Business & Financial
World Cup Predicted to Set TV Records as Marketers Gear Up
The World Cup, the greatest single sport competition in international athletics, has the world riveted, and marketers are working overtime to get noticed on the world stage.
GTECH in Talks to Buy IGT
MILAN (Reuters) - Italian lottery operator GTECH is in preliminary talks to buy Las Vegas-based International Game Technology (IGT) in a cash and shares deal that would make it a significant player in the casino slot machine business.
GTECH said on Monday it had hired advisers to help it negotiate a deal, confirming what sources told Reuters last week. It gave no value for the potential bid.
Bitcoin Community Fears 51 Percent GHash Control: Others Say It’s Armageddon
On Friday for a period of nearly 12 hours, mining pool GHash had surpassed the 51% controlling share mark in the anonymous digital currency bitcoin and that has many watchers worried….perhaps with good reason.
Back in January GHash had 42% control and even then there were concerns mounting.
Golden Nugget Does Not Have to Pay $1.5 Million Won in Mini-Baccarat Game
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) - A casino does not have to pay $1.5 million won by a group of gamblers who realized the cards had not been shuffled, and can move to recover more than $500,000 it already paid them, a judge ruled Friday.
The Superior Court judge ruled that because the cards had been unshuffled, that made the game of mini-baccarat in April 2012 illegal under state casino rules.
Amaya Would Become Largest Online Gambling Company, Pave Way for California
With word that publicly traded Amaya Gaming Group has agreed to the $4.9 billion purchase of PokerStars.com, the company will become the world’s largest online gambling business. It will also potentially help to usher in legalized online poker for the state of California.
Amaya Agrees to Acquire PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker for $4.9 Billion
MONTREAL, CANADA & ONCHAN, ISLE OF MAN –Amaya Gaming Group Inc. (TSX: AYA) (“Amaya” or the “Corporation”) and privately held Oldford Group Limited (“Oldford Group”), the parent company of Rational Group Ltd.
New Jersey Sees Sharp Decline in Online Gambling During Month of May
(Associated Press) - Internet gambling has hit a wall in New Jersey just six months after launching.
Figures released today by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement show the casinos' online operations took in $10.4 million in May, a decline of $1 million from April. Internet gambling revenues have now declined for two straight months in New Jersey.
But there was some good news in the numbers: Including Internet gambling revenue, and excluding the Atlantic Club, which closed in January, the casinos' total revenue was up nearly 1.3 percent.
KordaMentha Accountants World Cup 2014 Prediction: Germany to Win it All
Australian investment firm KordaMentha forensic accountants crunched all the numbers and have arrived at a 2014 FIFA World Cup winner. That would be Germany with odds around 5/1 at AceSportsbook.com.
Alex Bell led their analysis using a system first developed to rate chess players.
William Hill Takes £400,000 Bet on Whether Scotland Leaves the UK
The United Kingdom’s largest bookmaker, William Hill, has offered odds on whether Scotland will leave the UK. The odds are a bit steep at 1-4 for Scotland to vote against independence.
One man, said to be English, has wagered £400,000 on the “No” with the payoff being £100,000. It is the largest political bet in William Hill’s long history.
NBA Finals Matchup is a PR Powerhouse Says 5WPR Founder in G911 Exclusive
After a difficult decade of ups and downs, the NBA Finals are once again must see TV.
Dubai Businessman Iraj Parvizi Sues Les Ambassadeurs Casino for Allowing Collusion
A Dubai-based businessman, Iraj Parvizi is suing London’s Les Ambassadeurs Casino for failing to prevent collusion and cheating in its establishment.
And the amount he is suing for?
£10,000,000.
The 48-year-old was a regular in weekly high stakes cash games held at the casino until he lost £185,000 in one session and refused to pay back for the chips he received on credit.
New Jersey Clarifies Online Gambling Affiliate Arrangements
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has expressed the importance of affiliate relations to the growth of its state-run online gambling industry. On Tuesday, it sought to clarify the types of relationships and activity said affiliates can and cannot engage in.
IGT Seeking Sale: Shares Hit Five-Year Record High
News that International Game Technology (IGT) is potentially seeking a buyer resulted in shares reaching a five-year high on Monday. Morgan Stanley has been brought on to assess a sale of the slot maker’s business.
The shares rose 14 percent to $14.31 at the close in New York Monday, the biggest one-day gain since April 3, 2009. The stock had fallen 31 percent this year through June 6.
James Henderson Expected to Replace Outgoing William Hill CEO Ralph Topping
Online bookmaker William Hill is set to replace outgoing CEO Ralph Topping with the company’s current Director of Operations James Henderson, according to media reports that circulated over the weekend.
The firm downplayed rumors Monday morning, however, telling EGR Magazine they have yet to make a definitive decision.
Replacing Topping has been a priority for William Hill since announcing his retirement earlier in the year. He has been CEO of the UK’s biggest bookmaker since 2008.
Ifrah Law Wins Dismissal of Online Poker Trademark Infringement Suit
U.S. District Court applies Supreme Court’s Daimler v. Bauman ruling to narrowly define general jurisdiction
WASHINGTON - A federal court has dismissed a trademark infringement lawsuit against a foreign internet poker news site in a ruling that signifies a win for Internet businesses at large by narrowing the types of contacts that would confer general jurisdiction against these foreign companies.
BetFred.com Pulls Out of Germany, Canada, Most Other Markets Ahead of World Cup
Not the best timing as the FIFA World Cup is set to begin this week but BetFred.com customers from variously countries across the globe were advised this weekend they can no longer bet online with the company.
PokerNews.com Banned From Covering Poker Tournament at Venetian
One of the largest poker news venues, PokerNews.com, has been banned from covering the Mid-States Poker Tour at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on grounds that it promotes online poker sites. PokerNews.com was unaware of the reasons behind the ban until this weekend.
The Venetian is run by Sheldon Adelson, who is currently on a mission to stop the proliferation of Web poker in the United States.
PokerStars Wants All-in With California Online Poker: Responds to Tribes
As Gambling911.com reported Tuesday, California’s 13 tribes have reached an agreement to allow real money online poker in the state after five years of standoff. But it seems the closer some groups come together, the further others end up apart.
Dreyfus Announces American Poker Awards to be Held in LA
Global Poker Index (GPI) head Alex Dreyfus has announced the first annual American Poker Awards.
The event will be held in Los Angeles, California, at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 27, 2015.
The event looks to celebrate the poker industry and help develop the game worldwide by bringing some of the biggest names in the industry together.
"I think we are at the eve of a new boom," Dreyfus told PokerNews explaining how he believes this to be "the perfect time" for an initiative like the American awards."
Macau Gambling Revenue Up 9.3 Percent
HONG KONG – (Reuters) - Macau, the world's casino capital, raked in 32.35 billion patacas (US$4.05bil) in gambling revenue in May, boosted by robust demand from Chinese visitors keen to bet in the country's only legal casino hub.
Growth in Macau, a special administrative region like neighbouring Hong Kong, was up 9.3% in May, lagging analyst estimates of 13-15%.
William Hill Nasal Strips to be Handed Out for Belmont Stakes
The UK’s biggest bookmaker William Hill will be offering its own branded nasal strips at betting shops in honor of this year’s Belmont Stakes race and the next Triple Crown winner (wishful thinking perhaps) California Chrome. ESPN's Darren Rovell first reported on the most unusual offering.
Why nasal strips?
Is Sterling debacle good for the NBA? Plus NBA Finals Exact Game Odds
Apparently, it’s not too soon. Even while the question of what will happen to the LA Clippers now that former owner Donald Sterling has stepped away is still not entirely answered, pundits are beginning to move into tertiary threads. One recent question asked, entirely hypothetically, was if the Donald Sterling debacle was “good” for the NBA.
Sports Betting Billy Walters on FBI Probe: ‘I Am Innocent of Doing Anything Wrong’
Legendary sports betting professional Billy Walters spoke to CNBC on Tuesday insisting he did nothing wrong in regard to an insider trading probe. Walters, billionaire investor Carl Icahn and golfer Phil Nickelson have each been tied to the ongoing FBI and SEC investigation. Nickelson said over the weekend that he is fully cooperating with the Feds.
Forbes: Sheldon Adelson Winning His War Against Online Gambling
Forbes.com’s Nathan Vardi argued on Tuesday that casino billionaire and mega GOP donor Sheldon Adelson is now winning his war against Internet gambling.
It was a war mounted last fall that included slickly produced so-called public service messages coupled with lobbying efforts from some big name former politicians the likes of one time New York Governor George Pataki and former Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
World Series of Poker Charges $16 for a Salad: Smith & Wollensky Salad Just $9.50
What a mighty pricey salad!
$16: That’s what the Rio is charging for a salad in what is referred to as the “poker kitchen”.
$16? Really?
Lee Davy of PokerListings.com had the same reaction and that’s what initially prompted Gambling911.com to take note of this very expensive plate of greens.
A few days ago I joined the PokerNews UK Editor, Matthew Pitt, as he looked for something healthy to eat.
UFC Boss Dana White Banned From Gambling at Palms Casino After $2m Win
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has been banned from playing in the Las Vegas Palms Casino after winning $2 million at blackjack.
"I beat them for [nearly $2 million], and they asked me not to play anymore," White told
FBI Unable to Tap Phone Calls of Gambler Billy Walters as Part of SEC Probe
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be unable to use electronic surveillance in its investigation into golf pro Phil Mickelson and professional sports gambler Billy Walters. Public knowledge of a probe into alleged insider trading prevents the law enforcement agency from tapping into the phones of both individuals.
Poker Players Set to Rake in Winnings With $50,000 up for Grabs at BetOnline.ag
Responding to requests from their poker player base, BetOnline.ag have decided to re-run the $50,000 Single Table Tournaments, with a $50,000 prize pool at stake, and two chances to claim it, in the month of June 2014. Clearly this promotion proved to be highly popular with their players, and BetOnline.ag is only too happy to oblige, as they feel it is great to get such positive feedback.
Mickleson Says He Did Nothing Wrong: Cooperating in Probe Involving Billy Walters
Hall of Fame Golf pro Phil Mickelson confirmed to the Associated Press that FBI agents approached him at the Memorial Tournament in regard to an insider trading probe. Mickelson insisted Saturday he did “absolutely nothing wrong”.
FBI, SEC Probe Into Big Time Gambler Billy Walters, Carl Icahn, Phil Mickelson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating possible insider trading involving billionaire investor Carl Icahn, golfer Phil Mickelson and Las Vegas gambler William Walters, a source familiar with the matter said.
