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Thursday, May 31, 2018

May 31, 2018

UK Gambling Industry GGY Increases According to UKGC Report

Casino News Daily
UK Gambling Industry GGY Increases According to UKGC Report

Today, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published its latest six-month update to the local gambling industry statistics. The main regulatory body in the UK revealed some details about the market changes and latest trends in the sector, as well as about players’ activity in the period from October 2016 to November 2017.

Such statistics about the performance, customer participation and trends in the sector are published twice a year, in May and then in November. The information released by the Commission is aimed at providing the latest data about the industry, including both land-based and online gambling services offered to UK customers.

The information rolled out by the major regulator in the country has been provided by the companies which run their services under an operation licenses issues by the UKGC.

Remote Gambling Sector on the Rise

According to the Commission, the UK gambling industry generated an overall gross gambling yield of £13.9 billion in the above-mentioned 12-month period. The figures represent a 0.7% increase in comparison to the result posted for the period between April 2016 to March 2017.

The main gambling regulatory body of the UK further revealed that the market share of the country’s remote gambling sector rose by 1% in the twelve months from October 2016 to November 2017 compared to the previous period. In addition, the online gambling industry saw a 3.7% increase in its overall gross gambling yield, reaching £4.9 billion at the time.

As far as the land-based gambling sector in the country is concerned, the UK Gambling Commission reported that the total number of betting shops on the territory of the UK amounted to 8,532. According to the data provided, the figure represented a 3.2% decline from the number of betting outlets in March 2017. There was also a 0.7% drop in the overall number of gaming machines in the UK to 183,928, with the ones requiring a local authority license only being excluded from that number.

A slight 2% increase from March 2017 in the number of bingo premises in the UK was registered. As revealed by the UKGC report, there were 649 bingo halls in the country. As far as casino premises are concerned, two new casinos have started operation since March 2017, with the overall number of casinos in the country rising to 152. In addition, a 3.5% decline was registered in the number of licensed arcades in the country from March 2017, with their number reaching 1,810.

A total of 106,366 people worked in the UK gambling sector in September 2017, with a 0.8% drop registered from March 2017.

Apart from the results of the land-based and online gambling sector, the UK Gambling Commission also provided some details about the contributions to good causes generated by large society lotteries. The regulatory body explained that there was a slight 1.7% drop to £251 million in comparison to the result posted between April 2016 and March 2017.

The post UK Gambling Industry GGY Increases According to UKGC Report appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 31, 2018

MGM, Wynn tamp down Boston casino intrigue

Las Vegas Sun Stories: Gaming
MGM, Wynn tamp down Boston casino intrigue
Executives for MGM and Wynn are tamping down speculation the companies are quietly in talks over Wynn's Boston-area casino. MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren said today it would have to be an "extremely unique situation" for officials to ...
May 31, 2018

Writer decides to write Book about Poker but Stops after Winning Thousands of Dollars playing it

BankrollMob News - Poker / Casino / Betting
Writer decides to write Book about Poker but Stops after Winning Thousands of Dollars playing it
Many of us dream of ditching our boring, soul-crushing jobs in exchange for that easier and rewarding life filled with fun, excitement, and lots of money, but of course, what kind of gig should we get to achieve that? If poker is one of those answers, we all know too well that poker is not for everyone. But, one woman has proven that it doesn't take a very extraordinary skill to be able to make that leap from that daily humdrum world into a higher, more thrilling landscape - that if you just pu[...]

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

May 30, 2018

Ocean Resort Casino Has All The Pieces For Opening Day Except One: An NJ Casino License

Ocean Resort Casino Has All The Pieces For Opening Day Except One: An NJ Casino License
puzzle piece

With opening day just around the corner, Ocean Resort Casino is waiting for gaming regulators to move forward on a casino license hearing, which would get the Atlantic City casino one step closer to launch.

The post Ocean Resort Casino Has All The Pieces For Opening Day Except One: An NJ Casino License appeared first on .

May 30, 2018

NJ Sports Betting Could Breathe New Life Into Former Atlantic City Race Course

NJ Sports Betting Could Breathe New Life Into Former Atlantic City Race Course
atlantic city race course sports betting nj

NJ Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo pitched the idea of re-opening the Atlantic City Race Course. With NJ sports betting now a possibility, the facility could see a rebirth that leverages horse racing and a sportsbook.

The post NJ Sports Betting Could Breathe New Life Into Former Atlantic City Race Course appeared first on .

May 30, 2018

Gambling industry in Bulgaria with Miglena Dimitrova (MDMI Legal) at CEEGC2018 Budapest

Casino News Today
Gambling industry in Bulgaria with Miglena Dimitrova (MDMI Legal) at CEEGC2018 Budapest

The organizers of the Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference (CEEGC) are honored to announce that Miglena Dimitrova (MDMI Legal) will join the panel discussion which focuses on the Eastern European gambling market updates. The Bulgarian gambling industry has shown significant growth in the last 10 years and in an Analysis of the Center for the Study of Democracy of ...

The post Gambling industry in Bulgaria with Miglena Dimitrova (MDMI Legal) at CEEGC2018 Budapest appeared first on Casino News Today.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

May 29, 2018

Ocean Resort Casino Teams Up With William Hill For Atlantic City Sportsbook

Ocean Resort Casino Teams Up With William Hill For Atlantic City Sportsbook
handshake

Ocean Resort Casino and William Hill will team up to offer "the best sportsbook in town" when the AC casino opens on June 28. The news comes on the heels of the Supreme Court's positive ruling in the NJ sports betting case.

The post Ocean Resort Casino Teams Up With William Hill For Atlantic City Sportsbook appeared first on .

May 29, 2018

Poker’s Most Profitable So Far This Year

Casino News Daily
Poker’s Most Profitable So Far This Year

We are just five months into the year but some of poker’s finest players have already added millions of dollars to their bankrolls. They have traveled the world, faced other fine and seasoned players and have outmaneuvered them to be rewarded for their skills.

Just as many poker professionals and enthusiasts are readying for this year’s World Series of Poker, Casino News Daily has compiled a quick list of the most profitable players so far in 2018. Here is a little bit more information about how much they have won and how they have performed the past several months.

Justin Bonomo – $8,907,138

Bonomo has been on a hot streak over the past five months and it seems that he has no intention to end his winning spree. The player has cashed nearly $9 million since the beginning of the year from 15 different tournaments. There is more to the story, he won five of these and made final table appearances in most of the other.

Half of Bonomo’s 2018 live tournament earnings came from his first-place finish in the HK$2-million buy-in Super High Roller Bowl China. The popular poker pro bested a field of 75 seasoned high rollers to collect $4,823,077 from the event’s prize pool. Bonomo defeated Finland’s Patrik Antonius (who will appear later in this list) heads-up.

Aside from his Super High Roller Bowl China triumph, he also took down the Lucky Hearts Poker Open $25,500 High Roller for $556,873, a US Poker Open $10,500 event for $190,400, the EPT Monte Carlo €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em for €378,000, and the EPT Monte Carlo €25,000 Single Re-Entry for €259,700.

Jason Koon – $6,837,091

Koon is, too, having quite some year and quite a month, to be more precise. The player won high roller tournaments on two continents over a week’s span. He first outlasted 103 entries in the partypoker-sponsored HK$1,000,000 Triton Super High Roller Montenegro to scoop a hefty payout of $3,569,836.

Just a few days later, the player claimed another title and another seven-figure payout. He won the Aria $100K High roller during the WPT Tournament of Champions Festival at Aria Resort & Casino. Koon was the last man standing from a field of 31 entries. His share of the prize pool totaled $1,039,940.

Koon has cashed in seven events since the beginning of the year and has won one more tournament over the past few months. During this year’s PCA, the poker pro bested the field of the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em, good for a prize of $421,080.

Stephen Chidwick – $5,906,441

UK’s second most profitable player of all time rounds out the podium of this year’s most profitable live tournament poker players. Chidwick has finished in the money in 15 tournaments since January and has won several of them to add nearly $6 million to his already hefty poker bankroll.

The UK poker pro started off 2018 with victories in two US Poker Open tournaments, both of them $25,000 buy-in ones. He scooped more than $700,000 from those. Just a couple of days ago, the player took down a $25,000 Aria High Roller event for $300,000.

Back in April, Chidwick collected two seven-figure payouts from the partypoker MILLIONS Grand Final Barcelona festival. He first finished runner-up to Jake Schindler in the €100,000 Super High Roller for €1.1 million in prize money, and then collected €1 million for his third-place finish in the €10,300 Main Event.

Patrik Antonius – $4,537,936

We have seen more and more from the Finn over the past months which is always good, as we all know how good he is at this game. The player has cashed in just five events this year, but one of these was the above-mentioned Super High Roller Bowl China.

Antonius collected $3,153,551 from that tournament after outlasting all but one of the contenders for the title. In February, the player put up great performance at the partypoker MILLIONS Germany at King’s Casino Rozvadov to win the €25,500 Super High Roller for a first-place prize of €425,000.

Jake Schindler – $4,411,041

Schindler rounds out the list of the five most profitable players so far this year with nearly $4.5 million added to his bankroll. He has cashed in 17 tournaments since the beginning of 2018, which is an impressive number itself. In addition, he actually topped the fields of some of these events.

As already mentioned, the player emerged victorious in the €100,000 Super High Roller during the partypoker MILLIONS Grand Final Barcelona. His share of the tournament’s massive prize pool amounted to €1,750,000. Schindler has also won a couple of Aria High Roller tournaments over the past several months and has cashed in some other such tournaments.

The post Poker’s Most Profitable So Far This Year appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 29, 2018

Chris Ferguson Issues Short Apology to the Poker Community

BankrollMob News - Poker / Casino / Betting
Chris Ferguson Issues Short Apology to the Poker Community
Seven years after the Black Friday, an event that shook the poker world with poker's big three (Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Ultimate Bet) getting indicted, Chris Ferguson finally re-emerged issuing an apology for his role in it. Despite re-emerging twice at the World Series of Poker as well as winning Player of the Year last year, the former founder of Full Tilt has never really spoken publicly about his involvements in the Black Friday scandal. In April 2011, the Black Friday scandal rev[...]
May 29, 2018

2018 WSOP Action kicks off this week!

BankrollMob News - Poker / Casino / Betting
2018 WSOP Action kicks off this week!
There will be 78 official gold bracelet events awaiting poker players who will join in on the 2018 World Series of Poker, starting on May 29 up until July 17, 2018. At this moment, the reigning champ is 888poker ambassador Scott Blumstein. The poker player from New Jersey won a humongous $8,150,000 as his reward for outlasting a massive field of 7,221 players in the 2017 WSOP Main Event. This year's WSOP is going to the 49th annual edition of the prestigious summer poker event, and for its 14t[...]

Monday, May 28, 2018

May 28, 2018

Star Entertainment Revenue Boosted by VIP Customers and Queensland Businesses

Casino News Daily
Star Entertainment Revenue Boosted by VIP Customers and Queensland Businesses

One of the largest Australian gaming and entertainment groups, Star Entertainment Group, shared that high-roller customers and Queensland businesses have brought larger revenue, at a time when the company has been focused on new Gold Coast- and Brisbane-located projects’ roll-out.

As reported by the operator, the strong revenue growth registered since the beginning of the year has been backed by the boom in the local tourism market, as the number of international VIP customers has also increased. In addition, Star Entertainment further announced a large increase in the amount of the transformational revamp and expansion of its Brisbane-situated Queen’s Wharf project, with a 25% boost in the gross area which is expected to bring the resort costs up from AU$1.8 to AU$2.4 billion.

The company is currently engaged with the development of its AU$2.4-billion Queen’s Wharf resort situated in the central business district of Brisbane. Today, the gambling operator revealed that its revenue increased by 16.4% in the period from January to May 2018.

As revealed by Matt Bekier, the Chief Executive Officer of Star Entertainment, official offers for the first phase of the Queen’s Wharf project are set to be released in June. He further explained that additional dining and retail areas are also planned for the resort. As previously revealed, the foundations, as well as the basement of the project are set to be laid down in 2019, while the construction above the ground expected to begin a year later, in 2020.

More Regulatory Clarity Needed for Gold Coast Tower Project

As mentioned above, Mr. Bekier revealed that the floor area of the company’s Queen’s Wharf project would be bigger than the one originally planned, due to expanded retail and dining area. According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, the increase reflects the confidence which Star Entertainment has in Queensland and Brisbane.

The company’s boss explained that the increase marked in the number of tourists and higher interstate migration have helped the economy of the state.

The Star Entertainment Group has revealed that the construction of its Gold Coast casino’s new accommodation tower is planned to kick off in August 2018. However, the company still needed more clarity to be brought on the matter, with the State Government expected to say whether the operator would need another casino license, especially for the tourist strip. According to Mr. Bekier, Star Entertainment is absolutely fine with the planned investment in the new tower, but more regulatory clarity would be needed before further investment is given a go.

Kate Jones, the Minister of Queensland Tourism Industry Development is expected to meet with potential supporters of the new resorts in the region. Previously, Star’s CEO shared his opinion that the Gold Coast did not need another casino resort, considering his company’s plans to built four more towers of up to 74 storeys at the already existing Broadbeach venue. In any case, no more poker machines are proposed at the site in question.

The post Star Entertainment Revenue Boosted by VIP Customers and Queensland Businesses appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 28, 2018

We’re A Week From Action On NJ Sports Betting Bill As Assembly Sets Committee Date

We’re A Week From Action On NJ Sports Betting Bill As Assembly Sets Committee Date
New Jersey capitol

The Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee will debate a proposed NJ sports betting bill on June 4, according to sources in the New Jersey Legislature.

The post We’re A Week From Action On NJ Sports Betting Bill As Assembly Sets Committee Date appeared first on .

May 28, 2018

Scots Clinic to Treat Cryptocurrency Addicts

Casino News Daily
Scots Clinic to Treat Cryptocurrency Addicts

A Scots clinic will be offering residential treatment to cryptocurrency aficionados who have got hooked on digital currencies trading, The Times reports.

Castle Craig Hospital in Peeblesshire, Scotland has launched a residential treatment course to help “crypto addicts” recover from their addiction and get back to a life without obsessive cryptocurrency trading.

Many experts have likened cryptocurrency trading to online gambling, and Castle Craig Hospital will be treating its cryptocurrency addicts in a manner similar to how it would approach a problem gambler, it is understood.

Therapists at the Scots clinic have pointed out that they believe the activity could easily turn into a behavioral addiction with users checking cryptocurrencies’ price obsessively and in every single moment possible.

Former cocaine and gambling addict Tony Marini will lead some of the treatments as part of the cryptocurrency addiction treatment course. Mr. Marini has told media that having experienced it himself, he has “insight and empathy” towards people who are struggling with the same or similar issues. He went on to comment that cryptocurrency addicts become addicts as they usually see the activity as a form of escapism from a world they do not really like.

Castle Craig Hospital already specializes in the treatment of people addicted to various drugs and alcohol. It has also been running gambling addiction programs. As mentioned above, the clinic has actually revealed that it would use namely its experience in treating gambling addicts to help bitcoin and other cryptocurrency junkies.

Cryptocurrency Craze

While the number of people addicted to cryptocurrency trading is unknown, it is believed that there are more than 13 million people trading around the world.

According to Chris Burn, who has formerly treated problem gamblers and gambling addicts at Castle Craig Hospital, the cryptocurrency market, with its high-risk fluctuating nature, has been found particularly appealing to people prone to problem gambling behavior. He, too, said he believes trading offers an escape from reality. Mr. Burn went on to note that to him, bitcoin and its likes were “a classic bubble situation” with the huge gains and huge losses made by aficionados over a very short period of time.

Bitcoin’s price jumped nearly 1,500% last year and reached an all-time high of over $19,800 in mid-December, and then plummeted overnight to set off a massive scare among many, while encouraging others to take advantage of the lower prices and dive deeper into the trading of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

The debate over the addictiveness of cryptocurrency trading has been growing and will certainly continue growing as the rising number of success stories of people buying at what could seem an insignificant price and netting humongous amounts of money at a later stage are only going to keep fueling the crypto hype.

The post Scots Clinic to Treat Cryptocurrency Addicts appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 28, 2018

Lightning Box gets Portugal approval

Casino News Today
Lightning Box gets Portugal approval

The specialist slots developer, Lightning Box gets Portugal approval to launch its games in the country on the SG Digital platform. Lightning Box gets Portugal approval after the Portuguese gaming regulator, Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SIRJ), has given Lightning Box the right to release nine games from its offering. These include Silver Lion, Stellar Jackpots-Chilli Gold x2, ...

The post Lightning Box gets Portugal approval appeared first on Casino News Today.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

May 27, 2018

Matthew Waxman Wins WPT Tournament of Champions

Casino News Daily
Matthew Waxman Wins WPT Tournament of Champions

It started off with 80 former WPT Main Tour Main Event champions, but it was Matthew Waxman who outlasted that elite field to become this year’s WPT Tournament of Champions winner. The player claimed the title and the first-place prize of $463,375 after picking off a bluff from his heads-up opponent Matas Cimbolas.

Waxman and Cimbolas were two of the five players who returned for Day 3 of the prestigious tournament. Instead of playing that final day at Aria Resort & Casino, the remaining survivors switched venues and their final battle thus took place at the brand new Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor.

Waxman entered the final day of action third in chips, while Cimbolas held the second largest stack at the time when cards were thrown in the air. The five finalists were led by Darren Elias, who won his record fourth WPT title just a few days ago.

The player maintained his momentum for a while, but then lost his chip lead to Waxman. Elias eventually busted in third place, thus missing the chance to win a back-to-back title and smash another record. He collected $177,060 in prize money.

Nick Schulman was actually the first player to leave the final table on Day 3. He was eliminated in fifth place namely by Elias. His share of the $1,365,000 prize pool totaled $89,290. David Benyamine went out in fourth, good for $123,045.

Heads-Up Action

Waxman was the player to set the two-handed match after he eliminated Elias in third place. The eventual champion entered heads-up as a chip leader with 2:1 advantage over Cimbolas. The first half of their duel saw chips swinging back and forth from one player to the other and vice versa.

Waxman then began to pull ahead of his final opponent until he took controlling advantage. On the final hand in play, the eventual champion check-called the three streets with [Qc][7d]. Cimbolas moved all in on the river with [10h][3s] on a [Kd][2h][Qs][4s][8h] board. Waxman quickly picked off his opponent’s bluff and called to claim the title and the largest share of the prize pool. Cimbolas exited the tournament in second place, good for $265,590.

As for Waxman’s first-place prize, it also includes a $15,000 seat into next season’s WPT Tournament of Champions, a luxurious Hublot watch, a JetSmarter membership worth $50,000, and the one and only WTP Tournament of Champions trophy.

Talking to WPT staff minutes after his triumph, Waxman said that it took him some time to decide whether he should play in the Tournament of Champions or not due to the high buy-in, the elite field, and the lack of much confidence in his game. It seems that he has made the right decision, though.

The event concluded Season XVI of the popular poker series. As mentioned above, it attracted 80 entries, including the winners from throughout the season and players who had won WPT titles during previous seasons. A prize pool of $1,365,000 was generated to be split among the top 10 finishers, min-cashes starting from $39,840.

The post Matthew Waxman Wins WPT Tournament of Champions appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 27, 2018

MGM, Wynn tamp down Boston casino intrigue

Las Vegas Sun Stories: Gaming
MGM, Wynn tamp down Boston casino intrigue
Executives for MGM and Wynn are tamping down speculation the companies are quietly in talks over Wynn's Boston-area casino. MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren said today it would have to be an "extremely unique situation" for officials to ...
May 27, 2018

Illinois House to Discuss Gambling Expansion Deal, Springfield Developer Rekindles Downtown Casino Talks

Casino News Daily
Illinois House to Discuss Gambling Expansion Deal, Springfield Developer Rekindles Downtown Casino Talks

A Springfield, Illinois developer has once again put forward a plan for the construction of a downtown casino and the addition of video gaming terminals at the state fairgrounds as House legislators are set to discuss a gambling expansion bill this Monday.

It was on Friday when lawmakers revived a failed effort for the legalization of up to six casinos around the state, including one in Chicago. The House Gaming Subcommittee is now set to review the gambling expansion bill at a Monday hearing. While lawmakers have renewed their interest in adding more gaming options in Illinois, they have very little time to act as the legislative session adjourns on Thursday.

The piece of legislation very much resembles a bill that was introduced and approved by the Illinois Senate last year but never made it through the House. Under the proposed bill, up to six casinos could open doors in six locations across the state, with those six being Chicago, the city’s southern suburbs, Lake and Williamson Counties, Rockford, and Danville.

Last year’s bill proposed the same six locations as the potential hosts to the state’s new casinos. Lawmakers said Friday that they have decided not to add any more casinos beyond what was proposed in the original Senate Bill from last year.

This year’s bill also includes provisions that, if the piece moves any forward, could open discussions for the legalization of online gambling, sports betting, and daily fantasy sports.

Springfield Proposal

As the new gambling expansion bill has stirred in the Legislature, Springfield developer Chris Stone has begun lobbying for the authorization of the construction of a casino in Springfield. The businessman’s gambling expansion proposal includes a 60,000-square-foot casino on a parking lot near the Bank of Springfield Center. His plan also calls for the addition of up to 200 video gaming terminals at the state fairgrounds that could be available to customers all year round.

A portion of the revenue generated by the machines would then go to the state’s coffers, while another portion would be contributed to the State Fairgrounds Foundation, which raises money to repair facilities on the fairgrounds.

Talking to local media outlet The State Journal-Register, Mr. Stone explained that the gaming positions would not ruin the family-friendly atmosphere at the fairgrounds as these would be located in a building in the northern part of the fairgrounds and would be separated from the family activities available there.

Although the developer has decided to make another push (he pitched his plan last year, as well), he told local media that he was not very optimistic the Legislature would make any significant progress toward the authorization of the proposed gambling expansion in the state. He pointed out that it is an election year, and pieces of legislation of this kind are usually paid more attention to by lawmakers during non-election years.

The post Illinois House to Discuss Gambling Expansion Deal, Springfield Developer Rekindles Downtown Casino Talks appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

May 26, 2018

Darren Elias Leads WPT Tournament of Champions Final Table, Eyes Back-To-Back Wins

Casino News Daily
Darren Elias Leads WPT Tournament of Champions Final Table, Eyes Back-To-Back Wins

The second day of the WPT Tournament of Champions was completed on Saturday at Aria Resort & Casino. It started with 29 players but just five of them survived through the very end of the day and are still in contention for the title and the $463,375 first-place prize.

Day 2 of the tournament kicked off with Dennis Blieden leading the pack of 29 hopefuls from Day 1. The player had a solid run during the first day of the WPT Tournament of Champions and methodically built a massive stack into Day 2. However, it appeared he had lost some of his momentum when he returned to the tables yesterday to eventually lose his chip advantage. The player was eliminated in 11th later on Day 2 to become the unfortunate bubble boy.

The original field of the prestigious tournament comprised 80 entries. The prize pool totaled $1.365 million and included the $15,000 buy-in fees paid by the participants and an additional $150,000 contributed by the WPT. The money was split into payouts for the top ten finishers.

The five finalists are set to resume play today at 4 pm local time. Unlike the previous two days when they played at the poker tables of Aria Resort & Casino, the final tablists will take to the felt of the brand-new Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel and Casino to battle it out until there is just one player left.

Darren Elias Aims For Back-To-Back Titles

Darren Elias came into the WPT Tournament of Champions fresh off the inaugural WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic, which he took down to win a record-breaking fourth title from the series. And if Day 1 of the Tournament of Champions belonged to Blieden, it can be said that Day 2 belonged namely to Elias.

The player eventually bagged and tagged 1.4 million to top the chip counts chart. It is also important to note that he has quite some advantage over the rest of his remaining opponents.

Commenting on his run over the past several days, Elias said that “wins […] come in bunches in poker” and that when a player wins in a tournament, they become more confident and maybe play better in their next tournaments.

While Elias might have secured the chip lead, he will have a different task today as the rest of the finalists are seasoned players themselves. Matas Cimbolas collected a stack of 1.159 million last night to rank second in the chip counts chart. Matthew Waxman finished third in chips, good for 554,000. Nick Schulman, a player who boasts $3,534,047 in live tournament earnings, and David Benyamine, who has collected more than $1.8 million from different live tournaments, were the other two players to make it through Day 2 with and collect almost even stacks at the end of the day with 447,000 and 440,000, respectively.

The post Darren Elias Leads WPT Tournament of Champions Final Table, Eyes Back-To-Back Wins appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 26, 2018

Dennis Blieden Leads 29 Survivors into WPT Tournament of Champions Day 2

Casino News Daily
Dennis Blieden Leads 29 Survivors into WPT Tournament of Champions Day 2

The WPT is about to wrap up another successful season. Once again the popular poker series is celebrating the end of its season with the WPT Tournament of Champions, a three-day event that features champions from the past year and is already taking place at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Day 1 of the season-ending tournament was played on Thursday at the host casino. It started off with 80 participants but the field was whittled down to just 29 players by the end of the day.

The event came with a buy-in fee of $15,000, but those who won Main Tour Main Events throughout the season had that fee included in their first-place prizes. The WPT also added $150,000 to the prize pool, of which $50,000 would go to the winner to create an overall prize pool of $1.365 million.

The top 10 finishers will leave with a payout, min-cash worth $39,840. The winner will receive $463,375 from the prize pool. However, awards for the big champion would not be limited to the monetary prize. Their victory will also be rewarded with a Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Ceramic watch, a JetSmarter membership worth $50,000, and the one and only WPT Tournament of Champions trophy.

Dennis Blieden Leads After Day 1

The first day of this year’s WPT Tournament of Champions concluded with Dennis Blieden leading the elite pack into the night. The player bagged and tagged 593,000 to lock a comfortable start to Day 2.

Blieden is followed by J.C. Tran with 305,500 and Marvin Rettenmaier with 234,500, but it can be seen that the overnight chip leader has secured quite an advantage over his remaining opponents.

Blieden catapulted himself to the top of the Day 1 chip counts chart after winning a massive pot during Level 4 of play. The player clashed against Andy Frankenberger. The latter went all in with pocket aces to Blieden’s pocket sixes. A [6c][4d][2c] flop and blank turn and river saw Frankenberger hit the rail, while Blieden collected his chips. Later the same level, the overnight chip leader scooped quite some chips from Mike Del Vecchio to further cement his advantage.

Blieden won the LA Poker Classic $10,000 Main Event back in February to claim his first WPT title, a seat into the WPT Tournament of Champions, and $1 million in prize money. The player had cashed in two WSOP events prior to his triumph earlier this year. Talking with WPT staff last night, Blieden said that he has not played tournament poker since the LAPC, but he was running pretty well in the Tournament of Champions and it felt as if he had picked where he had left off.

Unlike many of the other tournament entries, Blieden is not that well known to the poker community. Dwelling on that, the player said that he knew many of his table mates considered him “terrible” and that was why he was getting calls that many would not. He went on to say that he got quite some coolers throughout Day 1 and it seemed to him that every time he bluffed, his opponents would fall, while every time he called, he would win the pot.

Play is set to resume at Aria today at noon local time. The remaining hopefuls will play down to an official six-handed final table. Aside from Blieden, the likes of Erik Seidel, Marvin Rettenmaier, Justin Young, and Darren Elias, who came into the Tournament of Champions fresh off his record fourth WPT win in the inaugural WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic, will also join Day 2 action.

The post Dennis Blieden Leads 29 Survivors into WPT Tournament of Champions Day 2 appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Friday, May 25, 2018

May 25, 2018

Be part of the Netherland’s first-ever Responsibility in Gaming Awards

Casino News Today
Be part of the Netherland’s first-ever Responsibility in Gaming Awards

ENTER NOW! Be part of the Netherland’s first-ever Responsibility in Gaming Awards Make sure your organisation gets the recognition it deserves – submit your entry by 30 May to take part in the Dutch gaming sector’s only dedicated awards: Responsibility in Gaming Awards. The window for entries to the inaugural Responsibility in Gaming Awards is now OPEN. If your organisation ...

The post Be part of the Netherland’s first-ever Responsibility in Gaming Awards appeared first on Casino News Today.

May 25, 2018

Seven Things To Expect At Hard Rock Atlantic City When It Opens Its Doors June 28

Seven Things To Expect At Hard Rock Atlantic City When It Opens Its Doors June 28
guitar

With one month until opening day, Hard Rock Atlantic City is gearing up for the big day and a busy summer in AC. Here are seven things to look for when Hard Rock AC opens its doors.

The post Seven Things To Expect At Hard Rock Atlantic City When It Opens Its Doors June 28 appeared first on .

May 25, 2018

CoinPoker's 1st Crypto Series of Poker (CSOP) Is Just 2 Days Away

BankrollMob News - Poker / Casino / Betting
CoinPoker's 1st Crypto Series of Poker (CSOP) Is Just 2 Days Away
The Crypto Series of Poker (May 27 - June 3), a 10,000,000 CHP added tournament series that is the first of its kind, is set to start this Sunday at 16:00 EEST. New CoinPoker players can join the first event for free, with the an added sum of 250,000 CHP up for grabs. The series includes 17 varied tournament events where a range of 200,000 to 1,000,000 CHP added prize pools can be won. From May 27th to June 2nd, two tournaments will be held daily and build up to a final high stakes main even[...]
May 25, 2018

Hard Rock Given the Nod to Build €2-Billion Casino Resort in Catalonia

Casino News Daily
Hard Rock Given the Nod to Build €2-Billion Casino Resort in Catalonia

The Government of Catalonia has given the nod to the €2-billion project for the construction of an integrated resort with a gaming floor in Tarragona. The plan has been proposed by Florida-based gaming and hospitality company Hard Rock International as part of its strategy for global expansion.

The Government of Catalonia published its approval for the multi-billion scheme in its Official Gazette earlier today, giving Hard Rock the authorization to move forward with the development. The major US company was finally given the green light after multiple delays.

It is understood from a note issued by Catalonia officials earlier today that the integrated resort will be called Hard Rock Entertainment World instead of the previously announced BCN World. Although the Tarragona area was previously selected as the preferred location for the complex, developers were allowed by court to use ‘Barcelona’ as a trademark. Hard Rock eventually decided not to create additional controversy and rebranded the proposed development.

Hard Rock Entertainment World will feature two hotels with a total of 1,100 rooms, a retail area with nearly 75 different stores, a number of food and beverage and entertainment facilities, and a 10,000-square-meter (107,639.1 square feet) casino. As mentioned above, the major gaming and hospitality company is planning to invest €2 billion into the massive scheme. Hard Rock’s project will thus rank among the largest projects of this kind to have ever been carried out in Europe.

Global Expansion

Hard Rock already operates a number of casinos in its home state, Florida, and is currently expanding into New Jersey. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, the company’s first resort on the Atlantic City Boardwalk is slated to open doors on June 28 at the site of the former Trump Taj Mahal.

Hard Rock, which also operates more than 170 cafés around the world, has further been looking to expand its gaming operations outside the US. The company was part of the €500-plus-million plan for the construction of an integrated resort in the Republic of Cyprus but walked out of it to pursue other opportunities, including the Tarragona project. Hard Rock was, in fact, the only bidder for that letter scheme.

Japan, which recently legalized casino gambling, has been another destination Hard Rock has been eying to extend its footprint to. The company has established offices in the Pacific Ocean island nation and has been looking actively for local partners. In a recent interview with Casino News Daily, Hard Rock Japan CEO Ed Tracy said that educating the Japanese people about the actual nature of integrated resorts and that casino gambling represents just a small portion of the whole concept was one of their main tasks in their pursuit of a license in what is believed to have the potential to become the world’s second largest casino market.

The post Hard Rock Given the Nod to Build €2-Billion Casino Resort in Catalonia appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

May 24, 2018

Two Men accused of Robbing and Shooting Player at Texas Poker Room

BankrollMob News - Poker / Casino / Betting
Two Men accused of Robbing and Shooting Player at Texas Poker Room
There were two people arrested in the case of a poker player who got robbed and shot as he was going out of a poker room in northwest Austin, Texas. The two suspects, Charles Clines-Martinez (age 24) and Jermaine Patrick Spirlark (age 41) face charges of aggravated robbery that occurred in the wee hours of April 30. Clines-Martinez worked as a security guard at the poker room. The victim, Tom Steinbach (age 22), has fortunately recovered after being robbed and shot outside the Texas Card House[...]
May 24, 2018

Darren Elias Makes History at Aria Casino, Captures Record Fourth WPT Title

Casino News Daily
Darren Elias Makes History at Aria Casino, Captures Record Fourth WPT Title

Darren Elias finally claimed a coveted fourth WPT title after a near miss earlier this season in Jacksonville. The player topped last night the elite field of the inaugural WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic to become the only one to have ever captured four titles from the series’ Main Tour.

The WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic drew 162 entries to the tables of the host venue – Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. It was a star-studded field of former WPT champions, former WSOP Main Event champions, including 14-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, and a plethora of other accomplished pros and recreationals. They created a prize pool of $1,555,200 and the amount of $387,580 went to the winner.

Elias entered the final day of the event as the chip leader and with a massive stack. The player said that he was there for anything but the win, and he did his best to execute his strategy and claim the prestigious fourth title that put him ahead of Gus Hansen, Carlos Mortensen, Anthony Zinno, and Chino Rheem who are all holding three WPT titles.

It was an action-packed day at the host casino on Wednesday. Despite his advantage, Elias’ ride to victory was not a smooth one. Aside from him, the official six-handed final table of the event featured two players who were eying their third WPT titles (Jonathan Little and Sam Panzica), a player who was looking to claim a second title (Dietrich Fast), former WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen, and female poker pro Kitty Kuo who has been smashing tables over the past several months.

Thrilling Heads-Up

Little and Panzica were the first to leave the final table, their hopes for a third title thus being brought to an abrupt end. The players collected $74,520 and $97,795, respectively. Fast was then eliminated in fourth place, good for $130, 895.

The most important hand of the final table occurred during three-handed play when McKeehen and Elias found themselves locked in an all-in confrontation that would end everything for one of the players. It was eventually McKeehen to bust in third place for $178,610, while Elias collected his chips to enter heads-up against Kuo with a 3:1 advantage.

Despite the huge gap, Kuo was not showing any signs that she was ready to give up on the title without a fight. As a result, the two-handed duel lasted three hours and over 100 hands. While Kuo never managed to take the lead during the match, she doubled several times and almost erased the gap.

On what turned out to be the final hand of the tournament, Kuo announced all in for her last 600,000 and Elias called almost immediately. Elias tabled [Ah][10c] to his opponent’s [As][5d]. The [4d][Js][8h][7s][2c] arrived on the board to end Kuo’s participation in the tournament. The player took $248,380 for her performance.

As for Elias, the player is now heading into the WPT Tournament of Champions which starts today at Aria. Fresh off his latest triumph, he will play against the WPT Main Event champions from throughout the season for a chance to be crowned the absolute champion of Season XVI of the series.

The post Darren Elias Makes History at Aria Casino, Captures Record Fourth WPT Title appeared first on Casino News Daily.

May 24, 2018

MGM, Wynn tamp down Boston casino intrigue

Las Vegas Sun Stories: Gaming
MGM, Wynn tamp down Boston casino intrigue
Executives for MGM and Wynn are tamping down speculation the companies are quietly in talks over Wynn's Boston-area casino. MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren said today it would have to be an "extremely unique situation" for officials to ...
May 24, 2018

Login Casino TV presents a Meeting with an expert project

Casino News Today
Login Casino TV presents a Meeting with an expert project

Login Casino TV launces a new project called Meeting with an expert. You are interested in the most hot-spot issues of the gambling industry? Do you want to get answers to the most provocative questions? Login Casino TV guests are ready to provide them. The participant of our first interview will be the Head of Russian Gaming Week 2018, Oksana ...

The post Login Casino TV presents a Meeting with an expert project appeared first on Casino News Today.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

May 23, 2018

Save the date for the inaugural European Gaming Congress in Ljubljana

Casino News Today
Save the date for the inaugural European Gaming Congress in Ljubljana

The team at European Gaming Media and Events is honored to announce their latest event in their portfolio of boutique gaming events. The inaugural European Gaming Congress will be held on the 16th of October at the Grand Union Hotel in Ljubljana and has the aim of highlighting the market regulations and updates from several countries within the EU and ...

The post Save the date for the inaugural European Gaming Congress in Ljubljana appeared first on Casino News Today.

May 23, 2018

$2 Million Pro Football Frenzy online customer engagement promotion -- ENGAGED NATION

eGaming
$2 Million Pro Football Frenzy online customer engagement promotion -- ENGAGED NATION

Engaged Nation recently announced its redesigned and enhanced $2 Million Pro Football Frenzy online sports program that leverages the entire professional football season to drive customer acquisition, engagement and bottom-line revenue.

May 23, 2018

Darren Elias Leads Loaded WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic Final Table

Casino News Daily
Darren Elias Leads Loaded WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic Final Table

Three-time WPT champ Darren Elias is heading a loaded final table of the WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic, the last event on the Season XVI schedule of the popular poker series. If Elias takes down the ongoing Main Event, the player will create history as the only one to have ever won four WPT titles.

Elias was among the twenty hopefuls that returned at the host venue on Tuesday for its Day 3. While it was Jonathan Little, a two-time WPT champion, to lead the pack of survivors when cards were thrown in the air, it should be said that it was Elias who dominated action.

By the time there were just six players left in contention, Elias was holding roughly 44% of all chips in play. Organizers called it a day at that point. The final six will return at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas today to play the tournament’s official final table and determine the champion.

The winner will collect a first-place prize of $387,580, including a $15,000 seat into the season-ending Tournament of Champions which is just days away.

Star-Studded Final Table

While Elias might be holding a substantial chip lead over the rest of the final tablists, the player will have quite some hard time while trying to win a record fourth title. Aside from the poker pro, the final table of the WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic is comprised of three more former WPT winners, a WSOP Main Event champion and a seasoned female poker pro.

Through aggressive play, Elias managed to bag and tag 2.127 million in chips on Day 3 of the tournament. The player was the only one to break the 2 million mark. Germany’s Dietrich Fast finished second in chips last night but was anywhere close to the overnight chip leader with his 801,000 chips. Fast is vying for WPT title number two.

Kitty Kuo collected the third largest chip stack at the end of Day 3. The popular poker professional bagged 683,000 to secure herself with a comfortable position to attempt at winning her first WPT title.

Sam Panzica, who is looking to claim WPT title number three, accumulated a stack of 566,000 in chips on Day 3. Former WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen will attempt to win his first-ever WPT title. The player is heading into Day 4 with 385,000. Jonathan Little, who was the Day 2 overnight chip leader, did not have that much momentum over the course of Day 3. The player ended the day as the short stack with 300,000. Little is too eying a third title from the WPT.

The final day of the final WPT tournament of the season is set to begin at 2 pm local time. The remaining finalists will play down to a winner who will then head into the WPT Tournament of Champions to celebrate the end of the season with the rest of the winners from the past year and try to win the major event.

The post Darren Elias Leads Loaded WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic Final Table appeared first on Casino News Daily.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

May 22, 2018

Tom Horn Gaming deals with Novibet – new agreement

Casino News Today
Tom Horn Gaming deals with Novibet – new agreement

One of the leading slots providers, Tom Horn Gaming deals with Novibet to supply its innovative casino content to the operator after the two brands have signed a content agreement. As Tom Horn Gaming deals with Novibet, their portfolio of omni-channel video slots, featuring exciting graphics and unique maths models has been made available to the operator and players are ...

The post Tom Horn Gaming deals with Novibet – new agreement appeared first on Casino News Today.

May 22, 2018

Rush Street Inks Deal With Kambi, Gets Set For Sports Betting At NJ Online Casino

Rush Street Inks Deal With Kambi, Gets Set For Sports Betting At NJ Online Casino
signing contract

Rush Street Interactive's partnership with Kambi Group gets them closer to NJ sports betting with its PlaySugarhouse NJ gambling site as a possible online sports betting test.

The post Rush Street Inks Deal With Kambi, Gets Set For Sports Betting At NJ Online Casino appeared first on .

May 22, 2018

Poker pro Bradley Ruben charged in Fatal Car Crash, admitted to eating Marijuana Edible

BankrollMob News - Poker / Casino / Betting
Poker pro Bradley Ruben charged in Fatal Car Crash, admitted to eating Marijuana Edible
Bradley Ruben, a professional poker player from Florida, has been charged with failure to remain at the scene of a car crash on Interstate 95 in Broward County as well as resisting arrest after allegedly crashing into and eventually killing a man who was assisting his wife who had been involved in a separate accident. On May 16, Wednesday, the 32-year-old poker pro told police that he had eaten a marijuana-laced edible before the crash. He was not charged with DUI even if he admitted that cons[...]