After protracted negotiations with gaming and anti-trust authorities in Australia, Austria, Switzerland and Canada, the Czech lottery giant Sazka has revealed that it intends to buy an additional 23.04 percent of the shares in Casinos Austria AG, taking its shareholding to 34.04 percent. Szaka already holds an 11 percent stake following share buys by its …
Developer Patagonia Entertainment has signed an exclusive agreement with online gambling operator NetBet to provide its localised video bingo content and third-party games. The deal will enable NetBet to deliver exclusive video bingo solutions for its new casino launch in the LATAM region via an iSoftBet integration of the bingo content onto the NetBet platform. …
Gibraltar, home to many of the world’s online gambling operators, has announced that new legislation on crypto-currencies went into effect on January 1 2018 with the goal of protecting consumers and the jurisdiction’s reputation through a stringent licensing system. The regulation targets blockchain technology, ensuring that companies storing and transmitting value are licensed and monitored …
The Argentine government delivered a nasty surprise for the new year to offshore digital service providers – including online gambling – in the form of new legislation imposing Value Added Tax (VAT). The move did not surprise analysts monitoring the government’s intentions, who noted on December 8 that plans were progressing in the Argentine Congress …
Getting 2018 off to a fast start are reports that Better Collective and Blueprint Gaming have both secured acquisition deals . Online gambling games developer Blueprint’s acquisition of omni-channel gaming provider Games Warehouse from the Harbour Group is being hailed as a major boost for the UK developer’s operations. Games Warehouse is based in Derby, …
The Responsible Gaming Association of New Mexico, a body funded by Indian tribal casino operators in the state, has commissioned a study on problem gambling which will be carried out by the independent Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, according to local media reports. The study is believed to be the first of its kind …
It did not take long for SportsPesa CEO Ronald Karauri to carry through on his threat to discontinue sports sponsorships following his company’s challenge last week to the Kenya government’s imposition of punitive tax increases. The increases raised gambling taxes from 7.5 percent to 35 percent. Added to the African country’s 30 percent corporate tax …
Several mainstream media outlets in the UK have reported over the past two days on the possibility that the long-established and internationally respected Bank of England could launch its own cyber currency as early as this (2018) year, an event likely to have a major impact on both the crypto-currency and banking sectors. A Bank …
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 …