THE AMERICAS
Rumors swirled about a possible tie-up between PokerStars and Canada’s Amaya Gaming Group while California’s Morongo tribe warned that it would legally challenge legislative attempts to bar PokerStars from the state’s online poker market; internal divisions forced the American Gaming Association to drop its official pro-online gambling stance; New Jersey regulators issued warnings to affiliates about promoting international sites while Ceasars Interactive New Jersey reported a $7.1m loss in Q1 and state Sen. Ray Lesniak promised to exercise his sports betting nuclear option if the US Supreme Court declined to hear the state’s appeal; social casino ranks grew thinner but more lucrative while myVEGAS rewards were welcomed at MGM Resorts’ Mississippi properties; Sheldon Adelson rejected reports that he’d give up his CEO role to help attract a replacement for outgoing prez Michael Leven; Rebecca Liggero profiled peer-to-peer social sports betting startup Tedbets; Mike O’Donnell wondered if regulated online gambling in the US had finally ended the cannibalization debate and Jason Kirk examined how the World Series of Poker has changed over the years.
EUROPE
Bwin.party had a banner week as they made peace with activist investor Jason Ader while CEO Norbert Teufelberger caught a break on his French legal charges; Victor Chandler announced he was stepping down after selling BetVictor to Michael Tabor; Gala Coral warned of shop closures after a disappointing quarterly report; OPAP vowed to have its new GTECH online sportbook ready by the World Cup kickoff; the Odobo marketplace added UK betting exchange Betfair; Bet365’s Coates family became the UK’s first online betting billionaires; the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority said it was looking closely at Ladbrokes’ new poster campaign; Martin Staszko was revealed to have been the target of a failed kidnapping plot and Lee Davy previewed the World Poker Tour’s upcoming 17-day Dusk Till Dawn festival.
ASIA
Macau’s top financial authority rejected reports that casinos faced a July 1 deadline to get rid of mobile UnionPay debit card devices; Singapore authorities took down a massive online football betting operation; China announced it would issue formal online sports lottery licenses; Galaxy Entertainment Group set new revenue and earnings records; Aussies were up in arms over Sportsbet’s plan to float a giant hot-air Jesus balloon over Melbourne while Sportsbet parent Paddy Power revealed its Asian market strategy; Betfred soft-launched its new Australian mobile site; LRWC acquired PAGCOR’s largest licensed eGames operator Digiwave Solutions; South Korea was warned to let locals into its casinos or lose international investment to Japan; Japanese PM Shinzo Abe announced a tour of Singapore casinos; Century Properties lost their court fight with Kazuo Okada in Manila; Melco Crown announced its Manila casino resort would feature a Dreamworks theme park and the CalvinAyre.com team brought you highlights of Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia in Macau.
