Board games have been a beloved pastime in Canada for generations, with many households having amassed a collection of games over the years. But which board games are the most popular in each province, and which provinces still enjoy the trusty board game the most? We conducted a survey to find out the answer to both of these questions.

Monopoly still a fan-favourite

Our research showed that Monopoly is still the most-loved board game despite being almost 100 years old. It was the clear winner in several provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Ontario. Monopoly was created in in 1935, and it continues to be a favourite among players of all ages. Its popularity is likely due to its simple rules, competitive nature, and being suitable for all ages.

Australia has no online casinos licensed in the country even though federal law allows states and territories to license and regulate internet slots and table games. However, home and mobile sports betting is licensed for punters there.

According to the country’s primary banking trade organization, there’s a big gap between financial protections online and on land so the Australian Banking Association (ABA) is asking the government to ban the use of credit cards at online sports betting sites.

The request comes decades after credit cards were banned for gambling at the land-based sportsbooks and casinos there. The licensed online gambling industry did not even exist at the time land-based credit card gambling was prohibited but is now worth an estimated A$50 billion a year.

Credit Cards Already Banned for Land-based Gambling

The ABA’s CEO, Anna Bligh asks: “Why should it be possible to do something in the virtual world that is prohibited in the real world? Every pub with poker machines, every TAB and every trackside bookie already implemented this 23 years ago.”

Bligh wonders if gambling, as a product “is this something we should be providing credit for given what’s happening to our customers?”

According to a report in the Guardian, banks are not on a moral crusade with the initiative but instead are looking out for their own business interests. That said, the association is quite aware of the damage undisciplined gamblers can do to themselves very quickly with potential long-term negative consequences.

“This is just a product that is not suitable for credit,” said Bligh. “You can accrue a very, very large amount of debt in an incredibly short period of time and have nothing to show for it.

“Banks have seen the harm that is being done and they are very conscious of their responsibility as lenders to ask [hard questions].

The initiative would tend to lend itself more to ideation than implementation due to the way merchant category codes work. The international merchant category code (MCC) that has been used for online gambling transactions since soon after the US changed its payment processor rules for online gambling with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) can also be assigned to transactions involving charities that fundraise by selling lottery tickets.

MCCs are 4-digit numbers listed under the international standard ISO 18245 which currently doesn’t have a code for lottery tickets sold primarily for charity fundraising. In order to create one, advocates would need to apply through ISO/TC 68, Technical Committee 68 on Banking, Securities, and other Financial Services in Geneva, Switzerland. However, changes to ISOs such as adding a new MCC, are usually not entertained for industries generating less than $10m in revenues.

The ABA doesn’t seem interested in paying for changes through the Geneva process, indicating that gambling operators should have to deal with and pay for compliance on their own after a grace period to give them time to adjust.

Licensed Operator Body Supports Ban

Responsible Wagering Australia is an independent body for wagering service providers based in Australia. RWA members include well-known names such as bet365, Betfair, Entain, PointsBet, Sportsbet, and Unibet.

A spokesperson for the group said: “The RWA and its members have been at the forefront of the work to implement a credit card ban – having led the discussions with the banking industry to determine the technical solutions, and delivered them to the government. We cannot speak for other non-member gambling companies.”

While offshore casinos can run credit card gambling transactions through a form of potential money laundering by assigning “the wrong code” to deposit transactions, a few Australian banks have already banned their branded credit cards from being used for gambling transactions, which presumably disallows the purchase of lottery tickets sold for charity fundraising with a credit card. Bank Australia, Bank of Queensland, Citibank, and Suncorp will no longer process MCC 7995.

MPs Sharkie and Wilkie are each preparing legislation to address the issue as well as to introduce suspicious transaction reports to authorities with Rebekha Sharkie’s private member bill focused on banning online credit card gambling and Andrew Wilkie’s bill focused on proceeds of crimes and suspicious transaction report obligations.

Sharkie also wants operators to be required to inform bettors of ongoing losses prior to accepting further bets.

Source: Australian banks urge Albanese government to ban use of credit cards for online gambling, The Guardian, March 26, 2023

The post Aussie Banks Want Credit Cards Banned for Online Gambling appeared first on Casino News Daily.

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Goalkeepers taunting penalty takers soon to be illegal

Soccer’s governing body is close to changing the rules to prevent goalkeepers from using disruptive techniques and taunting opponents before penalty kicks. 

a single save or missed kick can be the difference between a team winning or losing

Roughly 85% of penalties are scored and only 11% are saved. A single save or missed kick can be the difference between a team winning or losing an event as big as the World Cup.

With the pre-kick antics likely on their way to illegality, VegasSlotsOnline News has compiled a list of the most savage and unforgettable goalkeeper performances on the line. Someone tell these guys they have a second career waiting in Hollywood.

Top 5: Goalkeepers taunting penalty takers

Emiliano Martinez dominates the World Cup Final

Martinez was at the top of his game during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He helped guide Argentina to the World Cup Final, where they had a date with the defending champions France.

After 120 minutes, the score was knotted at three and the game headed to penalties. Both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe scored their team’s first penalties, but Martinez came up with a huge save on Kingsley Coman. Paulo Dybala slotted his kick right up the middle of the goal, heaping tons of pressure onto France’s third taker, then-22-year-old Aurélien Tchouaméni.

spend more time under the weight of the near-90,000 game-attending fans

Martinez, sensing the gravity of the moment, dashed over to the penalty spot and picked up the ball as the young Frenchmen strolled over for his kick. Rather than say anything to him or ignore his plea, Martinez tossed the ball to the side of the box and made his youthful opponent spend more time under the weight of the near-90,000 fans in attendance.

The tactic worked, as Tchouaméni nervously dragged the ball wide of the goal, giving Argentina a 3-1 lead in the shootout. They went on to win 4-2 and secured their first World Cup trophy since 1986.

Kepa can’t hack it 

Kepa Arrizabalaga made a blockbuster move from Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea in 2018 for €80m ($86.7m). He has had an up-and-down career since, chock-full of unforgettable moments, including when he refused to be substituted off with cramping during the League Cup Final. 

One of his darkest moments, however, was when he managed to defeat himself with mind games.

The 2022 Carabao Cup Final was a snore. Neither Chelsea nor Liverpool managed to score a single goal in 120 minutes, and the players were not playing to the best of their abilities. That meant that the game was going to be decided by penalties.

Kepa, Chelsea’s second-choice keeper at the time, was subbed on for regular starter Édouard Mendy at the end of the game due to a supposed tactical advantage—a decision that would come to be rued by Chelsea fans all over.

blasted the ball directly at the Spanish keeper, scored, and stared him down

Kepa reeled off multiple failures during the shootout. First, he stood off the center of his line during Virgil Van Dijk’s turn at the spot, daring him to shoot to the far corner. Instead, the 6-foot-5 Dutchman blasted the ball directly at the Spanish keeper, scored, and stared him down.

Later on, Kepa directed young Harvey Elliott to his right-hand side as if he was telling him exactly where to shoot. Elliott calmly obliged and put the ball exactly where Kepa had pointed, except he dove the opposite way.

Chelsea’s stopper pulled off a trifecta of failures later in the shootout when Ibrahima Konaté stepped to the spot. He shouted “right” as his opponent charged at and kicked the ball to the right, just where he was directed. Kepa dove the way that he said he would this time, but did not have enough to stop the powerful shot.

The fateful blow came when Kepa was forced to take a penalty. All 21 takers before him, 11 for Liverpool and 10 for Chelsea, had managed to score, meaning that he needed to do the same to reset the order and keep sudden death going. Instead of doing that, he smashed the ball well over the crossbar, and Liverpool was crowned champion. This is a great example of how goalkeepers taunting penalty takers can backfire.

“Chip me, bro!”

Alex Telles had an anomaly of a season in 2019-20 with Porto. Despite being a left-back, he scored 11 goals and was so proficient at finding the back of the net that he became his team’s designated penalty kicker.

He played so well that year that he ended up getting a big-money move to Manchester United, but before he could complete that deal, he found himself on the wrong side of a duel with Maritimo goalkeeper Amir Abedzadeh. 

Porto went on to win the 2019-20 league title, but found itself trailing 2-1 when Telles stepped to the spot in the 88th minute. The score could not be corroborated by the final game stats, which favored Porto 78%-22% in possession and 32-11 in shots.

Ignoring the reality that Porto was the more dominant side, the Iranian goalkeeper repeatedly shouted at Telles while he was preparing for the kick and even during his run-up: “Chip me!” and “Chip me, bro!” Telles ignored him and fired the ball to his right-hand side about halfway up the frame, but Abedzadeh read the placement perfectly and was there waiting when the ball arrived. 

Maritimo’s Nanú and Porto’s Otávio scored in extra time, and the underdogs walked away with a 3-2 victory.

The Martinez-Mina beef

Martinez might have made waves with his antics during the World Cup, but he has been known as a mental warfare specialist for a while. Just ask Yerry Mina.

Argentina and Colombia squared off in the 2021 Copa America semifinal. Just like in the World Cup, the teams could not be separated after extra time and the match headed to penalties.

Mina was known for dancing after scoring and had done so after converting his kick in a quarterfinal shootout with Uruguay. Martinez was not a fan of his celebrations and brought the fight to the Colombian’s doorstep.

Playing in an empty Estadio Nacional in Brazil as the world recovered from the first major COVID strike, Martinez could be heard shouting a variety of digs at the big defender. 

“You’re nervous, huh?” Martinez said. “You’re laughing but you’re nervous.”

I’m eating you up, brother. I’m eating you up, brother.”

“See how I know where you’ll shoot,” said the Argentine. “And then I’ll save it. I’m eating you up, brother. I’m eating you up, brother.”

To little surprise, the fearless Martinez came up with a low, sprawling save to keep the shootout tied at one apiece. He went on to make three saves in the shootout and helped lift Argentina into the final against Brazil, which it won 1-0.

A teammate knows best

Liverpool had one of the most feared attacks in the world in 2021, led by Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, but in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) they were as fierce of rivals as there is.

Playing for a continental championship, Senegal was awarded an early penalty when Mohamed Abdelmonem wiped out Saliou Ciss in the danger area. Salah, knowing his club-level attacking partner better than anybody, walked over to goalkeeper Mohamed Abougabal and seemed to tell him where Mane was going to go.

The Senegalese was wise to what was happening and went over to interrupt the conversation, but Salah made sure to get his final words across. A minute or so later, Mane rifled a shot into the palms of the waiting Abougabal. 

Maybe Salah was right and knew where Mane was going, or maybe the conversation prompted the latter to put the ball where he normally wouldn’t have. Either way, Salah was inside Mane’s head that day.

The post Best Moments of Goalkeepers Taunting Penalty Takers Now that Gamesmanship is Being Penned Out of Soccer appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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Spring has sprung and Casino.com has got some bloomin’ good games coming out this month! The Greek sun Helios is beaming brightly for a new slot adventure, and nostalgia is out to play in the form of Monopoly marvel!

Explore the escapades of our new online gaming slots as we take a closer look at what will be added the new lobby this season. All of the upcoming varieties have wide bet ranges, varying special in-game features and exciting themes and display layouts.

Here are a few of the new games that are being released in April 2023. 

Age of the Gods: Helios

Shine bright like a diamond! From game provider Playtech comes Age of the Gods: Helios, the newest instalment in the ever-popular Age of the Gods slot series. Scorch across the skies and see if you can win big in this mythic adventure game that contains 40 paylines, an RTP of 94.98%, and a 4-reel x 5-row game grid.

This sunny game offers in-game free spins, multiple winning icons and bets starting from as low as €0.10. Not only is the Greek theme seen through the design layout and soundtrack, but this exciting slot game also caters its winning symbols to fit the ancient theme too.

Look out for these icons for a big win potential: 

• Sun Symbol – These offer cash prizes and will trigger the Mystery Prize feature.
• Solar Spins – These offer multipliers up to 5x.
• Collect Symbols – This symbol can collect prizes on all Sun Symbols in view and will also trigger the Solar Spins feature.
• Mystery Prize – If you land one of the above symbols with a diamond anywhere on it, the reels will trigger this feature. Between 1 and 4 diamonds can multiply your bet from 10x all the way up to 2,500x!

If that wasn’t enough, there are still amazing Jackpot possibilities to be played for. Helios’ jackpots are a multi-level mystery progressive version compared to the rest of the other slots in the series. If you are entered into the Jackpot games, you can win 1 of the 4 which are: Power Jackpot, Extra Power Jackpot, Super Power Jackpot and Ultimate Power Jackpot.

A detailed breakdown of all win potentials and symbols can be found in the paytable if you click on the ‘i’, which is accessible at any point, before or after each spin.

Grab your shades and explore the Titan!

Gerard’s Gambit

Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Ways and Means, recommended the country’s government to officially shut down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which are responsible for the increasing number of cases of kidnapping and other crimes in the country.

Furthermore, according to local media reports, Gatchalian also advocated shutting down POGOs in 3 months.

In this regard, earlier in March, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), said: “We terminated the contract with a third-party auditor responsible for auditing POGOs.

“The service provider was found to be in default of its obligations and has committed unlawful acts.”

Report on the consequences of POGOs on the country’s economy:

Last week, Mr. Gatchalian publicly released a report on the consequences of POGOs on the country’s economy, which was based on an investigation conducted by his panel and the Senate’s economic affairs committee.

In this regard, he reportedly said: “The data and evidence on hand all point to the same conclusion: enough is enough. It is time to ban offshore gaming operations in the Philippines, once and for all.

“First of all, the economic managers are saying that (POGOs) are not good for the country’s image. And we will not have peace of mind while they’re still here.”

The report claimed that ” POGOs did not make any significant economic contributions to the country’s economy, but were exerting what could be perceived as growing criminal influence on some the nation’s law enforcement agencies.”

However, the report also advocates for relief to affected Filipinos who were employed by POGOs, calls for the collection of the outstanding tax debts from POGOs licensees, service suppliers and the third-party auditor, and calls for the revocation of work visas for POGOs foreign workers.

On that note, he added: “The fear of Filipinos getting kidnapped will linger while they are still operating… We should not clutch at the knife’s edge because there are other businesses that will not affect our country’s peace and order.”

Poor report support:

The Senator made the report public only after he had acquired enough signatures from committee members to permit him to officially introduce the report to the full Senate. However, by Friday he had only gained 7 signatures.

On that note, the senator said: “I would furnish a copy of the report to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who I expect to support my recommendations, because it wouldn’t make sense for the President to support the continued presence of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) when his economic team wanted them shut down.

“I expected more of my colleagues to back the report since I sent them all the documentary evidence showing that POGOs had brought the country more harm than good.”

He emphasized that “the Department of Finance (DOF) and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) had both expressed their opposition to POGOs, which thrived during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos’ predecessor.”

Furthermore, in September 2022, Juan Miguel Zubiri, said: “I would support the move by other senators to ban Pogos, following reports of serious crimes, including killings and abductions, that had victimized POGO workers from China.”

However, the other members of the Senate (18 of them) recommended that POGOs be offered more time to halt operations.

On that note, Senator Sonny Angara told the official Philippine News Agency that “giving POGOs, especially the legitimate ones, three months to stop their operations may not be enough.”

In a written statement he said: “I don’t believe three months is adequate time and notice to wrap up operations, especially for those who have made substantial investments.

“A longer period would be more reasonable/justified given it was also the government which invited them to invest in the first place.”

The only country in the world that hosts POGOs:

In this regard, the Senator said: “Based on estimates of the DOF and Neda, the country would be losing more than P8 billion a year in tourism revenues and investment opportunities.

“We are the only country in the world hosting POGOs… If this is a really good business, then all countries should be fighting to entice them.”

History of POGOs in the Philippines:

POGOs first started in the country in 2016, which was the first year of Duterte’s presidency, who allowed them to operate in the country because he wanted closer relations with China.

POGOs have cashed in on the country’s liberal gaming laws to officially target customers in China, where gambling is forbidden.

However, the increase in POGOs operations in the country has prompted reports of blackmail, kidnapping, prostitution among other crimes, including the victimization of the Chinese workers in the industry.

But that’s not all; as multiple Filipinos also protested the POGOs that raised property rates together with incidents of racism.

Small income from POGOs:

Most critics pointed out that “Chinese President XI Jinping himself had requested the Philippines in 2019 to ban online gambling establishments catering to Chinese nationals.”

In this regard, Zubiri said: “He had doubts about whether the small revenues from POGOs were worth it.”

On a related note, in terms of POGOs taxes to the country, from P7.18 billion in 2020, taxes generated by the POGO industry and collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue fell down 46% to P3.91 billion in 2021.

The much higher predicted revenue this year is P32 billion, but just P3 billion has been generated to date, according to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

The Chinese-Filipino group Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), whose members or relatives have been kidnapped, has officially endorsed the ban on POGOs, amid a spate of reported crimes involving their workers, mostly Chinese nationals.

POGOs as a victims:

Teresita Ang See, MRPO’s founding chairperson and chief convener, said: “Some legal POGO companies have told me that they are also suffering because of the bad image given to them.”

Furthermore, she emphasized that “for every legal POGO company, there were six to seven illegal sub-licensees, through which Chinese nationals were subjected to human trafficking.”

On that note, September 2022 data from the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) displayed that 32 POGOs and 127 service suppliers are licensed to operate in the country.

PAGCOR said: “Online gaming began in 2003, but it started to regulate gaming hubs only in 2016.”

The EGR awards are considered by many as the Oscars of the iGaming community. Hosted by the eGaming Review magazine, this ceremony is one of the most prestigious casino awards in the UK and in other countries across the world. In the table below, we have added quick links to each paragraph of this blog. Use them to navigate easily throughout the piece.

EGR Awards 2022 – How It All Started?

The EGR gaming awards are hosted by the famous eGaming Review magazine. The latter is a leading publisher of exclusive news, interviews with experts, and analyses from some of the most important people in the iGaming industry. In addition to publishing, the magazine also runs several global events throughout the year. Among them are six prestigious awards ceremonies that you can see in the table below:

All awards take place annually in different countries across the world. Over 700 online gambling operators are taking part, competing in various categories. Some of the latter include “Safer Gambling Operator”, “Diversity and Inclusion Model”, “Mobile Casino Product”, and others. The following paragraphs will provide an overlook of the awards.

EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2022

The EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2022, which took place in London, have recognised the brightest companies for their tremendous achievements in the iGaming community. As the name suggests, these awards are dedicated to praising creativity, hard efforts, and innovative solutions that the companies have put into delivering something new to the industry.

The night turned out to be very successful for several companies who took home not only an award but also the appreciation of the judging panel. Among the 20 categories that contestants compete in, some of the most desirable ones include “Brand of the Year”, “Innovation of the Year”, and “Marketer of the Year”.

EGR Operator Awards

Many anticipate the time of the year when online operators gather to look back at their achievements. It is, namely the EGR Operator Awards where all of this happens. A judging panel of gaming experts are given the task to recognise the efforts of many companies in the iGaming industry. The criteria focus on innovative solutions, great services and products, and the standards that these operators have demonstrated in the past year.

Just like the 2018 EGR Operator Awards, the 2022 EGR awards edition also took place in London with many companies competing fiercely in eight headline categories. Below we have provided a short list that outlines the categories and the respective winners for each of them:

Most of the companies who register for the awards are going after one of the most tempting categories, namely the “Operator of the Year” one. The 2022 winner for this category was Kaizen Gaming. The company is one of the fastest growing GameTech companies in the world, with market shares in countries like Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Canada, Ecuador, and more.

EGR North America Awards

Another one of the EGR Awards for 2022 is the EGR North America Awards. Like the other variants, this award is meant to recognise the leaders in the online gaming community across North America. Companies from different countries in the region are taking part in the attempt to showcase their achievements for the past 12 months.

The 2022 event was the first in-person awards ceremony since the last one, which took place in 2019. Contestants compete in 25 categories, as opposed to the EGR Operator Awards where there are only 9 categories. The winner of the “Operator of the Year” category was Rush Street Interactive, which operates some of the best online casinos in the USA.

Another highlight from the ceremony was the win in the category “Payment Provider” which was taken by Paysafe. The latter is a leading platform that specialises in payments. Some of its most notable subsidiary brands include Neteller, Skrill, Paysafecash, and Paysafecard. UK players might be familiar with some of the best Paysafecard casino sites where one of the prepaid online payment methods is accepted.

EGR Nordics Awards

The EGR Nordics Awards are celebrating the most successful and creative online gaming operators in the Nordic region. The event recognised the achievements in various aspects of the companies that stood out the most in the industry for the past 12 months. The judging panel of the 2022 edition had the hard job of determining the winners in 19 categories.

Betsson Group stole the show by taking home five awards, including “Operator of the Year” and “Customer Service Operator”. The company owns 20 brands offering casinos, sportsbooks, and other games. If you want to try out any of their platforms, browse through some of the best online casinos in Norway, which is one of the countries where Betsson Group operates.

EGR B2B Awards & EGR Italy Awards

The EGR Italy Awards are another premier event that takes place annually. As suggested by the name, its mission is to recognise the incredible work of the best Italian casinos. Focusing on the breadth and depth of the industry, this edition enables contestants to compete in more than 20 different categories.

The EGR B2B Awards is the final event that we will look at in our blog post. Last but certainly not least, this ceremony is dedicated to appreciating the companies that power the iGaming industry. The very best providers are competing in disciplines such as betting and gaming software, payments, recruitment, and more.

Conclusion

The EGR Awards 2022 have really impressed us with their mission of honouring brands and companies across the world for their unique contribution, creativity, and hard work in multiple domains. Year after year, gaming experts who take part in the judging panels have been given the hard task of selecting ‘t agree more with the perception of the EGR Awards 2022 as the Oscars of the gaming industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that we have managed to provide the most important information about the EGR awards and their many variants. However, once again, we would like to provide you with a brief overview of the frequently asked questions that often come up about the topic. Look at the section below to see if you will find what you are looking for.

A new-look Final Four

For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, no one, two or three seeds reached the Final Four.

This year’s unprecedented bracket has had it all, from No. 1 Purdue losing to the shortest team in America, No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson, 5-foot-8 point guard Markquis Nowell playing larger than life, to now four mostly unheralded programs being two wins away from a national championship.

three of them had never reached the Final Four until now

On top of the four remaining schools – Connecticut, Miami, San Diego State, and Florida Atlantic – busting brackets, three of them had never reached the Final Four until now. Just another edition of the “Madness” of March.

Runs to the Final Four

West and Midwest Regions

Each team left standing has had a remarkable run to the Final Four, and all as underdogs. The schools’ average combined odds to win the national title on the day the bracket started was +8700 with the longest odds belong to FAU at +20500, according to DraftKings sportsbook.

opened the tournament at +1683 (now -125) to win it all

The team with the greatest expectations is UConn. It opened the tournament at +1683 (now -125) to win it all.

The Huskies kickstarted their tournament run with an 87-63 win over No. 14 Iona in the Round of 64 and a 70-55 beatdown of No. 5 Saint Mary’s two days later. It breezed past No. 8 Arkansas 88-65 in the Sweet 16, leading to its most impressive win of March Madness, an 82-54 demolition of No. 3 Gonzaga.

The other team on UConn’s side of the bracket is Miami (formerly +7667, now +475 to win the title). Ironically, their toughest battle came in the opening round against No. 12 Drake, requiring a late spurt to get past, 63-56. The Hurricanes then used an offensive masterclass to race by No. 4 Indiana 85-69 and also took out No. 1 seed and tournament favorites Houston in the Sweet 16 89-75.

The Hurricanes win that propelled them into their first Final Four in school history was a back-and-forth 88-81 result over No. 2 Texas. Senior wing Jordan Miller put up 27 points with a perfect 7-7 shooting from the field and 13-13 at the free-throw line.

South and East Regions

The left-hand side of the bracket is where the madness picks up. No. 5 San Diego State, often hidden from the national spotlight in the Mountain West Conference, has emerged as the champion of a South region that included Alabama, Arizona, and other excellent programs.

The Aztecs (once +4950, now +380) began their run to the Final Four by beating No. 12 College of Charleston 63-57. They easily handled No. 13 Furman 75-52 in the next round and then knocked off No. 1 Alabama 71-64 in the Sweet 16 behind an excellent defensive performance.

SDSU’s most recent win over No. 6 Creighton was also its most dramatic. Darrion Trammell went to the free-throw line in a tie game with one second left and, after missing his first attempt, calmly put the second one through the net and booked his team a spot in the Final Four.

down to +650 to win the national championship after starting at +20500

SDSU will now play No. 9 Florida Atlantic, who is still the biggest underdog in the field, but is down to +650 to win the national championship after starting at +20500. The Owls, who hail from a traditionally poor Conference USA, tied for the second-best regular season record in the country. 

FAU, like Miami, received its toughest test in the first round when it needed a Nicholas Boyd layup with two seconds left to squeak past No. 8 Memphis 66-65. It then beat No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 and No. 4 Tennessee 62-55 to reach the Elite Eight and set up a date with the red-hot Kansas State Wildcats.

Despite the best efforts of the previously mentioned Nowell, the Owls secured yet another win 79-76 and are a win against SDSU away from reaching the title game.

Odds and trends

According to ESPN, only 37 brackets filled out on its Bracket Challenge correctly predicted the Final Four. 

The right-hand side of the bracket is more likely to win the national title, per to the odds. UConn will be favored against SDSU or FAU, barring any major developments and if it gets past Miami, whereas a line for a matchup between Miami and either of the other schools is unknown. 

UConn has a 55.56% chance to emerge as the champion of March Madness

Based on implied probability, UConn has a 55.56% chance to emerge as the champion of March Madness. SDSU has a 20.83% chance, Miami a 17.39% chance, and FAU a 13.33% chance.

Miami reached the Elite Eight last year before it lost to No. 1 Kansas 76-50. UConn was upset by No. 12 New Mexico State University in the opening round of the same year, but is the only scholl remaining that has been to a Final Four. It also won the NCAA Tournament as recently as 2014, which coincidentally was the last time a non-one or two seed won it all.

SDSU lost to its first-round opponent in three straight appearances before this year, and FAU, which had only made the NCAA Tournament once before, hadn’t won a game until 2023.

Games resume in Houston, Texas on Saturday, April 1. The national championship will be held on Monday, April 3.

The post UConn, Miami, SDSU, FAU: No Top-Three Seeds in the Final Four for the First Time Ever appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.

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