GGPoker, the world’s biggest poker room, has received a license to offer online gambling in Germany. The State Administration Office of Saxony-Anhalt, a regulator which currently provides licenses to operators, allowed the NSUS-owned company to operate poker for the next five years.
GGPoker Receives a German License
While Germany is known for its strict rules, it remains one of the biggest betting markets in Europe, making it an attractive jurisdiction for many gambling companies. GGPoker, which has offered online poker and iGaming for the last five years, wants to tap into this promising market and engage local customers with exciting poker games and tournaments. Users of the poker room can participate in games such as Rush & Catch poker, All-In or Fold, Flip & Go, Spin & Gold, Battle Royale, GGCare & GGCheers and many others.
GGPoker has cemented itself as the leading poker room thanks to its commitment to poker and its connections to the world stage of poker. For example, GGPoker is the official sponsor of the World Series of Poker Las Vegas, thanks to which it can offer pro players tons of growth opportunities. GGPoker also hosted the main WSOP online event and the WSOP 2020 Main Event two years ago.
GGPoker Is Excited to Modernize German iGaming
As reported by the gambling news outlet Gambling Insider, Sven Stiel from NSUS Germany praised the German authorities for their constructive approach, saying that his team is delighted to work with them. Stiel is excited about engaging German customers with poker offerings that are both innovative and of great quality while being secure and offering great customer protections. Thanks to the license, GGPoker’s content will also be legally backed, allowing customers to feel secure when playing with the company. Stiel concluded that this is a “decisive step” in modernizing Germany’s iGaming market.
GGPoker continues to steadily expand its presence in the digital poker space. At the beginning of October, the poker room joined forces with its longtime partner WSOP to launch WSOP.ca in Ontario, Canada. Thanks to this, customers in the Canadian province can now play a variety of competitive and recreational poker formats. To make things easier for existing players, GGPoker allowed customers to seamlessly transfer their existing accounts to the Canada-oriented platform.
A month earlier, Yggdrasil, one of the biggest iGaming content developers, teamed up with GGPoker, agreeing to power the poker room with its full range of games. This demonstrated GGPoker’s willingness to go beyond poker and engage customers with a varied selection of offerings.
1xBet, one of the world’s largest online sports betting companies, continues to make headlines in the worst possible ways. The company is now facing an imminent threat of bankruptcy in Curaçao, after a prolonged legal battle with the Foundation for the Representation of Victims of Online Gaming (SBGOK).
1xCorp N.V., originally from Russia, operates 1xBet and numerous other online sports betting and iGaming platforms. The company has attracted its fair share of controversies over the years, but 2022 may be its worst year yet. Many have deemed the online sportsbook giant too large to fail, but 1xCorp’s empire is starting to show significant cracks.
The Operator Stalled the Court as Long as Possible
Trouble has been brewing in Curaçao since November 2021 when 1XCorp was declared bankrupt by a local court. Player advocacy group SBGOK filed a lawsuit on behalf of several players whose winnings 1xBet allegedly failed to pay out. According to Curaçao’s Attorney General, failure to honor even a single due claim was a sufficient cause to declare a company bankrupt.
Further investigation revealed that 1xCorp owed millions of dollars in unpaid taxes and winnings, but was managing to juggle its debts in order to stay afloat. The court eventually ruled in favor of SBGOK and declared the operator bankrupt. However, some skillful legal maneuvering allowed 1xCorp to overturn the initial court decision by disputing SBGOK’s rights to represent players. What followed was a prolonged legal tug-of-war. As of the writing of this article, 1xCorp is in the process of appealing the court’s latest verdict, but it appears the company is just stalling the inevitable.
A Final Ruling Seems Imminent
R.J. Boswijk, Curaçao’s Attorney General, recommended that the Supreme Court should officially declare 1xBet’s bankruptcy. Although such advice officially holds no legal weight, historic precedent shows that the court usually complies in such cases. Such a ruling would end the operator’s stalling attempts.
According to Arend de Winter, the lawyer in charge of the bankruptcy proceedings, 1xBet were extremely uncooperative, even refusing to attend the initial case against them. He also drew attention to the fact that the 1XBet sites changed ownership several times during the bankruptcy proceedings, even though 1XCorp was still reported as an operator.
Questions are evaded and promises are not kept. The trustee cannot avoid the impression that there is willful opposition.
Arend de Winter
SBGOK originally claimed that the 17 players it represented were due 1.6 million Netherlands Antillean guilders (approximately €830,000) in a mixture of fiat and cryptocurrency. Three more individuals have since levied individual claims, and the Curaçao government joined in by demanding €1.3 million in unpaid taxes.
Bankruptcy Would Barely Inconvenience 1xBet
An important caveat regarding the whole case is that even if 1xBet is declared bankrupt in Curaçao, it will probably have no immediate influence on the operation of the website. Since the operator is primarily based abroad it doesn’t even hold a bank account in the Dutch overseas territory, making any meaningful legal action extremely difficult. Attempting to seize the company’s foreign capital would undoubtedly spark yet another prolonged legal battle.
The only real measure the Curaçao government can undertake is to revoke 1XCorp’s license. However, the operator is likely already prepared for that eventuality and, as evidenced in Russia, it is more than willing to skirt the law in order to make a profit. Even so, a successful lawsuit would prove that the giant is not invulnerable and may cause more jurisdictions to look into the company’s unsavory practices.
Auditor General of Ontario Bonnie Lysyk hired independent mystery shoppers to test out the anti-money laundering (AML) systems of casinos in Ontario. In a report published on Wednesday, Lysyk said that the mystery shoppers walked away with CA$36,700 (US$27,311) worth of checks from two casinos, nearly the entire amount that they originally brought to the casinos in cash.
to determine whether or not, in Ontario, it was possible to launder money through the casino”
The audit, part of an overall audit of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), ran from January to September 2022. Explaining the use of mystery shoppers, Lysyk said: “The point of it was to determine whether or not, in Ontario, it was possible to launder money through the casino.”
The mystery shoppers went into casinos with cash sums ranging between CA$5,000 (US$3,725) and CA$11,000 (US$8,195). They played slots and table games for ten or 15 minutes before trying to cash out their chips and receive checks in return.
Some concerning findings
At one casino, shoppers were able to get a check for CA$4,900 (US$3,651) after going in with CA$5,000 (US$3,725) cash and a CA$10,600 check from an initial cash bankroll of CA$11,000 (US$8,195). While the auditor noted that casino staff tried to verify that the mystery shopper had gambled at the property, they were not able to confirm that the money came from legitimate wins.
The total sum of the checks that the shoppers were able to leave with from two casinos was CA$36,700, about 98% of the cash sum with which they entered. The report said that the checks could be considered to be laundered money as they “could be represented as casino winnings as the source of funds for deposit at a bank.”
the mystery shoppers used their own money
At two other casinos, the mystery shoppers were denied checks and had to leave the premises with cash. They were investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police for potential money laundering activity and were banned from both casinos. Lysyk confirmed that the mystery shoppers used their own money, not the government’s.
Changes on the way
Lysyk provided a number of recommendations that would help OLG to reduce the risk of money laundering taking place at its casinos. One recommendation is that casinos ask for proof of source of funds when a person wants to buy in for at least CA$10,000 (US$7,442).
She believes that casinos should only issue a check if the funds can be verified as casino winnings. Lysyk also thinks that the OLG on the whole needs to improve its AML practices, particularly when it comes to proactive enforcement.
Responding to local media following the publication of the report, an OLG spokesperson said that combatting money laundering is a top priority for OLG. He said that the company will consider Lysyk’s recommendations and that the OLG planning to implement a source of funds verification on cash buy-ins of over CA$10,000 starting June 2023.
Not everyone was happy with Lysyk’s sting operation, though. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said: “You can’t do a sting operation, you can’t all of a sudden deputize yourself and think you’re the secret service – going around and doing sting operations that failed, by the way.”
The post Ontario Auditor General Hired Mystery Shoppers to Assess Casino Anti-Money Laundering Practices appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Sands China Ltd, a Macau-based resort developer, and operator, has announced that it would restructure the share capital of its Macau subsidiary, Venetian Macau Ltd (VML), which detains its Macau gaming license in order to comply with Macau’s new gaming law. The restructuring of VML’s share capital will prepare the company for a new ten-year gaming license.
New Requirements for a Gaming Concession
Per the new requirements under the Macau gaming law, gaming concessions must have a minimum share capital of MOP$5 billion ($630 million). In addition, a gaming company’s managing director must be a permanent resident of Macau and must hold at least 15% of the company’s share capital, which is worth at least MOP$5 billion ($630 million).
A filing with the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong reports that VML has a registered share capital of MOP$200 million ($24.9 million). 89.995 % of the said capital is owned by Venetian Venture Development Intermediate Limited (VVDIL) and 0.005 % is owned by Venetian Concession Holding Limited (VCHL). VVDIL and VCHL are both wholly owned by the group. The remaining 10% of VML’s capital is held by Dave Sun Min Qi, who is Sands China’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, and nominal managing director of VML as well.
Capital Injection
Sands China Ltd, which is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, stated that it would increase VML’s share capital from MOP$200 million ($24.9 million) to MOP$5 billion ($630 million). The group will allot 40,700,000 Class A shares at a subscription price of MOP$4.07 billion to VML’s stakeholders, namely VVDIL and VCHL. Sands China will also allot a total of 7,300,000 Class B shares at a subscription price of MOP$730 million to Sun.
After the investment of the said capital, the company will indirectly hold all Class A shares, which is, in fact, 85% of the voting rights and 100% of the economic rights of VML, while Dave Sun Min Qi will hold all Class B shares, which represent 15% of VML’s voting rights and minimum economic rights in the concession-holding company.
A New 10-year Gaming Concession
Sands China is one of the six current companies that have been awarded a provisional 10-year gaming concession starting from January 1, 2023, as part of the city’s public tender to award new casino rights. The restructuring of Sands China’s Macau unit comes after other Macau-based casino operators, including SJM Holdings Ltd and MGM China Holdings Ltd, had already announced similar reorganizations, in order to meet the new concession requirements. Prior to Sands China’s announcement, Wynn Macau Ltd stated that it would take similar measures to ensure its compliance with the new Macau regulations.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) recently wrapped the 2022 WPT Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (RRPO) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The $3,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event saw Andy Wilson top a 1,541-entry field to win $785,800 plus a $10,400 seat into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
However, that was just one of 44 events in the festival, which catered to a combined 16,284 entrants and awarded $13,199,710 in prize money. We already highlighted early winners from the series, so we thought it only fair to recap some of the bigger winners from down the stretch.
Among those to capture titles late in the 2022 RRPO were Lisa Levy (Event #29: $400 Ladies Event for $5,870), Duff Charette (Event #34: $600 Deep Stack NLH for $76,075), Dominique Mosley (Event #39: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha for $61,170), Elliott Kampen (Event #32: $10,000 PLO High Roller for $121,600), and Eric Afriat, who won not one, but two titles (Event #33: $1,700 Purple Chip Bounty for $46,515 and Event #41: $400 Seniors 50+ for $9,100).
Here’s a look at some of the most notable storylines from the stop’s late side events.
Check out early winners from the 2022 RRPO here!
Sergio Aido Wins High Roller for $500K
Sergio Aido
From November 28-29, Event #37: $25,500 High Roller played out. The tournament attracted 85 runners and offered up a $2,099,500 prize pool paid out to the top dozen finishers including Justin Zaki (10th – $60,885), Giuseppe Iadisernia (11th – $58,790), and Michael Rossitto (12th – $56,690), who all cashed but failed to make the final table.
The tournament ended in a three-way deal that saw Sergio Aido, who this past August won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open (SHRPO) Championship for $900,100, claim the title and $500,000 in prize money. That brought his lifetime career earnings up over $14.7 million according to the Hendon Mob.
“I can come for only five or six days,” Aido told Seminole reporters, “and since I am living in Mexico now, it’s a convenient three-hour flight.”
RRPO $25K High Roller Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Sergio Aido
$500,000*
2
Scott Margereson
$413,746*
3
Justin Saliba
$402,634*
4
Gytis Lazauninkas
$186,855
5
Stan Jablonski
$123,870
6
Joe McKeehen
$92,380
7
Alex Livingston
$75,580
8
Chance Kornuth
$65,085
9
Ray Qartomy
$62,985
*Denotes three-way ICM deal.
Frank Lagodich’s Heater Continues
Frank Lagodich
On November 29, Event #42: $5,000 Deep Stack NLH more than tripled its $200K GTD as 134 entrants generated a prize pool of $636,500. The top 17 finishers made the money, and some of those to cash but fall short of the final table were Jason Klapman (11th – $15,920), Joey Weissman (14th – $14,000), Josh Reichard (15th – $12,900), and Ryan Riess (16th – $12,900).
The tournament ended in a five-way deal that saw Frank Lagodich, a big chip leader at the time, win the title and $133,241 in prize money. It was the second six-figure score for the Ohio pro in just over a week as he was fresh off winning the WSOP Circuit Grand Victoria $1,700 Main Event for $275,896. The latest win moved Lagodich over $1 million in lifetime earnings according to the Hendon Mob.
It was also Lagodich’s second SHRP major series trophy after having won the 2022 Seminole Poker Showdown $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $26,575.
RRPO Event #42 Final Table Results
Place
Player
Prize
1
Frank Lagodich
$133,241*
2
Yuval Bronshtein
$86,947*
3
Brian Hastings
$77,211*
4
Scott Dehm
$72,022*
5
Erik Seidel
$62,249*
6
James Romero
$26,735
7
Artem Metalidi
$23,230
8
Eric Panayiutou
$20,365
9
Isaac Kempton
$17,980
*Denotes five-way ICM deal.
Michael Newman Wins 8th SHRP Title
Michael Newman
Michael Newman is a crusher at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. On November 21, he topped a 107-entry field to win Event #18: $400 Deep Stack Turbo NLH for $7,136 and his seventh SHRP title. That moved him into a five-way tie for second place with Brian Altman, Yuval Bronshtein, Gabe Ramos, and David Prociak, but it didn’t take long for him to break that tie.
On November 29, Event #44: $300 Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty attracted 286 entrants and once again it was Newman getting the job done. His victory came with a $6,437 top prize but perhaps more importantly his eighth SHRP title, which broke the tie and moved him solely into second place behind only the nine titles of Raminder Singh.
Newman’s SHRP Titles
Series
Tournament
Prize
2016 SHRPO
$570 No-Limit Hold’em
$17,589
2016 RRPO
$360 Pot-Limit Omaha
$7,740
2017 LHPO
$570 Six-Max Pot Limit Omaha
$7,473
2017 RRPO
$3,500 RRPO Championship
$374,240
2019 LHPO
$360 Ultimate Re-Entry
$183,525
2021 SHRPO
$400 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em
$7,573
2022 RRPO
$400 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em
$7,136
2022 RRPO
$300 Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty
$6,437
Check out our feature article on Michael Newman here!
2022 RRPO Winners
Date
Tournament
Entries
Prize Pool
Winner
Prize
Nov. 16-21
Event #1: $400 Deep Stack NLH
6,134
$2,024,200
Peter Hsu
$191,223
Nov. 16
Event #2: $600 Seniors 50+ NLH
176
$92,400
Wilmer Chavira
$16,031
Nov. 16
Event #3: $600 Deep Stack Big O
80
$42,000
Chris Kostoulas
$7,418
Nov. 16
Event #4: $200 Quad Stack Double Green Chip Bounty
177
$19,470
Jesus Figueroa
$4,313
Nov. 17
Event #5: $600 HORSE
78
$40,950
AJ Kelsall
$13,625
Nov. 17-18
Event #6: $1,100 Five-Card PLO
102
$98,940
Robert Lupo
$24,148
Nov. 17
Event #7: $150 Big Stack NLH
239
$30,000
Joseph Diaz
$6,935
Nov. 17
Event #8: $600 Deep Stack Turbo NLH
37
$19,610
Matty Bretzfield
$5,828
Nov. 18
Event #9: $600 Limit Omaha 8
108
$56,700
Salvatore Pipitone
$16,900
Nov. 18
Event #10: $600 Double Black Chip Bounty
188
$61,100
Daniel Chlimper
$15,425
Nov. 19
Event #11: $600 PLO 8
122
$64,050
Long Nguyen
$18,065
Nov. 20
Event #12: $400 Deep Stack NLH
515
$172,525
Scott Baumstein
$27,965
Nov. 20-21
Event #13: $1,100 Six-Max NLH
193
$187,210
Glen Cressman
$46,170
Nov. 20-22
Event #14: $600 Deep Stack PLO
405
$210,600
John Holley
$30,191
Nov. 20
Event #15: $600 Deep Stack Turbo NLH
74
$39,220
Raminder Singh
$7,897
Nov. 21
Event #16: $400 Omaha 8/Stud 8
83
$27,805
John Holley
$8,950
Nov. 21-23
Event #17: $200 Big Stack NLH
1,894
$303,040
Christopher Lewis
$32,400
Nov. 21
Event #18: $400 Deep Stack Turbo NLH
107
$36,380
Michael Newman
$7,136
Nov. 22
Event #19: $400 Big Stack Six-Max NLH
115
$38,525
Larry Elliott
$7,965
Nov. 22
Event #20: $1,100 Deep Stack NLH Freezeout
68
$65,960
Colin Robinson
$22,135
Nov. 22-23
Event #21: $1,700 Purple Chip Bounty PLO
77
$77,000
David Moreno
$26,020
Nov. 22
Event #22: $400 Deep Stack NLH Turbo
58
$19,720
Matt Vinke
$7,095
Nov. 23
Event #23: $400 Black Chip Bounty 5-Card PLO
154
$36,190
David Goodis
$9,450
Nov. 23
Event #24: $200 Double Green Chip Bounty NLH
254
$27,940
Christopher Corrales
$5,695
Nov. 24
Event #25: $250 Holiday Deep Stack NLH
312
$36,816
Igor Tolstov
$7,816
1,541
$4,931,200
Nov. 25-30
Event #26: $3,500 WPT RRPO Championship
1,541
$4,931,200
Andy Wilson
$785,800
Nov. 25
Event #27: $400 Black Chip Bounty Turbo NLH
151
$35,485
Daniyal Gheba
$9,550
Nov. 26-27
Event #28: $600 Mixed PLO
62
$32,550
Floyd Scott Jr.
$10,000
Nov. 26
Event #29: $400 Ladies Event
45
$15,075
Lisa Levy
$5,870
Nov. 26
Event #30: $150 Big Stack NLH
119
$14,042
Sebastian Espinoza
$4,052
Nov. 27
Event #31: $400 Black Chip Bounty NLH
349
$82,015
Alexander Perez
$12,806
Nov. 27-28
Event #32: $10,000 PLO High Roller
32
$304,000
Elliott Kampen
$121,600
Nov. 27-28
Event #33: $1,700 Purple Chip Bounty
182
$182,000
Eric Afriat
$46,515
Nov. 27-29
Event #34: $600 Deep Stack NLH
838
$435,760
Duff Charette
$76,075
Nov. 27
Event #35: $1,100 Turbo NLH
51
$51,000
Matthew Davenport
$18,870
Nov. 28-29
Event #36: $1,100 Deep Stack NLH
119
$115,430
Milen Stefanov
$33,640
Nov. 28-29
Event #37: $25,500 High Roller
85
$2,099,500
Sergio Aido
$500,000
Nov. 28
Event #38: $400 HORSE
91
$30,485
David Shmuel
$7,471
Nov. 28-29
Event #39: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
42
$199,500
Dominique Mosley
$61,170
Nov. 28
Event #40: $150 Big Stack NLH
124
$14,632
Alexander Morgovsky
$4,112
Nov. 29
Event #41: $400 Seniors 50+
149
$49,915
Eric Afriat
$9,110
Nov. 29
Event #42: $5,000 Deep Stack NLH
134
$636,500
Frank Lagodich
$133,241
Nov. 29
Event #43: $1,100 Six-Max PLO
134
$97,970
Rafael Rodriguez Arango
$28,895
Nov. 29
Event #44: $300 Quad Stack Black Chip Bounty
286
$44,300
Michael Newman
$6,437
Did You Know the World Poker Tour is Online?
The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.
WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.
Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.
Listen to more about the WPT World Championship on the new PokerNews Podcast!
*Images courtesy of SHRPO.
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The 44-event @WPT RRPO series catered to 16,284 entrants & awarded $13,199,710 in prize money.
Gaming and lottery solutions and technology provider Intralot reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2022, registering an 83% drop in earnings before tax year-over-year.
Three Months to September 30, 2022
For the three months ended September 30, 2022, Intralot reported a turnover of €96.9 million ($101.75 million), marking a decrease of 3.2% to €100.2 million ($105.2 million) reported in the third quarter of 2021. Intralot attributed the drop of €3.3 million ($3.46 million) primarily to the license expiration in Malta.
On a constant currency basis, Intralot reported that Q3 2022 revenue increased by 7.7% year-over-year as it experienced €11 million ($11.5 million) of negative foreign exchange (FX) impact.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) from continued operations was €88.1 million ($92.5 million), up €7.6 million ($7.98 million) or 9.4% to Q3 2021. The increase goes up to 18.8% when accounting for the negative FX impact on GGR in the quarter of €7.5 million ($7.88 million).
Operating expenses in the quarter posted a decrease of €1.7 million ($1.79 million) to €20.8 million ($21.8 million), while other operational income registered an increase of 11%, or €0.6 million ($0.63 million) mainly driven by the equipment leases in the USA.
EBITDA from continuing operations came at €33 million ($34.6 million), up 16.6% to €28.3 million ($29.7 million) in the third quarter of the previous year. Accounting for a negative FX impact of €3.5 million ($3.67 million) Q3 2022 EBITDA is 28.8% higher than in Q3 2021.
Earnings before tax (EBT) in the quarter fell to €11.4 million ($12 million) from €67.2 million ($70.56 million), or 83%. The quarterly result was impacted by the lower interest income arising from the balance sheet optimization transaction which concluded in Q3 2021 and the lower income from participations and investments which was affected by the gain from the balance sheet optimization transaction.
The negative impacts were partially offset by the lower interest expenses as a direct effect of debt restructuring, lower reorganization expenses, gains on net monetary position, and better FX results. On a constant currency basis, Q3 2022 EBT was €25.7 million ($27 million), down 62.1%.
Nine Months to September 30, 2022
For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, turnover was 0.3% down, GGR was up 5%, operating expenses increased by 2.2%, other operating income was up 13.35, EBITDA came 6.65% higher, and EBT was down 65.8%. Intralot chairman and chief executive officer Sokratis Kokkalis commented:
Intralot’s significantly improved financial results for the nine-month period reflect the benefits from the extensive business and capital structure re-organization efforts during 2021 and 2022 along with healthy cash flow generation and profit margins that create stability and provide us the runway to deploy our plans on opportunities, particularly in the online domain, in the US and around the world.
Intralot chairman and chief executive officer Sokratis Kokkalis
Operating cash flow decreased by 19.6% to €67.7 million ($71.1 million) and net debt increased by 2.5% to €509.6 million ($535.1 million).
Jackpocket and NHL’s Dallas Stars have inked a partnership agreement
The third-party lottery app has become the team’s official digital lottery courier partner
The new deal will feature several sweepstakes during the 2022-2023 season
Image Source: Jackpocket
Jackpocket, the licensed third-party lottery app that provides a safe way of ordering official state lottery tickets while nurturing a fun, responsible, and convenient way of playing, has inked a three-year partnership with Dallas Stars. The National Hockey League team previously known as the Minnesota North State has agreed to appoint Jackpocket as its official digital lottery courier partner. What does the new deal mean for both parties? Let’s find out.
Attractive Prizes for Sweepstake Winners in the 2022-23 Season
Scheduled to start running in the 2022-2023 hockey season, the new exclusive agreement represents a thrilling sports franchise partnership for Jackpocket, according to chief executive officer and founder Peter Sullivan. The team that plays in the Central Division of the Western Conference is also Texas’ only NHL representative in Texas, which makes the fresh partnership even more exciting. Sullivan explained that the company was looking forward to seeing its logo featured on the team’s scoreboard at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, which is its main headquarters.
New customers will have the chance to buy their first lottery ticket free of charge by using the promotional code “STARS“ during checkout. Jackpocket will also organize several sweepstakes during the upcoming hockey season. Fans of the team that has won three conference titles along with the prestigious Stanley Cup in 1999 can expect to be rewarded with important prizes. The list features access to behind-the-scenes activities, tickets to home games, flights to the team’s away games, and other similar perks. The team will also provide VIP experiences to the winners of the sweepstakes. Among them, access to Casino Night events, visits to the pre-game penalty box, autographed hockey gear belonging to the team, or the chance to take part in the Stars First Look during intermissions.
Elevating Game-day Experiences for Loyal Fans
Dallas Stars’ president and chief executive officer Brad Alberts described Jackpocket as their new “trusted partner” that would help them elevate their game-day experiences for their most loyal fans. Alberts added the team was looking forward to bringing Jackpocket’s digital lottery courier app “excitement and convenience” to its “great fans.“ Jackpocket was ranked as the number one free app in the App Store during July’s historic draw connected to Mega Millions. It was also included in the top 10 during the historic Powerball drawing that took place in November. In mid-October, Jackpocket announced it would expand into the 13th US state through its Idaho launch. In August, the same lottery app company became ESPN NY’s exclusive sponsor.
Yasiel Puig Valdés, Cuban-born American professional baseball right fielder from the Major League Baseball (MLB) has withdrawn a guilty plea from earlier this year. The case has seen the athlete investigated for betting with an illegal gambling operator.
Puig Participated in an Illegal Gambling Operation
According to the allegations, Puig participated in an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former baseball player, by placing hundreds of bets on sports. It is known that Puig placed his bets through agents working for the operation. Between 2019, when Puig started betting with Nix’s platform, and June of that same year, he had come to owe $282,900 in losses. The athlete eventually paid his debt and continued wagering through a website owned by the Nix scheme. In a few months, Puig had placed a whopping 899 bets on professional sports.
In April, Puig pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business and one count of filing a false tax return. However, Puig’s most serious was that he allegedly lied to federal investigators who investigated the Nix operation.
The Athlete Says He Did Not Lie
When being interviewed by the federals in January, the baseball player allegedly provided false information. The Department of Justice insisted that Puig did not speak the truth about his connections with people related to the Nix scheme. He is also said to have lied about the ways in which he gambled. In November, Puig pleaded guilty to one account of making false statements. Since this is considered to be a serious offense, Puig risks up to five years in federal prison.
While Puig was eligible for probation, he opted to instead oppose the allegations following the resurgence of “significant new evidence.” He remained adamant that he wants to clear his name and has now changed his plea to not guilty. Puig admitted that he never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime he never committed.
The new evidence in question was presented by Keri Axel, a Waymaker attorney defending the athlete. Axel emphasized that during his interview with the federals, Puig had untreated mental health problems. Furthermore, he didn’t have an interpreter or a criminal legal counsel to assist him. The attorney added that after carefully reviewing the evidence, the defense has some major concerns about the allegations against the MLB player.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) ushers in its 20th anniversary this year and has been celebrating all year long and thing will culminate at Wynn Las Vegas with its $10,400 buy-in, $15 million GTD WPT World Championship. It will be held from December 12-20, with 22 other events also on the Wynn WPT World Championship schedule.
A tournament of this size with a $15 million dollar guarantee will attract its fair share of high-profile poker players, and will also be a televised event. Its field will also be filled with satellite winners and qualifiers as the Wynn, WPT, and ClubWPT have all been running special promotions awarding passports and entries into the championship tournament.
ClubWPT awarded its final qualifier a passport into the championship on November 13th. The winner of each satellite won a $12,000 Passport to the WPT World Championship. The passport included the tournament buy-in, as well as a hotel and travel stipend.
However, you can still win an entry into the tournament by playing one of the Wynn’s live $1,100 buy-in satellites, which run up to December, with a mega-satellite on December 11th, which will award at least 50 entries into the tournament. You can also play on WPT Global which will also be awarding seats up to the end of November.
Click here to see a list of qualifier and satellite opportunities!
It’s Fun Being a Woman in Poker
PokerNews recently caught up with Sepideh Moghaddam, one of these ClubWPT qualifiers who won her passport at ClubWPT’s July 24th event.
Sepideh currently lives in Houston, Texas, and primarily is a Business Manager for a private doctor’s practice as well as having a few commercial and residential real estate properties that she rents out.
Sepideh Moghaddam
“I learned how to play poker when I was very young from my dad,” she reminisced. “He is a professional poker player and well-known in the industry.”
She added, “I always enjoyed playing poker because it’s a challenge and a lot of skills are needed to play. Also, as a female poker player, it’s always fun to get the reactions from the men when they see me at a table.”
With Sepideh’s busy work schedule, she signed up for ClubWPT because she could play from the comfort of home and give herself a much-needed break from her busy day. She’s been to Vegas multiple times but has never played a poker tournament while in town, so the WPT World Championship will be her first foray into a large Vegas tournament.
Sepideh saiad excitedly, that she is “hoping the cards are right for me at this big event at the Wynn.” However, her goal for this tournament “is to have fun and really enjoy my time both at the table and away from it.”
“I’m super excited about this event and can’t wait to get the full experience from the WPT!”
Learn More About the Subscription-Based ClubWPT here!
ClubWPT Qualifiers Thus Far for WPT Wynn
Date Qualifier
Player
City
State
5/14/2022
Drew Rautenberg
Medfield
MA
5/28/2022
Bruce Ramoth
Selawik
AK
5/29/2022
Quran Cruse
West Hartford
CT
6/5/2022
William Hays
Jackson
TN
6/12/2022
Anthony Greene
Penfield
NY
6/19/2022
Michael Ensey II
Gun Barrel
TX
7/3/2022
Jason Kilby
Wakeman
OH
7/10/2022
Philip Aleman
Staten Island
NY
7/10/2022
Kurt Carlson
Golden
CO
7/17/2022
Ronald “Tigar” Penepent
Cleveland
TN
7/24/2022
Sepideh Moghaddam
Bellaire
TX
8/7/2022
Joseph Giannone
Citrus Heights
CA
8/14/2022
Dan Lincoln
West Bridgewater
MA
8/28/2022
William Haines
Superior
CO
8/28/2022
Albert Cohen
Mount Dora
FL
9/4/2022
Richard Jaros
North Anson
ME
9/11/2022
Mike Robinson
Lone Star
TX
9/18/2022
Timothy Robins
Lincoln
NE
9/25/2022
Stacey Breslin
Lakemoor
IL
10/2/2022
Jerry Tucker
Florence
KY
10/9/2022
Charles Ralston
Hot Springs
AR
10/16/2022
Joseph DiTommaso
Concord
NH
10/23/2022
Bob Bacon
Overgaard
AZ
10/30/2022
Richard Hill
Paso Robles
CA
10/31/2022
Mark Symons
Byron Center
MI
11/6/2022
Steve Hohn
Fort Worth
TX
11/13/2022
Peter Espitia
Los Angeles
CA
Did You Know the World Poker Tour is Online?
The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.
WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.
Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.
Listen to more about the WPT World Championship on the new PokerNews Podcast!
*Images courtesy of Sepideh Moghaddam.
Christina Bradfield
Editor
Christina is a Las Vegas-based freelance writer who discovered poker at the age of twelve. She’s been a contributor to PokerNews since 2022.
The leading global gambling company, 888 Holdings, held its Capital Markets Day (CMD) earlier this week. The company discussed an extensive list of topics during the event, among which, was its further growth into the regulated gambling markets in the United States.
888 Holdings Updates US Expansion Strategy
A key message delivered during the CMD event was the change in 888’s strategy for the US market, a transcript released by Market Screener reveals. The company’s chief strategy officer, Vaughan Lewis, revealed that while the US holds significant growth opportunities, the market also stands out with high competitiveness. 888’s chief strategy officer added that after operating for more than a year within sports betting markets in the US via its Sports Illustrated Sportsbook brand, the company was able to identify new opportunities for market capitalization.
He explained that the company’s revamped strategy deviates from the original plan which was to establish “a nationwide sports-led operation in 12 to 15 states.” Lewis pointed out that the company faced intense competition within the sports betting vertical and acknowledged that it will be difficult to compete against the top 4 brands and deliver sustainable success without changing its plan.
“It’s become clear to us that the intense competition in sports betting and the dominance of the top 4 brands means that it will be very difficult to deliver positive returns without evolving our plan.“
Vaughan Lewis, chief strategy officer at 888
Older Male Demographic Brings More Profits than Young Adults
Upon evaluating the competitiveness of the company, 888 decided to upgrade its strategy and label it an “evolve plan.” With the plan, also referred to as “Betting 2.0,” the company is after expanding its presence while targeting a specific demographic. 888 identified that the older male demographic holds significant potential when compared to the younger audiences.
“So this is all about bringing Sports Illustrated to our players, news and content and then really focusing on being laser-focused on a key cohort of the older male demographic,“
added Lewis
In that line of thought, Lewis explained the older male demographic “spend 4 to 6x more than the ultra-competitive younger demographics, and they love casino.” He added that those players enjoy casino and betting while at the same time having enough funds to spend on gambling, which makes them the perfect target audience.
Besides the key target audience, Lewis pointed out that the iGaming market in the US holds even bigger potential than the sports betting vertical. He said that online gambling is available in six states but the market is nearly as big as the 22 states that offer sports betting. This potential of the iGaming segment, according to Lewis, creates further growth opportunities for 888casino.
