The donation was forwarded to the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Pragmatic hopes that the money can be used to undo some of the damage done by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the city of Gaziantep in Türkiye, leading to the collapse of roads, hospitals, residential buildings and more.
Pragmatic Play Stresses the Importance of Helping Those Impacted
The number of people still trapped under the rubble is unknown and many people are categorized as missing in what is expected to be a growing death toll from the calamity. Across the border with Syria, and was felt across Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama.
Efforts have been also backed by the Turkish Red Crescent with the operations stretching across the border in Syria and relief funds underway. Food, medicine, and manpower have been dispatched. Volunteers from the entire world have flocked in to help with governments sending teams at the beginning of the disaster.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has cautioned that five million people in the country have been impacted by the earthquake. Pragmatic hopes that its contributions will help caution against some of the damage and help with the provision of shelter, food, warm blankets, winter kits, and emergency medical treatment for those impacted.
More People Should Step Up and Back the Countries in The Hard Times
Pragmatic Play CEO Julian Jarvis spoke of the event and the need for everyone to act and do so quickly:
What has happened in Turkey and Syria is truly devastating. Pragmatic Play stands in solidarity with all those affected, and we are proud to support the British Red Cross and their contribution to humanitarian efforts in the region. We urge everyone to donate what they can to ensure that urgent aid continues to be delivered at this time of exceptional need.
Pragmatic Play CEO Julian Jarvis
British Red Cros Gibraltar Branch Cdr Edward L Davies RN thanked Pragmatic Play for the contribution and said that it will help with the continuous efforts to support the people who have been affected by the earthquake.
“With our vital work still ongoing, we welcome any other donations which can be made through the DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal website,” Davies concluded.
Mojabet will be a betting partner in the period between 2022-2028 and help Olympique de Marseille further establish its footprint across the African region. The operator is one of the most prominent betting and gaming companies in the market and has amassed a significant presence.
Boosting Fan Experiences and Engagements
The tie-up with Olympique de Marseille will further help strengthen the operator’s online offering with African sports fans, the companies say. The partnership allows the two partners to drive fan-friendly engagement that is placed within the responsible gaming culture, as well as expand on an international scale.
Mojabet and Olympique de Marseille’s fans will be able to benefit from excellent synergies between the two powerful networks and reap the benefits of this tier-one collaboration which is set with the future in mind.
To celebrate this new opportunity, Mojabet has launched the OM8 competition which will see sports fans answer eight questions once a week for a chance to win a cash prize and a range of authentic OM memorabilia. This game is going to launch on Sunday and coincides with the game that Olympique Marseille will play against Paris Saint-Germain.
The partnership will also see Mojabet brand assets and signage across LED screens and across social media channels. Commenting on this opportunity, MOJA Group CEO Paris Anatolitis said that Olympique de Marseille is one of the world’s best-known clubs:
Mojabet has established a dominant position across the continent but also has ambitious growth plans.
MOJA Group CEO Paris Anatolitis
According to Anatolitis, this partnership will help nurture even stronger fan connections and life experiences that are designed to provide consumers with the best betting options, but also with the most rewarding game days.
Reaping the Benefits of Localized Partnerships
The OM8 competition is just a preview of what is to follow as part of the collaborative efforts put in by Marseille de Olympique and Mojabet. Olympique de Marseille strategy & development general manager Pedro Iriondo was similarly pleased with the opportunity presented by the partnership.
“We are delighted to welcome Mojabet as a regional betting partner in Africa,” Iriondo explained. He confirmed that the opportunity with Mojabet will significantly allow the brand to expand its player base in the continent, and the club is now looking forward to working together with the operator.
The company is reportedly not ready to launch by the previously set date of March 10 which means that it will not be launching at all. MGC executive director Karen Wells said that the company is effectively withdrawing from Massachusetts because of missing that date.
PointsBet Bows Out of Massachusetts Online Betting Race
This means that there are a total of 10 sports betting mobile apps that are readying to launch before long, although not all will be coming on time for March madness this year. Betway, for example, is confirmed for a launch in 2024, and Bally Bet and Fanatics Sportsbook are expected to arrive in May this year.
DraftKings, FanDuel, Betr, Barstool Sportsbook, WynnBET, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM should go online with the official launch date on March 10, when the Bay State is giving the go-ahead to its online betting industry. PointsBet will miss out on this launch, and not launch in what could have been a 14th state for the company.
PointsBet’s most recent entry was in Ohio this January, and in Maryland before that in November. The company’s decision to bow out of the race in the Bay State is definitely a surprise as PointsBet has been very much determined to grow its footprint and go head-to-head with some of the biggest companies from the sector.
PointsBet could have made the decision to not compete in Massachusetts, acknowledging that the retail competition is too concentrated and that certain companies that run the land-based properties would be able to offer better and stronger incentives to customers to try their retail options, through loyalty and other marketing stratagems. Whatever the decision is, we won’t be seeing PointsBet come live on time for the online betting launch.
Addiction Switzerland, an organization tasked with monitoring gambling and addiction levels, has been running annual surveys to help establish changes in the nation’s gambling behavior. In 2018, an estimated 25% of 1,395 people interviewed said that they would gamble online weekly. This number has since increased to 30% as of 2021, the organization said, with the data collated with the help of a regional addiction association from the Western part of the country.
Switzerland Sees an Increase Number of Gambling Addicts Grow
The numbers, revealed on Thursday, have confirmed a worry that Addiction Switzerland has had for a while, specifically that the availability of gambling products would lead to more cases of pathological gambling. The data argue that 5.2% of the people who gamble can be classified as such, up from 2.3% in 2018. In other words, even though online gambling activity has increased by 5%, the rate of problem gambling has increased by more than 50%.
Addiction Switzerland has more data to offer on who is the most impacted and why. People between 18 and 29 seem to be the most impacted by this problem. Around 19% of people in that group already show signs of gambling addiction or risky behavior. The average person in that age group spends around $175 (CHF162), which is ahead of $112 (CHF105).
The link in gambling activity is linked to two factors, according to the survey. One is the fact that online gambling in Switzerland has simply become more available over the past years, with land-based companies swiftly entering the online space. The country held a referendum and barred foreign operators from entering the regulated gambling market in Switzerland.
However, there have been many new suppliers offering their products locally to incentivize players into trying online gambling. Another contributing factor to the increase in online gambling is the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns which left people with fewer entertainment options. Addiction Switzerland now insists that there should be a better information campaign among the most vulnerable age groups to help stem the tide and tackle the increase in overall rates of addiction.
There have been no shortage of movies over the decades portraying the glamor, grit and decadence of the casino world, from high-stakes nosebleeds to underground games.
Some of the movies that provide the most honest, hilarious or entertaining looks at the gambling world include Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Owning Mahowny (2003), The Cooler (2003), The Hangover (2009), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and Uncut Gems (2019).
But none of these great movies made PokerNews’ list of the five best casino movies of all time.
Note: This list deliberately does not include any poker movies, so don’t get angry when you don’t see classics Rounders and Mississippi Grind. PokerNews already made a list of the five best poker movies of all time, which you can read about here.
Check out PokerNews’ picks for the top five poker movies of all time!
Top 5 Casino Movies
Here are our top five best casino movies of all time you must watch, which was made with some help from dozens of members of the poker community through social media.
#5 – Vegas Vacation (1997)
While it’s nowhere near the masterpiece that is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Vegas Vacation is an entertaining tale about trying to have a family-friendly experience in Sin City.
Chevy Chase gives another fine performance as Clark Griswold as he, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), Audrey (Marisol Nichols) and Russ (Ethan Embry) leave Chicago and find that Vegas isn’t always kind to naive tourists, that is until Russ wins four sports cars with a few slot lucky machine pulls.
The greatest additions to Vegas Vacation come from Wallace Shawn playing Marty, an antagonistic dealer who torments Clark throughout the vacation and a cameo appearance by lounge singer Wayne Newton, who finds himself in love with Ellen.
The film holds a score of 5.9 on IMDb and a 55% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics were less kind and the film has just a 16% score on the Tomatometer.
Is Vegas Vacation realistic?
While it is a comedy clearly meant to be a parody and exaggeration, there are many things Vegas Vacation gets right about the Vegas tourist experience, including the ways a random slot pull can lead to a big win and how some dealers seem to always find a way to win against you.
How can I watch Vegas Vacation?
Vegas Vacation is available to stream on HBO and is also available for purchase on several streaming services, including YouTube, AppleTV and Vudu.
Is Vegas Vacation on Netflix?
No, Vegas Vacation is not currently available on Netflix.
Is Vegas Vacation on Amazon Prime?
Yes, Vegas Vacation can be purchased on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99.
Is Vegas Vacation on Disney+?
No, Vegas Vacation was made by Warner Brothers as is not available on the Disney+ streaming platform.
#4 – 21 (2008)
21, written by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb and directed by Robert Luketic, offers one of the greatest depictions of the game of blackjack on the silver screen to make it one of the finest casino movies out there.
Based on the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team in the 1990s and adapted from Ben Mezrich’s 2002 book Bringing Down the House, the gambling drama stars Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, a financially struggling MIT student who stumbles into the world of card counting and becomes the key player of the blackjack team of professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey).
After winning hundreds of thousands on the Las Vegas blackjack tables, Campbell finds himself in over his head and caught in a longstanding cat-and-mouse chase between Rosa and gaming enforcer Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).
There are other great roles in this movie, including Kate Bosworth as teammate Jill Taylor and Josh Gad as one of Sturgess’ friends outside of the blackjack team.
Anyone who has ever dreamed of being part of a clandestine blackjack team and taking a casino for millions should check out this movie, even if Spacey’s subsequent sexual misconduct scandal makes it a little difficult to watch.
21 has a score of 6.8 on IMDb and a 66% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while it has just a 33% on the Tomatometer.
Is 21 realistic?
While there are serious embellishments and fictitious elements in both the movie and the book, 21 and Bringing Down the House are based on true events involving the MIT Blackjack Team in the 1990s.
Sturgess’ character was based on MIT Blackjack Team member Jeff Ma and Spacey’s was based on John Chang, leading some to accuse the movie of “whitewashing” by casting White Americans for the parts of the real-life Asian Americans.
How can I watch 21?
21 is available to stream on Netflix and is also available for purchase on streaming services including YouTube, Vudu and Apple TV.
Is 21 on Netflix?
Yes, 21 is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Is 21 on Amazon Prime?
Yes, 21 is available for purchase on Amazon Prime for $2.79.
Is 21 on Disney+?
No, 21 was made by Columbia and Sony pictures and is unlikely to appear on Disney+.
#3 – Coupier (1998)
The same year that Rounders shed light on the gritty underground poker world, Coupier gave a glimpse into the dark underpinnings of the gambling industry.
Written by Paul Mayersberg and directed by Mike Hodges, the British film stars Clive Owen as Jack Manfre, a struggling writer who takes a job dealing to the “punters” at a British casino. Manfred soon finds inspiration for his next book as he assimilates in the gambling industry and eventually finds himself lured into the middle of a heist.
The crime drama was a success in Britain and has gone on to become a gambling cult classic. Crouper holds a 7.0 rating on IMDb and an impressive 95% on the Tomatometer to go along with a 79% audience score.
Is Coupier realistic?
Croupier has been credited for its realistic portrayal of the gritty, gloomy world lived by casino employees, including toxic workplace environments and dealing with violent cheats.
Overall, it provides an honest look at the casino industry, offering a detailed and realistic portrayal of the industry’s uglier sides.
How can I watch Coupier?
Croupier is available to stream on Netflix and can be purchased on several streaming platforms, including Google Play, Apple TV and Vudu.
Is Coupier on Netflix?
Yes, Croupier is currently available to watch on Netflix.
Is Coupier on Amazon Prime?
Yes, Croupier is available to watch with an Amazon Prime subscription.
Is Coupier on Disney+?
No, Coupier was made by Channel Four Films and is unlikely to ever reach the Disney+ platform.
#2 – The Gambler (1974)
Four and a half decades before Uncut Gems, 1974’s The Gambler depicted the dangerous swings of a gambling addict.
The great James Caan stars as Axel Freed, a gambling-addicted English professor who draws inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky, who himself suffered a life of poverty due to gambling. “I’m not going to lose it, I’m going to gamble it,” Axel tells Billie (Lauren Hutton) before placing a risky bet.
The crime drama is directed by Karel Reisz and written by James Toback and co-stars Paul Sorvino as Hips, a bookie who is fond of Axel but also loses patience as the protagonist gets further in the hole. The film also features James Woods, himself a member of the poker community, as a bank officer.
A remake of The Gambler was released in 2014 and stars Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman and Brie Larson and was met with lukewarm reviews.
The Gambler holds a score of 7.1 on IMDb and a 77% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes to go with an 80% Tomatometer score.
Is The Gambler realistic?
Much like Rounders and Uncut Gems, The Gambler doesn’t hold back in showing the downsides to gambling and the bad situations addicts can find themselves in. In that sense, The Gambler is a realistic depiction of the horrors that many gamblers find themselves in.
How can I watch The Gambler?
The Gambler is available to purchase on several streaming services, including Google Play Movies and Vudu.
Is The Gambler on Netflix?
No, The Gambler is not currently available to stream on Netflix.
Is The Gambler on Amazon Prime?
Yes, The Gambler is available to rent on Amazon Prime for $3.99.
Is The Gambler on Disney+?
No, The Gambler was distributed by Paramount Pictures and is unlikely to ever reach Disney+.
#1 – Casino (1995)
Martin Scorsese had already established himself as the master of mafia drama before 1995’s Casino, and his work with longtime collaborators Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci delivers on all levels to make it PokerNews’ greatest casino movie of all time.
An adaptation of the book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, Casino follows Chicago mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein, played by De Niro, who is sent to run the Tangiers Casino before his relationship with enforcer Nicky Santoro (played by Pesci) takes things off the rails.
Pileggi’s book is based on the lives of Frank Rosenthal and Tony Spilotro and looks at the period in the 1980s when the mob ran Las Vegas casinos.
Like another Scorsese mob classic, Goodfellas, De Niro and Pesci both play compelling roles to make for a captivating and gripping watching experience. Pesci is particular gives a stunning performance of the explosive and unpredictable Santoro.
Casino holds an IMDb score of 8.2 and a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 93% to go with a 79% rating on the Tomatometer.
Is Casino realistic?
Casino is similar to Scorsese’s other mob films that offer a gruesome look at the mob lifestyle while also embellishing some things for the big screen. And while the characters in the movie are fictional, they are based on real people and real events of the mob-ran Vegas in the 1980s.
How can I watch Casino?
Casino is available to stream on Peacock for purchase on several streaming purchases, including Google Play Movies, YouTube TV, Vudu and Apple TV.
Is Casino on Netflix?
No, Casino is not currently available to stream on Netflix.
Is Casino on Amazon Prime?
Yes, Casino is available with a premium Amazon Prime subscription.
Is Casino on Disney+?
No, Casino was made by Universal Pictures and is unlikely to ever appear on Disney+.
Other Casino Movies Worth Checking Out
PokerNews asked the poker community to help out coming up with a list of the greatest casino movies. Check out some of the other great casino movies that didn’t make the top five.
Question for the poker community: what are the best CASINO movies of all time?
The former chief executive of Mansion Group has been hit with a £5m ($6m) global assets freeze order. Gibraltar Courts Service Chief Justice Anthony Dudley issued the order to Karel Christian Mañasco, on Tuesday.
claiming that Mañasco had breached his duties
The first sign of trouble came in September 2021 when Mansion suspended Mañasco at the beginning of an internal investigation into his actions. Mañasco stepped down as CEO in December 2021. Mansion then filed a claim in the Gibraltar courts in 2022 seeking damages, claiming that Mañasco had breached his duties.
Some of the startling specifics
The claim detailed some of Mansion’s grievances, including paying bonuses to himself of £288,111 ($346,154) and £427,500 ($513,625) in 2019 and 2020. He took £66,237 ($79,581) of personal allowance payments to which he wasn’t actually entitled.
There were also over €2.5m ($2.65m) in payments made to a Marshall Islands-incorporated company called White Wizard Media. Mansion, though, did not receive any known services from this company. Mañasco also allegedly failed to adhere to measures the Gibraltar gambling regulator had outlined, which led to the company receiving an £850,000 ($1m) fine.
have Mansion buy expensive cars and luxury watches for no particular reason
Mañasco even went so far as to have Mansion buy expensive cars and luxury watches for no particular reason. Other allegations related to significant sums he spent on corporate credit card payments, rent, legal fees, and even £14,756 ($17,729) for a domain name that was of no use to Mansion.
Fighting the allegations
Despite the extensive claims outlined by Mansion, Mañasco completely denied all of the allegations. He explained that as the CEO, he had the ability to order and oversee each of the transactions that were described by his former employer. He maintains that he always acted in the business’s best interests.
Mansion has recently closed some of its brands across the world, including all of its sites in the UK market.
Ultimately, the judge sided with Mansion, leading to the £5m asset freeze on Mañasco. When handing down his judgment, Judge Dudley described Mañasco’s actions as dishonest and of low standards of morality. He also said that an asset freeze is the “court’s nuclear weapon,” but that it was just in this particular case. Mañasco plans to contest the ruling.
The post Former CEO of Mansion Casino Hit With £5m Assets Freeze Order appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Gaming technology and sports media company Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) announced it has expanded its commercial partnership with News Corp UK & Ireland to gain access to the Irish market.
Expanding into Ireland
The new agreement between GiG and News Corp UK & Ireland will see the cloud-based technology and media provider enter and establish a presence in Ireland, offering casino and sports betting content and exclusive offers.
Following the announcement, the Irish Sun’s website now features a dedicated content hub for all betting-related content to serve as a go-to place for readers where they can find all information that they need.
GiG and the parent of prominent UK brands talkSPORT and The Sun initially partnered in December last year to deliver sports betting and casino content, as well as exclusive offers to customers in the UK, seeking to benefit from existing synergies between the partners.
To facilitate the partnership then, News Corp agreed to present the betting and gaming content in dedicated sections on both talkSPORT and The Sun websites, ensuring visibility and easy access to the offers for anyone interested.
The collaboration debuted with content on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and now, two months later, it already proved to be successful in delivering material revenues to GiG Media as the division posted an all-time high in fourth-quarter revenue of €17.8 million ($18.9 million), or an increase of 40% year-over-year, further incentivizing its expansion to include customers in Ireland.
Targeting US Entry
GiG and News Corp UK & Ireland would be interested in further expanding their collaboration and entering new markets, with a special focus placed on customers in the US, a market the partners expect to enter by the end of the first business quarter of 2023.
Elsewhere in Europe, GiG announced last month a deal with an unnamed established land-based and digital casino operator in Switzerland to provide it with its player account management (PAM) solution for a period of five years, enter the lucrative Swiss market and capitalize on the rapid growth of the iGaming vertical in the country.
Outside of Europe, GiG signed an agreement with Ontario-based operator Casino Time earlier in the month to power its operations by providing platform, sportsbook and omnichannel solutions.
Casino Time, which is the fifth operator to partner with GiG since the tech supplier obtained approval from the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario in July 2022, is planning to go live in the second quarter of 2023.
Our guest this week is a return visit from Matt of http://www.plusevanalytics.com. Some of the topics discussed include
We welcome your questions – send them to us at [email protected], or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.
