Month: May 2021

The three players are Arthur de Greef, Romain Barbosa and Alex Witmeur. Of the three, de Greef had been the most successful player, reaching a career-high ATP singles ranking of 113 and competing at the 2017 French Open.

Under the suspensions – handed down by administrative hearing officer professor Richard McLaren – the players may not compete in or attending any sanctioned tennis events organised by the governing bodies of the sport, such as the ATP and ITF, until it is lifted.

The body did not reveal the offences being investigated, but said the provisional suspension can be handed down if players are charged with a criminal offence, or the subject of criminal proceedings, and that these charges can also be considered a “major offense” by the ITIA.

A “major offense” is any ITIA offense that can lead to a suspension of more than six months of a fine of more than $10,000 (£7,043/€8,198).

Since rebranding from its former name the Tennis Integrity Unit, the ITIA has made a number of suspensions. Most recently, Argentinian player Nicolás Arreche received a similar provisional suspension, again for an unnamed corruption offense.

Earlier this month, the ITIA banned Kazakhstan’s Roman Khassanov for 10 years after he admitted to several instances of match-fixing. 

Argentinian Franco Feitt, Slovakian player Barbora Palcatova and two Russian players have also received bans this year.

The regulator said the change would, among other things, allow operators and suppliers to offer games in jurisdictions with high taxes alongside Malta, without having to make major changes to the game for each market.

During May, the MGA carried out a closed consultation on the proposed change, asking a number of industry stakeholders including operators and suppliers about the effects of lowering the threshold.

“All respondents welcomed the MGA’s proposal to lower the RTP [threshold],” the MGA said, although it added that some respondents said the ideal RTP threshold was still around 92%, while others set it as low as 75% and two argued there should not be a minimum.

“One respondent clarified that removing the RTP requirement does not mean that operators will no longer strive to maintain adequate RTP levels to avoid risks relating to the well-being of customers, as the market conditions will force the industry to maintain an appropriate RTP standard,” the MGA said.

Respondents noted that only a few specific games were likely to see an RTP as low as 85%, but by applying different rates to different games and regions, operators could offer an “optimal playing experience”, while others should continue to see levels as high as 96%. However, all operators said they would lower the return for at least some games.

The MGA added that some operators that may avail of a lower RTP hoped to employ other measures to remain competitive, such as new bonus strategies.

In addition, operators said that many of their suppliers were likely to produce lower-RTP games in order to be competitive in certain jurisdictions with significant taxes. One such example is Germany, which looks set to implement a 5.3 turnover tax on online slots, which some stakeholders have said will lead to a drastic reduction in player returns

“The proposed change to the minimum return threshold will provide flexibility to operators that would be free to apply various RTPs as desired based on, inter alia, market conditions and competition levels,” the MGA said.

Suppliers said that it may take several weeks in order to implement such a change.

The MGA also examined the policies of various other regulated jurisdictions, noting that most did not set a minimum RTP.

Internet providers appealed the ruling from Copenhagen City Court, as they claimed that a website could only be blocked if the regulator could prove that Danish customers had actually played on the site in question.

However, the decision was upheld by the High Court, meaning the case is now closed and the 55 web pages remain blocked.

Spillemyndigheden initially ordered the websites in question to halt operations, but took the case to court after they failed to do so.

During the hearing on 2 March, the regulator was able to prove that all of the sites had been offering games in Denmark without a licence and were therefore in breach of national regulations.

The sites were divided into five categories by the regulator; online casino; online casino and lottery; online casino and online betting; online casino, lottery and online betting; and skin betting.

Among the sites blocked were Easybet.com, Slotjoint.com and KingBillyCasino.com. Meanwhile, 23 of the sites were in the esports skin betting category.

The case represents the highest single incidence of website blocking by the regulator since it began blocking websites in 2012.

House Bill 6451 formalises agreements made by Lamont with the state’s Mashantucketand Mohegan tribes in March, allowing the tribes to offer sports wagering online and at land-based sportsbooks within the casinos they operate.

The tribes will also now be able to offer igaming and fantasy sports contests, with each tribe permitted to operate one skin for online sports betting and another for igaming.

The bill also allows the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to run one skin for sports wagering outside tribal lands, as well as retail betting at 15 locations across the state, provided they are located at least 25 miles from tribal reservations.

House Bill 6451 secured approval in the state’s House and Senate before moving to the Governor for sign-off.

Governor Lamont and the tribes will now seek approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the US Department of Interior to amend the state’s compact with the tribes, in order to commence legal online gaming and sports wagering in Connecticut.

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In December, PNG brokered a deal worth $31.1m to purchase the casino’s operations, with this subject to certain customary working capital adjustments.

The agreement also included a clause for PNG to enter into a lease with the owner of the casino property, Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI), for the real estate assets associated with the casino facility. Under the deal, annual rent is set at approximately $7.8m.

The transaction is expected to close in mid-2021.

“We are thrilled to be re-entering the Maryland market at a property we developed in 2010 as it will add a 20th gaming jurisdiction to our already leading nationwide footprint,” PNG president and chief executive Jay Snowden said.

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Under the indicative proposal, Tabcorp would receive AU$1.0bn in cash, which BetMakers said it would raise through debt financing, as well as AU$3.0bn in BetMakers shares, priced at a 15% premium to the traded price prior to signing.

Based on Betmakers’ share price on 26 May, this proposal would mean that Tabcorp shareholders would hold around a combined 65% stake in Betmakers upon closing the deal. However, Betmakers’ share price has fallen by upwards of 10% since the deal was announced, which would mean a larger amount of shares would be required if it remains at this level.

BetMakers said the acquisition would create a competitive global wagering platform with operations across the B2B and B2C markets, while the new entity would also benefit from enhanced technology as a result the combination.

The supplier also said the combined business would be able to pursue a number of global growth opportunities, including in the US, as well as allow broader content monetisation while benefiting from highly experienced management from within both BetMakers and Tabcorp.

The proposal said should the deal go through, the Australian ownership structure of the wagering division would be retained, while the combined business would continue to support the country’s racing industry.

In terms of the advantages offered to Tabcorp and its shareholders, BetMakers said that the combination would enable Tabcorp to unlock the value of the business segment and also provide Tabcorp with material cash consideration to reduce its debt.

BetMakers also noted that the proposal has advantages over a fully-cash sale in that it offers greater flexibility and choice to Tabcorp shareholders.

“The potential acquisition of Tabcorp’s wagering and media business represents an exciting opportunity for BetMakers to deliver transformational growth and realise the value of these new assets in line with strategy,” BetMakers’ chief executive Todd Buckingham said.

“Building on BetMakers’ success to date, the combined entity would be a compelling investment proposition as one of the most broadly developer global racing networks in the market. We are uniquely placed to pursue commercial opportunities globally, and in particular, in the US.”

Betting pioneer Matthew Tripp, a strategic advisor to BetMakers on the proposal, added: “There is significant potential for the business to grow in partnership with BetMakers and I hope to get the opportunity to support the Australian racing industry, which relies on the success and growth of TAB.

“Aside from the value that this offer is anticipated to unlock for shareholders in both companies, this is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the Tabcorp wagering and media business to maximise its commercial potential on a global scale.”

BetMakers added there is no certainty that the indicative proposal will result in a deal, with the Tabcorp board now set to consider the offer.

In an initial statement responding to the proposal, Tabcorp said its board has not yet formed a view on the offer and will assess it as part of its strategic review.

Announced in March, the strategic review will look at the possibility of divesting the wagering and media division business to third party. It will also consider a potential de-merger of either the wagering and media segment or the lotteries and keno division.

The review followed an announcement in February that it had received a number of “unsolicited approaches and proposals” to acquire its wagering and media arm, with Entain among those confirmed to have put forward an offer.

Tabcorp said the initial proposals valued the wagering and media arm at approximately $3.00bn, which its board said did not adequately value the segment.

Entain returned with a revised AU$3.50bn offer, which it said was “compelling both in terms of the value it represents for Tabcorp shareholders in cash, and certainty of deliverability”.

Earlier this month, private equity giant Apollo Global Management also submitted a revised proposal worth AU$4.00bn to acquire Tabcorp’s wagering and media business and gaming services segment.

Apollo’s bid also included an alternative proposal, to acquire only the wagering and media business only for $3.50bn. 

All offers remain under consideration by the Tabcorp board.

Comparisons to April 2020 were not available for the vast majority of verticals, as all gaming establishments in the state were closed because of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

April 2021’s $1.04bn total marked a second consecutive month in which state revenue passed $1bn, after March this year marked the first time Nevada hit that milestone since February 2020.

Slots continued to be the main source of revenue, bringing in $793.7m, up 2.8% from March, as players staked $11.05bn. Multi-denomination slots brought in $355.2m, while penny slot revenue came to $340.8m.

Table games, meanwhile, produced revenue of $245.8m, down 16.7% month-over-month, as amounts wagered declined 6.5% to $2.02bn. 

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In his new roles, Pineault will supervise all day-to-day activity for MGE, including brand growth and personalized services.

Pineault (pictured) has 20 years of experience with the Mohegan Tribe, having served as president and general manager of Mohegan Sun Connecticut in that time.

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Prior to releasing the statistics for this six-month period, the Gambling Commission had released its figures annually for the period from April – March. For April 2019–March 2020, the numbers showed a GGY of £14.12bn, which suggests a significant decline year-on-year for the period.

Of the total, The National Lottery brought in £1.61bn, while online casino represented the largest vertical by yield, at £1.94bn. Sports betting represented the next largest vertical, with its online and land-based sectors bringing in £1.04bn and £629.3m respectively.

Other lotteries, both online and land-based, brought in a further £310.5m, while online and land-based bingo brought in £98.1m and £92.0m, respectively.

The land-based sector suffered significantly during the period due to closures and other restrictions caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, with land-based casinos bringing in just £67.0m over the six months, compared to £1.02bn during the full year from April 2019 – March 2020.

Retail betting also showed a significant decline, at £629.3m, compared to £2.41bn for the prior full-year figure. Land-based bingo, meanwhile, brought in £92.0m compared to £575.2m between April 2019 and March 2020.

The online sector – where more detailed figures allowed for year-on-year comparisons – saw growth meanwhile, bringing in a total GGY of £3.08bn between April and September 2020, compared to £2.81bn for the same period in 2019, an increase of 9.6%.

Of this figure, £1.94bn was brought in by the online casino sector, up 22.7% from the same period in 2019, while online betting generated £1.04bn, down 8.8%, mostly due to sporting events being suspended for part of the period measured.

Online bingo, meanwhile, brought in GGY of £98.1m, up 6.2% from £92.4m.

In total, 15.3m new online gaming accounts were registered during the period, though the overall number of active accounts decreased slightly from 31.0m in September 2019 to 30.7m in September 2020.

The number of active operators in the market declined from 2,689 in March 2019, to 2,577 in March 2020 and 2,522 as of September 2020. The number of operators offering multiple activities declined slightly from 381 to 379 over the same period.

The number of active gaming premises declined from 10,128 in March 2020 to 9,036 in September, a reduction of 10.8%. Of the active premises, 6,735 are betting establishments, down 12.3%, and 1,390 are adult gaming centres, down 4.2%.

The number of active casinos in the jurisdiction was reduced from 156 to 131 between March and September, while the number of bingo premises declined from 648 to 601.

Family entertainment centres represented 179 of the active gaming premises as of September 2020, compared to 190 in March.

The average number of land-based gaming machines in Great Britain was reduced from 186,832 between April 2019 and March 2020, to 116,333 between April and September 2020, a reduction of 37.7%.

The Gambling Commission explained that due to difficulties caused by the pandemic, estimates have not been included where operators have failed to return figures to the regulator, and that this may lead to some actual totals being understated in the published statistics.

Under the agreement, the new entity will be called Betsperts Media and Technology Group and form what Betsperts described as the largest social media platform dedicated to sports betting and fantasy sport in the world.

The acquisition will double the number of staff in the Betsperts business, with Fantasy Life App co-founder Matthew Berry to become a board member and a minority shareholder in Betsperts.

Following the closing of the acquisition, Betsperts will now undertake a multi-million-dollar Series A funding round, with proceeds to fund growth strategies including brining in new talent, adding more content and user acquisition, and making advancements in technology.

“The future of sports betting is stronger social connectivity between bettors and we are leading the way in building the destinations for communities,” Betsperts chief executive Reid Rooney said.

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