Gambling news - page 633

Italian online gambling market on the rise

30 Apr 2016

Figures from the Italian regulator AAMS show that Italian online punters spent Euro 821 million with licensed betting operators last year, a year-on-year increase of 13 percent. Online gambling contributed 4.8 percent of total gambling wagering, up by 0.6 percent from the preceding year, with growth mainly in casino gaming which grew 27 percent over …

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GameAccount Network battled in 2015

30 Apr 2016

Simulated Gaming provider GAN investors will be disappointed with the company’s FY 2015 results released this week, although CEO Dermot Smurfit remains upbeat that better things lie ahead, especially in the US market where he has clinched several deals with land gambling companies. Net revenues for 2015 were 20 percent down year-on-year at GBP 6 …

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Good first quarter for Mr Green online casino

30 Apr 2016

The Swedish online casino operator Mr Green has posted a positive first quarter result, reporting that non-Nordic European markets rose encouragingly, enabling a 12 percent increase in revenues despite the Nordic business remaining largely flat. Revenues reached SEK 218.5 million (around GBP 18.7 million) in Q1-2016 and EBITDA was up 24 percent at SEK 30.2 …

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Bet365 squares up to Bulgarian regulator

30 Apr 2016

The UK-headquartered Bet365 online gambling group has had a first clash in a Bulgarian court this week in its legal challenge to the Bulgarian regulator over a unilaterally revoked licence. Our readers will recall that the regulator granted the company a licence late 2015, only to rescind it before the paperwork was issued for reasons …

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Sports betting integrity body critical of Aussie gambling laws

30 Apr 2016

The non-profit sports integrity body ESSA has responded to the news that the Australian government is planning to make online in-play betting illegal (see previous reports) with a factual list showing up the inconsistencies in Australian gambling laws. In a series of hard-hitting bullet points, the body notes: * Whilst the Interactive Gambling Act of …

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Top Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist resigns

29 Apr 2016

The row at the Las Vegas Review Journal in which editor Keith Moyer indicated that he would not permit long-time columnist John L. Smith to write about Las Vegas casino owners Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn (see previous report) came to a head this week with the resignation of the respected columnist. Our readers will …

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Greentube – Foxwoods social casino deal completed

29 Apr 2016

The integration by Greentube of a free-to-play social casino for Foxwoods Resort Casino in the United States (see previous report) has been completed, with Online.Foxwoods.com now live, powered by Greentube Pro. BlueBat Games, a subsidiary of Greentube, played a major role in the extensive revamp of the enterprise, reportedly working against tough deadlines. “Both teams …

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Reactions to O’Farrell report on online gambling continue to build

29 Apr 2016

The release Thursday of the O’Farrell review of the Australian Interactive Gaming Act – and its recommendations that in-play betting be curtailed and stricter enforcement actions against offshore online betting firms be implemented – continued to generate comment from the media and interested parties Friday. The review, completed mid-December last year but held for study …

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Tennessee Governor signs off on daily fantasy bill

28 Apr 2016

Tennessee joined Virginia and Indiana in legalising daily fantasy sports when Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill approved by the state legislature into law this week. The measure enjoyed a rapid passage through both House and Senate, passing on votes of 67-17 and 27-2 respectively (see previous reports) before going to the governor’s desk. The …

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Las Vegas revenues dip in March

28 Apr 2016

Nevada regulators reported Thursday that gambling revenue for March 2016 slipped 3 percent year-on-year, with the casinos winning $951 million. The decrease was attributed mainly to lower winnings in the Las Vegas casinos. The Nevada Gaming Control Board reported that Las Vegas Strip gambling revenue was down 4 percent to $487 million last month, and …

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Metro Play saga nears its end

28 Apr 2016

The sad saga of online gambling websites Metro Play and 666Bet (see previous reports) appears to be drawing to a close following the liquidator’s report to creditors, which offers them little comfort and lists a total debt of GBP 1,285,965.84, but no recoverable assets to meet the company’s obligations to its creditors. The creditor list …

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eSports betting conference scheduled for London next month

28 Apr 2016

European betting companies curious about the burgeoning opportunities in global eSports should diarise May 18 at the Royal Gordon Hotel in London, where a major conference on the vertical has been convened. The potentially GBP 20 billion market in eSports (by 2020) will be unpacked in detail for the benefit of delegates by a slew …

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Football star takes precautions against disruption of fantasy sports convention

28 Apr 2016

Dallas Cowboys quarterback and fantasy sports convention organiser Tony Romo has made a pre-emptive move to ensure that there is no repetition of the controversial last-minute cancellation of the National Fantasy Football Convention in Las Vegas last year. He has obtained a temporary restraining order from a Texas judge preventing the National Football League from …

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New tax challenges loom for Aussie bookmakers

28 Apr 2016

Local media reports from Australia claim that locally-based bookmaking firms are facing a new challenge as political questions are asked about the low tax rates in the Northern Territory, which have encouraged a number of gambling companies to licence there. Federal government ministers have reportedly been advised by lobbyists that the state could be missing …

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Details on new money laundering charges against Tabcorp

28 Apr 2016

Top Australian gambling group Tabcorp is facing a further 61 reaches of contravening anti-money laundering laws, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Thursday. The report is a follow up story to the news earlier this month that the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (Austrac) had filed additional charges against the gambling company in a …

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Gaming Realms in five-year Slingo deal with Scientific Games

28 Apr 2016

Online gambling content developer Gaming Realms announced Thursday that it has inked a five-year content and distribution agreement with Scientific Games, although it did not provide any detail on the financial arrangements surrounding the deal. Following the agreement, Scientific Games will have exclusive rights to produce Slingo-branded [slots-bingo] slot machines and to distribute them to …

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Leander Games and SpiffX team up on new live betting product

28 Apr 2016

Online gambling platform provider Leander Games has teamed up with the Swedish NASDAQ-listed alternative betting exchange, SpiffX to distribute the gaming technology supplier’s innovative new live betting app, Take 5. Take 5 is a simple, high turnover game initially focussed on football. It allows players to make a one-click bet at odds of 5/1 that …

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Australian federal government plans ban on in-play betting

28 Apr 2016

The writing is on the wall for in-play betting – workarounds and all – in Australia after Social Services Minister Alan Tudge indicated Thursday that the federal government plans to ban the popular but contentious practice. That will be a blow to major foreign companies operating Australia such as William Hill, Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and bet365 …

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SoftSwiss breaks new ground with launch of WebGL slot game

27 Apr 2016

Online gambling games developer SoftSwiss has released a new slot titled Johnny and the Octopus, claiming that it is a step forward in casino game development as the world’s first 3D online title based on WebGL technology. The game has an undersea theme populated by a range of aquatic creatures, all of which are animated, …

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Wicked Circus comes to town

26 Apr 2016

Swedish online gambling games developer Yggdrasil Gaming has launched its third slot in the Jokerizer series, introducing a new hold feature which will let players chase bigger wins. Titled Wicked Circus, the new game builds upon the success of The Dark Joker Rizes, which remains a strong performer for Yggdrasil across all markets more than …

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NetEnt games go live at Tropicana website in New Jersey

26 Apr 2016

A NetEnt games content agreement signed with Gamesys US last November came to fruition Tuesday when the Swedish developer’s online casino games went live on the Tropicana Atlantic City Online website in New Jersey following a successful integration process. Gamesys US operates one of New Jersey’s online gaming platforms, which supports the TropicanaCasino.com and VirginCasino.com …

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Private equity firm boosts ownership stake in Amaya Inc.

26 Apr 2016

The credit arm of U.S private equity firm Blackstone Group LP has boosted its ownership stake in online gambling group Amaya Inc., according to a report in the Globe and Mail Monday. GSO Capital Partners LP revealed that a group of funds that are either managed or advised by it have acquired 11 million common …

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Colorado moves forward on DFS

26 Apr 2016

The Colorado House of Representatives approved an intrastate daily fantasy sports legalisation bill HB 1404 Monday on a vote of 44 vs. 21, sending the measure on to the state Senate. The Associated Press news agency reports that the new bill requires DFS operators to register and obtain licensing from the state, although the bill …

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Conflict issue at Adelson newspaper

26 Apr 2016

US media reports Monday were debating a possible conflict of interest issue involving the editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (bought by the Adelson family recently) and columnist John L. Smith, who has had a legal brush with Sheldon Adelson in the past. Following Adelson’s acquisition of the LRVJ, long-time columnist Smith wrote a piece …

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