Ahead of the upcoming launch of sports betting in Ohio, Jack Entertainment announced Friday it released a new advertising campaign.

Jack Entertainment Unveils Its an Ohio Thing

The company unveiled “It’s an Ohio Thing,” a new commercial that features three sports legends in the state. With the new campaign, Jack Entertainment reaffirms its in-depth knowledge of the passionate sports fan base in Ohio. The company explained that sports fans viewing the commercial will “recognize the red sweater and khaki pants of a former college football coach in Columbus; the quirky chicken flap batting stance of Cincinnati’s favorite second baseman; and the signature “Silencer” move of the G.O.A.T.  from Akron.”

Ultimately the new television campaign explains that local teams have significant importance for sports fans in the state. At the same time, Jack Entertainment seeks to promote the only app built in Ohio for Ohio, betJACK. Currently available as a free-to-play app, betJACK plans to introduce real-money wagering as soon as the market in Ohio launches. Live betting in the state needs to launch no later than January 1, 2023.

“As the countdown continues to Ohio’s sports betting entrance, JACK Entertainment has upped the ante with a new commercial that speaks directly to the hearts of Ohio’s most passionate sports fans,“

reads a statement released by Jack Entertainment

betJACK Anticipates the Launch of Sports Betting in the State

Once the market launches in Ohio, betJACK customers will be able to enjoy different betting options including over/under, same-game parlays, parlays, in-game betting and others. In addition, sports bettors have access to multiple guides that offer information about betting options and instructions for inexperienced bettors.

Reaffirming its knowledge about the market in Ohio, betJACK offers exclusive features such as news insights, analytics and other engaging content. This will likely further propel the popularity of the sportsbook. betJACK is expected to be well received by bettors in Ohio, considering that it is the only app developed in the state for customers within the state.

“Ohio is not just a state – it’s a state of mind, a code of conduct, and a badge of honor.“

Adam Suliman, senior vice president of sports and digital gaming at Jack Entertainment

Sharing his excitement, Jack Entertainment’s senior vice president of sports and digital gaming, Adam Suliman, acknowledged that Ohio is significantly important for the sports fans in the state. He pointed out that the fans are proud to support its local sports teams and are proud to call themselves Ohioans. “We’re thrilled betJACK is the only sportsbook app with real insight into the Buckeye state,” said Suliman in conclusion.

The US Attorney’s Office of the District of South Carolina said in a press release that the illegal gambling organization uncovered by the joint investigation between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was sentenced in court.

Selling Unlicensed Gambling Machines

Bubba Technology Group, LLC, operating as an illegal gambling business from Piedmont, pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit its illegal operation profit of approximately $367,000, while also losing dozens of unlicensed gambling machines and an additional $670,000 that were seized by authorities from gaming houses affiliated with the company.

“The Defendant took a chance that it could make money by breaking the law. It lost that bet,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.

“This business sold machines that allowed people to make wagers and win money – which makes the business illegal under federal law here in South Carolina,” Boroughs continued, expressing the Office’s determination to “aggressively pursue those who seek to get rich by breaking federal laws,” adamant that “wherever illegal money is made, crime festers.”

The court saw evidence that Bubba Technology Group was selling to small businesses in South Carolina machines known as Fish Machines which in their essence are unlicensed gambling machines as they allow players to cash out their play at the store or bar. Profits from the operation were equally split by Bubba and the business owner.

Determined to Uphold the Law

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson added that “no matter what your personal views may be, gambling is against the law in South Carolina.”

“The law is the law and it must be followed,” Wilson concluded.

The defendant agreed as part of the plea that keeping, operating, or distributing unlicensed gambling machines is illegal under South Carolina law and that gaming machines that allow players to receive cash as a result of their play are gambling machines.

Special Agent in Charge of HIS in North and South Carolina Ronnie Martinez and SLED Chief Mark Keel testified in court, reiterating the authorities’ stance that illegal gambling operations like this will be pursued, shut down and dismantled, as institutions work hand-in-hand to uphold the law.

The investigation led by HIS and SLED was assisted by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Drug Enforcement Unit, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and South Carolina Immigration Enforcement Unit.

For its transgressions, Bubba Technology Group was sentenced by US District Judge Donald C. Coggins, to one year of probation and forfeiture of estimated illegal profits.

Gambling with Lives (GWL), the community-made of families bereaved by gambling-related suicide that offers support and raises awareness of the effects of gambling disorders has taken one step forward toward its goal. GWL has offered UK’s prime minister Rishi Sunak a touching letter signed by six grieving mothers who have lost their children because of gambling-related suicide.

The six mothers who signed the touching letter handed it down to PM Sunak at Downing Street, in the presence of leading reformist Sir Iain Duncan Smith. They all demanded that the gambling industry would stop getting involved in controlling the research, education, or treatment of problem gambling in the country. 

GWL Asks for a “Total Overhaul of UK’s Gambling System”

GWL has not stopped its high-coverage campaign that asks for the complete overhaul of the gambling system in the UK that currently enables operators to decide how “information, research, education, and treatment” are offered or presented to the public in relation to gambling harms. 

GWL’s campaign requires drastic measures to be taken for tightening operators’ compliance demands in relation to online casino bets, as well as advertising bans and player affordability checks. All these measures are currently being considered by the government’s Gambling Review.

The community that campaigns for change also believes the UK government should get involved in gambling-related research, education, and treatment (RET) disciplines, preventing them from having any ties with the industry itself. GWL took the opportunity of meeting with PM Sunak to reinstate that bereaved families ask for a statutory levy to be introduced on gambling industry profits. They are also asking for this statutory levy to be managed by an independent board ruled by the Department of Health and also to pay for independent information, research, treatment, and education.” 

Industry leaders together with the Betting & Gaming Council have said that the industry does not have any say on RET matters and that these are supervised by GambleAware. However, the six mothers’ letters clearly explained how their children were “misled by the gambling-industry-controlled narrative” while asking for the government to stop this narrative and save lives.

According to the GWL, every day a person takes their own life in the UK because of gambling, with over 400 such suicides taking place every year. Moreover, over 55,000 children are addicted to gambling in the UK at the moment. £1.5 billion ($1.83 billion) are pumped into gambling advertising each year, while 86% of gross online betting profits come from 5% of customers who are addicted or at high risk of addiction. 

Allegedly, PM Sunak has decided to settle the Gambling Review and ask for unity on implementing measures like mandatory £2/£5 ($2.46/$6.15) stake limits on casino games, credit checks, and stricter underage checks at online platforms. In September, GWL announced it would launch a new youth education program. 

This festive period will be one to remember for a large group of lotto players from a small village in Belgium after their syndicated play won the EuroMillions jackpot of €143 million ($150.7 million).

Shocked with Disbelief

A group of 165 people from Olmen, in the Antwerp province, won the EuroMillions jackpot from the Tuesday draw after paying €15 ($15.8) each into a pot to buy tickets at their local newspaper store. The collective win made each of the lucky winners about €868,000 ($914,872) richer, according to the Belgian National Lottery.

Joke Vermoere, a spokesperson for the Belgium National Lottery, was at the newspaper store on Wednesday when some of the lucky players heard the news and was able to witness their reactions of disbelief mixed with euphoria when they received what she called “the best Christmas present.”

Vermoere also stated that group play winning big from the lottery is not uncommon in the country but this was the biggest group win ever – there were 27 million entries for the draw which resulted in a final jackpot of €142,897,164 ($150,613,610).

Wim Van Broekhoven, the manager of the newspaper store, De Pershoek Olmen, told Belgium Radio that he had been organizing syndicated lotto plays for several years. He also said that he had to repeat the news multiple times as his lucky customers could not believe they had won.

After the announcement, almost half of the people from the lucky group came to the newspaper store, and while some could not believe their luck, others were quick to plan what to do with the unexpected windfall.

Dream Holiday in the US

One of the lucky winners said that the money would be split equally among their three children and eight grandchildren, while another would use part of it to extend an already booked holiday, fulfilling a long-standing dream of spending several months in the US, having a chance to see the Grand Canyon and “then hike, hike, hike.”

Organized in nine European countries – Belgium, France, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg – the EuroMillions allows for the accumulation of large jackpots, and the amount won by the Olmen group of players is not the largest to date.

In July, a single player from the UK won £195 million ($239 million) while months before that, a couple from Gloucester won £184 million ($225.6 million).

Last month, a man who had won big from the EuroMillions in 2019 was sentenced to spend twelve months behind bars for swindling other people’s money.

Game Lounge, an iGaming affiliate with over 130 websites across more than 30 countries, announced a rebranding of its website in Japan as the business is focusing more on local customers.

Reflect Tendency toward Word Blends

Game Lounge’s JapaneseCasino affiliate website changed its name to JAPACASI to reflect the existing tendency towards word blends among Japanese users and to facilitate customer engagement.

Jonas Cederholm, chief executive officer of Game Lounge, stressed the crucial role localization plays for an international business operating in many different countries such as Game Lounge, outlining that though local considerations have “always been at the forefront” of the SEO-based affiliate, the company felt it “could go further by rebranding and redesigning.”

“At Game Lounge, we are privileged to have seven Japanese working for the company, and it made sense for us to listen to the team and work on how we should adapt to attract more local punters with our understanding of the nuances of the market,” Cederholm concluded.

The new brand and design will focus more on the current Kawaii characters present in the brand after the Japanese nationals from Team Japan advised the management of the Malta-based iGaming affiliate that the Japanese are accustomed to animated banners, clashing colors, and vivid images.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, site manager for Japan Rika M outlined that Game Lounge’s partner casinos provided them with feedback “about the type of advertising they want for their brands” to help the affiliate come up with a new website “that has better conversion elements” in the local market.

More Nice Characters

The new name and design of the Game Lounge’s Japanese online casino website are expected to build on its established collection of Kawaii characters which became mascots for the brand, helping locals recognize it on the market, while also helping the brand resonate with local culture.

Founded in 2011 as a performance-based online marketing business with a focus on the gambling industry, Game Lounge initially expanded its portfolio in the Nordic region and Europe, and in 2016, launched its Japanese website to become the first affiliate to enter the Japanese market on a professional level.

After initially acquiring a 51% stake in Game Lounge in 2015, Cherry AB acquired the remaining stake in the iGaming affiliate business in 2018.

Among the latest acquisitions made by Game Lounge was Slottracker.com which was purchased from Innovative Game Solutions Partnership for a total consideration of €1 million ($1.05 million) plus add-ons earlier in the year.