THE AMERICAS
CS:GO Lounge shut down skin gambling operations; Amaya’s gaming outlook brightened after CEO David Baazov officially stepped down; MGM boss Jim Murren crossed the aisle to vote for Hillary Clinton, but Steve Wynn refused to join in until he sees a more adult discussion; MGM Resorts also increased its China casino stake with shares from Pansy Ho; Donald Trump revealed to have saved $25m in casino tax payments in New Jersey; GAN partnered with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma; DraftKings has ventured into the larger season-long fantasy sports market; legislation to regulate online poker in California expected to move forward soon; legislators in Maine are about to take a closer look on regulator fantasy sports gambling in the state; Pennsylvania hiked lottery tax by 3.07%, while lawmakers trashed lottery bill in Alabama; Larry Flynt was accused of jacking “Lucky Lady” name; World Poker Tour inked a five-year broadcast deal with Fox Sports Regional Networks; Ex-PokerStars Team Pro Marcel Luske has taken his former employer to court over rules dispute; Nicolas Levi talked how Ranking Hero provides a social networking outlet for the poker community; and Lee Davy discussed poker and the gift of imperfections.
EUROPE
888 and Rank Group abandoned efforts to merge with rival William Hill; Dutch regulators vowed to crack down on illegal skin betting; UK advertising watchdog scolded Bwin.party, Betway over misleading promotions; Spain saw its Q2 revenue rise thanks to a robust eGaming market; Highlight Games’ Tim Green explained why Flashback Footy marks the new generation of virtual play; Trevor Keane talked how Sportego helps gamify matches; and Bitcoin Foundation co-founder Jon Matonis discussed how UK is paving the way for bitcoin.
ASIA and AUSTRALIA
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte found a new chew toy in LRWC; PhilWeb’s embattled boss Roberto Ongpin made several last-ditch attempts to save his company, to no avail; Chinese online sports lottery operator 500.com posted zero Q2 revenue; Wynn Macau transferred 250 tables to its soon-to-open Wynn Palace; casino operator Travellers International Hotel Group posted $13.7M profits for the second quarter; Australia’s Crown Resorts full-year net profit jumped by 146.4%; India’s Goa state jacked up licensing fees for land-based casinos again; researchers in Australia found children see gambling as “normal” part of a sporting event; while the Australian Wagering Council mulled disbanding after William Hill and Ladbrokes departures.
