Cryptocurrency is a modern phenomenon that has captured the hearts of many people within the gambling industry and beyond. However, recent events have disheartened many crypto enthusiasts and now not everyone is convinced of the potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Billionaire Charlie Munger for one definitely isn’t.
Munger Says Crypto Is “Worthless Shit”
During the annual shareholder meeting of the Daily Journal Corporation, which he directs, Munger slammed crypto, claiming it is useless. His harsh words add extra insult to injury to all the cryptocurrency investors who have been struggling with problems in 2022.
Munger, now 99, spoke with CNBC journalist Becky Quick during a livestream of the meeting. He told her that he jokingly likes to call cryptocurrencies “crappo” or “crypto shit” as he doesn’t believe they have any real value. In addition, Munger slammed crypto as nothing short of gambling.
It’s totally absolutely crazy, stupid gambling.
Charlie Munger
Munger went as far as saying that he feels ashamed that the United States even allows “this crap.” Munger also blasted crypto enthusiasts, claiming that they are idiots. He emphasized that he believes there is no rational argument against his position.
The Downfall of Crypto
Munger’s words echo the opinion of many people who have come to believe that cryptocurrency is a speculative mania and the crypto industry is full of crooks, Bankrate reporter James Royal told CNBC. The news outlet added that only 8% of Americans trust crypto, as outlined in the CNBC All-America Economic Survey from November 2022.
Munger has been actively promoting the ban of cryptocurrencies and, in the wake of the FTX scam it is likely that the crypto industry would be severely regulated. The US Securities and Exchange Commission is already considering extra laws for crypto companies. According to a recent proposal, crypto exchanges might be required to hold their assets with a federal or state-chartered bank.
This may spell the definitive end of crypto as Americans know it since many banks might not be willing to act as custodians. According to SEC commissioner Mark Uyeda, the majority of banks are now aware of the dangers of the crypto sector and that dealing with cryptocurrencies might compromise their business, exposing them to fraud.
In other words, an adviser may custody crypto assets at a bank, but banks are cautioned by their regulators not to custody crypto assets.
Mark Uyeda
Uyeda noted that this would put crypto companies in a “no-win” position.
It is a stretch to say that crypto is useless. Digital currencies provide customers with speed and flexibility that traditional banking cannot match. Unfortunately, crypto companies would need to put in a lot of extra work to regain the public trust that FTX shattered.
The announcement about the latest achievement came Thursday and sees the company become the first provider of iGaming Public Cloud offering. This marks a major step for Continent 8, considering the strong potential of the regulated online and mobile sports betting market in Ohio.
In fact, media reports confirmed that over the New Year’s weekend, there were 11.3 million transactions recorded in the state, a testament to the potential of the market, considering that legal mobile wagering launched on January 1, 2023.
Continent 8 explained that its solution is suitable for all operators that currently hold a license from the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), the gambling regulator in the state. The aforementioned solution allows the operator to deliver all types of online gambling services in the state.
“The iGaming Public Cloud offers a scalable and resilient infrastructure platform that allows customers to host virtual servers, compute, containers, storage and network edge services,“
explains a statement released by Continent 8 Technologies
The Solution Brings Unique Leverage for Partner Operators
Justin Cosnett, Continent 8 Technologies’ chief product officer, explained that the launch of the iGaming Public Cloud solution further expands the company’s offering in Ohio. At the same time, he said that the solution delivers a unique advantage for the company’s customers that benefit from fast market entry. Finally, Cosnett said: “We understand the power of the first-mover, pay-as-you-grow advantage in such highly competitive states and markets, and strive to offer this to our customers.”
“We are proud to be the first service provider to offer an iGaming Public Cloud solution in the state of Ohio.“
David Brace, innovation director at Continent 8 Technologies
David Brace, Continent 8 Technologies’ innovation director, added that the company is delighted to become the first provider to launch a comprehensive iGaming Public Cloud solution in Ohio. According to him, the new solution delivers unique advantages for operators that want to tap into the regulated market in the state.
Moreover, Brace said that the solution helps operators that have already teamed up with Continent 8 in other states and want to expand their presence. In conclusion, he said: “The flexibility and scalability of the iGaming Cloud provides a range of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery options for those already live in the state and looking to protect their platforms.”
After recently announcing it would expand its European foothold through a new agreement signed with leading operator Paf and making its content launch in the UK with BetVictor known to the public, Stakelogic has fresh news. The casino content house that offers state-of-the-art games changing the way gamblers play has announced its live content would be added to Interwetten’s live lobby.
Interwetten Players to Enjoy the Next Generation of Live Dealer Experiences
With the help of Stakelogic Live’s platform, the 1990-founded company that provides casino, live casino, sports betting, live betting, and other games will provide a selection of Stakelogic Live’s most popular games to its live casino customers.
The list will include a series of popular Live Game Shows and Live Auto Roulette options that offer fully immersive experiences for players. All of the live games developed by Skatelogic deliver a fully authentic casino experience from start to finish, giving players the impression of sitting behind real brick-and-mortar tables in luxurious VIP gaming rooms.
This is the result of the premier tunning backdrops and well-trained dealers part of the experience. The decision came in an attempt to leverage the spectacular rise in popularity recorded by live casino content.
Stakelogic’s sales manager Neil Tanti called Interwetten “an operator that needs no introduction” while praising their massive database of loyal players who are known for their high expectations in regard to their online casino experiences.
Tanti said that by adding their content to Interwetten’s live dealer lobby, the latter will display “the next generation of live casino experiences.” The sales manager described their games as “a cut above the rest” and the main thing that helped them rapidly propel as a must-have provider of casino content for operators eager to engage the widest audiences interested in live casino.
Stakelogic Live Has “Cracked the Code”
Interwetten’s casino executive Szczepan Ścibor described Stakelogic Live as a company that has managed to crack the code in terms of generating “authentic, engaging live content that stands out in any game lobby.” Ścibor also expressed excitement for the integration of Stakelogic Live’s titles into their live casino experience, anticipating their significant big-win potential.
In 2022, Stakelogic received the prestigious Best Rising Star in Gaming, Best Casino Provider, and Retro Style Game awards, to name just a few of their freshest recognitions in the industry. Over the years, the company has been busy acquiring brand-new licenses in a variety of global markets while staying up to date with all regulators.
The fresh alliance forged in February between FBM Digital Systems (FBMDS), the company that wishes to become the primary supplier of customized technology for the iGaming industry, and Entain, one of the most successful gaming and sports betting groups on the planet, will expand on five continents.
70+ FBMDS Games to Reach Global Markets
The company, which is fully committed to boosting its portfolio of products, increasing client satisfaction, and creating better overall experiences for players, wishes to harness Entain’s network to support its growth in a number of markets in Europe and the LatAm region. The freshly sealed strategic content distribution agreement will lead to the global distribution of a rich portfolio consisting of more than 70 FBMDS popular online casino games.
The list will include slots like Aloha!, Neptunian Riches, Royal Trucks 243 Ways, Roman Adventure 50 Lines, Fruit Picnic and Viking Journey, along with table games like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Sic Bo Macau, and Blackjack Bonus. The same portfolio will also feature a series of video bingo games like Multi Mega Bonus, Golden Metropolis, Power Pick Lotto, and Catch the Gold, among others.
All games were introduced to the public during the prestigious ICE London 2023 event under “disruptive decor and engaging game displays.” The FBM and FBMDS’ booth displayed the “Play like a champion!” motto and invited guests to get acquainted with the eye-catching casino universe as envisioned by the company.
Sustainable Growth for Both Brands
The new alliance is expected to generate exciting growth possibilities for both parties. FBMDS, which has already proven its rich know-how from its many years of operation in the brick-and-mortar gambling segment, will help Entain use its impressive network of successful brands to cover FBMDS’ primary operating markets.
At the same time, Entain’s network will introduce FBMDS to different player profiles ready to be conquered in new markets, including Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. These are the priority markets included in the new content distribution contract.
Entain holds licenses to operate in dozens of countries spread across five continents. At the start of the year, the group announced an acceleration of its exit plans from several unregulated markets where the idea of domestic regulation was no longer in the books.
During the same month of January, MGM Resorts was reportedly considering a takeover bid for Entain, the company that is currently worth £8.9 billion ($11.1 billion). Several years ago, the same US giant offered around $10 billion to take over Entain.
While being tall provides advantages in a lot of sports, horse riding isn’t one of them. Extra height means more weight and with the sport’s strict restrictions, every pound matters.
Over the years there have been some tall jockeys that have managed to find success on the track. In fact, some of the best horse jockeys ever were taller than you might think.
But when it comes to the tallest of all time, jockeys need to be more or less six foot to break into the top 10.
This means some very famous names from weighing rooms worldwide like Steven Arnold, Richard Hughes, Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, and Johnny Sellers – the tallest jockey ever to win the Kentucky Derby – didn’t make the cut.
Those that did prove the point that champion jockeys can come in all shapes and sizes.
10. Ryan Mania
Image: Twitter/PAracing
Country: Scotland
Height: 5ft 11iin (1.8m)
Auroras Encore sprung a 66/1 shock in the 2013 Grand National for north of England trainer Sue Smith under tall Scottish jumps jockey Ryan Mania.
The following day 23-year-old Mania suffered a broken vertebrae in his neck after falling from Stagecoach Jasper during a race at Hexham.
After battling back from injury, Mania began to struggle with his weight and retired from professional racing at the age of 25.
He soon became assistant to Scottish racehorse trainer Sandy Thomson, but improvements in sports nutrition helped him manage his weight more effectively.
Mania returned as a jockey during the fall of 2019.
In December 2022, Mania pulled off an incredible feat winning nine races in a row when his horses finished the course.
9. Andrew McNamara
Image: Twitter/RTEsport
Country: Republic of Ireland
Height: 6ft (1.83m)
Andrew McNamara stood six feet tall in his stirrups, but still had a fabulous career as a jumps jockey.
While brother Robbie and cousin John Thomas (JT) both suffered serious injuries, he won some of Ireland’s biggest National Hunt races.
They include the Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the John Durkan and Champion Chase around Punchestown, and the 2010 Irish Grand National.
In 2015, McNamara cited both back problems and weight management issues as reasons for retiring from the saddle aged 32. He later became a trainer.
Besides winning Northern Ireland’s most prestigious horse race, the Champion Chase at Down Royal, he also enjoyed Cheltenham Festival glory in 2006.
McNamara steered Newmill to victory in the two-mile Queen Mother Champion Chase.
8. George Baker
Image: Twitter/PAracing
Country: England
Height: 6ft (1.83m)
The son of a farrier in the equine hub that is Lambourn, George Baker grew up in one of the leading horse racing communities in England.
Baker piloted Harbour Law to a sensational success in the St Leger of 2016 when odds-on favorite Idaho unseated Ryan Moore at Doncaster.
Overall, the 2016 season proved to be very successful with Baker taking home 114 wins and £1.7 million in prize money.
The following year horsemen and women flocked to the Alpine resort of St. Moritz in Switzerland to take part in a White Turf meet. Here, races are held on a frozen lake.
During one race, Baker suffered a terrible fall and was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain.
Thankfully, Baker recovered although he retired from competitive racing shortly after.
7. Donnacha O’Brien
Image: Twitter/FrancescaJane_x
Country: Republic of Ireland
Height: 6ft (1.83m)
O’Brien is one of the biggest family names in horse racing thanks to numerous wins over several generations.
Donnacha O’Brien was one of the family’s famous winners, earning two Irish Flat Jockey Championships during his short-lived career in the saddle.
There were some other major highlights, including back-to-back 2000 Guineas wins on Saxon Warrior and Magna Grecia. O’Brien delivered in the 2018 Irish Derby on Latrobe as well.
He retired just a year later at the age of 21.
Like his father and elder sibling, O’Brien is now a racehorse trainer and has wasted no time in developing a reputation for handling promising young fillies.
Fancy Blue won the Prix de Diane, regarded as a French Classic, after O’Brien had only been her trainer for nine months.
6. Louise Moeller
Country: Denmark
Height: 6ft 1in (1.85m)
The only female among our tallest jockeys is Danish rider Louise Moeller.
Competing on the Flat, she rode stateside at Gulfstream Park in 2002. Moeller took out an amateur license the previous year and was recorded as being over six feet tall.
By 2003 and following her trip to the US, she became an apprentice before turning fully professional the following year.
Moeller enjoyed at least 70 winners from almost 500 rides and, while that puts her some way off the best female horse jockeys today, she must be regarded as a trailblazer for tall women taking part in races.
5. Bruce Hobbs
Image: Twitter/cmoreton99
Country: USA/England
Height: 6ft 1.5in (1.87m)
You probably didn’t know that the tallest jockey ever to win the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, was born in Long Island.
That was Bruce Hobbs, who partnered American horse Battleship to Aintree glory in 1938 after winning the US equivalent.
Hobbs was also successful in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow that season aboard Timber Wolf.
Although he overcame a career-threatening back injury, he retired aged 25 and began training horses like so many of the jockeys on our list.
A decorated war veteran, Hobbs served the Queen’s Own Yorkshire Dragoons during World War 2, making the rank of Captain and receiving the Military Cross.
Hobbs died in 2005 at the age of 84. His Palace House stables in Newmarket are now the site of the British National Horse Racing Museum.
4. Stuart Brown
Image: Airene Comique-Brown via Twitter/SusieBlackmon
Country: Australia
Height: 6ft 2in (1.875m)
Australian national Stuart Brown may not have had huge success in the most famous horse races of Australia, but he was well known in his native New South Wales.
Brown had a racing career that spanned 20 years. During this time he clocked up more than 200 race wins and was even known to race camels on occasion.
Like all the jockeys on our list, Brown struggled massively with managing his weight.
According to his mother, the jockey would starve and abuse his body just so he was able to race. A practice that is all too common in horse racing.
In 2015, Brown died from lung cancer at the age of 43.
3. Jack Andrews
Country: England
Height: 6ft 4in (1.93m)
The tallest professional jockey ever is 24-year-old Jack Andrews from Warwick, England.
Born and raised in a horse-mad family, Andrews was devastated when he had a growth spurt late in his teenage years. At the time he believed it was the end of his potential career as a jockey.
However, Andrews managed to carve a career for himself, taking big wins at Cheltenham and the Tolworth Hurdles.
Andrews was also the Point-to-Point champion during the 2019/20 season.
“Bridget and Gina have both ridden a Festival winner, so I’d love to ride a winner at The Festival!”
Having dabbled as a professional, Andrews has since returned to amateur racing.
Currently, he works at the yard run by his sister and brother-in-law and hopes to start pointing again soon with a repeat of the championship he won back in 2019/2020 being his main goal.
2. Patrick Sankey
Country: Wales
Height: 6ft 7in (2.01m)
Besides the professionals, there have been some exceptionally tall amateur riders. Standing at just over two meters tall, Patrick Sankey is one of them.
Even more impressive than consistently riding horses at 6ft 7in is the fact that Sankey won a Point-to-Point race at Bredwardine in May 2019.
Coming into the race 10lbs overweight did not prevent Galbally King from kicking on away from the other horses, leaving Sankey with a memory to cherish.
Sankey will probably never turn professional as a man of his size will have a clear and obvious struggle to make weight for horse racing under rules.
However, no one can ever take his pointing victory away from him.
1. Manute Bol
Image: Twitter/CDCHistory
Country: Sudan/USA
Height: 7ft 7in (2.31m)
The tallest person to ever enter a horse race was former NBA center, Manute Bol.
Bol was granted a license by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission for a charity event to raise money for the country of his birth, Sudan.
The ride took place at Hoosier Park just north of Indianapolis in the fall of 2003, although Bol reportedly didn’t race due to problems with his arthritis.
Horse racing was just one way Bol used sports to raise money and awareness for his home country. He once signed for the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League, sitting on the bench for part of a game.
Even more impressively, Bol also took part in a celebrity boxing match, beating ex-NFL player William “Refrigerator” Perry.
Bol passed away in 2020 and is buried in South Sudan. He is fondly remembered as both an athlete and a political activist.
The group that is determined to become a premier global casino gaming company has sold a stake in its iGaming business-to-business venture to Bettor Capital. The latter is a venture firm that this way helped LeoVentures, LeoVegas’ investment arm, secure an impressive 73% return on investment in less than 24 months.
A “Testament to LeoVenture’s Ability to Drive Growth”
The successful divestment of the iGambling venture that was previously called SharedPlay is proof of LeoVenture’s capacity to generate growth and create value from its position as a leading incubator in the iGaming industry.
BeyondPlay’s founder and chief executive officer Karolina Pelc spoke about the recent development, calling LeoVentures a “fantastic acceleration partner” and expressing their gratitude for receiving their support from cradle to the present day.
Pelc also explained they intend on staying committed to a lucrative partnership with the group and discovering what the future holds for them. She also called the new connection with “such a prominent venture capital firm as Bettor Capital” a strong statement on their growth path.
At the end of last year, BeyondPlay obtained a business-to-business critical supply license from the Malta Gaming Authority.
LeoVenture primarily focuses on strategic investments and portfolio companies with an expanded potential to grow worldwide. The company is also interested in targeting those companies that are most likely to obtain powerful synergies with the rest of the LeoVegas group.
LeoVegas Praised BeyondPlay’s Incredible Development
LeoVegas’ chief executive officer Gustaf Hagman also expressed his opinion regarding the new divestment. He called it “truly incredible” to see BeyondPlay’s spectacular growth from a simple idea to a leading name in the gambling industry in the last two years.
Hagman also praised Karolina Pelc and her team members for their excellent job while expressing his belief that BeyondPlay is still at the start of its journey and is ready to prove even more. The group’s CEO expressed eagerness to upkeep their prized partnership with BeyondPlay while wishing them all the best in their ongoing development.
The group has taken the position of an early-stage investor of the venture capital firm that develops multiplayer tools for operators and developers in the online gaming world ever since it was founded in 2021.
Last May, MGM Resorts International announced a big move toward strengthening its position in the online gambling industry at a global level. The casino operator said it would offer $607 million in exchange for LeoVegas AB.
The decision to purchase the Swedish-based gaming company would help MGM boost its influence and profits in Europe. The two parties are currently on the verge of completing the sale whose offer was accepted by MGM’s shareholders on August 31, 2022.
September 22, 2022, was the last trading day for LeoVegas’ shares on the Nasdaq market in Stockholm.
The World Poker Tour’s popular WPT Prime returns to the Gold Coast in Australia following a hugely successful trip only eight months ago. The Star Gold Coast casino will be packed to the rafters with some supremely talented poker players, who each have their eye on becoming a WPT champion down under.
All monetary amounts are Australian dollars unless otherwise specified
WPT Prime Gold Coasts gets underway at 2:30 p.m. local time on February 23 with the $1,000 Opening Event. It features two flights taking place on consecutive days, a Day 2, before crowning its champion some time on February 26. Last year’s WPT Prime Gold Coast Opening Event saw 399 players buy-in for $750 and create a $269,325 prize pool. Australia’s Dan Smiljanic emerged from the battle victoriously, and with $55,587 in cash in tow.
High Rollers are catered for with a $5,000 $5K High Roller Challenge, and following player feedback, a new addition to the schedule, the $10,000 $10K Super High Roller Challenge. Gavin Best won the $5K Challenge in 2022, outlasting 85 opponents to scoop a $130,355, which was his first six-figure score.
Of course, the tournament everyone wants to win, especially if they are playing on home soil, is the $2,000 WPT Prime Gold Coast Main Event. Day 1A of the Main Event starts at 11:30 a.m. on March 2 and sees players enter the fray with 30,000 chips and play to a 40-minute clock where the blinds start at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. The clock extends to 60 minutes from Day 2 onwards, and whoever is crowned the WPT Prime Gold Coast Main Event champion will secure a $16,500 package to the 2023 WPT World Championship at the Wynn Las Vegas.
The 2022 edition of the WPT Prime Gold Coast Main Event drew in 896 players, each paying $1,500 for the chance to become a World Poker Tour champion. Yan Lei was the last player standing; they received $201,755 for their efforts, in addition to a commemorative trophy. No doubt Lei will be in the mix again, hoping to defend their title.
2022 WPT Prime Gold Coast Main Event Final Table Results
Place
Player
Country
Prize (AUD)
Prize (USD)
1
Yan Lei
Australia
$201,755
$141,413
2
Najeem Ajez
Australia
$134,508
$94,279
3
Tony Lu
Australia
$99,229
$69,551
4
Mark Staples
Australia
$74,002
$51,869
5
Justin Bernstein
Australia
$55,798
$39,109
6
Gang Zhu
China
$42,541
$29,817
7
Win Tan
Australia
$32,800
$22,990
8
Jerry Wang
Australia
$25,578
$17,928
Win a WPT Prime Passport on WPT Global Every Weekend
2023 WPT Prime Gold Coast Schedule
Date
Time
Event
Thu 23 Feb
2:30 p.m.
$1,000 Opening Event Day 1A
Fri 24 Feb
10:30 a.m.
$440 NLHE Turbo One Day Event
2:30 p.m.
$1,000 Opening Event Day 1B
Sat 25 Feb
11:30 a.m.
$1,000 Opening Event Day 2
2:30 p.m.
$1,650 8-Max Action Clock Day 1
Sun 26 Feb
11:30 a.m.
$1,000 Opening Event Day 3
12:30 p.m.
$1,650 8-Max Action Clock Day 2
2:30 p.m.
$660 Big Bounty Day 1
Mon 27 Feb
11:30 a.m.
$660 Big Bounty Day 2
1:30 p.m.
$550 PLO Action Clock Day 1
3:30 p.m.
$5,000 5K High Roller Challenge Day 1
Tue 28 Feb
11:30 a.m.
$550 PLO Action Clock Day 2
12:30 p.m.
$5,000 5K High Roller Challenge Day 2
2:30 p.m.
$1,350 Mystery Bounty Day 1A
Wed 1 Mar
10:30 a.m.
$330 NLHE 15/15 Event Freezeout
2:30 p.m.
$1,350 Mystery Bounty Day 1B
Thu 2 Mar
11:30 a.m.
$1,350 Mystery Bounty Day 2
1:30 p.m.
$3,000 $3K PLO High Roller Day 1
2:30 p.m.
$2,000 Main Event Day 1A
Fri 3 Mar
11:30 a.m.
$330 15/15 PLO One Day Event
2:30 p.m.
$2,000 Main Event Day 1B
Sat 4 Mar
11:30 a.m.
$2,000 Main Event Day 1C
Sun 5 Mar
11:30 a.m.
$2,000 Main Event Day 2
12:30 p.m.
$1,100 Mini Main Event Freezeout Day 1
2:30 p.m.
$10,000 $10K Super High Roller Day 1
Mon 6 Mar
11:30 a.m.
$2,000 Main Event Final Day
12:30 p.m.
$1,100 Mini Main Event Day 2
1:00 p.m.
$10,000 $10K Super High Roller Day 2
2:30 p.m.
$550 Finale One Day Event
All monetary amounts are Australian dollars
2022 WPT Prime Gold Coast Results
The 2023 WPT Prime Gold Coast should be a roaring success if it follows in the footsteps of the 2022 edition. It would be surprising not to see the 2022 champions head to The Star Gold Coast and attempt to become back-to-back champions. Here are last year’s winners.
Event
Entrants
Prize Pool
Champion
Prize
$750 No-Limit Hold’em Opening Event
399
$269,325
Dan Smiljanic
$55,587
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em
174
$174,000
Romain Morvan
$45,727
$660 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty
204
$57,854
Luke Jackson
$15,053
$330 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout
208
$62,400
Alex Lee
$15,348
$330 Pot-Limit Omaha
138
$41,000
Gregory Burgess
$11,571
$1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Bounty
395
$237,000
Steven Hoek
$48,916
$1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event
896
$1,176,680
Yang Lei
$201,755
$440 No-Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Super Turbo Freezeout
145
$58,000
Ming Yiu
$16,011
$660 Pot-Limit Omaha
158
$94,800
Zijun Wang
$25,479
$5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 5K Challenge
86
$404,200
Gavin Best
$130,355
$440 No-Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Freezeout
195
$78,000
Adam Agresta
$19,414
All monetary amounts are Australian dollars. Bounties are not included in the player’s winnings
Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen’s Meet-Up Game Returns to WPT Prime Cambodia
Win a WPT Prime Passport Online at WPT Global
Although it is too late to win a seat or package to WPT Prime Gold Coast online at WPT Global, you can start trying to win you way into the $110 Passport Qualifiers that take place every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET and again at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. At least one $,500 WPT Prime Passport is guaranteed, which you can use for any of the following events:
Amsterdam, Netherlands – March 29-April1
Bratislava, Slovakia – May 11-15
Hanoi, Vietnam – May 25-29
San Remo, Italy – June 1-11
Satellites for the $110 Passport Qualifiers start as low as $5, giving every WPT Global player a chance of winning a potentially life-changing live poker package.
WPT Global has a history of making poker players’ dreams come true. LoriAnn Persinger and Stephen Kehoe captured packages to last year’s record-breaking WPT World Championship in Las Vegas, with both reaching the money places. Persinger ultimately collected $119,000 for her 30th place finish, while Kehoe returned home with $269,900 after seeing his tournament end in a 14th place finish.
Fabrice Bigot Tops Bumper WPT Prime Paris Main Event Field (€177,240)
Join WPT Global Today
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.
Sharelines
WPT Prime Gold Coast features a $2,000 buy-in Main Event.
WPT Prime adds a $10,000 Super High Roller to the Gold Coast schedule.
A Federal District Court judge on Friday dismissed GeoComply’s patent infringement lawsuit against competitor Xpoint. Barring a successful appeal, the ruling by Judge William J. Bryson of the Delaware Circuit frees up one metric of the industry that has not had much competition as online gambling and sports betting explode state by state across the U.S.
The basis of the ruling is that GeoComply’s patent was never valid in the first place because it tries to patent subject matter that is not subject to patent law.
Geolocation services are critical for regulators and operators as it is the only currently accepted way of determining with a guaranteed high level of certainty where a player is located when they access a casino or sports book that is only allowed to operate within a state’s borders.
100 Million Geolocation Checks for Super Bowl
Once that is determined data collection and analysis can occur as well as was seen Monday when Geocomply announced that it had logged over 7.4 million account holders for Super Bowl Sunday and had completed over 100 million geolocation checks for sportsbooks, casinos, and regulators, logging a 25% increase over the previous year’s activity.
In the course of the lawsuit, Geocomply had asked the court for an injunction against Xpoint which would have prevented them from providing geolocation services until the litigation was concluded. Xpoint won a stay on that issue prior to Friday’s ruling.
GeoComply was forced to reveal its hand last month, indicating it had no first-hand evidence of patent infringement when it asked the court to compel a third party to provide evidence that Xpoint used “identical code processes” to GeoComply’s.
Part of a filing in the case stated: “Absent reviewing XPoint’s source code, it is not possible to articulate precisely how claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 9,413,805 is met by XPoint’s accused geolocation service.”
Chief executive officer of Xpoint, Marvin Sanderson commented on Friday’s ruling stating: “From the beginning of this litigation Xpoint has maintained that it has conducted its business legally and appropriately.”
The case was filed with the court late last year when GeoComply claimed that Xpoint had been violating its intellectual property rights by utilizing geolocation engine technology purportedly invented by GeoComply founders.
GeoComply asked for an injunction in September 2022 “to protect GeoComply’s investment-based risk” and to stop Xpoint from using the “invention”.
However, a quick once-over of the method, without direct access to the code, seems to show a process rather than a coded engine with multiple avenues to achieve the process.
In the initial lawsuit, it was stated by GeoComply thus:
“A method for determining a geo-location, the method comprising:
transmitting a request to a first server by a first device;
collecting geolocation data associated with the first device in response to the request, the geolocation data collected by a module stored in memory and executed by a processor on the first device, the first device in communication with the first server which provides a service over a network;
identifying that one or more selected programs are present at the first device;
transmitting the geolocation data and programs and a list of the present selected programs to a second server;
receiving a geolocation message from the second server, the geolocation message generated at least in part from the geolocation data and a list of the present selected programs;
providing the received geolocation message to the first server.”
Xpoints response was that the suit was without merit.
A Monopoly Busted?
After the circuit court victory Friday, Sanderson commented: “As a company, we remained confident that we would prevail in this matter as GeoComply’s allegations were false, meritless, and a thinly veiled attempt to improperly maintain its monopoly on the gaming geolocation marketplace.”
GeoComply saw a greenfield advantage with the legalization of online casino gambling in the first states and took advantage of that to capture most of the market. The service is unique in that it essentially came about as a response to the need for it so by capturing the market, GeoComply may have inadvertently created a monopoly for itself with no fair and free competition.
To that thought, GeoComply had stated:
“We welcome healthy competition and new ideas in the marketplace and the ability to distinguish our leading solutions and technology from others. We also respect and expect others to respect, the valuable intellectual property that companies like ours spend a lot of time, effort, and money developing. We are confident in the merits of our case.”
Source: GeoComply’s Patent Infringement Case against Xpoint Dismissed, Gambling News, February 13, 2023
The post Xpoint Prevails as GeoComply Patent Infringement Suit Dismissed appeared first on Casino News Daily.
In a letter to DraftKings’ shareholders, the CEO and co-founder acknowledged that the company enjoyed a stellar 2022. He pointed out that for the fiscal year 2022, DraftKings’ revenue hit $2.2 billion. This result represented a significant 73% year-over-year increase. What’s more, the revenue result even surpassed the expectations of $1.85 billion to $2 billion the company had for the year.
Robins said that adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal year 2022 was $722 million, also showing an improvement compared to the initial guidance between $825 million and $925 million. Additionally, focusing on EBITDA once again, he explained that the company’s result “outperformed by even more when adjusting for jurisdictions that were not included in our initial guidance.”
According to the CEO and co-founder of DraftKings, 2022 marked an important moment for the company that went through streamlining of organizational structures, improved internal processes and retained top talent. All those efforts helped DraftKings optimize its internal efficiency.
“Over the past 12 months, we have also focused inward. We improved retention of top talent, fixed internal processes that had not scaled, and streamlined organizational structures so we can accomplish more with the same resources. We established measurement systems to optimize internal efficiency.“
Jason Robins CEO and co-founder of DraftKings
At the same time, DraftKings implemented a “rapid escalation” method that helped identify and reduce inefficiencies. It is safe to say that those strategic processes also contributed positively to the financial results reported by the company. Still, Robins explained that DraftKings remains committed to constantly upgrading its internal processes and deemed this a long-term goal for the company.
Q4 Results Were Good, Outlook about 2023 Is Positive
Speaking about the Q4, 2022 results, Robins said that they too surpassed expectations. He pointed out that both adjusted EBITDA and revenue outperformed the initially set expectations and contributed positively to the yearly results.
“Revenue for the fourth quarter increased 81% year-over-year, we generated positive Adjusted EBITDA in October, and Adjusted EBITDA was positive for the entire fourth quarter after adjusting for investments related to our launches in Maryland and Ohio,“
explained Robins
Looking into 2023, Robins predicted that DraftKings will continue to enjoy an outstanding performance. He said that the company raised its fiscal year 2023 guidance for adjusted EBITDA and revenue. Moreover, Robins said that this year, DraftKings will remain focused on improving internal processes related to talent acquisition and retention and improving different operational strategies. Finally, he thanked the company’s employees for their dedication and hard work and predicted further growth of the business in 2023 and beyond.
PokerStars are well known across the globe as one of the biggest and best online poker providers. But did you know you can also play online poker for free with their PokerStars Play App?
The PokerStars Play platform brings all the thrills of online poker into your hands and includes Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker options, as well as a great selection of casino games, all for free.
PokerStars Play is available worldwide, including in the United States and Australia. Still, you should know that real-money gambling isn’t included, and there’s no opportunity to win real money or prizes.
How to get started with free poker at PokerStars Play
There are two main poker games available when you download PokerStars Play. These are Texas Hold’Em and Omaha Poker. If you’re already an online poker player, you’ll be familiar with these games, but it’s worth taking a moment to look at them individually and how to play them on the PokerStars Play app.
Playing Texas Hold’em at PokerStars Play
Texas Hold ’em is the most popular poker variant, so it’s no surprise to see this game on the PokerStars Play app. For beginners or those who need to become more familiar with the game. Texas Hold ’em is extremely easy to learn and start playing (hence its popularity).
The aim when playing Texas Hold’em game is to make the best possible five-card poker hand using a combination of hold cards and community cards. Hold cards are two cards dealt face down to every player, whereas community cards are a further five cards dealt face up throughout several betting rounds. Each player uses hold cards and community cards to build a five-card poker hand.
You can read more about how to play Texas Hold’em with our full Texas Hold’em poker guide.
Playing Texas Hold’em with PokerStars is easy and once you’ve downloaded the app and signed up, you’ll be playing in no time. Once you log in to the app and reach the Featured Menu, you’ll see Texas Hold’Em as one of the main options. You can also find this game (and other poker options) by selecting the poker menu on the left-hand side of the app. Once you’ve chosen your game, you’ll be able to choose your buy-in amount and stake.
Playing Omaha Poker at PokerStars Play
Omaha Poker is also an extremely popular version of poker and is often the next game that players learn after Texas Hold’em. Like other poker games, a hand in Omaha Poker consists of several rounds of betting and a combination of hole and community cards. The main differences you’ll see when playing Omaha Poker is the different phases that make up a hand, such as the pre-flop, the flop, the turn, the river, and the showdown. These phases make up the different betting rounds and the subsequent actions that the players can take.
If you’re interested in learning more about Omaha Poker, then take a look at our full Omaha Poker guide.
Just like Texas Hold’em, it’s super easy to get into a game of Omaha Poker on the PokerStars app. Once you have downloaded the app and logged in, you’ll see Omaha Poker as an option in the Poker menu. You’ll just need to select a buy-in amount, and your stake and PokerStars will transport you straight to your table!
Can I play online poker legally with PokerStars Play?
Yes, you can 100% legally play online poker for free with PokerStars Play! Their Play product is sometimes called a ‘social casino’, which means that you aren’t betting using real money and can play for free with no financial risk. This makes PokerStars Play an excellent option for beginner poker players or anyone wishing to improve their poker skills with no risk to their wallets!
Currently, PokerStars Play is available in 81 countries across North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, so if you’re lucky enough to be a resident of one of these countries, you can download the PokerStars Play app and get started on honing those bluffing skills.
How to Download and Use the PokerStars Play App
PokerStars Play is available as an app for both tablet and mobile devices on both Play Store for Android and the AppStore for iOs. In our experience, the apps on both platforms download very quickly and don’t take up significant storage space on your device, so after you’re all set up, you can concentrate on your first poker hand.
Once you load up PokerStars Play, you’ll see that the app is laid out for easy navigation by the user. You’ll first see the Featured Menu, which allows you to select Texas Hold’em but also 2-3 slot titles which are included with the app as part of the PokerStars Play casino experience. You’ll also have the option to take the Big Spin, which is another way to get chips to use on poker and other games.
From the Featured Menu, you can also select the Poker Menu and Slots Menu on the lobby tabs to the left of the screen. The Poker Menu allows players to choose either Texas Hold’em or Omaha Poker games, in addition to the poker tournaments, which are based in different locations around the world.
How to get free chips with PokerStars Play
If you’re playing online poker, you might be ok the lookout for free chips. Well at PokerStars Play, you have the option to earn and win chips to use on poker games. When playing on the app, you’ll have access to the Ad Wheel in the main lobby. You can spin the wheel every 4 hours and win free chips to use on the poker tables. Complete 5 spins and you’ll get a Bonus Spin with a jackpot reward!
Want to know more – check out this video from PokerStars to convince you!
In addition to the Ad Wheel, you’ve also got a few more options to get free chips. These include following PokerStars Play on Facebook and looking out for their weekly Free Chips posts. For those keen-eyed social types there are also opportunities to earn more chips through the PokerStars social channels, with quizzes and competitions. You can also become a YouTube subscriber, where as well as earning chips, you’ll have access to some helpful guide videos and promos.
Other free games available with PokerStars Play
We’ve already covered the poker games you can play, but there are also a number of free games that are included with PokerStars Play. Here we’ve listed some of our favorite extras:
Quizzes You can access quizzes directly from the main screen in the app, and these allow you to earn chips by answering a few simple questions.
Scratchers Scratchers are available in either free or premium versions, and can unlock more rewards for players. You’ll get access to a free scratcher every day, and you can purchase premium scratchers that offer higher rewards.
Challenges Challenges are a way to earn extra chips just by playing your regular games. You’ll receive challenges on a daily and weekly basis, and by completing these challenges, you’ll unlock more chips.
So are you convinced? If you’re ready to start playing online poker for free, download the PokerStars Play app right now!
