle of Man as it targets rapid growth in the coming 12 months. 

In the fast-moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure you’re all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, we’re rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Don’t miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

New egaming specialist targets rapid growth with Isle of Man licence

Casino game software supplier Skyline Solutions is aiming to become licensed in the Isle of Man as it targets rapid growth in the coming 12 months. 

Like many places around the world, Malaysia is beginning to see an unwanted resurgence of COVID-19 cases. As a result, and much to the frustration of the people, lockdown orders are being extended. They don’t prevent everyone from being able to enjoy freedom completely, but they severely limit what activities are available. As a result, Resorts World Genting (RWG) is preparing for another revenue blow, but the casino doesn’t expect to have to shut down completely. 

Malaysia’s Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has been extended until November 9 for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor and a few others. The initial goal was to be able to lift the order today, October 27, following a two-week run, but new COVID-19 cases are forcing the government’s hand. Yesterday, Malaysia set a record for the most single-day cases in the country since the outbreak began when it reported 1,240 new positive COVID-19 tests. 

Most of those, 927, were on the island of Borneo, but the three cities that have been given the CMCO extension also saw some. Kuala Lumpur reported 17 cases, Penang had 61 and Selangor had 127. However, short of a government decree, RWG doesn’t feel that a complete closure is warranted, and says that it will continue normal operations as long as allowed. It emphasized, however, that individuals from hard-hit areas who had made reservations to visit the property should cancel or delay their trips, and added that it is willing to offer refunds in the event a guest decides to cancel. The casino explains in a statement, “We will continue to monitor the situation and provide necessary updates as more information becomes available.  Resorts World Genting (RWG) remains open… RWG has been continuously conducting deep cleaning and thorough sanitization throughout the resort as well as adhering to the strict SOPs issued by the government. This includes observing physical distancing, wearing face masks and adopting good personal hygiene practices. We will continue to do so to ensure the health and safety of all our guests and employees.”

RWG first closed down on March 18 due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia. It had planned on staying closed until April 14, but was then forced to extend the closure indefinitely. As a result, when the casino was finally opened on June 19, the damage had already been done, and revenue in the first half of the year slipped. As the country continues to battle COVID-19, even though the casino will be open, recovery is going to continue to be an uphill battle well into the future. 

Like many places around the world, Malaysia is beginning to see an unwanted resurgence of COVID-19 cases. As a result, and much to the frustration of the people, lockdown orders are being extended. They don’t prevent everyone from being able to enjoy freedom completely, but they severely limit what activities are available. As a result, Resorts World Genting (RWG) is preparing for another revenue blow, but the casino doesn’t expect to have to shut down completely. 

Malaysia’s Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has been extended until November 9 for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor and a few others. The initial goal was to be able to lift the order today, October 27, following a two-week run, but new COVID-19 cases are forcing the government’s hand. Yesterday, Malaysia set a record for the most single-day cases in the country since the outbreak began when it reported 1,240 new positive COVID-19 tests. 

Most of those, 927, were on the island of Borneo, but the three cities that have been given the CMCO extension also saw some. Kuala Lumpur reported 17 cases, Penang had 61 and Selangor had 127. However, short of a government decree, RWG doesn’t feel that a complete closure is warranted, and says that it will continue normal operations as long as allowed. It emphasized, however, that individuals from hard-hit areas who had made reservations to visit the property should cancel or delay their trips, and added that it is willing to offer refunds in the event a guest decides to cancel. The casino explains in a statement, “We will continue to monitor the situation and provide necessary updates as more information becomes available.  Resorts World Genting (RWG) remains open… RWG has been continuously conducting deep cleaning and thorough sanitization throughout the resort as well as adhering to the strict SOPs issued by the government. This includes observing physical distancing, wearing face masks and adopting good personal hygiene practices. We will continue to do so to ensure the health and safety of all our guests and employees.”

RWG first closed down on March 18 due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia. It had planned on staying closed until April 14, but was then forced to extend the closure indefinitely. As a result, when the casino was finally opened on June 19, the damage had already been done, and revenue in the first half of the year slipped. As the country continues to battle COVID-19, even though the casino will be open, recovery is going to continue to be an uphill battle well into the future. 

The U.S. Federal Reserve, which essentially controls the country’s money, is ready to classify cryptocurrency as legitimate currency. It’s too soon to read a whole lot into a new proposal launched by the Fed and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), but the implications are real. The two government-backed entities want to redefine money to include digital currency, which would set the stage for the eventual acceptance of digital currency as accepted, regulated and supported money. 

The Fed and FinCEN are suggesting the change to how money is defined in order to give regulators more control over the crypto space. They’re currently on a mission to compile feedback and data on what a retooling of the definition of money might mean but, if the idea moves forward, crypto would conceivably meet all the necessary requirements to be considered legitimate currency and would be able to be accepted everywhere fiat is now used. The ramifications are important, but there is still a lot of work to be done before this proposal sees daylight. 

One of the drawbacks to the proposal shows how the general perception of crypto remains negative and lacks confidence. The Fed and FinCEN would, in conjunction with the inclusion of crypto as money, lower the threshold for cross-border transaction reporting. Currently, anything above $3,000 has to be reported, but they want to push that all the way down to $250. It’s hard to imagine that this comes by way of anything other than the plan of legitimizing crypto as money. 

The Fed published a notice (pdf) on its website last week, explaining its plans by stating, “The Board and FinCEN … are issuing this proposed rule to modify the threshold in the rule implementing the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) requiring financial institutions to collect and retain information on certain funds transfers and transmittals of funds. The proposed modification would reduce this threshold from $3,000 to $250 for funds transfers and transmittals of funds that begin or end outside the United States. FinCEN is likewise proposing to reduce from $3,000 to $250 the threshold in the rule requiring financial institutions to transmit to other financial institutions in the payment chain information on funds transfers and transmittals of funds that begin or end outside the United States. [We] are also proposing to clarify the meaning of ‘money’ as used in these same rules to ensure that the rules apply to domestic and cross-border transactions involving convertible virtual currency (‘CVC’), which is a medium of exchange (such as cryptocurrency) that either has an equivalent value as currency, or acts as a substitute for currency, but lacks legal tender status. [We] further propose to clarify that these rules apply to domestic and cross-border transactions involving digital assets that have legal tender status.”

The U.S. Federal Reserve, which essentially controls the country’s money, is ready to classify cryptocurrency as legitimate currency. It’s too soon to read a whole lot into a new proposal launched by the Fed and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), but the implications are real. The two government-backed entities want to redefine money to include digital currency, which would set the stage for the eventual acceptance of digital currency as accepted, regulated and supported money. 

The Fed and FinCEN are suggesting the change to how money is defined in order to give regulators more control over the crypto space. They’re currently on a mission to compile feedback and data on what a retooling of the definition of money might mean but, if the idea moves forward, crypto would conceivably meet all the necessary requirements to be considered legitimate currency and would be able to be accepted everywhere fiat is now used. The ramifications are important, but there is still a lot of work to be done before this proposal sees daylight. 

One of the drawbacks to the proposal shows how the general perception of crypto remains negative and lacks confidence. The Fed and FinCEN would, in conjunction with the inclusion of crypto as money, lower the threshold for cross-border transaction reporting. Currently, anything above $3,000 has to be reported, but they want to push that all the way down to $250. It’s hard to imagine that this comes by way of anything other than the plan of legitimizing crypto as money. 

The Fed published a notice (pdf) on its website last week, explaining its plans by stating, “The Board and FinCEN … are issuing this proposed rule to modify the threshold in the rule implementing the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) requiring financial institutions to collect and retain information on certain funds transfers and transmittals of funds. The proposed modification would reduce this threshold from $3,000 to $250 for funds transfers and transmittals of funds that begin or end outside the United States. FinCEN is likewise proposing to reduce from $3,000 to $250 the threshold in the rule requiring financial institutions to transmit to other financial institutions in the payment chain information on funds transfers and transmittals of funds that begin or end outside the United States. [We] are also proposing to clarify the meaning of ‘money’ as used in these same rules to ensure that the rules apply to domestic and cross-border transactions involving convertible virtual currency (‘CVC’), which is a medium of exchange (such as cryptocurrency) that either has an equivalent value as currency, or acts as a substitute for currency, but lacks legal tender status. [We] further propose to clarify that these rules apply to domestic and cross-border transactions involving digital assets that have legal tender status.”

It seems Imperial Pacific International (IPI) continues to be unable to fulfill its legal and financial obligations responsibly. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the antics of the company, which has repeatedly shirked its duties and tried to circumvent established laws. The latest twist in the drama that has been underway for the past several years comes via the Department of Public Works (DPW) of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which has ordered IPI to halt work at the Imperial Palace “immediately.”

According to Mariana Variety, the DPW issued its notice today. The news follows rumors from a few days ago that the department could bring the Imperial Palace construction to a halt over IPI’s failure to comply with certain building safety code regulations, which IPI stated were nothing more than “administrative” issues. However, with the DPW ordering work to be stopped, it appears that there may be other issues going on, as well.

 The DPW states that IPI is in violation of “Building Safety Code, Public Law 6-45, 2 CMC §7101.” It added, “Pursuant to IBC §§107 & 107.4 and NMIAC §155-10.1-145. Suspend all work from Levels 3-14 until shop drawings and revised plans (i.e. amended set of construction documents) are submitted to and approved by the building safety officer.” Even more disturbing is another remark made by the department, which reads, “Pursuant to IBC §1703. Suspend all welding work until special inspectors are on board and approved by the building safety officers.”

IPI can’t resume construction until the two items are addressed satisfactorily, and any refusal to comply could result in civil penalties or fines. Only the DPW’s Building Safety Division has the authority to rescind the order, according to the DPW statement. 

Tribal casinos are trying to offer the safest casino options in the country, but there’s only so much you can do in a pandemic. A new investigation has revealed that California tribes may be getting the blame as the pandemic starts to spin out of control.

San Diego tribes take heat for reopening early

Although tribal casinos around San Diego County have emphasized the safety precautions they’ve taken in reopening, more than 300 residents who have visited the casinos have contracted Covid-19.

An expose by inewsource visited seven of the county’s nine casinos. They noted that they saw everything you’d expect to find at casinos during the pandemic: temperature checks, body scanners, distanced slot machines and some table games shut down. Attendants wear safety gear and some casinos had plexiglass barriers installed.

Many companies always want to maximize their investment potential, but this can be difficult for a number of reasons. One of the best ways to attract attention is by going public, and initial public offerings (IPO) have traditionally been seen as a measure of a company’s success and stability. Once you’re in a position to launch an IPO, you’ve “made it.” It’s not an easy task, though, and there are a number of hoops to jump through to reach that point. However, someone figured out a way to simplify the process and created one of the hottest commodities on the market today – the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The gaming industry has become particularly interested in using SPACs to go public thanks, in part, to the success story of DraftKings, and the latest to jump on board is Genius Sports. 

Bloomberg reports that Genius, a sports data technology company that has partnerships with the NBA, the NCAA and others, is expected to turn to DMY Technology Group Inc. II, a SPAC founded by former EMC Corp. executive Harry You and the former CEO of mobile games publisher Glu Mobile Inc., Niccolo De Masi. The SPAC was created specifically for Genius and got in touch with investors to try to rake in at least $300 million to support the deal. Investors who back the deal will have access to a PIPE (private investment in public equity) offering at $10 per share. If the IPO moves forward, which could happen sometime this week, it could launch with a valuation of $1.5 billion. 

The SPAC has a “II” on the end of its name because DMY already has one SPAC running in the gaming industry. It teamed up with Rush Street Interactive (RSI) earlier this year on an IPO for the gaming technology provider, and both You and de Masi became members of RSI’s Board of Directors as a result. The deal planned for the combined entities to have a value of $1.78 billion at the time of the public launch. 

Genius is based in London, but has a substantial following in the US. It was acquired by Apax Partners, a US-based private equity fund, in 2018 as the US Supreme Court was dismantling the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). The death of PASPA led to the states having the ability to introduce sports gambling legislation, and Apax was confident that it would be able to grab a strong piece of the market share moving forward.

With the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) struggling for revenue, and local casinos struggling for revenue, this seemed to be inevitable. The regulator is considering a proposal to allow online gambling from the casinos.

Asia Gaming Brief confirmed the news, having received an email from PAGCOR. “During the lockdowns this year, proposals from operators of land-based properties to accept bets online from known patrons only were received by PAGCOR. Concerned departments are currently conducting studies related to the proposals,” it said.

Not many details are available beyond that, except that the offering is expected to be for confirmed clients in the Philippines only. A bigger announcement is expected in the near future.

This could be an important lifeline for the casinos. They were forced to shut down in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, and as of yet have only been allowed to reopen on a limited basis, at 30% capacity. That’s resulted in as much as a 96% loss in income for the City of Dreams Manila, and the other casinos can’t be doing any better.

Regional casino operator Boyd Gaming reported only a minor year-on-year profit decline in Q3 despite revenue falling by one-fifth.

Figures released Monday show Boyd generated revenue of $652.2m in the three months ending September 30, down 20.4% from the same period last year, while earnings (pre-rent to its REIT landlord) gained 12% to $238.8m and profit dipped just 3.2% to $38.1m.

Boyd’s Q3 earnings margin was a record 36.6%, 10.5 points higher than the third quarter of 2019, as the company continued to selectively reopen its amenities following this spring/summer’s pandemic lockdown. As Boyd CEO Keith Smith noted in his Q2 analyst call, COVID-19 “carved a lot of costs out of the business” and the company has zero interest in bringing them back.

Of Boyd’s 29 properties, 18 reported double-digit earnings growth in Q3, while eight set all-time quarterly earnings records and three more set Q3 records. Boyd investors liked what they heard, as the stock closed Monday down nearly 2% — in line with the broader US casino sector’s performance – but regained all that ground in after-hours trading.