Miami Mayor Warns about Federal Rule That May Allow New Tribal Casinos

Miami Mayor Warns about Federal Rule That May Allow New Tribal Casinos


In the proposal letter that he sent to the US Department of the Interior, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told the Bureau of Indian Affairs that its proposed rule to allow Indian tribes to purchase off-reservation land is likely to ease and speed up the construction of off-reservation Indian gaming casinos. 

As explained by mayor Gelber in his letter, according to the terms of the proposal, Indian tribes would be able to buy the land, place it in a trust and enjoy similar exemptions from both state and federal law that are usually given to reservations. 

As explained by Thomas Gede, Miami Beach’s hired lawyer who specializes in American Indian law, the list of exemptions refers to the obligation to pay property taxes, comply with zoning and environmental regulations, and limit the oversight of local and state law enforcement. 

Ongoing Opposition from the Miami Beach City Commission 

The Miami Beach City Commission has been a fervent supporter of the fight against the expansion of gambling in the city for years. Since 2008, the commission has opposed no less than six proposals sent to the Florida Legislature as well as county governments.

Even though federal and state governments are asked to first give the green light to a gaming compact prior to a tribe being allowed to operate a casino on its land, Gelber issued his warning regarding the new proposed federal rule that would remove the provision asking the secretary of the Interior “to listen to and give ‘greater weight’ to the state and local governments” on these matters when the acquisition refers to off-reservation land. 

The mayor further described the proposed rules as a “seismic shift” that would no longer allow local governments “to object and be heard” while posing a direct threat to Miami Beach’s rules and policies that strongly disapprove casino gambling.

The New Rule Could Streamline the Acquisition of Tribal Land

On the other hand, The Bureau of Indian Affairs spoke about the new rule as an attempt to streamline a series of previous regulations and opinions that have been expressed in the past decades in regard to the acquisition of tribal land. 

In the rule notice written by the same bureau in the Federal Register, the proposed rule is looking to make the land into trust process more efficient and less costly to support the restoration of tribal homelands. 

Mayor Gede added that the new rule would eliminate the current regulation that asks the views of state and local governments to be “given greater scrutiny” when federal officials are required to approve or reject casino proposals. 

The public had until March 1 to send its comments regarding the matter. Now, the bureau will decide if they should veto the proposal or give it the green light and approve it as a final rule.

Provided it would be approved by the federal government, the new rule would first be published in the Federal Register, then go through voting from the Office of Management and Budget and Congress, which would either validate or invalidate it. Another option would be for the proposal to be halted in a legal challenge.



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AFL Players Can Stop Sportsbet from Using Their Images

AFL Players Can Stop Sportsbet from Using Their Images


The majority of Australian Football League (AFL) players are unaware that they can opt out from having their images used by AFL’s sports betting partner, Sportsbet, for promotional purposes.

The Majority Has No Idea They Can Opt Out

The deal with Sportsbet brings between AU$12 million ($8.1 million) and AU$13 million ($8.7 million) a year to the league’s coffers, of which 28% is paid to the players. Players also receive a 28% share of all football-related revenue generated by the league and the clubs.

Under AFL rules, players cannot participate in any shape or form in activities encouraging sports betting on games from the league but the league’s sports betting partner can exclusively use their images to promote brand awareness unless they explicitly stated otherwise, The Age reported.

But the majority of them are not aware that they can opt out and not let Sportsbet use their images to promote gambling. Contacted by the media, some of the players expressed certain reservations about the idea of their images being used to promote betting, yet had not expressed that with Sportsbet, effectively letting it use their images.

Ethical Reasons and Past Gambling Problems     

Several high-profile players such as Melbourne’s premiership full-forward goalkicker Ben Brown have refused to allow Sportsbet to use their image and promote betting on the AFL, citing ethical, reputational and even commercial reasons.

In addition to Brown, who opted out for ethical reasons, the media claims there is another high-profile player who also opted out as he was feeling uncomfortable with the idea of his image being associated with gambling activities but wished to remain anonymous.

And these two players are not the only ones who have opted out as according to agents, other players also used the option to restrict the AFL’s wagering partner from using their images citing their own gambling problems in the past.

The percentage of players who have opted this year remains relatively small, in line with the fewer than 4%, or around 30 players out of more than 800, who chose to stop the league’s official wagering partner from making them a passive part of its promotional activities.

Public attitude towards gambling and gambling advertising in particular in Australia is increasingly shifting from being one of indifference to proactively asking for more scrutiny of the increased presence of betting firms in the country’s biggest media and its impact on gambling harm.

Leagues and operators are likely to expect further curbing of gambling advertising as evidence suggests that the current regime is weak.



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IGT Expands Ohio PlaySports Kiosks Footprint via BetSkybox

IGT Teamed with UBetOhio, Deployed PlaySports QuickBet Kiosks


Global supplier of gaming and lottery solutions, International Game Technology (IGT) announced it has signed an agreement with BetSkybox to expand the footprint of its PlaySports technology in Ohio.

Sports Betting at Bars and Restaurants

The agreement between IGT and BetSkybox, a division of Skybox Sports Network, will see the gambling technology supplier deploy its PlaySports QuickBet Kiosks at restaurants and bars across the state to provide them with retail sports betting.

Ron Frederickson, president of Skybox Sports Network/BetSkybox, commented on the development, “thrilled to deliver IGT’s award-winning sports betting technology” to BetSkybox small business partners and empower them to offer sports fans in Ohio “the convenience of PlaySports’ self-service betting solution.”

“IGT’s high-performing betting solutions will add another layer of excitement as patrons gather at these social establishments to watch their favorite sports and teams,” he concluded.

Based in Las Vegas, BetSkybox was recently approved by the Ohio Lottery and Ohio Casino Control Commission for a conditional Type C Proprietor Sports Gaming License and plans to deploy sports betting kiosks across pre-approved partner locations statewide.

“Expanding IGT PlaySports’ footprint in Ohio through our partnership with BetSkybox increases the opportunity for sports fans throughout the state to enjoy premium betting experiences while they are watching games at restaurants and bars,” commented Joe Asher, IGT President of Sports Betting.

Asher continued in his comments by highlighting the loyal and engaged fan bases of Ohio’s “high-profile professional and collegiate sports teams,” pointing to the “simplicity and intuitive nature of IGT’s PlaySports kiosks” as the key features that will “make it easy for any fan to responsibly place bets on their favorite sports teams.”

Sports Tickers and Odds Boards

In addition to the PlaySports QuickBet Kiosks, BetSkybox will provide the host locations with its core product line of sports tickers and odds boards to elevate the sports betting experience in the restaurants and bars by creating a sportsbook look and feel, utilizing light, color and motion.

The launch with BetSkybox is set to expand IGT PlaySports’ footprint in Ohio, a state in which the betting technology supplier has already deployed its solutions with both class A and C licensee partners, and add to the more than 80 gaming venues in the US and Canada IGT is powering with sports betting solutions.

The BetSkybox arrangement followed hot on the heels of an agreement reached with another type C Proprietor license holder, UBetOhio, last month under which IGT deployed its PlaySports QuickBet Kiosks at restaurants and bars across Ohio.



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The Best Slots to Play Right Now at 888casino

The Best Slots to Play Right Now at 888casino


888 Casino Homepage

888 is one of the biggest names around for online gambling, including a huge poker platform and online casino sites. Alongside their fantastic array of table and live dealer games, we decided it was time to shine the spotlight on their range of online slot games.

In this article, we’ll take you along with us as we journey through the online slots you can play at 888casino, including our top 5 slot games. We’ll also include the best casino bonuses and offers that we found at 888, so you can maximise your playing and get spinning straight away.

What We Love About the Online Slots at 888casino

A quick look at the 888casino website quickly shows you the breadth and diversity of its slots range. As well as an impressive volume of games, we also like the fact that 888 divides their range into easy to navigate sections so it’s much easy to zero in on your preferred title.

These sections range from ‘Game of the Week’, and ‘Exclusive Slots’, to other categories like those devoted to a specific game maker (Megaways and Lucky Tap are notable mentions). You can also see what other slot players are spinning by clicking on the ‘Top UK Slots’ or ‘Trending Slots’.

We were viewing the 888 UK website when writing this article, so the navigation and layout may look different if you are browsing 888casino in another location.

Here’s our quick list of the best features of 888casino slots:

  • Impressive themes and slot niches
    As well as looking at popular slot sections, or what most players are playing at any specific time, we really like the dedication that 888 puts into creating categories of games with similar themes. When we looked, there were dedicated sections for music-themed slots featuring a number of artists like Motorhead, KISS, and Ozzy Osbourne, as well as ‘Arabian Nights’, and even ‘The Fish Market’ – dedicated to the best fishing-themed slots!
  • Top titles from the biggest game producers
    As mentioned above, 888casino dedicate a decent amount of online slots real estate to games produced by some of the biggest names in the industry. You’ll find over 30 titles from Megaways alone, as well as names like Lucky Tap and slots from Red Tiger Gaming.
  • Frequently updated with the latest slots
    Lingering for a second more on the slots navigation at 888casino, you’ll also notice the ‘New slots’ section. As you’d imagine, this provides the latest slots to be added to the 888 casino catalogue all in one place, and it shows that they certainly don’t rest on their laurels when it comes to adding more and more slot games for you to get involved in.
  • Great casino bonuses for slots players
    We’ve got a section below dedicated to the specific offers we found at 888casino, but suffice it to say there’s a great range of bonuses and promotions for new and existing players alike.

The Best Slots to Play at 888casino – Our Personal Favourites

With such a great selection to choose from (not to mention regular updates of new games), it can be hard to choose specific slot titles to focus on. However, we wanted to pause for a moment and list out some personal favourites that we found when browsing the online slots section at 888casino:

Gold Blitz

This money-themed video slot from Fortune Factory Studios seems like a straightforward slot, but it comes with an innovative twist. Gameplay is across a 5×4 grid, and various symbols that drop allow you to win jackpot prizes of up to 2,500 your stake. There’s also a bonus round with Multiplier Wilds and the appearance of the Gold Blitz feature, which guarantees a cash win on each spin.

Gold Blitz Slot

Mad Max Fury Road Megaways

Taking inspiration from the 2015 Tom Hardy film smash, this dystopia-filled slot is all about building up the adrenaline and excitement for the player. As well as the Mad Max-themed look & feel, this slot offers a Progressive Jackpot round, Bonus Roads, as well as Free Spins and the Wild Sandstorm, which is a randomly-triggered feature offering the chance for more free spins if the sandstorm turns any three symbols Wild.

Mad Max Fury Road Megaways Slot

Book of Scrolls

This slot has a definite Indiana Jones/Egyptian explorer feel to it, and this just adds the already exciting gameplay. The Book of Scrolls slot is all about grabbing as much Egyptian treasure as you can and includes a Bonus Spin feature that causes the game grid to fill up with symbols that trigger big payouts. There’s also a Daily Jackpot feature to try and hit every day.

Bigger Bass Bonanza

We’ve seen this fishing slot in a few places online, and it’s easy to see why it’s a favourite at 888. Featuring 12 different paylines and an RTP of 96.6%, this slot gives you the chance to bait your catch of the day to match 3 symbols and trigger a win. Match 5, and you could win a cool £192 (based on a £1 bet). During the Free Spins mode, you’ll also see special Money and Wild symbols, which can mean instant cash wins.

Hyper Strike

Finally, from Microgaming, we have Hyper Strike, which features a massive 20 paylines as well as 9-of-a-kind scatter wins (special symbols that have a specific function or bonus feature), free spins and multipliers. This bright and breezy video slot is certainly eye-catching and there is potential to win big if you manage to trigger the 9-of-a-kind win which offers 2,000 times your original stake.

Hyper Strike Slot

The Best Slot Bonuses you can find at 888casino

By their very nature, online casino sites will switch around their regular offers, promotions and bonus codes from time to time. Therefore the information we’ve included here is just what we found when writing this article, and you might not find the same offers when you’re browsing the 888 website for yourself – or if you’re in a different location altogether.

888 Casino Promotions

The main standout offer we found was 88 Free Spins for all new customers, and even better, this is a no-deposit bonus. You just need to sign-up and claim this offer within 48 hours, which is a pretty good way to intro yourself to 888casino games as a new player.

We also found a 100% Deposit Match offer for new players (up to a total of £100). Again this needs to be claimed within 48 hours of signing up at 888 but means that they will match 100% of any deposit you make, from a minimum deposit of £20 up to £100.

If these aren’t enough, 888casino also had a Monday Motivation offer onsite, giving Free Spins away for anyone depositing £20 or more. You can receive between 10-100 Free Spins on selected games every Monday – a pretty good start to anyone’s week!

Have we got you bursting at the seams to start spinning the slots at 888casino? You can click through and sign-up right now via PokerNews or, if you like, read our full 888casino review to find out more.

The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.

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Sam Coyle

Senior Casino & Gaming Manager





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Abios Compiles a Comprehensive Esports Betting Review

Excel Esports Unveils New Partnership with Bioflow


The esports data and odds provider that is also a part of Kambi, Abios, released a new report providing a unique insight into the growing esports betting vertical. The report was compiled thanks to data from Kambi’s network and pointed out which are the most popular esports games, leagues, as well as teams in 2022. The data was based on the betting turnover for last year but at the same time, delivers “a guiding light” for 2023 as well.

Kristina Skogvard, Abios’ Marketing Manager, explained that the popularity of esports has been rapidly growing and the activity became a part of the offering of many sports betting operators. This, according to her, underlines the importance of the new report which delivers unique insight into the esports betting vertical.

Skogvard acknowledged that CS:GO remains an unquestionable leader within the esports betting market. Yet, she pointed out that Riot Games’ first-person shooter, VALORANT, has also seen an increase in growth with viewership for its tournaments reaching similar figures to CS:GO’s tier 1 tournaments. In conclusion, Skogvard predicted that with the increase in content for 2023, VALORANT may quickly gain further advantage.

Esports is becoming increasingly prevalent among many sportsbooks and we don’t believe it to slow down anytime soon.

Kristina Skogvard, marketing manager at Abios

CS:GO’s Reign Continues

Based on the betting turnover via Kambi’s network in 2022, Abios compiled a list of the most popular esports titles. The list consisted of ten games and CS:GO was crowned as the leader, followed by League of Legends which was ranked second. Dota 2 hit third place, followed by VALORANT and Call of Duty.

The bottom half of the list with the most popular esports titles included Rainbow Six Siege which was ranked sixth, followed by Overwatch 2 and StarCraft 2 which have taken seventh and eighth positions. Rocket League and League of Legends: Wild Rift were positioned in the ninth and tenth place within the list.

Not unexpectedly, CS:GO reigned when it comes to Abios’ list of most popular leagues. The new report positioned CS:GO’s Intel Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League and BLAST Premier as the top three leagues. League of Legends’ LPL ranked fourth followed by CS:GO’s PGL Major which was fifth.

It’s no surprise that esports betting continues to gain popularity, considering the convenience of mobile betting. At the same time, esports betting also taps into fresh audiences by attracting millennials and even Gen-Z audiences that are old enough to place wagers.



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Top 5 Tips and Hacks to Win at PokerStars Play

Top 5 Tips and Hacks to Win at PokerStars Play


PokerStars Play Hints & Tips

Free, legal and full of a variety of exciting games, PokerStars Play is the place to play online poker and casino games. Join a worldwide gaming community and compete to win, BUT with PokerStars Play available in over 80 countries and played by thousands of players, building your virtual chip stack won’t be easy. So, we’ve come up with our exclusive list of hacks. Here are our top 5 tips to win at PokerStars Play.

#1 – Earn Free Bonuses at PokerStars Play

Everyone loves a free bonus, and PokerStars Play is absolutely littered with them… you just have to know where to look. You can play free online poker at PokerStars Play, but you should take advantage of all their bonuses to maintain your chip bankroll and ensure you can keep winning.

How to Get Free Bonus Chips at PokerStars Play?

PokerStars Play offers several different bonuses, all coming with the opportunity to win a bucket load of free chip rewards. But how exactly do you get free bonuses at PokerStars Play and how do you earn free poker chips?

Spin the Ad Wheel

Directly from the PokerStars Play game lobby, you can access the Ad Wheel. Here, every four hours you can spin the wheel for a chance to win free poker chips to play with, as well as other prizes. All you need to do is just watch an ad in the PokerStars Play app. But that’s not all, the bonuses don’t stop there! If you complete five spins, you’ll get an extra free spin on the jackpot bonus wheel for a chance to win BIG.

Scratchcards

Each day, you’ll be rewarded a free scratchcard where you can win free chips. You can also earn a free scratchcard by watching an ad, or even purchase a premium scratchcard that gives you the chance to win even better rewards.

Quizzes

Think you know your stuff about poker…why not put it to the test? PokerStars Play rewards you for your knowledge. Play quizzes straight from the mini-games tab from the menu bar at the bottom. Three lives… 10 seconds to answer… if you can successfully navigate all the questions given to you, you’ll be rewarded with (yep, you’ve guessed it)… even more free chips!

PokerStars Play Quiz

#2 – Advance Through the Poker Leagues

Poker at PokerStars Play isn’t just about a few online tournaments, or a handful of cash game tables you might play. It’s about your overall performance over the course of the league season and cumulatively, how many chips you can win. Finishing in the ‘promotion bracket’ and advancing to the next league will result in more free poker chips being awarded. You’ll also collect badges based on your final league finishing position.

What is PokerStars Play Poker Leagues?

The PokerStars Play poker leagues are a weekly system where players can earn badges and rewards. Every Monday, a new league season will start. Here, based on players’ skill levels, each player will be allocated to a specific league with 99 other competitors. If you finish the season in the promotion bracket, you’ll advance to the league above. Finish in the ‘safe bracket’ and you’ll remain in your current league, but finish in the ‘demotion bracket’ and you’ll be relegated to the league below.

The league ranking is based on the number of chips you win accumulatively across the week. You’ll be initially put in a league based on your skill level. The relegation and promotion aspect of the leagues also ensures that you find the right league based on your skill level.

PokerStars Play Leaderboard

Why play PokerStars Play Poker Leagues?

Playing the poker leagues is a surefire way to help you win at PokerStars Play. Even if you get relegated from your league, the next season (week) you’ll be in a lower league where you’ll have a much better chance of finishing in the higher positions. When you do, you’ll be rewarded with more free poker chips that you can use to crush at the tables and become a winning player at PokerStars Play.

#3 – Complete PokerStars Play Challenges

PokerStars Play offers daily and weekly challenges to complete that will once again reward you with more chips to play with. Each player will receive three daily challenges and one weekly challenge to tackle. IF you complete all three daily challenges, you’ll receive an instant mystery bonus.

What are PokerStars Play Challenges?

PokerStars Play challenges are either poker or casino challenges that you can complete to win free chips. An example of the poker challenges might be to play in five tournaments or win 25 hands. Alternatively, the casino challenges might be spin 10 times (on any slot game).

PokerStars Play Challenges

How to Complete PokerStars Play Challenges

Accessing and completing PokerStars Play challenges is easy. Simply go to the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, click on the ‘Challenges’ icon to the right of the menu and access all the challenges available to you. What’s more, you’ll have a progress bar for each so you can see updates on your progress and know exactly what more you need to do to complete your challenges.

#4 – Don’t Give Up

Whether you’re playing free online poker at PokerStars Play, or playing the highest-stakes cash games at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, results don’t dictate your ability as a poker player. It’s counterintuitive, as with most sports and games, if you lose consistently, it usually indicates you’re not as good as your competition.

Of course, this is probably also the case if you’re consistently losing in the long-term at poker, but short-term results are highly volatile down to the luck element involved in poker. If you have a few losing days, don’t be deterred or down-hearted, thinking you’re not a good player. Variance is a huge part of poker and is something every pro, from Daniel Negreanu to Phil Ivey, has had to deal with at some point in their careers.

Play Free Online Poker Games at PokerStars Play

So, if you’re going through a downswing, the best thing you can do is take some time to compose yourself (don’t go on tilt!), understand that variance is normal and get back to tables. PokerStars Play is completely free, so your money is not at risk if you continue to lose. However, you could turn it around and get back to winning ways.

#5 – Study and Learn Poker

While casino games can have some strategy involved, poker is a game where in the long run, the most skilled players will be the ones who win the most. Nobody is born a skillful poker player – every successful pro to date has worked tirelessly at perfecting their knowledge. If you do the same, you’ll quickly see your skill level rise… and this will have a positive effect on your win rate in the long term.

How to Get Better at PokerStars Play Poker

To get better at PokerStars Play poker, you just have to utilise the array of different learning resources available to you on poker. At PokerNews, we have complete beginners’ guides to every different poker game type, including No-limit Hold’em, Pot-limit Omaha and Stud Poker. Getting to grips with the basics is essential in starting to improve your game.

Once you’ve nailed the basics, you have a springboard to then push on and enhance your poker knowledge and skills. Again, we have articles to help you take your game from ‘meh’ to amazing, essential poker charts you need to read and advanced strategy to help with your game.

Are you ready to put these tips to the test? If the answer is YES, sign-up for PokerStars Play now via PokerNews.

For more information or details of what to play on the PokerStars Play app, check out our full review.

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  • Free, legal and full of a variety of exciting games, PokerStars Play is the place to play online poker and casino games – read our top tips on how to get ahead with PokerStars Play!

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Sam Coyle

Senior Casino & Gaming Manager





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Flutter’s Preliminary 2022 Financials Reveal Outstanding Growth

Flutter CEO Offers Valuable Advice to Ireland’s New Regulator


Despite stellar performance across most key verticals, Flutter Entertainment ended the year at a net loss due to several strategic acquisitions, rising interest, higher expenses, and taxes. The company’s management team had only positive remarks, emphasizing the potential growth in several attractive new jurisdictions and the opportunity to consolidate its dominating position in mature markets. A rise in overall players and plans for a US listing should yield long-term benefits.

Successful USA Launches Saw Revenues Skyrocket

On the surface, Flutter Entertainment’s end-of-the-year results appear very impressive. Total 2022 revenue reached £7.69 billion ($9.19 billion), marking a 27% increase compared to 2021. EBITDA also rose by 27% to £918 million ($1.1 billion). Despite record growth, the company reported a loss after tax of £305 million ($364 million). The tombola and

Sisal acquisitions and the purchase of Adjarabet contributed to a net debt of £4.6 billion ($5.5 billion).

Headway in the USA significantly expanded the company’s scale thanks to excellent customer acquisition. Maryland and Ohio marked some of Flutter’s most successful launches, securing its position as the leading US sportsbook. With an average Q4 sports betting market share of 50% across all states and a revenue growth of 67%, the company reached profitability as early as Q2 and now stands poised for further expansion.

We have an unparalleled number one position in the US where we continue to go from strength to strength.

Peter Jackson, Flutter Entertainment CEO

Flutter’s core markets outside the USA contributed roughly 75% of 2022’s revenues but enjoyed more modest but nonetheless impressive growth. Profits in these jurisdictions rose by 22%, but regulatory headwinds and safe gambling initiatives impacted profits. However, average monthly players continued to grow despite these challenges, maintaining Flutter’s overall momentum.

Flutter Enters 2023 as a Clear Market Leader

The Group’s financials lay a strong foundation coming into 2023. CEO Peter Jackson was especially pleased with Flutter’s performance in the USA. He added that the FanDuel brand was among the most successful, delivering record Super Bowl performance and helping onboard over 1.2 million clients. Jackson was also optimistic regarding Flutter’s international prospects and expansion opportunities.

We are well placed to build on gold medal positions in our mature markets while we are delivering very strong growth in a range of attractive high-growth markets.

Peter Jackson, Flutter Entertainment CEO

Flutter’s position as the leading USA sportsbook inspired plans for a US listing to help facilitate its further expansion. The company expects such a move to yield many long-term benefits, further strengthening its profile in the country. Despite increased debt, Flutter maintains its commanding presence and will likely continue to leverage its position to further its global reach.



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Greatest Blackjack Wins – Gambling With An Edge

Greatest Blackjack Wins - Gambling With An Edge


This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC says: These are stories of big wins in blackjack, most by way of hitting some crazy side bet. When it comes to side bets, you hear about the big jackpots, but not the multitude of losses that make these bets so profitable for the house. They might be fun to play and there’s the allure of the big score, but blackjack side bets are often among the worst bets in the casino. Basic strategy: Don’t play them. LVA gets a name-check in this article. The author, Michael Kaplan, is working on a book for us tentatively titled The Advantage Players.

This article was written by Michael Kaplan in association with 888Casino.

Greatest Blackjack Wins

It’s one thing to go on a magnificent rush at the blackjack table, resulting in a six-figure score over the course of multiple hands. Don Johnson, the MIT team, and Rob Reitzen, they’ve all done it plenty of times.

But what about short-cutting gamblers who board the express train to fortune? Through some crazy side bets and card-running jiu-jitsu, they manage to take down six figure returns over the course of just a single hand. Yes, it often involves making some longshot bet that would cause the James Grosjean of the advantage play (AP) world to roll their eyes at and mutter, “Civilian…”

But lucky winners don’t sweat such derision. They simply head to the cage and negotiate mega cash-outs. Here are six of our favorite quick-hit champions.

Click to continue reading …

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Bobby Baldwin Has Aces But Jennifer Tilly Isn’t a Believer on High Stakes Poker

Bobby Baldwin Has Aces But Jennifer Tilly Isn't a Believer on High Stakes Poker



The action picked up for Episode 6 of High Stakes Poker Season 10 on PokerGO when Bobby Baldwin aggressively played pocket aces and Antonio Esfandiari got adventurous with everyone’s favorite hand — seven-deuce.

Joining those two poker players at the table were Jennifer Tilly, Bill Perkins, Roger Sippl, and Robert Sanchez, the same cast of characters during last week’s Episode 5.

Actress Makes a Move Against Pocket Rockets

jennifer tilly high stakes poker
Jennifer Tilly

Through the first six episodes of Season 10, Tilly has been one of the most active players at the table. But she picked the wrong time in the most recent episode to build a big pot against Baldwin.

Baldwin began the hand raising to $2,000 with {a-Hearts}{a-Diamonds} before the Hollywood actress bumped it up to $6,000 with {k-Clubs}{10-Clubs}. The 1978 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion then went for a four-bet to $16,000, and his opponent made the call.

When the flop came out {10-Hearts}{8-Spades}{2-Clubs}, Baldwin continued his aggression with a $15,000 bet, leaving $60,000 behind. Tilly, who held top pair, decided to just put him all in and he quickly called. They agreed to run it once and the turn was the {4-Spades}, changing nothing, followed by the useless {3-Hearts} on the river, shipping the former poker world champion a $154,600 pot.

Esfandiari’s Playing the Seven-Deuce Game

antonio esfandiari poker
Antonio Esfandiari

With a $1,000 seven-deuce bounty on, Esfandiari picked up the magic hand and decided to make a play. In a limp-straddled four-way pot that already had $8,400 in the middle, the flop came {6-Hearts}{3-Hearts}{7-Spades}, Esfandiari announced that he hadn’t even looked at his hand and was never given an opportunity to act from the straddle preflop.

Aria tournament director Paul Campbell was called over to the table to make a ruling, and he permitted the straddler to act as if there was no flop and then the deck would be reshuffled. Esfandiari, who then looked down at {7-Clubs}{2-Spades}, opted to raise to $9,000. Three players called and saw a flop of {a-Clubs}{9-Spades}{3-Spades}.

After action checked over to Esfandiari, he bluff-bet $18,300 against three players who were all holding fairly weak hands against that flop. Sanchez had the best hand of them all with {8-Hearts}{8-Clubs} but couldn’t call, and neither could Perkins or Tilly.

“It can’t be seven-deuce,” Perkins said to Esfandiari.

“You wanna buy two-hundred?” Esfandiari offered a potential discount to Perkins, who declined the offer.

Esfandiari then offered a $100 buyout, to which Perkins again declined. The “Magician” flipped over his cards to show the seven-deuce, and all the players at the table were required to pay him the $1,000 bounty.

Another interesting pot took place right off the bat during Episode 6 when Tilly flopped a set against the open-ended straight draw of Perkins. Tilly bet out, then was check-raised before just calling. She again bet the turn and received a call before betting the river and getting a fold when her opponent’s straight draw failed to come through.

High Stakes Poker Season 10 returns next week on PokerGO at 5 p.m. PT with Episode 7.

Crazy High Stakes Poker Chop Pot

Past High Stakes Poker Recaps

Check out our past recaps from Season 10 of High Stakes Poker on PokerGO:

*Images courtesy of PokerGO.





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RSI Posted Q4, Full-Year 2022 Revenue Growth, Loss Increased

Loto-Québec Posts H1 2022-23 Results


Online gaming and sports betting operator Rush Street Interactive, Inc. (RSI) published its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2022 and the full year ended December 31, 2022, posting revenue increases of 27% and 21%, respectively.

Strong Revenue Growth

RSI generated in the last business quarter of 2022 revenue of $165.5 million to contribute to a full-year 2022 revenue of $592.2 million. For comparison, in Q4 2021 the Chicago-based gaming company registered revenue of $130.6 million, while for the full year, it amounted to $488.1 million.

Commenting on the results, Richard Schwartz, chief executive officer of RSI, outlined that the strong quarter and record results for the year were driven by a growth of 95% in RSI’s Latin American and new North American markets the company had launched operations after 2020.

Net Loss, Negative Adjusted EBITDA

The company’s net loss in Q4 2022 was $31.1 million, registering a decrease of 18.4% from $38.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Quarterly adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $17.3 million, down 44.6% from the adjusted EBITDA loss of $31.2 million in Q4 2021.

For the full year, net loss significantly increased to reach $134.4 million, up 88.9% from $71.1 million in the year prior. Consequently, full-year adjusted EBITDA came at negative $91.8 million to register an increase of 41% from $65.1 million in 2021.

“We expect to achieve positive Adjusted EBITDA for the second half of 2023 and continue to be selective as we prioritize investments in markets with higher returns,” Schwartz said.

2023 Revenue Guidance

RSI used the report to initiate revenue guidance for the full year 2023, expecting to achieve revenue of between $630 million and $700 million, based on certain assumptions, including professional and college sports calendars remaining intact, the company maintaining operations in all jurisdictions it operates now, and that results from new jurisdiction launches are excluded.

“Looking forward, we will continue to focus on earning and retaining customer loyalty, by treating them well, being thoughtful, developing seamless experiences and reducing friction at every possible point. We have built our proprietary platform and culture around a disciplined operating philosophy, which is reflected in our results,” Schwartz concluded in his comments.

Other Financial Highlights

RSI noted that its adjusted advertising and promotions expenses in the fourth quarter marginally dropped to $63.2 million, as compared to $64 million in the respective quarter of 2021, while for the full year, there was an increase of 16.9% to $218.4 million ($186.9 million in 2021).

The number of real-money monthly active users increased proportionally in the quarter and the year: 22% in Q4 and 29% in full-year 2022, allowing RSI to register average revenue per monthly active user of $327 in the fourth quarter and $315 during the year. The full-year result is down 9% year-over-year.  

At the end of the reported period, December 31, 2022, RSI’s cash balance stood at $180 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents.



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