Satellite casinos in Cyprus open by spring 2019: Melco IntlGGRAsia · September 20, 2018 at 9:27 pmHong Kong-listed casino developer Melco International Development Ltd says three of its so-called “satellite casinos” in Cyprus are scheduled to commence operations in respectively Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos later this year. Another satellite casino in Ayia Napa – a coastal town that is part of the Famagusta district – is scheduled to open for business “in the spring of 2019”, the firm said in its interim report filed on Wednesday. In late July, Melco International announced that a Cyprus-based consortium headed by the firm was to open soon a satellite casino in the terminal building of Larnaka International Airport, near the port city of Larnaka on the south coast of Cyprus.
ECA Vice-Chair calls for action against unlicensed online providersG3 Newswire · September 20, 2018 at 9:21 pmOn the occasion of the 12th Conference of the European Association of the Study of Gambling (EASG) on Malta, ECA Vice-Chair Prof. Dietmar Hoscher gave a keynote on the challenges of illegal online gambling and the need for strong national actions. As Hoscher highlighted, relevant case law and secondary legislation at EU level clearly underline the principle of subsidiarity and requirement for national licenses for the legal provision of online gambling services without mutual recognition. Despite the successes of some countries in stopping illegal gambling, the available data shows that the provision of illegal online gambling is on the rise in many EU countries where the issue is not yet sufficiently tackled.
Melco targets 2020 Chinese New Year for Nüwa relaunch at City of DreamsInside Asian Gaming · September 20, 2018 at 9:20 pmMelco International Development Ltd has revealed that it plans to complete upcoming renovation work to Nüwa hotel at City of Dreams in Macau before Chinese New Year in 2020. Releasing its 2018 Interim Report this week, Melco International Development – which holds a 51.3% stake in its casino arm Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd – also provided new details on the upcoming redevelopment of The Countdown Hotel ahead of its rebranding as Libertine. According to the report, the renovation of Nüwa will commence immediately after Chinese New Year in 2019 “with the rolling refurbishment of the hotel anticipated to conclude before the Chinese New Year in 2020.”
Stars Group Presents Business Acquisition Report for Sky Betting & GamingLuke Haward, CDC Gaming Reports · September 20, 2018 at 2:52 pmAs part of its pending takeover of Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG), the Stars Group this week filed a business acquisition report related to the buyout, as well as publishing certain pieces of financial information and some updates related to SBG. Stars Group Chief Executive Office Rafi Ashkenazi issued a lengthy press release about the acquisition following the report’s publication. “2018 is a transformative year for the business, with three acquisitions and related financings and other significant changes to our corporate and capital structure,” Mr Ashkenazi said in the statement. “We’ve executed on these transactions and, looking forward into 2019, are now focused on integration. “We are confident that we will deliver on our plans to grow market share both globally and in key markets. SBG is a key component of this plan, and we are excited about its potential as the fastest growing and one of the largest online… [continue reading]
Update on European firms’ entry points into US sports betting marketLuke Haward, CDC Gaming Reports · September 20, 2018 at 11:08 amAs everyone in the gambling industry must know by now, there’s a tremendous gold rush going on in the US market thanks to the legalisation of sports betting. This is really a unique situation, in that international and foreign operators have an edge over the major U.S. gambling entities simply due to the fact that, in many cases, these firms have literally decades of experience operating sports betting services in their home countries to draw on. This is not to say, of course, that domestic operators won’t be looking to secure their rightful slice of the pie, but UK and other European operators have a significant opportunity to set up shop in the US based on their expertise. British operators have the best edge of all, given the common language. The big names are leading the rush. The one grabbing headlines lately has been William Hill, which not only recently… [continue reading]
Macau government mulls mandatory casino closures in public emergenciesInsideAsianGaming · September 20, 2018 at 12:19 amThe Macau SAR Government is considering introducing laws that would make the city-wide suspension of casino operations mandatory in the case of a public emergency. The provision for mandatory casino closures forms part of a government proposal to overhaul the city’s civil protection system, which was recently put out for public consultation. Although there is currently no specific law enabling authorities to order a blanket suspension of casino operations. Macau’s six concessionaires last weekend all agreed to close their doors for the first time as Typhoon Mangkhut lashed the city – the second time in as many years that a T10 typhoon had hit Macau following the devastating Typhoon Hato in August 2017.
Labour pledges ban on TV gambling adverts during live sportsRob Davies, The Guardian · September 20, 2018 at 12:01 amGambling companies will be banned from advertising on television during live sports if Labour wins the next general election, as part of a crackdown designed to tackle an addiction “epidemic”. Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, accused the government of letting the UK’s estimated 430,000 problem gamblers down, as he announced a number of policies that would tighten up betting regulations. Watson said: “Problem gambling is Britain’s hidden epidemic and we must treat it as a public health emergency.” He said existing regulations, introduced under the previous Labour government in 2007, were “not up to the job of protecting addicts”.
Legalized gambling beef threatens Sanikiluaq’s daycareJim Bell, Nunatsiaq News · September 19, 2018 at 9:41 pmThe Najuqsivik Daycare in Sanikiluaq, which serves dozens of families in the community, is now threatened with closure following a recent decision by the Hamlet of Sanikiluaq to cancel bingo and Nevada licences they had issued to Najuqsivik this past June. “Our bingos are our main source of income. Without our bingo, daycare will eventually close. We have enough cash on hand to operate for several months but the cancellation of our lottery licence has caused a financial crisis,” said a source on the daycare’s board who did not want their name published for fear of retribution. After granting Nevada ticket and Saturday evening bingo licences to Najuqsivik this past June, the hamlet did an about-face three weeks ago.
CashBet appoints new president to spearhead development of crypto offeringMichael Lawson, SBC News · September 19, 2018 at 9:20 pmIgaming platform provider CashBet has moved to bolster its senior team by installing advisory board member Ed Brennan as company president. Brennan will lead CashBet in the next period of its development, following one of the world’s largest casino gaming ICOs, with the goal of establishing it as the leading blockchain-powered platform. He brings a wealth of experience to the position after 25 years in the internet, software, hardware and financial services industries, working with a host of Fortune 500 companies such as Merrill Lynch, Seagate, Adobe, Microsoft and NexTag.
Pagcor adds gaming workers to casino exclusion databaseAsia Gaming Brief · September 19, 2018 at 9:17 pmThe Philippines gaming regulator has released a memorandum announcing that all gaming workers holding a “Gaming Employment License” (GEL) will be prohibited from playing in any gaming establishments in the Philippines. To do this, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) said that it has added the names of all GEL Holders into the National Database of Restricted Persons (NDRP), effective September 10, 2018.
