THE AMERICAS
MGM Resorts got a Nevada online poker license but Harry Reid and Jon Kyl downplayed hopes of passing their federal online poker bill; the California Horse Racing Board (finally) approved exchange wagering; Howard Lederer’s lawyer heaped scorn (again) on the DoJ’s civil complaint; Full Tilt Poker’s US players learned they won’t get paid anytime soon; Hurricane Sandy was blamed for the Altantic Club’s layoffs and may have dealt a mortal blow to Revel; the WSOP announced its 2013 schedule; Pinnacle Sports announced it would IP-block US accounts and Rebecca Liggero talked sportsbook innovation with LVH’s Jay Kornegay.
EUROPE & AFRICA
Bwin.party co-CEO Norbert Teufelberger was detained in Belgium then released after promising to report back in December to explain why the “aggressive illegal operator” continued to serve Belgian punters; Greece gave unlicensed operators a month to get outta town; Australia gave a boost to Paddy Power’s Q3 earnings; PKR may be up for sale; a Spanish court tossed Codere’s case against market leader PokerStars; persons unknown tossed grenades at OPAP shops in Cyprus but that didn’t stop an elite eight firms bidding for the Greek government’s stake in OPAP; Playtech shed some big name execs; horseracing remained king in South Africa; the CEO of mFortune talked mobile mastery while the CEO of Yazino rolled his lips around the word ‘synchronous’; Jamie Hinks brought his pen to the Social Gaming & Gambling Summit but Becky brought a video camera.
ASIA
Singapore announced it would contemplate online gambling; Kazuo Okada learned he was going to trial against Steve Wynn but a money trail linked Okada to a former PAGCOR consultant; SJM Holdings profit rose 41% while Resorts World Sentosa profit fell 34%; analysts expect great things from the Philippine gaming market; Vietnam’s MGM Grand Ho Tram resort-casino project might have run out of money; Japan’s social networks found themselves in a fresh ‘gacha’ gaffe and Bodog put out a call for online gaming talent to descend on Manila.
