Casino industry staff members won’t be allowed in casinos outside work hours and will impact 54,000 people.
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The Jets pen landmark deal with casino operator MGM Resorts International shortly after 888 advertising tie-up
The New York Jets and MGM Resorts International today announced a “first-of-its-kind” integrated gaming partnership that makes the casino and hospitality operator the official gaming partner of the NFL team.
The announcement about the Jets/MGM tie-up arrives shortly after reports emerged that the team has joined forces with online gambling operator 888 Holdings in a sponsorship deal that is yet to be announced officially.
In addition to a traditional casino sponsorship, the Jets’ deal with MGM also involves the I Called It mobile game which allows fans of the NFL team to answer questions about Jets games. The game is sponsored by MGM’s mobile app Play MGM and is available exclusively in the Official New York Jets App. It is free to play and provides Jets fans with the chance to win different prizes. However, it does not allow them to wager money on Jets games.
As part of the deal, MGM will be designated as the official gaming partner of the NFL team. In addition, the casino operator will sponsor and be offered access to the Jets 360 Production Studio, where the team films dedicated digital media and television content. The Jets’ home stadium, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will feature MGM signage.
Jets season holders and members of the Jets’ rewards program will be treated to entertainment experiences and hotel rooms at MGM resorts around the nation, including Atlantic City’s Borgata, as part of the newly penned partnership between the football team and the gaming and hospitality giant.
888 Partnership Draws Ire
It also became known earlier this week that the Jets have secured a sponsorship agreement with online gambling operator 888. While an official announcement about the tie-up is yet to be made, 888 banners can now be spotted at MetLife Stadium.
The NFL changed its advertising policies in early September to allow teams to join forces with casino companies and thus boost their advertising revenues. However, under the new rules, the sponsorships should not promote and involve sports betting in any way.
888 currently offers online casino, poker, and sports betting services, and its wagering offering was what drew criticism as the company’s tie-up with the Jets was unveiled. Supporters of the partnership have pointed out that it does not violate the NFL’s advertising rules as 888’s sports betting business is not directly promoted. However, opponents have argued that the deal definitely crosses the line.
The New York Jets are not the only team to have partnered with gambling companies since the NFL relaxed its rules. The Dallas Cowboys joined forces with WinStar World Casino in Oklahoma in early September, while the Baltimore Ravens inked a deal with Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.
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William Hill looks to expand European presence, diversify revenue mix, improve online performance with MRG marriage
William Hill today announced that it has made a cash offer to acquire Malta-headquartered online gambling operator Mr Green & co AB (MRG) as the British bookmaker is seeking to bolster its digital arm and amid tumultuous times for the UK gambling industry.
William Hill has offered to buy the online gambling company, which is based in Malta but hails from Sweden, for SEK69 per MRG share or a total consideration of SEK2.8 billion (approximately £242 million).
Assuming approval by Mr Green shareholders, the deal is expected to be finalized in January 2019. In a statement from earlier today, MRG has notified that its Board of Directors has unanimously recommended that the company’s shareholders accept the offer.
The transaction will extend the international footprint of William Hill’s online business and will help it establish presence in new markets. MRG’s online gambling brands Mr Green and Redbet currently operate in 13 markets, including Italy, Denmark, and the UK. The Malta-based gambling group has also applied for a license in Sweden.
In a statement from earlier today, William Hill has lauded both MRG’s sports betting and casino products and has pointed out that pairing with the company would allow it to strengthen its digital business, improve its revenue mix, and reduce its exposure to the UK gambling market, which is set to go through massive regulatory disturbances next year with the expected cut of the maximum FOBT stake and the implementation of a remote gambling duty hike.
Commenting on the offer, William Hill CEO Philip Bowcock said today:
“This proposed acquisition accelerates the diversification of William Hill – immediately making us a more digital and more international business. MRG will provide William Hill with an international hub in Malta with market entry expertise and strong growth momentum in a number of European countries. William Hill will move from a single brand to a suite of brands that can maximise growth opportunities moving forward in new and existing markets.”
The British bookmaker expects the deal to be accretive to earnings from year one of ownership before synergy benefits. It also anticipates synergy benefits of no less than £6 million per year. The synergy benefits are expected to be achieved progressively, with full delivery being anticipated by the third year after the completion of the acquisition.
Second Wave of Merger and Acquisition Deals
The UK gambling industry is facing massive regulatory challenges as Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced that the government will look to offset the losses from the planned cut of the maximum FOBT stake from £100 to £2 with an increased Remote Gambling Duty rate. Both changes will take force in October 2019 and come as part of Chancellor Hammond’s new Budget. Online gambling operators currently pay a 15% tax on gross gambling yield, but after the announced hike they will be required to contribute 21% of their GGY to the nation’s coffers.
Both the looming crackdown on the highly controversial FOBTs and the recently announced tax hike will hit William Hill’s profitability significantly. The British bookmaker owns one of the nation’s largest chains of betting shops with FOBTs, but its digital business has only shown mediocre performance over the past several years.
The introduction of the 15% Point of Consumption tax in 2014 sparked an unprecedented wave of merger and acquisition deals in the gambling industry. As a result, six of UK’s largest gambling companies paired to better position themselves in the changing landscape. The FOBTs clampdown and the new tax rate could certainly unleash a second wave of M&A activity and William Hill could become the main initiator of that wave.
Questions and comments about the plausibility of a marriage between William Hill and MRG have emerged immediately after the British bookmaker announced its intentions earlier today. While many would consider William Hill’s decision to acquire MRG a bit unexpected and its £242-million offer a bit too high, it should be said that the latter company has performed more than well over the past year. It has strengthened its position in the lucrative Nordics, has improved significantly its gaming product and has diversified its offering with a sportsbook, and has thus improved its financial performance.
William Hill will thus benefit from the addition of more brands to its portfolio and of revenue from European markets. It is also important to note that the proposed acquisition of MRG comes at a time when the British bookmaker is looking to cement its position in the recently liberalized US sports betting market.
William Hill has begun to gradually expand its sports betting presence beyond Nevada, where it has been operating sportsbooks for many years, and in other states where sports betting has become legal following the mid-May SCOTUS ruling that annulled a long-standing wagering ban. The company recently struck a deal with US casino operator Eldorado Resorts to lock up access to 23 million customers across the US. The deal has also made the British company Eldorado’s exclusive sports betting and online gambling partner across its 26 casinos in 13 states.
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Yet another NFL team joins forces with a casino operator as the league relaxes gambling advertising rules
The New York Jets have penned a sponsorship deal with online gambling operator 888 and football purists are not happy about it, news outlet the New York Post reported on Monday. The deal is set to be officially announced later this week, but 888 banners have already appeared outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the home stadium of the New York Jets.
Following the mid-May ruling of the US Supreme Court that struck down a federal ban on sports betting, the NFL reversed ahead of the new season a long-standing ban on casino advertising, allowing teams to partner with casino operators and advertise those in exchange for financial contributions.
However, the NFL rules still prohibit sports betting operations from being advertised by football teams. Aside from casino games, 888 also offers poker and sports betting services. Critics of the partnership between the Jets and the online gambling operator have argued that the fact that it offers wagering products crosses the line and violates NFL’s gambling advertising rules.
As mentioned earlier, the tie-up between the Jets and 888 has already manifested itself in the form of several orange banners displaying the 888.com logo outside MetLife Stadium. Sources familiar with the deal have told the New York Post that the banners do not violate league advertising rules as they do not specifically refer to 888sport, the gambling operator’s online sports betting operation.
However, critics have pointed out that the banners were “dangerously close to flouting the rules.” The deal is expected to be announced later this week, which means that more details about its scope are to emerge.
Normalization of Gambling through Ads
According to Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council of Problem Gambling, advertising partnerships of this kind can have a big and lasting impact on young fans of football who go to the games. He told the New York Post that children and young people “will become much more inclined to see gambling as being part of the game.”
The four major sports leagues – MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL – were long opposed to sports gambling, arguing that the activity threatened the integrity of sports. However, the US Supreme Court ruled this past May against the leagues and annulled the long-standing federal sports betting ban. Since the ruling, league officials have softened their stance on the wagering issue and have been seeking a share of the proceeds generated from sports betting in the form of an integrity fee and advertising revenue, among other things.
The NFL decided to relax its advertising rules ahead of the new season, allowing teams to take advertising money from casinos. The Dallas Cowboys became the first team to align itself with a casino operator in early September, thus making history. It joined forces with Oklahoma-based WinStar World Casino.
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The company is set to increase its investment in its Macau business to more than €1.5 billion.
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Las Vegas Sands Corp revenue grew 6.7% to US$3.37 billion during the third quarter, mainly thanks to Macanese operations.
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The lack of solid regulation in the Ukrainian gambling and betting industry has resulted in a booming underground gambling business while millions of dollars are going down the drain. According to local media reports, hundreds of gambling facilities disguised as lottery offices, are freely operating across the country.
Officially, almost all forms of gambling are banned in Ukraine with only licensed lotteries allowed to operate. Since 2009, when the Verkhovna Rada (the name of the Parliament) passed the ban into law, however, there have been multiple reports of existing underground gaming facilities. By July 2009, more than 6,000 illegal slot machines had been confiscated from dozens of illegal establishments. Investigations led to over 200 criminal charges. Things have not changed a lot since then.
In an article, the Kyiv Post uncovers what turns out to be a widespread scheme for illegal gambling operations that are carried out freely under the guise of lottery offices. The newspaper describes in details that the lack of clear regulation of the sector has allowed illegal businesses to thrive, nurturing organized crime and corruption. In 2012, according to the publication, the Rada loosened the gambling ban, allowing lottery operators to run gambling activities. During that time, the majority in the Parliament was held by the Party of Regions, the party of former president Viktor Yanukovych who is currently in exile in Russia and wanted by Ukraine for high treason.
As a result of the unfinished reforms in the sector – special legislation and gambling zones were initially considered, operators of underground gaming facilities are now offering slot-like games under their lottery licenses. There are lottery offices in every city and town across the country and many of them only pretend to offer lottery tickets. Although logos of the Ukrainian National Lottery can be seen, there are no lottery products on sale. Interestingly, there are no slot machines visible, as well.
The facilities are, actually, packed with computers – their keyboards are specifically customized to work like classic slot machines. Customers purchase plastic cards that are placed into special slots on the keyboard and the computer instantly turns into a Vegas-style casino game, the Kyiv Post reveals. Only cash is accepted, of course. And authorities seem to be clueless about this simple, yet extremely effective scheme, the paper suggests.
Revenues from Illegal Gambling Reach $1 Billion
It is impossible to estimate the exact cost of the black market gambling industry to Ukraine’s economy but it is certainly within the six and seven-figure range. The Kyiv Post spoke to Agia Zagrebelska of the Anti-Monopoly Committee who says that the revenues from illegal gambling reach $1 billion a year. According to other foreign experts, underground gaming operators generate much more from their unregulated activity.
Every year, Ukrainian lotteries pay around $2 million in taxes. The tax revenue that comes from lottery winners, on the other hand, is approximately $4 million, which is, by all standards, bizarre. In fact, most things related to gambling in Ukraine is out of the ordinary – there are three operators which held licenses granted by the state, namely MSL, Patriot, and the Ukrainian National Lottery. Their licenses have expired in 2014 but due to a legal loophole, they can operate until new licenses are issued.
Each of the three operators is allowed to run up to 5,000 lottery shops, which suggests that there must be up to 15,000 lottery offices on the territory of Ukraine. In addition, these three operators have extended their permits via franchise to some 180 retailing companies that can sell lottery tickets. As a result, the actual number of lottery offices could not be estimated. At the same time, the Anti-Monopoly Committee says that only 19 percent of them sell lottery products, while the rest functioning like gaming facilities or betting shops. Overall, the underground gambling scene seems to be thriving in Ukraine and the state is losing millions of dollars due to the lack of oversight and resolution to come up with a new legal frame.
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The Philippines’ Department of Justice has said that in order to enforce his “no casino” policy on Boracay Island, president Rodrigo Duterte should issue an executive order. Such an act will be the fastest and most efficient method for halting the casino operations on the island, which reopens for foreign tourists on Friday.
Representatives of most public institutions and local authorities seem to be in line with the Duterte’s idea of no more casinos on Boracay. Following a six-month shut-down for an environmental clean-up and rehabilitation, the island is finally reopening this week. Authorities have set new rules regarding waste disposal, watersports that may harm the ecosystem, smoking and drinking. Being a vocal opponent of gambling, President Duterte also said that the island should be “free of casinos” when it opens.
Earlier this week, the local gambling regulator PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) was said to have been urged to cancel the existing casino licenses and to stop issuing new ones. The request had come, according to media reports, from the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, a body that was specifically created for the purpose of assessing the environmental damage on the island and devising strategies to address the problem. Local newspaper The Philippines Star said that the regulator has made a decision to immediately suspend all gambling licenses on Boracay.
Now, it is possible that such actions may not be entirely legal. In a letter published Thursday, the Department of Justice recommends that President Rodrigo Duterte issues an executive order, that would allow him to stop the casino operations on the island.
Legal Repercussions
According to the Department of Justice, Duterte’s “no casino” policy has to be implemented carefully and through a presidential executive order. In a recommendation letter dated from October 8, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra writes that the President has the authority to limit casino operations on the island. The letter is an eight-page legal opinion that comes in a response to a query by the Department of Tourism, which is concerned about possible legal repercussions resulting from the revocation of casino licenses.
In the legal opinion, Guevarra explains that the President may direct the PAGCOR by an executive order to revoke the licenses already granted and to prohibit the issuing of new permits. He also points out that the provisional licenses granted by the regulator are not contracts and are, therefore, not legally binding for the government. Casino licenses can, then, be “granted, revoked” or their renewal withheld by the regulatory body instantly.
Meanwhile, Macau-based casino giant Galaxy Entertainment Group is planning to build a large integrated casino resort on Boracay. It was granted a casino license just a month before the temporary closure of the island. Galaxy Chairman Lui Che Woo explained that the casino facility would be just a small part of the complex and that the complex would, in fact, focus on the leisure and entertainment offerings.
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The corporation has hired a third-party auditor to monitor the three busiest casinos in the city.
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Following the creation of a joint venture in July 2018, MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings announced this week the appointment of Adam Greenblatt as the venture’s Chief Executive Officer. Greenblatt has previously served as Director of Corporate Development & Strategy for GVC Holdings Plc, but he also possesses in-depth knowledge and expertise in sports betting and online gaming from his position at Ladbrokes.
His promotion to the executive leadership position was announced on Tuesday in a combined corporate communication, pointing out his long experience in the gambling and entertainment industry. Greenblatt will now serve as CEO of the recently established joint venture between the American gaming and hospitality giant MGM Resorts International and Isle of Man-headquartered GVC Holdings PLC, which owns major gaming and sports betting brands, including Coral, Ladbrokes, bwin, Crystalbet, partypoker, and CasinoClub.
The joint venture was formed this summer for the purpose of creating a leading sports betting and interactive gaming proposition for the US market, according to the press release. It is hardly a surprise that Adam Greenblatt has been chosen to lead MGM GVC Interactive, considering he has played a “significant role” in its creation during his job as a Director Corporate Development & Strategy at GVC Holdings. His career, however, did not start at GVC and has been much more interesting.
After studying Business Science at the University of Cape Town, Greenblatt worked as a Chartered Accountant in the UK with Arthur Andersen. He then focused on mergers and acquisitions at international investment bank Rothschild where he oversaw deals in the leisure sector. In addition, Greenblatt was Director of Corporate and Strategic Development at Ladbrokes from 2010. According to the press release, he was in charge of “defining transactions” for the company such as the strategic partnership with Playtech, the acquisitions which created Ladbrokes Australia and the successful merger between Gala Coral and Ladbrokes in November 2016.
MGM GVC Interactive Joint Venture
Rumors about the partnership between MGM Resorts and GVC emerged in late July and it the two companies soon confirmed the creation of MGM GVC Interactive. The joint venture has its headquarters in the United States and is formed with an initial investment of $100 million made by each of the partners. According to the initial statement by GVC, the new business would have access to 15 states within the US and a potential audience of 90 million people.
In reality, MGM GVC Interactive will take advantage of all U.S. land-based and online sports betting and poker tournaments, real money and free-to-play casino gaming. It will integrate both companies’ customer loyalty programs. Commenting his new position as CEO, Adam Greenblatt said that he would transform the joint venture into the most “dynamic and successful” company in the industry, considering MGM GVC will profit from the combined brands, technology, and market reach.
The new venture is looking at the rapidly evolving US sports betting market following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in May to lift the federal ban on sports wagering. GVC is one of the several UK-based bookmakers that are now focusing on the new opportunities in the US as more and more states are passing legislation that allows wagers on sports.
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Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has entered an official partnership with the Baltimore Ravens in the second deal of this kind since September when the National Football League (NFL) allowed its teams to accept advertising from casinos. The move follows the historic partnership announced between the Dallas Cowboys and WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
For many years, the NFL did not allow its teams to sell sponsorships to casinos with sportsbooks in order to steer clear of any connection to sports betting. Last month, or in late August as Sports Business Daily reported, the NFL loosened the ban on casino advertising. Soon after that, the Dallas Cowboys teamed up with the WinStar World in the first NFL casino partnership. Now the Baltimore Ravens have joined them, extending their existing deal with Horseshoe.
The new partners are neighbors in Southern Gateway Entertainment District, an area just south of the Ravens’ home in M&T Bank Stadium. When the casino opened just a few blocks away from the sporting venue, it became a catalyst for huge investment and development in the neighborhood. Now their partnership will bring them even closer as logos of the team will be featured across the gaming venue, while the casino’s ads will be significantly more at the stadium.
The announcement for the deal was made by Baltimore Ravens Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales and Business Development Kevin Rochlitz and former Raven and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jonathan Ogden and Caesars Regional President and Horseshoe Casino General Manager Erin Chamberlin. The owner of Baltimore’s Horseshoe is the group CBAC Gaming, which gathers Caesars Entertainment, Jack Entertainment, CVPR Gaming Holdings, LLC; STRON-MD Limited Partnership and PRT TWO, LLC.
Increased Partnership between NFL and Casinos
Since 2014, when the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opened for business, it has been an advertising sponsor at Ravens games. However, it did not have the right to use the team’s name or logos in any way. The Maryland casino was not able to use trademarks for any events, including tailgate parties and giveaways. Now, instead of referencing only Baltimore football or using purple colors, the Horseshoe Casino will be allowed to make use of the logo and name of the Ravens. But that is not all.
The three-level feature bar at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore that is currently known as 14Forty will soon be rebranded and will be a Ravens Baltimore Bar. The casino will also introduce player cards with the NFL team’s logo. M&T Bank Stadium, on the other hand, will feature Horseshoe advertising. According to Rochlitz, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has become a popular destination for Ravens fans, especially before and after games, so the new deal will enrich the appeal and entertainment offering of the two major Baltimore brands.
The financial terms of the deal are confidential but for the time being, it remains only a marketing partnership. The State of Maryland is expected to pass a sports betting legislation, which would allow the casino to extend its cooperation with the Baltimore Ravens.
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According to the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, the MMCT project in East Windsor isn’t dead yet despite legal hurdles.
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Ambitious online money transfer company hires Paddy Power Betfair’s Breon Corcoran as new boss
UK fintech company WorldRemit today confirmed the appointment of former Paddy Power Betfair CEO Breon Corcoran as its new Chief Executive after weekend reports that he would become the new boss of the rapidly growing digital money transfer business.
WorldRemit was founded in 2010 by Somaliland entrepreneur Ismail Ahmed. Mr. Ahmed was studying in London at the time and was forced to travel across the city in search for an agent to transfer money to his family who lived in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. The transactions were extremely costly and usually required months to be completed, but Mr. Ahmed’s family needed the money.
Frustrated by the complex remittance process, he set up WorldRemit to storm the international remittance market. He spotted an opportunity in the quick growth of mobile money accounts to grow his business. Today, WorldRemit serves more than 800,000 customers from more than 50 countries who send money to millions of people in around 150 countries. Supporting migrants send money from developed countries to family and friends based in emerging economies has been the main focus of Mr. Ahmed’s company.
WorldRemit’s founder is currently its Chief Executive, but once Mr. Corcoran steps in, Mr. Ahmed will assume the post of Executive Chairman. Mr. Corcoran left major gambling operator Paddy Power Betfair this past January after sixteen years at the company and its predecessors.
He first joined Paddy Power in 2001 as Managing Director of its Non-Retail (Digital) operations. He was appointed as the company’s Chief Operating Officer in 2010, but left in 2011. In 2012, he joined rival gambling operator Betfair as its CEO. In 2016, he was appointed as the Chief Executive of the combined Paddy Power Betfair. He had an instrumental role in what was praised as a successful merger of the two major gambling companies.
Mr. Corcoran surprisingly announced his departure from Paddy Power Betfair last August and left his post in January 2018 to be replaced by Peter Jackson. Prior to stepping down, the former gambling CEO drew quite some ire from the UK retail betting industry as he supported openly the proposed cut of the maximum stake on FOBTs to £10 or less from £100.
Mr. Corcoran said in a letter to Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Minister Tracey Crouch dated September 2017 that the FOBT issue has become so toxic that
“only a substantial reduction in FOBT stake limits to £10 or less will address societal concerns. I am confident we could operate our retail business successfully and profitability under such circumstances. Other well-run operators should be able to do the same.”
Fintech Unicorn
With Mr. Corcoran now at the helm, WorldRemit is expected to soon become the UK’s newest technology unicorn, that is a start-up worth at least $1 billion. The company has received more than $200 million in funding since it was founded and some of its investors have included TriplePoint Venture Growth, Accel Partners, and Silicon Valley Bank. It most recently raised funds in a $40-million round that was led by LeapFrog Investments.
Earlier in October, the company extended its footprint across Africa by launching online bank transfers in Botswana, Chad, Zambia, Mozambique, and five more countries. WorldRemit has revealed that the transactions that it has handled to Africa this year have increased 75% year-on-year. Its fees range between 2% or 3%, which is significantly less than major banks for the same type of transactions.
The UK-based company says that its growth has accelerated in 2018 and it expects its annual revenue to top £95 million, up from £60.5 million in 2017. With the expansion of its reach and its rapid overall growth, the company believes it is in a strong position to “leverage the increasing demand for cashless payments.”
Commenting on the appointment of Mr. Corcoran as the new WorldRemit CEO, Mr. Ahmed said in a statement that with their “goal of delivering a better and safer experience for people sending money home” and the former gambling boss’ “reputation for developing a consumer-first culture makes” they will be able to build on their vision.”
Mr. Corcoran said that “with tailwinds like the global adoption of new technologies combined with growing remittance flows, there is enormous potential for WorldRemit’s global expansion.”
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The Station Casinos’ property has just opened after undergoing a US$192 million modernisation that began in 2016.
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Day 2 to kick off with 236 survivors from the tournament’s two starting flights
The second starting flight of the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event is now in the books. It drew 634 entries, of whom only 140 survived through the 15 levels that were played at the host casino on Saturday to progress into Day 2.
Alex Triemanis ended up bagging the largest stack of the day with 479,000. However, it will be the Day 1A chip leader, Michael Perrone, who will lead the surviving hopefuls from the tournament’s two starting flights into the second day of action. Perrone scooped 649,000 on Friday night when his starting flight was played.
With Day 1B’s entries, the overall field was brought to a total of 1,094 entrants, which is down from last year’s edition of the tournament when as many as 1,247 contenders entered it to compete for the title and $332,020 in first-place prize money.
Speaking of prize money, the $1,700 buy-in Main Event generated a prize pool of $1,657,410 this year, beating the $1 million guarantee. The top 117 finishers will receive a share of the money, min-cashes starting from $2,718. Each of the players who make it to the official final table of nine will be guaranteed a minimum of $29,999, but they will all eye the first-place prize of $302,492. Along with the cash prize, the tournament’s champ will also scoop a gold ring from the series and will secure a seat into the season-ending Global Casino Championship.
Day 1B Action
As mentioned above, Day 1B was busier than the preceding starting flight as more players rushed to Horseshoe Hammond to register into the tournament. At the end of the day, there were 140 players to bag and tag. The Day 1B field will merge with the Day 1A’s today for the second day of play. A total of 96 players made it through Day 1A on Friday night, which means that as many as 236 hopefuls are expected to return to the host venue later today.
Among the Day 1B survivors were poker pro and WSOP Circuit legend Maurice Hawkins, who fired a second bullet yesterday, after failing to bag on Day 1A, Zo Karim, Aaron Massey, and Anna Antimony. They will join other notables from Day 1A, including gold bracelet winners David Pham and Tom Koral and gold ring winners Robert Hankins and Ralph Massey. Last year’s champion – Blake Battaglia – is also still in contention. The player bagged and tagged 96,500 at the end of Day 1A and will return to fight for a back-to-back title.
Day 2 action is set to resume today at 11 am local time at the host casino. The remaining players are scheduled to play ten one-hour levels. The money bubble will burst at some point in play and the field will be further whittled down to just a few players, who will return tomorrow to play the final day of the tournament.
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Last year’s champ, Blake Battaglia, eyes a back-to-back title
Main Event action unfolded on Friday at Horseshoe Hammond where the current WSOP Circuit stop is taking place. The first of two starting flights was completed yesterday at the host casino and the names of the first players who secured a seat into Day 2 of the $1,700 buy-in tournament are now clear.
Michael Perrone, a player from Fairport, New York, finished Day 1A as the chip leader, putting 450,000 into his bag. The player is vying for his first-ever title from the series. He scored his best finish in a WSOP Circuit event early this year when he came in 6th in a $365 No-Limit Hold’em at the Choctaw Durant stop of the series. The player collected $27,156 for his run in that event.
One-time gold ring winner Ralph Massey was the player to finish the closest to the chip leader last night. He had 355,000 in chips at the end of Day 1A play. Jeffrey Fielder, a proud owner of two gold rings from the series, grabbed the third largest stack of the night, good for 320,000.
The first flight of the Main Event drew 460 entrants to the tables of Horseshoe Hammond. Of them, just 96 survived through all 15 levels scheduled to secure their spots into Day 2. They will be joined by the Day 1B survivors. The second starting flight of the tournament will start today at noon local time.
Notables Who Played Day 1A
The tournament, with its guaranteed prize pool of $1 million, attracted a number of WSOP Circuit regulars and other notables. WSOP gold bracelet winners Tom Koral and David Pham as well as gold ring winners Robert Hankins, Ryan Phan, and Ralph Massey were among those to make it through the end of the day.
Last year’s Horseshoe Hammond Main Event champion, Blake Battaglia, was, too, among the Day 1A survivors of the 2018 edition of the tournament. Battaglia outlasted 1,247 entries last fall to win the Main Event title, a gold ring, and a first-place prize of $332,020. The player will enter Day 2 of action with 96,500 for a shot at a back-to-back win.
WSOP Circuit notables such as Maurice Hawkins, Kevin Eyster, Aaron Massey, and Mukul Pahuja were among the players to register into the Main Event though Day 1A, but to fail to make it through all 15 levels.
As mentioned earlier, the tournament will feature one more starting flight that is scheduled to be played today from noon local time at the host casino. It will feature 15 levels of play and registration will remain open until the end of Level 13. The Day 1B survivors will combine with the ones who survived Day 1A on Sunday when Day 2 of the tournament will be played.
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Payne outwits 170 entries to claim his first gold ring from the series
Tyler Payne, a 25-year-old poker pro from Fayetteville, North Carolina, scooped his career’s first gold ring from the WSOP Circuit with a victory at Horseshoe Hammond last night. The player outlasted the 170 entries of the $1,250 No-Limit Hold’em for the gold piece and a first-place prize of $45,900.
The tournament took place over two days at the host casino. As mentioned above, it drew 170 entrants keen to take a shot at the piece of WSOP Circuit jewelry and the prize money. They generated a prize pool of $170,000. The money was split into 18 payouts.
Day 1 of the tournament ended with 24 hopefuls still in the mix for the title. It was namely Payne to lead the pack of 24. The player had managed to swell his 20,000-chip starting stack to 544,500 by the end of the day. He had a massive advantage over his closest rival who happened to be Jim Carr. Carr bagged 388,500 at the end of Day 1.
Day 2 Highlights
As Day 2 action progressed, the money bubble burst and then the unofficial final table of ten was set shortly after. Payne had lost his chip lead by that time, but was actually not that far from the top. He held the second largest stack among the final ten with 772,00 in chips and was only a few big blinds behind the chip leader at the time. Stephen Song led the finalists into that closing stage of the tournament with 838,000.
Payne was part of a stacked final table of several former gold ring winners, including Mukul Pahuja and Kevin Eyster, who each hold three gold rings from the series. In addition, Eyster is also one-time WSOP gold bracelet winner.
Despite the challenging competition, Payne’s final-table ride was smooth and seamless. The player said in his post-victory interview that he felt “like it was [his] the whole time, no tough spots or bad beats.”
Eventually, the tournament’s field was whittled down to just Payne and Eyster. Despite Eyster’s larger collection of WSOP trophies, it was Payne who claimed the $1,250 No-Limit Hold’em title last night.
The two-handed duel only lasted a few hands. Payne said at the beginning of their match that his final opponent had told him he deserved to win the title, to which Eyster responded that he had said that, but that did not mean he would not try to claim the title and his fourth gold ring.
The final hand in play saw Payne’s [Ac][3d] clash into and defeat Eyster’s [As][10h] on a [7h][6s][3c][7s][Qs] board. Eyster scooped $28,366 for his runner-up finish.
While the WSOP Circuit gold ring was extremely important to Payne, he told WSOP staff that he received another, much more important ring, last month. He married his partner Korissa, who the winner revealed has been supporting him the whole way.
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