Gaming Industry News Weekly Recap – Stories You Might Have Missed

september-19-new-weekly-recap

THE AMERICAS

PayPal continue their U.S. Online gambling pilot scheme with the launch of services via WSOP.com in New Jersey; New Jersey Sen. Frank Pallone called for the panel to investigate the link between fantasy sports and gambling following the increased promotion and coverage of DFS products throughout national TV broadcast networks; SVP Equity Analyst said PokerStars could be up and running in New Jersey, by the end of the month; Zynga has acquired free-to-play social-casino start-up Rising Tide Games in an effort to expand its footprint in the social casino market; MGM Resorts International called Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes’ alliance “the result of an illegal and unfair gaming act”; Donald Trump thwarted in his plans to bring casino gambling in Florida claimed Jeb Bush; Rebecca Liggero talks to Comcast Venture’s Principal, Gavin Teo on innovation in eSports and daily fantasy sports; Malware Odlanor has been spotted peaking at PokerStars and Full Tilt players’ cards to skew any chances of a win; Borgata casino can fire its cocktail waitresses for putting on too much weight, a court has ruled; Sepp Blatter’s right-hand man at FIFA was relieved of his duties and faces formal investigation after fresh allegations of World Cup Tickets Scheme; the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has announced Bitcoin is a commodity, just like oil and corn.

 ASIA

The Chinese government has tapped its neighbors in Southeast Asia for help in what it called fight against cross-border cybercrime; Japanese prosecutors has filed embezzlement charges against Mt Gox CEO Mark Karpeles in connection swith the disappearance of about $2.7 million in virtual currency; Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCI) has implemented junket regulations, imposing license fees and regulating promoters who bring in high-rollers to Best Sunshine International; Despite a decade of financial losses, Macau Jockey Club won a two-year extension to run horse-racing operation until 2017; Philippine casino operator Bloomberry is re-opening its casino in Korea under the new management of Jeju Sun Hotel & Casino this month; China’s Yue Feng Pan has won the Macau Poker Cup Red Dragon after beating his fellow countryman Shao Po Liu in heads-up action; Dane Pia Jeppesen has won the Genting Poker Series leg in Stoke after overpowering a final table that included the likes of Simon Deadman and Leo McClean; James Chen has won the Macau Poker Cup 23 High Roller; Tom Alner and Scott Davies also make the final table; Halex International Sdn Bhd has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Cambodian lottery firm VW Win Holdings plc; US-based union trade has identified a number of lending and consulting firms across China that have links with junket groups.

EUROPE

Reggio Calabria police netted €25m in frozen assets following an extensive crackdown on an alleged mafia organization Ndrangheta organized crime group involved in online gambling. Australian promoter Andrew McManus was arrested in Melbourne Airport on Thursday for allegedly laundering up to $5m cocaine proceeds through Sydney and Las Vegas casinos; The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has given the UK’s Gambling Commission permission to advise the government on the way forward with a revised policy for UK lotteries; The UK Gambling Commission has published the Sports Betting Integrity Forum (SBIF)  new action plan to address risks to the integrity of sports and sports betting; SportsBet for Fifty Shades of Grey ad showing a woman in bed with a greyhound; Chris Eaton, executive director of Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security, told Agence France Presse that “up to €1 billion is bet on each Premier League game; New South Wales continues its crackdown on online betting advertisement that encourages local residents to gamble; Premier League legend Alan Shearer has joined Coral as their first football ambassador in a season long deal; William Hill has launched an online campaign promoting the controversial In-Play betting product.