The premier management advisory firm that has significant experience within the global gaming vertical, SCCG Management, announced a new strategic partnership with the professional American football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cincinnati Bengals. The duo confirmed last week that they joined forces for a new market access support deal.

Per the new collaboration, SCCG Management and its CEO, Stephen A. Crystal are going to help the team join forces with a second “skin,” a branded mobile sports betting partner. The new skin is expected to bring benefits for the Bengals fans and further expand their presence within the betting vertical. At the same time, the new collaboration is expected to deliver engaging experiences for Bengals’ fans.

Ultimately, the new deal will see the team’s management collaborate with SCCG Management to join forces with an organization that will help expand its fan base and reach. That process was described by the company’s CEO as “positive interactive engagement.”

The Deal Builds upon the Success of Other Collaborations

The recent tie-up comes as no surprise, considering that SCCG Management helped the Bengals with its deal with Betfred USA Sports. That collaboration, dating back to July 2022, designated Betfred as the official sports betting partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. Building upon the success of that collaboration, now, SCCG will provide further strategic guidance and help the Bengals find a second sports betting partner.

Besides the deal between the Bengals and Betfred, SCCG played an important part in other collaborations. The company helped facilitate multiple successful sports sponsorship deals with teams including the Colorado Rockies, Iowa Cubs, Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Additionally, SCCG contributed toward a deal with America Ultimately Disc League and a consultation agreement with Major Arena Soccer League.

“We couldn’t have found a better partner than the Cincinnati Bengals to showcase the growth of our sports marketing division.“

Stephen A. Crystal, CEO and founder of SCCG Management

Sharing his excitement about the new deal, Crystal pointed out that the collaboration with the Bengals reaffirms the potential and growth of the company’s sports marketing division. “The Bengals team have a vision for their organization that is positive, and growth-focused – we are honored to have been asked to be a part of it again,” he explained in conclusion.

Light & Wonder, a leading provider of gambling products and services, has announced a new distribution agreement with ReelPlay, a producer of digital gaming content. As per the arrangement, the latter company will, for the first time, supply the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) with games.

Light & Wonder revealed that ReelPlay’s international hit Hypernova Megaways will be the first game to make it into the Lottery Corporation’s content portfolio. Under the terms of the agreement, more games will be added in the future.

HYPERNOVA MEGAWAYS continues to engage iGaming enthusiasts, years after its release. The title was debuted in 2018 and followed by other famous games such as Big Buck Bandit Megaways and Atlantis Megaways.

In addition, ReelPlay’s Infinity Reels series is now available with multiple operators around the world. Some of the company’s latest releases include Festival 10K WAYS and Big Bucks Buffalo GigaBlox.

The integration of ReelPlay’s titles into the BCLC shows Light & Wonder’s commitment to supporting independent studios.

Light & Wonder Trusts ReelPlay and Its Games

Representatives from the two companies commented on the newly-minted agreement. ReelPlay’s chief executive officer, David Johnson, noted that Hypernova Megaways is one of his company’s best slots and a top performer in North America. Johnson said that he is happy to expand his company’s reach and provide its games to yet another partner.

Proudly first to market with innovative and inspirational concepts, ReelPlay is very excited to see the game arrive in another regulated market via our partners at Light & Wonder and expect the tri-party relationship to really flourish after this debut release.

David Johnson, CEO, ReelPlay

Meanwhile, Steve Mayes, Light & Wonder’s digital partnerships director, noted that his team has been working with ReelPlay for many years. As a result, Light & Wonder trusts in the quality of the studio’s titles and “fully expects” the extended distribution into the BCLC to be a success for all parties.

Light & Wonder’s OpenGaming platform currently delivers more than 3,500 games from a global network of proprietary and partnering studios. The solution offers easy and seamless integrations that are reliable and efficient. Furthermore, all games available through OpenGaming are armed with an extensive range of safer gambling tools.

In other news, a few weeks ago, Light & Wonder teased the possibility of following up on its NASDAQ listing with a secondary listing in Australia.

Many people believe in succeeding with the help of good luck. Some engage in good luck rituals, others make a wish when a clock shows the same number three or four times. But then there are some that believe that good luck can be lost and they need to hold on to it.

This is precisely the case of a young woman that was recently recorded playing a slot machine and refusing to leave even for a bathroom break. Yes, that’s right, a woman actually refused to leave her seat at a slot machine to even go to the bathroom. And she peed on the floor of the casino instead.

The new viral video shows a young woman playing a slot machine and peeing in her seat. There’s a puddle on the floor and sadly, she doesn’t mind and continues to gamble as if nothing happened. But why would anyone do this someone might wonder? Well, there’s a myth surrounding slots and particularly winning streaks and luck.

Many gamblers believe that once they start playing a slot, they must continue until they win. Although that sounds like at-risk gambling or even gambling addiction, apparently such activity isn’t anything new. Gamblers would sit and play slots sometimes for hours and not even go on a bathroom break. It’s no surprise that this would continue until the person has no money left, or, in some cases wins.

If anyone leaves their slot machine, then another person would swoop in and hit the big win, dedicated gamblers say. This is a prime reason why people would spend hours and refuse to leave their slot machines even for a bathroom or a snack break.

Slots Veterans Would Rather Use Diapers

The video that hit Instagram last week doesn’t confirm the name of the venue or the identity of the player. However, that apparently isn’t important, as peeing on the casino floor isn’t that uncommon. Seasoned gamblers come prepared for such situations by using diapers.

Comments on social media under the newly released video confirm that using diapers to keep your spot on a slot machine is a thing. What’s more worrying, some online users explained that many people would even die on the casino floor and not leave the slot machine they are sitting at. One online user noted that people fail to take their medication or do not engage in other medical treatments to keep their slot. “They find people dead at slot machines all the time,” wrote that online user.

In Nevada, a person caught urinating or defecating in public can be subject to a fine or prison. Such activities are typically labeled as a misdemeanor and can be subject to a fine of up to $2,000 or even imprisonment.

Daily Mail and Daily Express reported that the UK Government is planning to introduce a new levy on gambling companies to fund treatment programs for those addicted to gambling, with the proceeds being directed toward the National Health Service (NHS). 

Proposed New Levy to Prevent Firms from Exploiting Loopholes in Gambling Contributions

The proposed new levy is designed to create a standardized payment to prevent firms from exploiting loopholes to avoid making sufficient contributions. The Gambling Commission will be responsible for launching a consultation to decide how the levy should be tailored to different firms’ profits and revenues. This move comes following a record GBP19.2 million ($23.6 million) fine that was recently imposed on William Hill by the industry watchdog for failing to prevent customers from accruing unpayable debts. 

The NHS will not accept voluntary donations from gambling firms because it considers them a conflict of interest. The UK Government is expected to publish a gambling white paper soon, the most comprehensive review of betting laws in over 15 years, with the aim of ensuring that current regulations are fit for the digital age. 

The government wants to allow people the freedom to gamble responsibly while preventing harmful and addictive gambling, and it believes that a new levy will be a vital tool in achieving this aim. The levy will create long-term, reliable funding for treatment services, as many researchers do not accept voluntary funding from the gambling industry due to concerns over the independence of the research. 

Betting and Gaming Council Defends Gambling Industry Amidst Proposed Levy

The proposed levy could face opposition from some quarters, however. Reports suggest that Rishi Sunak, the current UK Prime Minister and former Chancellor, was previously against the idea of a levy. The suggestion is that he saw it as a new “nanny state” tax on business, and was concerned that it would harm the racing industry, given the existence of the Catterick racecourse in his constituency. There are also questions about whether the National Lottery will have to make similar contributions. 

The Betting and Gaming Council, which represents gambling firms, has said that the majority of people who gamble do so safely and responsibly and that the rate of problem gambling is very low, at just 0.2% of adults. The industry has committed to investing GBP100 million ($123 million) to tackle gambling-related harm, as well as making donations of GBP110 million ($135.4 million).

North Wales Live reported that after the medical tribunal panel concluded that Dr Aled Jones had gained adequate insight into his conviction, he was reinstated to the medical register following an 18-month suspension. 

The medical tribunal panel acknowledged that Dr Jones had received two job offers, and if he accepted either, he would work under supervision. They determined that Dr Jones had undergone extensive remediation, making it improbable that he would re-offend. Consequently, the panel lifted his suspension with immediate effect.

Dr Jones voluntarily worked on Covid wards during the pandemic and worked as a vaccinator in Cardiff with his salary paid into a joint account with his father. He also did more than 600 hours of voluntary shifts for renal transplants. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he drove an ambulance across the Ukrainian border to deliver medical aid. During his tribunal, Dr Jones said he hoped that his charitable work had paid his debt to society and the profession.

Former Doctor’s Addiction to In-Play Betting Causes Significant Losses and Professional Consequences

Dr. Jones had developed an addiction that had previously caused him to lose GBP800,000 ($982,716). He made his first bet at university when he gambled on a World Cup accumulator. He recalled a particularly dark moment when he gambled GBP10,000 ($12,284) on the US Open tennis final between Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro. His addiction later saw him betting on sports he did not enjoy watching, such as volleyball. He would bet in-play, which he described as a “real buzz”. He later sought counseling for his addiction and repaid the money he had stolen from the NHS.

During the hearing, Dr Jones expressed his conviction that he would not revert to his previous criminal behavior and assured the panel that he could not fathom becoming a dishonest individual again. Although he acknowledged that he could not undo the serious harm he had inflicted on the profession and the public’s trust, he made sincere efforts to atone and rehabilitate himself. However, the hospital where he previously worked, Cardiff and Vale University health board, refuted claims that they had offered him a job.

This has not changed, but the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has been reportedly altered to allow players to invest in sportsbooks and cannabis production companies if they choose to.

NBA to Let Players Invest in Sportsbook and Cannabis Companies

This is a dramatic change from the previous CBA which explicitly prohibited athletes to take part in such organizations. The victory can be attributed to the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), a trade body that has been actively advocating for the interests of players.

The original reporting was done by The Athletic which says that no specific details are available immediately, as the agreement has not been finalized. Before a new CBA may enter into effect, it will similarly need to be ratified by both players and owners. However, the changes in how players may structure their investment portfolios do not mean that they can break the existing ethical guidelines of the NBA.

Players are still prohibited to use opioids and drugs, as they are prohibited from placing wagers on the outcomes of events. Some though fear that players may run into even more trouble with fans, as many are beginning to blame players for underperforming and “costing them money” on a wager.

But the new CBA probably reflects a growing momentum within the player base to have the freedom to invest in something that hits close to home – sports betting may be one of those. Even though players would not be able to bet themselves, they would still probably be allowed to promote the betting companies they invest in.

Players May Choose to Launch Sportsbook All on Their Own

This is not exactly surprising, as many sports personalities have already been promoting various sportsbooks actively. In the meantime, some NBA players could be preparing to go ahead and launch their own sports betting companies – this would not be too crazy as an idea.

Kevin Duran, Giannis Antetokounmpo and others have already patents of names that they may use to launch their sports betting operations. But launching a betting operation in a hurry does not always pay off. Even Maxim, a popular lifestyle brand, struggled to maintain operational momentum.

Betr, a company promoted by Jack Paul, is also not doing so hot, even though its CEO Joey Levy assures us otherwise.

March Madness results have been all over the place. The Westgate Las Vegas lost $200,000 on a 400-1 odds bet of $500 placed on Florida Atlantic to make the Final Four. The company paid up. Then, there was Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas which scooped up a good amount of revenue from the collegiate basketball tournament.

Westgate Caught Unprepared on 400-1 Odds Bet

There seems to have not been a clear trend, however. Red Rock race and sportsbook director Chuck Esposito told the Associated Press that he was upbeat about the event and the results therein. He commented on the Florida Atlantic outcome, which was a big upset for many sportsbooks.

Esposito simply stated that while some sportsbooks had absorbed losses on the underdogs making it through the entire event, Red Rock did well. He also argued that the UConn and Miami game in which the former beat their opponents in a 72-59 game was also a good one for Red Rock.

Westgate VP of race and sports operations Jay Kornegay told the publication that the final of a Final Four this year was more like an NIT final. But if anything, Westgate had taken the loss in stride, arguing that underdog bets will most likely have reduced odds in the future. The long shots will come with tighter odds, but it’s not all bad.

Westgate, for example, plans to increase the odds on favorites – which is precise what sports fans would appreciate. Kornegay, though, says that Westgate is going to keep composed. As he puts it, the company would not simply have a “knee-jerk” reaction no matter how much the loss smarts.

Rather, Westgate is going to plan meticulously what needs changing and how to proceed with this change. In the meantime, both companies have confirmed that the women’s NCAA Tournament and Final Four which got underway last week were doing very well across the board.

Interest in Women’s Events Betting Picks Up

Betting interest has been steadily inching upwards, to the dismay of the sportsbooks – although admittedly they had the prudency to price the events accurately and no big upsets came there. But an increase in women’s events – and specifically betting on the outcome of those would mean that sportsbooks need to future-proof their pricing models and make sure that they don’t allow another 400-1 odds debacle.