In a groundbreaking legal battle, the State of Texas faces off against gambling machines in a case that could set a precedent for the future of such devices in the jurisdiction. The hearing, presided over by the 336th District Judge in Fannin County, marks the first time a Texas court is deciding the legality of these devices.

Skill Games Remain a Contentious Topic in Many Jurisdictions

Texas law explicitly forbids chance-based gambling machines. However, skill-based games circumvent existing restrictions and remain permitted despite their similarities. The legal scrutiny follows a county-wide seizure of gambling machines in March last year, impacting several locations. Fannin County District Attorney Richard Glaser and local law enforcement initiated the seizure, contending that the machines violated Texas gambling regulations.

A recent report by media outlet KXII revealed that the central question in this hearing was whether the 35 confiscated machines were skill-based or chance-based. Glaser firmly believes these machines operate on chance, making them illegal. If successful, the state plans to seize the machines and their proceeds. Such a move could also lead to more seizures, making business owners reluctant to invest in these devices.

These look like gambling machines, they play like gambling machines. We wanted to seize them all at one time.

Richard Glaser, Fannin County District Attorney

This ongoing legal battle mirrors a similar case in Pennsylvania, where a recent court decision deemed that skill games were legal. The decision caused significant backlash from the gambling sector, which claims that these devices, exempt from gaming taxes and oversight, threatened regulated operators and posed a danger to the public due to non-existent player protection measures.

The Machines Circumvent Existing Laws

While Pace-O-Matic, the company behind the devices, asserts that its games have been deemed legal in other parts of Texas, this hearing is the first instance of a court making a definitive decision. Joe Brown, a member of Pace-O-Matic’s counsel, argues that the games were meticulously designed to comply with Texas law and are, in fact, skill-based.

The skillful player can win every time that they play, and that takes it out of the definition of a gambling device.

Joe Brown, counsel for Pace-O-Matic

As the debate neared its conclusion, Fannin County District Judge Laurine Blake ruled that the game devices were skill-based and legal. She will be issuing an order for the return of seized property. This landmark decision could potentially impact similar machines across the state, setting a crucial precedent for the future of gambling devices in Texas.

Although the hearing has not concluded, the ruling signals a likely victory for skill games. Similar cases across the USA highlight the need for proper regulation. Treating them similarly to slot machines would solve most issues, bringing them out of the legal grey area and ensuring jurisdictions can collect taxes and enforce proper control.

The post Skill-Based Machines Set to Win Landmark Hearing in Texas appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Sports Information Services (SIS), a leading supplier of nonstop live betting services, has negotiated a “landmark distribution deal” with sports tech specialist Genius Sports. As a part of the tie-up, the latter company will distribute SIS’s Competitive Gaming product.

Under the deal, Genius Sports will leverage its extensive sportsbook network to help SIS expand its global reach. This footprint expansion aligns with SIS’ philosophy of building mutually beneficial partnerships with leading gaming and betting platforms.

Competitive Gaming is a comprehensive library of sporting content, encompassing 150,000 live events a year. As agreed, SIS will make the entire Competitive Gaming portfolio available through Genius Sports.

The Competitive Gaming content covers both of SIS’ sports simulation products, esoccer and ebasketball, allowing sportsbooks to keep fans engaged throughout the off-season. These proprietary products adhere to the highest integrity standards and allow fans to enjoy a bet any time of the day.

SIS Competitive Gaming is a product with an impressive track record in driving superior margins to operators. As a result, it is sure to provide a significant boost to Genius Sports’ offering. The addition will further cement the provider’s reputation as an essential partner to leading sports betting companies.

Genius Sports is considered a global leader in sports data and technology. A few weeks ago, the company unveiled a new automated pricing solution that provided it with an additional edge over its competitors.

SIS Is Looking Forward to Mutual Success

Genius Sports’ global partnership director, Matt Stephenson, commented on the deal. According to him, the addition of SIS’ Competitive Gaming content to his company’s offering will affirm the provider’s commitment to supplying its clients with the “widest range of content and the best opportunity to add value and grow revenues.”

Genius customers expect market-leading solutions, and in SIS’ Competitive Gaming they will have a product that stands out from the competition in terms of quality and integrity.

Matt Stephenson, global partnerships director, Genius Sports

SIS’ head of commercial partnerships, Andy Kelly, also shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that Genius Sports is a world-leading provider for a reason. Because of that, the current deal is very important to SIS, which seeks additional expansion across regulated markets.

This is an agreement that is perfectly aligned with our respective established relationships, and we look forward to mutual success moving forward.

Andy Kelly, head of commercial partnerships, SIS

In other news, SIS recently grew its own offering with racing content from Korea.

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On February 11, the “inventor” of Barstool Sports, Dave “El Presidente” Portnoy, used his social media to make the big announcement regarding the new multi-million-dollar partnership that his company and DraftKings have agreed upon.  

Portnoy, who is also the owner of #DDTG Global and a “Brick Watch Man” and “2-time bee sting survivor” as he describes himself on his X (former Twitter) account, officially confirmed that the two companies have completed the multi-year sports betting media partnership, a deal that was initially reported by Sportico in January. 

His X message said “We’re back to our roots. DK is once again the exclusive sports betting partner of Barstool Sports. The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

The Partnership, Completed at the End of the Super Bowl

The agreement could only be completed after the Super Bowl came to an end, with the Kansas City Chiefs edging the San Francisco 49ers. 

The reason was a non-compete clause that Barstool Sports had to respect. The clause referred to the closing of the company’s relationship with PENN Entertainment after the operator decided to give up on its Barstool Sportsbook in favor of a new partnership with ESPN.

PENN paid $1.5 billion to obtain the licensing rights for ESPN Bet. 

In August 2023, the most innovative provider of gaming entertainment in North America sold 100% of outstanding Barstool Sports shares to Portnoy after inking an agreement with ESPN to rebrand their current sportsbook while eliminating Barstool from the equation. 

Originally, PENN acquired a stake in Barstool in 2020, gaining complete control in February 2023 in a deal valued at $551 million that was paid over two tranches.

First on the List, a Free-Throw Challenge

The “multi-year monster deal with DraftKings,” as Portnoy called it, will first lead to the latter along with various other Barstool Sports personalities including Dave, Big Cat, Hank, Jersey Jerry, Steven Cheah, Rico Bo$co, Mark Titus, Brandon Walker, Big T, Kirk, and other Bullpen members from participating in a free-throw challenge.

The goal of the event has been set to 41 made free throws in a row, which is the National Basketball Association’s Record for most free throws in a row. 

The event will be commented on by PFT commenter Nick Turani and KB. During each new round, Portnoy and Dan will pick five participants to join them as a team and try to reach the 41 throws in a row. 

Each team member must complete at least two free throws and up to 10 free throws. Portnoy will need to hit the 15th, 30th, and 41st free throws. 

The group will start with 75 mulligans. Once all are used, the group will only receive one extra mulligan every three rounds.  

The challenge will be streamed live and incorporate a series of questions that viewers will need to answer based on what they think will happen during the stream.

Those viewers who answer the most questions correctly win a share of the set $100,000 prize pool.

Elsewhere, DraftKings executives Jason Robins, Paul Liberman, and Stanton Dodge sold close to $78.8 million worth of stock before the release of the company’s fourth quarter and 2023 results. 

The post DraftKings and Barstool Sports Ink Multi-Year Landmark Deal appeared first on Keno Wizard.

After it recently sealed an important acquisition deal for SciPlay Corporation, a developer and publisher of digital games, the worldwide leader in cross-platform games and entertainment, Light & Wonder, is once again in the spotlight with fresh news. 

The company whose OpenGaming platform is known to power the greatest network of digital games in the industry has announced the exciting landmark digital release of the smash-hit slot Willy Wonka: World of Wonka.

The captivating action on casino floors has been transferred to the digital world, and it will be available for both online and mobile players starting with the UK and Europe. The launch has been possible with the help of a multi-year international licensing agreement that Light & Wonder has inked with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment (WBDGTE).

The release of the landmark slot in its digital form will both support Light & Wonder’s omni-channel strategy. The expanded partnership will also include the online variants of other land-based iconic slots, including The Wizard of Oz: Road to Emerald City. 

Willy Wonka: World of Wonka Metrics Overview

• Reels: 6
• Rows: 4
• Paylines: 25
• RTP: –
• Max win: 500x
• Bet: min: 0.20, max: 100
• Volatility: Low-Medium 
• Release date: October 25, 2023

The Game Packs “Nostalgic Imagery and Animations”

Fans of the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie released in 1971 will have a fun time discovering all the iconic characters and memorable moments from the movie that the studio has harnessed to create “bright, nostalgic imagery and animations.”

The online slot also features an enchanting soundtrack and “sugar-sweet” game features, allowing players to replicate the in-person experience in the digital world. The release represents a critical milestone in the cross-platform vision execution of the developer. 

During the base game, players will come across the Oompa Loompa feature that will extend the column of reels while adding fresh paylines, with a minimum of two columns covered by Wild Reel symbols.

The Golden Ticket Bonus can reward players with lucrative prizes, with the maximum win capped at 500x the initial bet. The game also offers credit values and special features as prizes, including a Chocolate River Bonus, up to 12 Free Spins, and more bet multiplier awards.

Light & Wonder plans to release additional Willy Wonka-themed slot titles on its aggregation platform across a number of gaming verticals in the upcoming months. The plans also include the first-ever live casino title that will use the IP.

According to the company’s vice president for game development, Rob Procter, the digital Willy Wonka release reproduces the fun of the original “casino-floor favorite” game that has already reached its legendary status in the US and other markets. 

Procter praised the “fantastic job” done by their in-house development teams while speaking about the “hugely exciting moment” of delivering a Wonka experience to their operator partners in Europe and the UK and Europe. 

In August, Light & Wonder announced an important 20% boost in its second-quarter revenue due to its strong physical and digital performance.

The post Light & Wonder Announces Landmark Willy Wonka Digital Launch appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Creating the modern European Union was no mean fete – at a minimum it required a loose harmonization of mission and laws between about two dozen nations agreeing to follow a charter originally launched in the 1950s between Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands more than quadrupling membership.

For the most part, squabbles and major disagreements have been handled through a process that seems to work, even when nobody ends up getting what they really- their pretty cake to look at and the ability to eat it as well on both sides.

European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders recently spoke for the Commission through a written statement, saying that the organization would examine recently passed Maltese legislation and its compatibility with broader written EU law and case law as established through the courts as conflicts in interest have been settled under due process under European Union law.

Yet, today struggles still ensue when nations disagree on mandates and meanings as well as priorities. Recently the Eu Commission has requested more information from Maltese authorities in order to settle a particularly sticky dispute wherein players on both sides have a lot of “skin in the game”.

An inflection point has arisen with the gambling-centric economy of Malta, which has focused and invested heavily in becoming an independent licensing regime for online gambling operators in the EU and elsewhere – and countries such as Germany and Austria that wish to control trade in certain economic sectors within their own birders – ostensibly, for the protection of their own citizens but often, for protection of state-sanctioned monopolies that provide little or no room for online gambling operators who choose not to be licensed by individual national authorities.

In late June, lawmakers in Malta passed the controversial Bill 55, which we reported on earlier. The law protects offshore operators based in Malta from foreign liability, without regard to EU membership.

This means that, if left standing, the law would shield Malta Gaming Authority licensed online casinos and other betting sites from potential liability in cases arising in another member state.

On one extreme it would protect operators from frivolous lawsuits brought by players who bet and lost but think they should be able to recover those losses and on the other end of the spectrum it could leave players in other member-states with no remedy except as provided by the Maltese gambling authority.

A supreme power struggle is underway in the conflict which pits two seemingly opposing concepts of the Union against each other – a state’s right to protect its citizens from harm, albeit through a counter-intuitive monopolization within a member-state’s borders of an important economic metric such as the multi-trillion-euro per year international online gambling industry – and a member state’s right to compete freely anywhere within the union.

The EU Commission was invited into the conflict by three questions asked of it by German MEP Sabine Verheyen. Quite simply, Verheyen asked in one written question after stating Germany’s position that it had a right to protect its citizen from harm by outside actors whether the Maltese law was in accord with EU law and if not, what the Commission planned to “do about it”. Further query related to what sanctions could be imposed. NO reply was given to the question of sanctions.

The next two questions were oddly unrelated, but seem structured to cast the authority in a bad light – whether deserved or not – and not apparently relevant to whether free enterprise trumps de facto monopolization of a certain industry through real or contrived protective measures.

The Commission was also asked whether there were any known links between the government of Malta and the online gambling industry and if there have been any cases of corruption to date.

To the question of links between industry actors and the Maltese government or gambling authority, Verheyen replied: “The Commission has no information on possible links of individual members of the Maltese government to the Maltese gambling industry.”

Working to build Germany’s case against Malta, one of the two founding principles of the EU was invoked when the Commission was queried about infringement proceedings policy referring to Article 258 in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

However, another interpretation of the core values the Commission will be striving to balance might be:”…promoting peace and security, and respecting fundamental rights and freedoms,” in layman’s terms.

As always, the devil is in the details. Please click the following link to read the Malta Gambling Amndment Bill 55.
https://parlament.mt/media/121901/bill-55-gaming-amendment-bill.pdf

The full answer, as given by Mr. Reynders on Behalf of the European Commission along with supporting documentation, can be found at the following link to parliamentary question E-001722/2023(ASW).

Source: European Commission to scrutinise Malta gaming bill, iGB, July 25, 2023

The post EU Commissioners are sorting fundamentals with a landmark query on gambling, state rights, and freedom appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Senate Bill 948 officially allows iGaming in the state, outlining how the industry will develop in the coming years. Despite calls to diversify Rhode Island’s gambling market by allowing other operators, the exclusive deal with Bally’s and supplier IGT means the region will remain a walled garden until at least 2043. The new legislation still marks a significant milestone for residents, giving them new ways to engage with their hobby.

Players Can Expect a Smooth Launch

Governor Dan McKee signed Senate Bill 948 mere hours before the deadline, opting not to veto the landmark legislation. The new law outlines how the state’s iGaming industry will operate, allowing the state to capitalize on the potential economic benefits. Rhode Islanders receive a new way to engage with their favorite games and will benefit from updated safe gambling measures.

The legislation imposes a steep 50% tax on iGaming revenue, contrasting the 18% for land-based establishments. President of the Senate Dominick J. Ruggerio, a leading proponent for the new law, noted that Rhode Islanders would enjoy new freedoms, translating the Twin River casino experience to their mobile devices.

“This iGaming legislation is constitutional, geared to mature users, contains education provisions for problem gamblers, and preserves the (current) revenue allocation percentages.”

Dominick J. Ruggerio, President of the Senate

The Rhode Island Lottery Commission, which currently oversees the state’s land-based casinos, will also regulate the state’s iGaming sector. Bill 948 gives the authority provisions to implement player safeguards like minimum age restrictions and geolocation requirements, guaranteeing sufficient player protection measures. The Commission can also partner with other state regulators, allowing Rhode Islanders to enjoy their pastime outside state borders.

The New Law Maintains the Current Status Quo

While legalized iGaming usually results in significant industry turmoil as operators strive to secure a market share in a new jurisdiction, Rhode Island’s circumstances make the launch irrelevant to the broader US market. In 2021, the state extended its long-term contract with operator Bally’s and supplier IGT, providing them with an undisputed monopoly.

The exclusivity agreement extends into the iGaming sector, meaning Rhode Island bettors can only play at one of Bally’s many brands in the state. Such an approach leads to substantially simpler regulation but has drawn significant criticism from other operators calling for a free market. However, the current binding agreement with Bally’s makes any upsets highly unlikely.

The signing of Senate Bill 948 marks a significant milestone for Rhode Island as the state becomes the seventh one to legalize iGaming. Despite its limited scope, online gambling should bring numerous benefits like increased state revenue, job creation, and enhanced consumer protection. The state has taken care to establish the necessary safeguards and protect Rhode Islanders from potential gambling harm.

The post Rhode Island Joins the Ranks With Landmark iGaming Bill appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Senate Bill 948 Sub A, which is now headed to the House of Representatives for consideration, would allow individuals over the age of 21 to play table games remotely within the state using their computers or mobile apps.

Rhode Island Senate Bill Advances with Amendments to Ensure Live Dealer Requirement

Senate President Dominick J. Ruggiero, D-North Providence, expressed his enthusiasm for the legislation, highlighting the added convenience it would provide to Rhode Islanders. He emphasized that the bill’s objective is to strengthen the state’s facilities in the competitive regional gaming market while protecting a vital revenue stream that supports various state programs and investments.

The bill underwent a thorough committee hearing process, during which the initial proposal was scrutinized and amended. The revised legislation now requires a live dealer to be present, similar to the requirement in New Jersey law that restricts bets to be placed in Atlantic City.

Ruggiero reassured the public that the legislation is constitutional, targeting mature users, and includes provisions for educating problem gamblers while preserving the current revenue allocation percentages.

In the House, the bill will be paired with similar legislation introduced by Rep. Gregory J. Constantino, D-Lincoln.

Rhode Island Senate Greenlights iGaming Legislation, Bringing Online Casino Access Closer

The swift approval of the Legal iGaming legislation by the Rhode Island Senate has generated momentum for the bill, which was also supported by the Sports Betting Alliance. 

Under the proposed legislation, casinos will be permitted to offer online games through the IGT platform, the same platform used in the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos. The Rhode Island Lottery will assume the role of regulator. In April, IGT extended its sports betting contract with the Rhode Island Lottery for another three years.

The bill also includes changes such as raising the minimum age for online table games to 21, addressing gambling addiction treatment concerns, and adjusting tax rates. Rhode Island’s share of online slot revenue will increase to 61%, while the share of table game revenue will be reduced to 15.5%.

While online casino legislation in Rhode Island progresses, other states like New York, New Hampshire, Illinois, and Indiana have fallen short in passing similar bills this year.

If the Senate measure clears the House, Rhode Island could become a pioneer in providing remote access to table games, offering a new level of convenience and entertainment to its residents. Rhode Island is also seeking to introduce betting on college sports through a new bill that aims to lift restrictions on betting on in-state college teams, potentially allowing wagers on pre-season invitationals, conference tournaments, and even March Madness.

The post Rhode Island Senate Passes Landmark Online Casino Bill appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The news comes after the business-to-solution provider of premium iGaming products announced that it would add NOWPayments to its roster of supported crypto payment methods earlier in the week. The newly inked deal with V8Poker, the popular content provider on the Asian continent, will help NuxGame continue to provide top-grade content to its clients. 

NuxGame to Harness V8Poker’s Innovative Solutions

Commenting on the new decision, NuxGame’s chief executive officer Daniel Heywood expressed their excitement for being able to access the Asian gaming market which he described as a “dynamic and diverse market.” He also spoke about the rising growth opportunities that he called “boundless” in the context of the new partnership with their highly experienced and innovative partner. 

The latter specializes in offering state-of-the-art, localized card and table titles for customers on the lookout for an enhanced gaming experience and adding more variety.

According to the landmark content agreement, the 2018-launched iGaming platform provider will take advantage of V8Poker’s unique game formats and top game picture quality, alongside their application programming interface (API) that is distributed without limits to generate visual impacts never seen before. 

Since V8Poker’s titles are customized to cater to the needs of a wide plethora of users at the same time, NuxGame along with its partners in Asia will benefit from a lot of scaling opportunities for their operations. This is essential in the constantly growing Asian markets where offering eye-catching content that can stick its head above the crowd and draw all the attention is mandatory to differentiate oneself. 

Operators here are, therefore, busy finding new ways to stimulate players’ interests and convince them to return to their platforms and access even more content. This in itself has represented one of the main reasons why NuxGame decided to ink the new content deal with V8Poker. 

V8Poker’s Intelligently Engineered Games, Part of the Deal  

As a result of the new deal, the company that offers sport engine, retail, legal services, turnkey, and website API solutions is hoping to offer its partners from Asia the most entertaining games possible.

V8Poker’s generous list of games features excellent designs and spectacular mechanics created with the help of intelligent engineering. These games are expected to offer NuxGame’s Asia-oriented partners customized gaming experiences suitable for Asian players’ expectations. Among V8Poker’s most sought-after games that are likely to turn into crowd favorites we can mention Sic Bo, Blackjack, Texas Hold’em Poker, and Fan-Tan.

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