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It was bound to happen and it finally did – Kobe Bryant has passed Michael Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring list, becoming the league's third highest scorer in its history. During the Los Angeles Lakers game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 14th (100-94), the 36-year-old guard started with 32,284 points and finished with 32,310 – 18 points more than Michael Jordan at 32,292. Michael Jordan himself congratulated Kobe for reaching the milestone, praising his work ethic and passion for basketball. But according to the Chicago Sun-Times, His Airness had another request to Kobe: "Go get Karl". Karl "The Mailman" Malone is the legendary Utah Jazz power forward which is 2nd in the NBA all-time scoring list with 36,928 points, second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who leads with 38,387 points. Triple-double Against Nuggets Looking at Kobe's performance since the achievement, it seems that the man did not take Jordan's words lightly. Just yesterday night in his team's 111-103 win over the Denver Nuggets, Kobe Bryant became the second oldest among active players to achieve a triple double (23 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds). This great Kobe performance came after he was injured and benched for three games. It's estimated that Kobe will retire when his contract expires at the end of the 2015/6 season, so it's unlikely to see him passing Malone, but what could he possibly wish for after passing Jordan? New Years Eve NBA: Tonight's Games Tonight's NBA games present fans with some interesting games such as the Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers (20:00 UK time), New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Clippers (23:00) and Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (01:00). Leading online bookie Winner Sports will give full coverage to all games taking place tonight with live bets. Begin your 2015 with a spicy wager and have a lucky year!
Major UK bookmaker Ladbrokes has announced that due to changes in legislation, it will cease its operations in Russia, Finland, Portugal and Romania. The decision came into effect as of Wednesday, December 31st 2014. The bookmaker is giving customers from these countries enough time to withdraw their funds, promising to facilitate requests until Monday, January 12th 2015. 2014 – Year of Withdrawals for Ladbrokes 2014 was a year of withdrawals for Ladbrokes, during in which the bookmaker stooped its operations in a big number of countries. Only in October, Ladbrokes pulled out of Canada, Norway, Switzerland and Hungary. Russian Ruble Crisis The withdrawals have all had to do with hardships related to regulation in the respective countries, although the current Ladbrokes retreat from Russia could also very possibly be tied to the state of the Russian ruble and the backlash on the economy. As remembered, the last two weeks saw the Russian currency taking extended losses with economists predicting a recession for 2015 and further. New Legislation in Romania and Portugal Ladbrokes seems to cease its operations in countries going through different levels of online gambling legislation. The withdrawal from Romania could be due to the Romanian government's new online gaming laws which passed recently, raising the licensing fee for online casinos from RON 400,000 to 448,000 (€100,000 per year). Portugal's new online gambling laws which are set to come into effect next year threaten to impose high operating costs, something which could have affected the bookmaker's decision. Finland's Gambling Monopolies As for Finland's case, Ladbrokes has a long and problematic history with the Finnish government on the bookmaker's operation in the country. The domestic gambling activity in the country is controlled by a number of strong monopolies, despite the European Commission decrees about Finland's Lottery Act clashing with EU guidelines.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is nobody's fool. He made this abundantly clear when calling out NBA Commissioner Silver after he offered Christie to join him in creating a federal sports gambling framework for Congress to review. Governor Christie called Commissioner Silver's offer a “bait and switch” tactic, something that would attempt to distract Christie from the real issue at hand. And what is the real issue? Legalizing online sports betting in New Jersey. As of January 2015, there are only three states that have legalized online gambling: New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware. But not all gambling is included in this, and New Jersey's governor has been working on adding sports betting to its repertoire on online offerings. But while he has been working on it, others have been working against it. Since 2012, the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), have been fighting together on one issue: preventing New Jersey from legalizing online sports betting. Towards this end, the group has filed lawsuits (and won!!) against NJ legislators, Gov. Christie and the state's association of thoroughbred horsemen. Hook, Line and No Sinker Governor Christie's rejection of Commissioner Silver's offer follows a logical rationale: If Commissioner Silver thinks that online sports betting at a federal level is okay, why has he been attempting to prevent it from happening in New Jersey, at a state level? If New Jersey would be allowed to offer online sports betting, their framework could then be used as a model for a federal-level framework. But Commissioner Silver and the other sports leagues are not interested in doing this; just recently, in November 2014, they secured a TRO that prevented the NJ governor from carrying out activities related to a senate bill that would partially lift the existing sports betting ban. And so thanks, but no thanks. Governor Christie will not be forming any kind of alliance with Commissioner Silver any time in the near future.
Despite being famous and often performing at the peak of their profession, celebrities are not so different from the rest of us. In fact, they even enjoy many of the same activities that we do. Here, we have complied a star-studded list of the top celebrity gamblers and the games they enjoy. Ben Affleck Winner of an Academy Award for when he directed the 2012 film Argo, Ben Affleck is a noted fan of poker. And his poker playing can be traced back to 2003, when he appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown. That experience laid the groundwork for his winning of the California State Poker Championship just a year later. The success even qualified him for entry to the final tournament of the 2004 World Poker Tour. Affleck is known for playing poker with fellow actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Matt Damon Leading on from Ben Affleck, we have his best friend, Matt Damon. After winning an Academy Award for writing the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, with Affleck, Damon went on to star in the 1998 film Rounders. Also starring Edward Norton, Rounders has not received the recognition that this hidden gem deserves. In preparation for the role, Damon played in a $10,000 Texas hold’em championship as part of the 1998 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Charlie Sheen A former rising star in Hollywood, Charlie Sheen has since had to accept success on our TV screens instead. Back when he was married to fellow actor Denise Richards, Sheen was a huge fan of sports. At that time, Sheen would wager up to $20,000 on some matches and events. However, that is far below the millions that some boxers have wagered on sports betting. John McCain A former US presidential candidate and vice president, John McCain is renowned for his love of craps, the dice-based table game played at casinos. The Vietnam veteran is known for dragging his friends to the craps tables, where he can spend hours indulging in a binge. Apparently, it is said to be incredibly difficult to pry him away from his favourite game. Tiger Woods Despite losing millions of dollars in his divorce settlement, Tiger Woods is not exactly struggling with his bank balance. The legendary golfer has won all major golfing tournaments and is still a hot commodity among sponsors. So, when indulging in a night at a casino, Woods is said to bring along a bankroll of $25,000 to fund his play.
The last time they met, Chelsea dominated the Spurs at Stamford Bridge 3-0. After that game, Tottenham fans and soccer predictors immediately knew staying in their top-four position would be a heavy task. The Spurs have won four games since and are still very much in the mix, with the most pivotal game of their season taking place tonight to bring in the New Year. Chelsea didn't win last week, which was definitely not characteristic of them, as they dropped two points against Southampton. Mourinho’s genius has kept the Blues on top of the Premier League, still 3-points clear of second place Man. City, but last week’s draw raised more than a few eyebrows. Injury Report No player is injured for Tottenham this week, which is a blessing for the Spurs. Kaboul is doubtful but will most-likely play. They will need Eriksen to continue to find the back of the net but will have a tough time doing so against Courtois, as he has been amazing all year. Chelsea are also healthy, except for the fact that Oscar is sick with an illness and may not be able to play. The Blues bench is so good that their subs are better than many teams starting players. Drogba, Cech, Mikel, Schwarzer, Zouma, Ake, Ramires, Schurrle, Salah, Remy and Azpilicueta make for one of the most dangerous in the league, if not the world. Costa should be able to continue his scoring ways, already with 13 goals in just 19 games. Bet365 Premier League Props The Spurs have an uphill battle tonight and they are well in the underdog position at 5.25, while the Blues are at 1.72. The draw market for tonight is at 3.90 but bet365 has many more props and markets for punters to choose. The most attractive lines with the biggest odds are by far Correct Score. If Chelsea wins 2-0 the odds are at 8.50, not to mention if the Spurs win 2-0 that market skyrockets to 29.00. There are Double Chance, Half Time and Full Time Results and more props by Team, Score, Player and much more.
The next instalment of the ICE Totally Gaming conference is scheduled for 3-5 February 2015, so time is running out for the attendees to prepare. Coming from all corners of the global gambling industry will be companies operating in sectors such as casino, bingo, mobile, sports, lottery, mobile, and live. Below are some of the leading lights that will be representing many of the key gambling sectors. Bally Technologies One of the world’s largest slot machine manufacturers has grown even larger since completing a November 2014 merger with Scientific Games. Another claim to fame of Bally is that it’s the world’s oldest slot machine manufacturer, as Raymond T Moloney established the company in 1936. Net Entertainment Operating out of Sweden and global offices in Gibraltar, Malta, and the Ukraine, NetEnt is one of the globe’s foremost B2B software providers to online casinos. Alongside its incredible video slots, NetEnt is also adept at mobile, live, and providing complete online casino platforms for its clients. Lottonetix Lottonetix is the leading B2B provider of lottery software that will be attending ICE 2015. Lottery providers who work with Lottonetix are promised a software platform that will be functional within 10 days, and which will provide coverage for 12 different languages. Some of the company’s best-known lottery platforms include Euro Millions, Mega Millions, and Power Ball. 1X2 Gaming The roots of this virtual sports software provider can be traced back to when it launched football gaming on BetVictor over 10 years ago. This independent software developer can count bet365, Ladbrokes, and William Hill among its current clients. Betting Jobs Another of the most intriguing attendees for ICE 2015 is Betting Jobs, a recruiter that provides recruitment solutions to the global gambling industry. Job seekers can go to Betting Jobs when seeking a wide range of employment roles within the industry.
It's a new year and a new stage for the FA Cup as the competition's third round kicks off today at the Welsh capital. Home team Cardiff City from the Championship League will host guests Colchester United from League One (19:45 UK time). Head-to-head these teams met 17 times since 1995, with Colchester United having the slight advantage having won 7 times against Cardiff's 6. New Year's Resolution for Cardiff? December has been a rough month for Cardiff: the team failed to win even one match, losing three and drawing two. Their last win was against Watford in late November, the same team that beat them 2-4 last Sunday. Fans of the team are expected to vote with their legs today as the estimated number of spectators today is around 4,000 – a game that is broadcast on national television. Aside from the team's abysmal performance, the cold weather might also serve as a deterring factor, perhaps the gray weather will motivate Cardiff to dig itself out of the hole today. Colchester United While Colchester can use Cardiff's state to their advantage, the team is an underdog of sorts as well. With 12 losses, 6 draws and only 5 wins, Colchester is scraping the bottom of the League One table at the second from last position. However Cardiff's lacking defense in its current state could succumb to Colchester's sharp front with the likes of Freddie Sears and Gavin Massey. Betting Odds The lines over at Winner Sports gave Cardiff 1/2 and Colchester 5/1 in full time result. An interesting market for this match could be Both Teams to Score, currently at 3/4 for yes and 19/20 for no. Punters can choose from over 99 betting markets from this game including pre-match and in-play bets. Winner will follow all FA Cup contests tomorrow and until Monday – don't miss out.
Players at All Slots Casino are winning, winning and winning some more! Read on to find out who hit it big this past month at All Slots Casino, and what games they chose that got them up on the Winners' Wall! Jason and the Golden Fleece Jorge G won $5,343 at All Slots by playing the Microgaming video slot game, Jason and the Golden Fleece. Like all Microgaming slots, Jason and the Golden Fleece comes replete with wonderful graphics, worthy of the mythological Greek hero. There are 5 reels, 25 lines and 243 ways to win; characters include Medea, Jason's crew, the Argonauts and of course, the Golden Fleece itself. The game also includes a unique bonus feature, as well as Wilds and Scatters that can let even a small bet go a long way. Thunderstruck II Lucky player Bogdan ionut H won $9,462 at All Slots while playing Thunderstruck II, another mythology-based slot game. This game, however, brings to life the Norse gods instead of the Greek. Thunderstruck II is the new and improved version of the original Thunderstruck, both produced by Microgaming. The game centers around the four gods of Norse mythology: Valkyrie, Loki, Odin and Thor, the god of Thunder. Fittingly, the Scattter symbol in this game is Thor's hammer; other features include the Wildstorm, Valkyrie's free spins and of course, Wilds. The highest fixed jackpot in the game is 1000 coins – not too shabby. Gold Factory Yes, it's another Microgaming slot that has paid out this month at All Slots Casino! Player Anthony A won $6,900 when playing the dynamic slot game, Gold Factory. One of Gold Factory's unique features is that it has 50 paylines, double the amount of many other slot games. The maximum bet in Gold Factory is 1000 coins, and the maximum coin size is .10. But the most attractive (and lucrative) part of this game is the Gold Factory Bonus, which can pay out up to 619,000 coins. It's no wonder Anthony A took a chance on this game and came out a winner!
Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power started the year with a step towards a more responsible gambling industry by promoting their new ads with a strong message for users to play within their limits. Along with Coral, the UK-based betting companies announced last year that they will be forming a watchdog group meant to make sure that the marketing and advertising in the country does not target problem gamblers. Called the Senet Group, the bookmakers and online casino operators will feature messages with prominent messages for responsible gambling starting from the motto “When the Fun Stops, Stop”. Raising Awareness The message will be found in all ads issued by Senet Group members and should help raise awareness regarding potential risks that come from gambling too much, as well as the benefits of always playing within certain limits. These are not just limited to TV advertising as the companies will also present the same message on the windows of their local stores, talk about the topic in press releases and other forms of marketing. As a result, this is the biggest step for responsible gambling ever made in the industry. For those that need advice or help regarding gambling issues, the campaign also features a specialized website called GambleAware.uk where an experienced team will guide players towards a more responsible path in a confidential and secure way. Setting the Bar With the presentation of the new campaign, the operators hope to attract more companies to the Senet Group and form an even bigger agreement among British-based businesses. An independent third party standards commissioner in the group is in charge of monitoring the advertising campaigns launched by members and enforce compliance if needed. In addition, the members have also agreed that they will not advertise their promotional offers on television before 9pm, while having at least 20 percent of the space on their retail shops windows with responsible gambling ads.
On Monday, December 29th, Caesars Entertainment Corp. revealed the details of its restructuring plans after it agreed to acquire the affiliate Caesars Acquisition Co. earlier this month. This stock-for-stock merger will put the largest unit’s $18.4 billion debt load in a better financial position. Restructuring Plan Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. which owns, manages or operates 44 casinos, is going to be restructured as a property company and an operating company. This new restructured company will be controlled and owned by a real-estate investment trust. Earlier in December 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Caesars operating company, along with its creditors, were in talks to secure a plan for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by the middle of January 2015. In addition, the reorganization of Caesars Entertainment as a real-estate investment trust should also be complete at that time. This restructure includes two different leases, including a single $160 million per year lease for Caesars Palace Las Vegas and a lease for other properties. Goals of Restructuring The decision to restructure is the latest effort by Caesars and private-equity backers like TPG Capital LLP and Apollo Global Management LLC to support the finances of the company after the 2008 leveraged buyout of the casino. Hamlet Holdings LLC which is controlled by TPG and Apollo own 66% of Caesars Acquisition. Since the buyout, the company has been involved in capital-market transactions in light of a decrease in gambling and the failure to create a foothold in Macau. This restructuring deal will unite the stake the parent company has in other properties like Bally’s Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood, online gaming operators and other assets of Caesars Acquisition. This merger also gives Caesars Entertainment the capital it needs to restructure without a significant amount of financing and will increase its value as a lease payments guarantor to REIT, according to the WSJ.
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