Buffalo Wild Wings is the country’s third most popular casual restaurant chain, behind Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and Olive Garden. But BWW is looking to increase that ranking, and may be doing so via an unusual means.
Nation’s Restaurant News announces that the chain may explore getting into gambling, with the following statement from a BWW spokesperson: “As the largest sports bar in America, we believe Buffalo Wild Wings is uniquely positioned to leverage sports gaming to enhance the restaurant experience for our guests. We are actively exploring opportunities, including potential partners, as we evaluate the next steps for our brand.”
Lucky for B-Dubs, this past May, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 1992 law that banned sports gambling in most states. Since the house almost always wins, these gambling excursions could only help boost Buffalo Wild Wings’ bottom line, an attractive possibility for the chain that recently saw sales dip 1.6 percent. We envision nationwide March Madness bracket sheets and wings-fueled fistfights erupting over Super Bowl squares in front of BWW’s multitude of large-screen sports-only TVs.
August 15, 2018
Belgium gives Ladbrokes a slap on the wrist
Ladbrokes has been put in timeout – literally. Belgium has reportedly punished the sports betting company for breaking gaming regulations and has ordered it to not offer any gambling activities for a day next month.
Media outlet The Brussel Times reports that Ladbrokes was slapped on the wrist after admitting it had received bets from players in Belgium for the outcome of virtual machine events until March 14. Virtual match betting allows gamblers to place bets on the outcome of fantasy competitions and the practice has been outlawed in the country since June of last year after being “tolerated” for about five years.
Ladbrokes’ subsidiaries in the country, Tierce Ladbroke SA and Derby SA, will not be able to receive any bets for 24 hours on September 3 due to the infraction. Ladbrokes has 300 agencies and around 100 sportsbooks, and a number of digital operations, linked to it in Belgium. The country’s gaming regulator indicated that Ladbrokes had “not contested the materiality of the facts” and continued to offer the betting activity “until it was legally banned from doing so.”
In a response provided to 5 Star iGaming Media, Ladbrokes said that it had not been notified officially of the sanction. It explained that it had only learned of the punishment after it was informed by an unidentified third party on August 7.
Ladbrokes further complained that it was received an email from the regulator the same day the news starting making its rounds in the various media outlets, adding that it “‘deeply regrets that such confidential information is transmitted to the press and to third parties even before it is informed.” It alluded to the possibility of filing a lawsuit for breach of professional secrecy, but plans to honor the sanction. The sportsbook also said that it may challenge the punishment before Belgium’s Council of State.
The one-day penalty pales in comparison to that seen by Ladbrokes last year. In November, it was hit with a $2.9-million fine for not intervening after two gamblers blew a little more than half of that in stolen money on the Ladbrokes Coral-owned Gala Interactive casino website.
Media outlet The Brussel Times reports that Ladbrokes was slapped on the wrist after admitting it had received bets from players in Belgium for the outcome of virtual machine events until March 14. Virtual match betting allows gamblers to place bets on the outcome of fantasy competitions and the practice has been outlawed in the country since June of last year after being “tolerated” for about five years.
Ladbrokes’ subsidiaries in the country, Tierce Ladbroke SA and Derby SA, will not be able to receive any bets for 24 hours on September 3 due to the infraction. Ladbrokes has 300 agencies and around 100 sportsbooks, and a number of digital operations, linked to it in Belgium. The country’s gaming regulator indicated that Ladbrokes had “not contested the materiality of the facts” and continued to offer the betting activity “until it was legally banned from doing so.”
In a response provided to 5 Star iGaming Media, Ladbrokes said that it had not been notified officially of the sanction. It explained that it had only learned of the punishment after it was informed by an unidentified third party on August 7.
Ladbrokes further complained that it was received an email from the regulator the same day the news starting making its rounds in the various media outlets, adding that it “‘deeply regrets that such confidential information is transmitted to the press and to third parties even before it is informed.” It alluded to the possibility of filing a lawsuit for breach of professional secrecy, but plans to honor the sanction. The sportsbook also said that it may challenge the punishment before Belgium’s Council of State.
The one-day penalty pales in comparison to that seen by Ladbrokes last year. In November, it was hit with a $2.9-million fine for not intervening after two gamblers blew a little more than half of that in stolen money on the Ladbrokes Coral-owned Gala Interactive casino website.
August 09, 2018
Crown Resorts sues NSW government over iconic Sydney Harbor view
Australia-listed casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd. has challenged the New South Wales (NSW) government to a legal tug-of-war over the iconic Sydney Harbor view.
Crown Resorts sues NSW government over iconic Sydney Harbor viewThe Wall Street Journal reported that Crown Resorts has brought the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) to court over concerns that any new property developments could obstruct the harbor views from its Barangaroo casino.
Crown is betting on the unobstructed Barangaroo views to attract affluent Chinese gamblers to visit its casinos in Australia after the casino operator has decided to fold up its overseas expansion plans.
In its lawsuit, Crown wants the court to compel BDA to comply with a contract requiring the government to consult any developments that may affect the panoramic views of the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge.
BDA, which is responsible for the management of the Barangaroo area, plans to develop 5.2-hectares of Central Barangaroo district into a public space for recreation, events, and entertainment, as well as residential, retail, and commercial spaces.
The supposed contract obligations “ensure that sight lines from the Harbor Bridge to the Sydney Opera House are retained for the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort,” according to Crown.
“The proceedings seek injunctive relief and declarations against the BDA that, in substance, require the BDA to comply with a number of its contractual obligations under the Crown Development Agreement,” Crown said in a regulatory filing.
Crown wasn’t the only one suing BDA over the iconic Sydney harbor views. Property developer Lendlease also filed an injunction seeking to stop the agency from constructing properties that could block the views of its apartment complex, which is located near Crown Sydney.
Despite filing a lawsuit, Lendlease remained hopeful that the parties would resolve the problem and reach an agreement through a negotiation.
BDA, for its part, claimed that it had been negotiating with Lendlease and Crown about the matter for the past two years. It vowed to defend its position in court, according to the report.
“At all times the Authority has acted in good faith and in accordance with its contractual obligations,” A BDA spokesman told ABC News online.
Crown Resorts sues NSW government over iconic Sydney Harbor viewThe Wall Street Journal reported that Crown Resorts has brought the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) to court over concerns that any new property developments could obstruct the harbor views from its Barangaroo casino.
Crown is betting on the unobstructed Barangaroo views to attract affluent Chinese gamblers to visit its casinos in Australia after the casino operator has decided to fold up its overseas expansion plans.
In its lawsuit, Crown wants the court to compel BDA to comply with a contract requiring the government to consult any developments that may affect the panoramic views of the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge.
BDA, which is responsible for the management of the Barangaroo area, plans to develop 5.2-hectares of Central Barangaroo district into a public space for recreation, events, and entertainment, as well as residential, retail, and commercial spaces.
The supposed contract obligations “ensure that sight lines from the Harbor Bridge to the Sydney Opera House are retained for the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort,” according to Crown.
“The proceedings seek injunctive relief and declarations against the BDA that, in substance, require the BDA to comply with a number of its contractual obligations under the Crown Development Agreement,” Crown said in a regulatory filing.
Crown wasn’t the only one suing BDA over the iconic Sydney harbor views. Property developer Lendlease also filed an injunction seeking to stop the agency from constructing properties that could block the views of its apartment complex, which is located near Crown Sydney.
Despite filing a lawsuit, Lendlease remained hopeful that the parties would resolve the problem and reach an agreement through a negotiation.
BDA, for its part, claimed that it had been negotiating with Lendlease and Crown about the matter for the past two years. It vowed to defend its position in court, according to the report.
“At all times the Authority has acted in good faith and in accordance with its contractual obligations,” A BDA spokesman told ABC News online.
August 07, 2018
Advertising ban places Italy on the brink of huge problems
Recently the Italian Parliament has approved a new law called “Decreto Dignità,” which has now been passed on to the Senate and will become effective immediately.
This law is composed of 15 articles: one of the most controversial is about gambling advertising. Article 9 of “Decreto Dignità” forbids all media (TV, Internet, Radio) directly and indirectly advertising games in which a player can win money, including casino games, skill games, sports betting, poker, horse racing, lotteries, scratch cards. Italy is the first European country completely forbidding gaming advertising and Luigi Di Maio, the deputy prime minister, expects other European countries to follow Italy’s example.
Currently in Italy no political party or movement is aware of the consequences that this new law will produce.
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Casino2k – Advertising ban places Italy on the brink of huge problems
August 7, 2018
Copyright: everyonensk / 123RF Stock Photo
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The steps taken in Italy to introduce a blanket ban on all forms of gambling advertisements have certainly raised a few eyebrows, and formed a crucial part of many a conversation.
Now standing on the bring of introduction, after the reform was approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week and passed on to the Senate, Italian online web gaming guide casino2k details the numerous problems with the Dignity Decree, pitfalls now facing the country and potential solutions.
Recently the Italian Parliament has approved a new law called “Decreto Dignità,” which has now been passed on to the Senate and will become effective immediately.
This law is composed of 15 articles: one of the most controversial is about gambling advertising. Article 9 of “Decreto Dignità” forbids all media (TV, Internet, Radio) directly and indirectly advertising games in which a player can win money, including casino games, skill games, sports betting, poker, horse racing, lotteries, scratch cards. Italy is the first European country completely forbidding gaming advertising and Luigi Di Maio, the deputy prime minister, expects other European countries to follow Italy’s example.
We at casino2k.com, an Italian website which provides information about responsible gambling on regulated casinos, have studied the law and followed the three day discussion about “Decreto Dignità” inside the Italian Parliament. Currently in Italy no political party or movement is aware of the consequences that this new law will produce.
“FORBIDDING EVERY TYPE OF ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET WILL RESULT IN ILLEGAL GAMING COMING BACK“
Italy is the biggest gaming industry in Europe with 150,000 employees and hundreds of small companies, like ours, whose business will be affected significantly by the prohibition of every kind of advertising. The Italian government doesn’t seem to care about the future of all the other people working in this market.
The Italian market has been strictly regulated since 2011. Illegal activities have significantly decreased since then, with websites like ours helping drive people out of the illegal market into the regulated one. Forbidding every type of advertising on the internet will result in illegal gaming coming back!
Affiliate websites spread knowledge about online gambling and promote a responsible approach to it, playing an important role in the fight against gambling addiction, under age gambling and illegal operators. Those websites will now probably close, since advertising is not allowed anymore.
The aim of this law is noble, fighting gambling addiction, protecting fragile people from wasting all of their money. The main problem is that this law does almost nothing to fight it. In every Italian bar you can play slot machines and lotteries, and in Italy you can even buy scratch cards in supermarkets.
Blocking every type of advertising does nothing to reduce such things, which are often accessed by teenagers. An advertising ban is just propaganda, people will continue spending €20bn per year on slot games in bars and private mini-casinos (called VLTs), because the law doesn’t reduce the number of slots per town, it doesn’t set a minimum distance from public places, it doesn’t stop scratch cards from being sold in supermarkets. It just blocks advertising. And physical slots in bars don’t need any advertising to earn money and to destroy people’s life.
Starting soon, Italian players will not be able to recognise a legal casino from an illegal one. Right now Google AdWords has stopped accepting regulated operators ads, and unregulated ones have already appeared.
Without online advertising it will be very difficult to recognise legal and reliable sites, while the illegal ones will take advantage and gambling addiction will flourish.
Illegal casinos don’t care about the fun and the health of their users, they don’t care about responsible gaming, they don’t do anything against gambling addiction. Furthermore, they don’t pay taxes because their base is often placed in offshore countries.
The law is almost approved, the time for amendments is over, but we want to suggest a proposal. We hope that it will be considered by mass media, national and international newspapers and, in particular, that it will be evaluated by Parliament for a future law.
An alternative to an online gambling advertising ban could be allowing advertising only on specialised websites, magazines and newspapers, with these restrictions:
1. A license for affiliate websites and website owners with strict and specific requirements chosen by government.
2. Every affiliate or affiliate company needs a legal representative who will be personally responsible for every breaking of rules.
3. Every affiliate or affiliate company needs to pay taxes in Italy.
4. 2% of affiliates income to be used against gambling addiction.
5. Slower games to fight fast bets which lead to deep addiction.
6. Government campaigns to increase culture of responsible gaming.
The Government lacks knowledge of the market, they don’t understand how online gaming can be strictly controlled, players can ban themselves from gaming sites, operators can recognise addiction and block players. Artificial intelligence can also play an important role in preventing addiction and problematic players.
In conclusion, we think Italy needs better rules, because the ban on advertising would produce serious damages and would bring the market back to the early 2000’s. We hope that the government will try to understand how online gaming works, and why it’s safer than slot games in bars.
This law is composed of 15 articles: one of the most controversial is about gambling advertising. Article 9 of “Decreto Dignità” forbids all media (TV, Internet, Radio) directly and indirectly advertising games in which a player can win money, including casino games, skill games, sports betting, poker, horse racing, lotteries, scratch cards. Italy is the first European country completely forbidding gaming advertising and Luigi Di Maio, the deputy prime minister, expects other European countries to follow Italy’s example.
Currently in Italy no political party or movement is aware of the consequences that this new law will produce.
casinobeats
Home Features Comment
FeaturesCommentHighlighted
Casino2k – Advertising ban places Italy on the brink of huge problems
August 7, 2018
Copyright: everyonensk / 123RF Stock Photo
Share
Tweet
The steps taken in Italy to introduce a blanket ban on all forms of gambling advertisements have certainly raised a few eyebrows, and formed a crucial part of many a conversation.
Now standing on the bring of introduction, after the reform was approved by the Chamber of Deputies last week and passed on to the Senate, Italian online web gaming guide casino2k details the numerous problems with the Dignity Decree, pitfalls now facing the country and potential solutions.
Recently the Italian Parliament has approved a new law called “Decreto Dignità,” which has now been passed on to the Senate and will become effective immediately.
This law is composed of 15 articles: one of the most controversial is about gambling advertising. Article 9 of “Decreto Dignità” forbids all media (TV, Internet, Radio) directly and indirectly advertising games in which a player can win money, including casino games, skill games, sports betting, poker, horse racing, lotteries, scratch cards. Italy is the first European country completely forbidding gaming advertising and Luigi Di Maio, the deputy prime minister, expects other European countries to follow Italy’s example.
We at casino2k.com, an Italian website which provides information about responsible gambling on regulated casinos, have studied the law and followed the three day discussion about “Decreto Dignità” inside the Italian Parliament. Currently in Italy no political party or movement is aware of the consequences that this new law will produce.
“FORBIDDING EVERY TYPE OF ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET WILL RESULT IN ILLEGAL GAMING COMING BACK“
Italy is the biggest gaming industry in Europe with 150,000 employees and hundreds of small companies, like ours, whose business will be affected significantly by the prohibition of every kind of advertising. The Italian government doesn’t seem to care about the future of all the other people working in this market.
The Italian market has been strictly regulated since 2011. Illegal activities have significantly decreased since then, with websites like ours helping drive people out of the illegal market into the regulated one. Forbidding every type of advertising on the internet will result in illegal gaming coming back!
Affiliate websites spread knowledge about online gambling and promote a responsible approach to it, playing an important role in the fight against gambling addiction, under age gambling and illegal operators. Those websites will now probably close, since advertising is not allowed anymore.
The aim of this law is noble, fighting gambling addiction, protecting fragile people from wasting all of their money. The main problem is that this law does almost nothing to fight it. In every Italian bar you can play slot machines and lotteries, and in Italy you can even buy scratch cards in supermarkets.
Blocking every type of advertising does nothing to reduce such things, which are often accessed by teenagers. An advertising ban is just propaganda, people will continue spending €20bn per year on slot games in bars and private mini-casinos (called VLTs), because the law doesn’t reduce the number of slots per town, it doesn’t set a minimum distance from public places, it doesn’t stop scratch cards from being sold in supermarkets. It just blocks advertising. And physical slots in bars don’t need any advertising to earn money and to destroy people’s life.
Starting soon, Italian players will not be able to recognise a legal casino from an illegal one. Right now Google AdWords has stopped accepting regulated operators ads, and unregulated ones have already appeared.
Without online advertising it will be very difficult to recognise legal and reliable sites, while the illegal ones will take advantage and gambling addiction will flourish.
Illegal casinos don’t care about the fun and the health of their users, they don’t care about responsible gaming, they don’t do anything against gambling addiction. Furthermore, they don’t pay taxes because their base is often placed in offshore countries.
The law is almost approved, the time for amendments is over, but we want to suggest a proposal. We hope that it will be considered by mass media, national and international newspapers and, in particular, that it will be evaluated by Parliament for a future law.
An alternative to an online gambling advertising ban could be allowing advertising only on specialised websites, magazines and newspapers, with these restrictions:
1. A license for affiliate websites and website owners with strict and specific requirements chosen by government.
2. Every affiliate or affiliate company needs a legal representative who will be personally responsible for every breaking of rules.
3. Every affiliate or affiliate company needs to pay taxes in Italy.
4. 2% of affiliates income to be used against gambling addiction.
5. Slower games to fight fast bets which lead to deep addiction.
6. Government campaigns to increase culture of responsible gaming.
The Government lacks knowledge of the market, they don’t understand how online gaming can be strictly controlled, players can ban themselves from gaming sites, operators can recognise addiction and block players. Artificial intelligence can also play an important role in preventing addiction and problematic players.
In conclusion, we think Italy needs better rules, because the ban on advertising would produce serious damages and would bring the market back to the early 2000’s. We hope that the government will try to understand how online gaming works, and why it’s safer than slot games in bars.
August 03, 2018
William Hill notes ‘solid progress’ despite booking + £900 million FOBTs adjustment
FTSE bookmaker William Hill will settle exceptional charges and adjustments of £916 million, including a ‘£882 million non-cash impairment’ for its Retail division, as governance adjusts to the UK government’s Triennial Judgement reducing wagers on FOBTs machines to £2.
Publishing its half-year 2018 results (26 weeks ending 27 June), William Hill governance has pre-booked corporate losses of £916 million, which will result in the FTSE bookmaker declaring a period statutory loss before tax of £820 million.
Aiding its corporate adjustments, William Hill was able to recoup proceeds of £241 million from the disposal of its Australian business division (acquired by CrownBet) and its enterprise investment in NYX Gaming Group (acquired by Scientific Games).
Despite settling high-cost exceptional charges, William Hill governance reports solid operational progress during a period of ‘substantial corporate change’.
Closing World Cup Russia 2018 trading, in which the bookmaker recorded ‘+1 million active online customers’ during the tournament, William Hill records group net revenues of £802 million, up 3% on corresponding H1 2017’s £778 million.
In its Interim update, William Hill governance outlines substantial growth across its digital assets, with the firm’s online sportsbook up ‘18% in net revenues and 16% in new accounts’. The firm’s online gaming assets detailed 4% increase net revenues, driven by improved ‘cross-sell efficiencies’.
Replicating industry trends, William Hill’s Retail division’s net revenues were down 3% due to a ‘challenging environment for the UK high street’, with a number of UK horseracing fixture cancelled during Q1 2018 due to severe weather conditions.
Moving forward, the legacy bookmaker seeks to become a leading player in the liberalised US sports betting market, expanding its footprint within New Jersey having launched a new sportsbook at Ocean Casino in Atlantic City.
Updating investors Philip Bowcock, Chief Executive Officer of William Hill, commented on H1 2018 trading: “William Hill has performed well during the first half of 2018 and, following major regulatory decisions in the UK and US, we now have greater clarity over the challenges and opportunities that lie before us.
“During the first half, our Online business continued to deliver double-digit growth. In Retail, we are beginning to put in place plans to mitigate the impact of the Triennial Review. In the US, we have moved quickly following the repeal of PASPA as we grow into newly regulating states. We will continue to invest in the US to ensure we are well placed to capture the substantial potential available to us.”
“Fundamental to delivering over the long term will be our sustainability strategy, which marks a significant cultural change for the company. Gambling-related harm is a serious issue and it is important that we face up to this challenge. We have set ourselves the ambition that nobody is harmed by gambling and set out a detailed programme of actions as we start out on this journey.”
Publishing its half-year 2018 results (26 weeks ending 27 June), William Hill governance has pre-booked corporate losses of £916 million, which will result in the FTSE bookmaker declaring a period statutory loss before tax of £820 million.
Aiding its corporate adjustments, William Hill was able to recoup proceeds of £241 million from the disposal of its Australian business division (acquired by CrownBet) and its enterprise investment in NYX Gaming Group (acquired by Scientific Games).
Despite settling high-cost exceptional charges, William Hill governance reports solid operational progress during a period of ‘substantial corporate change’.
Closing World Cup Russia 2018 trading, in which the bookmaker recorded ‘+1 million active online customers’ during the tournament, William Hill records group net revenues of £802 million, up 3% on corresponding H1 2017’s £778 million.
In its Interim update, William Hill governance outlines substantial growth across its digital assets, with the firm’s online sportsbook up ‘18% in net revenues and 16% in new accounts’. The firm’s online gaming assets detailed 4% increase net revenues, driven by improved ‘cross-sell efficiencies’.
Replicating industry trends, William Hill’s Retail division’s net revenues were down 3% due to a ‘challenging environment for the UK high street’, with a number of UK horseracing fixture cancelled during Q1 2018 due to severe weather conditions.
Moving forward, the legacy bookmaker seeks to become a leading player in the liberalised US sports betting market, expanding its footprint within New Jersey having launched a new sportsbook at Ocean Casino in Atlantic City.
Updating investors Philip Bowcock, Chief Executive Officer of William Hill, commented on H1 2018 trading: “William Hill has performed well during the first half of 2018 and, following major regulatory decisions in the UK and US, we now have greater clarity over the challenges and opportunities that lie before us.
“During the first half, our Online business continued to deliver double-digit growth. In Retail, we are beginning to put in place plans to mitigate the impact of the Triennial Review. In the US, we have moved quickly following the repeal of PASPA as we grow into newly regulating states. We will continue to invest in the US to ensure we are well placed to capture the substantial potential available to us.”
“Fundamental to delivering over the long term will be our sustainability strategy, which marks a significant cultural change for the company. Gambling-related harm is a serious issue and it is important that we face up to this challenge. We have set ourselves the ambition that nobody is harmed by gambling and set out a detailed programme of actions as we start out on this journey.”
July 31, 2018
Caesars races to cash in on NJ, Mississippi sports betting market
Casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp. (CEC) officially joined its rivals in the sports betting market derby, right on the heels of one Atlantic City casino that has started taking sports bets this week.
Bally’s Wild Wild West have started accepting sports bets on Monday morning, while its sister casino Harrah’s Resort will open its doors to punters on Wednesday, according to CEC. This makes the twin gambling facilities the third and fourth casinos to offer sports betting in Atlantic City.
Bally’s temporary sportsbook operation inside Wild Wild West reportedly has 30 leather chairs placed right in front of three large television screens and five smaller screens. Bally’s has converted its shuttered cashier windows to sports wagering windows. Harrah’s sports wagering space looks quite similar to Bally’s, although Harrah’s only has 28 leather chairs, six high-top tables and five screens for viewing.
CEC also plans to bring sports betting in Mississippi by mid-August through its casino properties, Horseshoe Tunica and Harrah’s Gulf Coast resorts.
The casino operator’s announcement came a day after its rival MGM declared it will create a $200 million sports betting and online gaming joint venture with UK-based GVC Holdings, one of the world’s largest bookmakers.
CEC has tapped gambling technology provider Scientific Games Corporation (Sci Games) to provide its OpenBet sportsbook platform in New Jersey and Mississippi. CEC President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Frissora described its partnership with Sci Games to be strategic since the casino operator also plans to roll out mobile sports betting throughout New Jersey and Mississippi.
Frissora pointed out that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 allows CEC to expand its “sports betting digital and mobile offerings into new markets.”
One of the advantages that CEC have against its rivals in Atlantic City is its experience operating sportsbooks in Las Vegas, according to Frissora.
“We recognize that our customers expect exciting new experiences, which is why we will continue to offer new products through our mobile and digital platforms and inside our properties,” Frissora said in a statement.
Bally’s Wild Wild West have started accepting sports bets on Monday morning, while its sister casino Harrah’s Resort will open its doors to punters on Wednesday, according to CEC. This makes the twin gambling facilities the third and fourth casinos to offer sports betting in Atlantic City.
Bally’s temporary sportsbook operation inside Wild Wild West reportedly has 30 leather chairs placed right in front of three large television screens and five smaller screens. Bally’s has converted its shuttered cashier windows to sports wagering windows. Harrah’s sports wagering space looks quite similar to Bally’s, although Harrah’s only has 28 leather chairs, six high-top tables and five screens for viewing.
CEC also plans to bring sports betting in Mississippi by mid-August through its casino properties, Horseshoe Tunica and Harrah’s Gulf Coast resorts.
The casino operator’s announcement came a day after its rival MGM declared it will create a $200 million sports betting and online gaming joint venture with UK-based GVC Holdings, one of the world’s largest bookmakers.
CEC has tapped gambling technology provider Scientific Games Corporation (Sci Games) to provide its OpenBet sportsbook platform in New Jersey and Mississippi. CEC President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Frissora described its partnership with Sci Games to be strategic since the casino operator also plans to roll out mobile sports betting throughout New Jersey and Mississippi.
Frissora pointed out that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 allows CEC to expand its “sports betting digital and mobile offerings into new markets.”
One of the advantages that CEC have against its rivals in Atlantic City is its experience operating sportsbooks in Las Vegas, according to Frissora.
“We recognize that our customers expect exciting new experiences, which is why we will continue to offer new products through our mobile and digital platforms and inside our properties,” Frissora said in a statement.
July 27, 2018
Paddy Power prices down ‘Referendum Part Deux’!
The UK government’s struggle to finalise terms on a 2019 Brexit arrangement, has seen Paddy Power Politics price down its odds on a ‘Second UK-EU Referendum’.
Updating its UK political markets, Paddy Power now rates the chances of a second referendum before April 1st 2019 at 9/4 slashing down its previous odds from 3/1.
This week the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier stated that member states would reject PM Theresa May’s White Paper presenting the UK stance on a future EU customs arrangement.
Whilst at home, May faces a Conservative Party divide relating to EU-exit negotiations and Brexit red-lines.
Furthermore, with just eight months of exit negotiations left, the heads of UK industry and enterprise are adding pressure on May to deliver clarity on the terms of the UK’s leaving the European Union.
“If that second referendum were granted – presumably with some kind of terms of exit outlined – Paddy Power make Remain the overwhelming favourite to succeed (1/7) with Leave the rank outsiders (4/1). Though we’ve heard that before.” details the Irish bookmaker!
Spokesman Paddy Power said: “After more than two years of careful negotiation and strategising, the best thing achieved by the Brexit process has been to remove David Cameron and Boris Johnson from positions of power.
“With virtually no opposition, the Prime Minister has been able to dilly-dally and perform a prompt change of hearts regularly – so why wouldn’t she produce an EU-turn now?
“Such indecision should’ve been clear the moment she took charge, though. Because… Theresa May but, then again, Theresa May not.”
Paddy Power – Brexit Specials
1/2 No Deal to be reached by Brexit deadline
10/11 A Tory leadership contest to take place in 2018
9/4 A second EU membership referendum to be held before the Brexit deadline
5/2 The UK to apply to re-join the EU by 2027
10/3 A General Election to be held this year
Second Referendum Results
1/7 Remain
4/1 Leave
Updating its UK political markets, Paddy Power now rates the chances of a second referendum before April 1st 2019 at 9/4 slashing down its previous odds from 3/1.
This week the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier stated that member states would reject PM Theresa May’s White Paper presenting the UK stance on a future EU customs arrangement.
Whilst at home, May faces a Conservative Party divide relating to EU-exit negotiations and Brexit red-lines.
Furthermore, with just eight months of exit negotiations left, the heads of UK industry and enterprise are adding pressure on May to deliver clarity on the terms of the UK’s leaving the European Union.
“If that second referendum were granted – presumably with some kind of terms of exit outlined – Paddy Power make Remain the overwhelming favourite to succeed (1/7) with Leave the rank outsiders (4/1). Though we’ve heard that before.” details the Irish bookmaker!
Spokesman Paddy Power said: “After more than two years of careful negotiation and strategising, the best thing achieved by the Brexit process has been to remove David Cameron and Boris Johnson from positions of power.
“With virtually no opposition, the Prime Minister has been able to dilly-dally and perform a prompt change of hearts regularly – so why wouldn’t she produce an EU-turn now?
“Such indecision should’ve been clear the moment she took charge, though. Because… Theresa May but, then again, Theresa May not.”
Paddy Power – Brexit Specials
1/2 No Deal to be reached by Brexit deadline
10/11 A Tory leadership contest to take place in 2018
9/4 A second EU membership referendum to be held before the Brexit deadline
5/2 The UK to apply to re-join the EU by 2027
10/3 A General Election to be held this year
Second Referendum Results
1/7 Remain
4/1 Leave
July 05, 2018
Mystery Lotto winner claims $55m prize after almost six months
It took 175 days to claim the $55m prize but just hours for the funds to flow to a lucky lotto player’s bank account.
The money is due to reach the mystery winner on Thursday, almost six months after the Powerball draw brought up the numbers.
The enviable sum was just days from being sent to Victoria’s State Revenue Office for safekeeping when the ticket holder came forward on Wednesday.
He or she has chosen to remain anonymous, with lottery operators refusing to divulge the winner’s age, gender or even where the prize was claimed, ticket in hand.
“They should see the $55m in their bank account on Thursday morning,” said a Tattslotto spokesman, Matt Hart. “It’s all pretty straightforward now.”
After the winning numbers came up in the 11 January draw, there have been weird and wacky rumours about the delay in claiming the prize.
Sam Misiano’s Brunswick newsagency sold the ticket and he said he was relieved the search was over after many customers illegitimately tried to claim the prize.
“It has been a crazy few months but now we can relax knowing it has been claimed by the rightful winner,” he said.
The feeling of relief was mutual at lottery headquarters. “We’re relieved that it’s finally been claimed,” Hart said. “We’re in the business of making millionaires, not holding on to the money.”
The money is due to reach the mystery winner on Thursday, almost six months after the Powerball draw brought up the numbers.
The enviable sum was just days from being sent to Victoria’s State Revenue Office for safekeeping when the ticket holder came forward on Wednesday.
He or she has chosen to remain anonymous, with lottery operators refusing to divulge the winner’s age, gender or even where the prize was claimed, ticket in hand.
“They should see the $55m in their bank account on Thursday morning,” said a Tattslotto spokesman, Matt Hart. “It’s all pretty straightforward now.”
After the winning numbers came up in the 11 January draw, there have been weird and wacky rumours about the delay in claiming the prize.
Sam Misiano’s Brunswick newsagency sold the ticket and he said he was relieved the search was over after many customers illegitimately tried to claim the prize.
“It has been a crazy few months but now we can relax knowing it has been claimed by the rightful winner,” he said.
The feeling of relief was mutual at lottery headquarters. “We’re relieved that it’s finally been claimed,” Hart said. “We’re in the business of making millionaires, not holding on to the money.”
UK watchdog spanks Lottoland over PowerBall jackpot claim
The UK’s advertising watchdog has spanked online lottery betting operator Lottoland for misrepresenting the size of its potential US lottery payouts.
On Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint filed against the Lottoland.co.uk website for its July 2017 promotion of a “PowerBall £169 million” jackpot. The complainant felt the ad was misleading due to the jackpot’s value being contingent on whether the prize was paid in a lump-sum or by installments.
Lottoland defended its promo, saying that the options for taking either a lump-sum payment or a 30-year annuity, as well as the difference in ultimate monetary value, were clearly specified in the site’s FAQ and T&C’s.
The ASA acknowledged that the FAQ did indicate that Lottoland replicated the official US lottery payout rules, including the 38% tax provision, the fact that the lump sum represented 60% of the total annuity payout, as well as the rule about splitting the potential payout should the official PowerBall prize be divvied up among multiple winners.
However, the ASA held that consumers were likely to assume from Lottoland’s big-type ad that the value indicated was what they stood to collect if they matched the right PowerBall numbers. As such, Lottoland’s promo was misleading because it quoted a prize value “that would never be paid.” Lottoland was ordered to be more upfront about its payout system in future ads.
The ASA also took exception to a SlottyVegas.com online promo that claimed “our games pay more.” SlottyVegas’ parent company NRR Entertainment claimed the statement was based on its Supercharged Wins feature that added extra funds to each winning round, thereby providing a higher payout than if the feature wasn’t applied.
The ASA wasn’t buying it, saying consumers were led to believe that they’d receive a higher payout from the games on the SlottyVegas site than from games on a rival operator’s site. The ASA found that SlottyVegas had provided no evidence to support this belief, making the promo misleading.
As if to prove that they’re not entirely joyless scolds, the ASA declined to uphold a complaint against a William Hill television spot promoting the company’s Bet Boost odds enhancer. The ad, which appeared in December 2017, featured a smartphone displaying odds for football matches scheduled for six months later. The complainant suggested these odds were misleading.
Hills defended the ad, saying that, while the odds displayed were roughly comparable to what the company were likely to offer on those matches, only a proper tool would presume these odds to be there for anything other than illustrative purposes. And the ASA, in its infinite wisdom, agreed.
On Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint filed against the Lottoland.co.uk website for its July 2017 promotion of a “PowerBall £169 million” jackpot. The complainant felt the ad was misleading due to the jackpot’s value being contingent on whether the prize was paid in a lump-sum or by installments.
Lottoland defended its promo, saying that the options for taking either a lump-sum payment or a 30-year annuity, as well as the difference in ultimate monetary value, were clearly specified in the site’s FAQ and T&C’s.
The ASA acknowledged that the FAQ did indicate that Lottoland replicated the official US lottery payout rules, including the 38% tax provision, the fact that the lump sum represented 60% of the total annuity payout, as well as the rule about splitting the potential payout should the official PowerBall prize be divvied up among multiple winners.
However, the ASA held that consumers were likely to assume from Lottoland’s big-type ad that the value indicated was what they stood to collect if they matched the right PowerBall numbers. As such, Lottoland’s promo was misleading because it quoted a prize value “that would never be paid.” Lottoland was ordered to be more upfront about its payout system in future ads.
The ASA also took exception to a SlottyVegas.com online promo that claimed “our games pay more.” SlottyVegas’ parent company NRR Entertainment claimed the statement was based on its Supercharged Wins feature that added extra funds to each winning round, thereby providing a higher payout than if the feature wasn’t applied.
The ASA wasn’t buying it, saying consumers were led to believe that they’d receive a higher payout from the games on the SlottyVegas site than from games on a rival operator’s site. The ASA found that SlottyVegas had provided no evidence to support this belief, making the promo misleading.
As if to prove that they’re not entirely joyless scolds, the ASA declined to uphold a complaint against a William Hill television spot promoting the company’s Bet Boost odds enhancer. The ad, which appeared in December 2017, featured a smartphone displaying odds for football matches scheduled for six months later. The complainant suggested these odds were misleading.
Hills defended the ad, saying that, while the odds displayed were roughly comparable to what the company were likely to offer on those matches, only a proper tool would presume these odds to be there for anything other than illustrative purposes. And the ASA, in its infinite wisdom, agreed.
July 03, 2018
Thailand arrest 6500 people for World Cup gambling
The Thailand Police has arrested 6500 people so far on gambling-related charges since the start of the World Cup. Among the arrested 250 persons are bookmakers who operated the illegal racket. The police also confiscated 28 million baht.
Deputy Police Chief Gen. Chalermkiat Sriworakarn said authorities are even considering the options to convert the temporary centre – established in May this year to crackdown the football-related gambling – into a permanent facility. The military and the police are launching a joint crackdown on gambling as many Thais are glued to the ongoing World Cup. Police treat the crime as a gateway to other crimes including robbery and drug trafficking, as some who lose money seek to gain quick cash to pay debts.
About 2.5 million Thais are involved in football-related gambling, according to a study by Chulalongkorn University’s Research Center for Business and Social Development.
The research, conducted last year, said 600,000 out of the estimated 2.5 million are young Thais aged 15 to 25, 110,000 or which are first timers. It added that mobile devices had made the practice more frequent.
Deputy Police Chief Gen. Chalermkiat Sriworakarn said authorities are even considering the options to convert the temporary centre – established in May this year to crackdown the football-related gambling – into a permanent facility. The military and the police are launching a joint crackdown on gambling as many Thais are glued to the ongoing World Cup. Police treat the crime as a gateway to other crimes including robbery and drug trafficking, as some who lose money seek to gain quick cash to pay debts.
About 2.5 million Thais are involved in football-related gambling, according to a study by Chulalongkorn University’s Research Center for Business and Social Development.
The research, conducted last year, said 600,000 out of the estimated 2.5 million are young Thais aged 15 to 25, 110,000 or which are first timers. It added that mobile devices had made the practice more frequent.
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