Business & Financial
Daily Beast: Cantor Gaming CEO Lee Amaitis 'Bromance' With Billy Walters Lead to Probe
Following news last week that CG Technology, formerly Cantor Gaming, having settled with the Nevada Gaming Control Board for $5.5 million following an 18-page complaint lodged against that company, the Daily Beast speculated as to why CEO Lee Amaitis remains at the helm.
PokerStars, Bodog May Be Given Green Light by Feds to Accept US Customers
In a shocking new development, the website CalvinAyre.com is reporting that the US Department of Justice will begin to take on a new approach in dealing with those online gambling operators who once took bets from US citizens. The feds are reportedly now accepting corporate pleas and fines to resolve all outstanding charges.
Bitcoin Now Accepted at Two Vegas Casinos: The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate
The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino become the first properties in Sin City to begin accepting the alternative digital currency bitcoin.
Both establishments will start offering bitcoin transactions on Wednesday (January 22, 2014) for reservations, dining and gift purchases. Bitcoin will not immediately be offered in the casino itself for gambling purposes at either hotel.
The Golden Gate was recently upgraded. It is the oldest hotel in Las Vegas, having opened in 1906. The D Las Vegas is a much newer property.
Lesniak Introduces Bill That Will Permit New Jersey to Offer Interstate Online Gambling
New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) has introduced a new bill that would further expand online gambling beyond the state’s borders.
Those establishments hosting their websites out of Atlantic City would be permitted to take bets from other states and countries permitting Web gambling. It is unclear how tax issues would be worked out should such compacts evolve.
Nordic Venture Capitalist Creates Biggest Bitcoin Exchange Database
A Nordic venture capitalists Creandum says it has build the world’s largest database of businesses dealing in the anonymous digital currency bitcoin.
From the Business Recorder:
Virgin Launches New Jersey Online Gambling Site This Week
Richard Branson wants a piece of the online gambling market in New Jersey as his Virgin Group is set to launch a real money site there this week.
VirginCasino.com is due to launch on Friday. It was one of 15 approved last fall to operate in the Garden State. Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law allowing real money online gambling sites offering poker, roulette and blackjack.
The Virgin Group has teamed up with the Tropicana and online game maker Gamesys.
How to Deposit Money With Online Gambling Sites From Canada (2014)
With Skrill gone (effective January 31, 2014), sports bettors from the upper portion of North America are wondering how they can still deposit money with online gambling sites from Canada. Yes folks there are alternatives and who better to guide the way than your good friends here at Alberta-based Gambling911.com.
New Jersey WSOP.com Online Championships Start Sunday, Run Until Feb 2
WSOP.com is offering the New Jersey online championships, which features a special $250,000 Invitational Freeroll to kick it off. There are actually two $250,000 freerolls that will be held during the Online Championships, one on January 19 for new depositors and one on February 2 (Super Bowl Sunday) for anyone who played in at least one event.
Borgata Cancels Winter Poker Open Event Due to Fake Chips
New Jersey state gaming regulators found that one or more entrants participating in a $2 Million Guaranteed Borgata Winter Poker Open event used a significant number of counterfeit chips.
The Borgata Winter Poker Open is among the most highly anticipated tournaments on US soil.
No charges have been filed in the case.
Meet Asia’s Second Richest Man: Lui Che-woo
Head of Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment, Lui Che-woo, remains Asia’s second richest man according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. Only Hong Kong multi-billionaire Li Ka-shing, whose fortune stood at $29.5 billion, is richer.
Sacramento Kings, Overstock.com Begin Accepting Bitcoin
Americas Cardroom, the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise and Overstock.com all have begun to accept the anonymous digital currency bitcoin.
Pennsylvania Casino Industry Sees Decline
(Associated Press) - Gamblers at Pennsylvania casinos continued to hit the tables in a big way last year, but all those hands of blackjack and spins of the roulette wheel still weren't enough to prevent the industry from suffering its first overall revenue decline since casino play began in 2006.
London Affiliate Conference 2014 Registrations Massively Up (Video)
Alex Pratt of London Affiliate Conference (LAC) tells CalvinAyre.com the event is so far seeing record numbers over past years.
“We are seeing between 50 and 100 registrations per day,” he relayed.
The event, now celebrating its 8th year, will take place on February 7-9 (2014). Over 3000 people attended last year’s LAC with that number to be higher this year, based on Pratt’s estimates.
32Red.com Seeing Black With Record Profits Up 21 Percent in 2013
32Red.com, which has become one of the biggest online casino brands in the world, has reported an increase in revenues of 21 percent during the last 12 months (£38.8m in 2013 compared to £32.1m in 2012).
Borgata President Dismisses Early Online Gambling Results in New Jersey (Video)
Atlantic City casinos reported online revenue of $8.4 million this week for the first two months of legalized Web gambling in the Garden State.
With New Jersey forecasting revenue of $1.2 billion, many pundits found the early numbers disappointing.
Tom Ballance, Borgata president & COO, broke down the online gambling numbers and explained what obstacles online gaming has faced so far.
Irish Bookmaker Paddy Power Sent Baby Clothes, Whiskey to North Korea Dictator
Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, Paddy Power, reportedly sent North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un baby clothing and Irish whiskey last month.
Paddy Power financed former NBA player Dennis Rodman’s trip to the “Hermit Kingdom”. They have since severed ties with Rodman.
A company statement read: “Here’s what Paddy Power No.2 spokesperson Rory Scott brought to North Korea on his pre Christmas trip as recommended by our protocol advisor - an Irish whiskey set, a traditional baby dress and a handbag.
Ukrainian Network Nearly Took Control of Bitcoin Last Week
As Bitcoin, the alternative anonymous digital currency, becomes more widely accepted within the online gambling community (Americas Cardroom became the first major poker network to implement the option last week), operators remain skeptical….and perhaps with good reason.
Robert Gustafsson the Bodog Raid Instigator: Hungry Tigers, Smashed Penises, Oh My
The murky drama surrounding the November raids on Bodog Asia's Manila offices got a little clearer last week after CalvinAyre.com posted a copy of the affidavit that led to the raid. Turns out the affidavit was signed by former Bodog Asia CEO Robert Gustafsson.
British Bookies Lose $30 Million With Top 7 Premier League Club Wins
(Reuters) - Britain's bookmakers were left nursing losses totalling up to 30 million pounds ($49 million) on Tuesday after the top seven teams in English soccer's Premier League all won their latest round of matches.
Breaking News: Online Gambling in New Jersey Sees $8.4 Million Gambled
$8.4 million has been gambled online in New Jersey since the Garden State launched real money online gambling in late November, according to figures released Tuesday afternoon.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa far outpaced the other six Atlantic City properties in online gaming revenue, bringing in $3.7 million, nearly half of the total. Ceasars Interactive Entertainment, which operates online gambling through the Bally’s and Caesars properties in Atlantic City, came in next at $2.4 million.
Casino Magnate Sheldon Adelson Keeps Getting Richer: Adds $14.4 Bil to Net Worth
Sands of Las Vegas Chairperson Sheldon Adelson has just added $14.4 billion to his net worth. He was already among America’s richest billionaires.
He’s now the richest casino billionaire according to Forbes.
No.1 Sheldon Adelson, $39 billion
Law Firms, Lobbyists Score Big Payoffs With New Jersey Online Gambling
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has disclosed that lawyers, lobbyists and other professional organizations have generated a $50.3 million payoff since mid-2009 pushing for legalized online gambling in the Garden State.
Cantor Gaming to Pay Largest Fine in Nevada State History
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) - CG Technology, formerly Cantor Gaming, has agreed to pay Nevada gambling regulators $5.5 million to settle a complaint regarding illegal sports betting.
The settlement announced Monday will be the largest in state history.
NJ's Atlantic Club Casino Hotel Now Closed
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- (Associated Press) - The embattled Atlantic Club Casino Hotel closed early Monday, a victim of the casino saturation taking place in the Northeast.
About 1,600 people lost their jobs at 12:01 a.m. as the 33-year-old casino shut its doors. Tearful employees embraced one another and exchanged goodbyes.
Former Boxer Mike Tyson Becomes the Face of Online Casino 7Red.com
The former boxer Mike Tyson has just been named “Brand Ambassador” for the online casino company 7Red.com.
Mike Tyson has personally signed 7Red boxing gloves, 7Red caps and 7Red T-shirts that can be won via 7Red.com daily raffles.
7Red.com, one of Europe’s biggest online casinos, utilizes the BetSoft platform and is owned by RedCorp SA.
Nevada Casinos Lose $1.3 Billion in 2013
CARSON CITY, Nev. (Associated Press) — Nevada’s largest casinos suffered a combined net loss of $1.35 billion in 2013, marking the fifth year of losses since the onset of the Great Recession.
The annual “Gaming Abstract” released Friday by the state Gaming Control Board looks at the total revenues of casinos that gross more than $1 million in gambling revenue.
While total revenues of $23 billion were up slightly from 2012, so were the losses.
Total revenue is the money spent by patrons on gambling, rooms, food, beverage and entertainment.
Devils, Sixers Boss Not Worried Over Online Poker Sponsorship
NEWARK, N.J. — (Associated Press) - The chief executive of the NHL's New Jersey Devils and NBA's Philadelphia 76ers doesn't believe the teams will be cast in a bad light by agreeing to a multiyear sponsorship deal with one of the world's leading online poker companies.
Scott O'Neil, who runs the teams and the Prudential Center for groups led by leverage buyout specialist Josh Harris, and Norbert Teufelberger, the chief executive of bwin.party digital entertainment that operates partypoker, announced the historic deal Thursday.
BetFred to Slash Employee Salaries in Half: Some Will Have to Sell Their Homes
At least they waited until after Christmas to play Scrooge but the powers-that-be at British bookmaker BetFred.com have announced employees will soon have to endure a 50 percent cut in their salaries.
Shares in William Hill, Ladbrokes Plunge Over Fixed-Odds Machine Vitriol
Shares in the UK’s two biggest betting firms, William Hill and Ladbrokes, dropped 7 percent and 9 percent, respectively, Thursday following Prime Minister David Cameron’s assertion that fixed-odds machines need to be curbed.
The machines have been dubbed the “crack cocaine of gambling” by campaigners.
Cameron said he "absolutely shares the concerns" raised over the “epidemic” of fixed-odds terminals.
Cantor Could Pay Over $2 Million in Damages Resulting From Colbert Indictment
Cantor Gaming, which changed its name to CG Technologies this week, has agreed to pay over $2 million under a tentative settlement reached over the weekend with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, according to the Wall Street Journal.
