It seems that huge multimillion jackpots are becoming the norm but that could be coming with a few warning signs.

Four Winners in a Month

The UK National Lottery confirmed that the November 5 Lotto draw had a single winner of the big prize. The lucky player’s reward is £3.8 million ($4.38 million), and he or she has reportedly already contacted the Lottery to claim their prize. This is the fourth jackpot awarded by the Lottery in the last thirty days.

It all started exactly a month ago, with the October 8 draw resulting in a £4 million ($4.61 million) prize for the winner. Just a few days later, on October 12, the draw made another winner happy with a £2 million ($2.31 million) jackpot. It wasn’t until November 2, however, that the next big winner was announced, and they took the biggest payout yet – £12.8 million (US$14.77 million).

Although the latest winner’s identity hasn’t been publicly disclosed yet, it is known that they are still going through an identification process, which is the last required step before receiving the payout. This process is usually not too slow.

The UK Millionaire Maker round awarded twenty £1 million ($1.15 million) prizes after the November 4 draw, with the huge jackpot of £140.88 million ($162.66 million) won by a lucky ticket bought from France. More than 2.8 million people won various prizes that day, with a total of more than £24 million (north of $27 million) in total.

US Powerball Dwarfs UK Wins

All these figures, however, are dwarfed by the recent US Powerball, which had a single player win the eye-watering $2.04 billion jackpot. Yes, you read that correctly – $2.04 billion. The jackpot was finally won after 40 draws in a row without a big winner. The winner had two options: receive $997.6 million in one instalment or go with 30 annual payments for their win.

The winning ticket was reportedly sold in Altadena, California, from a Joe’s Service Center, which can now brag it sold the ticket that set a world record, at least according to most reports. The previous Powerball jackpot record was $1.59 billion, which was won in 2016, but was shared by three winners.

The drawing for the huge jackpot was actually delayed because of a few states taking turns in slowing down the process of completing security protocols. This can be anything from making sure that the state lottery has completed processing its sales to making sure the draw is fair.

The Powerball had also garnered some worrying headlines, being criticized for predatory gambling practices.

It’s time for the final week of the Premier League before the 2022 World Cup break. Round 16 of the 2022-23 EPL is on the program this coming weekend, which brings us a couple of interesting matchups. Arguably the most interesting matchup of the round is Newcastle vs Chelsea.

The Magpies are without a loss since August and are on a four-win streak at the moment. The result is that they’re now sitting in the no.3 position in the Premier League standings – their best placement in years.

The Blues were high in the EPL table until recently. However, after two straight losses, they’ve dropped to the no.7 place.

Newcastle vs Chelsea Premier League Odds

Moneyline

Goals

*Odds taken from bet365 on Tuesday, November 8.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England
• Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022
• Time: 1:30 PM ET
• How to Watch: NBC Sports

Newcastle Going for Their Fifth Straight Win

August 31 – that’s the date when Newcastle lost a game the last time. It happened at Anfield against Liverpool, who won 2-1. Since then, the Magpies are 6-3-0 in the Prem. Further, they are undefeated at home – St. James’ Park – since April.

They’re great in literally all areas of play. Their offense is third-most productive in the Premier League with 27 goals in 14 games. Their defense is even better – with 0.78 goals conceded per game, they’re the best in the league.

What makes Newcastle so great in 2022 is that these guys play like a real team. There are no big superstars on the roster, but every player does his part the best he can. As a result, 50% of their players have scored at least one goal in the 2022-23 EPL season.

Chelsea Looking for Their First EPL Win in Almost a Month

Graham Potter started his Chelsea tenure in top gear. His team won the first three EPL games since he got in charge. However, the Blues then hit a rough patch. First, they played a draw against Brentford and Manchester United. Then, they lost to Brighton (Potter’s former team) and Arsenal.

They did, however, do very well on the continent, securing a spot in the Champions League knockouts in 2023 – they’re gonna play against Dortmund in the Round of 16.

The problem is that in the Prem, they’re now seventh, with just two points more than Liverpool, Fulham, and Crystal Palace. All three of those teams could leapfrog them if they lose to Newcastle on Saturday.

Newcastle vs Chelsea Prediction

Confidence is high among Newcastle’s players, who are going to be on the front foot on Saturday. They don’t feel threatened by the Blues, which is why we expect them to start attacking from the very first moment.

This, however, doesn’t mean their tactic will play off. The Blues are a talented bunch, with plenty of players who know how to fight back. That said, we expect to see a real thriller at St. James’ Park, with goals on both sides. But which team will score more? We think neither.

Pick: Newcastle and Chelsea to draw

Macau judicial authorities are aiming to close the case revolving around the ex-CEO and founder of Suncity Group Alvin Chau, scheduling the hearing of the final arguments from the defendants and prosecution for November 21.

Macau Judge in a Hurry to Close Chau Case

It seems like the judge responsible for the criminal lawsuit against former Suncity Group Alvin Chau and 20 other defendants wants to finish the case as quickly as possible.  

There are further witnesses and testimonies to be heard but the judge has scheduled the final phase of the lawsuit – the hearing of the last arguments from both sides – to take place in just two weeks on November 21. So far 92 individuals have been heard in connection with the Suncity Group case. 

The main focus of the trial has been the side-betting schemes that allegedly ran at Suncity Group and connected junket operators. 

During the trial hearings up to now, it was revealed that there was a side-betting system called the Opsman system, which was allegedly set up with the help of an IT company from mainland China. 

The system was organized and commissioned by junket agent Cheong Chi Kin, who was close to Alvin Chau at the time. 

However, during his testimony, Cheong alleged that the Opsman system was operated through separate entities and was not connected to Suncity Group.

Plaintiffs Demand Further Hearings of Witnesses

The plaintiffs in the case are all of Macau’s casino operators except Melco Resorts. They have demanded that further testimonies are heard as allegedly the five concessionaires have lost more than $250 million due to the side-betting practices run by Suncity Group and other junket operators.

The Macau SAR government seems also to have suffered a major loss due to the illegal gambling operations of Suncity Group and the junkets. 

According to a 224-page long indictment the Macau state budget was deprived of around $1 billion in tax revenue for the period from 2013 to 2021. This was the result of illegal side-betting practices which meant that a lot of the gambling revenue effectively remained “under the table” and, consequently, untaxed. According to the revelations, side-betting was a usual practice in Macau’s VIP rooms.   

Alvin Chau was arrested in November 2021 and a major scandal erupted resulting in a significant crackdown on junket operations from the Macau SAR government. 

Major changes were made to Macau’s gambling regulations and this meant that the government succeeded in more or less eradicating VIP rooms and operations run by junket agents.

Multiple alleged participants of a drug ring are facing charges for drug and money laundering conspiracies. The drug syndicate, famous as “Team Cookies,” distributed drugs including controlled substances such as Fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and laundered money, the Department of Justice (DOJ) claims.

Using the Ghost Baggage Method

An investigation was conducted by agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Detroit Division, in collaboration with law enforcement from Michigan State Police, Kentucky State Police, Wayne County Airport Police Department and other law enforcement structures. Ultimately the investigation resulted in charges against 13 individuals that were believed to be involved in the drug syndicate. Charges against them were announced by the DoJ back in February this year.

Prosecutors claimed that the “Team Cookies” drug syndicate used a method called “ghost baggage.” The method isn’t something new or unseen before but rather needed to get the attention of law enforcement before charges started to pile up against the alleged participants.

Ghost baggage is a method that involves checking in luggage at an airport but not boarding the plane. Upon investigation, law enforcement found that using the method, the drug syndicate was able to transport luggage filled with money and drugs between Phoenix, Arizona and Detroit. Upon sending the luggage, the drug ring members would have a courier collect it at the delivery destination. The involved parties exchanged a picture of the slip of the luggage for identification purposes. Thanks to the ghost baggage method, the group tried to avoid being busted with drugs, but this did not last for long.

Illegal Proceeds Were Laundered via Casinos

According to prosecutors, the money derived from the illegal activity was used by the drug syndicate to buy guns and expensive items, while some was even laundered through casinos in Detroit. In a recent report released by The Detroit News, Assistant US Attorney David Portelli said that the aforementioned indictment did not involve a small-time gang but a significant drug trafficking organization. He pointed out that the drug syndicate was in charge of millions of pills of fentanyl, as well as other drugs such as crack cocaine, cocaine and more.

“This indictment…involved a drug trafficking organization that engaged not only in trafficking some drugs but trafficking an immense amount of drugs. Over a million pills of fentanyl…are involved in this, as well as methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and other substances, including marijuana.“

David Portelli, Assistant US Attorney

The alleged participants of the drug gang are currently awaiting their trial. Prosecutors allege that Leo Todd was the leader of the drug ring. Together with Todd, a 37-year-old man from Detroit, Kyle Kennard, is also believed to be involved in the operation. If the two are convicted, they may be facing a prison sentence of 10 years each.

Billions of dollars in Bitcoin were seized and their owner finally admitted to acquiring them illegally. The wrongdoer stole more than 50,000 Bitcoin from a shady dark web website.

Law Enforcement Uncovered Zhong’s Cache

As announced by Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Tyler Hatcher, the special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office, James Zhong admitted to acquiring over 50,676 pieces of Bitcoin from the dark web. He stole the cryptocurrency from Silk Road, an illegal internet marketplace.

The Bitcoin were seized a year ago, after a warrant allowed authorities to search Zhong’s home in Gainesville, Georgia. Law enforcement found devices containing a little over 50,676 Bitcoin, valued at $3.36 billion at the time of the fining. This is notably the biggest crypto seizure in US history and the second-largest financial seizure.

The Government announced that it is seeking to forfeit around 51,680 Bitcoin, Zhong’s 80% interest in RE&D Investments, $661,900 seized from the defendant’s home and various metals that were also seized during the action.

Zhong Stole Billions from the Dark Web

James Zhong, according to Williams, committed wire fraud and stole around 50,000 Bitcoin from Silk Road almost ten years ago. However, the stash, which remained a mystery for a while, has now been discovered.

Thanks to state-of-the-art cryptocurrency tracing and good old-fashioned police work, law enforcement located and recovered this impressive cache of crime proceeds. 

Damian Williams, US attorney for the Southern District of New York

Williams added that this shows the US government will never stop following the money, regardless of how well-hidden they are. He praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation’s Cyber Crimes Unit, and thanked the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in Athens, Georgia, for its assistance.

Meanwhile, Hatcher elaborated that Zhong used an elaborate scheme to steal the Bitcoin in question. The robber had made many accounts and exploited the Silk Road system to steal the cryptocurrency. Following the crypto robbery, the wrongdoer laundered the Bitcoin through complex transactions in an attempt to cover his tracks. However, this didn’t stop the IRS-CI special agents from eventually tracking him down.

Zhong pled guilty on November 4 this year. As someone who participated in wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in prison. His exact sentence will be determined by judge Paul Gardephe and will be announced on February 22.

At the beginning of the month, Everi Holdings saw its online gaming business Everi Digital join Fusion’s aggregation platform. Now, the provider of brick-and-mortar and online casino gaming content, player loyalty services, and financial technology has published its third-quarter report for 2022. Right off the bat, the company has announced a 21% increase in revenue, signaling an all-time quarterly revenue high from $168.3 million in Q3 2021 to $204.3 million in Q3 2022. 

Highlights of the Q3 Report

The previously mentioned 21% growth in revenue reflected a 9% increase in recurring revenue that reached the $143.6 million mark, along with a 64% rise in non-recurring revenue to the $60.7 million mark. The results were primarily recorded for gaming machine and FinTech hardware sales. Revenue generated by the FinTech segment in itself triggered a 27% increase, showcasing a massive 81% growth in hardware revenue, along with a 31% rise in software and other revenue. Financial access revenue also recorded a modest 15% increase mostly triggered by the $10.9 billion in funds that reached land casinos. 

Everi Holdings recorded a huge 338% increase in net income to $29.4 million in Q3 2022 from $6.7 million in Q3 2021. As for the adjusted EBITDA, the company with a free cash flow of $43.9 million at the end of the quarter reported a 7% increase to $96.6 million. The figure also represented an all-time quarterly record. Everi also paid $16 million to repurchase 0.9 million shares of stock during the same period.

The Q3 Results Reflect the Company’s Operating Momentum 

According to Everi’s chief executive officer Randy Taylor, the company’s rise in net income revenue, and adjusted EBITDA, and their “consistent improvement” in financial results throughout the year are a reflection of their operating momentum across all businesses. The momentum was attributed to the ongoing demand for Everi products.

Taylor added their solid financial results in 2022 have been triggered by “steady growth in our recurring revenue streams” along with a “record level” of revenue generated by Fintech and gaming machine sales. The company’s revenue from the games segment went up 17% in Q3 2022, marking a 57% growth in gaming machine shipment. The same figure indicated a 5% growth in gaming operations revenue. 

Taylor further explained that the company received “tremendous positive customer response” in regards to the launch of their freshets products during the Global Gaming Expo in October, which was, according to the CEO, ”quite possibly our best-ever show.” This positive feedback mixed with the company’s growth prospects tied to their latest acquisitions lead the way to strong cash flow and ongoing operating momentum for the upcoming year.

Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency (NRA), which regulates gambling in the Balkan country, has identified a number of illegal online gambling websites under the Betandyou brand. Following that, the director general of the NRA, Rumen Spetsov, issued a cease and desist order, asking the sites to immediately stop taking bets.

Betandyou Available, Yet Unlicensed

All sites in question operate under the Betandyou brand. These include betandyou.com, betandyou.cd, betandyou1.com and their mobile versions. However, the Betandyou brand does not hold a license to operate in the country.

Under the Bulgarian gambling law, all online operators must hold a license before offering iGaming products in the country. Following thorough research, the NRA determined that Betandyou’s sites are all accessible from Bulgaria, in spite of the operator’s lack of license.

The Control Department reported that all six domains under the Betandyou brand can be easily accessed in the country. The operator allows Bulgarian visitors to interact with all available menus and multimedia on its platform. Furthermore, players in Bulgaria can make an account and talk with the customer service teams as regular customers. This also means that they are able to make deposits and participate in games offered by the unlicensed operator.

The NRA used the Iris Investigation Platform by Domain Tools to fully explore the technical characteristics of betandyou’s site. It finally came to the conclusion that Betandyou is, without any doubt, a site that is operating illegally.

Spetsov Orders Betandyou to Stop Taking Bets from Locals

After the NRA determined that Betandyou is an unlicensed gambling site, Spetsov issued a cease and desist order, asking the sites to immediately stop taking bets. The NRA director general said that Betandyou has three days to stop offering gambling games in the country.

He added that all parties whom this order concerns are considered as informed as of the day the order has been published.

While illegal gambling remains an issue the NRA has to deal with, Bulgaria has a flourishing legal gambling and betting market. A week ago, BF Games, a developer of online slots, forayed into the Eastern European country through a deal with Winbet. As a result, fifteen of the provider’s titles are now available to customers in the country.

In October, 3 Oaks Gaming cleared the regulatory requirements and was greenlit for launch in Bulgaria.

In the past few months, Kambi Group has recorded a streak of exciting changes and new partnerships, including the September deal inked with tribal casino operator Ilani that guaranteed its entryway into the state of Washington, the acquisition of Shape Games for $78 million, and the agreement with PENN Entertainment concerning the migration of PENN’s Kambi-powered retail and online sportsbook to a PENN proprietary technology.

Now, the provider of sports betting technology solutions has made a new exciting announcement aimed at the Puerto Rico market. The supplier that caters to the needs of licensed Business-to-Consumer gaming operators has sealed a long-term sports betting agreement with LMG Gaming (LMGG). The latter is owned by the media company Liberman Media Group located on the island. According to the terms of the partnership, Kambi Group will supply its sportsbook to LMGG’s ApuestaPR sports betting brand.

ApuestaPR, Ready to Become Puerto Rico’s #1 Sports Betting Brand 

Through a mix of state-of-the-art sportsbook technology and marketing opportunities on LMG’s Teleonce TV network, ApuestaPR plans to turn into the number one sports betting wagering brand in Puerto Rico on LMG’s Teleonce television network. ApuestaPR is determined to set itself apart from its competition using a one-of-a-kind marketing approach that reunites Kambi’s solid application programming interfaces and marketing tools with Teleonce’s celebrity endorsements and prestigious list of on-air hosts.

Besides its strong focus on mobile sports betting, ApuestaPR is also ready to provide Puerto Rico’s sports bettors with top–tier sportsbook solutions via a massive network made of retail outlets. Kambi’s co-founder and chief executive officer Kristian Nylén commented on the new agreement with LMG Gaming, calling it “an exciting opportunity” in the context of the company busy creating “the most engaging sports betting product” on the island. Nylén added that by harnessing Kambi’s “enhanced empowerment and marketing tools,” LMG Gaming should drive more player engagement via a customizable wagering experience. 

“The Choice Was Clear”

LMG Gaming’s partner Winter Horton expressed the company’s excitement for joining hands with Kambi for their ApuestaPR sports betting business in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

Horton explained that LMGG went through “extensive research” at the end of which “the choice was clear,” with Kambi in the lead for the position of “the best-in-class sportsbook in the industry” to partner with. He also expressed the company’s honor to be able to build their business in Puerto Rico along their side.

At the moment, Kambi Group employs over 1,100 staff members in offices spread across Australia, Denmark, Romania, the Philippines, Sweden, the US, the UK, and Malta where it also has its headquarters.

Agilysys, the company behind what it claims to be the “broadest integrated hospitality software portfolio,” has inked an agreement with a Mohegan-owned casino. Under the deal, the software specialist will supply the Mohegan Tribe’s property in Korea with its proprietary hospitality systems.

Agilysys will Power Mohegan Inspire

The Mohegan Inspire Resort is still in the process of being built. Once it’s finished, Agilysys will power the venue with its strong portfolio of hospitality systems, helping its customers enjoy quality experiences.

Mohegan Inspire Resort is planned to open in 2023. The venue cost $5 billion to build and is a huge investment on the Mohegan Tribe’s side. It will have a hotel with 1,300 luxury rooms, as well as a 20,000-square-meter casino. Mohegan Inspire is located an hour away from Seoul, making it an attractive destination for gambling tourists from Asia and beyond.

For Agilysys, this agreement is a perfect opportunity to grow its presence in Asia and promote its products in the region. In fact, this new deal will be the first time the hospitality software company has worked together with an Asian casino.

Agilysys Always Strives to Be Ahead of Its Competition

Ioan Mitulescu, Mohegan Inspire’s vice president of information technology, spoke about the integration of Agilysys’ tech. He said that this move is meant to, in his words, future-proof the investment. Because of that, his team looked for a tech provider that has profound hospitality experience, is quick to innovate and is committed to hospitality-focused research and development.

Mitulescu noted that Agilysys exemplifies everything Mohegan Inspire is looking for in a partner. He said that his team can’t wait to work with the tech firm.

We look forward to the level of guest engagement and exceptional personalized experiences that we will be able to provide through these integrated and feature-rich hospitality software solutions.”

Ioan Mitulescu, VP of information technology, Mohegan Inspire

Andrew Cox, the APAC MD at Agilysys, also shared his thoughts. He praised Mohegan for building a venue that will engage customers with vastly diverse experiences. Cox said that his team would be proud to provide the new venue with its proven hospitality solution and serve the broad needs of Mohegan Inspire’s staff and guests.  

Cox added that his team remains fully focused on delivering optimal hospitality experiences. The company always strives to keep its solution ahead in terms of versatility, scale and adaptability – qualities that are highly sought by companies in the Asia-Pacific region.  

In other news, Mohegan recently published its economic impact record, highlighting how its business has affected the local ecosystem.