The dazzling lights, the electrifying atmosphere, and the clinking of chips – brick-and-mortar casinos hold a special allure for gamblers. But in the digital age, this allure is challenged by the convenience and anonymity of online casinos. Sure, the glitz and glamour of a real casino may be impressive, immersive, and even iconic, but the reality is that digital destinations offer benefits that physical casinos cannot match, forcing traditional establishments to innovate in order to survive. Let’s examine the challenges land-based casinos face and the ingenious ways they adapt to stay relevant.

Papers Please!

Most gamblers agree that Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations are necessary for safe, regulated gambling. However, many find providing identification and financial information to a physical casino intrusive. While KYC regulations are also standard in online casinos, they’re generally perceived as less stringent and, therefore, less of a deterrent for gamblers who value privacy. Moreover, some no KYC casinos do exist, catering to those seeking true anonymity.

For land-based casinos, striking a balance between KYC regulations and privacy is challenging, but some are exploring innovative solutions. Many casinos now use self-service kiosks for registration and ID verification. Data minimization policies are also becoming the norm in physical casinos, ensuring only essential customer information is collected. While offering complete anonymity is difficult in regulated casinos, these innovations seek to provide a sense of privacy for gamblers uncomfortable with KYC procedures.

Convenience is King

Gone are the days of dressing up, traveling long distances, and navigating crowded floors just for the chance to play. Online platforms offer the ability to play from anywhere, anytime. This ease of access is advantageous, especially for those with busy schedules or limited mobility. Furthermore, deposits and withdrawals are often faster and easier online, eliminating waiting in line at a cashier’s cage. With online platforms, the entire gambling experience, from logging in to cashing out, is streamlined for maximum comfort and efficiency.

Recognizing this need for convenience, land-based casinos are upping their game. Many land-based casinos now integrate mobile apps to eliminate waiting lines for shows and restaurants. Similarly, particularly progressive casinos are exploring cashless gaming options; players can deposit, wager, and redeem funds without needing chips using mobile wallets. These innovations streamline the experience and cater to a tech-savvy generation of gamblers accustomed to immediate gratification.

Flash vs Flair

Online casinos boast an endless selection of games, far exceeding what a physical space can accommodate. Additionally, online platforms leverage promotions more aggressively than land-based casinos, offering welcome packages, free spins, cashback offers, and loyalty programs to draw in players. This incredible variety is particularly appealing for players seeking a novel gambling experience.

While online platforms rely on flashy deals and bonuses, land-based casinos counter by offering loyal members exclusive luxury experiences, like access to VIP lounges, invites to high-roller tournaments, and complimentary travel and accommodation packages. Flashy online promotions might grab attention, but physical locations offer experiences impossible to replicate online. Also, physical casinos still provide a staggering number of options. Some casinos host immersive virtual reality experiences. Others offer exclusive slot/table games that are unavailable online. Land-based casinos also ingeniously maximize variety without sacrificing space using modular tables that can convert between games based on player demand.

Live Chat vs Live Cheers

While online gambling offers undeniable advantages, a traditional casino’s social atmosphere remains irreplaceable. The camaraderie of sharing a table with fellow players, the excitement of a big win erupting across the room, and the thrill of the physical environment with all its sights and sounds are aspects that online platforms cannot replicate. To mixed success, real money online casinos are exploring ways to simulate this social experience. Features like live chat, interactive games, and social leaderboards can help bridge the gap and foster a sense of connection among players. However, these online interactions lack the spontaneity and authenticity of real-life interactions. This is the traditional casino’s ace in the hole – a unique advantage that online platforms can only hope to mimic but never truly replace.

That irreplaceable social aspect guarantees that the brick-and-mortar casino will never die. Therefore, the future of casino gambling lies in the co-existence of land-based and online options, embracing the advantages of each and catering to the evolving needs of modern gamblers. If traditional casinos can leverage technology to offer a more seamless experience while emphasizing the unique aspects that online platforms cannot replicate, they will continue to thrive.

The Next Evolution

Land-based casinos aren’t going anywhere. However, the rise of online gambling has undeniably destabilized the industry. While traditional casinos have adapted exceptionally well, technology’s relentless march forward necessitates further action. Governments and regulators should consider legal changes to ensure land-based casinos remain competitive in an increasingly digital world. As seen in the United Kingdom, implementing liberalizing measures for gambling venues. Proactive measures can help level the playing field and ensure a bright future for traditional casinos.

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Resorts World is under federal scrutiny after revelations that three gamblers, currently under investigation for their involvement in illegal sports betting rings, lost nearly $24 million at the casino since its opening less than three years ago. The venue reportedly failed to detect this suspicious activity, which could result in substantial fines if proven true.

A Black Market Operation Allegedly Operated Undisturbed

The investigation, led by federal authorities from California, aims to determine the extent of the alleged money laundering activities and could result in a significant fine for Resorts World. A recent report by local news outlet The Nevada Current revealed that the Nevada Gaming Control Board has also launched a related inquiry into multiple casinos.

This suspected money laundering operation connects to the legal case against Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, who reportedly stole $4.5 million and gambled them away with a black market betting ring. Illegal bookmakers are known to launder money by wiring illicit funds to casinos, later withdrawing most of these funds.

Matt Bowyer, who has admitted to taking bets from Mizuhara, made 32 trips to Resorts World, losing $7.9 million between 2022 and 2023. Some of Mizuhara’s weekly payments to Bowyer, up to $500,000 each, were reportedly deposited into another suspect’s gambling account at Resorts World to obfuscate the source of the funds.

Resorts World Faces Pressure over Sibella’s Actions

Damien LeForbes, another high-roller who reportedly lost $12.3 million over nearly four dozen trips to Resorts World, and Real Housewives of Orange County star Ryan Boyajian are the other two individuals suspected of aiding Bowyer. The three men have not faced charges, but the situation may change as the authorities collect more evidence of their alleged illegal activities.

The ongoing investigation follows the court case against ex-Resorts World executive Scott Sibella, who received a sentence for his earlier anti-money laundering (AML) violations. Sibella turned a blind eye to suspicious activities, not unlike Bowyer’s alleged gambling ring. By opting not to report such transactions, Sibella effectively violated the federal Bank Secrecy Act and was sentenced to up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

As the investigation continues, Resorts World could face significant penalties if found complicit in the alleged money laundering operations, underscoring the complexities and risks of maintaining compliance in the high-stakes world of casino gambling. Recent revelations highlight how such black market schemes may be more common than expected, necessitating increased vigilance by casinos.

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Resorts World, a leading hotel and casino complex in Las Vegas, has come under fire from investigators who are looking into alleged money laundering activities by three heavy-spending gamblers. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is examining several gambling establishments including Resorts World in light of information that came to their attention about huge losses incurred at these facilities.

Trio’s $24M Loss Ignites Concerns of Criminal Activity at Resorts World

Those close to the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity said the trio currently being investigated by federal authorities for their involvement with illegal sports betting rings lost a combined $24 million over three years while gambling at Resorts World, reported the Nevada Current. This announcement has prompted fears about possible criminal behavior within said premises.

There have been no official charges made against the gamblers but if found guilty in any way connected with this investigation it could be disastrous for Resorts World as well. The seriousness attached to these allegations can be seen through the active participation of California-based FBI agents among others.

According to reports, Damien LeForbes is among those mentioned as having lost an enormous sum – $12.3 million during his many visits to Resorts World. In addition, it has also emerged that he gave them a worthless $2.5 million cheque which however did not result in legal actions being taken against him up to now.

Ryan Boyajian visited the casino 21 times and lost 3.7 million dollars during the visits. He is a reality TV star known for starring in “Real Housewives of Orange County”. 

Additionally, a California bookie by the name of Matt Bowyer went to Resorts World 32 times between 2022 and 2023 where he lost 7.9 million dollars.

Alleged Illegal Activities Connections Prompt Las Vegas Casino Probe

No formal charges have been made against any of the three gamblers notwithstanding their colossal financial downfalls. Nonetheless, their involvement with illegal gambling operations which include stealing money from well-known sports personalities’ accounts has led to more questions being asked about their honesty in their gambling activities.

In addition to Resorts World, several gaming facilities in Las Vegas are being investigated. The Nevada Gaming Control Board and federal authorities are both looking into potential cases of money laundering and other illegal activities at casinos in the area. Scott Sibella, a former president at Resorts World, is another example of someone who has gotten in trouble for supposedly helping with unlawful gambling while working for MGM Grand.

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the government body in charge of regulating sports betting and gambling in Canada’s most populous province, has ordered all licensed operators in the region to stop offering bets on events organized by the World Boxing Association (WBA).

The measure was due to concerns over the integrity of those events after the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario ruled that boxing matches organized by the WBA do not have adequate safeguards in place when it comes to preventing match fixing and insider betting. This all started after the regulator conducted a thorough review of the wagering activity of a title fight organized by the World Boxing Association.

The respective bout was the one between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro, when the Ontario regulator observed suspicious betting patterns in live bets being placed over five and a half rounds during the match. The bout was observed by two registered independent monitors while the betting activity took place at a registered iGaming operator in the Canadian province.

There were also reports in the media claiming that the manager of Yoenis Tellez placed bets worth 110,000 dollars at a casino in Florida on the match going on for over five and a half rounds. The bet was a winning one as the match went on until the tenth round, when Tellez managed to knock out Navarro.

All Eyes on Insider Betting

The match took place in December 2023 in Florida and that is also when the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario started its review of the matter. One of the conclusions of the respective review was that bets related to boxing matches organized by the WBA don’t meet the current version of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. This led to the indefinite suspension of betting on WBA events in Ontario.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario also underlined that its licensed operators were asked to demonstrate that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders and the respective operators were unable to do that. This means that coaches, managers, handlers or medical staff involved with one of the fighters could place bets on the respective matches while having the benefit of knowing non-public information. Moreover, the review found no proof that the World Boxing Association took any action to investigate past allegations of match fixing and insider wagering.

This is not the first time the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario takes such a measure. In December 2022 the regulator ordered licensed operators to stop offering bets on UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) matches following similar concerns over insider betting. That ban lasted just for a few weeks because the UFC then implemented new protocols to prevent insider betting.

Source: “Ontario halts World Boxing Association betting over integrity concerns“. iGaming Business. April 19, 2024.

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The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship saw 973 players enter Day 1c on Thursday, bringing the total number of entries to 2,312. Day 1d is set to take place on Friday and is expected to attract enough players for the tournament to hit the $40 million guarantee.

PokerNews reported that the first three Day 1 events ended up attracting fewer players than expected but the Friday session is expected to make up for that. In order for that to happen, it would need approximately 1,800 more players to register.

Registration will close late Friday evening, meaning that there is a whole day of anticipation remaining. The prize pool will be announced following the conclusion of the registration period.

Several Players Collected over a Million Chips

The global tournament has been attracting tons of players and is poised to be one of the most exciting poker tournaments ever. The first few Day 1 events already saw a few professionals finish with huge stacks of chips.

Kyle Ho, Chance Kornuth and Hossein Ensan, for example, all surpassed a million chips, bagging 1.21 million, 1.13 million and 1.1 million chips respectively. In the meantime, Jeff Hakim almost reached a million, bagging 998,000 on Day 1a of the event.

In the meantime, a number of notable professionals failed to qualify for Day 2. This included Phil Hellmuth, also known as the Poker Brat. However, Hellmuth and other unlucky players will have one final shot at advancing on Day 1d this Friday.

The participation of such players is expected to further bolster the Friday numbers, allowing the tournament to hit its goals and $40 million guarantee.

Costello Won the WPT Ladies Championship

Speaking of WTP events, Lisa Costello just won the World Poker Tour’s Ladies Championship, taking home $85,297, a trophy and the title of “champ.” This is not her first win at a big event but she still described her emotion about the victory as an “incredible feeling.”

The final table saw Costello face other women’s poker powerhouses, such as Kathy Stahl, Chris Read, Aylar Lie and Ada Lang.

Costello’s victory surprised poker fans considering her long recent hiatus.

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Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) announced that it has penalized Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) over due diligence failures. According to the authority, the casino failed to perform the checks outlined in the Casino Control Act 2006 (CCA) and the Casino Control (Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Regulations 2009 (PMLTF Regulations).

Back in 2020, the GRA asked RWS to review the activities of some of its customers. As a result, the operator recorded instances of non-compliance, prompting further investigation by the GRA. The regulator eventually discovered that between December 2016 and December 2019, RWS committed multiple due diligence failures.

The GRA learned that RWS’s employees did not perform checks for certain transactions of over 5,000 Singaporean dollars and did not establish the identity of the third-party depositors, thus violating the PMLTF Regulations.

As a result of its serious violations, the casino resort was handed an S$2.25 million fine (roughly $1.67 million in USD). The GRA has also canceled the special employee license of one of the employees involved in the breaches. The authority is still conducting investigations to determine the culpability of the other special employees involved in the violations.

RWS Will Try to Do Better

The GRA reported that RWS had a PMLTF framework and controls in place. Despite that, systematic failures in certain controls prevented the company from detecting some of the instances of non-compliance.

The authority pointed out that RWS took immediate action to address the non-compliances once they were detected. The regulator also noted that RWS engaged an independent party to review its standard operating procedures. In the meantime, the casino resort has undertaken a review of its corporate culture, aiming to reinforce its internal controls and corporate governance.

The GRA concluded that RWS’s violations are very serious. It reminded operators that it will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against errant casino companies and will continue to exercise “tight supervision” over their compliance matters.

This is in line with Singapore’s recent plans for reinforcing its regulations. In November, the country, which already has strict regulations on gambling, considered stringent cryptocurrency regulations.

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Resorts World Las Vegas, along with its former president and chief operating officer, Scott Sibella, are fighting back against a federal lawsuit filed by Robert “RJ” Cipriani. The legal team for Sibella and Resorts World has submitted a motion to a US District Court judge, urging the dismissal of the six-count lawsuit.

Resorts World Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Oversight of Illegal Gambling

Cipriani alleges that Sibella and Resorts World turned a blind eye to felons illegally gambling at the renowned Strip casino. In response, Sibella’s attorney, J. Colby Williams, argues that Cipriani has an exaggerated sense of importance on the global stage, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Cipriani, who goes by the aliases ‘Robin Hood 702’ or ‘Robinhoodvegas,’ claims to be an avid gambler, activist, and philanthropist, self-anointed to cleanse the gaming floors of high-stakes gamblers he deems a threat.

Sibella departed Resorts World in September, cited for violating company policies and the terms of his employment agreement, according to the company. The motion to dismiss asserts that Cipriani’s claims lack substance and are driven by personal vendettas rather than factual evidence.

Resorts World Las Vegas is one of the most popular properties on the iconic Las Vegas Strip. Just last week the resort witnessed a surprising appearance of British royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during Katy Perry‘s concluding performance of the Play concert residency at the Resorts World Theatre. 

Cipriani Accuses Resorts World of Negligence and Conspiracy

Cipriani, seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, accuses Resorts World and Sibella of negligence, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He claims to have been a patron of the 3,500-room Strip resort since its grand opening in June 2021.

Tamara Peterson, attorney for Resorts World, contends that Cipriani exhibits a pattern of inappropriate and unlawful behavior in casinos across the United States, often resulting in his barring from numerous properties. Peterson dismisses Cipriani’s allegations as frivolous and predatory litigation.

In response, Cipriani’s California-based attorney, Marshall Cole, deems the motions to dismiss mere distractions. Cole argues that Resorts World and Sibella are attempting to divert attention from the core issues of the case by launching character attacks on Cipriani. He emphasizes that such attacks have no bearing on the merits of Cipriani’s claims and only underscore the defendants’ refusal to take responsibility for their actions.

Cole anticipates responding to the dismissal motions, and the court is expected to rule on these motions within a month. Notably, in February, the Nevada Gaming Control Board concluded a year-long investigation into allegations against Sibella, determining them to be unfounded. 

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Germany has a chance to win its first-ever FIBA World Cup on Sunday, September 10, 2023. Meanwhile, Serbia is looking to add a sixth gold medal to its collection, thus breaking the record. Knowing this, it’s clear that both teams will be super motivated to win, which means only one thing – we’re in for a real spectacle at Mall of Asia Arena.

Serbia vs. Germany FIBA World Cup Odds

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Friday, September 8.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Philippines
• Date: Sunday, September 10, 2023
• Time: 8:40 a.m ET
• How to Watch: ESPN+

Germany Coming Off a Win Over Team US

The United States men’s national basketball team was the No. 1 favorite to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup before the start of the tournament. Until Friday, it seemed as if the bookies were right to favor the Americans. But then, Team US lost to Germany 113-111.

It was a close win for the Germans especially after Team US players switched to the top gear in the final couple of minutes of the game. But Germany was able to survive, mostly thanks to its players’ brilliant offensive output.