THE AMERICAS
New Jersey passed its revised online gambling law but the state’s pursuit of sports betting got slapped down in court and a New Jersey government agency got caught offering credit to a high-rolling horse gambler; Caesars Entertainment lost nearly half a billion dollars in 2012 and suggested Nevada residents could be playing online satellites for the 2013 World Series of Poker; Churchill Downs’ online operations performed well in 2012; Iowa’s latest online poker bill took a small step forward; Las Vegas Sands admitted violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; two Congressmen introduced a bill intended to put a crimp in patent trolls’ ransom schemes; Rebecca Liggero discussed the Latin American gaming market with attorney Alfredo Lazcano Sámano and Vince Martin recapped the internal discord that will come to a head on Tuesday at IGT’s annual meeting.
EUROPE
William Hill decided it was worth £425m to rid itself of Playtech; Codere’s annual numbers dipped due to its lagging Spanish home market; GamblingData estimated the UK could reap an annual £386m from its proposed point-of-consumption tax; Bwin.party’s social gaming division Win Interactive released its first product just as Betable’s CEO said social gaming companies could take money from online gambling’s core incumbents; Full Tilt Poker migrated more customers over to its .eu site while a manufactured feud brewed between PokerStars and Full Tilt’s sponsored pros; Russia continued its crackdown on illegal casinos and James Wade told Rebecca Liggero why gambling and darts are a perfect match.
ASIA
Macau’s gaming revenues rose 12% in February as wayward VIPs returned following the conclusion of the lunar new year celebrations; SJM Holdings produced record revenue in 2012 thanks to mass market growth; a Chinese magazine linked junket operator Netpune Group to disgraced Party member Bo Xilai; a cashless members-only poker club in Beijing hopes to avoid provoking the authorities’ wrath; Credit Suisse analysts suggested the Philippine gambling market would overtake Singapore, while the Philippine government hoped its anti-money laundering law tweaks would appease the Financial Action Task Force; Bloomberry Resorts got elevated to the Philippine stock exchange index; Australia’s High Court agreed to hear Harry Kakavas’ suit against Crown Ltd. and SHFL lost one of its gaming table patent fights with LT Game.
