Ambitious plans envision the construction of a giant sphere-shaped entertainment venue in London, mirroring the Sphere in Las Vegas. Proposed by Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG) the project seeks to replicate the 90-meter music and entertainment at the British capital but Sadiq Khan, the city’s mayor, doesn’t seem to be on board with the idea.

Khan rejected the idea and cited the light pollution the property would create as the chief reason for his decision. For reference, MSG’s plan was to construct the London Sphere in Stratford, close to the Olympic Park.

The Sphere is a brightly illuminated music venue that can project images on its surface. While this design is exactly what makes it popular, it is also why Khan believes that it isn’t well-suited for the London lifestyle.

The mayor pointed out that constructing such a property would cause an “unacceptable negative impact” on residents of the area.

In addition, the property would have been too “dominant and incongruous” and potentially environmentally unstable because of the huge amounts of energy needed to power it.

MSG Will Look Elsewhere

Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which also owns the property in Las Vegas, first unveiled its London project in 2018. Back then, Khan seemed more favorable of the idea and had lauded it as an opportunity to “welcome another world-class venue to the capital” and enrich London.  

However, a year later Khan’s office became concerned with the proposal, which did not comply with the London Plan. Back then, Khan and his staff were planning to decide on a compromise.

In addition, recent estimates show that as many as 61 homes and 177 student rooms would have been affected by the strong light emitted by the property. In the end, Khan seems to have decided that the downsides of replicating the Sphere in London were not worth it.

This decision has the backing of the Green party, which feels similarly about the Sphere. Labour representatives also praised the rejection, saying that it was good news for all local residents.

MSG responded to Khan’s decision, expressing their disappointment in the mayor’s change of heart. However, they said that they would instead focus their efforts on “forward-thinking cities” that would be on board with the idea of enhancing their communities with such technology.

The post Khan Decides Not to Replicate the Las Vegas Sphere in London appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The gambling regulator in Malta, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), announced a new sanction against a license holder in the country. The regulatory watchdog revealed Friday that it decided to suspend the authorization of SFJL Holding Limited. At the time of the announcement, the MGA said that the authorized company is no longer allowed to conduct any gambling activities. This is in effect throughout the suspension’s operative period, explains the MGA in a statement.

Judging by the latest announcement, the suspension comes after the regulator claimed it uncovered multiple breaches by SFJL Holding Limited. The Authority said that the operator breached multiple provisions within regulatory condition 9 of its established regulations.

The MGA claimed that the operator breached provisions 9 (1) (c), 9 (1) (k) and 9 (1) (j). Describing the alleged breaches, the MGA said that 9 (1) (c) relates to failure to “comply with one or more applicable obligations in terms of any regulatory instrument or any other applicable law of Malta.”

On the other hand, 9 (1) (k) of the regulations refers to failure to seek approval from the MGA for a material change in cases where such approval is required or the failure to notify the gambling regulator for such material change where such notification is needed.

While the suspension prevents SFJL Holding Limited from conducting any gaming operations for the duration of the suspension, the company has the option to file an appeal.

The Gambling Regulator Remains Vigilant

The latest sanction imposed by the MGA comes after last month, the regulator issued another suspension of the authorization of another gambling operator. At the time, the regulator said that it suspended the authorization of Tipster Limited, effectively stopping the licensee from offering gambling activities. This suspension came on the grounds of the company “being wound up” and was in accordance with reg. 9 (1) (f) of the established Regulations, explained the gambling watchdog at the time.

Before that, in June, the MGA imposed a tough regulatory sanction against the Malta-based iGaming and betting operator, MKC Limited. The tough sanction was a cancellation of the operator’s license, which effectively stopped it from providing online betting and gaming activities. The sanction came during a difficult time for MKC after its Betworld247 brand was asked to exit the regulated gambling market in the Netherlands.

The post MGA Decides to Suspend Authorization for SFJL Holding Limited appeared first on Keno Wizard.