In times of crisis, the gaming industry often calls this guy

Bo Bernhard, who leads UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, answers the “bat signal” for calls worldwide.

Future Gaming Leaders Get Schooled at Casino Executive Boot Camp in Lake Tahoe

The current and future leaders of the global gaming industry descended upon Lake Tahoe last week for the Executive Development Program, a leadership training conference designed to help directors, executives, and government regulators keep pace with today’s fast-changing gambling world.

Held this year from Nov. 11-19 at Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino and Resort, the annual Executive Development Program (EDP) welcomed more than 50 students for an intensive series of seminars and presentations that takes industry movers and shakers and invites them to participate in study teams and analysis. Since it began in 1990, more than 1,300 gaming company executives have graduated from the program.

These are the people who presumably will be making decisions at their casinos that will shape the gaming experience of customers, and possibly setting standards for gaming venues around the world to follow.

Over the course of nine days, participants at the EDP gained expertise on topics ranging from casino marketing and strategic planning to crisis management and the social impacts of gambling. Recent events such as the Las Vegas mass shooting and the current state of the industry all played into the 2017 curriculum.

Esports and Crisis Response

Front and center this year were discussions about the growth of esports, and the difficulties casinos have found in efforts to connect with Millennials, who are showing a notable lack of interest in playing slot machines unlike generations that preceded them.

“Gamers will gamble if games are designed with them in mind,” Seth Schorr, CEO of the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas, said during a presentation on esports.

There also was particular interest this year in how casino staffs can prepare for and respond better to crises and tragedy in the future, with the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, forcing casino companies to rethink their approaches to security, high rollers, and crisis communications.

Alan Feldman, who as executive vice president of MGM Resorts has been closely involved in these matters on a daily basis, spoke about the importance of being open with the public as part of a thoughtfully managed response.

“Transparency is key, through high quality and honest communication,” Feldman said.

It wasn’t all serious business, however, for spudent at the special Lake Tahoe boot camp. There were fun and games as only the gaming industry could provide, including a poker tournament and an awards banquet to wrap up the conference.

Expert Faculty

Attendance at the EDP is determined by an application system, and is not something that anyone can just pay to attend. The cost is nearly $8,000 per student, and like applying to college or grad school, applicants must show their experience and potential in gaming and how they have something to add to the class discussions.

Bernhard is also the protégé of Bill Eadington, the economist who pioneered the field of commercial gaming studies and founded this event in 1990 and died in 2013.

Along with Bernhard, former Nevada state senator and Gaming Control Board chairman Mark Lipparelli served as a leader of a faculty that included academics and industry experts from numerous universities and casinos around the world. This year’s presenters and faculty included eight CEOs of gaming industry companies.

The post Future Gaming Leaders Get Schooled at Casino Executive Boot Camp in Lake Tahoe appeared first on Casino.org.

Bookmakers’ Hospitality to MPs Raises More Concerns in FOBTs Debate

The most recent figures about hospitality British MPs have received from bookmakers have raised additional questions and doubts whether participants in the debate over the controversial fixed-odds betting terminals have been presenting impartial and unbiased views on the matter.

The Independent reported today that Conservative MP Philip Davies has received a total of £4,354 in horse races tickets and hospitality from bookmakers since March. Most recently, the politician was treated to tickets to the York Races. The gift was courtesy of Ladbrokes Coral.

Mr. Davies is known to be one of the staunchest opponents of the now imminent crackdown on the so-called FOBTs. The UK Government announced in late October that there will be a reduction of the maximum bet the machines accept. At present, players can bet up to £100 every 20 seconds. The Government said that the maximum stake could be cut to just £2.

On the looming crackdown on the gambling machines, which have been blamed for a rise in gambling addiction rates, Mr. Davies said that the Government was simply trying to appeal to popular opinion and that there were far more addictive gambling activities than betting on FOBTs.

Fears over Conflict of Interest

While MPs who have been treated to hospitality from bookmakers have made due entry into the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, concerns have been voiced that their opinion on the FOBTs matter could have been influenced by the powerful gambling industry lobbyism.

It was estimated that Ladbrokes Coral, which operates the largest chain of betting shops with FOBTs in the country, could lose £450 million in gross gambling yield in 2018, if the maximum FOBTs stake is cut to just £2.

According to industry lobbyists, bookmakers will be forced to close shops and lay off staff as a result from the pending crackdown. It is also believed that smaller, independent bookmakers will have to shut down operations altogether.

A document obtained by The Guardian and published prior to the October 31 FOBTs debate showed that there were questions for MPs that represented viewpoints and arguments previously pushed by bookmakers and their lobbyists.

A spokesperson for Ladbrokes Coral has told The Independent that industry opponents have been carrying out a “McCarthyism type campaign” by trying to use the gifts made to MPs as an argument against the industry. The operator admitted to engaging with politicians in a bid to present them with a picture of the consequences of a FOBTs crackdown, the company representative went on to say, arguing that it granting hospitality to MPs has always been an open process and that all gifts have been registered as required.

The UK Government is currently into a 12-week consultation period during which it will receive and review input from all involved parties in the FOBTs debate. It will then announce by how much the maximum FOBT stake will be cut. The options before MPs are a reduction to £50, £20, or £5.

The post Bookmakers’ Hospitality to MPs Raises More Concerns in FOBTs Debate appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Betsoft Games featured in $1,000 Slot Tournament this weekend

Players enjoying featured Betsoft slots at Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes 1-3 December will automatically earn tournament points and be eligible to win some of the $1,000 slots tournament prize pool.

Highlight Games Limited premieres new Soccerbet innovation

Specialist sports-focused games developer Highlight Games Limited has announced the debut of its new Soccerbet virtual sports innovation for desktop, mobile and retail operations. Established in 2014 and 25% owned by Swedish online gambling operator Cherry AB, Highlight Games Limited described Soccerbet as ‘an innovative take on virtual sports’ that utilizes actual game footage to offer ‘all the betting markets that sports fans have come to expect from the modern-day betting experience’. Highlight Games Limited stated that Soccerbet utilizes ‘decades of archived football highlights’ to combine six ten-second clips from individual matches spread across a number of seasons into a single minute-long package that is then presented to players. It declared that the innovation is ‘capable of slotting seamlessly into an operator’s sportsbetting or virtuals offering’ and is available in single game and league formats. Tim Green, Chief Executive Officer for Highlight Games Limited, proclaimed that ‘there is nothing else’ on the market like Soccerbet as its ‘combines real stars with real goals and real match action’. “Virtual sports has exploded in popularity over recent years but this product represents the next step in its evolution, combining traditional betting markets with our unique product and patent-protected display of archived action,” read a statement from Green. “Football is a language spoken by people all over the world and we are delighted to debut a game that speaks to the universal enjoyment of the game across the globe.”

Sam Greenwood Leads 12 Players into partypoker Caribbean Poker Party $5,300 MILLIONS Main Event Final Day

Canadian poker pro Sam Greenwood made two final table appearances in the partypoker-sponsored Caribbean Poker Party within a couple of days and is poised to appear at the final table of one more tournament. The player finished Day 4 of the ongoing $5,300 Main Event as the chip leader with significant advantage over his remaining 11 fellow competitors.

Led by Greenwood, the tournament’s twelve survivors are set to return today at the host venue Meliá Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, and to play down to a champion. The last man standing will receive the amount of $1 million. Bearing this in mind, we could only expect fierce competition and quality poker action from all twelve players who will certainly be vying for the title.

The remaining players will first have to set the official eight-handed final table and then continue battling up until a winner is determined. Here it is also important to note that each of the twelve hopefuls is guaranteed a payout of $42,000.

Greenwood has been running particularly good in this year’s Caribbean Poker Party. As mentioned above, the player made two final table appearances in several days. He first finished third in the $10,300 High Roller and then finished runner-up to Chris Hunichen in the $25,500 Super High Roller. The player now has the chance to improve to a top position in the Main Event.

How Greenwood Scooped the Commanding Chip Lead

The Canadian poker pro performed quite well on Day 4 of the tournament and managed to built a nice chip stack over the course of action. He actually captured the chip lead on the very last hand played for the night. He went all-in in a confrontation against Norway’s Preben Stokkan, who was the chip leader at the time. The board gave Greenwood a nut flush to secure him with a massive pot and the overnight chip lead.

The player will enter the final day of play with 193.9 million in chips and with massive advantage over the rest of the survivors. Norway’s Jonas Gjelstad collected the second largest stack last night, which totaled 117.7 million in chips. Czech Republic’s Jiri Horak will begin Day 5 play third in chips with 104.5 million.

It is interesting to note that despite the massive blow he suffered on the last hand in play last night, Stokkan is still well-positioned for the title. The player will enter the final day action fourth in chips with 99 million. Stokkan will be vying for his second title within the Caribbean Poker Party festival. He was crowned the victor of the $10,300 High Roller Greenwood finished third in. The Norwegian poker player collected his best live cash of $275,000 for taking down the exciting tournament.

Notables like Jason Koon and Felipe Ramos are also still in contention and ready to return to the host venue for the final day of the Main Event. Action is scheduled to resume at noon local time.

The post Sam Greenwood Leads 12 Players into partypoker Caribbean Poker Party $5,300 MILLIONS Main Event Final Day appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Sam Greenwood Leads 12 Players into partypoker Caribbean Poker Party $5,300 MILLIONS Main Event Final Day

Canadian poker pro Sam Greenwood made two final table appearances in the partypoker-sponsored Caribbean Poker Party within a couple of days and is poised to appear at the final table of one more tournament. The player finished Day 4 of the ongoing $5,300 Main Event as the chip leader with significant advantage over his remaining 11 fellow competitors.

Led by Greenwood, the tournament’s twelve survivors are set to return today at the host venue Meliá Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic, and to play down to a champion. The last man standing will receive the amount of $1 million. Bearing this in mind, we could only expect fierce competition and quality poker action from all twelve players who will certainly be vying for the title.

The remaining players will first have to set the official eight-handed final table and then continue battling up until a winner is determined. Here it is also important to note that each of the twelve hopefuls is guaranteed a payout of $42,000.

Greenwood has been running particularly good in this year’s Caribbean Poker Party. As mentioned above, the player made two final table appearances in several days. He first finished third in the $10,300 High Roller and then finished runner-up to Chris Hunichen in the $25,500 Super High Roller. The player now has the chance to improve to a top position in the Main Event.

How Greenwood Scooped the Commanding Chip Lead

The Canadian poker pro performed quite well on Day 4 of the tournament and managed to built a nice chip stack over the course of action. He actually captured the chip lead on the very last hand played for the night. He went all-in in a confrontation against Norway’s Preben Stokkan, who was the chip leader at the time. The board gave Greenwood a nut flush to secure him with a massive pot and the overnight chip lead.

The player will enter the final day of play with 193.9 million in chips and with massive advantage over the rest of the survivors. Norway’s Jonas Gjelstad collected the second largest stack last night, which totaled 117.7 million in chips. Czech Republic’s Jiri Horak will begin Day 5 play third in chips with 104.5 million.

It is interesting to note that despite the massive blow he suffered on the last hand in play last night, Stokkan is still well-positioned for the title. The player will enter the final day action fourth in chips with 99 million. Stokkan will be vying for his second title within the Caribbean Poker Party festival. He was crowned the victor of the $10,300 High Roller Greenwood finished third in. The Norwegian poker player collected his best live cash of $275,000 for taking down the exciting tournament.

Notables like Jason Koon and Felipe Ramos are also still in contention and ready to return to the host venue for the final day of the Main Event. Action is scheduled to resume at noon local time.

The post Sam Greenwood Leads 12 Players into partypoker Caribbean Poker Party $5,300 MILLIONS Main Event Final Day appeared first on Casino News Daily.