Author: OnlineGamblingDaily

US investment group Blackstone has raised its bid to buy Australian casino group Crown to nearly A$8.9 billion ($6.5 billion). In response, Crown Resorts has now agreed to enter takeover talks after the firm sweetened its prior offer, raising the total by about A$1 billion ($729 million). The newly-proposed deal follows multiple prior attempts from Blackstone to buy the casino giant, backed by Australian billionaire James Packer. The last offer was made in November, although all past efforts to convince the company’s board to accept an offer fell through. During royal commission hearings in October, Packer told the Perth Casino Royal Commission that…

Legislation to ban smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos has now been reintroduced. A group of state senators is proposing a new bill, S264, which, if passed, would permanently make casinos in the city smoke-free. The legislation has been referred to the Senate Health Committee following its introduction in the Senate. The measure is backed by six senators, including state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, the only Republic named as a sponsor, reports The Press of Atlantic City. A companion bill in the Assembly is expected to be prepared and introduced “soon.” “We applaud this bipartisan group of legislators from across New…

In his new column for Yogonet, iGaming industry consultant Ron Mendelson shares details of the negative effects illegal gambling has, and how the regulating authorities across the world have tightened their restrictions throughout 2021 to fight against illegal gambling. Finally, he goes on to advise operators on what they should do and explains how important it is that they stay compliant with the established norms. Illegal gambling, whether it takes place online or offline, relates to any form of betting or gambling that takes place when the operator is not authorized to do so. This could be for various reasons, such…

In the midst of a pandemic, American casinos are still bringing in revenue… and in record numbers! Commercial casinos won nearly $14 billion in the third quarter of 2021, marking the industry’s best quarter ever, and pushing revenue past what it was for all of 2020. The figures from the American Gaming Association show more consumers feel comfortable visiting casinos amid COVID-19, and this as online and sports betting revenues continue to grow. An article releases by the Associated Press, found American casinos on pace to break the annual record of $43.65 billion, set in 2019. Jane Bokunewicz, director of…

Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs in California announced the opening of its new location of 360 Sports, a new sports bar and restaurant, which took place on Friday, January 7, next to the property’s Java Caliente Café. The sports bar concept also has locations at the Agua Caliente Casinos in Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City, all three properties owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The Palm Springs version of 360 Sports features similar menu items to the other two locations. It also features large television screens that will feature multiple sports broadcasts. The new restaurant and bar…

Nearly 90 small businesses in Massachusetts, including bars, restaurants and private clubs, are urging state senators to legalize sports betting and include them in the market. The group of business owners and managers showed support to a sports wagering bill from Sen. Adam Gomez in a Tuesday letter directed to all 40 state senators. In the letter, the small businesses claimed that their inclusion in a legal sports betting market would increase tax revenue for the state, bolster “geographic fairness” for residents who do not live near casinos, and provide a safe option for betting, reports Mass Live. “We don’t…

According to numbers released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, Detroit’s three casinos have reported $1.294 billion in aggregate revenue in 2021, surpassing 2020 results, which were significantly impacted by the pandemic. However, they fell short of 2019’s record total.  2021’s revenue total exceeds the nearly $639 million in aggregate revenue the three casinos – MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino – generated in 2020. In 2019, the casinos generated a record $1.454 billion in revenue. Slots generated $998.8 million and accounted for 77% of 2021 revenues. Table games, on the other hand, brought in $268 million…

Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries broke ground on Tuesday morning, marking a landmark for Northern Virginia’s first large casino. Elected leaders joined company officials for the groundbreaking ceremony, held at what is today the Potomac Landfill, situated next to I-95 and close to Rt. 1 and Rt. 234 in Dumfries, Prince William County. Colonial Downs Group and its parent company Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), which already run Rosie’s Gaming Emporium video gambling business in Dumfries, are investing more than $400 million for the project, which is expected to generate revenues that will “potentially triple” the Town of Dumfries annual budget.…

Sports betting and iGaming-oriented payments company PayNearMe is expanding its US footprint after having secured approval to process online sports betting payments in New York from the state’s Gaming Commission, according to a press statement shared on Tuesday. The New York Gaming Commission approval allows PayNearMe to provide its MoneyLine platform to licensed operators across the state. The company explains that three of the industry’s largest operators are now leveraging PayNearMe to accept cash deposits in New York, as consumers begin placing wagers in the new market, which launched last Saturday. “These clients are some of the industry’s largest operators.…

BGaming studio has shared the results of 2021, which the company deemed as the  “most successful” for the iGaming provider since its inception. Bgaming has doubled its GGR, bets, and bets count over the past year compared to the previous one. This also includes x1,25 crypto growth.  One of the reasons for such good results is that BGaming obtained the MGA license and entered the LATAM market, significantly increasing the number of partners. At the end of 2020, the studio was presented in 405 online casinos, whereas one year later, the list of partners extended to 709, which means 175% growth a year. A…

International Game Technology (IGT) announced Tuesday that it has joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which drives climate action among businesses worldwide. Through this commitment, IGT officially pledges to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to low-carbon emissions and furthering the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact. Aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement objective, IGT will develop both near and long-term GHG emissions targets in order to contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial average temperature.  IGT will focus on targets associated with the new SBTi Net-Zero Criteria and report its…

Geolocation and compliance technology company Xpoint, which specializes in the US sports betting and iGaming markets, has signed an investment partnership with Bettor Capital, the business announced on Tuesday. Bettor Capital, an early-stage venture firm focused on real-money online gaming opportunities, is investing in Xpoint ahead of launch. The geolocation platform is set to go live with its first partner “in early 2022,” according to a press statement. Through this agreement, the venture firm is set to support the company’s goal “to bring innovative, partner-focused” solutions to the established geo-compliance marketplace. The funding will play a key role in the…

Scientific Games Corporation’s sports betting business OpenBet has appointed two DAZN and American Gaming Association executives as part of its goal to “reimagine sports betting entertainment,” the company announced on Wednesday. Florian Diederichsen and Jessica Feil join the sports gaming provider ahead of an “exciting” period of change for the business. Diederichsen joins OpenBet from sports subscription video streaming service DAZN as Chief Technology Officer. Under this new role, the executive will be tasked with evolving OpenBet’s modular sports product offering and accelerating the next generation of sports betting entertainment through the use of cutting-edge technologies. Diederichsen has experience having…

Iowans have shattered sports gambling records in the state of Iowa by wagering $2 billion in 2021, showing a significant increase from 2020 when Iowans placed approximately $575 million worth of sports bets. Most of this growth was driven by the online vertical. “We saw twice as many operators enter the market in 2021,” said Brian Ohorilko, an administrator with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, as reported by the KCGR. “It’s not surprising, but what is surprising is how much of an increase we’ve seen from 2020 to 2021.” According to data released by PlayIA, in December, bettors poured…

The fight for Florida sports betting is an important one, as the has the potential to be the third largest market in America. So naturally, there are going to be a few punches thrown with so much potential profit at stake for years to come. Enter the contenders: The Florida Seminole Tribe vs. everyone else, with everyone else being represented (for the most part) by the Sands Corporation. A recent Federal Court decision put an end to an almost-but-not-quite monopoly on sports betting in the state by the Seminoles. And now, the whole ugly mess is mired in a lawsuit…

Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Commission, Ronnie Johns, has stated that online sports betting launch does not have a confirmed date yet, as the timeline is being modified daily.  “There is some misinformation that we’re going to launch sports betting next week in conjunction with the NFL playoffs. While we very much would like to do that, it’s definitely not accurate. We are working literally on a daily basis to finalize all of the compliance issues and the technical issues with sports betting”, he said, as reported by The Monroe News-Star.  Johns said his goal is to launch online sports betting…