Hari: 17 Februari 2023

Want to Play Poker Against Chess GOAT Magnus Carlsen?

Magnus Carlsen playing chess


Grindilicious

Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. Winter passes and one remembers to stay indoors for just a few more weeks because poker sites like to put on their various Spring Series.

Unibet Poker is launching its own Spring Poker Championship 

Pokerstars’ SCOOP, GGPoker’s Spring Festival, and 888’s Mystery Bounty Festival are all on the horizon as poker players hit the gym, lab, and UberEats app in preparation for a grindilicious few weeks in front of their monitors. Not wanting to miss out on the seasonal fun, Unibet Poker is launching its own Spring Poker Championship (SPR) with an exciting 92-event schedule spanning February 26 to March 13. 

The SPR will guarantee over €500,000 in prize money, feature three tiers of money-added leaderboards but most excitingly of all, it will offer players the opportunity to battle it out with GPI Global Poker Award winning Unibet ambassadors Dara O’Kearney, David Lappin, and (checks notes) some Scandi bloke called Magnus Carlsen. 

Bombshell

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Carlsen is a Norwegian chess grandmaster, the number one ranked player since 2011 and the reigning five-time world champion who also excels in the chess ‘turbo’ formats. He is the four time World Rapid Chess Champion and the six-time World Blitz Chess Champion. He has the longest unbeaten record at the elite level in classical chess and his peak rating of 2,882 is the highest in history. He’s also a world class fantasy sports player and a decent poker player. 

announced that he would not be defending his world title

In July of this year, Carlsen launched his thus far awardless Unibet-sponsored podcast ‘The Magnus Effect’ with Magnus Barstad, dropping a bombshell on his first episode. He announced that he would not be defending his world title against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023: 

“I was in Madrid and met with the FIDE management in connection with the end of the Candidates Tournament. I had no demands, nor did I have any suggestions. I was there to tell them that I would not be defending the title in the next World Championship.”

This announcement sent shockwaves through the world of chess. He continued:

“I am not motivated to play another match. I simply feel that I don’t have a lot to gain, I don’t particularly like it, and although I’m sure a match would be interesting for historical reasons and all of that, I don’t have any inclination to play and I will simply not play the match”.

Magnus Bounty

One thing that was certainly clear from listening to that episode was that Carlsen loves poker and one couldn’t help but speculate if that might be part of the reasoning behind his decision not to compete for the World Chess Championship. Carlsen played the last World Series of Poker Main Event and while he was In Las Vegas he participated in a livestream cash game with Phil Ivey.

Carlson signed as a brand ambassador with Unibet in January 2020 and shortly after that he participated in some Magnus-branded online poker tournaments. He has also played in Unibet Poker’s flagship Unibet Online Series during his tenure. It unsurprising then that he wants to get into the mix for the first ever Unibet SPR.

a diverse range of games and tournament formats

The SPR schedule features a diverse range of games and tournament formats with Main Events in both Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Hold’em. There are also plenty of Progressive Knockouts, standard knockouts, turbos, ‘Banzai’ hypers, and slow-paced tournaments. Some tournaments are freeze outs, some are re-entries and the newly launched phased tournaments (multiple starting days) will also be included in the series. 

The buy-ins range from €5 ($5.32) to €250 ($266) and Carlsen will be playing the three Kick-Off events on Sunday 26th February. These tournaments have a price tag of €100 ($106), €25 ($27), and €5, giving everyone the opportunity to play against the chess legend and take his special €100 bounty. 

The post Want to Play Poker Against Chess GOAT Magnus Carlsen? appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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BetMGM and Aristocrat’s Anaxi Join Forces in Strategic Partnership

BetMGM and Aristocrat’s Anaxi Join Forces in Strategic Partnership


On February 16, it was announced that sports betting behemoth BetMGM has formed a strategic partnership with Anaxi, the online Real Money Gaming business of Aristocrat.

BetMGM and Anaxi Executives Thrilled about the New Partnership

Cath Burns, Executive Vice President of Anaxi, expressed her excitement about the new collaboration: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with BetMGM as Anaxi reimagines the world’s greatest gaming content online. This is the first content release for Anaxi, and we look forward to continuing to innovate and create online gaming experiences that entertain our partners and players.”

Matt Prevost, BetMGM’s Chief Revenue Officer, expressed his delight about being the first operator in North America to offer Anaxi’s top-notch content, saying that this partnership aligns with BetMGM’s goal of making its online casino the best destination for players.

Anaxi, as an integral part of Aristocrat, has an impressive array of content, technology, and creative capabilities to offer. The global content studios and CXS team that make up the core of Anaxi’s talent pool provide essential support for the company’s connected experience, establishing a haven for players who can indulge in the thrill of real money gaming with an assurance of security and reliability.

Aristocrat’s Real Money Gaming Division Became Anaxi in October 2022

In October 2022, Aristocrat revealed that it had rebranded its online Real Money Gaming (RMG) division as Anaxi, which would form the third business unit of Aristocrat Group. The move was seen as the next step in Aristocrat’s growth strategy, which began earlier in the year when it created a dedicated online RMG unit.

Aristocrat said that the first regulated online casino product under the Anaxi brand in the US would go live by the end of 2022 in partnership with two major customers. In the meantime, Aristocrat was determined to continue expanding its online RMG offering, pursuing various opportunities, including mergers and acquisitions. Aristocrat delivered quickly on this promise with the acquisition of B2B online RMG supplier Roxor Gaming.

Aristocrat’s Anaxi received a substantial boost thanks to the acquisition of Roxor Gaming. The takeover provided Anaxi with access to Roxor’s content publishing technology and remote game server operations, which are now instrumental in advancing Anaxi’s operations and growth within the iGaming vertical. The acquisition was hailed as a vital component of the company’s long-term expansion strategy.

As part of its expansion strategy in the US, Aristocrat further signed a multi-year partnership deal with the NFL’s New England Patriots. This partnership would feature Aristocrat branding at the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium year-round, as well as in-game activations and promotions for the fans of the Patriots.



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Start the Road to the PokerStars Sunday Million From $0.55

Start the Road to the PokerStars Sunday Million From $0.55



The PokerStars Sunday Million may be rapidly approaching its 17th anniversary but the long-running tournament is the online event every poker player dreams of winning. Not only does the Sunday Million guarantee at least $1 million in prize money for a $109 buy-in, but taking it down comes with bags of kudos from your fellow grinders.

Although $109 is a great price for a $1 million guaranteed online poker tournament, it is a sum that is outside the constraints of most players’ bankrolls. If $109 is too steep for you, perhaps you should take a look at the Road to the Sunday Million route to this week’s event because you can play your way into the February 19 edition of the Sunday Million from only $0.55.

The Road to the Sunday Million features two $11 buy-in tournaments that are ridiculous value. They play as a traditional progressive knockout event, but PokerStars adds 16x $109 seats to the prize pool, or $17,500 worth of tickets if you prefer. Not only do the top 16 finishers bag a seat to the Sunday Million, but they walk away with cash prizes too! It is a great satellite format because you can still win some cash even if you miss out on one of the added $109 tickets.

Such an $11 Road to the Sunday Million tournament ran on February 16. It saw 1,907 players enter, with the top 16 finishers receiving an entry to the next Sunday Million on February 19. Everyone that reeled in a $109 seat also walked away with cash amounts worth between $60 and $2,073! Brazil’s “petrosant” captured $2,073 when they won the tournament, while Azerbaijan’s “Guzyaka” netted $1,028 for their second-place finish.

The Latest Road to the Sunday Million Winners

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize
1 petrosant Brazil $1,116 $957 $2,073
2 Guzyaka Azerbaijan $73 $955 $1,028
3 mr.zaporozhe Ukraine $26 $567 $593
4 MIRONATOR Bulgaria $330 $404 $734
5 VeryToxicPS Romania $407 $288 $695
6 Laszlo6767 Germany $201 $205 $406
7 Jaimiep United Kingdom $75 $146 $221
8 MegaCanje Argentina $28 $104 $132
9 Bryangalle1 Peru $95 $74 $169
10 defsPaveL89 Bulgaria $52 $53 $105
11 Zottel_198 Germany $153 $53 $206
12 DJ2Fun Germany $21 $39 $60
13 juankr Lithuania $90 $39 $129
14 darycka1 Ukraine $82 $33 $115
15 Andrey_2177 Canada $44 $33 $77
16 B1ackZero Brazil $71 $33 $104

PokerNews Freerolls Offers Readers More Added Value on PokerStars

Two more Road to the Sunday Million tournaments shuffle up and deal before this weekend’s event. Both kick-off at 7:05 p.m. GMT, doing so on February 17 and February 18. Jump into these seat-added tournaments if you harbor dreams of becoming this weekend’s Sunday Million champion.

Don’t panic if you miss out this weekend because the $11 buy-in Road to the Super Million tournaments run at 7:05 p.m. GMT throughout the week.

The $11 buy-in events are superb value but imagine turning $0.55 into a $109 Sunday Million ticket plus a hatful of cash. $0.55 buy-in Road to the Sunday Million satellites run several times per day, each guaranteeing at least three $11 seats will be won. Navigate your way to the target tournament, then cash in it, and your ROI will be off the charts!

Start Your PokerStars Journey With a $600 Welcome Bonus

Those of you who do not already have a PokerStars account can download the excellent software via PokerNews. Make your first deposit using the bonus code “STARS600”, and PokerStars matches your deposit 100% up to a maximum of $600. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 90 days after creating your account are matched 100% up to a combined maximum of $600.





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RB Leipzig vs Manchester City Champions League Odds, Time, and Prediction

Chelsea vs Manchester City Premier League Odds, Time, and Prediction


Winning the Champions League is a dream that just won’t come to fruition for Manchester City. They did come very close to achieving it on several occasions but to no avail. Will it be different in 2023? Pep Guardiola and his boys sure hope so, but the road to the title is full of obstacles, the first one coming in the form of RB Leipzig.

Oddsmakers think Man City will knock Leipzig out of the competition, but will they do it with a win in the first leg? Or maybe home support will be enough to help Leipzig cause an upset? To see what we think, keep reading this RB Leipzig vs Manchester City prediction piece.

RB Leipzig vs Manchester City Odds

Moneyline Odds
RB Leipzig +320
Draw +300
Manchester City -133
Goals Over/Under Odds
Over 2.5 Goals -137
Under 2.5 Goals +110

*Odds taken from bet365 on Friday, February 17, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

  • Place: Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany
  • Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
  • Time: 3:00 PM ET
  • How to Watch: CBS

RB Leipzig are (Usually) Great at Home

RB Leipzig are the best home side in the German Bundesliga with a 7-2-1 record at Red Bull Arena. Their only home loss happened to Union Berlin in their most recent game played in Leipzig. Is this something that should worry them ahead of the game with Man City?

We don’t think the union Berlin loss is indicative of problems in RB Leipzig. It’s just that they were unlucky in that match, with one of their goals being disallowed and the opposition scoring one from the penalty spot.

Speaking of luck, Leipzig really are unlucky when it comes to injuries. Even though they’ve been doing okay lately, the fact is that they have some serious issues with fitness. Their first-choice goalie Peter Gulacsi is out, and so are (at least) two of his colleagues from the defensive line – Marcel Halstenberg and Abdou Diallo.

Further, RB Leipzig will probably miss another three midfielders, which actually is their biggest worry ahead of the clash with Manchester City. The thing is that two of those players are Leipzig’s biggest stars –  Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku.

Manchester City are Back on the Right Track

The Cityzens are once again playing top soccer, the result of which is that they’re back in the race for the Premier League trophy. But retaining the domestic title isn’t their only goal for 2023. They also want to win their first UCL trophy in history.

That’s why they’re going to take the RB Leipzig doubleheader very seriously. They’re coming to Germany with the intention of winning this game. Oddsmakers think they’re going to pull it off, which is understandable considering that Pep Guardiola’s men are in top form right now.

Guardiola also has practically no major injury worries, with all of his key men being 100% fit. Knowing this, anything but a win for the Cityzens on Wednesday would be seen as a surprise.

RB Leipzig vs Manchester City Prediction

Manchester City is a team famous for playing possession soccer, and with RB Leipzig having injury problems in the midfield, we think Guardiola’s boys will dominate Wednesday’s game. When they dominate, they usually win, which is what we think will happen this time as well.

Picks: Manchester City to win and under 2.5 goals



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Andre Marques Wins Maiden EPT Title in the €10,200 Mystery Bounty

Andre Marques Wins Maiden EPT Title in the €10,200 Mystery Bounty



The first high-roller event of the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris has closed its curtains and it was Andre Marques who captured the title in the €10,200 Mystery Bounty. A total of 107 entries were recorded in this event which generated a prize pool of over €1,000,000 in cash and bounty prizes.

Marques earned the largest career tournament score of his career and his first six-figure payday of €128,500. He will also add €47,500 in bounty prizes to his total to kick off the festival being held at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile. It’s been a fine start to the 2023 campaign for the Portuguese poker player who also earned two of his biggest scores at the 2023 PCA in The Bahamas just a couple of weeks ago.

Marques out-lasted a feisty Kayhan Mokri who is also one of the hottest players on the tour right now. Mokri has quickly become a big fan of the mystery bounty format after earning two $100,000 bounties in separate deep runs at the 2023 PCA. The Norwegian will actually go home tonight as the biggest winner, pocketing €82,950 for second place and accumulating a whopping €105,000 with at least 10 bounties.

Going into the heads-up match, both players were extremely satisfied with their performance thus far and had acknowledged that they thought it was going to be the two of them earlier on in the day. With only the smallest bounties still up for grabs at the end of the night, it was sheerly the trophy that Marques had his sights set on.

“I just want the Spade,” Marques pointed to the illustrious PokerStars trophy on the table. “I want first place!”

Final Table Payouts and Bounties

Place Winner Country Cash Prize (in EUR) Bounty Prize (in EUR)
1 Andre Marques Portugal €128,500 €47,500
2 Kayhan Mokri Norway €82,950 €105,000
3 Pedro Garagnani Brazil €59,250 €17,500
4 Pablo Navarro Spain €45,600 €12,500
5 Ren Lin United States €35,050 €30,000
6 Tom Orpaz Israel €26,950 €10,000
7 Mauricio Ferreira Pais Germany €21,550 €72,500
8 Nikita Kuznetsov Russia €17,250 €65,000
9 Zhi Yi Ning Malaysia €14,400 €0

Day 2 Action

There were 45 players who returned to their seats for Day 2 but late registration was still open for another two levels. That led to an abundance of players joining or re-joining the field in the first hour. A total of 81 entries were recorded for this event, including 36 who registered on Day 2.

The mystery bounty portion of the tournament began at the start of Level 13 and it didn’t take any encouragement for the big stacks to go bounty-hunting whenever possible. That included the unimaginable quadruple elimination by Mauricio Ferreira Pais where he turned the nut straight to eliminate four shorter stacks in the blink of an eye.

Adrian Mateos was one of those players that busted short of the money but still had a bounty chip to redeem. After reaching into the treasure chest, Mateos pulled out the €75,000 bounty which was the largest on the board. The second largest bounty of €50,000 was awarded to Nikita Kuznetsov, who also collected over €17,000 for his eighth-place finish today.

Adrian Mateos
Adrian Mateos pulled the largest bounty prize of €75,000

The tournament excelled at a rapid pace en route to the final table, including the hand-for-hand portion which saw Erik Seidel fall to eventual third-place finisher Pedro Garagnani on the stone bubble. That allowed Stephen Chidwick and Jonas Hagstrom to squeak into the money with just a few big blinds apiece. Jamil Wakil, Julien Sitbon, and Bruno Volkmann were other notables who bowed out just shy of the final nine players.

Once gathered at one table, the first couple of eliminations came in quick succession with Zhi Yi Ning finishing up in ninth place and Kuznetsov being forced to settle for eighth. That was where the stalemate began with each of the final seven players grabbing a hold of the chip lead at one point in time.

Nearly two hours later and over 15 consecutive double-ups, the final seven were exhausted and it was evident that a massive cooler was the only way to break the deadlock. That it was when Ferreira Pais saw his pocket aces cracked by Pablo Navarro holding ace-jack. Navarro made a runner-runner straight to eliminate Ferreira Pais and take over the lead.

In a timely manner, the short stacks of Tom Orpaz and Ren Lin quickly filed out of the room, leaving just four players on the final break of the night. Once they returned, it was Navarro who was on the wrong side of the deck, sending over back-to-back double-ups to Marques and eventually succumbing to the blinds in fourth place. Garagnani held on to a short stack for much of the final table but managed to ladder his way up to third place for nearly €60,000 plus bounties.

That left Marques and Mokri to duke it out for the title and it was a short-lived heads-up match after Marques took a key pot in the early going. Marques continued to extend his lead in the next few hands and it all came to an end when he made a full house with rags against Mokri’s seven-big blind stack.

That wraps up the coverage for this event from the PokerNews live reporting team, but things are just heating up at EPT Paris and there will be plenty of more tournaments to keep an eye on in the coming days.

check out the rest of the ept paris coverage on the pokernews live reporting hub





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Full House Resorts’ The Temporary by American Place Opens Today

Aruze Gaming Opens EMEA Office in the Netherlands


Full House Resorts, a Nevada-based casino developer and operator, is expanding its portfolio of properties with a new venue in Illinois. The Temporary by American Place is scheduled to open its doors today, February 17.

The new casino is strategically located in close proximity to O’Hare International Airport. Once at the airport, visitors need to drive for around half an hour northwest to arrive at the venue. The Temporary is notably the only casino in Lake Country.

An Atmospheric Experience

When designing The Temporary, Full House Resorts went with the “a day at the lake” theme, including lush greenery and boat paddles in its interior design. The so-called Canoe Bar boasts a unique chandelier fashioned from real canoes, further reinforcing the atmosphere. At night, Full House Resorts explained, projection mapping equipment will illuminate the casino exterior, transforming it into a large-scale art display.

Casino visitors can expect to find a selection of 1,000 slot machines, as well as 50 table games. When in need of refreshments, gamblers can go to one of two modified Airstream trailers where they can get locally-brewed craft beers, espressos, salads, paninis and sandwiches. If that isn’t enough and players get truly hungry from all the exciting gambling action The Temporary offers, they can visit one of the casino’s restaurants.

At L’Américain, visitors can enjoy traditional American cuisine. If they prefer something more exotic, however, they can also try Asia-Azteca, a restaurant celebrating the traditions of Asian and Latin cooking. North Shore Steaks & Seafood is also expected to open later this year, offering yet another premium dining option to guests.

Full House to Celebrate the Opening

Full House Resorts has prepared opening festivities for the launch of its new property. The celebration will begin with a private VIP reception at 5 pm local time. Three hours later, The Temporary by American Place will be officially open to the general public.

Daniel Lee, Full House Resorts’ president and chief executive officer, commented on the upcoming opening of the new casino. He thanked the Illinois Gaming Board and its staff for their invaluable help during the new property’s construction and preparation. He also thanked Full House’s team of 500 founding employees who spared no sweat preparing The Temporary for the grand opening.

Lee concluded that he is looking forward to welcoming Chicagoland residents to the new venue starting February 17.

We are eager to welcome Chicagoland residents to The Temporary beginning on February 17.

Daniel Lee, CEO & President, Full House Resorts

Full House Resorts experienced some setbacks in 2022 as its revenues experienced a slight decrease.



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SKS365 Elevates Betting Experience with New Sportradar Partnership

SKS365 Elevates Betting Experience with New Sportradar Partnership


SKS365 and Sportradar have recently forged a long-term agreement to enhance the betting experience on Planetwin365 by offering a complete entertainment package. This new service will be available to registered users online and on mobile devices and also across the company’s retail network, which is part of the group’s omnichannel approach.

The New Sportradar Partnership Enables Unprecedented Live Sports Experience

The new partnership means that through the self-terminals, each customer will be able to select and enjoy their preferred live sports events without the need for assistance.

The platform now covers approximately 8,000 football events annually, which includes not only the Bundesliga and Italian Serie C but also the Champions League qualifiers, Copa del Rey, and Spanish Super Cup, as well as competitions from all over the world that are not available on traditional TV channels.

These competitions include the Austrian and Swiss championships, the main South American tournaments, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa, and national team matches for women’s football.

Moreover, Planetwin365 will offer live coverage of over 20,000 ITF tennis events annually, while basketball will feature 13,000 events yearly, including the NBA, Chinese, and the primary European League competitions.

Other sports that will be now available on the live-streaming service include volleyball, hockey, and additional tennis matches. With such a vast selection of events, Planetwin365 guarantees an exciting and enjoyable betting experience for sports enthusiasts worldwide.

SKS365 Will Continue to Follow Their Successful Omnichannel Strategy

Stefan Debus, senior director of audiovisual global commercial at Sportradar, stated that the new agreement with SKS365 would enable Planetwin365 to create an immersive betting experience for both existing and new customers. The addition of Sportradar’s streamed content on their website and mobile app would provide a complete entertainment package, keeping customers engaged for an extended period.

The streaming service would also allow each shop to customize its content, ensuring a personalized service that meets its unique customer needs. Additionally, the service would enable customers to make informed betting choices as sporting events unfold.

According to Troy Cox, SKS365’s chief commercial officer, the gaming experience is incomplete without the ability to watch live sporting events. Cox also mentioned that the recent agreement allows SKS365 to offer their players a fully integrated entertainment package, comprising over 40,000 live events annually, to cater to the needs of all customers.

Furthermore, an initial analysis of the service revealed a positive impact on their business. Consequently, they are developing innovative technologies to enhance the gaming experience and follow their omnichannel strategy.



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New Jersey Casinos Bring in $211M in January

Borgata’s Renovated Miralto Lounge Offers an Exquisitely Luxurious Experience


The latest data by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has shown that the casino properties in Atlantic City managed to bring as much as $211.6 million from in-person gambling last month.

In-Person Gambling Continues Annual Recovery

The results were up 15% on 2022’s results, but they still trailed behind pre-pandemic levels. Retail betting results are not the only strong performers, with horse tracks, sports betting, and online gambling partners all performing strongly in the month, producing a total yield of $436.8 million, or up 14.5% year-over-year.

However, casino executives are not as optimistic about the results. At a time when smoking is a hot-button topic in Atlantic City, many executives have argued that the results as provided by the regulator are not actually reflective of the industry’s health. Casinos also partner with a lot of interactive third parties that are entitled to much of the revenue.

In fact, some 70% of the revenue is shared with such third parties, including tech providers, sportsbooks, online gaming brands and more. While January has still posted another improvement in the results, the month is usually the weakest in terms of revenue for the retail sector. In-person gambling though is the core of casino operations and the best gauge for how healthy the sector is, insiders insist.

Looking at this same metric, Borgata managed to bring in $58.3 million from in-person gamblers, beating the YOY results by 20.6%. Then, there was Hard Rock which brought in $35.9 million, up 3.4%. Most of the other properties also posted a strong increase in their overall results. Ocean Casino Resort won $30.5 million which was a 26.4% increase for the property.

Harrah notched up another 15.9% gain to $20.1 million. Caesars Entertainment $16.8 million, an increase of 5%. Tropicana then added $16.2 million during the month, or up 11.9%. Even Bally’s, which has been struggling with its interactive division, reported $11.5 million, a robust increase of 31.4% in the month. Resorts and Golden Nugget won $11.1 million and $10.9 million, up 20.1% and 5.6% respectively.

Online Gambling Results Continue to Soar in the United States

Factoring in the online gaming revenue, the results change dramatically, with Borgata grabbing the pole position with a total of $105.9 million, up 14.7% year-over-year.

Next is Resorts Digital, which has won $52.9 million, up 22.5%. Golden Nugget managed to post $51.6 million, or up 10.1%, and Hard Rock won $43.2 million, up 2.2%.

Ocean then added a total of $34.6 million, up 31%. Overall, online properties continued to perform strongly, but once again, third parties are entitled to a fair share of the total or around 70% as previously stated.



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Intralot Appointed Deputy CEO Nikolakopoulos as CEO

INTRALOT Inks 5-year Contract with the Ohio Lottery Commission


Gaming and lottery technology provider Intralot SA announced that the Chairman of the Board of its US subsidiary, Intralot, Inc., Nikolaos Nikolakopoulos, stepped down from the board to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Stepping down to CEO

The appointment of Nikolakopoulos as CEO of Intralot, Inc. will commence as soon as all related legal requirements are fulfilled. As the CEO of Intralot’s US subsidiary, Nikolakopoulos will replace the outgoing CEO of Intralot, Inc., Byron Boothe, and will be based in his new role at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Commenting on the new appointment, Group Chairman and CEO Sokratis Kokkalis expressed his and the company’s gratitude to Boothe for his long-time contribution to the growth of the group’s US subsidiary and welcomed new CEO Nikolakopoulos by wishing him success in his new role.

Nikolakopoulos joined Intralot in 2007 and has held positions as Group Chief Commercial Officer and Group Chief Operations Officer. Since 2019, he has been serving as Deputy CEO of Intralot, Inc. and since May 2022, he has been serving simultaneously as Deputy CEO of Intralot’s US subsidiary.

Before joining Intralot in 2007, Nikolakopoulos served across management and director roles at software developer SingularLogic, software giant Microsoft and another software developer, Bull Consulting.

To assume the new role, Nikolakopuolos also stepped down from his role as a Member of the Board at the parent company and his stepping down resulted in a reconstitution of the Board of Directors at Intralot SA. Outgoing CEO Boothe will continue to serve as a Member of the Board at Intralot, Inc. and in an advisory capacity to the management team of the company.

Group Board Changes

According to the changes approved at the Board’s meeting on February 14, 2023, the eight-member board will continue to be chaired by Group CEO Kokkalis, who will be supported by Constantinos Antopoulos as Vice Chairman, two Deputy CEOs, and four non-executive members.

The Board of Directors of Intralot SA was elected by the group’s General Shareholder Assembly which took place in June 2021 and has a tenure of six years.

In December, Intralot SA posted dismal results for the third business quarter of 2022 during which profit dropped by 83% and led to a 65.8% drop in profit year-to-date.

Also in December, Intralot signed a five-year contract with the Ohio Lottery Commission to provide its sports betting solution to between 700 and 1,000 retail sportsbook locations in the Buckeye State.



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Doug Polk Narrowly Loses $200K Body Fat Loss Prop Bet to Bill Perkins

Doug Polk Narrowly Loses $200K Body Fat Loss Prop Bet to Bill Perkins



One year ago, Doug Polk bet $200,000 on dropping 50% body fat within 365 days against fellow poker player Bill Perkins. He revealed on Thursday that he fell just short of victory.

There weren’t many stipulations to the bet, which began on Feb. 11, 2022. By 1:30 p.m. CT on Feb. 10, 2023, the Upswing Poker founder had to drop at least 50% of his body fat, going from around 28% body fat to 13.85%, or he’d lose. He was at liberty to choose any diet and exercise regimen he wanted.

At the end of the challenge, he was down to 15.1% body fat, just 1.3% body fat away from winning. Instead, he’s out $200,000 to Perkins, an avid prop bettor.

Early Prop Bet Failures

PokerNews spoke with the three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner to gain insight into his routine the past year as he attempted to not only win a six-figure prop bet but also improve his health. While he didn’t succeed in accomplishing the former, he did the latter.

“The first five-ish months, I was mainly planning on trying to build up some muscle but not super focused on losing weight,” Polk said.

During those initial few months, Polk explained, he wasn’t making any progress. In fact, he was taking steps backwards and had to reevaluate. The owner of The Lodge Card Club in Austin, Texas hired “a lot of people (paid to help me trim body fat) that either didn’t know what they were doing or were just trying to keep their job.”

One nutritionist six weeks into the challenge tried to convince him that he was making progress despite having actually increased his body fat, he said. So, he had to make some changes, one of which included getting rid of his nutritionist and personal trainer, or there was no shot he’d pull it off.

“I reached the point where I decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. So I fired everybody and did it myself,” Polk said. “Since August, my progress has been really good. I’ve just been dropping pounds steadily every month.”

Poker Pro Turns it Around

Doug Polk poker

At around that time, Perkins recommended a new trainer who was helpful in Polk’s transformation. His workout and diet routine has since consisted of lifting weights 5-6 times per week in the early mornings, some cardio, and six small meals per day that total around just 1,800 calories. Once every fourth day he’d bump that up to 2,300 calories.

Eating a breakfast that included just a couple of egg whites and some raspberries, and then equally small meals full of rice, fruit, and grilled chicken throughout the day took its toll on the heads-up poker star.

“The number one problem I’ve had is I can’t sleep when I’m on a big caloric deficit,” Polk stated.

There’s been a misconception about the type of prop bet Polk entered, and he said he noticed that from social media comments. This wasn’t a weight loss bet. In fact, Polk could have conceivably gained weight during the challenge and still won had he replaced body fat with muscle mass. That said, since the challenge began one year ago, he’s lost about 30 pounds of pure weight.

Down to the Wire

Three weeks ago, he went in for a DEXA scan, which measures body composition such as body fat and muscle mass. The results showed he was at 17.2% body fat, down about 39% compared to the start of the challenge. But he still had some significant work to be done to get to exactly 13.85% body fat to win the prop bet.

Polk would face some obstacles in the latter stages of the challenge, most notably becoming a father for the first time. The Texas poker room owner’s wife, Kaitlin, gave birth to Otis Douglas Polk on Jan. 27, about two weeks from the end of the prop bet. On top of that, he struggled to get to the gym and eat properly during a massive ice storm that hit Austin last week.

If he could do it all over again, Polk would “change my initial strategy.” But he doesn’t think it’s likely he’ll go back to his old diet and fitness habits “because I have the fundamentals in place now.”

Although he learned that gambling against a University of Iowa graduate such as Perkins isn’t typically a winning proposition, he doesn’t consider it a complete failure.

“I’m in the best shape of my life,” Polk claims.

That may be true, but he’s also $200,000 less rich. Polk posted a YouTube video on Thursday further explaining the challenges he’s faced the past year (see below).

5 Best Poker Player Prop Bets Ever

*Images courtesy of Doug Polk.





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