High 5 Games, one of the largest independent providers of casino games, has announced a new agreement with the gambling giant DraftKings. Under the new agreement, the supplier will power DraftKings’ operations in Ontario with content.
As a result of the partnership between High 5 Games and DraftKings, players in Ontario will get to play a vast selection of feature-rich gambling games. Online casino enthusiasts in the Canadian province can now try games such as Triple Double Da Vinci Diamonds, Platinum Goddess, and The Green Machine Supreme.
In addition, Ontarian players will be some of the first to experience Goldstruck Blasts, High 5 Games’ latest hit. The fresh mining-themed game was released earlier this month and is sure to appeal to many gamblers in the province.
The Ontario-facing agreement will expand High 5 Games’ presence in North America while deepening the supplier’s relationship with DraftKings. The two companies have an existing relationship in several US states.
High 5 Games Feels Privileged to Work with DraftKings
Anthony Singer, the chief executive officer of High 5 Games, commented on the new agreement with DraftKings. He said that his team is “incredibly pleased” to expand its presence in more regulated markets whilst expanding the company’s agreement with the operator.
Singer added that High 5 Games is looking forward to supplying DraftKings with more games and providing its fans with exciting new experiences.
As we continue on this growth trajectory, we feel privileged to offer new and exciting gaming content to the DraftKings fanbase while meeting our shared mission of servicing all iGaming states across North America as well as Canada.
Anthony Singer, CEO, High 5 Games
High 5 Games and DraftKings continue to grow together and support each other’s success. This new joint expansion into new markets further outlines their commitment to providing best-in-class gambling content to players.
The partnership between DraftKings and High 5 Games is expected to grow further, with West Virginia likely being the next jurisdiction where the supplier will roll out its games. The two companies hope to reach every regulated state in the USA.
High 5 Games recently bolstered its presence in Pennsylvania, after successfully launching its games with Rush Street Interactive and BetMGM.
Meanwhile, DraftKings just unveiled a new office facility in Las Vegas, which the operator will leverage to expand its local presence. The 90,000-square-foot office is notably the company’s second-largest office in the US and features more than 130 dedicated sports trading desks.
Such an agreement marks a vital milestone in Betano’s quest to continue improving and stand above the competition. As its new global ambassador, Giannis Antetokounmpo will participate in continued promotional efforts, featuring prominently in the operator’s media campaigns. The Kaizen Gaming-owned brand’s continued growth and rising prominence across Europe, Latin, and North America make similar marketing campaigns vital to establishing brand recognition and driving engagement.
A Match Made in Heaven
Antetokounmpo, known as The Greek Freak, is a two-time NBA MVP and 2021 NBA Champion. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar shares more than a common heritage with Betano. He lauded the operator’s commitment to excellence, noting he only agreed to partnerships that he could connect with.
In Betano, I have found a great fit, not only in our shared passion for sports but also in our drive and dedication for continuous improvement.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo’s new position as brand ambassador will have him appear in branded content, participate in promotional events, and reach out to the Betano community through various outlets. Kaizen Gaming co-founder and CEO George Daskalakis congratulated the Milwaukee Bucks athlete on his achievements, calling the star the best choice for a global brand ambassador.
Giannis embodies all that we value at Kaizen Gaming, and that is hard work, commitment, continuous improvement, and above all, humility.
George Daskalakis, Kaizen Gaming co-founder and CEO
The CEO drew parallels to their mutual desire to reach new heights, becoming top players in their respective fields. Antetokounmpo and Kaizen also share a similar heritage, rising from humble beginnings to become household names. The operator began as a Greek startup, rising to become a global player, currently active in 12 countries in Europe, Latin, and North America.
Kaizen Continues to Make Strides Worldwide
Securing a sponsorship deal with such a high-profile internationally-recognized athlete marks a significant milestone in Betano’s global ambitions. The brand is a vital part of Kaizen Group’s efforts to consolidate its position in the market, spearheading its North American expansion efforts after a successful launch in Ontario, Canada.
Onboarding Antetokounmpo follows several other high-profile partnerships for Betano. The brand recently extended its deal with the Romanian Sports Motor Federation, sponsoring the recently renamed Betano National Rally Championship. Kaizen’s efforts to partner with clubs and leagues across Europe are already paying dividends, bolstering its brands’ appeal and allowing sports betting fans to engage with its content in new and exciting ways.
Founded by Jack Paul and Joey Levy, Betr is a gambling startup focused on micro-betting. Ever since 2022, when the company launched its first operations in the US, Betr has been focused on growing further and disrupting sports gambling. Now, in a recent interview, the company’s CEO, Joey Levy, spoke about the ambitious growth plans of Betr and how the company differentiates itself from the competition. Levy pointed out that Betr is currently focused on three main goals that help it differentiate itself from the competition:
Lower to no customer acquisition costs (CAC)
Strong engagement with the users
Community driven vitality
Following those three pillars of growth, Levy predicted that the company can grow exponentially in the next 18 to 24 months. He did not rule out significant expansion via market shares but said that Betr is “deliberately not playing the market share game at this time.”
One of Betr’s goals is growth as a media company. The CEO explained that as a media company that delivers original and short-form content led by Jake Paul, Betr can differentiate itself from the competition. This is because unique content can bring benefits when it comes to player acquisition, as well as retention. This, in turn, can result in lower to no CAC.
How Can the Company Differentiate Itself from the Rest?
Levy said that Betr is aware that it cannot succeed by just being famous as “the Jake Paul sportsbook.” Instead, he identified that the company wants to accumulate its presence with the help of famous sports personas, just like Paul. To further elevate the experience for sports fans and bettors, Paul is also backed by development experts, explained Betr’s CEO.
When it comes to micro-betting, Levy acknowledged that it is what primarily differentiates Betr within the fast-growing betting vertical. According to him, micro-betting plays a key role in user engagement. Citing data, Levy said that more than 90% of the company’s users place multiple wagers. Moreover, he pointed out that while some bettors place small bets, there is a growing number of individuals that over time increase the size of their bets exponentially. Levy pointed out that half of the bettors from January came back and placed a wager in February.
Pointing to Ohio for example, Levy said that based on data, Betr has seen a 20% conversion of its media audience to real money gambling products in approximately two months. According to him, the conversion with the help of media can be further boosted. He said that those results are strong, considering that Betr holds less than 1% of the betting market and the company is still in the process of being developed.
Betr’s CEO explained that brand awareness is significantly important for any company. Yet, according to him, Betr plans to first establish brand affinity with its audience and then explore options for brand awareness. This, he said can be achieved via a product that differentiates from the competition and at the same time is easy to use. Levy spoke about the complex sports betting options offered by some operators that feature data and processes that are “uninterpretable” for inexperienced bettors.
Sports data specialist Sportradar, has unveiled the integration of its proprietary ad:s technology into the instant messaging app Snapchat. This move will see the creation of a new channel where sportsbooks can leverage Sportradar’s paid social media advertising service to acquire customers.
The integration of ad:s into Snapchat will allow Sportradar to connect operators with the app’s user base. Snapchat has 375 million daily users and more than 750 million monthly active users. The app sports robust age-targeting functions that will ensure that sports betting content is promoted only to appropriate audiences.
Snapchat’s popularity in the USA and Western Europe – two mature sports betting territories – makes it a valuable addition to the ad:s portfolio.
Ad:s is a paid social media advertising service that leverages AI to help iGaming and sports betting operators understand their audiences. It is equipped with all the measurement tools needed to optimize marketing performance in real-time. Most importantly, the solution allows for the creation of personalized marketing materials that leverage the latest sports fixtures and odds.
Ad:s is committed to only advertising to adult audiences and ensuring that only people of legal age see the ads. In addition, Sportradar also urges all of its clients to avoid targeting high-risk players.
The Integration Will Help Operators Connect with Fans
Ross Hartnett, the manager of real money gaming at Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc, said that his team is delighted to integrate Sportradar’s ad:s service into Snapchat. Hartnett noted that the current agreement will provide betting operators with the opportunity to “dynamically reach millions of sports fans of legal gambling age” and provide them with real-time game stats, odds and more.
By combining Sportradar’s industry expertise with Snapchat’s advertising products, we look forward to continuing to innovate unique user experiences for operators and Snapchatters.
Ross Hartnett, manager of real money gaming, Snap Inc
Spotradar’s global director of advertising sales, Florian Geheeb, also released a statement on the new partnership. He praised Snapchat’s popularity, noting that social media as a whole is a great tool for sportsbooks to find and engage new customers.
By integrating our industry-specific advertising solution into Snapchat, one of the world’s most consumed and strategically important social media platforms, Sportradar is unlocking a new channel to optimize the marketing performance of sportsbook operators.
Florian Geheeb, global director of advertising sales, Sportradar
In other news, Sportradar recently published the results of its Betting, Corruption and Match-fixing in 2022 survey. The company’s Sportradar Integrity Services unit reported that the number of suspicious matches has increased by 34%.
Shaun Deeb has five World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets to his name, and he can now add a WSOP Circuit ring to his list of poker accomplishments. Deeb took down the WSOPC Turning Stone $1,700 Main Event for $275,916 and his first Circuit ring after defeating heads-up opponent Giyeon Han, who took home $170,528.
The WSOPC Turning Stone ran March 16-27 and consisted of 16 No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha events, including the Main Event that drew 1,070 runners for a prize pool of $1,621,050.
A New York native, Deeb no doubt felt comfortable throughout his path to victory. He entered the final table second in chips and at one point called out his opponent’s exact holding, according to WSOP live updates.
“I would hope I was the best player in the field,” Deeb told WSOP. “My ego says I’m the best, but it was actually tougher competition than I was expecting deep. People put me in some tough spots, I was three-betting a ton at this final table, way more than I thought I should have, but I think some of them caged me a little bit.”
WSOPC Turning Stone $1,700 Main Event Final Table Results
RANK
PLAYER
HOMETOWN
PRIZE
1
Shaun Deeb
Las Vegas, NV
$275,916
2
Glyeon Han
Webster, NY
$170,528
3
Cindy Spier
Newton, MA
$126,097
4
Kyle Grupp
Clarence, NY
$94,274
5
Paul Ross
Latham, NY
$71,272
6
Gilberto Taveras
Utica, NY
$54,492
7
Raymond Ezzie
Westlake, OH
$42,139
8
Matthew Wantman
Stoneham, MA
$32,964
9
Patrick White
Pearl River, NY
$26,089
Hometown Hero
The victory at Turning Stone was a sentimental one for Deeb, who got his poker start playing in the very same New York casino.
“I’ve been coming to Turning Stone for 20 years,” Deeb told Turning Stone. “My grandmother and all my uncles and great-uncles used to come here all the time. My grandma was one of the most famous poker players in the $4/$8 Limit Hold’em game here. The staff were always amazing to her, this was always her favorite casino to go to.”
#Shaun Deeb (@shaundeeb) claims the final ring and wins the TS @WSOP Circuit Main Event!
— Turning Stone Resort (@TurningStone)
While Deeb has crushed both WSOP and WSOP Europe events, he has been somewhat quiet on the WSOP Circuit. In March 2022, Deeb finished third in the WSOPC Turning Stone Event #10: $400 No-Limit Hold’em for $11,455, coming up a few spots short of winning his first Circuit ring.
Now a year later, Deeb got that ring by getting through a field that included defending championJoseph Rice (52nd – $4,479), David Kuder (47th – $4,479), Matthew Wantman (8th – $32,964) and Paul Ross (5th – $71,272).
Deeb is on a serious hot streak after winning the opening $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at last month’s PokerGo Tour Mixed Games festival for $208,800 and earlier finishing fourth in a PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 PLO High Roller for $121,500.
The Circuit victory sets Deeb up nicely for the upcoming WSOP festival in Las Vegas. Deeb won his fifth and most recent bracelet in 2021 in the WSOP Event #53: $25,000 PLO, which also brought him $1.3 million.
Shaun Deeb
Perrone Wins Third Circuit Ring
Deeb was not the only big winner at the WSOPC Turning Stone stop. Earlier in the series, Chicago’s Michael Perrone took down Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack to win his third Circuit ring and $77,407.
Perrone also has a bracelet after taking down Event #10: Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em (Freezeout) at the 2021 WSOP for a career-best $152,173.
Michael Perrone
Other notable winners at WSOPC Turning Stone included Rochester’s Timothy Russ, who took down Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em for his first ring and a career-best $116,971, as well as Jeffrey Kurtz, who won his second ring by taking down Event #5: $600 NLH Black Chip Bounty for $37,653.
A full list of Circuit ring winners at the WSOPC Turning Stone stop is available in the table below.
WSOPC Turning Stone Ring Winners
EVENT
ENTRANTS
PRIZE POOL
WINNER
HOMETOWN
PRIZE (IN USD)
Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack
647
$213,510
Steven Goodemote
Canadaigua, NY
$39,688
Event #2: $400 No-Limit Hold’em
2,616
$863,280
Timothy Russ
Latham, NY
$116,971
Event #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em
573
$189,090
Alden Palmer
Stafford Springs, CT
$35,250
Event #4: $300 Seniors
871
$209,040
John Bieber
Trumansburg, NY
$36,024
Event #5: $600 NLH Black Chip Bounty
461
$237,415
Jeffrey Kurtz
Camillus, NY
$37,653
Event #6: $400 No-Limited Hold’em 6-Max
526
$173,580
Tyler Dietz
Lewiston, NY
$34,085
Event #7: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha
227
$116,905
Ryan Dell
Rochester, NY
$27,025
Event #8: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack
1,551
$406,242
Michael Perrone
Chicago, IL
$77,407
Event #9: $1,700 Main Event
1,070
$1,621,050
Shaun Deeb
Las Vegas, NV
$275,916
Event #10: $400 No-Limit Hold’em
450
$148,500
Patrick White
Pearl River, NY
$29,461
Event #11: $200 Ladies
285
$45,600
Katelin Koper
Elmont, NY
$9,951
Event #12: $400 No-Limit Hold’em
447
$147,510
Xulong Zhang
Fairport, NY
$29,278
Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold’em
493
$162,690
Gregory Himmelbrand
Oakland Gardens, NY
$31,559
Event #14: $300 Seniors
622
149280
Dennis Mckelvey
Gales Ferry, CT
$28,037
Event #15: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Event #16: $400 No-Limit Hold’em – Last Chance
338
111540
Nathan Rosenkranz
East Longmeadow, MA
$23,919
Check out Shaun Deeb’s recent in-depth interview with PokerNews
The leading IT service provider with a presence in strategic European markets, adesso, confirmed its plans to tap into the lottery industry in North America. Ultimately, the company confirmed its wants to engage in partnerships with all lotteries within Canada and the US. The ambitious growth plan represents an important milestone for adesso as it would mark the debut of the company in North America, a lottery market identified for its significant potential.
Coinciding with its plans for growth in Canada and the US, adesso confirmed that it became a member of the North American lottery Association, the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASLP). The company explained that this membership marked the “starting point for the rollout of the technology and consulting portfolio to the US and Canadian markets.”
With the aforementioned markets, adesso will primarily focus on expanding two of its solutions. Those are adessoDraws and LotteryForce. The former is described by the company as an electronic, blockchain-based draw system that represents the first completely transparent auditable and repeatable solution for a secure drawing of winning numbers for lotteries within the digital vertical. The latter adesso described as a “technologically leading, cloud-based iLottery platform of the future for all channels.”
The Company Strengthens Its Gaming Advisors Team
Dr Rudiger Striemer, adesso’s senior vice president of lottery, explained that the company’s products are ready to meet the challenges of the fast-growing digital lottery market in North America. Moreover, he pointed out that the company remains committed to establishing itself within the Canadian and US markets. Finally, Dr Striemer predicted that adesso’s solutions and products will help “enrich the state and provincial lottery companies.”
“adesso is ideally equipped to meet the challenges of digitalization in the global lottery market.“
Dr Rudiger Striemer, senior vice president of lottery at adesso
In addition to the NASPL membership, adesso announced a strategic appointment that is expected to help fuel the company’s growth in North America. The company confirmed it hired the services of the industry insider and expert, Bishop Woosley, of Woosley Gaming Advisors.
He joined adesso’s team as Gaming Advisor and delivers extensive experience within the lottery market in America. Thanks to Woosley’s leadership and skills, the company plans to easily deploy its innovative solutions and engage with operators within the sector.
adesso’s plans to expand in North America come as no surprise, considering the high potential of the market. At the same time, the company is also a perfect fit for the ever-growing lottery market in the region, considering its extensive experience in strategic jurisdictions around Europe and North Africa, as well as the Middle East.
Having previously announced a partnership with the One Drop Foundation, the World Poker Tour (WPT) has unveiled two charity tournaments set to take place at this year’s Wynn Summer Classic.
See the 2023 Wynn Summer Classic schedule here!
Last year, ex-pro-gamer Jinho Hong took down the Wynn Summer Classic Championship, and many will be looking to follow in his footsteps.
Today’s announcement is no surprise, with the WPT having a long history of partnering with non-profit organizations, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Tiger Woods Foundation
However, today’s announcement adds extra excitement to the Wynn festival, with WPT CEO Adam Pliska praising the speed it took to add the events to the festival’s schedule.
“We are proud to once again pair up with Wynn Las Vegas as the host venue for our maiden WPT EveryOne for One Drop event, and the return of Alpha8, during the Wynn Summer Classic,” said Pliska. “It is remarkable how quickly these events came together, but not surprising given One Drop’s worthy charitable cause of ensuring sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene to communities around the world.”
“We are excited to put on our first-ever One Drop Foundation events in partnership with WPT and the WPT Foundation,” said One Drop Foundation Chief Marketing and Events Officer Alexandre Meunier. “It is a pleasure to be hosted at the beautiful Wynn Las Vegas. We thank them for their hospitality and support in advancing our global mission.”
World Poker Tour, One Drop Foundation Partner for Charity Poker Initiatives
The One Drop Foundation
The One Drop Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 by Guy Laliberté, the co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. The organization is dedicated to providing sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education for communities around the world.
One Drop aims to address the global water crisis, which affects over 840 million people worldwide who do not have access to safe drinking water. The organization works with local communities to implement water access solutions, such as digging wells and constructing water systems, as well as providing education and training on water management and sanitation practices.
WPT EveryOne for One Drop
The first charity event announced is the WPT EveryOne for One Drop which comes with a buy-in of $10,500 and a guarantee of $10 million.
There will be three Day 1s, starting on July 9, 2023, and will conclude with a live-streamed final table on July 14.
WPT EveryOne for One Drop Schedule
Day
Event
Buy-in
Guarantee
Sunday, July 9
WPT EveryOne for One Drop Day 1a
$10,500
$10,000,000
Monday, July 10
WPT EveryOne for One DropDay 1b
$10,500
$10,000,000
Tuesday, July 11
WPT EveryOne for One DropDay 1c
$10,500
$10,000,000
Wednesday, July 12
WPT EveryOne for One DropDay 2
–
$10,000,000
Thursday, July 13
WPT EveryOne for One DropDay 3
–
$10,000,000
Friday, July 14
WPT EveryOne for One DropFinal Table*
–
$10,000,000
*denotes live-streamed coverage
WPT Alpha8 for One Drop
The second charity event announced is the return of a WPT classic with the WPT Alpha8 for One Drop. This three-day $111,000 High Roller tournament is the first Alpha8 tournament to take place since December 2015. It starts on July 14, with live-streamed coverage on both Day 2 and for the final table on July 16.
WPT Alpha8 for One Drop Schedule
Day
Event
Buy-in
Friday, July 14
WPT Alpha8 for One Drop Day 1
$111,000
Saturday, July 15
WPT Alpha8 for One Drop Day 2*
–
Sunday, July 16
WPT Alpha8 for One Drop Final Table*
–
*denotes live-streamed coverage
Alpha8 History
The World Poker Tour first announced Alpha8 in July 2013, unveiling a global series of super high-roller poker tournaments that were to be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
The first season saw four events, two of which were won sensationally won by Philipp Gruissem (pictured), who picked up titles in London and St. Kitts for over $2.4 million in combined winnings.
The first two seasons of Alpha8 were chockful of early-2010 high-roller tournament crushers, such as Dan Colman, Jason Mercier and Noah Schwartz, who won the last event of Season II in January 2015.
The final Alpha8 event, until now, came in December 2015 with a stop at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic. The last Alpha8 champion crowned? Fedor Holz, in what was the first seven-figure score of his career and perhaps precipitating his 2016 “Sun Run”
Fedor Holz Wins WPT Alpha8 Las Vegas for $1,589,219; Daniel Negreanu Takes Third
Former WPT Alpha8 Champions
With a new Alpha8 tournament announced, who will add themselves to the list of winners on the World Poker Tour’s most high-stakes tournament series?
Season
Event
Date
Buy-in
Entries
Winner
Payout
I
Alpha8 Florida
Aug-13
$100,000
21
Steven Silverman
$891,660
I
Alpha8 London
Oct-13
£100,000
20
Philipp Gruissem
$1,379,840
I
Alpha8 St. Kitts
Nov-13
$100,000
28
Philipp Gruissem
$1,086,400
I
Alpha8 Johannesburg
Feb-14
$100,000
10
Dan Cates
$500,000
II
Alpha8 London
Oct-14
£60,000
23
Dan Colman
$957,390
II
Alpha8 St. Kitts
Dec-14
$100,000
15
Jason Mercier
$727,500
II
Alpha8 Las Vegas
Dec-14
$100,000
55
Andrew Lichtenberger
$2,104,245
II
Alpha8 Florida
Jan-15
$100,000
6
Noah Schwartz
$585,000
III
Alpha8 Las Vegas
Dec-15
$100,000
45
Fedor Holz
$1,589,219
Did You Know the World Poker Tour is Online?
The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.
WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.
Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of the first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.
Sharelines
The $10,500 buy-in EveryOne for One Drop and $111,111 Alpha8 for One Drop form part of this year’s Wynn Summer Classic festival
Will Shillibier
European Executive Editor
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019.
He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.
NeoGames and Pollard Banknote’s jointly owned company NeoPollard Interactive, announced it delivered new games for the North Carolina Education Lottery. On Monday, the company confirmed it expanded the Lottery’s Online Play offerings by introducing Pick 3 and Pick 4, two new online draw games. The addition of the games complemented the existing online game offerings that include Carolina Cash 5, Powerball, Mega Millions and Lucky for Life.
The expansion of the online draw game offering comes at a time when the Lottery has recently reported the success of its Online Play program. In fact, the sales within the program have seen 224% since its launch. Moreover, 22% of the draw games sold online and via retail in North Carolina were a part of the Lottery’s Online Play program.
At the same time, the Lottery said that Pick 3 and Pick 4 were responsible for 60% of the retail draw games sales in FY 2022. Those results reaffirm the potential of the games and their appeal to lottery fans in North Carolina. By expanding the Online Play program with Pick 3 and Pick 4 online games, the Lottery is also expected to help increase the revenues raised for good causes.
The Addition of Games Brings Excitement
Moti Malul, NeoPollard Interactive’s co-CEO, explained that the strong results reported by the Online Play program of the Lottery reaffirm the demand of the players to access lottery games in a convenient way. He added that more than 75% of the online sales in North Carolina are completed via mobile devices. Finally, Malul said: “We look forward to continued innovation and growth in the Online Play program through our partnership with the Lottery.”
“The year-over-year growth experienced by the Lottery’s Online Play program is a testament to players’ demand for access to lottery games through their preferred channels.“
Moti Malul, co-CEO at NeoPollard Interactive
Pick 3 and Pick 4 are powered by NeoPollard Interactive’s NeoDraw Interactive Central Gaming System. Players that want to participate in the games can either pick a random selection of numbers via the Quick Pick feature, use their own saved favorite numbers or pick new numbers. The add more combinations, the lottery players can also use the Fireball feature.
“We are excited to now give players the opportunity to purchase Pick 3 and Pick 4 games on web and mobile channels.“
Mark Michalko, executive director of the North Carolina Education Lottery
Mark Michalko, the Lottery’s executive director, explained that delivering unique experiences and games to players in North Carolina is a main priority for the Lottery. He pointed out that the Online Play program helps deliver entertaining experiences for the lottery players in the state and at the same time supports the Lottery’s commitment to helping good causes. Finally, Michalko said that the Lottery is excited to expand its online offering.
Dusk Till Dawn poker club in Nottingham, United Kingdom, is set to host the latest edition of the exciting WPT 500 event. May 26-29 are the dates you need to keep free in your diaries if you plan on becoming a WPT500 UK champion and reeling in the largest slice of a prize pool guaranteed to weigh in at £500,000.
The £560 buy-in £500,000 guaranteed WPT500 UK features five Day 1s running from May 26-28, including a turbo-structured Day 1E. Day 2 commences on May 28, with the worthy champion crowned on May 29.
Dusk Till Dawn is hosting five live satellites, each costing £65, with a total of 60x £560 seats guaranteed. They take place before the festival on May 20, 21, 24, and 25, and between Day 1B and 1C on May 26.
Dusk Till Dawn Excited to Host WPT500 UK
Live Poker Director at Dusk Till Dawn, Simon Trumper, is delighted to see the Nottingham venue, regarded as the home of British poker, host the WPT500 UK again after a seven-year hiatus.
We’re very excited to be hosting the WPT500 UK at the club. It is an event we expect to highly resonate with our customers, and we hope the timing of the event over a UK bank holiday gives players an even better opportunity to take part.”
Previous WPT500 Results
Dusk Till Dawn hosted the inaugural WPT500 UK in November 2014, and saw 2,133 players take to the tables. Eleanor Gudger emerged triumphantly from that event, turning her £500 investment into £140,000. Gudger went on to become a sponsored pro of the now-defunct online poker site PKR.
WPT500 UK returned the following year and saw Welshman Richard Harris walk away with the title, the trophy, and £150,000 in prize money after outlasting 1,615 opponents. The last time Dusk Till Dawn played host to the WPT500 UK was in October 2016, when Benjamin Winsor helped himself to the £182,700 top prize, leaving 1,834 opponents in his wake.
The 2023 WPT500 UK is the first such tournament in a live setting since December 2019 thanks, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last three editions have all taken place online at PartyPoker, making Pedro Cavalieri of Brazil, champion in August 2021, the reigning champion.
There was a WPT500 held online in June 2021 that David Afework won, but he was subsequently disqualified for a breach of the PartyPoker terms and conditions.
Date
Location
Buy-in
Entrants
Prize Pool
Champion
Prize
July 2014
Aria, Las Vegas
$565
3,599
$1,561,000
Sean Yu
$260,000
November 2014
Dusk Till Dawn, UK
£500
2,133
£1,066,500
Eleanor Gudger
£140,000
July 2015
Aria, Las Vegas
$565
5,113
$2,556,500
Craig Varnell
$185,800
October 2015
Dusk Till Dawn, UK
£550
1,616
£1,000,000
Richard Harris
£150,000
July 2016
Aria, Las Vegas
$565
3,956
$1,978,000
Andreas Olympios
$260,000
October 2016
Dusk Till Dawn, UK
£550
1,835
£1,000,000
Benjamin Winsor
£182,700
May 2017
Gardens Casino, Los Angeles
$565
3,266
$1,633,000
Dong Lee
$224,500
July 2017
Aria, Las Vegas
$565
3,541
$1,770,500
Jonathan Borenstein
$230,000
March 2018
Aspers, London
£420
1,810
£626,550
Gary Miller
£114,000
July 2018
Aria, Las Vegas
$565
2,983
$1,259,200
Kyriakos Papdopoulos
$184,900
August 2018
Gardens Casino, Los Angeles
$570
2,509
$1,254,500
Michael Copeland
$170,125
November 2018
Playground Poker Club, Canada
C$550
2,536
C$1,229,960
Miguel Goncalo
C$173,030
March 2019
Casino Barcelona, Spain
€550
2,763
€1,340,055
Lukasz Fraczek
€215,000
June 2019
Aria, Las Vegas
$565
1,932
$966,000
Ben Farrell
$155,000
December 2019
Gardens Casino, Los Angeles
$570
2,310
$1,155,000
Griffin Paul
$174,850
May 2020
PartyPoker, Online
$530
4,828
$2,414,000
Fabio Sperling
$281,126
March 2021
PartyPoker, Online
$530
2,420
$1,211,000
Dylan Rowe
$181,544
August 2021
PartyPoker, Online
$530
2,295
$1,147,500
Pedro Cavalieri
$153,504
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888, William Hill’s ownership company, released a statement regarding the fine imposed by the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission. As the group had previously announced, it is prepared to take responsibility for its subsidiary’s past failures.
Earlier today, the UKGC slammed the British operator with a £19.2 million ($23.67 million), the largest penalty it has ever handed to an operator in the UK.
The fine stems from William Hill’s past failings. Between 2020 and 2021, the British gambling company breached many social responsibility and anti-money laundering regulations. The investigation found William Hill guilty of not providing customers with sufficient safeguards, allowing new players to lose thousands of pounds in a single sitting and failing to check the source of funds of its customers, among other breaches.
The regulator said that had even considered suspending William Hill’s license but decided not to because of the operator’s cooperation and willingness to improve its practices.
888 Will Make Sure William Hill Does Better
Despite its recent struggles, 888, which acquired William Hill last year, said that it is prepared to pay the regulatory settlement and has set enough money aside in its accounts.
A spokesperson from the 888 emphasized that William Hill will do better under the new management and will follow a strict plan to address its past failings:
The settlement relates to the period when William Hill was under the previous ownership and management. After William Hill was acquired, the company quickly addressed the identified issues with the implementation of a rigorous action plan.
888 statement
The spokesperson added that the entire 888 shares the UKGC’s commitment to improving compliance standards across Britain’s gaming industry. As a result, 888 vowed to continue working closely with the regulator and other stakeholders to prevent future violations.
A Brief History of 888’s Acquisition of William Hill
888 acquired William Hill from Caesars Entertainment for approximately $2.5 billion. The deal, approved by almost all of 888’s stakeholders, had to be amended because of changes to the macroeconomic and regulatory landscape before closing. Soon after the acquisition, 888 introduced major changes to William Hill’s team, appointing new executives to oversee the business.
888 was always prepared to cover the fine. Despite that, the regulatory settlement comes at a somewhat inconvenient time for the company, which has been experiencing various hurdles over the past few months. The company’s latest financial reports highlighted the continuous declines in certain metrics. At the same time, the company faces regulatory problems in Austria and Gibraltar.
