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Sega’s new slot app brings Sonic to social casino
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Sega’s new slot app brings Sonic to social casino
Greek’s Planned Regulatory Reform on Gambling Faces Growing Opposition
Casino News Daily
Greek’s Planned Regulatory Reform on Gambling Faces Growing Opposition
Among other things, the piece of legislation proposes a new licensing framework for the country’s casinos. According to officials at operational casinos the new regulatory regime creates better conditions for new industry stakeholders. Gambling executives also oppose the implementation of different corporate taxes for operators of existing venues and for newcomers.
The proposed scrapping of an entry fee for patrons is yet another provision that existing casinos have received with discontent. Under the draft bill, already operational gaming venues will first have to be given the nod from the Hellenic Gaming Commission in order to remove the entry fee. What is more, they will have to pay a compensation fee, which casino officials deem too high.
The sweeping gambling reform currently under consideration by lawmakers allows for the relocation of six existing casinos and the construction of three new casinos on the Greek islands of Mykonos, Crete, and Santorini. All three are popular tourist destinations and the opening of gambling venues is hoped to attract even a greater number of international travelers and boost Greece’s tourism industry and economy at a time when the country desperately needs additional revenue sources.
Mykonos Opposes the New Casino Proposal
Local media reported recently that Mykonos’ mayor, Konstantinos Koukas, has sent a letter to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressing the island’s opposition to the casino plan. In his letter, Mr. Koukas has said that the island has much more pressing issues to address, including the addition of more schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. The letter further read that only after these issues are solved, they could think about building a casino.
Island officials have also stressed on the fact that while the Greek government had conducted public consultation on the proposed casino expansion and the Mykonos municipality had participated in it, its stance on the matter had clearly not been taken into consideration.
Last month, the Mykonos City Council approved a proposal for a referendum at which islanders would be able to voice their opinion on the matter. Councilors also decided to launch a petition against the casino proposal and to authorize Mayor Koukas to take legal action in relation to the government’s decision to potentially authorize the construction of a casino on the island, despite the growing opposition to the move.
The post Greek’s Planned Regulatory Reform on Gambling Faces Growing Opposition appeared first on Casino News Daily.
Friday, January 12, 2018
See the 'Last Comic Standing' at Treasure Island Casino
Casino City Times
See the 'Last Comic Standing' at Treasure Island Casino
Comedian and actor Felipe Esparza will perform at the Las Vegas casino on 23 February.
New CEO’s appointed by Paddy Power Betfair
World Casino News
New CEO’s appointed by Paddy Power Betfair
Casino Concession Negotiations and Triad Links Could Impact Macau’s Economy in 2018
Casino News Daily
Casino Concession Negotiations and Triad Links Could Impact Macau’s Economy in 2018
Mr. Vickers is CEO of Steve Vickers Associates, a company specializing in risk assessment and mitigation, corporate intelligence, security, and consulting services. The consultancy recently produced the 2018 Asia Risk Assessment report, in which it included its vision on what the year could possibly have in store for Macau.
During a recent event of the British Business Association of Macau, Mr. Vickers presented some of his company’s views on the future of the city’s casino industry. According to Steve Vickers Associates, the expected beginning of negotiations over Macau’s six casino concessions and sub-concessions and their expiration between 2020 and 2022 could create certain difficulties for the special administrative region, which is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.
In 2017, Macau posted its first casino revenue increase in three years, following an anti-corruption campaign initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the city’s efforts to revive its gambling industry from the impact. The city’s six licensed casino operators generated revenue of $33.13 billion last year, up 19% from 2016.
However, Mr. Vickers believes that Macau’s tight links to China’s organized crime could also have some negative effects on the city’s casino industry and economy, as a whole.
Macau’s Casino Industry and the Triads
Mr. Vickers said during the British Business Association of Macau event that triad members are probably the only people who could still “enforce a gambling debt in Mainland China” effectively. The risk management experts further dwelt that even though the triads have institutionalized themselves, they are still moving freely among people who have nothing to do with organized crime.
According to Mr. Vickers, more actions need to be undertaken so that triad members are prevented from engaging in different illegal activities, including ones related to gambling.
The expert and his consultancy firm also seem to believe that Macau is particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, despite efforts for improving the city’s readiness to respond to incidents of this type. Mr. Vickers pointed out that the constant release of key statistics about the city’s gambling industry and economy, as a whole, are among the factors that make it vulnerable to terrorist groups from around the world.
The post Casino Concession Negotiations and Triad Links Could Impact Macau’s Economy in 2018 appeared first on Casino News Daily.
Marvin Rettenmaier Vies For Third WPT Title at WPT European Championship
Casino News Daily
Marvin Rettenmaier Vies For Third WPT Title at WPT European Championship
Austrian poker pro Gerald Karlic will enter Day 2 action as the overall chip leader with a total of 182,800 in chips. The player secured his top leaderboard position on Day 1A. And Zikai Li, who finished 12th in the WPTDeepStacks Berlin Main Event a few days ago, bagged and tagged 133,000 at the end of Day 1B to finish as the overnight chip leader.
Registration for the tournament remains open through the first level of Day 2, which means that more players could join the field. It is important to note that the event features a guaranteed prize pool of €1 million. Organizers will announce how the money will be distributed once registration closes. The tournament will run through Monday, January 15, when the official six-handed final table will be played.
Marvin Rettenmaier’s Bid for a Third WPT Title
Rettenmaier currently boasts live tournament earnings of over $6.6 million. The player has cashed in more than 143 live tournaments since 2009 when his first in-the-money finish was recorded.
The German was the winner of the 2012 WPT World Championship $25,500 No-Limit Hold’em. The player topped a field of 152 entries back then to scoop the largest portion of the prize pool. His share of the money totaled $1,196,858. This has actually remained the player’s largest-ever live cash.
It can be said that 2012 was a lucky year for Rettenmaier, as the player won a second WPT title only several months after his first one. He bested 328 other players to win the 2012 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic $4,400 Main Event for $287,784.
Other notables who will try to win the WPT European Championship title at Spielbank Berlin include a former WPT champion Julian Thomas and WPT’s very own Tony Dunst. Rettenmaier is advancing into Day 2 with 82,900, which accounts for an average chip stack, while the other two currently hold 43,500 and 16,600, respectively.
Action at the host venue is set to resume shortly. The Day 1A and Day 1B players could be joined by more participants willing to try to win the exciting event. Registration is set to close once the first level of play is concluded.
Image Credit: WPT
The post Marvin Rettenmaier Vies For Third WPT Title at WPT European Championship appeared first on Casino News Daily.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
The Reel Life: Candy pods edition
Casino City Times
The Reel Life: Candy pods edition
In the wake of a meme about eating laundry detergent, Americans are now creating recipes for edible laundry detergent.
