Author: Daniel Williams

Several Crown Resorts employees were released from Chinese jail, where they have been detained since October 2016, after being accused in gambling crimes. According to media reports, 10 of 16 company employees who were sentenced by local court in June, were released from the detention facilities in Shanghai they were in. First, four employees were released from a detention facility in Shanghai accompanied by their family members and security officials. They left immediately and refused to speak to media representatives. Then, as explained by an individual who identified himself of…

At the beginning of the week, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) revealed that it has published a special consultation document in collaboration with the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU). The document is a comprehensive study that is primarily focused on the upcoming application of the Authority’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism funding requirements imposed by the Malta gambling regulatory body on license holders. The document released as a joint publication of the MGA and FIAU is divided into five sections, which correspond to the major obligations of the licensees that are…

One of the international gambling companies with the best presence on a global scale – Hard Rock International – revealed some details of its Hard Rock Entertainment World proposal. The latter is expected to turn into one of the largest resort destinations on the territory of Europe. The Chief Executive Officer of Hard Rock International who is also Chairman of the company, Jim Allen, said that it was a great honour for the gaming operator to partner with the Catalan Government for the Hard Rock Entertainment World project. Mr. Allen…

The multi-billion merger deal between two of the largest Australian gaming companies – Tabcorp and Tatts Group – has still been in question. The deal has faced a deadlock after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has filed a federal court order for a further judicial review of the two operators’ deal, which is estimated to AU$11 billion. If finalised, the deal would create the largest conglomerate in the Australian gambling market. The merger got the official approval of the Australian Competition Tribunal (ACT) last month, but it has…

The negotiations related to Pennsylvania state government’s fiscal deficit have once again brought gambling expansion in the foreground. With the looming deadline for local legislators on Monday, the state’s gambling expansion could be the only suitable solution for the budget crisis in Pennsylvania. Over the weekend, a session to address the economic situation within the state was held by local legislators. The latter finally presented this year’s budget, with the approval of a number of gaming legislation projects expected to be discussed as part of the state’s attempt to find…

The two biggest players on the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) arena – DraftKings and FanDuel – have filed their response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) concerns related to the companies’ merger. The DFS operators have asked the Federal Trade Commission, the government agency which takes care of consumer protection, to give them the green light to bring their deal to end, claiming that the merger would not harm the Daily Fantasy Sports industry. The two companies have utterly denied the possibility that their deal would have a negative impact…

The Pennsylvania legislature is considered to be coming closer towards an agreement on an all-inclusive gaming package. The latter is expected to be beneficial for the state, as it could bring additional funding to Pennsylvania’s 2017/2018 budget. If the proposed gambling package is officially passed, this will be a great breakthrough for the local gambling industry, especially considering the fact that state’s authorities have been aiming to expand it. Pennsylvania House has a session being scheduled for today. It successful, there could be a vote on the comprehensive gambling package,…

The UK Labour Party has challenged the Government for what it calls unnecessary delay of the long-awaited nation-wide review of Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs). As Casino Guardian has reported earlier this week, the FOBTs review was postponed until the autumn, with a possibility to be carried out as early as October. The opposition Labour Party has blamed the Government for its recent general election, claiming that was one of the main reasons for the delay of the review process. The UK Labour Party group has presented a number of complaints,…

The state of Florida has finally resolved its legal issues with the local Seminole Tribe, reaching an agreement with it. The agreement is to result in ending the long-time legal dispute about the right of the Tribe to offer blackjack tables across the state. Under the terms of the agreement, the Seminoles would be able to provide blackjack games over the next 14 years, and in return, it would be required to contribute part of its revenues to the state. Also, Florida would get a $220-million payment immediately. Last November,…

Cyprus’ first integrated casino resort that is planned to be established in Limassol, is expected to bring around €800 million to the country’s economy in 2022. The amount represents approximately 4% of the Cypriot Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As revealed by a spokesperson of the casino-operating consortium, Iacovos Galanos, the project would result in the creation of about 4,000 jobs over the construction period. Moreover, he further revealed that about 2,400 jobs are expected to be created for the operation of the casino. The official representative of the consortium spoke…