In a dazzling turn of events, WowPot!, the iconic progressive jackpot by Games Global, struck gold on December 20, 2023, reaching an extraordinary €38,461,200.95!

This groundbreaking win on the Wheel of Wishes slot, crafted by Alchemy Gaming, not only shattered previous records but also solidified WowPot! as the undeniable titan of jackpots.

Wheel of Wishes – Where Dreams Turn into Millions

Launched in 2020, Wheel of Wishes brought forth the four-tier WowPot!, transforming the online gaming landscape. Its cumulative jackpot payouts have now surpassed €65 million, a testament to the game’s magnetic appeal and the allure of the starting €2 million seed.

“the jackpot has paid out more than €225 million to an excess of 5.3 million players”

WowPot! has etched its name as a jackpot legend, disbursing over €225 million in winnings to a staggering 5.3 million players. With an impressive frequency of drops every 15 seconds in 2023, WowPot! stands as a beacon of exhilaration in the world of progressive jackpots.

Diverse Portfolio of Jackpot Marvels

Games Global’s progressive network, not confined to WowPot! alone, features a rich assortment of titles such as Ancient Fortunes: Poseidon WowPot! Megaways, 9 Blazing Diamonds WowPot!, and Queen of Alexandria WowPot!, each contributing to the network’s monumental success.

The developer’s progressive network, encompassing amazing slot games such as Mega Moolah, Maple Moolah, and King Millions, continues to dominate, boasting over €140 million in payouts in 2023 alone. With a winning frequency averaging every 10 seconds, the network stands unrivaled in the realm of progressive jackpots. The allure of life-changing jackpots is undeniably alive and thriving in the world of online gaming.

Andy Booth, Chief Product Officer at Games Global, commented: “This is a monumental moment for both Games Global and the entire iGaming industry. We could not be prouder to be home to the largest online slot jackpot win. We would also like to extend our congratulations to the winner on this celebration. Now that it has been won, our job is to reset it and go again, hopefully making another record-breaking jackpot in the process!”

Rory Harpur, Head of Studio at Alchemy Gaming, added: “When we debuted Wheel of Wishes back in 2020, little did we know the incredible impact its central progressive jackpot would have. Not only is this latest WowPot! win the first top-tier jackpot to strike on the game, it’s also the largest online slot jackpot win. A truly historic day for the Alchemy team, for our partners at Games Global, and in the wider industry.”

Source: ”Games Global progressive jackpot WowPot! pays out €38.4 million”. European Gaming. January 4, 2024.

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Kristian Nylén, a CEO and co-founder of Kambi, plans to resign from his current position in the company within a year, as he announced to the Board. 

Huge loss for the company:

Back in 2010, Nylén and his partner, Anders Ström, founded Kambi, and in the last 13 years, the company has grown into one of the most successful in the whole industry when it comes to sportsbook suppliers.

Nylén decided to give up his role so he could spend more time with his family, and he stated that the decision was tough. However, Nylén doesn’t plan to leave the company before his successor is appointed. 

Ström commented on this: “Kristian’s role has been critical in positioning Kambi as a frontrunner in our sector. His strategic foresight and unwavering commitment have been central to our many achievements over the years. I am delighted the Nomination Committee has proposed Kristian for the Board, where his extensive industry knowledge will continue to greatly benefit Kambi.”

The decision left the Kambi shares dropping down, with a 1.83% decrease. However, the company hopes the revenue and shares will increase and surpass its Q3 revenue. In the third quarter of 2023, the company’s revenue increased by 15%, and it was €42.1m, despite the loss of the renowned PENN Entertainment. 

The company’s EBITDA also grew by 3%, and it was €13.9 million. The net profit was €3.5 million, which is an increase of 34.6%.

Just before Nylén announced his resignation, the company’s Nomination Committee decided to nominate him for election to the board. The new board member will be chosen in May, at the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM). If he’s elected, Nylén will be obligated to be a member of the board for at least a year.

Nylén accepted the proposal, and he stated in a press release: “As co-founder, my heart and professional allegiance remain firmly with Kambi, therefore, I am honored to accept the Nomination Committee’s proposal to join the Board. Pending my election at the forthcoming AGM, I look forward to focusing more intensively on the strategic aspects of our business, however, my immediate attention remains on driving Kambi forward in my current role.”

Change of roles prior to AGM:

Besides Nylén’s resignation, a lot is going on in Kambi when it comes to the staff changes, especially leading ones. Ström founded Kindred Group in 1997 and then joined forces with Nylén to found Kambi in 2010. That led to changes that occurred in November 2023, Anders Ström was appointed a new company chair, and Lars Stugemo left the company after almost 10 years. However, he will remain in his position on the Nomination Committee, since Veralda Investment, the largest company’s shareholder, proposed him. On top of that, Benjie Cherniak is also nominated as one of the members of the company’s board.

Going again

Attempts to push through iGaming legalization in New York have proven unsuccessful over the past few years. Undeterred, Senator Joseph Addabbo, who chairs the New York State Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering, has reintroduced Senate Bill 856 (SB 856) in the latest attempt to push through legislation.

It is the same bill as last year and would allow for the launch of online casinos while also permitting the purchase of lottery tickets online.

would allow sportsbook operators to seek an iGaming license

SB 856 would allow sportsbook operators to seek an iGaming license, as well as tribal and commercial casinos. It proposes a 30.5% tax rate on operators, which compares favorably to the 51% rate that is in place for online sportsbooks in New York. Licensees would also have to pay a one-time license fee of $2m.

Big money

Any revenue that iGaming generates would go towards the state’s Lottery Fund, which mainly finances public education programs in the region. New York’s finances have been under pressure recently, with the 2024 budget deficit hitting $4.3bn and some analysts predicting that it could almost double to $8bn in 2025.

Senator Addabbo believes that iGaming could make a dent in the deficit, especially as hundreds of millions of dollars are currently leaving the state through offshore platforms. He estimates that the legal sector could generate as much as $1bn for the state each year and wouldn’t negatively impact lottery retailers or land-based casinos.

A small club

Only six US states have legal iGaming platforms up and running so far, with Rhode Island set to become the seventh in April. Lawmakers in various jurisdictions across the country are set to seriously consider the matter this year. Online casinos have much healthier profit margins than sportsbooks, which would in turn lead to more tax revenue.

potential for problem gambling rates to skyrocket

One reason why the adoption of online casinos has been much slower than sports betting is down to the perceived social costs of allowing people to play slots and table games remotely. Some lawmakers cite the potential for problem gambling rates to skyrocket and a negative knock-on impact for land-based casinos as reasons to oppose expansion.

The post New York Bill Seeks to Legalize Online Casinos in the State appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

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2023 NFL betting surprises

With the NFL playoffs ready to begin this weekend, we thought we’d take a look back at the biggest betting surprises from the 2023 regular season.

Last year’s Super Bowl competitors, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, turned out to be resoundingly underwhelming in 2023, while a decrease in scoring around the league led to wacky results all season.

Here are five of the biggest betting surprises from the 2023 NFL regular season.

#5: Texans triumph as Jaguars collapse

The Houston Texans finished 2022 at 3-13-1, the second-worst record in the entire league. They drafted QB C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick and teamed him up with first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and several other first-timers on the roster and staff.

Houston went 10-7 and finished with their best record since 2019

Rather than use the excuse of youthful ignorance, Houston went 10-7 and finished with their best record since 2019. Their Week 18 win ensured that they would make the playoffs, but did not guarantee an AFC South title since the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were 9-7 at the time, still needed to play the next day. 

Jacksonville had been as low as -1000 (90.9% implied probability) to win the division after beating the Texans in Week 12, but an untimely injury to QB Trevor Lawrence and an overall decline in play plagued them as they lost five of their last six games. Their Week 18 loss to the 6-11 Tennessee Titans meant that they lost not only the division, but missed the playoffs entirely.

#4: Buffalo’s blistering turnaround

The Buffalo Bills had won the AFC East three years straight and were +120 favorites to do so again at the start of the season. However, after falling to 6-6, they found themselves at +950 to claim the title, well behind the Miami Dolphins at -1550, and were +460 to even reach the playoffs.

Buoyed by a change at offensive coordinator and adjustment to their on-field identity, the Bills won five consecutive games and beat the Dolphins 21-14 in the final game of the year to lock up the AFC East title and the second seed in the AFC.

Oddsmakers have positioned the Bills as the third most likely team to win the Super Bowl following their dramatic late-season turnaround. They haven’t made it that far since they lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s, but the AFC is wide open and this is as good of a chance as they’ve had in recent years.

#3: Joe Flacco saves the day

Joe Flacco made one of the best playoff runs ever and topped it off with a Super Bowl ring in 2012. Yet early this year, he was sitting on his couch, watching the games like any ordinary fan.

 last-ditch effort to save their season

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns were really struggling at the quarterback spot. Deshaun Watson and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson both struggled and got injured, while PJ Walker played like the worst QB in the league. The Browns’ desperation led them to call Flacco to come in as a last-ditch effort to save their season. 

The Browns unsurprisingly lost his debut and fell to +7000 odds at major sportsbooks, but Flacco then led them to four straight wins and helped guide them to the fifth seed in the playoffs. They are now +3100 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. While the Browns are still four wins away from a Super Bowl title, the wily veteran already made the magic happen once and might have another run in him.

#2: Prime time prints money

NFL betting is both an art and a science, and nearly impossible to master. That’s why the trick of blindly betting the under in prime time games came as such a surprise during the 2023 NFL regular season.

Prime time unders over the last five years are 149-99-1 (60.1%) and hit at just about a 70% clip in 2023. Using 52.4% as the breakeven mark for lines with -110 odds, the prime time under was well in the green all year.

Possible explanations for this trend include the added pressure of the national stage, varying rest times, and a leaguewide decline in offensive production, but regardless, this proved to be one of the best betting strategies in the NFL.

#1: $5 to $489k touchdown parlay

Winning parlays is really hard. That’s why sportsbooks advertise them so heavily, since the profit margins are much wider and they know people will be willing to take the extra risk because of the excitement.

One DraftKings bettor must have missed that memo, as against all odds, he cashed a 14-leg parlay that turned $5 into $489,383.01. All 14 legs were anytime touchdown scorers, culminating with Christian McCaffrey on Christmas Day.

The bettor recorded himself watching the final game, jubilantly celebrating with his family when McCaffrey crossed the goal line. Safe to say, he had a pretty great Christmas thanks to NFL betting. 

The post Five 2023 NFL Betting Surprises and Unforgettable Moments appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

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