An Australian man has taken his own life after accumulating debts in a cruise ship’s casino, Daily Mail reported. Safer gambling experts believe that Dixon’s suicide could have been prevented if the ship provider had provided adequate duty of care.

Shane Dixon, 50, jumped to his death as the ship approached Sydney. A father of three children, the man racked up a debt of AUD 4,000 in the shipboard casino. His family believes that the stress caused by the debt has led him to take his own life.

In an interview with Daily Mail Australia, Scott Dixon, Shane’s brother, said that the deceased man must have panicked.

His brain was probably going 100 miles an hour. He probably thought, “s***, I’ve done it again, I can’t afford it and I can’t ask mum for more money.“

Scott Dixon

Scott and the two men’s mother were aboard the Pacific Adventure together. The ship is owned and operated by P&O Australia, which was hosting an Elvis-themed cruise. Everything had been going well before Shane entered the shipboard casino.

Scott explained that his brother had been struggling financially for a while. The man had also been dealing with a broken marriage and the passing of their father and third brother. Scott believes that the casino might have incentivized Shane to play, taking advantage of his vulnerabilities.

The Casino Failed to Protect the Player

Australia’s Alliance for Gambling Reform weighed in on the matter. Carol Bennett, CEO of the organization, believes that Pacific Adventure has failed to provide Shane with sufficient duty of care. Bennett said that the fact that Pacific Adventure allowed something like that to happen is “really concerning.”

The rules that might apply on land no longer seem to apply and yet you would expect this cruise line would have some kind of duty of care to ensure that people are not plied with inducements, promotions and advertisements that are pushing them to gamble to extremely harmful levels.

Carol Bennett, CEO, Alliance for Gambling Reform

Since cruise ships operate casinos in international waters, they can bypass regional regulations and requirements. To make matters worse, some such ships’ gambling can be charged to their room bill, making it easier to overspend.

Bennett said that cruise ships should adopt at least some basic harm prevention measures, such as loss limits. If they don’t then governments would really need to address the matter, Bennett added.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO added that problem gambling is a huge issue in Australia and is affecting millions of families.  

VIP Member Says P&O Cruises’ Casinos Are Predatory

An anonymous high-roller who is a member of P&O Cruises’ VIP casino program, tipped Daily Mail off that the cruise company uses “predatory” strategies to promote its gambling products. While the player said that he always plans his spending carefully, he added that many players, especially vulnerable ones, will not.

They are essentially offshore casinos that come and pick people up from shore and take them out to international waters to gamble. If you don’t have the means to pay and you have an issue, there is no one to stop you so you can rack up a large amount of debt.

P&O high-roller

A P&O spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the company prefers to refrain from commenting on this tragic event while a coroner’s investigation is carried out. The representative, however, reassured the news outlet that her company’s casinos have Responsible Conduct of Gaming Policies in place across all ships and take them very seriously. The spokesperson concluded that her team would cooperate with the investigation.

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Currently, Maine’s federally recognized tribes hold exclusive rights to sports betting. The state launched its legal betting market back in November last year, yet tribes continue their efforts toward the expansion of gambling in the state.

On Wednesday this week, Maine’s Veteran’s and Legal Affairs Committee, heard details regarding three bills that propose the expansion of gambling, permitting tribes to establish and operate casinos on their lands, as announced by the Portland Press Herald.

Rep. Ben Collings, a sponsor of one of the bills that was recently reviewed, spoke about the benefits of expanding gambling. “I believe this is a matter of basic fairness,” he outlined, pointing out that despite the tribe’s exclusive online sports betting rights, they need more funds to fund their communities.

Collings said that allowing the tribes to establish casinos can provide much-needed funding for their reservations and boost rural communities. “I think it’s time we step out of the way and end this discriminatory policy that we have and let tribes run their own businesses and do with that money what they see fit and also bring in much-needed revenue to the rural areas of Maine and to our state’s economy,” he explained.

Existing Casino Operators Voice Their Concerns

Despite the potential benefits of expanding gambling across Maine through federally recognized tribes, not everyone agrees with the proposals. The state’s two casinos are significantly concerned about the impact a statewide expansion may have on their business. Representatives of the casinos in Hollywood and Oxford voiced their concerns about the proposals, adding that there may not be such high demand for this many casinos across the state.

Dan Walker, an attorney representing Oxford Casino, explained that a statewide gambling expansion marks a significant step for Maine. “You combine it with what else we’ve been hearing, (and) what’s being brought forward to this committee this session is the biggest expansion of gaming in (Maine) history, taken all together,” he explained.

Chris Jackson, a Hollywood Casino representative, confirmed that the gambling sector is significantly competitive. He added that in a state like Maine, there are “very limited gaming dollars” which makes the competition fierce.

Still, supporters of the tribal gambling expansion continue to hope the proposals will gain further traction. So far, Gov. Janet Mills has opposed the state’s gambling expansion. However, in 2022, she did make an exception by approving a proposal that allowed the tribes to secure exclusive rights over online sports betting.

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An advertisement post for Buzz Bingo that contained cartoon Halloween imagery caught the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the regulator in charge of advertising in the UK. The post appeared back in October on Buzz Bingo’s Facebook page, promoting a campaign that promised £50,000 ($63,000) on Mondays throughout the month.

The animated footage included a full moon on top of a scene with pumpkin heads grinning. Moreover, the ad featured a church, flying bats, a spider and a tombstone with a cross in a graveyard. The advertisement’s text read “MONSTER MONDAYS – £50,000 MUST BE WON EVERY MONDAY IN OCTOBER” and it was written with a font that resembled slime. Along with the text, the advertisement included the logo of Buzz Bingo and “18+ – BeGambleAware.org” details.

Scrutinizing Buzz Bingo’s ad, the ASA sought whether or not the cartoon imagery using a Halloween theme was likely to appeal to children. Currently, the advertising rules in the UK prohibit any gambling content to appeal to children. In other words, gambling operators cannot use imagery, characters or personas that are likely to appeal to underage individuals.

According to the ASA, Buzz Bingo “acknowledged the concern that the Halloween imagery could appeal to children.” However, the operator stated that the advertisement was promoted via its social media page on Facebook which was restricted to users under 18. Additionally, Buzz Bingo explained that the advertisement in question targeted only audiences who were 25 or older and had shown interest in bingo games. “They therefore believed they had acted and had taken precautions to prevent children and young people being exposed to the ad,” explained the advertising watchdog.

The ASA Upholds Its Decision against the Operator

Despite the actions taken by the operator, the ASA upheld its decision. According to the watchdog, the ad in question breached the CAP Code rules related to gambling, 16.1 and 16.3.12. Moreover, the ASA reiterated the section of the code which states that gambling marketing materials “must not be likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture.” It said that under the rules animated graphics or other similar content may “contribute to the impression that material was designed to appeal to under-18s.”

Upholding its decision, the ASA said that Buzz Bingo’s ad must not appear again in the form that was observed previously. Additionally, the advertising watchdog urged the operator not to use imagery or themes that are likely to appeal to underage individuals. Upon receiving the query of the ASA, Buzz Bingo voluntarily removed the aforementioned advertisement.

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At the start of August, the iGaming publisher that breathes innovation, Yggdrasil, joined ReelPlay to launch the Hot Rise Games’ Nightmares VS GigaBlox slot. 

Now, the publisher that stands for world-class entertainment has announced a similarly exciting collaboration resulting in the release of Excalibur VS GigaBlox. 

The fresh slot is the latest YG Masters release from the talented crew at Hot Rise Games which continues to rely on its ReelPlay agreement to offer premier content. 

Hot Rise Games’ VS series has already managed to successfully attract an impressive following thanks to previous releases including the previously mentioned Nightmares VS GigaBlox, Gods VS GigaBlox, and Monsters VS GigaBlox.

Accordingly, the new game with a focus on legendary heroes battling in search of the magical Excalibur sword, is also expected to quickly turn into a fan favorite. 

Excalibur VS GigaBlox Metrics Overview

• Rows: 6
• Reels: 6
• Paylines: 50 
• Volatility: Medium-High
• Max win: € 243,000
• RTP: 96%
• Min/Max Bet: €1 (min: €0.50, max: €60)
• Release date: November 21, 2023

Join the Courageous Warriors Looking for Highrise Respins 

Based on the popular GigaBlox Game Engagement Mechanic from Yggdrasil, the slot features six courageous warriors players can use to generate winning combinations across any of the 50 paylines. 

Each new spin will also bring at least one supersized symbol on the grid. Players who land a minimum of five shining gem symbols activate the Highrise Respins.

This feature rewards players with three respins to get started with. Each new successful spin will reset the count. 

The higher each of the columns rises, the more lucrative the rewards for every symbol in the respective column. 

Players who succeed in filling the top row with VERSUS icons will automatically put the wins in the columns on nitro. Lucky gamers who manage to complete the set benefit from super-charged wins.

Players Can Expect “Another Rewarding Spinning Experience”

As explained by ReelPlay’s chief executive officer, David Johnson, introducing Hot Rise Games’ freshest  VS slot to the market via their partners at Yggdrasil means giving players “another rewarding spinning experience.”

The GATI-powered game which has once again brought iconic historical and fictional characters to life has been described as “another superb addition to the YG Masters program” by Yggdrasil’s chief gaming officer, Mark McGinley. He also took the opportunity to praise the excellent work of the Hot Rise crew.

Last month, ReelPlay and Light & Wonder announced a four-year expansion of their existing deal.

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The game developer that creates original iGaming and gaming content and services selective gamers with premium casino games and niche video games, Gaming Corps, has launched Super Hot Stacks, a fruit-themed slot with up to 50 free spins. 

Super Hot Stacks Metrics Overview

• Reels: 5
• Rows: 3
• Paylines: 15 
• RTP: 96.04%
• Max win: 5,000x
• Bet: min: 0.1, max: 100
• Volatility: Medium 
• Release date: September 21, 2023

A Classic Theme With a Spin

As explained by Gaming Corps’ head of games, Connor Blinman, the fresh fruity-themed release packed with plum, orange, cherry (low-paying symbols), watermelon, lemon, and grapes (high-paying symbols) is just one of the most recent outcomes of their talented development team’s work.  Blinman added that they were “delighted” that the new slot was ready to reach players while calling it a pleasure to use the classic theme appreciated by gamers and give it their own spin.

The head of games took the opportunity to speak about the “momentous year” that the company has recorded, following its plans to expand as a developer and generate versatile content that will continue to remain “at the forefront” of its strategy. 

Multiply Wins with the Super Stack, Free Spins, and Bonus Guarantee Features 

To score a regular win, players must land a minimum of three identical symbols on the same payline from left to right, starting with the first reel to the left. 

For more exciting wins, players need to keep an eye on the Super Hot Stacks feature that can be engaged on random spins. To do this, players need to land the same type of symbol on all three rows. 

This will beef up the win multiplier by 1, giving players a 2X multiplier for landing a stack and a maximum of 6X when landing stacked symbols during the base game.

The maximum multiplier is sticky during the Free Spins feature and can reach 25x. To activate the Free Spins feature, players must land at least three scatters. This will trigger seven Free Spins. The feature can be retriggered with up to 50 Free Spins. 

Provided players get less than 10x their total bet during the same feature, they will see the Bonus Guarantee get automatically triggered. In turn, they will receive extra Free Spins to keep the reels spinning.

In August, Gaming Corps announced it would provide its games to Pin-UP Casino. The latter operates in Latin American and CIS regions. During the same month, the company said it would supply Sweden’s SuprNation with iconic games like Jet Lucky 2, Coin Miner, and Paddy’s Payout. 

Gaming Corps also announced it was getting ready for additional game releases, so fans can look forward to even more “memorable experiences.”

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Last week, the iconic iGaming publisher that “stands for world-class entertainment” and breaths innovation, Yggdrasil, announced the launch of Notre-Dame Tales GigaBlox, a medieval theme slot incorporating the iconic GigaBlox GEM feature. 

The release followed other similar announcements including Badger Miners launched at the start of July, Fast Fruits DoubleMax released via Reflex Gaming on July 20, and Bucks and Doe 10K WAYS launched with the help of ReelPlay two days earlier. 

Now, the publisher has announced another exciting collaboration with ReelPlay for the release of the Nightmares VS GigaBlox developed by Hot Rise Games. The slot packs the iconic VERSUS feature from Hot Rise along with the equally popular GigaBlox GEM. 

Nightmares VB GigaBlox Metrics Overview

• Reels: 6 
• Rows: 6
• RTP: 96.1%
• Max multiplier: X7,353 
• Max win: 7,353x 
• Bet: min: €0.50, max: €20
• Volatility: Medium-High
• Release date: August 1, 2023

Massive Coinciding Wins, Win Multipliers, Free Spins, and Buy Bonus 

Commenting on the new release, Yggdrasil’s chief gaming officer, Mark McGinley, spoke about the popularity of horror-themed games, describing the Nightmares VS GigaBlox as a “great addition” to their YG Masters portfolio. McGinley also spoke about the GigaBlox mechanic where massive symbols can take over all 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, 5×5, and 6×6 reels, break into individual symbols, and ultimately generate massive coinciding wins. 

The VERSUS feature comes with collection characters and free spins and can be triggered whenever a minimum of six scatter symbols are seen landing on the reels. When this occurs, players get six free spins. Additionally, Champion and Challenger symbols are randomly chosen to carry a battle across the grid.

All Champion and Challenger symbols that land during the free spins are collected, further boosting the feature with extra rewards including free spins, extra wilds, and win multipliers. 

ReelPlay’s chief executive officer, David Johnson, spoke about their partner studio Hot Rise Games’ ability to produce “boundary-expanding concepts” including HOT 1 and the recently used VERSUS feature. He also called Nightmares VS GigaBlox a slot with “a frighteningly good VERSUS feature” that is prone to keep players’ interest at an all-time high. 

The game also offers players in selected jurisdictions the chance to use the Buy Bonus feature for jumping right into the VERSUS feature in exchange for 80x their bet.

In February, Yggdrasil’s ongoing contributions to the iGaming industry along with their consistent delivery of premium content helped it scoop up the Innovator of the Year Award during the IGA 2023.

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Towards the beginning of May, Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority reported double-digit growth in its second fiscal 2023 quarter due to the company’s top performance across all digital operations. 

Now, the owner, developer, and manager of top-tier entertainment resorts located in the US, Canada, and Northern Asia has announced the events for the much-anticipated anniversary of its yearly Hot Summer Fun celebration. 

As expected, the company has announced a large number of activities and giveaways that will be available in-store. The prizes are said to be even more generous this year while the all-new venues that will be available for partying and the live performances are prone to turn into the “ultimate toast to summer 2023.”

Kickoff Events 

Once more, Casino Niagara, Mohegan Sun, Ilani, Mohegan Pennsylvania, Resorts Casino Hotel, Mohegan Casino Las Vegas, and Fallsview Casino Resort will be the main venues that will be hosting the season-long celebrations. 

Mohegan Sun, which is also the brand’s flagship resort, has kicked off the holiday weekend by inaugurating its new Sun Patio Bar. The new venue measures 2,100 square feet in size and it is an outdoor patio with a 50-foot long full-service bar, six hi-definition screens, and plenty of outdoor seating. 

Every Friday during Hot Summer Fun Party on the marked Sun Patio dates, the bar will welcome guests who are at least 21 and offer them drink specials, onsite food truck meal options, and live music performances. 

The bar will also be open on Saturdays from noon to midnight and on Sundays from noon to 9:00 p.m. 

Mohegan Pennsylvania to Kickstart the Celebrations with Live Harness Racing

Starting July 1, the Pennsylvania venue will host live harness racing at Pocono Downs, with events including live camel and live ostrich races, food trucks, and face painting, among others. The event will also address the FSB Initiative aimed at veterans and local charities such as Marley’s Mission.

The same property will also host its Party on the Patio series on Thursdays, with a number of tribute bands for Queen, Zac Brown, Bruce Springsteen, or DMB that will walk into the spotlight and offer quality live entertainment.

Mohegan Pennsylvania will also offer promotions Monday to Sunday, offering guests dining vouchers, drawing entry multipliers, gifts, Free Slot Play, and Status Point multipliers, among others. 

Resorts Casino Hotel Held a Beach Ball Drop on the Atlantic City Boardwalk 

To celebrate 45 long years of Hot Summer Fun, Resorts Casino Hotel started Memorial Day weekend with a beach ball drop on the Atlantic City Boardwalk while announcing many outdoor activities that will take place throughout the property during the summer. 

Resorts Casino Hotel will also organize T-Shirt Series Giveaways on Mondays, themed Mystery Money Kiosk games on Tuesdays with prizes of up to $4,500, Summer Gift Series on selected Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Rolling 45 Friday events when five lucky guests will get to roll the Craps dice for a chance to win up to $4,500. 

Players are also invited to take part in the All Summer Earning event that will start on May 27 and end on September 3, with a prize of $1,000,000 for rolling 45 along with the chance to roll for $1 million.

The same venue will also play Disco Inferno in the Superstar Theater on Sunday while allowing guests to visit the retro pop-up bar at Lounge 78 all summer long. 

Fallsview Casino Resort Will Organize Weekly Outdoor Events

Every Thursday until the end of August, the Backyard BBQ at Fallsview Casino Resort will be hosting a series of live music events accompanied by a food and drinks market. 

The venue will also organize a night of artisan cocktails along with indoor and outdoor entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays at After Dark at R5 starting May 19 until June 30.

Fallsview Casino Resort/Casino Niagara will also reward guests with Instant Win Monday events with up to $250 Momentum Dollars in prizes, Play’N Go Slot Tournaments on Tuesdays at Casino Niagara, Drive into Summer events on Wednesdays in July at Casino Niagara, and on Wednesdays at Fallsview Casino Resort in August, and even a Car Grand Prize Giveaway for a chance to win a 2023 Lexus RX 350 Hybrid.

Every Monday between June 26 and August 28, Mohegan Sun members will have the opportunity to win a share of $10,000 in cash. 

The venue will also host a Catchin’ Rays Tuesdays promotion with up to $500,000 in prizes, Wild Winning Wednesdays that will bring guests from Double Momentum Dollars on slots, table games, poker, stadium gaming, or when wagering in Race Book that will result in Double Status Points. 

The list of daily promotions continues with the Thrills & Chills Thursdays where guests can win a share of $10,000 Momentum Dollars and the Fun in the Sun Fridays when the first 1,000 Momentum members that will visit the Play+ Event Center will be rewarded with a free Hot Summer Fun T-shirt. 

Mohegan Casino Las Vegas and Ilani 

Mohegan Casino Las Vegas will reward guests with daily promotions like the Multiplier Monday promo with multiple Status Points and Momentum Dollars, Taquitos Tuesdays where Leap, Ascent and Soar members will be served with a free order of avocado and roasted corn taquitos at Casa Calavera, Ice Cream Wednesdays where members will get one tasty scoop of ice cream at Afters Ice Cream, and Thirsty Thursdays –where members will get to enjoy a savory margarita when visiting Heat and Desert Star.

Ilani members will have the chance to participate in the FREE T-Shirt Fridays promotion, the $200,000 Hot Summer Nights promo on Thursdays, and the Rooftop Tribute Series organized on Fridays starting June 16. 

All Momentum members are eligible to participate in a new promotion on each day of the week, with the chance to register for Mohegan Sun’s free rewards program at any Player’s Club booth across all of the brand’s properties.

In February, Mohegan announced its plans to launch a non-gaming Inspire Korea IR resort in 2023. 

The post Mohegan Announces Hot Summer Fun Celebrations for 2023 appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The gaming-on-the-go industry pioneer launched in 2005 has announced the launch of its freshest 5×4 slot packed with cool features and mechanics and a spectacular graphic design.

The company has been busy expanding its foothold in different markets and releasing fresh titles in the past months. At the beginning of April, Play’n GO announced it reaffirmed its presence in Italy by inking a deal with local powerhouse Sisal. 

Luchamigos Metrics Overview 

• Reels: 5
• Rows: 4
• Paylines: 1024
• RTP: 96.2%
• Hit Freq: –
• Max Win: 10000x
• Volatility: High
• Min/Max Bet: 0.1-100
• Release date: May 11, 2023

Turn up the Heat! 

While setting foot into the mesmerizing universe of Mexican wrestling, players meet the three friends whose common goal is to turn into Luchador champions. While the trio never found the strength to compete at a professional level, they eventually come across a very special chili pepper that gives them supernatural powers and helps completely changes the game for them. 

In Luchamigos, players are invited to join Join Gran Chico, Roco Elastico, and Muchos Salvajes, the aspiring luchadores who are determined to tear up their competitors using their newfound spicy magic.

As the game progresses, players feel the upbeat energy more and more and enjoy the vibrant and vividly colored experience represented by lucha libre, Mexicans’ wrestling specialty.

The game features cool and quirky symbols and an eye-catching background. It is also packed with excellent features that are revealed in time, as the game progresses. 

Play’n GO’s head of game retention George Olekszy has expressed excitement regarding fans’ reaction to the game that “offers players some brilliant bonus features.”

Recently, the company launched Ronin’s Honour, another premium game with a similar traditional fighting theme in place for samurai fans.

Wilds, Power Chili Spins, and the Ultimate Hot Spins 

The wilds in the game are represented by the trio of wrestlers. Landing at least one of these symbols while engaged in the base game together with a Chili Scatter symbol triggers the respective wrestler’s special abilities. 

These include stacked reels of wild symbols, 2×2 Mega Wild symbols, or four random wild symbols popping on the reels. Each of these features can significantly improve the chances of triggering a winning pay way for cool rewards.

To receive the Ultimate Hot Spin, players must fill the Ultimate meter all the way to the top. When this occurs, players receive an additional Free Spin while being guaranteed a wild win through the symbol’s most powerful version.

At the end of April, Play’n GO released Gerard’s Gambit, an educative slot that tells the story of an adventurer called Gerard. 

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