Federal regulators give green light to East Windsor casino

After last month when Connecticut legislators were reportedly advised not to allow MMCT Venture to open its satellite casino in the community of East Windsor prior to its receipt of official approvals from the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), federal regulators have now reportedly made it possible for the operators of Mohegan Sun and […]

OPAP releases impressive Q1 2018 results

European gambling giant OPAP has released its Q1 2018 financial performance report which revealed that the company’s revenues increased by 5

UK Gambling Industry GGY Increases According to UKGC Report

Today, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published its latest six-month update to the local gambling industry statistics. The main regulatory body in the UK revealed some details about the market changes and latest trends in the sector, as well as about players’ activity in the period from October 2016 to November 2017.

Such statistics about the performance, customer participation and trends in the sector are published twice a year, in May and then in November. The information released by the Commission is aimed at providing the latest data about the industry, including both land-based and online gambling services offered to UK customers.

The information rolled out by the major regulator in the country has been provided by the companies which run their services under an operation licenses issues by the UKGC.

Remote Gambling Sector on the Rise

According to the Commission, the UK gambling industry generated an overall gross gambling yield of £13.9 billion in the above-mentioned 12-month period. The figures represent a 0.7% increase in comparison to the result posted for the period between April 2016 to March 2017.

The main gambling regulatory body of the UK further revealed that the market share of the country’s remote gambling sector rose by 1% in the twelve months from October 2016 to November 2017 compared to the previous period. In addition, the online gambling industry saw a 3.7% increase in its overall gross gambling yield, reaching £4.9 billion at the time.

As far as the land-based gambling sector in the country is concerned, the UK Gambling Commission reported that the total number of betting shops on the territory of the UK amounted to 8,532. According to the data provided, the figure represented a 3.2% decline from the number of betting outlets in March 2017. There was also a 0.7% drop in the overall number of gaming machines in the UK to 183,928, with the ones requiring a local authority license only being excluded from that number.

A slight 2% increase from March 2017 in the number of bingo premises in the UK was registered. As revealed by the UKGC report, there were 649 bingo halls in the country. As far as casino premises are concerned, two new casinos have started operation since March 2017, with the overall number of casinos in the country rising to 152. In addition, a 3.5% decline was registered in the number of licensed arcades in the country from March 2017, with their number reaching 1,810.

A total of 106,366 people worked in the UK gambling sector in September 2017, with a 0.8% drop registered from March 2017.

Apart from the results of the land-based and online gambling sector, the UK Gambling Commission also provided some details about the contributions to good causes generated by large society lotteries. The regulatory body explained that there was a slight 1.7% drop to £251 million in comparison to the result posted between April 2016 and March 2017.

The post UK Gambling Industry GGY Increases According to UKGC Report appeared first on Casino News Daily.

UKGC release update to gambling industry statistics

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has released its six month update of the country’s gambling statistics, providing an insight into the latest trends in the market

American Gaming Association outlines US sports betting stance

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has set out its priorities for sports betting in the US, issuing an open letter to the US Congress

Macau Legend’s Cape Verde Casino to Swing Its Doors Open in August

Part of Macau Legend’s $300-million casino resort in Cape Verde will open doors this August, CEO David Chow Kam Fai told local media earlier today after the company’s Annual General Meeting at the Legend Palace.

Macau Legend will open a hotel and casino in the tiny northwest African nation this summer as part of what would be a multi-phase project. The Macau-based group has already invested more than $290 million in the first phase of its scheme.

The company has revealed in previous statements that the first phase of its new resort would include a 200-room hotel, a casino, and an office block, among other facilities. Further phases of the project will include a marina, retail space, a convention center, and multiple food and beverage options. The whole integrated resort will occupy a 152,700-square-meter site (1,643,649.12 square feet).

Macau Legend announced its plans to build a resort in the tiny island nation in 2015 and broke ground on he property a year later. The Hong Kong-listed company said back then that it expected it would take about three years to complete the project.

Cape Verde currently has population of around half a million people, but Macau Legend will actually be targeting foreign visitors.

Exclusive Online Gaming Rights

Under a deal between the Macau casino operator and Cape Verde officials, Macau legend would receive a 15-year tax relief and would be granted 10-year exclusivity over the operation of online gaming and sports betting as well as over the operation of land-based sports betting services.

Of their choice to expand namely into Cape Verde, Mr. Chow has previously said that it being a Portuguese-speaking country (Macau is itself a former Portuguese territory) with well-developed infrastructure and booming tourism were among the things that drew his company to that particular part of the world.

Tourism represents nearly a quarter of Cape Verde’s annual GDP and the country’s government has introduced a number of initiatives to boost that industry even further. Local lawmakers have pointed out repeatedly that Macau Legend’s integrated resort could certainly help the nation achieve that goal.

The legalization of gambling in the early 2010s was one such tourism-boosting initiative. As a result from the legalization process, Cape Verde’s first land-based casino – the €5-million Casino Royal – opened doors as part of a larger Hilton resort in May 2013 on Sal Island. Under the country’s gambling law, brick-and-mortar casinos can be built on the islands Sal, Santago, Boa Vista, and Maoi.

Macau Legend’s casino resort is currently under development in the capital Praia. It is also interesting to note that the Macau-based gaming company has submitted an application to develop a bank in Cape Verde. Mr. Chow said today that local lawmakers are currently evaluating the proposal, which aims to provide small- to medium-sized businesses with much-needed support and facilitate payments processed on the Cape Verde territory.

The post Macau Legend’s Cape Verde Casino to Swing Its Doors Open in August appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Japan considers extending Diet session to pass casino bill

In Japan, the government and its coalition partners are reportedly considering extending the current 150-day regular Diet session to either the end of June or early July in an effort to ensure the passage of important bills on labor reform and casinos, including the Integrated Resorts (IR) Implementation Bill, prior to the June 20 deadline. […]

Bloomberry expects to score a Japanese IR

The Philippine-based company is hoping to get the licence to develop an IR in Japan’s Wakayama Marina City.

The post Bloomberry expects to score a Japanese IR appeared first on Focus Gaming News.

The future of sports betting; Interview with AG Burnett – Pt I

Additional reporting by K. Morrison When New Jersey filed briefs with the Supreme Court on the future of sports betting last August, many legal experts predicted that the conservative court would rule in favor of Gov. Christie and strike down the Bradley Act as unconstitutional. After Gov. Christie left office, the action was renamed for […]

MGM Resorts expands into New York with 850m acquisition

Worldwide casino and resort developer MGM Resorts International has announced the agreement of a deal to acquire the Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York for a fee of $850m

Poker’s Most Profitable So Far This Year

We are just five months into the year but some of poker’s finest players have already added millions of dollars to their bankrolls. They have traveled the world, faced other fine and seasoned players and have outmaneuvered them to be rewarded for their skills.

Just as many poker professionals and enthusiasts are readying for this year’s World Series of Poker, Casino News Daily has compiled a quick list of the most profitable players so far in 2018. Here is a little bit more information about how much they have won and how they have performed the past several months.

Justin Bonomo – $8,907,138

Bonomo has been on a hot streak over the past five months and it seems that he has no intention to end his winning spree. The player has cashed nearly $9 million since the beginning of the year from 15 different tournaments. There is more to the story, he won five of these and made final table appearances in most of the other.

Half of Bonomo’s 2018 live tournament earnings came from his first-place finish in the HK$2-million buy-in Super High Roller Bowl China. The popular poker pro bested a field of 75 seasoned high rollers to collect $4,823,077 from the event’s prize pool. Bonomo defeated Finland’s Patrik Antonius (who will appear later in this list) heads-up.

Aside from his Super High Roller Bowl China triumph, he also took down the Lucky Hearts Poker Open $25,500 High Roller for $556,873, a US Poker Open $10,500 event for $190,400, the EPT Monte Carlo €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em for €378,000, and the EPT Monte Carlo €25,000 Single Re-Entry for €259,700.

Jason Koon – $6,837,091

Koon is, too, having quite some year and quite a month, to be more precise. The player won high roller tournaments on two continents over a week’s span. He first outlasted 103 entries in the partypoker-sponsored HK$1,000,000 Triton Super High Roller Montenegro to scoop a hefty payout of $3,569,836.

Just a few days later, the player claimed another title and another seven-figure payout. He won the Aria $100K High roller during the WPT Tournament of Champions Festival at Aria Resort & Casino. Koon was the last man standing from a field of 31 entries. His share of the prize pool totaled $1,039,940.

Koon has cashed in seven events since the beginning of the year and has won one more tournament over the past few months. During this year’s PCA, the poker pro bested the field of the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em, good for a prize of $421,080.

Stephen Chidwick – $5,906,441

UK’s second most profitable player of all time rounds out the podium of this year’s most profitable live tournament poker players. Chidwick has finished in the money in 15 tournaments since January and has won several of them to add nearly $6 million to his already hefty poker bankroll.

The UK poker pro started off 2018 with victories in two US Poker Open tournaments, both of them $25,000 buy-in ones. He scooped more than $700,000 from those. Just a couple of days ago, the player took down a $25,000 Aria High Roller event for $300,000.

Back in April, Chidwick collected two seven-figure payouts from the partypoker MILLIONS Grand Final Barcelona festival. He first finished runner-up to Jake Schindler in the €100,000 Super High Roller for €1.1 million in prize money, and then collected €1 million for his third-place finish in the €10,300 Main Event.

Patrik Antonius – $4,537,936

We have seen more and more from the Finn over the past months which is always good, as we all know how good he is at this game. The player has cashed in just five events this year, but one of these was the above-mentioned Super High Roller Bowl China.

Antonius collected $3,153,551 from that tournament after outlasting all but one of the contenders for the title. In February, the player put up great performance at the partypoker MILLIONS Germany at King’s Casino Rozvadov to win the €25,500 Super High Roller for a first-place prize of €425,000.

Jake Schindler – $4,411,041

Schindler rounds out the list of the five most profitable players so far this year with nearly $4.5 million added to his bankroll. He has cashed in 17 tournaments since the beginning of 2018, which is an impressive number itself. In addition, he actually topped the fields of some of these events.

As already mentioned, the player emerged victorious in the €100,000 Super High Roller during the partypoker MILLIONS Grand Final Barcelona. His share of the tournament’s massive prize pool amounted to €1,750,000. Schindler has also won a couple of Aria High Roller tournaments over the past several months and has cashed in some other such tournaments.

The post Poker’s Most Profitable So Far This Year appeared first on Casino News Daily.

The Star reviews its Queen’s Wharf investment

The company analysed the current situation of the Australian market and reviewed the investment of the Queen’s Wharf project.

The post The Star reviews its Queen’s Wharf investment appeared first on Focus Gaming News.

NetEnt continues progressive jackpot streak

You all know and possibly love NetEnt’s progressive jackpot title, Mega Fortune. You’ve probably become used to hearing about it and some of the brand’s other popular progressives in the news with life-changing wins awarded to unsuspecting players. Well, it’ done it again, and this time, the big win changed the life of a player […]

Star Entertainment Revenue Boosted by VIP Customers and Queensland Businesses

One of the largest Australian gaming and entertainment groups, Star Entertainment Group, shared that high-roller customers and Queensland businesses have brought larger revenue, at a time when the company has been focused on new Gold Coast- and Brisbane-located projects’ roll-out.

As reported by the operator, the strong revenue growth registered since the beginning of the year has been backed by the boom in the local tourism market, as the number of international VIP customers has also increased. In addition, Star Entertainment further announced a large increase in the amount of the transformational revamp and expansion of its Brisbane-situated Queen’s Wharf project, with a 25% boost in the gross area which is expected to bring the resort costs up from AU$1.8 to AU$2.4 billion.

The company is currently engaged with the development of its AU$2.4-billion Queen’s Wharf resort situated in the central business district of Brisbane. Today, the gambling operator revealed that its revenue increased by 16.4% in the period from January to May 2018.

As revealed by Matt Bekier, the Chief Executive Officer of Star Entertainment, official offers for the first phase of the Queen’s Wharf project are set to be released in June. He further explained that additional dining and retail areas are also planned for the resort. As previously revealed, the foundations, as well as the basement of the project are set to be laid down in 2019, while the construction above the ground expected to begin a year later, in 2020.

More Regulatory Clarity Needed for Gold Coast Tower Project

As mentioned above, Mr. Bekier revealed that the floor area of the company’s Queen’s Wharf project would be bigger than the one originally planned, due to expanded retail and dining area. According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, the increase reflects the confidence which Star Entertainment has in Queensland and Brisbane.

The company’s boss explained that the increase marked in the number of tourists and higher interstate migration have helped the economy of the state.

The Star Entertainment Group has revealed that the construction of its Gold Coast casino’s new accommodation tower is planned to kick off in August 2018. However, the company still needed more clarity to be brought on the matter, with the State Government expected to say whether the operator would need another casino license, especially for the tourist strip. According to Mr. Bekier, Star Entertainment is absolutely fine with the planned investment in the new tower, but more regulatory clarity would be needed before further investment is given a go.

Kate Jones, the Minister of Queensland Tourism Industry Development is expected to meet with potential supporters of the new resorts in the region. Previously, Star’s CEO shared his opinion that the Gold Coast did not need another casino resort, considering his company’s plans to built four more towers of up to 74 storeys at the already existing Broadbeach venue. In any case, no more poker machines are proposed at the site in question.

The post Star Entertainment Revenue Boosted by VIP Customers and Queensland Businesses appeared first on Casino News Daily.

New casino could be set in Springfield

A project to expand the Springfield casino market is moving towards approval this year.

The post New casino could be set in Springfield appeared first on Focus Gaming News.

Louisiana’s riverboat casinos now free to move ashore

Louisiana’s 15 riverboat casinos can now operate on land after a single vote victory in the Senate approved SB 316 and on May 23, 2018, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the law into effect. The final legislative approval was the second time the State Senate agreed the riverboat casino bill, having garnered the nod […]

New Jersey race track sues NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over $150m in lost revenue

A lawsuit filed Thursday by the operator of Monmouth Park, the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA), against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the four major sports leagues alleges that the leagues legal action [Murphy v NCAA] in August 2012 to enjoin New Jersey’s Sports Wagering Act cost the thoroughbred horse racing track […]

Matthew Waxman Wins WPT Tournament of Champions

It started off with 80 former WPT Main Tour Main Event champions, but it was Matthew Waxman who outlasted that elite field to become this year’s WPT Tournament of Champions winner. The player claimed the title and the first-place prize of $463,375 after picking off a bluff from his heads-up opponent Matas Cimbolas.

Waxman and Cimbolas were two of the five players who returned for Day 3 of the prestigious tournament. Instead of playing that final day at Aria Resort & Casino, the remaining survivors switched venues and their final battle thus took place at the brand new Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor.

Waxman entered the final day of action third in chips, while Cimbolas held the second largest stack at the time when cards were thrown in the air. The five finalists were led by Darren Elias, who won his record fourth WPT title just a few days ago.

The player maintained his momentum for a while, but then lost his chip lead to Waxman. Elias eventually busted in third place, thus missing the chance to win a back-to-back title and smash another record. He collected $177,060 in prize money.

Nick Schulman was actually the first player to leave the final table on Day 3. He was eliminated in fifth place namely by Elias. His share of the $1,365,000 prize pool totaled $89,290. David Benyamine went out in fourth, good for $123,045.

Heads-Up Action

Waxman was the player to set the two-handed match after he eliminated Elias in third place. The eventual champion entered heads-up as a chip leader with 2:1 advantage over Cimbolas. The first half of their duel saw chips swinging back and forth from one player to the other and vice versa.

Waxman then began to pull ahead of his final opponent until he took controlling advantage. On the final hand in play, the eventual champion check-called the three streets with [Qc][7d]. Cimbolas moved all in on the river with [10h][3s] on a [Kd][2h][Qs][4s][8h] board. Waxman quickly picked off his opponent’s bluff and called to claim the title and the largest share of the prize pool. Cimbolas exited the tournament in second place, good for $265,590.

As for Waxman’s first-place prize, it also includes a $15,000 seat into next season’s WPT Tournament of Champions, a luxurious Hublot watch, a JetSmarter membership worth $50,000, and the one and only WTP Tournament of Champions trophy.

Talking to WPT staff minutes after his triumph, Waxman said that it took him some time to decide whether he should play in the Tournament of Champions or not due to the high buy-in, the elite field, and the lack of much confidence in his game. It seems that he has made the right decision, though.

The event concluded Season XVI of the popular poker series. As mentioned above, it attracted 80 entries, including the winners from throughout the season and players who had won WPT titles during previous seasons. A prize pool of $1,365,000 was generated to be split among the top 10 finishers, min-cashes starting from $39,840.

The post Matthew Waxman Wins WPT Tournament of Champions appeared first on Casino News Daily.

William Hill US to operate sports book at Ocean Resort Casino

The largest sports book in Nevada, William Hill US will reportedly run the sports book at the Ocean Resort Casino slated to open at June’s end this year. The partnership between the London-based sports book and the resort casino at 500 Boardwalk was confirmed on Thursday by Jordan Deifik, principal of Ocean Resort Casino, who […]

Darren Elias Leads WPT Tournament of Champions Final Table, Eyes Back-To-Back Wins

The second day of the WPT Tournament of Champions was completed on Saturday at Aria Resort & Casino. It started with 29 players but just five of them survived through the very end of the day and are still in contention for the title and the $463,375 first-place prize.

Day 2 of the tournament kicked off with Dennis Blieden leading the pack of 29 hopefuls from Day 1. The player had a solid run during the first day of the WPT Tournament of Champions and methodically built a massive stack into Day 2. However, it appeared he had lost some of his momentum when he returned to the tables yesterday to eventually lose his chip advantage. The player was eliminated in 11th later on Day 2 to become the unfortunate bubble boy.

The original field of the prestigious tournament comprised 80 entries. The prize pool totaled $1.365 million and included the $15,000 buy-in fees paid by the participants and an additional $150,000 contributed by the WPT. The money was split into payouts for the top ten finishers.

The five finalists are set to resume play today at 4 pm local time. Unlike the previous two days when they played at the poker tables of Aria Resort & Casino, the final tablists will take to the felt of the brand-new Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel and Casino to battle it out until there is just one player left.

Darren Elias Aims For Back-To-Back Titles

Darren Elias came into the WPT Tournament of Champions fresh off the inaugural WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic, which he took down to win a record-breaking fourth title from the series. And if Day 1 of the Tournament of Champions belonged to Blieden, it can be said that Day 2 belonged namely to Elias.

The player eventually bagged and tagged 1.4 million to top the chip counts chart. It is also important to note that he has quite some advantage over the rest of his remaining opponents.

Commenting on his run over the past several days, Elias said that “wins […] come in bunches in poker” and that when a player wins in a tournament, they become more confident and maybe play better in their next tournaments.

While Elias might have secured the chip lead, he will have a different task today as the rest of the finalists are seasoned players themselves. Matas Cimbolas collected a stack of 1.159 million last night to rank second in the chip counts chart. Matthew Waxman finished third in chips, good for 554,000. Nick Schulman, a player who boasts $3,534,047 in live tournament earnings, and David Benyamine, who has collected more than $1.8 million from different live tournaments, were the other two players to make it through Day 2 with and collect almost even stacks at the end of the day with 447,000 and 440,000, respectively.

The post Darren Elias Leads WPT Tournament of Champions Final Table, Eyes Back-To-Back Wins appeared first on Casino News Daily.

PokerStars.pt joins three-nation shared liquidity scheme

Canadian iGaming operator The Stars Group Incorporated has announced that its envisioned online poker shared liquidity scheme involving players in France, Spain and Portugal is now a reality after its PokerStars.pt domain was accepted into the tri-nation club. Toronto-listed The Stars Group Incorporated, which is also responsible for the FullTilt online casino brand, stated that […]

Cherry CEO detained for suspected insider trading

Cherry AB has terminated the employment of Anders Holmgren as the company's CEO and President, following his detention by authorities in Sweden on reasonable grounds suspected for severe insider trading

Dennis Blieden Leads 29 Survivors into WPT Tournament of Champions Day 2

The WPT is about to wrap up another successful season. Once again the popular poker series is celebrating the end of its season with the WPT Tournament of Champions, a three-day event that features champions from the past year and is already taking place at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Day 1 of the season-ending tournament was played on Thursday at the host casino. It started off with 80 participants but the field was whittled down to just 29 players by the end of the day.

The event came with a buy-in fee of $15,000, but those who won Main Tour Main Events throughout the season had that fee included in their first-place prizes. The WPT also added $150,000 to the prize pool, of which $50,000 would go to the winner to create an overall prize pool of $1.365 million.

The top 10 finishers will leave with a payout, min-cash worth $39,840. The winner will receive $463,375 from the prize pool. However, awards for the big champion would not be limited to the monetary prize. Their victory will also be rewarded with a Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic watch, a JetSmarter membership worth $50,000, and the one and only WPT Tournament of Champions trophy.

Dennis Blieden Leads After Day 1

The first day of this year’s WPT Tournament of Champions concluded with Dennis Blieden leading the elite pack into the night. The player bagged and tagged 593,000 to lock a comfortable start to Day 2.

Blieden is followed by J.C. Tran with 305,500 and Marvin Rettenmaier with 234,500, but it can be seen that the overnight chip leader has secured quite an advantage over his remaining opponents.

Blieden catapulted himself to the top of the Day 1 chip counts chart after winning a massive pot during Level 4 of play. The player clashed against Andy Frankenberger. The latter went all in with pocket aces to Blieden’s pocket sixes. A [6c][4d][2c] flop and blank turn and river saw Frankenberger hit the rail, while Blieden collected his chips. Later the same level, the overnight chip leader scooped quite some chips from Mike Del Vecchio to further cement his advantage.

Blieden won the LA Poker Classic $10,000 Main Event back in February to claim his first WPT title, a seat into the WPT Tournament of Champions, and $1 million in prize money. The player had cashed in two WSOP events prior to his triumph earlier this year. Talking with WPT staff last night, Blieden said that he has not played tournament poker since the LAPC, but he was running pretty well in the Tournament of Champions and it felt as if he had picked where he had left off.

Unlike many of the other tournament entries, Blieden is not that well known to the poker community. Dwelling on that, the player said that he knew many of his table mates considered him “terrible” and that was why he was getting calls that many would not. He went on to say that he got quite some coolers throughout Day 1 and it seemed to him that every time he bluffed, his opponents would fall, while every time he called, he would win the pot.

Play is set to resume at Aria today at noon local time. The remaining hopefuls will play down to an official six-handed final table. Aside from Blieden, the likes of Erik Seidel, Marvin Rettenmaier, Justin Young, and Darren Elias, who came into the Tournament of Champions fresh off his record fourth WPT win in the inaugural WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic, will also join Day 2 action.

The post Dennis Blieden Leads 29 Survivors into WPT Tournament of Champions Day 2 appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort Casino to Feature William Hill-Operated Sports Book

Ocean Resort Casino, one of the two casinos set to open doors in Atlantic City on June 28, will feature a sports book on its casino floor, property principal Jordan Deifik said Thursday. It was also understood that the betting facility will be operated by UK bookmaker William Hill.

Ocean Resort Casino is located at the site of the former Revel casino. The property was launched in 2012 but closed doors just two and a half years later as it failed to make a profit. Revel was then sold to Florida-based businessman Glenn Straub, who promised to reopen it as a casino resort. After continued bickering with New Jersey gaming regulators and Atlantic City officials over whether he should obtain a gaming license in order to relaunch the venue and after missing several self-imposed reopening dates, Mr. Straub sold the property to Colorado-based developer Bruce Deifik for $200 million.

The sale was completed early in 2018 and Mr. Deifik said that he would invest another $200 million to renovate the former Revel and relaunch it in the summer.

Now, as Ocean Resort Casino is just a month away from swinging its doors open, owners confirmed that they will add betting to the other gambling services to be offered in the venue after the US Supreme Court lifted last week the long-standing federal ban on sports betting.

Joining Forces with William Hill

William Hill has already entered the US betting market and currently manages 115 of Nevada’s 183 operational sports books. Prior to last week, Nevada was one of the very few states where betting was legal in the US.

Joining forces with Ocean Resort Casino’s owners, the British bookmaker will operate a 7,500-square-foot facility at the heart of the resort’s gaming floor. The sports book will be ready for operation by June 28, when the former Revel will celebrate its grand opening, property officials said.

Ocean Resort Casino’s property principal also revealed Thursday that their sports book will have private suites for major sports events, including the Super Bowl.

While the New Jersey Legislature is yet to craft the necessary legislation and regulations for the operation of sports betting services in the state, it is believed that lawmakers will complete the task by early June. The state could thus become the first one to legalize sports betting after the annulment of the nationwide ban.

It is also important to note that Ocean Resort Casino is yet to obtain the necessary license for the operation of gambling services from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. However, the resort is not expected to face any major hurdles in that relation. A hearing of the commission is slated to be held on June 6 and casino owners are likely to be granted the necessary license during that event.

The post Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort Casino to Feature William Hill-Operated Sports Book appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Developments in US sports betting

While the race has been on for awhile to regulate sports betting at the state level, the pack broke into a sprint on May 14 when the US Supreme Court declared the federal law banning the practice unconstitutional when they ruled on Murphy v. NCAA. With the demise of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection […]

Aliitzei Consortium agrees Tote acquisition

The Alitzeti consortium and Betfred have entered into a deal worth up to £150m for UK bookmakers the Tote

Caesars sets date for Incheon casino

Caesars Entertainment Corp casino in South Korea would open its doors by 2021.

The post Caesars sets date for Incheon casino appeared first on Focus Gaming News.

Darren Elias Makes History at Aria Casino, Captures Record Fourth WPT Title

Darren Elias finally claimed a coveted fourth WPT title after a near miss earlier this season in Jacksonville. The player topped last night the elite field of the inaugural WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic to become the only one to have ever captured four titles from the series’ Main Tour.

The WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic drew 162 entries to the tables of the host venue – Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. It was a star-studded field of former WPT champions, former WSOP Main Event champions, including 14-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, and a plethora of other accomplished pros and recreationals. They created a prize pool of $1,555,200 and the amount of $387,580 went to the winner.

Elias entered the final day of the event as the chip leader and with a massive stack. The player said that he was there for anything but the win, and he did his best to execute his strategy and claim the prestigious fourth title that put him ahead of Gus Hansen, Carlos Mortensen, Anthony Zinno, and Chino Rheem who are all holding three WPT titles.

It was an action-packed day at the host casino on Wednesday. Despite his advantage, Elias’ ride to victory was not a smooth one. Aside from him, the official six-handed final table of the event featured two players who were eying their third WPT titles (Jonathan Little and Sam Panzica), a player who was looking to claim a second title (Dietrich Fast), former WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen, and female poker pro Kitty Kuo who has been smashing tables over the past several months.

Thrilling Heads-Up

Little and Panzica were the first to leave the final table, their hopes for a third title thus being brought to an abrupt end. The players collected $74,520 and $97,795, respectively. Fast was then eliminated in fourth place, good for $130, 895.

The most important hand of the final table occurred during three-handed play when McKeehen and Elias found themselves locked in an all-in confrontation that would end everything for one of the players. It was eventually McKeehen to bust in third place for $178,610, while Elias collected his chips to enter heads-up against Kuo with a 3:1 advantage.

Despite the huge gap, Kuo was not showing any signs that she was ready to give up on the title without a fight. As a result, the two-handed duel lasted three hours and over 100 hands. While Kuo never managed to take the lead during the match, she doubled several times and almost erased the gap.

On what turned out to be the final hand of the tournament, Kuo announced all in for her last 600,000 and Elias called almost immediately. Elias tabled [Ah][10c] to his opponent’s [As][5d]. The [4d][Js][8h][7s][2c] arrived on the board to end Kuo’s participation in the tournament. The player took $248,380 for her performance.

As for Elias, the player is now heading into the WPT Tournament of Champions which starts today at Aria. Fresh off his latest triumph, he will play against the WPT Main Event champions from throughout the season for a chance to be crowned the absolute champion of Season XVI of the series.

The post Darren Elias Makes History at Aria Casino, Captures Record Fourth WPT Title appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Playtech receives official consent for Snaitech SpA purchase

In Italy, omni-channel gaming software and services innovator Playtech has reportedly received official approval from the nation’s Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS) regulator to purchase a majority stake in prominent local online and retail operator Snaitech SpA. According to a Monday report from the Reuters news service, Playtech agreed a deal early last […]

Genting, close to Andorra casino licence

The first casino licence in Andorra will soon be issued and Genting is among the companies that will most likely score the rights.

The post Genting, close to Andorra casino licence appeared first on Focus Gaming News.

Paddy Power Betfair agrees FanDuel acquisition

UK and Ireland sports betting operator Paddy Power Betfair has announced the signing of an agreement to combine its US business with US daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel

Nektan partner with Metric Gaming to provide sports betting content in the US

Nektan, an international B2B and white label gaming software and services provider, has announced the signing of a new partnership deal with Metric Gaming (Metric), an independent sports betting supplier, to provide Metric’s betting content to the US market

GGA Las Vegas 2018 Self nominations close on May 25

Self-nominations for the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas 2018 will close in just a few days’ time

Nigerian Lawmakers Scold Local Lottery Commission for Regulatory Failures

The Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has faced the criticism of the local House of Representatives, with the latter blaming it for its failure to impose effective regulation of the sector.

According to local lawmakers, it was the Commission that was responsible for the failures in implementing the sector’s regulation efficiently, which on the other hand resulted in Nigeria losing an amount estimated at more than ₦1.493 trillion. The NLRC, on the other hand, has blamed lack of efficient regulation in the industry for the unsatisfactory revenue amount generated by the sector.

As far as the sector’s performance is concerned, Bello Maigari, the acting National Lottery Trust Fund’s Executive Secretary shared that the trend of the sector failing to meet its revenue target has been going on for several years now. According to Mr. Maigari, who spoke before the House Committee on Inter-Governmental Affairs, the revenue target of ₦1.5 trillion could hardly be reached by the sector, which was only able to generate approximately ₦7 billion in 13 years.

Considering the estimated high potential of the local market, the 5-year cumulative returns amounting to a little over ₦7 billion, which was found completely unacceptable for the sector. Mr. Maigari also shared his regret that the Nigerian lottery industry’s revenue growth was hurt by foul practices, conflict of interest, etc.

New Legislation Needed by the Sector

For the time being, there are a total of 21 operators who offer licensed lottery products across the country, after their operating licenses were given the green light by the President Muhammadu Buhari. The Nigerian House of Representatives has already threatened the operators that were found guilty of not paying the amount due to authorities by withdrawing their licenses.

The Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund further noted that the lack of proper regulation in the country has been beneficial for the lottery and gaming operators there. Mr. Maigari further reminded that according to some industry experts, the Nigerian lottery sector is actually the most attractive market on the territory of Africa.

According to estimates, the lottery has made a significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) not only of Nigeria but also of other countries in Africa. For the time being, approximately 7.5 million Nigerian citizens were betting on lotteries on a daily basis. The number of Nigerians engaged in sports betting operations every day amounted to approximately 22 million.

Lanre Gbajabiamila, the Director General of the NLRC, also shared his opinion of local lottery legislation, saying that the fact that Nigerian laws on the matter were not up-to-date with the contemporary state of the market, which was also the reason why inadequate legislation has contributed to the slow growth of the sector. Still, Mr. Gbajabiamila explained that the Commission is aimed at helping the sector reach international standard, despite there was a lot of work to be done in terms of renewal of the already existing laws.

The post Nigerian Lawmakers Scold Local Lottery Commission for Regulatory Failures appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Instant Win Gaming Ltd agrees content deal with Sky Betting and Gaming

Online instant-win games supplier Instant Win Gaming Limited has announced that its titles are now available to players at bingo sportsbook, SkyBingo.com, for the first time following the signing of a deal with fellow British firm Sky Betting and Gaming. According to an official press release published by European Gaming Media and Events, United Kingdom […]

Lawrence Ho changes Russia for Japan

The casino mogul has given up his business in Russia in order to improve his chances to score a casino licence in Japan.

The post Lawrence Ho changes Russia for Japan appeared first on Focus Gaming News.

BetConstruct announces new partnership with Fazi

Award-winning developer and provider of land-based and online gaming solutions, BetConstruct, announced Monday a new partnership with Serbian manufacturer of gambling equipment, LED informational systems and software solutions, Fazi. The new partnership will see content made in HTML5 with full HD graphics from Fazi join Bet Construct Casino Suite’s 4,000-plus games. The supply deal with […]

Chinese Government Unlikely to Allow Casino Gambling in Hainan, Experts Say

Last week, casino industry experts refuted rumors that the island of Hainan, also known as “China’s Hawaii”, is set to become the next casino hub in the country. Still, they confirmed that the island could open doors for several kinds of sports lotteries.

In February 2018 it became clear that the Chinese Government has been mulling the legalization of some gaming options on Hainan Island – a step that could end the gambling monopoly of Macau. Then, in April, the Government revealed that it would officially legalize horse racing and some new types of sports lotteries on the Island as part of its effort to turn Hainan into the largest pilot free-trade port.

However, the South China Morning Post revealed that Su Guojing, the founder of the China Lottery Industry Salon and a gambling sector expert, explained in an interview at the Macau-based Global Gaming Expo Asia 2018 that casino gambling contradicted to the overall ideology and legislation of China. According to Mr. Su, for the time being, it was almost impossible for the Government to permit land-based casinos to be established outside the gambling hub of Macau.

According to Mr. Su, the legalization of horse racing in Hainan could take a very long time to develop. He further explained that the country’s Government should pay much more attention to Sanya and its development to a global home port for cruises.

China to Keep Its Gambling Ban Almost Intact

For the time being, all forms of gambling, except for two types of lotteries, are officially suspended under a gambling ban imposed by the Chinese Government. As mentioned above, horse racing operations are permitted to a limited extent. However, sports betting services are fully banned in the country. Other forms of gambling are currently permitted only in the autonomous region of Macau, which is currently the only place in China where gambling in casinos is allowed.

Recently, rumor has it that the country’s authorities have been considering whether to lift some of the restrictions imposed on gaming operations on land and allow them on boats.

Sanya currently attracts the largest number of tourists in the province of Hainan as a whole. According to a report issued by the online travel booking agency Ctrip, a total of 18 million visitor arrivals were registered in Sanya last year. Up to date, the city offers about 14 cruise routes traveling to various countries and is also a stopping point for some of the largest cruise operators which could help it become a global cruise destination.

As far as opening Hainan to gambling operations is concerned, the Chinese Government has been considering such a step as part of its efforts to help the economy of the ailing southernmost province. For many years, the administrative region of Macau has kept a monopoly on casino gambling operations, with the region having attracted some of the largest casino operators on a global scale.

The post Chinese Government Unlikely to Allow Casino Gambling in Hainan, Experts Say appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Board games continue at Wynn Resorts

Wynn Resorts has announced that one of its directors, John J

FeedConstruct unveils its World Cup 2018 line-up

With exactly a month left till the FIFA World Cup 2018 taking place in Russia, FeedConstruct has revealed its data feed solutions which are on offer throughout the showpiece tournament

NFL not worried about casino investments of Carolina Panther’s new owner

David Tepper is now the new owner of the Carolina Panthers NFL team, after sealing a deal last week to purchase the team for around $2.2 billion. Tepper is not only an investor in the NFL but also the casino industry. Tepper’s Appaloosa Management recently increased their casino investments and the NFL reportedly does not […]

Will Atlantic City’s Two New Casinos Oversaturate Its Recovering Gaming Market?

After several weeks of speculations over the opening of what would be Ocean Resort Casino, it was recently confirmed that the property, formerly known as Revel, would swing its doors open on June 28. And Hard Rock International had previously picked that exact date to reopen the former Trump Taj Mahal as a Hard Rock-branded casino resort.

The emblematic Atlantic City Boardwalk will thus welcome two new stars to its existing seven casino properties. This year is very special for the city as its celebrates the 40th anniversary of its first-ever commercial casino.

For a very long time, Atlantic City was the only place on the East Coast where commercial Las Vegas-style were allowed. And during that time it maintained fervently its spot as America’s second highest grossing gambling hub, with Las Vegas being the largest such hub by annual revenue produced.

However, the decade after 2006, when a number of states in the northeast part of the country opened new casinos and expanded quickly their gambling industries, turned out to be a complete disaster for Atlantic City. It could not manage the growing competition from neighboring states and, as a result, many of its casinos struggled to stay afloat.

The culmination of Atlantic City’s disastrous decade was represented by the closure of five of its 12 casinos in the period between 2014 and 2016 (Revel closed in 2014, while Trump Taj Mahal was shuttered in 2016).

It seems, however, that the popular casino hub might be ready to turn over a new leaf. In 2017, its seven surviving casinos posted a second consecutive year of revenue growth. They generated a total of $2.66 billion, up 2.2% from 2016. The results came as a much needed encouragement.

The opening of the city’s two new casinos is just over a month away and many see that as a sign that recovery is around the corner. On the other hand, less enthusiastic analysts have warned that Atlantic City’s gambling industry might not be ready for expansion yet.

Who are the owners of the two new properties and what have they promised to bring to the city? How will the opening of two casinos impact Atlantic City’s industry? And is the decision for the openings to take place on the same date a reasonable one? Here is Casino News Daily’s view on the topic.

Details about the Two Casinos

Hard Rock International, the Florida-based gaming and hospitality giant, bought the former Trump Taj Mahal from Carl Icahn in the spring of 2017 and just several months after the property’s closure. Hard Rock paid only a fraction of the original prize of what had been dubbed as the eighth wonder of the world by its original owner, US President Donald Trump.

The company then announced that it would spend over $500 million to bring down Trump Taj Mahal’s iconic minarets and replace those by rock’n’roll-style elements the Hard Rock brand is well-recognized for.

Hard Rock obtained the necessary license for the operation of casino gambling from the state Casino Control Commission on May 9, which was actually among the final regulatory steps needed to be completed before the opening of what would run as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

The resort will feature a 120,000-square-foot casino with 2,144 slot machines and 120 table games, a hotel with nearly 2,000 rooms, a number of food and beverage options, and a 7,000-seat event center, among other facilities.

Property owners have pointed out repeatedly that they aim to create a unique entertainment destination that will attract different groups of visitors. Hard Rock has revealed plans to book more than 300 concerts and other events at its Etess Arena over the resort’s first year of operation and has announced quite a lineup, with tickets for some of the upcoming events now being sold.

As for Ocean Resort Casino, it will operate at the site of the former Revel, which sadly closed doors in the summer of 2014 after just two years of operation. The hotel and casino resort cost $2.4 billion to be built, but was then sold to Florida-based businessman Glenn Straub for just $82 million. After failing to reopen the property, Mr. Straub sold it to its current owner – Colorado-based real estate developer Bruce Deifik for $200 million. Mr. Deifik invested another $200 million into the property’s renovation and preparation for opening.

News emerged in April that Ocean Resort Casino would open on the same day as Hard Rock Atlantic City. However, it was not until mid-May that it was confirmed the property would launch namely on June 28.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Mr. Deifik said that they wanted to learn from and avoid Revel’s mistakes, and to debut Ocean Resort Casino as a friendlier property than it predecessor was. The new resort would thus offer designated areas at its casino for smokers, unlike Revel which banned smoking inside the gaming floor.

Ocean Resort Casino will also welcome pedestrian traffic to its gambling facility. Construction workers recently brought down the wall that separated the casino from the Boardwalk. That wall is set to be replaced with a door and stairs that would allow visitors into the gaming floor directly from the Boardwalk.

Mr. Deifik’s casino is yet to receive a license from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. This is expected to happen at the regulators meeting on June 6.

Expectations

Many were perplexed by the announcement that Atlantic City’s new casinos will open doors on the same date. However, industry representatives explained that the decision might actually prove to be a move in the right direction.

Global Gaming Business magazine publisher Roger Gros has explained that while the opening of Hard Rock Atlantic City is the event mainly focused on, Ocean Resort Casino will thus be able to feed on and draw attention to itself on the opening date.

Experts also believe that the opening of two properties on the same day will certainly attract greater attention and visitors, as many would want to witness such a historic moment. It is also important to note that the launch of the two casinos will take place just days before July 4. The holiday is traditionally among the busiest periods of the year for Atlantic City’s casinos and as it lands on Wednesday this year, the city’s two new properties will surely hope to cash in during the weekend before and after.

There have also been concerns that two new gaming venues might not be the best scenario for Atlantic City, now as its revenue has been recovering with seven operational properties. According to many, Hard Rock Atlantic City and Ocean Resort Casino might oversaturate the local market and pull it back where it was several years ago when many of its gambling floors were struggling to stay afloat.

It is yet to be seen whether the new resorts will help the once thriving casino hub recover at least part of its former glory or bring a new wave of financial and other related issues. One thing is important to note, both new properties are looking to provide visitors with unique experience and this could certainly be of great help at a time when customers, both gambling and non-gambling, are looking namely for diverse experience.

The post Will Atlantic City’s Two New Casinos Oversaturate Its Recovering Gaming Market? appeared first on Casino News Daily.