Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), a provider of high-quality land-based, lottery, and iGaming testing and assessment services, announced that it has been approved as an Independent Test Lab in North Carolina.

Having been greenlit by the NC State Lottery Commission, GLI now has authorization to evaluate gambling equipment, software and processes for compliance with state law and commission rules.

This approval further expands the company’s presence in the US, cementing it as a leading test lab. For reference, GLI is an authorized test lab for 65 lotteries and for 707 markets across the world. The company excels in a variety of compliance-related services, including regulatory compliance, technical compliance, end-to-end testing and full lifecycle compliance.

GLI’s latest approval was praised by the company’s vice president of global lottery solutions, Angela Wong. She expressed her team’s excitement saying that GLI is thrilled to be approved to test and certify for the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

Our testing and consultation services are unmatched because we combine innovation with compliance and a global reach and presence that gives our clients a world of insight.

Angela Wong, VP of global lottery solutions, GLI

GLI Continues to Expand Its Influence and Team

In other news, GLI recently secured accreditation for its testing laboratories in India and Canada. This followed accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).

Back then, GLI said that this accreditation attests to its ongoing commitment to the highest possible quality testing services. For reference, all of the testing specialist’s labs are currently operating under the latest requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

In other news, GLI recently reinforced its team with two major promotions. The company promoted the experienced Ginnie Hollis and Samantha Powell as vice presidents of engineering. Hollis is based in GLI’s office in Colorado, USA, and will take care of the company’s digital operations. In the meantime, Powell, who is based in GLI’s office in Adelaide, Australia, was tasked with supporting the testing provider’s land-based-related operations.

The promotion of Hollis and Powell followed the appointment of Richard Howarth as chief business officer for the APAC region.

The post NC State Lottery Commission Approves GLI as Independent Test Lab appeared first on Keno Wizard.

A series of concerning genetic test results have recently confirmed 11 cases of tuberculosis in Contra Costa County, California. Ten out of the 11 confirmed cases were genetically linked. 

Also, most of the confirmed cases were related to patrons and employees at California Grand Casino in Contra Costa County, California. The eleventh case has not been tested genetically yet.

As a result, Contra Costa Health (CCH) officials have issued a serious warning to the public, urging anyone who has spent time at the casino located on Pacheco Boulevard in the past five years to get tested for tuberculosis. 

So far, CCH has gotten in touch with over 300 individuals who might have been exposed to active tuberculosis. 

The integrated health system that is serving the people of Contra Costa County has also announced that it was collaborating with the casino’s management toward encouraging staff members to get tested and also to offer health education on the matter. 

According to California Grand Casino’s spokesperson, Becky Warren, their “foremost commitment” was to guarantee the well-being of their patrons and staff members. 

Warren also added that, as per the information provided by Contra Costa Health, none of the associated tuberculosis cases were “currently contagious”, and that they also did not involve their personnel. 

The spokesperson announced that the casino was actively working together with county officials to issue notifications and encourage testing to “uphold public health and safety.”

No Ongoing TB Transmission Sources 

While Contra Costa Health has not found any ongoing sources of tuberculosis transmission at the casino’s card room, testing and raising awareness are essential for the safety of the population. 

Health officials emphasize that testing is the only way of knowing if a person who has been exposed to tuberculosis is infected or not. The public should also know that the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium is capable of living inside someone’s body for a few months or even years without showing any symptoms or causing any noticeable health problems. 

It is important to be able to recognize the symptoms of active tuberculosis. These range from weight loss, fever, night sweats, persistent bloody cough, and fatigue.

According to county deputy health officer Dr. Meera Sreenivasan, while tuberculosis is capable of causing serious illness, it is also curable and can be treated with pepper medication, especially when it is caught early.

In January 2022, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency warned about a similar problem connected to a person diagnosed with tuberculosis who had visited Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, CA the previous year. 

The post Pacheco Casino Staff and Patrons Urged to Test for TB appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Liquor & Gaming New South Wales announced that it will be responsible for overseeing the upcoming cashless gaming technology trial in the Australian state and invited industry bodies to participate. Hosted by The Independent Panel on Gaming Reform, the trial will explore the potential of cashless systems to change gambling in NSW.

According to the announcement the panel has now issued invitations for venues and technology providers to apply to participate in the trial.

Applicants should meet certain standards and must be committed to protecting the market from harm and fraud, the regulator explained.

Applicants should meet the minimum requirements set by the Independent Panel to take part in the cashless gaming trial, including harm minimization protections, anti-money laundering protections, and data security and privacy protections, and specific requirements for venues.

Liquor & Gaming NSW statement

Companies have until October 13 to apply for the trial.

The Trial Will Help NSW See If Cashless Gaming Is Worth Investing In

Cashless gaming has been one of the hot topics of the gambling industry in the Australian state for several months now. Many believe that the statewide implementation of the technology will help to prevent gambling-related fraud while protecting at-risk consumers from harm.

However, certain parties, including local industry groups, remain skeptical of the technology and its potential, with many arguing that it may prove to be nothing more than an expensive risk.

In any case, Liquor & Gaming NSW wants to give cashless gaming a chance and see if the technology can usher in a new era of compliance. The trials will help the authority assess how the solutions operate in practice.

An independent researcher will evaluate the effectiveness of cashless gaming by leveraging customized research methodologies.

Liquor & Gaming NSW hopes that the research will lead to a change in player behaviors, mitigating harm and preventing illicit activities.

Cashless gaming trial runs will run for three or more months, allowing the regulator and independent researcher to gather enough data.

A few days ago, the NSW government allocated $100 million to combat gambling harm as the state seeks to reduce the problem gambling rates. The investment came from the redirection of fines imposed on Star Casino.

The investment is notably a part of the Minns Labor Government Budget and reflects a dedication to preventing gambling harm and gambling-related crime.

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The new hub has been published on UKGC’s platform under the “Compliance” tab. Its main purpose is to help operators collaborating with entities that are not licensed to fulfill their duties and carry on their responsibilities with more ease. 

Last month, the Commission announced its intention to fill in evidence gaps under the 2023-2026 plan, as a result of the much-anticipated launch of the White Paper. 

Offering Guidance and Information

The new test hub offers clear definitions of both the responsibilities and expectations of operators who do business with white-label partners and other parties that are not running under valid licenses. 

Information regarding the recommended practices that operators should follow to make sure that all Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LLCP) are carried out efficiently is also part of the new hub.

The decision to launch the hub in its testing phase came after the Commission imposed a number of fines and other punitive measures on several operators who had failed to conduct due diligence checkups on contracted third parties they were running contracts with. 

As a result, UKGC licensees have asked for a thorough review of the LLCP in order to determine the best regulations that would express the obligations that all gambling operators should comply with when working together with third parties. 

According to UKGC, licensees are directly responsible for the third parties they choose to collaborate with, which means the need to make sure the latters’ operations are perfectly aligned with these license conditions and codes of practice.

Operators Must Check Their Partners’ Reliability and Competence

As per the recommendations in the new test hub, gambling businesses should perform a series of due diligence inspections on all the third parties they currently work with or which they plan on working with in the future to determine their levels of trustworthiness and competence. 

Additionally, the commission asks all licensees that rely on third parties to conduct any aspect of their business in relation to the licensed activities to ensure they have “sufficient oversight and controls in place to ensure all activities are carried out in accordance with the LCCP, notably, but not exclusively, social responsibility and anti-money laundering requirements.”

Operators who fail to effectively control the third parties they work with could be subject to regulatory actions including the loss or temporary suspension of their license to operate in the UK. 

The information in the new hub also explains that online gaming operators holding a license are exclusively responsible for the compliance of all of their gambling platforms, including white-labeled websites, and that the responsibility cannot be transferred to other parties.

In May, the Commission fined SkillOnNet $380,000 over a series of license breaches. In January, TonyBet was given a $550,000 fine over a number of similar breaches. 

The post UKGC Publishes Test Hub for Operators Working with Non-Licensed Entities appeared first on Keno Wizard.

So far, The Ashes series has been played 72 times, with the Aussies winning 34 times, England 32 times, and six of the series ended up tied. A total of 356 Test matches have been played, with Australia leading 150-110-96 (W-L-D). England hasn’t won the Urn since 2015, but the last time The Ashes took place in Britain, the series finished in a draw. Obviously, “The Three Lions” are good on their turf and with the help of their fans, they’re hoping to upset the odds this coming weekend.  

England vs. Australia Odds

*Odds taken from bet365 on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Edgbaston in Birmingham, England
• Dates: Friday, June 16 – Tuesday, June 20, 2023
• How to Watch: Willow TV

England are Usually Very Good at Home

It was 1882 when England lost to Australia at The Oval, which inspired The Sporting Times to write a mock obituary, stating that England’s cricket has died and “the ashes (are) taken to Australia.” That’s how England vs. Australia cricket rivalry got its name – The Ashes.

Well, since then, the two have played a total of 72 The Ashes series, half of which took place in England. And half of those were won by “The Three Lions.”

Since the start of the 21^st century, England has hosted The Ashes on six occasions. Four of those six series were won by the home side, while Australia only got one win (in 2001). The most recent The Ashes on English soil finished in a draw (2019).

Being good at home is one of the reasons why England players are feeling confident ahead of The Ashes of 2023. Another reason is that their recent form has been fantastic. In the build-up to The Ashes, England got a 10-wicket victory over Ireland.

Reasons Why Aussies are Favored to Win 1^st Test of The Ashes 2023

England’s victory over Ireland has made these guys confident about their game. However, they’re nowhere near as confident as Australians. It’s because Australia is coming off a big win over India last week, which made them the World Test Champions.