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Tom Horn Gaming has been on a constant expansion and on its path, it enlisted new talent. The most important agreement made recently is with Lithuania’s leading online and retail betting operator TOPsport. Now that the casino software provider for online and land-based gaming operator shook hands with TOPsport, it can use the deal as a springboard to new customers. Tom Horn Gaming already has offices in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Costa Rica and Malta. This deal will allow it to tap into the immense potential of the Lithuanian market where TOPsport has a dominant position. This exclusive agreement will make it the first certified casino games provider approved by the Lithuanian Gaming control authority. They have been constantly offering high quality and engaging games that could be played on desktop computers as well as mobile devices. A Mutually Lucrative Deal for Tom Horn and TOPsport Lithuanian players have always relied upon the TOPsport’s website for meeting their gambling needs. Now with Tom Horn into the fold, they can also enjoy live dealer games, virtual sports as well as video slots. The software developer is expanding its range of games and hopes to build a dominant position in the region. They already have a couple of exciting games that can be played exclusively on their network, such as Dragon Egg, Blackbeard’s Quest and Fire and Hot. The success of the recent releases provides them with the impetus to persevere and meet the Lithuanian audience halfway. The agreement with TOPsport means a great deal for Tom Horn Gaming, as their new partners have an impressive track record that goes back to 2001. The local market is a part of their strategic expansion and more similar agreements are expected to follow. The software developer is in the process of certification and licensing in other territories and hopes to sign similar arrangements.
Bitcoin is now officially licenced as a currency payment by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Before Year´s End That´s right, the UKGC has added Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to its list of acceptable payment methods available to UKGC licencees for the first time ever. The newly updated License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) take effect on Oct. 31, 2016. Key Clauses The new conditions are treated in Section 5.1 of the LCCP codes addressing “cash and cash equivalents, payment methods and services.” The specific clause which brings Bitcoin et al into the fold is the directive that licensees must “implement appropriate policies and procedures concerning the usage of cash and cash equivalents,” with those cash equivalents to include bankers drafts, cheques and debit cards and digital currencies…” Risk Reduction The UKGC remains committed to reducing risk of money laundering through updating the codes, while also advising licencees to “take into account any applicable learning or guidelines” that the UKGC may issue from time to time. The guidelines provide a set of best practices for operators which now include the acceptance of digital currencies as a safe form of operation. Increasing Momentum The acceptance of Bitcoin by a licencing authority as prominent as the UKGC can only speed up the public acceptance of cryptocurrencies. The UK becomes the second jurisdiction to licence the acceptance of Bitcoin, following Curaçao. Other regions soon possibly following suit include the Isle of Man, whose Gambling Supervision Commission in May proposed licensing guidelines allowing for deposits made in “convertible virtual currencies”; and the Malta Gaming Authority, which reportedly held a meeting to consider the licencing virtual currency just last Tuesday. Scope The new UKGC guidelines will apply to UK-serving operators, with 719 online casino licences held by 427 online casino operators. Look for relatively rapid widespread acceptance now, with other jurisdictions beyond the aforementioned following suit within the next 12 months.
It is without a doubt one of the biggest rivalries in professional Baseball, in fact it is one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports. The Yankees and the Red Sox face-off tonight in the third game of their best-of-three series at Fenway Park tonight. They have split the first two games at a win apiece with games being played in Boston. The Red Sox won the first game 5-3, but the Yankees struck back last night and won 9-4, as they began an offensive attack in the seventh and in the eighth innings and the Sox couldn't bounce back. The Yankees will be sending their big right-hander Michael Pineda to the mound. Pineda's strikeout pitch has been crucial this season in the clutch but his record is only 6-10 with an ERA at 5.17. The Red Sox give the ball to Eduardo Rodriguez tonight with a 2-5 record. The lefty got a late start with the Sox and has 47 strikeouts and an ERA not far from Pineda's at 5.93. Different styles from very different pitchers will keep the offense second-guessing the next pitch to be thrown. Both pitchers have been hit hard this season but they can both win games. The Yankees and the Red Sox are close to a playoff berth in the AL East. Since the Blue Jays have taken over top spot at 65-50, the gap between the Sox is only 2.5 games back, while the Yankees need a winning streak at 7.0. They will be hard-pressed to make it to the off-season, especially with the Orioles and the Blue Jays finding their groove. MLB Betting Major League Baseball is one of the best sports to make online bets with bet365 Sports. With 9 innings in a game, there are hundreds of live in play betting markets that punters can choose, in addition to the live in-play bets available. Odds are in favor of the Red Sox tonight, but expect the Yankees to put up a big fight for bragging rights between cities this year.
South Australia’s government has hit the headlines in August 2016 for revealing plans to introduce a new form of online gambling taxation. Throughout the world, jurisdictions frequently alter their taxation legislation, but few changes command the attention that has recently been given to South Australia’s government. 15% Net Wagering Tax Fundamentally, South Australia’s new online gambling tax is designed to target bets based within the jurisdiction, rather than tax operators based on where they are situated. At present, the intention is for the government to apply a 15% tax on net wagering when the new legislation comes into law as of July 2017. When the tax is introduced, South Australia’s government has forecast earnings of AU$9.2 million per year. Comparatively, this would be similar to the AU$10 million generated annually in Australia’s Northern Territory jurisdiction. This is notable because most of the major operators are situated in the Northern Territory, where taxable revenue on wagering is capped at the low rate of AU$550,000. In response to the South Australia government’s announcement, the Australian Wagering Council (AWC) has launched a social media campaign that refers to the forthcoming change as a “punter’s tax”. AWC chief executive Ian Fletcher has warned that the tax will benefit overseas operators and damage Australian sport. Place of Consumption Tax To counter Fletcher’s statement, South Australia treasurer Tom Koutsantonis argued that the place of consumption tax will only apply net wagering revenue, with the state’s residents only losing money on failed wagers. In fact, Koutsantonis is so confident in the tax succeeding he has also predicted other Australian states will follow suit. However, the AWC has cautioned that the tax will only result in South Australia’s residents receiving lower odds and fewer offers, while also winning less money. Among the members of the AWC are global operators in bet365, Ladbrokes, and Unibet. eSports Betting Blocked In other news, South Australia’s government has also inspired articles relating to its esports stance. Just recently, the government made the decision to ask that the Independent Gambling Authority does not approve the legalisation of betting on esports. Driving the decision was the concern that children could be vulnerable to this new form of betting.
The addition of two official betting partners as sponsors by Aston Villa has reminded the iGaming world that the new wave of EPL sponsorship agreements with online bookmakers is not relegated to one partner. New Deals Aston has added an Asian partner, Bodog, as well as a local sponsor EnergyBet. Aston Strategy Aston Villa Head of Partnerships Peter Wright asserted that the club was “delighted to add EnergyBet as our Official Betting Partner for the UK and Europe. Wright characterized Energy bet as a “new challenger brand” whom the club was “supporting” in ”their endeavour to make their mark in an exciting industry.” About EnergyBet EnergyBet is the latest offering from Energy Casino, an online casino licensed in the UK and Malta which has been operating in the UK since 2012. Energy Casino are poised to launch EnergyBet in the UK later this month on the heels of rapid growth from their offerings in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. EnergyBet Strategy EnergyBet UK's Manager added that “EnergyBet are excited to partner with a football club the size of Aston Villa,” with the deal providing his company with “a great platform to promote our brand and we look forward to being part of their promotion push.” Bodog Asian Deal Meanwhile, online betting pioneer Bodog is set to become Aston Villa's exclusive Official Asian Betting Partner. Villa Expansion Strategy Wright called this new deal an opportunity for Villa "to engage with our rapidly growing Asian fanbase in more innovative ways and enhance the Villa brand globally.” Diversifying EPL Partnerships This set of multi-tiered partnerships which EPL club Villa has formed with specialists in different global territories represents an intriguing twist on the trend of EPL partnerships of EPL clubs with individual sponsors. The latest predecessors were EPL clubs Tottenham and Everton signing with William Hill, where an online bookmaker inversely signed sponsorship agreements with more than one EPL club.
A new highlight embedded in Malta´s upcoming three day SiGMA 2016 program from 16-18 November is the first annual iGaming Education Forum, brought to you by the Malta Gaming Authority and iGaming Academy. Ringing Endorsement The MGA authority´s endorsement is a major breakthrough for the iGaming Academy. Academy Director Jaime Debono called the MGA the "gold standard” for gaming governance in the EU, furthering his organization´s goal of making Malta “synonymous with training and educational excellence.” Advancement through Education Debono states his company´s mission as “growing the industry through education” with this first Forum set to deliver rich content tailored for all individuals looking to achieve successful positions within iGaming. Debono called the iGaming Education Forum a “new and dynamic dimension” to the record-breaking event that SiGMA looks to be this year. MGA Response Malta gaming Authority Executive Chairman Joseph Cuschieri asserted that education and training represent dual goals of his organisation in the professional development of Malta´s rapidly growing gaming sector, with the Forum representing an ideal point of entry for the MGA in kind. To this end, Cuschieri further announced the establishment of a training division within the MGA which Thomas Mahoney has been nominated to head. Topics The iGaming Education Forum will offer attending delegates a cumulative total of 80-plus years of gaming experience in its three days by focusing on prominent areas of current relevance to the industry including Compliance, touching on AML, Anti-Fraud and Payments and Responsible Gaming; as well as specific topics such as Sportsbook, Casino and Lottery Management and eSports. Workshop An Acquisition and Retention workshop will address the topics of Customer Relationship Management, Social Media Marketing and Affiliate Management, with all iGaming Education Forum participants also gaining free entrance to the expo. Outlook As an educational forum, the iGaming Education Forum looks to be the most empowering portion of the SiGMA 2016 program. With delegate entrance to the main event and a ringing endorsement from MGA, this inaugural event looks like a can´t-miss opportunity.
PSG won the Super Cup against Lyon without breaking a sweat and is ready for its first victory in Ligue 1. Playing on the road shouldn’t be a big problem for the reigning champions, as they managed to win most of the games away last season. This time, they will take on Bastia, a defensive minded team with an effective backline. The hosts would be glad to kickstart their season with one point against PSG. Seven Victories in a Row for PSG The reigning champions are the only team at the International Champions Cup that won all three games. Their winning streak goes beyond those back-to-back victories and they are now chasing the eight consecutive win. With an average of three goals scored per match, they are well capable of defeating Bastia at home. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has left the French outfit for Manchester United, but his absence went unnoticed so far. The Swedish striker will be missed in the Champions League, but PSG should be able to win most games in Ligue 1 without him. It is very important for the champions to start with a victory and they will come out guns blazing. Frightening Track Record for Bastia Home pitch advantage means little when you’ve lost the last four games without scoring a goal. PSG managed to score an average of three goals against them and shut them down every single time. Even without Verratti who is missing for the visitors, Bastia doesn’t stand much of a chance. Their starting formation will feature five defenders, four midfielders and a single striker. Bastia won just two friendly games since the regular season ended and were hammered both at home and on the road. Risk-averse punters will probably settle for odds of ½ on PSG to win. Bet365 makes a tempting proposition to those who are willing to take a leap of faith with the visitors. They offer odds of 6/5 on the reigning champions to win by at least two goals.
Tottenham had an excellent chance last season to win the Premier League, after Manchester United and Chelsea missed the start. They were expecting tough opposition from Arsenal but in the end it was Leicester that ran away with the trophy. In 2016, it will be much more difficult for the Londoners, as the main favorites have brought in great managers and reinforced their starting formations. The first challenge consists in defeating Everton on the road in the opening round of the English championship. Mixed Results for Tottenham After losing back-to-back games in the final two rounds of the Premier League, Tottenham sank into near irrelevance. They were unable to claim a single point at the International Champions Cup where they lost to Juventus and Atletico Madrid. The victory over Inter Milan was uplifting, as they managed to score 6 goals but the Italians used mostly reserves. The visitors will be in for a serious challenge in Liverpool, where Everton has an impressive track record. The last two games between these two teams ended undecided and overall the hosts have a better head to head record. They invested heavily in players and also got a boost from signing an agreement with William Hill, who will be their European betting partner. Lukaku and Mirallas Back in the Spotlight The Belgian duo was rarely used during the friendly games played by Everton after the Premier League has ended. They’re expected to return to the spotlight for the opening game and also play together for most of 2016. When they play their A-game they pack quite a punch and can score against any defensive. Punters should side with the home team in this fixture and could minimize the risks by taking the cover of a 0:0 Asian handicap. The draw no bet market on Everton is priced at even odds by bet365 Sports. 888 Sport and Winner Sport offer odds of 2/1 on the hosts to win outright and 10Bet offers the best value of 16/11 on Tottenham to win.
Sports Betting Operator Unibet has registered great financial results for the first half of 2016. The company’s revenue grew spectacularly in the second quarter of the year leading to an equally spectacular year-on-year growth. Gross winning revenue for 2016’s H1 came in at $326.9 million, a huge increase from the $208 million revenue registered in 2015. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) also increased significantly from $45.3 million in 2015’s H1 to a whopping $67.1 million this year. Strong Results Due To Euro 2016 Henrik Tjärnström, Unibet CEO declared that this year’s second quarter was marked by this year’s main football competition, the UEFA Euro 2016, whose impact made for record breaking customer activity which was felt even after the competition ended The Company's Mobile Platform Performs Greatly Unibet’s mobile platform performed equally impressive during the first half of the year with gross winnings revenue almost doubling and making up a stunning 63% of Q2’s total gross winnings revenue. For the July part of the Euro 2016 and the following two weeks, GBP revenue doubled when compared to the same time frame in 2015. Even while adjusting for the higher margins brought in by the Euro, constant currency growth exceeds 50%. The number of active customers the company boasted by the end of the second quarter came in at 1.1 million, a huge growth from the 603,528 it had previously reported. Of the total customers, 216,515 customers came in from the recently acquired iGame Group and Stan James Online. Unibet Group is one of the biggest names in the online gambling industry boasting over 14 million customers worldwide and thousands of games as well as a nearly complete coverage of all the most important sporting events in the world. In their over 17 years of experience, the British company has developed one of the most successful, secure and entertaining networks that cater to pretty much any gambling related theme.
Though legal in the Czech Republic as of a month ago, no one would really call online gambling permissions “free” in any sense of the world. Minimal Entry Despite legislation that Czech President Miloš Zeman signed into law a month ago to open up the Czech gaming market to non-Czech providers, a curious number of only five licensed providers currently operate in the country. Discouraging Terms Maybe that´s because the new law requires licensed online gambling operators to pay 35 percent of gross gaming revenues on casino games according to a random number generator (RNG), with sports betting and lottery games being taxed a flat 23 percent. These levies all come on top of an across the board 19 percent tax on corporate income. Heavy Levy The heavy taxes can explain the dearth of new applicants to the new Czech market. Originally launched in 2014, the proposals are the product of Czech Finance Minister and Deputy Minister Andrej Babis´ staunch opposition to gambling. Babis had originally sought to levy a 40 percent tax heavy enough to make the money it brought into the government significant enough to offset the social ills it ostensibly causes. Cost of Doing Business Babis explained his position to Business Week by saying “the indirect costs for the state stemming from such gambling are several times higher than the revenue it collects. That should be made even.” Hacktivist Protest The unpopularity of Babis apparently is not limited to online operators, as left-wing “hacktivist” collective Anonymous recently protested the new online gambling laws by attacking the online divisions of the billionaire´s food and agriculture empire. Opposing Censorship Anonymous was not advocating online gambling but taking issue with internet censorship in response to blacklisting provisions added by the new gambling regime against non-licensed gambling sites, giving rise to the possibility of continued ISP-blocking in the Central European state. Anonymous Position Anonymous articulated its objection through a YouTube video stating that “The Finance Ministry led by Andrej Babis gets almost limitless power to censor the internet. It is time to move against it.” The hack was that move, taking down two Babis’ holding websites Monday evening, including his holding company Agrofert´s website. Contradictory New Regulation The Czech Republic´s exploitative new gambling regime looks like the exception to the rule of free market idealism which most regulatory markets pursue.
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