THE AMERICAS
PokerStars claimed New Jersey online poker dominance after its first full month of operation; the first Congressional hearing into daily fantasy sports proved anticlimactic; Brazil pols predicted a June vote on the country’s online gambling legislation; Sen. Lindsey Graham tried a backdoor approach to passing anti-online gambling legislation; WSEX co-founder Haden Ware was spared jail time at his Manhattan court sentencing; Canada’s Intertain Group posted a rare profit and mulled a corporate move to Europe; Caesars Entertainment received unsolicited offers of up to $4b for its interactive unit; Playtech’s Euro Partners affiliate program exited Canada (again); PayPal said it was scrapping online gambling payment protection in the US, Canada and other countries; Costa Rica said it wasn’t investigating online sportsbook 5Dimes over money laundering allegations; Nevada gaming regulators fined Las Vegas Sands $2m for violating state gaming rules; Station Casinos announced a $312m deal to buy the Palms Casino Resort; William Hill US signed up two more Nevada sports betting clients; Kentucky Derby betting handle fell after Betfair’s TVG betting site went offline while an artificial intelligence platform accurately predicted the first four finishers in their correct order.
EUROPE
William Hill’s digital division reported an underwhelming start to 2016; France’s regulated online poker market posted its first revenue gains since 2011 while Spain’s online gambling revenue soared following slots legalization; the Netherlands told app stores to purge 49 real-money online gambling apps; 32Red inked a shirt sponsorship with Premier Leaguers Leeds United; Cherry AB and its Yggdrasil Gaming offshoot both reported triple-digit revenue gains; Amaya Gaming set a May 17 date for scrapping its Full Tilt brand while keeping mum on what prompted PokerStars to refund some Spin & Go player losses; online casino operator LeoVegas launched its Kambi-powered sportsbook; Russia proposed banning bookmakers from having any international subsidiaries; Italian police busted yet another Malta-linked online betting ring; 888 Holdings shares slumped after company co-founders sold off their £57m stake while 888Poker ambassador Sofia Lovgren said she was aiming for a more productive 2016.
ASIA and AUSTRALIA
Macau’s mid-term review of its gaming market was harder on junkets than casinos; Sportsbet inked a five-year, $60m wagering partnership with the National Rugby League; India got its first licensed ‘online’ sports betting shop; South Korea’s Kangwon Land fared better than its casino rivals while Seoul police busted their biggest illegal gambling operation to date; China mulled a new domestic football league lottery to fund sporting initiatives; the former owners of Laos’ Savan Vegas casino sued the government for $900m and the Laotian government quietly cancelled its proposed auction of the confiscated casino; regulators revoked the gaming license of Tinian Dynasty Casino; Bloomberry Resorts’ Q1 losses widened as Solaire’s VP hold declined and Market Advisors’ Shaun McCamley said Asian casinos should embrace live video proxy betting and social games to build brand awareness.
