Canada’s Amaya Gaming has received new online gambling licenses from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

On Friday, Amaya announced that its PokerStars and Full Tilt brands had received official UKGC approval to offer online poker and other gaming options to UK residents. Amaya’s B2B online casino business was also approved, something that will be greatly appreciated by whoever ends up buying those B2B assets.

The UK introduced a new gambling regime last year that eliminated the so-called ‘white list’ of licensing jurisdictions and required all UK-facing operators to hold a UKGC license. Amaya’s entities – which had been been operating in the UK courtesy of licenses issued by the Isle of Man – had already received temporary continuation licenses from the UKGC but Amaya spokesman Eric Hollreiser said the company was “very pleased” to get the official nod in what is “a large and growing market for us.”

PINNACLE RECEIVES MALTA LICENSE

UK bookies Ladbrokes have promoted digital director Jim Mullen (pictured) to the CEO role soon to be vacated by Richard Glynn.

Mullen, who was lured over from rivals William Hill in 2013, will assume the CEO mantle effective April 1, the day after Glynn rides off into the sunset. Lads issued a statement praising Mullen for leading the operational transformation of Lads’ much maligned digital offering and for playing nice with Lads’ online technology providers Playtech.

Lads chairman Peter Erskine said the company had conducted “an extensive search” for Glynn’s successor during which “a number of strong external candidates” had been identified. But ultimately the board made the unanimous choice to promote from within, based on Mullen having “won the respect of his colleagues and the confidence of the Board” via the delivery of Lads’ new online product.

Mullen said he was “delighted” with his new CEO designation, plus the annual £500k pay packet and a seat on the board. No replacement has been announced for Mullen’s vacated role of head of digital.

Gaming supplier International Game Technology (IGT) signed a deal with Baha Mar Resort, to deploy games to half of the slot floor and result-driven casino management system, sbX Floor Manager.

Under the deal, IGT will install more than 500 slot machines and a vast array of games including Wheel of Fortune and new S3000 spinning reel cabinet.

The $3.5 billion Baha Mar resort casino in Nassau, Bahamas has 100,000 square feet casino floor, which is expected to open this month. The development will include a resort, hotels, restaurants, a golf course, and retail shops.

“We’re thrilled to bring so many IGT games in combination with our innovative systems to such an esteemed casino project,” said Tim Shortall, IGT  VP of Eastern Region Sales.  “IGT’s decades of leadership in the global marketplace give us the tools and expertise needed to deliver a diverse casino portfolio that will appeal to Baha Mar’s international audience. Through the deployment of sbX Floor Manager, Baha Mar can further refine and optimize its casino floor and deliver on its promise of the most remarkable casino in the Caribbean.”

The race to win Massachusetts’ third casino license had another false start after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted on Thursday to grant developers KG Urban and Crossroads a new extension to complete their applications.

Both developers had asked for more time after failing to meet a previously granted extension that ended on March 16. The gaming commission extended the deadline to May 4, giving the firms seven more weeks to get their proposals in order.

Of the two, KG Urban is further along in completing its application after securing a host community agreement with New Bedford Mayor John Mitchell. Part of that agreement includes paying the city $12.5m per year and $4.5 million upfront if the casino is built. KG Urban doesn’t yet have funding sources to show to the MGC but is optimistic that, with a host agreement secured, investors will now come flocking.

The Somerset group led by developer Crossroads also has no investors and has yet to sign a city agreement.

Lee Davy airs his views on a week in poker that saw the World Poker Tour live up to its name, Pamela Anderson claiming that her husband Rick Salomon was one of the biggest winners of 2014, and PokerStars hiring an ambassador that will certainly divide opinion.

I don’t confess to know much about Japan.

I know they get a lot of earthquakes, they didn’t fuck about with their prisoners of war, and they have a really cool flag.

So when PokerStars announced they had signed Japanese model Yuiko Matsukawa, as their new brand ambassador, I had to turn to Google to learn more. What did she model? Overcoats? Umbrellas? Japanese gadgetry?

Mississippi regulators renewed the gaming license of Universal Entertainment chairman Kazuo Okada (pictured) on Thursday, but the renewal came with strings attached.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) voted to approve the ‘suitability’ of Okada and Universal’s US gaming device subsidiary Aruze Gaming America, but only on the condition that a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into Universal’s activities in the Philippines fails to turn up any dirty laundry.

The hearing came one day after the Japan-based Universal announced that the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation had “concluded” its investigation into Okada’s activities in their country. Universal’s local subsidiary, which is building an integrated resort in Manila’s Entertainment City, stood accused of funneling $40m to gaming regulators to obtain land concessions and other favors related to the casino project. Universal has denied allegations of bribery and claimed that the bulk of these payments were made by now ex-employees acting without authorization.

Okada himself appeared at the MGC hearing, making his first public appearance in the US since the brouhaha began several years ago. Okada told the MGC he wasn’t the “bad guy” portrayed in reports by the Reuters news agency and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Universal has sued these media outlets for “biased and unfair reporting.”

Lee Davy sits down with Microgaming’s Head of Poker, Alex Scott, to get his opinion on bots, RAWA, Twitch and many other things.

I must confess.

When it comes to writing about poker, I do tend to provide more coverage for the big boys.

This isn’t purposeful.

The Canadian province of Alberta plans to have its new online gambling operation set up before the year is through.

Finance Minister Robin Campbell made the announcement on Wednesday at the spring convention of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. Alberta is one of only two Canadian provinces not yet offering online gambling services through its provincial gambling monopoly, the other being Saskatchewan (which is supremely ironic, given that Saskatchewan is where a certain Calvin Ayre was born).

Alberta’s path toward online gambling is moving at breakneck speed, particularly in comparison with Ontario, which took years to bring its action online. It was only in January that the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) announced the concept was “actively under review.” By February, the AGLC had opened a tender for online gambling turnkey technology providers, who were given just a month to submit their applications.

The pace of progress isn’t sitting well with opposition politicians, who aren’t buying Campbell’s assertions that online gambling will only happen if the province “decide[s] to go that route.” The Calgary Herald quoted Liberal party leader David Swann saying the proposal “certainly hasn’t been presented to us in the legislature and presented to the public. It sounds like it is a fait accompli, which is unsettling in the least.”

Ravee Mathi Sundar has beaten Jesse Rockowitz, in heads-up action, to capture the first prize of $268,857, and prevent Taylor Paur from winning back-to-back titles at the World Poker Tour Rolling Thunder Main Event in Lincoln, California.

Ravee Mathi Sundar flew right under the radar this week, and the only time we heard the blip, he walked away with a World Poker Tour (WPT) title.

I must confess. During my recap of the recent $7,500 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars Main Event, I waxed lyrical about the virtues of Isaac Baron, Jacob Bazeley, Sorel Mizzi, Faraz Jaka, and the eventually winner Taylor Paur.

Do you notice something odd?

Pamela Anderson has continued her war of words with her husband Rick Salomon by declaring to everyone within earshot that he took Andy Beal to the tune of $40m, and she wants half when the pair eventually divorce for the 15th time.

Did Rick Salomon take Andy Beal to the cleaners on his way to a $40m haul playing poker last year?

That’s the accusation Pamela Anderson is making as the pair’s bitter divorce battle picks up a head of steam in the international tabloids.

According to court documents that have ended up in the lap of someone working at TMZ, Anderson is claiming that Salomon won most of that $40m whilst playing against American banker and businessman Andy Beal. The documents state that Salomon was $13m down in a game against Beal, held at The Bellagio, before coming back to win more than $16m.

Harrah’s Philadelphia General Manager Ron Baumann and Caesar’s Entertainment Group Executive Vice President Jan Jones Blackhurst gave insights into the value of online gambling coming to Pennsylvania during the hearing at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack on Wednesday.

Rep. John Payne, chairman of the Gaming Oversight Committee, introduced HB 649 in February authorizing online poker and casino games approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

“Today’s reality is that internet gambling is taking place in all 50 states, almost all of it illegally,” Blackhurst told the Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee. “It’s an environment that’s ripe for fraud and criminal activity and it provides no tax revenue.”

Blackhurst also said that legalizing online gaming, as several bills currently under consideration by the committee, would create a safer gambling experience by adding state regulation and consumer protections.

Philippine casino operator Bloomberry Resorts recorded a net profit in 2014 as gaming revenue surged at its Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila.

Bloomberry revenue nearly doubled (+99%) to P24.1b (US $536m) and earnings rose a staggering 802% to P10b thanks to a full year of contribution from Solaire, which opened in March 2013. That was a double-edged sword, however, as expenses were also up 31% to P17.6b. But Bloomberry booked a net profit of P4b ($91m), a significant turnaround from 2013’s net loss of P1.3b.

Gaming accounted for 95% of Bloomberry’s 2014 revenue, with hotel, food and beverage adding 4% and retail and other income scoring the remaining 1%. Gaming revenue was up 103% and non-gaming revenue increased 39%, pushing each segment to record highs.

Bloomberry CEO Enrique Razon Jr. said the company was “elated” by its 2014 performance. Razon said the iniatives taken over the past two years to boost revenues and keep a lid on expenses had enabled the company’s “remarkable turnaround.” Razon said the plan was onward and upward from here.

Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) shook off a downturn in the second half of 2014 to post improved annual revenue.

GEG’s earnings fell 25% to HKD 2.7b (US $348m) in Q4, reflecting the malaise gripping the broader Macau gaming sector. GEG’s flagship property Galaxy Macau saw earnings fall 19% to HKD 2b as revenue fell 8%. VIP turnover was down 23%, which was better than Macau’s other operators, who have endured falls of up to 44%. Galaxy Macau’s mass market earnings fell 8% but non-gaming revenue rose 17% to HKD 408m.

StarWorld Macau earnings were down 38% to HKD 645m as VIP revenue fell 29%, mass win fell 19% and non-gaming revenue was flat. The City Clubs branded casino business reported earnings of HKD 33m and the construction materials business added HKD 164m.

For the year as a whole, GEG revenue gained 9% to HKD 71.8b while earnings rose 5% to HKD 13.2b and net profit rose 3% to HKD 10.3b.

Online gambling firms that use hot girls in their marketing campaigns to attract male punters would likely have better luck using pictures of hot men.

A new study by University of Technology, Sydney lecturer Eugene Chan asked 180 heterosexual men and women to compare themselves to models in Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria’s Secret ad campaigns, while others in the test group were asked to compare themselves to average looking men and women.

Chan then asked the test subjects how they would approach certain financial transactions, such as investing in high-risk financial stocks or playing gambling games with varying degrees of risk but equivalent outcomes (a guaranteed win of $50, or a 50% chance between winning $100 or zero).

The male subjects who described the Abercrombie & Fitch models as better looking than themselves were found to take “a lot more” financial risks than those who’d viewed the average models or those arrogant sods who perceived themselves to be better looking than the A&F Adonises.

London-based FSB Technology Ltd announced the launch of its new fully-responsive sportsbook platform and a native iOS mobile application.

The new GoWager iOS application, now available in Apple’s UK App store, makes use of the Apple’s technology to ensure that a customer can quickly find and place their bet.

The platform is controlled through FSB’s drag-and-drop content management system. The modified CMS platform gives operators control over the management of their user interface, plus the ability to create and design unlimited landing pages.

“These investments into the user experience and our market leading CRM tools are helping to establish FSB as the most advanced sports betting platform on the market,” said FSB Tech CEO and Co-founder David McDowell. “Many operators using a managed service are struggling to present a fresh experience to their customers. We are confident our platform will allow them to move away from these blanket offers that are reliant on number of markets traded being their only attempt at a point of difference.”

Ladbrokes has chosen London creative marketing agency Kaper to design a campaign on the bookmaker’s betting odds for the Duchess of Cambridge Katherine Middleton’s second baby.

Odds offered on the sex, birth date, and name of the future royal family member aims to boost Ladbrokes’ profile in national consumer press and drive social media.

Punters were predicting that royal baby number two will be a girl. The name Elizabeth is currently the leading at 5/1 while Charlotte at 6/1 and James takes the lead as the most favorite name for a baby boy.

Recently, the duchess has revealed that her due date is not until late April, which led some bookmakers to reduce the odds on a March birth. April 20th is the most predicted date with 10/1, followed by April 18th and 21st with 14/1.