With the controversial election of the United States 45th President, Donald J. Trump, questions have been raised about what will be the impact of this result on the local online gaming market. Observers anticipate that a Presidential administration led by Trump could potentially mean a nation-wide ban for online gaming.
Among the many sectors watching closely to what Trump as President of the US could mean for their business, is gaming, an industry in which the Republican leader has a long background. Despite there have been no official mention about this subject under his leadership, some professionals predict that online gaming in the US could be again under attack by opposition.
Gaming experts base their arguments on the fact that Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas Sands CEO and a traditional opponent to online gaming in the US, would have donated US$25 million to support Trump’s campaign. In this sense, it is thought that in return Trump may have given Adelson assurances the topic would be addressed during his administration.
Rumours indicate that two of the most recent cabinet members considered for Trump have been Senator Tom Cotton and his former adversary, Senator Ted Cruz.
Cotton, reportedly to serve as US Defense Secretary, is a co-signer of the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), the anti-online gaming legislation who introduced a similar bill in September. RAWA is the favoured legislation of Adelson, who maintains that his crusade to eliminate online gambling is a moral mission. Cruz, who is also being considered for a top position isn’t a supporter of online gaming either.
After the election results between Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton were finalised, Geoff Freeman, AGA President & CEO, commented that the “American Gaming Association (AGA) turns its attention to proactively engaging with the new Administration and incoming members of Congress.”
Currenty, only three states legally offer online gaming in the US, Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada, while legalization of it attempts this year in Pennsylvania and California.
November 18, 2016
November 11, 2016
The History of UK and Gambling
Gambling, in its many forms, is as quintessentially British as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding or forming an orderly queue. In fact, of all the world’s countries, it could be argued that we’ve done more than any other to develop and popularise it as a pastime.
Although types of gambling go back to almost beyond history, it wasn’t until the 17th century that it first began to be enjoyed in an organised way.
Although there is evidence that the very first lottery may have been run in 1566, it wasn’t until 1694 that the first officially recognised one was introduced. It was run by the state and, just like the National Lottery today, its aim was to raise money for the country. But, unlike today’s lottery, it was more like a premium bond than a chance to win millions. Each ticket cost £10 and paid back 10% interest. The lottery aspect came from the fact that “lucky” tickets selected at random would pay a far higher interest rate.
It was also at around this time that organised horse racing started to take shape. In the earliest days of race meetings, however, there were no official bookmakers. Spectators simply placed bets with each other and set their own odds. Very quickly the sport expanded – at its peak there were over 120 courses throughout the UK and eventually, in 1751, the Jockey Club was established to try to bring some order, with Tattersalls being launched in 1789 to do the same for betting. It seems hard to believe it today, but it wasn’t until 1960 that betting was finally permitted away from the race course.
While gaming was going on in the great outdoors, the establishments that would evolve into being recognisable casinos were first being introduced as well. One of the first was White’s – today an exclusive London club – a coffee and gaming house which opened in 1652; soon there were a number throughout the city. With the increase in tourism in the 18th and 19th centuries, Bath became the country’s second biggest centre for gaming, and the rich frequently headed there for a social season away from the capital.
Moving ahead in time, it was possibly the 1960s when London really affirmed itself as the UK’s casino capital with legendary clubs like Aspinall’s attracting everyone from the aristocracy to the decade’s top celebrities. Then, in 1968, the Gaming Act opened the doors for many more casinos to be established up and down the country.
However, it’s in the last few years that a real revolution in UK gaming has taken place with the emergence of online casino operators such as 888casino that are leading the way in the online gambling industry. These have made it easy to play everything from slots to poker from the comfort of your own home using a PC, tablet or even phone. The fact that, according to the Gambling Commission, online gaming generated £3.6 billion in revenue between 2014 and 2015 speaks for itself.
It’s also attracted a whole new range of players, particularly in younger age brackets who appreciate the ease and convenience of play. Women, who are not traditional casino-goers, are also an increasingly important target audience for the online casino operators.
So no-one could deny that gambling in the UK has come a very long way since it first started to gain popularity. And with the new lease of life that online gaming has provided, it seems like there’s also an exciting future ahead of it.
Although types of gambling go back to almost beyond history, it wasn’t until the 17th century that it first began to be enjoyed in an organised way.
Although there is evidence that the very first lottery may have been run in 1566, it wasn’t until 1694 that the first officially recognised one was introduced. It was run by the state and, just like the National Lottery today, its aim was to raise money for the country. But, unlike today’s lottery, it was more like a premium bond than a chance to win millions. Each ticket cost £10 and paid back 10% interest. The lottery aspect came from the fact that “lucky” tickets selected at random would pay a far higher interest rate.
It was also at around this time that organised horse racing started to take shape. In the earliest days of race meetings, however, there were no official bookmakers. Spectators simply placed bets with each other and set their own odds. Very quickly the sport expanded – at its peak there were over 120 courses throughout the UK and eventually, in 1751, the Jockey Club was established to try to bring some order, with Tattersalls being launched in 1789 to do the same for betting. It seems hard to believe it today, but it wasn’t until 1960 that betting was finally permitted away from the race course.
While gaming was going on in the great outdoors, the establishments that would evolve into being recognisable casinos were first being introduced as well. One of the first was White’s – today an exclusive London club – a coffee and gaming house which opened in 1652; soon there were a number throughout the city. With the increase in tourism in the 18th and 19th centuries, Bath became the country’s second biggest centre for gaming, and the rich frequently headed there for a social season away from the capital.
Moving ahead in time, it was possibly the 1960s when London really affirmed itself as the UK’s casino capital with legendary clubs like Aspinall’s attracting everyone from the aristocracy to the decade’s top celebrities. Then, in 1968, the Gaming Act opened the doors for many more casinos to be established up and down the country.
However, it’s in the last few years that a real revolution in UK gaming has taken place with the emergence of online casino operators such as 888casino that are leading the way in the online gambling industry. These have made it easy to play everything from slots to poker from the comfort of your own home using a PC, tablet or even phone. The fact that, according to the Gambling Commission, online gaming generated £3.6 billion in revenue between 2014 and 2015 speaks for itself.
It’s also attracted a whole new range of players, particularly in younger age brackets who appreciate the ease and convenience of play. Women, who are not traditional casino-goers, are also an increasingly important target audience for the online casino operators.
So no-one could deny that gambling in the UK has come a very long way since it first started to gain popularity. And with the new lease of life that online gaming has provided, it seems like there’s also an exciting future ahead of it.
November 10, 2016
Sky Betting & Gaming Expands to Italy
Online gambling operator, Sky Betting and Gaming, have put rumors of expansion to rest by making their products available in Italy. The company is based in the UK and mainly offers sports betting. After several rounds of testing, the app, SkyBet.it, has gone live. It will offer betting options in football, basketball and tennis. Players can choose which markets to play in and more options are set to be added soon.
The company’s expansion in Italy comes as no surprise as they had previously bought out Sky Italia in 2014. In the coming weeks, expansion is supposed to grow to new heights as their online casino, Casino.SkyBet.it, is also set to open. The company gained motivation to finally expand after their latest product, Super 6, was a big success in the UK and Italy.
Super 6 allows players to place bets on the scores of 6 specific football matches. The current jackpot for the game stands at £250,000 in the UK. The success of the game has been key to converting punters into real-money betters.
Sky Betting is expected to target Germany next, as they bought out Sky Deutschland, in 2014. Once the expansion in Italy is set in stone and deemed as a success, Sky Betting and Gaming are expected to move to Germany. Super 6 has already been launched in the country at 6erpack.sky.de and has a jackpot of €100,000. Punters that can correctly guess scores of all 6 chosen matches from the Bundesliga, can win the jackpot.
Sky Deutschland currently has 4.5 million subscribers and Jochen Weiner, the managing director, was hired specifically to make an impact on the local German market. According to him, the current market is “healthy” and the large number of subscribers should help them gain momentum.
Sky Betting and Gaming have recorded a 51% increase in revenue compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue is up to £373.6 million, for the period ended in June 2016. Sports betting, casino games and poker are the companies main offerings.
The company’s expansion in Italy comes as no surprise as they had previously bought out Sky Italia in 2014. In the coming weeks, expansion is supposed to grow to new heights as their online casino, Casino.SkyBet.it, is also set to open. The company gained motivation to finally expand after their latest product, Super 6, was a big success in the UK and Italy.
Super 6 allows players to place bets on the scores of 6 specific football matches. The current jackpot for the game stands at £250,000 in the UK. The success of the game has been key to converting punters into real-money betters.
Sky Betting is expected to target Germany next, as they bought out Sky Deutschland, in 2014. Once the expansion in Italy is set in stone and deemed as a success, Sky Betting and Gaming are expected to move to Germany. Super 6 has already been launched in the country at 6erpack.sky.de and has a jackpot of €100,000. Punters that can correctly guess scores of all 6 chosen matches from the Bundesliga, can win the jackpot.
Sky Deutschland currently has 4.5 million subscribers and Jochen Weiner, the managing director, was hired specifically to make an impact on the local German market. According to him, the current market is “healthy” and the large number of subscribers should help them gain momentum.
Sky Betting and Gaming have recorded a 51% increase in revenue compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue is up to £373.6 million, for the period ended in June 2016. Sports betting, casino games and poker are the companies main offerings.
November 09, 2016
Paddy Power to Lose $3.33M from US Elections Wager
The Irish bookmaker is reportedly looking at a €3 million (US$ 3.33 million) loss after American voters elected businessman Donald Trump as the next president of the United States.
Paddy Power to Lose $3.33M from US Elections WagerThis is the second time that Paddy Power Betfair found itself in the wrong side of political wagering since the UK voted to leave the European Union by a margin of 52-48 on June 23.
Paddy Power spokesman Féilim Mac An Iomaire told The Independent that the surprising twist in the US elections was reminiscent of what it saw in the “Brexit.”
“You could say it’s deja vu again,” said Mac An Iomaire. “Much like Brexit, it looked to be following the odds early on before a dramatic turnaround.”
Throughout the election campaign, the Irish bookmaker had predicted Clinton winning the Nov. 8 presidential polls. Paddy Power even made headlines last month by paying out about $1 million to customers who had bet on Clinton, saying the odds were so firmly in her favor that they wanted to get out of the bet.
But this all changed when the polling precincts opened on Tuesday. Paddy Power had Trump chance of victory at 83.3pc and Clinton’s at 22.2 percent.
“Paddy Power … will be on the receiving end of its worst political result in history if Trump does manage to upset the odds,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the US presidential elections are set to eclipse the wagers made during the Brexit referendum, the Royal baby and all previous elections. CNN reported that the UK gambling industry is looking at more than £150 million ($186 million) to be wagered on the outcome of the 2016 U.S. elections.
So far, oddsmakers said they are looking at more than £130 million ($161 million) to be wagered by British punters. Should money bets surpasses £150 million, then the 2016 US presidential elections is poised to become the biggest non-sport betting event in British history.
Paddy Power to Lose $3.33M from US Elections WagerThis is the second time that Paddy Power Betfair found itself in the wrong side of political wagering since the UK voted to leave the European Union by a margin of 52-48 on June 23.
Paddy Power spokesman Féilim Mac An Iomaire told The Independent that the surprising twist in the US elections was reminiscent of what it saw in the “Brexit.”
“You could say it’s deja vu again,” said Mac An Iomaire. “Much like Brexit, it looked to be following the odds early on before a dramatic turnaround.”
Throughout the election campaign, the Irish bookmaker had predicted Clinton winning the Nov. 8 presidential polls. Paddy Power even made headlines last month by paying out about $1 million to customers who had bet on Clinton, saying the odds were so firmly in her favor that they wanted to get out of the bet.
But this all changed when the polling precincts opened on Tuesday. Paddy Power had Trump chance of victory at 83.3pc and Clinton’s at 22.2 percent.
“Paddy Power … will be on the receiving end of its worst political result in history if Trump does manage to upset the odds,” it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the US presidential elections are set to eclipse the wagers made during the Brexit referendum, the Royal baby and all previous elections. CNN reported that the UK gambling industry is looking at more than £150 million ($186 million) to be wagered on the outcome of the 2016 U.S. elections.
So far, oddsmakers said they are looking at more than £130 million ($161 million) to be wagered by British punters. Should money bets surpasses £150 million, then the 2016 US presidential elections is poised to become the biggest non-sport betting event in British history.
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