Macau gambling revenues continued to increase in December 2017, for the first time in three years achieving annualised growth following central government crackdowns on ostentatious displays of wealth by public officials and corruption. Revenues in December 2017 rose 15 percent y-o-y to to 22.7 billion patacas, slightly lower than analysts’ expectations for growth of 17-20 …
Swedish online gambling games developer Quickspin has announced the release on February 13 of a new online 5 reel, nine pay-line online slot titled Northern Sky. The theme, as the title suggests, is Scandinavian, capturing the spectacular light phenomena in the snowy polar regions, with glittering crystalline symbols shaped into animal likenesses. The game features …
Kenyan online and retail sports betting operators may be on a collision course with the Kenyan government following failed litigation against hefty tax increases and threats to discontinue sponsorships for local clubs and sports federations. On Saturday Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia said that threats to remove sports sponsorships were “regrettable” and indicated that the …
The traditional medieval German childrens’ tale about a musician capable of luring vermin away with his playing – the Pied Piper of Hamelin – forms the theme for the latest five reel, 40 pay-line slot from Swedish developer Quickspin. Our readers may recall that when the burgers of Hamelin refused to pay the piper for …
Poland’s national public prosecutor, Bogdan Święczkowski, has announced that he has reopened a 2006 – 2011 investigation into gambling tax irregularities which was closed during the tenure of the former Tusk government. Święczkowski said he has analysed the case files, which include the questionable removal from the original case of a prosecutor who had planned …
Irish media reports Thursday are that the management at Croke Park, a Dublin sports stadium, are resisting efforts to extend superfast WiFi already available in the VIP boxes to the rest of the premises due to fears it could increase online gambling. Quoting a stadium official, the Irish Daily Star said management is concerned about …
According to Reuters news agency reports Friday Australian gambling giant Crown Resorts has confirmed the sale of its 62 percent interest in online division CrownBet to a consortium of shareholders led by the current management team and CEO Matt Tripp. The consideration agreed is reportedly A$150 million (about US$ 117 million), and the deal includes …
Predicting a significantly wider market in the event of a positive US Supreme Court ruling in the New Jersey challenge to the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (see previous reports) the prominent US businessman Tilman Fertitta spoke in favour of more widely available and properly regulated and licensed sports betting in the United …
A Chicago anti-online gambling activist, Kathy Gilroy (68) has rationalised internet cafe sweepstake betting as something different to gambling after winning $25,000 playing a sweepstakes game at a gambling cafe. “It’s the gambling I oppose,” Gilroy told local reporters questioning her apparent hypocrisy, “not the sweepstakes.” Gilroy pointed out that she did not use her …
Duncan Skinner, a non-executive director of Aberdeen FC, has been fined a total of GBP 1,000 after admitting to two charges of laying football bets in contravention of Scottish Football Association rules. The fines were imposed at a disciplinary tribunal this week which considered Skinner’s bets in the 2014/15 and 2015/2016 seasons. The tribunal may …
In Kenya, the Association of Gambling Operators, which represents online and retail sports betting companies, has lost its challenge to the government’s 35 percent tax levy (see previous reports) in the High Court. On Thursday Justice John Mativo dismissed the challenge after the Association claimed that the high rate of taxation would kill mainstream firms …
The latest game release from online gambling games developer Wazdan would have perhaps been more relevant a month or so back when rivals were all launching slots with horror themes to mark Halloween: Wazdan’s Dracula’s Castle would have certainly been a great fit for the period with its ghoulish and rather bloodthirsty graphics, chilling sound …
Online gambling games developer Genesis plans to get 2018 off to a flying start with the release of three new slot; a classic single-lined game titled FaFaFa, the manga-inspired Fire & Ice Island, and the lucky Chinese-themed Da Hong Bao, FaFaFa is a, Asian-themed single-lined slot game that draws inspiration from the original slot machine …
The UK newspaper The Guardian, which is becoming well-known for its numerous anti-gambling articles, has focused its latest attack on US developer Scientific Games, pointing out that in addition to providing FOBTs to Ladbrokes and casino games for several online gambling websites, the developer makes a variety of its games available in the social casino …
The latest slot from Swedish developer ELK Studios is a five reel, 178 ways-to-win game with a pirate theme titled Wild Seas. The theme takes players to the Caribbean and the dangerous era of the pirates, who plunder merchant convoys off Port Royale and carouse after cashing in their spoils in the port. The central …
On Christmas Eve New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into state law the Charitable Gaming Act, which represents another step towards the expansion of online gambling because it permits online lottery activity, albeit for charitable causes, along with the use of credit and debit cards to buy tickets. Reporting on the new law, the Buffalo …
The recent move by DC Comics to register several of its trademarks (The Dark Knight, Green Lantern, The Flash, Man Of Steel and Wonder Woman) in gambling and entertainment categories is being interpreted as a protective strategy by the company rather than an actual move into the gambling operational sector. Gamblers will already be aware …
BetSpin, an online casino licensed by the UK Gambling Commission under parent company MT SecureTrade Limited of Malta, advised its players and affiliates earlier this month that with effect from December 22 it will reject all attempts to deposit in preparation for a full closure to UK players on January 19 2018. The casino’s advisory …
The approval by the New Jersey House of Assembly earlier this (December) month of a proposal that casino gambling via the internet be permitted has come in for some flak from the media, which reminds lawmakers that New Jersey residents overwhelmingly rejected the idea of expanded casino gambling beyond Atlantic City last year in a …
Last Friday’s spectacular 30 percent plunge in the value of the hitherto booming Bitcoin cyber-currency, which saw it retreat from almost $20,000 to just over $10,400 (see previous report) has been ameliorated by a rebound to just over $16,000 on the Coinbase exchange on Wednesday 27 December. Rival currencies litecoin and ethereum were up 4.4 …
Paschal Donohoe, the Irish Minister of Finance, has announced that the government will not impose a doubling of the tax rate on gambling operators…at least not in the 2018 budget, although the possibility may be revisited at some future point. Donohoe’s finance department had presented three options that could have raised up to Euro 50 …
Belize-based Xwin CryptoBet has announced that it has raised a million dollars in a pre-ICO sale of tokens, thanks to a 3,000-strong sports betting community it has already attracted. The organisation plans to operate an online Ethereum cyber-currency eSports betting site in 2018, and claims strong interest from unidentified South Korean and Japanese venture capital …
The families of problem gamblers are soon to be empowered to have their loved one’s online racing betting accounts blocked, according to a report in the Japan Times Monday. The Japan Racing Association has drawn up a new system for implementation early in the new year that allows families to make application for their loved …
China’s Ministry of Finance has released sales numbers for the nation’s popular Welfare and Sports lotteries, reporting an overall 11.8 percent year-on-year increase to 38.56 billion yuan (about US$ 5.82 billion ) The state news agency Xinhua reports that sales of Welfare lottery tickets increased 8.6 percent year on year to 19.4 billion yuan last …