Just last week, $6,000 could get you 226 feet in the air at one of the worst seats in the Super Bowl LVIII. Pair that with the 2190-foot elevation at the Allegiant Stadium and you’re in for a highly probable nosebleed. That said, spirits (and heights) were high. This opened a broader conversation to be had surrounding cheaper stadium seating: as altitude climbs, does quality drop?  

We dove deep into the data to evaluate factors that help define what a “good nosebleed” seat consists of, as oxymoronic as it sounds. The factors were as follows:  

• View Quality: Assess the visibility of the playing field or stage from the nosebleed seats. Considering factors like sightlines and obstructions 
• Height: Measure the height of the highest nose bleeds from the ground and compare that with the elevation of the stadium’s location 
• Price: Evaluate the affordability of the nosebleed seats compared to other seating options in the stadium. Consider the starting price for nosebleed seats 
• Accessibility: Examine the ease of access to and from the nosebleed seats using 8 ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) factors 
• Atmosphere: Evaluate the atmosphere and energy in the nosebleed seats section. Consider factors like crowd engagement and attendance 
• Customer Reviews: Incorporate feedback and reviews from previous attendees who have experienced the nosebleed seats by scraping Tripadvisor reviews for “nosebleed” seats 

With such factors defined we were able to collect the data and weigh each factor in accordance with its importance to overall “nose-bleedness.” From there, we indexed each stadium based on the weighted score.  

Key findings: 

• The worst stadium for nosebleeds goes to the Chicago Bull’s United Center scoring 12/100 
• Green Bay Packer’s Lambeau Field was considered the #1 best stadium for nosebleeds 
• The major league to have the overall best nosebleed seats was the NFL 
• Coors Field was the location most likely to actually give you a nosebleed  

The Nation’s Best Nosebleed Seats 

When you see that your assigned seat is 600-something, some might gasp, but others might celebrate all the same. Not all nosebleed seats are created equal, and, in fact, some nosebleeds can actually offer a real good time, bar the minor altitude sickness.  

The best nosebleed seats in the US go to the Green Bay Packer’s Lambeau Field. It’s no secret that Cheeseheads know how to party, and the sentiment holds, even from the rafters. With the highest score on the nosebleed index, Packers fans take home a perfect 100/100. Although some of the pricier starting points in professional sports, a minimum of $105 if you’re lucky, Lambeau Field has proven it’s worth every penny. When we scraped the Tripadvisor reviews for nosebleed seats, we found nothing but positivity. One fan even went on to call it the “holy grail of the NFL.” How’s that for a rave review? 

With a minimum amount of obstructed view seats and high crowd engagement scores, the nosebleeds in Green Bay are bound to be a joy. You may not get to indulge in the “Lambeau Leap” from way up above, but the fandom is all the same from VIP to cloud-level seating. 

Keeping it in the NFL family, second place goes to CenturyLink/Lumen Field, home to both the Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Founders. Seahawks fans pride themselves on their 2x Guinness World Record for crowd roar, if it gives any clue to how exciting these nosebleeds can be. Fans can expect high accessibility with the stadium scoring 8/8 on our ADA-factors score, a great atmosphere, and reasonably priced tickets, starting at $80.  

Can we get a yeehaw? Third place goes to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. To round off our top three, we’re lassoing one of Texas’ biggest and best sports arenas. AT&T Stadium takes the cake for unique reasons. In addition to traditional “nosebleeds,” this stadium added a standing section for the true devotees. They may not be the most comfortable seats in the house, sans seats of course, but at a value of $29, you get what you pay for, nosebleeds and all.  

Worst Nosebleed Seats in the Country Goes to… 

We don’t want to bull you around, on this one. Fans have rightful beef with as the Chicago Bull’s United Center comes in #1 for worst nosebleeds in the country. Despite having the second largest fanbase in the NBA franchise, the Bull’s home court isn’t paying nearly as much gratitude as it should. Their 16.7 million fans have to face steep inclines up to their 140-foot-high seats and at a pretty penny too. At one of the costliest starting price points out of all major league sports, even the least significant game starts at $107.00. And your precious life savings could look like this: 

But hey, at least you’ll be able to see the giant, inflatable bull mascot from any seat in the house!  

We’re tossing the ball to another NBA stadium for the second worst in nosebleed seats in the country. The Brooklyn Net’s home court of Barclay’s Center came in second to last for nosebleed seats. Scoring a 13/100, 70% lower than its NBA equivalent at large.  Below we can see a WWE event held at the Barclays Center, where the user goes on to comment, “Clear view of the ring however if this was basketball or hockey the view would be blocked.”

Despite recent stardom, the third to last place stadium goes to Allegiant Stadium. As one of the newer sports stadiums in the country, hopes were high for a five-star experience regardless of the section. Where they delivered in some areas, they fell short in others. Although Allegiant Stadium is the second-most expensive stadium in the world, most of that money was funneled into the VIP sections, with little thought to the high-up seats. The steeper-than-steep climb to the nosebleeds results in a low accessibility score paired with the literal probability of getting a nosebleed during the game (elevation + seat height), making the Raiders’ home stadium rank low.  

Best Fans in the ‘Bleeds  

They say “location, location, location” but for some die-hard fans, location is only a minor play in game day hype. Back to the hootin’ and hollerin’ of Texas, AT&T Stadium comes in first place for atmosphere and crowd engagement. On average, the Cowboys reel in 93594 fans for each home game. The stadium’s capacity sits at 105,000, meaning an 89% occupancy rate. Talk about die-hard fans!  

Interestingly, the Cowboys also ranked the #1 most hated franchise in the league, according to a recent study. Perhaps the hate fuels their team spirit? Their attendance isn’t the only measure, as 1 in 10 Cowboy Fans also believe they have the best game-day atmosphere in the league. How ‘bout them Cowboys?!  

The Giants and Jets home arena brings out “the New Yorker in them” as the MetLife Stadium ranked #2 for best nosebleed atmosphere. The MetLife Stadium, in its full, actually ranks as one of the worst stadiums in the league, but nose-bleeders would beg to differ. When The Athletic interviewed NFL players, the majority listed MetLife as the worst to play in. Maybe the on-the-ground experience is a bust, but the turf is greener on the upper side at MetLife. Averaging some record attendance between the Jets and the Giants, the stadium stays lively. Amongst other factors, their crowd engagement score earned them second-best nosebleed fans.  

Best and Worst Professional Sports League for Nosebleed Seats 

Regardless of teams, each league has its own style of stadium. Basketball offers a narrow, but small setting, the NFL circles fans around its wide field, and baseball clusters spectators in a C-shape. Some leagues are better than others when it comes to nosebleed bliss.  

The #1 major league sport for best nosebleed seating goes to the NFL. With the top 10 out of 35 major sports arenas in the US being NFL stadiums, football nosebleeds are the clear winner. The landscape of the field offers wide views for catching all the plays meaning minimally obstructed views as compared to the MLB, for example, which must accommodate nets, structural columns, etc. Plus a good ole’ fashion tailgate before the game doesn’t hurt to get even the worst of seats in the mood for fandom.  

“Take me out to the ballgame” can be sung and enjoyed from even the highest of seats. The MLB ranked second for major league sports arenas. With the majority of MLB arenas boasting open-air seating and a tolerable height from the ground, these nosebleeds aren’t the best but aren’t the worst either. 

Get your spectacles ready as the NBA ranks the worst major sports league for nosebleed seating. NBA arenas had the steepest climb out of all the leagues and a higher percentage of obstructed view seats. Better to let your wallet bleed and buy a better seat when it comes to the NBA. 

Where you’re most likely to get an actual nosebleed  

They don’t call it nosebleeds for nothing, right? Although meant to be hyperbolic, there’s some truth to the term. Higher altitudes, thinner air, and a drastic change in temperature can actually cause your gameday to go from rad to red-stained. So which stadiums do you have a higher chance of getting a nosebleed? 

The Colorado Rockies’ home at Coors Field might make you a bit uneasy when it comes to altitude. At 5,200 feet above sea level, it’s the highest sports arena in the country. Air density is only 82% of what it is at sea level which could be just cause for both nosebleeds and curve balls according to some defensive fans. As the major league leader in “park factor”, we can understand why.  

A bloody debrief 

We hope you don’t ever have to put truth to the trope, but at least you know which stadiums to steer clear of and where you can rally with the rest of them. Put on your cheese hat and hit the nosebleeds at Lambeau Field or have a rowdy good time in the rafters at Lumen Field. On the flip side, and for the sake of your sinuses, stay away from the United Center and Barclays Center. You’ve been bloody warned! 

Methodology 

Using quantitative observation, web scraping, and secondary data, we collected different metrics from the top 35 major sports arenas in the US. We determined the 35 most “prominent” arenas by summing these factors:  

• Capacity: The stadiums with the largest seating capacities 
• Historical Significance: Stadiums listed have a long history of hosting important sports events and are iconic landmarks in their respective cities 
• Professional Sports Teams: The stadiums are home to professional sports teams that compete in popular leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS 

We then weighed each factor for “nosebleeds” according to importance and relevance. Finally, we combined these numbers to create a score and rank regarding seats in the claimed “nosebleed” sections. 

Fair Use 

Feel free to use the data or visuals on this page for non-commercial purposes. Please be sure to include proper attribution linking back to this page to give credit to the authors. 

For any press questions, please contact riley.clark[at]casino.org 

Heck of a start

As a poker pro, I constantly remind myself that it’s all one big lifelong session, and that worrying about short term results is as useful as worrying about weather. That said, on live trips, it’s always nice to start with a result. This is truer on major month-long excursions like the WSOP where a bad first week can make you feel beaten up and chasing only a quarter of the way through your campaign, while a good start can give you the feeling of nothing to lose now. This is particularly true when that result nets more than your likely buy-ins for the entire trip, as was the case for me in Paris when I took third in the opening 1k Freezeout for over 25k. This was my biggest Hendon Mob score since 17th in an online WSOP event during the pandemic, and my biggest live score in over five years since my Party Millions final table in Nottingham.

The tournament itself was not particularly memorable or remarkable apart from the result, mainly a procession through a number of standard spots and flips where I ran well enough to stay in. I built a stack early on, but prolonged card death and table draws that didn’t allow for much creativity meant I bagged up a bit less than average. Day 2 was a parade of standard shoves and re-shoves to keep my head above water but still below average, until I caught some heat on the second-to-last table and got to apply a lot of ICM pressure, so that when the final table formed, I was second in chips.

I was very happy with my play, particularly in the endgame

The final table was an up and down affair for me where I wrestled the chip lead at one point, only to find myself shortest with four left. I clawed my way up to third and then took out the always impressive Ankit Anuja (who was a guest on the most recent Chip Race!) to move into joint second. I then got it in effectively flipping post flop versus the other joint second, and didn’t prevail. Overall though, I was very happy with my play, particularly in the endgame. I’ve done a lot of specific ICM study recently with my study buddies Monica Vaka and Turlough McHugh, and it makes me feel a lot more confident being able to execute when I am still in with two tables left. It’s almost a relief when you bust in a standard flip as it means you fade having to live with yourself after a major mistake.

FPS Main Event and High Roller

Next up was the FPS Main Event, where I again made Day 2 and cashed. In many ways it was a repeat of the opening event, except I built and maintained a bigger stack on Day 1 but ran out of steam earlier on Day 2. The event was won outright by former Chip Race guest Matti Moolhuizen, who makes up half of my favorite couple in poker. Here’s a photo of what looks like me officiating at their wedding, but is actually me signing a copy of Poker Satellite Strategy for them at my first ever book signing years ago.

Sweden’s Government Proposal and AGT’s Response

The Swedish government (Regeringen) has plans to hike the gambling tax rate from 18% to 22% of the gross gaming revenue. If approved, this change will come into effect on July 1st, 2024. As stated, this tax rise will bring an additional 540 million SEK in tax revenue each year.

This proposal was not received very well by the public. The chief executive of Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp (ATG), Hasse Lord Skarplöth, replied with a statement, saying that the government’s plans came as a shock. He suggested that the taxes on sports betting and horse race betting remain the same, and the increase applies only to igaming.

It came as a shock, the proposal for a higher excise tax on gambling companies. The ensuing reaction was a sense of resignation; how would the already hard-pressed horse industry cope with the fact that the contribution from ATG was greatly reduced?’

He said that such a change would only jeopardize the already well-established sports betting industry. Skarplöth used examples from other European countries as reasons why the government should rethink this tax change. In his opinion, the sports market should remain the same, and the tax rate change be applied only to the igaming industry, which includes the list of licensed Swedish online casinos.

Illegal Gambling in Sweden

One of the reasons for the proposal of the ATG is trying to reduce and prevent illegal gambling activities in Sweden. As per the latest analysis and statistics, the government stated a significant growth of illegal gambling and vowed to take action.

An increase of illegal traffic to unlicensed casino websites has hugely increased since 2019 after legal betting in Sweden was approved. ATG’s research unveils that channelization rates of regulated online gambling in the third quarter of 2023 were between 70 and 82%, while sports betting had a rate of 88%, as opposed to 74% for online casinos.

Two malicious groups are the main culprits – Infiniza Limited and North Point Management. They account for 60% of illegal gambling visitor traffic in Q3 of 2023. ATG asserted concern over this data and announced that they would do everything in their power to try and resolve the issue in the future.

Data and Research Findings

Research has estimated that the illegal igaming market is worth between 3.4 and 6.7 billion SEK per year, according to ATG. The two malicious groups mentioned above are the main culprits. Here are some interesting statistics about the Swedish online gambling industry that players should consider and be aware of.

This information proves that ATG’s proposal might be a clever idea and should be taken into consideration. The Swedish government estimates that the change will bring an additional tax revenue every year and will help with the fight against illegal gambling.

Skarplöth does not completely agree with this, as according to him, the tax change will affect online gambling and reimburse illegal activity across gambling sites. He believes that “their quarterly surveys are alarming and indicate a significant portion of problem gamblers in Sweden, linked to unlicensed gambling sites”.

ATG will take any action necessary to shut down groups like Infiniza Limited and North Point Management Ltd and severely reduce illegal gambling traffic.

ATG’s Successful Period

The GGR from Swedish license-holders in Q3 of last year held steady at SEK6.7 billion, which applies to the previous quarter as well. The increased turnover comes from land-based casinos, registering a 30.5% increase from year to year.

Meanwhile, ATG had a profound influence on the Swedish gambling market in the three months leading to September 2023, resulting in a double-digit increase in operating profit.

Compared to last year, net gaming revenue was up by 4.5% to SEK1.35 billion from SEK 1.29 billion the previous year. This led to AGT’s highest figure in history, even though the Swedish market was previously stalled.

For three months, the total revenue was SEK1.53 billion, up from 3.0% year-to-year. In total, ATG made an operating profit of SEK497 million, indicating a rise of 13.7% compared to before.

Lance Armstrong’s cancer battle started in 1995, and it took two long years of worry and pain, but against all odds, the bicyclist was able to make a full recovery. Read along to learn more, and feel free to use the navigation panel below to jump to a relevant section of the blog post.

Who Is Lance Armstrong – How He Earned the Spotlight

Lance Edward Armstrong is a former American road cyclist, who gained fame after winning the Tour de France competition seven times, from 1995 to 2005. However, a doping scandal forced his career to come to an abrupt end.

He began his training at age 16 so he could become a national champion in triathlete, with several wins from 1989 and 1990. He started as a professional cyclist with the Motorola team, and had great success between 1993 and 1996, winning the Clasica de San Sebastion championship in 1993.

However, his career was met with an abrupt end, caused by a doping scandal, and an intense battle with testicular cancer, which we will cover in detail further in the post. The medical professionals claimed there was no hope, but Lance Armstrong, the cancer survivor, recovered and went on with his family life.

Even though Lance Armstrong no longer participates in races, and players who place wagers at the best cycling betting sites in the UK can no longer support him with a bet, his story still inspired many and is one to surely be remembered.

Cancer Diagnosis and the Start of the Battle

Lance Armstrong’s cancer fight began on October 2, 1996, when he was only 25 years old. Medical professionals diagnosed the cyclist with stage three testicular cancer, meaning that the disease was in its advanced state.

Tumors and growth have spread all over Lance’s body, including the lymph nodes, his lungs, brain, and abdomen. Urologist Jim Reeves in Austin, Texas, was able to place the diagnosis due to Lance’s symptoms – blurred vision, coughing up blood, and especially, a swollen testicle.

Lance had always thought that he had something wrong with one of his testicles, even before the diagnosis.

He noted that it was abnormally large, and caused him immense, frequent searing pain. But when he started coughing up blood, he sought serious professional help.

So, on October 2, 1996, Lance Armstrong’s cancer fight began, and it wasn’t looking good. Further on in the blog we will cover how the cyclist was treated, chances of survival, severity of the situation, and more.

The Treatment Process of Lance Armstrong

The immediate response by medical professionals was to perform an orchiectomy – a removal of the cancerous testicle. Armstrong was then transported to Indiana University for the remainder of his treatment.

Lance was administered with many healing drugs, including bleomycin, etoposide, and many more, for his first chemotherapy cycle. Unfortunately, Armstrong had an allergic reaction to one of the drugs, and medical professionals needed to find an alternative, which, thankfully, did its job.

Expectedly, the question regarding Lance Armstrong’s cancer research popped up – what are my chances of survival? That’s when the cycling champion learned that his odds of survival were slim to none. The response by medical professionals was staggering – “Almost none. 50%, at most, but 20% realistically”

Against all odds, Armstrong responded extremely well to the treatment.

He had his final chemotherapy on December 13, 1996, and just a month later, was able to ride 100 kilometers with his new teammates, returning to the United States. We cover his recovery in detail later.

For your convenience, we have included a timeline of Lance’s treatment. You’ll find the events below.

The Severity of Testicular Cancer

We will briefly cover how dangerous testicular cancer can be, to emphasize how amazing Lance Armstrong’s recovery from cancer is. This type of cancer is rare – it affects 4 out of every 100,000 men, and accounts for 1 or two percent of all male cancers. However, it is still the second most common cancer, behind leukemia.

Lance Armstrong’s cancer was tough, and his recovery was a miracle. Stage three means that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and other organs, meaning that a simple removal of the diseased testicle is not enough.

Even though chances of survival were low, the tremendous help of the medical professionals treating Lance proves that even the most severe cases of testicular cancer can be cured, and Lance is a prime example of that.

Lance’s Survival and Complete Recovery

As we mentioned, Lance Armstrong’s recovery from cancer wasn’t easy, but ultimately, it happened. Doctors weren’t optimistic, as chances of survival were extremely low, but Lance pulled through. Armstrong simply refused to lose to this cancer, and willpower along with extensive medical care was all that it took.

According to Lance, knowledge means that you never had to face the enemy alone. Armstrong stood up all night, researching info regarding his condition through books and the internet. Meeting other patients in treatment groups gave him further strength and courage.

Eventually, even though the odds were low, doctors knew that Lance’s body was different. He was an athlete and a world champion. They claimed that such physique and willpower were one in a million. Chemotherapy was also going extremely well, according to medical professionals.

The cyclist did not want to lose. He had a great career ahead of him. Lance Armstrong will be a cancer survivor, is all he thought about, and he was able to achieve that goal.

However, his career would take a turn for the worst, because the sports professional was involved in a huge doping scandal.

A major doping investigation regarding him took place, which eventually led to the American racing cyclist’s retirement. We’ll cover this in detail in the next section.

Lance Armstrong’s Doping Scandal

Lance Armstrong’s recovery from cancer was surely a major victory in his life. Even though everyone thought his career was over, the athlete proved them wrong. But it turns out that his days of being a world champion will end in a different manner.

Lance Armstrong faced multiple, persistent allegations of doping, but until 2006, there was no official undertaken investigation. His sixth consecutive Tour de France win was met with suspicion. After that, SCA president Bob Hamman read L.A Confidential, a book by cycling journalists, and SCA had to pay a bonus of 5 million dollars to Armstrong.

However, Hamman’s real goal was to force an investigation by authorities to prove that Armstrong was doped and strip him of his Tour de France victories.

Eventually, his hunch proved correct, and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) reviewed Hamman’s evidence, proving it to be plausible.

U.S. federal prosecutors were investigating allegations of doping by Armstrong from 2010 to 2012 and ultimately were able to prove him guilty. Lance was stripped of all his results and prizes from August 1, 1998, which include all seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic medal. See the list below for additional info.

These events marked the end of Lance Armstrong’s cycling career. After being stripped of his titles, he now owns a media company, living in his hometown of Austin, Texas.

In conclusion, Lance Armstrong’s intense cancer battle was understandably the most difficult moment of his life, but with all the intensive medical care by the professionals and his strong will, he managed to recover.

We cannot forget to mention the doping scandal, as this was the next obstacle Armstrong needed to overcome. At least he came out clean, admitted to utilising unapproved methods, and can now stay with a clear conscious and live his life.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the section below, you’ll find quick answers to the segments discussed in the blog. We covered a lot, and the most common inquiries are below – you can click on the links that will take you to the relevant section of the blog post.

Closing the case

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is no longer investigating the world’s leading provider of live dealer casino games. It was looking into allegations that Evolution was providing its products to nations that were under US trade sanctions.

claimed to not be a direct competitor of Evolution

A law firm brought this to the attention of the New Jersey regulators back in 2021 on behalf of an anonymous group. The law firm claimed that its client flew investigators to restricted countries where they were then able to access Evolution games. The group claimed to not be a direct competitor of Evolution.  

Vehemently dismissing the claims

Evolution denied the allegations and believes that a third party made them in an attempt to discredit its operations. It provided evidence of its relationship with gambling operators and regulators that block users from countries like Sudan, Iran, and Syria.

In a statement on the case, Evolution said that the “NJDGE found no evidence that Evolution sanctioned, promoted, permitted, or otherwise materially benefitted” from content that operators provided in markets that the regulator deems to be prohibited.

it also carried out its own internal investigation

The Sweden-based company explained that it also carried out its own internal investigation. Despite finding that its compliance and due diligence processes were up to par, Evolution went ahead and strengthened them even more.

Evolution described how users in restricted countries could only access its products through “sophisticated technical manipulation” such as using a VPN.

More trouble on the horizon

Evolution only works with online casinos that possess licenses for the markets in which they will be offering the company’s games. It’s up to the partners to carry out verification checks on their players, which contradicts the claims that Evolution failed to know its customers.

Evolution works with over 800 gambling site operators and employs over 19,000 people across North America and Sweden.

This isn’t the only case that Evolution is battling as it is also faces a class action lawsuit in Pennsylvania. The complaint, filed last month, claims that the company deceived its investors regarding compliance and its growth prospects.

The post New Jersey Regulator Ends Black Market Gambling Investigation Into Evolution appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

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Police arrest seven

Police in Japan have made history by arresting the country’s first online casino operator, with a US citizen among the seven taken into custody.

arrested the men and women on suspicion of gambling racketeering

According to the Japan Times on Wednesday, Kyoto Prefectural Police (KPP) arrested the men and women on suspicion of gambling racketeering.

The ages of the suspects range from the twenties to forties and include US national Randall Aaron Asher. Asher, 36, is an employee of Dora Mahjong, the online mah-jongg site authorities suspect of providing a platform for illegal gambling.

Officers in KPP’s cyber investigative division suspect the seven, including Asher, of operating the site between March and December 2023.

Cyber police on the case

According to The Asahi Shimbun, the alleged illegal site which is still live online, is registered to a company in the Isle of Man, UK. The arrests were made on Sunday after KPP’s cyber probe arm conducted cyber patrols. Investigators stated the Dora Mahjong site has over 70,000 registered members, and that the suspects made commissions of 10% to 15% from their customers’ winnings.

Investigators estimate customers deposited around ¥2.3bn ($15.3m) into the mah-jongg platform since its launch in 2011.

Police arrested the seven accused of involvement in the site on “an initial charge of allowing six Japanese customers to gamble” on mah-jongg online between March and December 2023 while collecting commissions from the players.

Three of the suspects including Asher, whose address is listed as the city of Urayasu in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, admitted involvement in doramahjong.com.

The other four suspects, however, contested some allegations, claiming that while they participated in running the mah-jongg platform, they did not think the operations they performed were illegal.

While the suspects maintained the site is lawful, online gambling is illegal in Japan.

Gamblers face charges

The KPP stated its investigators are also currently looking at hitting the site’s users with potential charges.

Media reports cite data from Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) that reveals police have arrested 307 individuals for online gambling-related offenses between 2020 and 2022.

As the central coordinating law enforcement agency for the Japanese police system, the NPA stressed the legal risks of online gambling and urged “the public to exercise caution.”

The post Japan Police Make Historic Online Gambling Arrests Including US National appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

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Flutter Entertainment, a global gambling and sports wagering firm, is excited to reveal that it has officially extended its existing alliance with PARI MUTUEL URBAIN (PMU), the flagship operator from France, and entered into a fresh alliance with UK-based BetConstruct.

Partnership extension with PMU:

This extended alliance will only enhance the close relationship between the 2 firms. In addition, the first strategic alliance was officially signed back in 2010. Under that agreement, Flutter has agreed to supply risk management services, fixed odds pricing and event management to PMU, as PMU have a use from the international trading ecosystem and trading expertise applied to each of the Flutter’s B2B and B2C brands.

However, as part of this extended alliance, the provider will now offer its B2B multi-channel sportsbook platform with flagship client products and linked operational services to the French operator, in addition to the above services, according to the official press release.

Furthermore, PMU will become the 1st outer brand outside the Flutter Group’s wings to use the aforementioned B2B tech. In addition, the continued investment in the said platform and sports trading capabilities by Flutter will also greatly benefit to PMU, as the flexibility of the offering enables smooth introduction of the product across each brand that operates on the platform.

New partnership with BetConstruct:

According to the alliance with BetConstruct, the agreement includes official integration of BetConstruct’s gaming content on the platform of Betfair International, the crucial platform belonging to the portfolio of Flutter Ent.. In addition, this lucrative collaboration indicates that both firms share a common vision of establishing fresh benchmarks for greatness in the constantly evolving world of online gaming, as well as relentless innovation and boundary-pushing.

Examples of titles that will be hosted on the aforementioned platform are Pascal Gaming’s and CreedRoomz widely known titles, with titles from PopOK Gaming to be added soon.

Furthermore, these new titles pledge allies and players alike to expect a smooth and enhanced gaming experience, which shows constant devotion of Betfair International and BetConstruct to reshaping industry standards and fostering an unrivaled gaming experiences.

Commenting on the partnership, Betfair International Commercial Director Gaming, Stefano Busè, commented: “Partnering with BetConstruct marks an exciting milestone as we bring their engaging gaming lineup to Betfair International. This collaboration reflects our shared passion for revolutionizing the iGaming world and offering top-notch experiences for players worldwide.”

BetConstruct Chief Business Officer, Mikayel Sarukhanyan, added according to the source: “Integrating with a global leader like Flutter Entertainment presents a game-changing opportunity to expand our reach and leverage our combined expertise to redefine the iGaming landscape. It’s not just about offering players access to acclaimed titles; it’s about setting a new standard for excellence and player engagement.”

Flutter Entertainment delists from Euronext Dublin prior to US Listing:

In other news, Flutter Entertainment has revealed it has halted trading on Ireland’s Euronext Dublin just ahead of its projected debut on the NY Stock Exchange (NYSE) that will take place during coming week. The American listing was initially considered during February of the previous year, and the company said it would back up broader American growth plans. In this sense, shareholders validated the double listing at Flutter’s annual general meeting (AGM) held in April, which has the company working hard on it.

Vogelsang calls clock after 25 seconds

Last Sunday, I had a little altercation at the table with Dutch poker player and eye-candilicious fashionista Tom Vogelsang who called “clock” on me 20-25 seconds into my decision when we were bubble-adjacent, just three spots from the money in the €2,200 ($2,380) FPS Paris High Roller. In doing so, he broke my concentration as I was contemplating a very difficult spot with massive ICM implications. In my opinion, it was a rude, classless, and unsporting thing to do to a player at a key moment of a tournament right at the end of a grueling 14-hour day.

I immediately argued to her that this was “ridiculous”

Suffice to say I was irate. The floor person was called to our table to adjudicate and I immediately argued to her that this was “ridiculous.” She asked the dealer how long it had been to which he replied: “30 seconds.” She replied with “ok so not enough time then” and walked away. I composed myself and weighed up the spot.

The table chip leader had opened in the Hijack, as he had done any unopened pot for roughly an orbit. I was in the Cut Off with 26 big blinds. I saw in my peripheral vision that there was a player eliminated on an adjacent table. That meant that there were 190 players left with 188 paid. From the moment that the floorperson walked away, I took approximately 30 seconds before shoving all-in.

Vogelsang folded his button and immediately jumped out of his chair, laughing with another player at the table, saying: “he just did that to make a point.” I was even more furious. A comment like that is totally out of line, a knucklehead remark at best and an angle-shot at worst, as it could influence action. The blinds folded, as did the original raiser, and I called for the floor.

Heated words and a nosey-Parker

When the floor came over, I gestured to Vogelsang and, as reported by PokerNews blogger David Salituro, said: “Three from the money, a difficult ICM spot, and this dickhead calls the clock after 20 seconds.”

The floor person dutifully attempted to play the role of peacemaker, but there was no calming the situation down. Plenty of back and forth between myself and Vogelsang ensued, and I told him in no uncertain terms that he was in the wrong. The floor implored us to stop arguing so I said to him: “You were completely out of line, but if you apologize, then it’s over.”

He refused to apologize, at which point Parker Talbot weighed in from an adjacent table. The following exchange ensued between Talbot and myself:

“It’s never wrong to call the clock!”

“Stay out of it Tonka!”

“People don’t call the clock enough. I think it’s absolutely fine to call the clock whenever you want.”

“Pipe down Crystal Meth Santa!”

Which brings me to the question that I would like to try to answer in this piece. Is it absolutely fine to call the clock whenever you want, or are there circumstances when it is not okay?

The orbit before

Context is everything in poker and gratuitous stalling is certainly a thing, so in the interest of transparency, I want to go through what had taken place in the previous orbit during which we went from 210 players remaining to 190.

let’s just say a noticeable slowing down of the pace of play was occurring

Our table played nine hands in the 23 minutes leading up to this altercation, not particularly quick, but also not particularly slow for that point in the tournament. There were a couple of bigger stacks opening up their games as well they should, and pretty much the rest of our table was comprised of medium stacks (in the 15-30 big blind range). Quite a few of the medium stacks, myself included, were starting to take 10-12 seconds before folding pre-flop. There was certainly nothing egregious, but let’s just say a noticeable slowing down of the pace of play was occurring.

The fourth hand of that orbit (with roughly 202 players remaining), I was UTG1 and took about ten seconds before limping. Vogelsang raised one seat over and when the action got back to me, I tanked for one minute before shoving my 23 big blind stack. He folded.

Two hands later (with roughly 197 players remaining), I was in the big blind. The Cut Off opened, the Button three-bet, the Small Blind folded, and I went into the tank. I had just over 27 big blinds and I am happy to admit that I was light with the Ace-Five of diamonds. The thing is, however, there was a dynamic between the opener and three-bettor and this was a cool spot to potentially pick up ten big blinds without showdown.

Huge risk premium

Given the context, my shove would look really strong and it is the type of hand that has decent equity if I do run into Kings or Queens. It’s even possible that the original raiser would have to fold pocket Queens. As I mulled this over (and, in part, summoned the courage), Vogelsang called the clock. I had been contemplating the spot for roughly 100 seconds and so had no objection. Unable to pull the trigger, I folded halfway through the floorperson’s countdown.

it is nonetheless super-difficult to figure out optimal lines under severe ICM pressure

For the next two hands, I pretty much snap-folded pre-flop and then came the hand in question. There were 191 players remaining and we were 3 places away from a €3,300 ($3,570) min-cash. Decision making in poker is massively complicated by risk premium, which can turn the strategy on its head. I would consider this area to be a particular strength of mine thanks to my background in SNGs and satellites, but it is nonetheless super-difficult to figure out optimal lines under severe ICM pressure.

When I looked down at my hand, I was genuinely unsure what to do with a hand that is a slam-dunk three-bet induce under normal circumstances, but in this situation becomes a shove or fold. I’d have really appreciated a minute of uninterrupted think time, but unfortunately my tablemate had other ideas.

The stalling problem

There is a growing concern in poker that savvy players are taking the piss around bubbles, occasionally grinding the game to a halt, and that something has to be done to stop them. I empathize with tournament directors who have to police stalling and players who believe it both ruins the fun and is unsporting. It’s certainly problematic that the rules around this situation are arbitrarily enforced, half-policed by the players themselves at the table, half-policed by staff.

Shot clocks have become a bigger part of poker and their implementation during bubble time has become more popular. Matt Savage introduced a shot clock with time extensions system to the WPT World Championship when we were 30 players from the money last December and while I thought it was a bit severe, particularly for recreational players/qualifiers, it certainly made for a fast pre-bubble period.

On the $25,000 buy-in and higher circuit, shot clocks have been a mandatory inclusion for some time and that makes total sense in an environment where you want to sportify all aspects of the game. I would not, however, like to see a similar development in fields with a high amateur participation. Nonetheless, I acknowledge that their absence creates a problem.

It is not always okay to call the clock

I’m going to extrapolate here, but from what he said, I believe that Talbot’s position is that the way to solve that problem is to destigmatize and actually encourage clock-calling. I certainly think that players should call clock more than they currently do. However, I think that they also have a responsibility to do so judiciously. For example, a player facing a three big blind decision on the river in Level 2 of a tournament should be hurried along, whereas a player facing a river over-bet check-shove for their tournament life with 11 remaining deserves some leeway.

How much leeway? Well that is for the players in conjunction with the floor staff at the table to decide. Does that mean some amount of discretion? Yes, it does. I also would add that, of those players, there is a hierarchy of importance with the players with a live hand who have committed chips to the pot taking precedence over an observer. That is not to say that an onlooker can never call clock, but just that they should probably wait a little longer than they would if they were in the hand.

I do think that some punishment is apt.

Coming back to my hand, was Vogelsang entitled to call clock on me after 20-25 seconds on the virtual bubble of a tournament? Absolutely not. Given I was not perilously short and had put my stack at risk six hands prior, it was especially contumelious. Should there be penalties for players who behave like that? Perhaps that is going too far, but when you add his comments of “he just did that to make a point” right after he folded, I do think that some punishment is apt.

In summary, it is not always okay to call the clock and I think that this situation proves that. The moment that I shoved all-in, it should have been immediately clear to Vogelsang that he was in the wrong and the right response should have been to immediately apologize. Instead, he compounded his error with a reckless comment.

I guess when God was giving out good manners, Tom Vogelsang was in the queue for high cheekbones.

The post Opinion: Is It Always OK to Call the Clock? appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

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