Monthly Archives: July 2018

PhilWeb seeks PAGCOR’s nod to serve POGO licensees

Philippine-listed gaming technology provider PhilWeb Corp. has asked state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to allow the company to provide its services to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) licensees.

PhilWeb President Dennis Valdes confirmed on Monday that the Manila-based firm was in talks with the Philippine regulator on the legalities and requirements to service POGO gaming software needs, according to ABS-CBN News.

However, Valdes quickly clarified that extending services to internationally licensed gambling operators doesn’t mean that they are interested in becoming a POGO operator as well.

“We are not opposed to being a service provider for POGO. There are a lot of players servicing China, Malaysia and Indonesia,” Valdes said, according to the news outlet.

Eventus International thanks West Africa for Its support of SBWA2018

Last week, the 4th Annual Sports Betting West Africa Summit was held at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos, Nigeria. The event was attended by hundreds of West African operators, regulators, service providers, marketers, payment solution providers and gaming sector experts.

If you weren’t able to join Eventus International and the audience for the summit, then you missed an amazing show! To share some of the highlights from the 3 days, we have prepared a brief summary of the conference proceedings for those not in attendance.

The first day was held in partnership with Eventus International’s supporting partners, the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers. The heavy traffic in Lagos did create a slight setback, but after 30 minutes the conference hall began to fill up. The welcoming address was delivered by the President of the Association Nigerian Bookmakers, Mr Akin Alabi. He thanked Eventus International for once again working with the Association to make an event as prestigious as possible and welcomed all in attendance with warm words.

Shortly after, the Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission gave his keynote address on Outlining NLRC’ S Future Plans and Priorities for the Sports Betting Industry in Nigeria. The operators and fellow regulators were impressed with Mr. Gbajabiamila’s future plans for the Nigerian sports betting sector.

500.com strikes gold in Q2 with TMG Group acquisition

Net revenue of Shenzhen-based online sports lottery service provider 500.com grew more than five-fold in the second quarter of 2018, thanks to the stellar performance of its newly acquired Maltese-based online lottery betting and online casino operator TMG Group.

Financial data showed 500.com’s net revenue for the second quarter of 2018 stood at CNY30.4 million ($4.6 million), 582.68 percent higher than RMB4.6 million ($673,785) reported in the same period last year.

Majority of the firm’s net revenue came from its online lottery betting and online casino in Europe, which accounted for 89.1 percent of the business, according to 500.com CEO Zhengming Pan. The company reported that TMG contributed CNY27.1 million ($3.97 million) in revenue for Q2 2018.

However, 500.com’s net revenue in the three months ending June 30, 2018 was slower than the CNY38.4 million it posted in the first quarter of the year.

Morten Ronde to share expertise during IMGL MasterClass™ – US Market – Gold Rush or Opposite for European Operations at CEEGC2018

Budapest – 31 July 2018 – In just 2 years, CEEGC has become the most prestigious boutique gaming event which gathers C-level executives every year to network and share information about the Central and Eastern European markets. In 2018, at the third edition of the conference, the team has decided to spice things up a bit and have contacted IMGL experts to put together a unique panel in the industry.

The IMGL MasterClass™ – US Market – Gold Rush or Opposite for European Operations (panel discussion) is the result of the extensive debates and talks, which leave many questions un-answered by European operators. That question being, expanding through Europe or aiming for the American dream.

During the IMGL MasterClass, the experts will share their insights about the worthiness of investing in the US market by European operators.

The Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference and Awards will be held on the 25th of September at the Ritz-Carlton in Budapest.

Yobetit introduces the all-new and exclusive Top Dogs Super Cup

The Top Dog Super Cup is the newest addition to Yobetit.com automatically providing all bettors with the opportunity to get more from their betting experience. By introducing a points-collection competition, Yobetit is offering you more than other sportsbooks, and that is the chance to gain points from your bets. The points collected will be added up at the end of each month, and the 5 bettors with the most points will receive a tangible gift. All you have to do to take part is bet at Yobetit.com!

From the first day of the month until the last day of the month your bets, made using real money, will get you a step closer to claiming your tangible gifts. The bets resulted in a ‘win’ or a ‘loss’ will be tallied into your score. Moreover, the higher the odds of your bet and the higher the stake, the more points you will be able to win. You may be thinking, how are the points calculated?

Well, let’s say you place a bet of €20 at odds of 2.50, following our ‘Top Dog formula’:

Stake x Net Odds (Odds-1), you will be awarded €20 x (1.50), so you will get 30 points for such a bet.

ORYX Gaming rolls out entire suite of games content for ComeOn!

July 31st 2018 – ORYX Gaming has agreed terms with ComeOn! to roll out its entire suite of proprietary and third party games, following a highly successful partnership which started late last year.

The agreement will see the games launch onto ComeOn.com and other well-known local casino brands such as Snabbare, Casinostugan and Folkeautomaten.

This expansion comes after the massive success of ORYX’s games on Cherry Casino, Sunnyplayer and Sunmaker brands, all which feature under ComeOn.

Included in the roll out is ORYX’s proprietary games and sought-after titles from Gamomat and Kalamba Games, which have performed above all expectations on the above-mentioned Cherry brands.

Betsoft signs strategic content agreement with Italian arm of Stanleybet

31/7/2018 – Valletta, Malta – Betsoft Gaming has widened its footprint in the Italian regulated market, entering into a new content partnership with international slots and sportsbook institution Stanleybet.

The agreement is extensive: every game in Betsoft’s sought-after Slots3™ series – all ADM / AAMS certified – has now been added to the Stanleybet online platform, ready for release to the operator’s Italian players.

Founded in 1958, Stanleybet is firmly established as a leader in sports betting and slot gaming.  Today, the company employs 3,000 people across the EU, catering to online and land-based markets in Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Malta, Romania, the UK, and more.  Building on 60 years’ experience in tightly-regulated retail markets, Stanleybet now sees its online operations as a forge for new ideas and innovations, as Annamaria Anastasi, Marketing Director at Betsoft Gaming explained:

“iGaming is an opportunity for Stanleybet to celebrate their heritage, honour their long commitment to fair play and responsible betting, and explore new opportunities.  To achieve all these objectives, the Stanleybet team sought a content provider with international experience, a portfolio with the right regional accreditation, and above all, a partner that prioritised playability and the user experience.  Betsoft were thrilled to answer the call.”

Anthony Cabot joins creators of EZ Baccarat as senior advisor

LAS VEGAS – JULY 31, 2018 – Talisman Group, creator of EZ Baccarat, announces that Anthony (Tony) Cabot has joined the company as senior advisor. EZ Baccarat is one of the leading table game brands in the world.

Mr. Cabot’s role will be to help guide the strategic direction of the company and help expand the EZ Baccarat franchise into additional revenue channels, including online gaming, live dealer, electronic table games, live multigame and stadium seating terminals worldwide.

“I’ve had a professional relationship with Talisman Group for over 20 years during which I was instrumental in helping EZ Baccarat grow into a powerful table game brand,” Mr. Cabot said. “Now that EZ Baccarat is making headway into digital gaming, my role as senior advisor will allow me to put years of digital research and empirical knowledge in pursuit of this challenging new opportunity.”

“We are pleased that Mr. Cabot has picked our company to provide strategic advice,” said Francisco “TJ” Tejeda, co-creator of EZ Baccarat and a principal of Talisman Group. “Having Tony onboard will greatly increase our capability to pursue the digital markets that are rapidly becoming the biggest areas of growth in gaming.”

Macau gambling revenue could reach $146 billion by 2020

The good news is that the total market value for the six casino operators in Macau is predicted to hit $146 billion by 2020. The bad news is that there could be a number of disruptions due to the city’s license bidding process and competition cropping up out of Japan and China.

According to Morgan Stanley analysts, the market value could increase by as much as 24% within two years. The value is currently around $118 billion and will increase as a result of an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%. Key disruptions, though, are still a major concern and the analysts warn that there is a downside of as much as 41% on their base estimate for 2020, and as much as 27% on the current $118-billion market cap.

Two of the six casino operators – SGM and MGM – will see their licenses expire in 2020. The other four – Melco, Wynn, Galaxy and Sands – will be set to renew their licenses two years later. Some anticipate that SJM and MGM could receive two-year extensions so that all six are positioned for new licenses at the same time. However, there are still doubts regarding the licensing renewal process, which could cause headaches for both operators and gamblers in 2022.

The Morgan Stanley analysts said, “In case of license renewal, it could either have a negative monetary impact or outright loss of gaming profit.”

Galaxy launches IR school for Japanese students

A new program designed to educate students on the management of integrated resorts (IR) is coming to Japan and Macau. Galaxy Entertainment has partnered with Japan’s Toyo University and the University of Macau (UMAC) to introduce a “Japan-Macau Integrated Resort Management Mentorship Pilot Scheme” in anticipation of casinos coming to Japan beginning sometime in the next decade. The program is designed to give Japanese university students in-depth knowledge on IR management through month-long visits to casinos in Macau.

According to a press release issued by Galaxy, “[The] Mentorship Scheme is intended to identify and give the coming generation of IR professionals in Japan a first-hand look at what it takes to develop and operate the world’s most successful IR – Galaxy Macau.”

Participants will receive an education on the management and operation of IRs through a series of lectures and mentoring sessions. The lectures will be led by faculty members of UMAC’s International Integrated Resort Management program and the mentoring will be provided by Galaxy executives. They will cover areas such as Hotel and Hospitality, Food and Beverage, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Branding and Marketing. Additionally, mentoring will be provided on Retail, Organizational Development, Training and Human Resources.

Francis Lui, Galaxy’s Vice chairman, said, “Together with the [Galaxy] Foundation and the support of University of Macau, we are very pleased to share our philosophy for sustainable and responsible IR development with what we hope will be the future home-grown leaders of IRs in Japan. As a group we are passionate about nurturing the next generation and in giving them the best possible opportunities for their future careers. We recognize that Macau, and [Galaxy], have both the vision and an opportunity to share its formula for success with Japan as it embarks on the path of IR implementation.”

Triton Poker Jeju: Sam Greenwood leads day 1 of the HKD 2m NLHE Main Event

The Triton Poker Series in Jeju moves into it’s final few days of action with Sam Greenwood leading a field of 22 players after Day 1 of the HKD 2,000,000 (USD 255,000) Main Event.

A few days ago, jet-lagged, hungry, and ready for bed, Sam Greenwood, snagged the chip lead at the end of Day 1 of the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed. It didn’t work out for the Canadian after he busted well short of the money, and he will be hoping to tweak that déjà vu, later today.

Greenwood is the man everyone is trying to catch at the end of Day 1 of the HKD 2,000,000 (USD 255,000) No-Limit Hold’em Main Event. It’s the final competition of the Triton Poker Series, Jeju, and it attracted 44 entrants, including a rather expensive HKD 8,000,000 (USD 1,019,000) contribution from Ivan Leow.

Players through to the final day include the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) Six-Max Champion, David Peters (742,000), the HKD 100,000 (USD 12,500) Short-Deck Champion, Nick Schulman (407,000) and former Triton Poker Champion Phil Ivey (230,000).

Five casinos in the Philippines register with AML council

Following a requirement by the Philippines Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Council (AMLC) making registration of casinos with the entity obligatory by the middle of next month, five casinos have reportedly already stepped up. The registration comes following a suggestion by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global policy-making group that creates standards for fighting money laundering and terrorism financing, which the FATF said would help improve the status of casinos in the country.

According to the council, the five registered casinos include Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment, which operates the Okada Manila property, Melco Crown, owner of City of Dreams Manila, Resorts World Manila’s Travellers International Hotel Group, Widus Philippines and Widus International Leisure of the Widus Hotel and Casino and Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels, which operates the Solaire Resort and Casino.

Earlier this year, The AMLC updated its Registration and Reporting Guidelines for Casinos. The new guidelines makes the filing of a report compulsory within five working days after a “covered transaction” where the amount is more than $100,000. Additionally, suspicious transactions, such as lack of identification or suspicion of criminal activity involvement, must also be reported.

The Philippines are working diligently to clean up its public perception. It instituted a new requirement last year that makes carrying identity – such as a passport or driver’s license – obligatory while gambling. The casinos are now also required to keep records of all gambling activity for a period of a minimum of five years.

Novomatic backs down on Ainsworth stake

Ainsworth Game Technology (AGT) adjusted its revenue upward twice this month, following several deals that improved its financial position. The news came a little for the company’s controlling shareholder, however, who had already decided to retreat on its stake in the operations. Ainsworth, in a filing with the Australian Securities Exchange, announced last Friday that Novomatic took a reduction in stake last May, dropping from 53.58% to 52.38% its control in the company.

Novomatic became the primary shareholder after it spent around $350 million to purchase a major stake in the company in January. That purchase had begun about two years prior.

With the acquisition, Novomatic gained access to new markets in the US and Asia, with Novomatic Chief Technology Officer Thomas Graf saying at the time that Ainsworth had “superior gaming technology, clear industry expertise and [an] impressive international footprint, especially in the U.S. market.”

Ainsworth reported less than two weeks ago that it expected its revenue for the second half of 2018 to reach $26.5 million. This was an increase of $11.8 million over previous expectations and came after the company signed a significant deal with Churchill Downs. That adjustment came after its previous fiscal year before-tax profits were adjusted to $28.97 million, up $2.48 million over the previously reported $26.49 million.

Belle sees revenue jump 10% thanks to City of Dreams casino

Belle Corp, a Philippine conglomerate that targets gaming operations, had a few reasons to celebrate the end of the second quarter this year. In a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange last Friday, the company saw its net income increase by 10.2%, reaching $17.3 million. This was an increase of about $1.6 million over the same period last year when the company reported $15.7 million in net income.

Belle receives a portion of the gaming revenues or earnings from City of Dreams Manila (CoDM), which is operated by an arm of Melco Resorts. This is due to a 78.7% stake in its Premium Leisure Corp. subsidiary, which has partnered with Melco in the CoDM project.

Gaming revenue for Belle climbed 43.9% year-on-year for the three-month period ending June 30. It reached just over $20.1 million, compared to the $13.98 million generated in the second quarter of 2017. Across the company, revenue increased to $47 million, up 17.1% over the $40.3 million it pulled in during the same quarter last year.

Expenses for gaming operations took a huge nosedive, plummeting 92.7% year-on-year. According to Belle, this was due to “lower consultancy fees and other costs.” Whereas in the second quarter of last year the company spent $1.04 million on gaming operations, it only had to lay $77,217 during the second quarter this year.

Triton Poker Jeju: Kenneth Kee wins the HK 1m Short-Deck for USD 2.8m

Kenneth Kee has won the single largest sum of money at the Triton Poker Series, Jeju, thus far, after beating Cary Katz, heads-up, to take the HKD 22,500,000 (USD 2,866,838) first prize, in the HKD 1,000,000 (USD 125,000) Short-Deck, Ante Only tournament. 

If my daughter turned out to be a hooker, I would spend a few sleepless nights wondering where I went wrong?

But what if she became a poker player?

Watching Kenneth Kee’s post-victory PokerNews interview with Sasha Salinger, I sensed an aggressive button edge in his voice when he spoke about his lack of game time in tournaments.