The leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of games, powering casinos across the globe, Aristocrat Gaming, announced a new collaboration, allowing it to grow its global footprint. This week, the company confirmed it expanded its presence in North America by securing entry into the video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming market in Québec, Canada. This milestone achievement was completed via a partnership with Loto-Québec, Quebec’s provincial lotto and iGaming operator.

Stéphane Fraser, Loto-Québec’s executive vice president and chief operating officer of gaming establishments, praised the new collaboration with Aristocrat Gaming. Sharing her excitement, she pointed out: “Loto-Québec is pleased to announce its partnership with Aristocrat.”

On the other hand, Kurt Gissane, Aristocrat’s chief revenue officer, spoke about the importance of the company’s entry into the VLT market in Québec. He explained that this achievement represents an important milestone for the company and reaffirms its dedication to expanding the reach of its quality products.

Gissane revealed that Aristocrat is thrilled to expand its footprint in the province and reach new customers in the process. Finally, he said that the company anticipates a long-term and successful partnership with Loto-Québec.

“Gaining entry into the Québec VLT market is another major milestone for the company, demonstrating our vested interest in these emerging segments, and allowing us to bring our award-winning products to new markets and their players.“

Kurt Gissane, chief revenue officer at Aristocrat Gaming

New Games Will Reach Players across Québec

Thanks to the new entry into the VLT gaming market in the Canadian province, Aristocrat confirmed that 10 games will be launched. The list includes hit titles such as Bao Zhu Zhao Fu Red Festival, Fu Dai Lian Lian Panda, Fire Light, Scorchin’ Fortune, Flamin’ Hits and Prosperity of the Nile, among other quality games. According to Aristocrat, the games will be displayed via MidKnight X, the company’s new upright cabinet.

Elsewhere, earlier this month, Aristocrat confirmed the launch of NFL Super Bowl Link, its latest NFL-themed slot game. At the time, the supplier confirmed that the new class 3 game will be using its famous MarsX Portrait cabinet. The launch came just in time for the Super Bowl and promised NFL fans exciting experiences.

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The leading supplier of betting services catering to gambling operators across the globe, Sports Information Services (SIS), announced a new partnership, allowing it to significantly grow its horse racing offering. On Wednesday, the company released details regarding its new deal with Korea Racing Authority, growing its live racing content with the addition of premium horse racing fixtures from Korea.

Per the new agreement, SIS will gain access to more than 200 fixtures annually from Seoul as well as Busan. This will grant access to 1,800 races, significantly expanding the company’s Asian content offering. Thanks to the new collaboration, SIS will not only expand its live racing content but leverage the access to premium horse racing fixtures.

This, in turn, can help create new opportunities for the company with operators across the globe. SIS explained that the new deal with the Korea Racing Authority complements the growth of its offering. Recently, the company completed a similar expansion on an international level, bringing content from South Africa and Australia.

The latest deal comes after another important change was announced by SIS recently. At the end of 2023, the company confirmed it stepped back from its greyhound simulcast operations in the United States.

The Partnership Is Expected to Create New Betting Opportunities

SuHyeong Lee, the Korea Racing Authority’s head of international races and relations, spoke about the strong position SIS holds by offering racing content from across the globe. The head of international races and relations added that the Authority is excited to join forces with the leading supplier of betting services and content. “We firmly believe this will successfully widen the popularity of horse racing from Korea and are sure that our offering will be well received globally,” explained Lee in conclusion.

“SIS is renowned throughout the industry for delivering the best international racing content and we are thrilled to be able to expand the visibility of our racing through this deal.“

SuHyeong Lee, head of international races and relations, at the Korea Racing Authority

Conall McSorley, SIS’ head of international horse racing, EMEA, highlighted the importance of offering quality racing fixtures from Korea. He added that the new deal boosts the company’s offering while at the same time, creating new betting opportunities. Finally, McSorley predicted that the new product would be well received by bettors, as well as operators in different markets.

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The New Year’s Powerball drawing made one lucky player from Michigan significantly wealthy. At the time, one lucky lottery player hit the life-changing $842 million Powerball jackpot by guessing correctly all white balls 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball 1. If the lucky player selects a cash payout, he will be able to pocket some $425.2 million.

Now, a week later, the jackpot from the Powerball continues to grow. The drawing on Monday saw nobody guess correctly all white balls which were 7, 17, 28, 40, 45 and red Powerball 2.

After surviving the drawing on Monday, the jackpot from Powerball is estimated at $60 million for the upcoming draw scheduled for Wednesday. The cash option if a person guesses correctly all winning numbers and secures the jackpot is a mouth-watering $29.7 million, far from the $60 million but still life-changing.

Besides the jackpot from Powerball, a billion-dollar jackpot from Mega Millions was claimed recently. The jackpot, a staggering $1.6 billion was won from the game’s drawing back in August. At the end of last month, the Florida Lottery confirmed that the jackpot prize was claimed by a company called Saltines Holdings, LLC. Instead of selecting monthly payments, the company chose to receive a lump sum payment of nearly $795 million.

No Million-Dollar Prize Won from Monday’s Powerball Drawing

The latest drawing of the Powerball drawing saw nobody secure the grand prize but there was no one who collected a seven-digit prize too. Guessing all five white winning numbers would’ve granted a player a $1 million prize.

From the drawing on Monday, eight lucky lottery players guessed correctly all five white balls. This granted them a $50,000 prize each, while one user secured a $150,000 Power Play prize.

Some 175 lottery players won a $100 prize each by guessing correctly four white balls, while 66 winners collected a $300 Power Play prize each. It’s no surprise that the largest number of winners collected $4 each for guessing the red Powerball, a total of 136,098. Some 52,011, who guessed the red Powerball from the latest drawing secured $12 each.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning a prize from the game are 1 in 24.9.

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Moving forward, William Hill players in Italy will have the opportunity to benefit from Play’n GO’s full range of award-winning games, which includes Book of Dead and various well-established franchises by the company, such as Reactoonz, Rise of Olympus and Tome of Madness, among some of the company’s most prominent options.

Bringing Acclaimed Slot Franchises to Players in Italy

This partnership follows up on the two companies’ ongoing alliance which has already seen the Book of Dead games introduced to fixed-odds betting terminals in the United Kingdom, bringing the popular online classic to the brick-and-mortar industry, and not the other way around in a surprising trend-bucking move.

Play’n GO and William Hill are both committed to expanding their local footprint despite regulatory headwinds that could see licensing fees in Italy go up by a significant margin, and competition in the market diminished.

Commenting on this fresh opportunity, William Hill Italy Head of Commercial Valerio Micchio welcomed this fresh opportunity and said that the company was very excited to see Play’n GO’s titles, hailing the supplier as a natural partner, and author of some of the best online slots.

“Our already-existing relationship points towards further success here in Italy, and we’re pleased to welcome a company who are as equally committed as we are to providing a safe, exciting experience to players everywhere,” Micchio added.

Building the Best Online Casino Experience Possible

The partnership was similarly hailed by Play’n GO Sales Leader, LatAm and Southern Europe, Michele Stefanelli who said that the company was very pleased to team up with William Hill and provide Italian players with the best online casino experience possible. Stefanelli added:

We’re confident that William Hill’s Italian players will love the opportunity to engage with our content, and we look forward to many years of success together.

Play’n GO Sales Leader, LatAm and Southern Europe, Michele Stefanelli

Play’n GO has been steadily adding to its list of titles, with more than 300 premium online slots to date, one of the latest of which was Mega Don Feeding Frenzy released earlier in December. Play’n GO also launched Dutch Flip in the Netherlands earlier this year.

More prominent releases by Play’n GO over the past months, continuing to build upon some of the supplier’s most original franchises, were Raging Rex 3 and Legacy of Dynasties. Play’n GO also recently scored 250 million played rounds in a single day, setting an eye-watering record.

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In a significant boost for the proposed casino development at Lake of the Ozarks, the Miller County Commission has unanimously endorsed the initiative led by Osage River Gaming and Convention (ORGC) in collaboration with Bally’s Corporation. This latest show of support comes as the local gaming group strives to bypass the General Assembly by garnering signatures for an initiative petition slated for the statewide November 2024 ballot.

Commission Unanimously Backs Lake Casino, Surprised by Tom Wright’s Endorsement

The commission’s decision follows a brief public comment session, where even former longtime Presiding Commissioner Tom Wright, known for his reservations about the casino, conceded that the county would benefit from the development, albeit not to the extent touted by proponents, reported KRMS Radio. Wright’s opinion underscores the ongoing debate about the economic impact of the proposed casino on the Lake area.

ORGC aims to establish the casino in the vicinity of the quarry near the Osage River Bridge, utilizing a portion of the 90-acre Eagles’ Landing Phase 4 property. This collaboration with Bally’s Corporation, as outlined in a recent letter to the City of Lake Ozark, reflects the gaming group’s commitment to the project’s success.

The casino project, if ultimately approved, will not be a traditional riverboat casino, as ORGC is not obligated to adhere to this specific format under Missouri law. The state’s regulations allow for casinos to be built on the shore, provided they meet certain requirements. Eagles’ Landing Phase 4 falls within the 1,000 feet limit of the Osage River floodplain, complying with the legal framework.

ORGC’s Innovative Vision Redefines Lake of the Ozarks Entertainment

The proposed development goes beyond just the casino, with ORGC envisioning the utilization of approximately 20 acres for the gaming facility and the remaining space dedicated to a hotel, convention center, restaurants, and shops. This comprehensive approach aligns with the evolving landscape of casino establishments, moving away from the traditional riverboat model.

Importantly, the local endorsement received by ORGC is distinct from the efforts of Osage Nation Gaming group, which is still pursuing approval for a separate casino in Lake Ozark, despite facing resistance from the city. The city’s main concern revolves around the potential lack of state regulation and taxation for this alternative casino proposal.

As both gaming groups navigate the complex landscape of approvals, the local community remains engaged in discussions, weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks of these contrasting casino projects for the picturesque Lake of the Ozarks region. The coming months are poised to be crucial as stakeholders await further developments in this unfolding saga.

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Sports betting has emerged as the front-runner in the race to legalize gambling in Georgia, overshadowing discussions on casinos and horse racing. 

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Foresees Smooth Sailing for Sports Betting

Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, a staunch supporter of sports betting, believes it should be an “easy lift” compared to other forms of gambling, reported The Macon Telegraph. Jones, who introduced a sports betting bill in 2020, asserts that sports betting enjoys more popularity than casinos and horse racing among Georgians.

The recent legislative session saw a significant development when former Georgia Chief Justice Harold Melton opined that sports betting could be legalized without amending the state’s constitution. Melton categorized sports betting as akin to a lottery game, allowing oversight by the Georgia Lottery Corp., already incorporated into the constitution in 1992.

Despite this, divisions emerged among lawmakers regarding the best approach. Some favored a constitutional amendment to involve Georgia voters in the decision, while an alternative Senate measure aimed to include sports betting in the constitution. Both measures were defeated, postponing any decision until 2024.

Georgia’s Upcoming Legislative Session Poised for Sports Betting Breakthrough

Lt. Gov. Jones anticipates that the Senate will lead the charge on sports betting in the upcoming legislative session, with the Metro Atlanta Chamber once again throwing its weight behind the cause. The chamber, closely aligned with Atlanta’s professional sports teams, sees legalized sports betting as a catalyst for increased fan engagement.

Marshall Guest, senior vice president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, emphasized the potential economic benefits, citing that 38 states have already legalized sports betting since a 2018 US Supreme Court decision granted states that authority.

Lawmakers are considering various avenues for legalization, with State Rep. Ron Stephens advocating for a constitutional amendment. Stephens argues that the tax benefits of sports betting make the constitutional amendment route more appealing, even though it requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate.

Supporters highlight the potential tax revenue, earmarked for Georgia’s popular HOPE Scholarships and Pre-Kindergarten programs, as a compelling reason to move forward with sports betting legalization. Advocates believe that emphasizing these educational and community benefits could sway the necessary two-thirds majority in an election year.

While some have floated the idea of combining sports betting, casinos, and horse racing into a single constitutional amendment, skeptics like Stephens argue that such a comprehensive approach might be overly ambitious. As Georgia gears up for another legislative session, the push for sports betting legalization appears stronger than ever.

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Early in September, Kentucky introduced retail and mobile sports betting. Nearly two dozen mobile and land-based sports betting operators licensed in the state started offering their services to bettors and sports fans alike. The move of lawmakers to legalize sports betting comes as no surprise, considering the growing popularity of the activity across the United States and the tax revenue it brings. Besides taxes, the state also benefits from license fees as well as renewal fees, payable by operators in the state.

After September and October had passed, the regulator in charge of sports betting, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, is yet to release detailed reports regarding the proceeds for operators and the state from sports betting. Yet, during a meeting earlier this week, the Commission’s director of sports wagering, Hans Stokke, released details regarding the performance of licensed betting operators.

As announced by Covers, an estimate of more than $300 million has been wagered via mobile and retail betting operators since the launch of the legal market in Kentucky early in September. Approximately $325 million is expected to be the final figure for the period, with the Commission yet to confirm the final number upon releasing their report.

According to Stokke, Kentucky already benefitted from some $4.25 million in license fees payable by the betting operators. Additionally, he said that an estimate of $1 million is expected to come as proceeds from annual renewal fees that would be paid next year. Stokke explained: “The KHRC is pleased to deliver a sports wagering experience to Kentuckians on time, as promised, in a regulated and responsible context.”

Latest Figures Coincide with Kentucky Governor Numbers

The recent announcement comes after late last month, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear shared similar numbers about the money wagered on sports betting since its launch. At the time, he said that approximately $250 million was wagered via licensed mobile and retail betting providers across the state. Moreover, Beshear said that some half a million accounts were created since the launch of legal sports betting in the state.

Upon announcing the expected results, Gov. Beshear said that an estimated $15.7 million was bet via retail sportsbooks. Not unexpectedly, he said that the majority of the bets were placed via mobile sportsbooks, an estimated $232.3 million.

Currently, Kentucky is one of 35 states, along with D.C., where sports betting is legal. In seven states, the legalization of sports betting has halted, while a handful are expecting to launch their legal betting markets.

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The October 11 drawing of Powerball, America’s favorite lottery, completely changed the life of one lucky player. Guessing correctly all white balls along with the red Powerball, the lottery player hit the game’s second-largest jackpot, a staggering $1.76 billion. Since the drop of the whopping jackpot, the game hasn’t seen another winner of the grand prize, allowing it to surpass $150 million.

There was no one that guessed correctly all white balls, 19, 22, 34, 66, 69 along with the red Powerball 5, from the drawing on Monday. This enabled the Powerball jackpot to grow further to an estimated $152 million for the upcoming drawing scheduled for Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

While the $152 million sum represents an initial payment followed by installments, if the lucky user selects a cash option that is also possible. Provided that a player guesses correctly all balls from the drawing tomorrow and decides to take home a lump cash sum, they would be looking at some $66.8 million. While that’s far from the mouth-watering $150 million, it is still a life-changing payout.

Nobody Won a Million-Dollar Prize on Monday

Earlier this month, the billion-dollar jackpot undoubtedly attracted millions of players. With everyone hoping to win the grand prize, the overall odds of securing a win from Powerball are 1 in 24.9. On the other hand, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

While the billion-dollar drawing from earlier this month saw more than 5 million winning tickets, the drawing on Monday night saw nearly 290,000 winning tickets with standard prizes. Surprisingly, nobody guessed correctly the five white balls for a $1 million prize.

On the other hand, only 5 tickets guessed correctly four white balls and the red Powerball to take home $50,000 each. Two lucky winners last night secured a Power Play Prize, taking home $150,000 each.

Guessing correctly four white balls granted 140 lottery players a prize of $100 each. The same prize was collected by an additional 414 lottery players who guessed correctly three white balls along with the red Powerball on Monday.

The biggest number of winners was within the lowest prize tier. Some 188,655 players collected a $4 prize each, while 68,706 took a Power Play Prize of $12 each by guessing correctly only the red Powerball from last night’s drawing.

The post Powerball Jackpot Grows to $150M for Next Drawing appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The gambling regulator in Indiana, the Indiana Gaming Commission, released its latest report, revealing details regarding the performance of sports betting operators for the month of September. The recent report reveals that the betting handle posted by regulated betting operators last month hit $404.1 million, marking a year-over-year increase.

A comparison to the $382.5 million in betting handle posted a year earlier, in September 2022, shows that this year, the handle increased by nearly 6%. On the other hand, when compared to the $355.4 million betting handle result reported in September 2021, an increase of 13.7% is observed, reaffirming an ongoing growth trajectory.

Considering the $404.1 million in betting handle reported last month, taxable sports wagering adjusted gross revenue (AGR), halted at $41.1 million. A year-over-year comparison to the corresponding period last year shows that while the betting handle was lower, taxable AGR was higher. In September 2022, taxable AGR reported by regulated sports betting operators was higher by $10 million, a total of $51.2 million. Still, the taxable AGR reported last month surpassed the result from September 2021 which was $33.9 million.

According to the newly released report by the gambling regulator, sports betting tax last month was $3,972,181. This result, when compared to the $4.9 million in sports wagering tax reported for September 2022, also marked a decrease.

Considering the start of the new NFL season last month, it’s no surprise that football posted the highest betting handle, $155.4 million. Parlay bets were also strong in September with $124.8 million in betting handle, while other sports saw $62.9 million in betting handle.

Highest Betting Handle Posted by DraftKings While FanDuel Follows Closely

DraftKings, the leading online betting operator, along with its retail partner in Indiana, Ameristar Casino, posted the highest betting handle last month, a total of $171.2 million. This resulted in $15.6 million in taxable AGR for September, bringing in nearly $1.5 million in tax revenue.

Second in line was Blue Chip Casino and its online betting partner FanDuel. Overall, the duo reported a betting handle of $124.8 million last month, the second-highest result out of all operators in the state. The taxable AGR posted by Blue Chip Casino and FanDuel last month was $15.1 million, bringing in $1.5 million in taxes.

The Commission’s latest report reveals that Belterra Casino posted the third-highest betting handle result in September, hitting $33.7 million. This resulted in $3.8 million in taxable AGR and $357,194 in taxes.

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Powerball, America’s favorite lottery, retained its jackpot after there was no winning ticket that guessed correctly all white balls 19, 30, 37, 44, 46 and the red Powerball 22 from the drawing on Saturday. Surviving the latest drawing, the jackpot now surpasses the billion-dollar mark and is estimated to be $1.04 billion for the draw set for Monday, October 2, 2023.

While the jackpot is still the fourth largest, it certainly came close to the third-largest prize that dropped back in July, a staggering $1.08 billion. Given that nobody wins the jackpot on Monday, it is likely that it will continue growing and become the third-largest grand prize. Besides the jackpot that was won back in July, this year saw another grand prize drop. In February, a lucky winner from Washington hit the Powerball jackpot, taking home some $754.6 million.

If a lucky winner hits the jackpot from the upcoming drawing on Monday, they will be able to choose one of two options. One of the options is to collect the full prize of $1.04 billion via annual installments with initial immediate payment and 29 subsequent payments with a 5% increase yearly.

On the other hand, if the lucky player wants to take home a lump sum, they can also do so by collecting approximately $478.2 million, again, a life-changing sum. It’s important to note that the estimated cost of the aforementioned prizes is before taxes.

Jackpot Remains but Lucky Visitors Take Home Lower-Tier Prizes

Played across nearly 50 states and US jurisdictions, Powerball is undoubtedly one of the most popular lottery games. The cost per ticket is $2, while players who want to benefit from the game’s multiplier feature can pay an extra $1 per play.

While the drawing on Saturday didn’t have a grand prize winner, plenty of prizes within the lower-tier levels of the game dropped. Overall, more than 2.5 million people won prizes within the different prize-tiers from the game.

Five lucky players were able to guess correctly the white balls from the drawing on Saturday. As a result, two ticket holders in Florida, one in Maryland, one in Michigan and one in Pennsylvania secured a $1 million prize each. On Saturday, one ticket holder in North Carolina and one in Indiana guessed correctly all white balls but paid extra for a multiplier, taking home $2 million prizes each.

The latest drawing saw 55 ticket holders secure a $50,000 prize each. On the other hand, nine ticket holders who paid for a multiplier were able to scoop up a $100,000 prize each.

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