Fanatics — long rumored to be entering the sports betting business — could be accepting wagers by the end of this year.

In an interview on The Volume with Colin Cowherd, Fanatics founder Michael Rubin overtly said the company could be taking sports bets before the end of 2022. Interestingly, The Volume is a podcast presented by FanDuel, which is the largest online sportsbook operator in the US and upcoming rival to Fanatics.

It got too complicated. We plan to take bets on the Sixers by the end of this year,” said Rubin in the interview. “It was great when it wasn’t a conflict. When I saw that it was holding back Fanatics it was immediately an easy decision.”

He’s referencing June news that he’d dispose of interests in the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, which stoked speculation Fanatics’ foray into sports betting is imminent.

More Signs Fanatics Is Closing in on Sports Betting

Rubin’s comments on Cowherds podcast arrive just days after roughly 60 job openings appeared on the betting and gaming section of the Fanatics careers web site. Those positions include associate commercial counsel, compliance and finance roles, engineering, human resources and trading, among others.

Those moves are part of the human capital side of the sports betting equation at Fanatics. Last year, the firm filed several patent applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a branded casino, mobile betting app, and sportsbook.

“Fanatics is a massive opportunity. This is a company I think can be the most valuable company in sports. Potentially the most valuable company in technology. I am locked-in and laser-focused,” Rubin told Cowherd.

Fanatics Taking Long View

One thing is clear: Fanatics is taking a long-term view of the sports wagering industry. In comments to Cowherd, Rubin said he views regulated sports betting in the US as “second or third inning,” forecasting strong growth as the activity becomes increasingly mainstream over the next decade.

That echoes a pragmatic approach the Fanatics founder has long applied to sports wagering. While the company has been tied to a variety of industry mergers and acquisitions rumors, it hasn’t made large-scale deal simply to add customers.

Speaking of customers, Fanatics comes to the sports wagering table with a database of 100 million clients, making it a formidable rival for entrenched operators. Some analyst previously speculated that when Fanatics ultimately throws its hat in the sports betting ring, it could force a new round of marketing and promotional spending from established players, potentially endangering their profitability in the process.

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By this time next week grocery shoppers in Finland will no longer be as tempted to play slot machines in the stores if they’d prefer to simply go about their lives. On September 1, 2022, the machines’ game menus will be restricted from view as a default setting and the games will only be available for play between the hours of 9:00 to 21:00. Games will not be open for play outside of those hours.

During the hours that games are available, customers will need to authenticate themselves in order to light up the menus on the slot machines placed in stores. No changes have been announced for slots found in service stations, restaurants, or kiosks.

With the consolidation of the gambling industry in Finland into a single government-owned entity, it has been easier for authorities to implement responsible gambling measures and promote healthful entertainment while still allowing citizens the right to gamble. In early 2017, the country’s three previous betting and gambling operators – Fintoto, Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY), and Veikkaus were merged and became known as Veikkaus Oy.

The people and the government of Finland enjoy a system of exclusive rights going to the citizens with the government upholding and protecting the most basic of human rights including freedom of speech, religion, association, and assembly as upheld in law and in practice. The government’s duty is to provide safe and sane access to games that are operated responsibly and to mitigate any possible risks to the gambling public. On occasion, the protections have appeared as if they may go too far, such as when payment blocking for offshore casinos was considered. The idea was jettisoned when it was determined to be an unconstitutional practice.

Increased Consumer Protections

Consumer protections are an ever-evolving endeavor and this latest development is a continuation of several protective policies that have been implemented. Since July 2021, players have been required to authenticate their identities and ability to play (not self-excluded) using a Veikkaus Card, their phone, or a payment card that is linked to their customer loyalty account.

At the beginning of September last year, the compulsory loss limits that had been instituted for online players were extended to all Veikkaus slot machines in stores, kiosks, restaurants, and service stations, as well as Veikkaus Gaming arcades.

Customers set their own loss limits which can range between 1 and 500 euros a day and 1 and 2,000 euros per month. All Slot Machines and Instant Games, Lucky Games, and Skill Games in Finland are operated by Veikkaus as the country’s sole licensed online casino where about three-quarters of a million Finns play each week.

Veikkaus also runs Finland’s two physical casinos in Helsinki and Tampere, about 90 Pelaamo and Feel Vegas Arcades and over 3,500 gaming locations for play-slip entries and slot machines.

Restrictions in almost any environment tend to be progressive or “creeping” but for now, Veikkaus says the restricted hours, as well as the hidden game menus without authentication during non-restricted hours, will only affect slot machines in grocery stores.

Ms. Susanna Saikkonen, VP of Sustainability for Veikkaus said in a press release that the provider wants people to go about their lives and do simple things such as shopping without the slots being open. She also reminded Finns that anyone who wants to exercise the option can request a total self-ban from playing the slots. All it takes is to contact customer service or to visit the website’s Responsible Gambling page.

We found a chat facility that could be all that’s needed to start the process. Once banned, players would not be able to authenticate themselves at any slot machine so they wouldn’t be able to play.

Finland is About Average for Gambling Problems (2.5%)

Several studies have found that the type of gambling a person does can contribute to whether or not it might become a problem. Worldwide problem gambling ranges from 0.5% to 7.6%, with the average global rate across all countries leveling out at 2.3%. Finland has a slightly higher number of at-risk players at 2.5% according to a Taloustutkimus gambling survey conducted earlier this year.

In the Taloustutkimus survey which was commissioned by Veikkaus, slightly more than one in five (21%) Finns who felt they had a gambling problem felt that physical slot machines caused them difficulties.

Veikkaus has found that reducing the total number of slot machines available for play along with the self-authentication protocol has eased the pervasiveness of physical slot machines contributing to gambling problems.

While the survey found that online casino games result in a greater number of self-exclusions from gambling for Finns, Ms. Saikkonen says it is still important to take measures such as the new rules for grocery store slots to help overall.

According to the final passage in the press information on the grocery slots initiative, “Veikkaus is on its way to becoming a gambling company where all gambling takes place authenticated, both in the digital and the physical channel.”

Source: Veikkaus to limit slot machine play time, EU Gaming News, August 19, 2022

The post Veikkaus to Dim Slots Menus by Default, Turn off Slots Overnight appeared first on Casino News Daily.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is set to deliver the keynote address at next month’s 25th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC) and NexGen Gaming Forum.

Murphy, who narrowly won a second four-year term last November, will speak before the ECGC during its September 21-23 event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Murphy’s appearance will be the fourth of his governorship, which sets a new record for the number of ECGC appearances for a sitting New Jersey governor.

“Governor Murphy’s appearance this year will be particularly noteworthy, as this is our Silver Jubilee event,” said Lloyd D. Levenson, CEO of the Cooper Levenson law firm and a founder of the conference.

How fitting to have a governor who shares our vision that gaming is a proven pillar of the state’s economy, and that Atlantic City is the centerpiece for all of gaming throughout the entire Eastern Region. Governor Murphy’s vision for the future of Atlantic City and its gaming industry will affect the policies and practices of every state east of the Mississippi River,” Levenson added.

Levenson’s law firm is primarily engaged in casino and iGaming matters. Cooper Levenson has been instrumental in working with state lawmakers and gaming industry interests in developing and implementing gaming laws in the Garden State and elsewhere.

Levenson’s name is on Stockton University’s School of Business’ gaming department. Known as LIGHT, the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism engages business school faculty and students to research and discuss public policy matters related to the gaming, hospitality, and tourism industries in New Jersey.

Conference Details

Founded in 1996, the East Coast Gaming Congress brings together industry leaders and state and federal policymakers to discuss critical issues.

“We bring leaders from government, suppliers and operators, who collectively set policies and make decisions, into one place where their ideas can be placed in the broadest context,” the ECGC mission states.

No two states regulate sports gambling the same way. Lawmakers and industry reps will discuss which states have adopted laws and policies that have been beneficial to the state, industry, and bettors. It’s been more than four years since the US Supreme Court struck out the federal ban that had limited full-scale sports betting to Nevada.

Keynote Speakers

Murphy has committed to appearing at the East Coast Gaming Congress, but his keynote date has not yet been publicized. The convergence will feature several other keynotes.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. will get things going on the morning of September 22 at 8:15 am. He will be followed by New Jersey Casino Control Commission Chair James Plousis, who will introduce the first keynote of the 2022 congress with American Gaming Association President and CEO Bill Miller.

On Sept. 23, Howard Mittman, president of 888Holdings US, will give the morning keynote. The 2022 ECGC is set to conclude that afternoon at 12:45 pm EST.

The post New Jersey Gov. Murphy to Deliver Keynote at 25th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress appeared first on Casino.org.

An assailant reportedly stabbed someone in the lobby of Monticello, N.Y.’s Resorts World Catskills casino Monday afternoon. The suspect fled and remained on the loose after the 2 pm knifing.

The wounded person was taken to the Garnet Health Medical Center Catskills in Harris, N.Y. Their condition was not immediately available.

A woman wearing a pink shirt was also being sought by police in New York State.

The man and possibly the woman may have been in a silver, two-door Honda, the Mid Hudson News said.

Murder-Suicide

In an unrelated incident in May, a man, identified as an off-duty security guard at Resorts World Catskills casino, was fatally wounded by an off-duty NYPD officer. It was tied to an apparent love triangle involving the cop’s wife, media reports claim. The officer then shot himself dead with his department-issued firearm.

The deceased casino guard was Edward Wilkins, 20, of Wurtsboro, N.Y, New York media outlets reported, based on information from the Wallkill Police Department.

The deceased NYPD officer is Sean Armstead, 36, of Port Jervis, N.Y., the reports add. He had worked as a New York City cop for 10 years.

The Mother’s Day bloody shooting took place outside of Middletown’s Buffalo Wild Wings, according to a statement from Wallkill Police Chief Robert Hertman. Middletown is a small community some 76 miles north of New York City.

The incident began with Armstead driving his car into Wilkins’ vehicle, police said. The two then got into an argument. Armstead began shooting at Wilkins, police add. He was using his NYPD-issued Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol.

Afterward, Armstead fatally shot himself once time in the head, the reports add. Both men were declared dead at the crime scene, police said.

The men knew each other before the murder-suicide. Wilkins reportedly was in a romantic relationship with Armstead’s wife, identified by the New York Post as Alexandra Vanderheyden, 35.

He worked at Vanderheyden’s dog walking operation, the newspaper further reported, citing unnamed sources.

The woman was not injured in the bloody incident. She was in the area where the shooting took place to meet with Wilkins at a Wallkill hotel, the newspaper claimed.

Funding for Casino

In October, it was reported that Genting Malaysia was allocating another $150 million to Empire Resorts, the financially ailing unit that controls one of the operator’s New York casinos.

That capital is coming in the form of Series L preferred stock, which was partially funded by a $1 billion corporate debt sale completed in April.

Empire Resorts isn’t a stranger to financial difficulty. In 2019, when it was a public company, the operator teetered on the brink of Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. That plan was rejected by investors, who ultimately approved a proposal by casino mogul K.T. Lim and Genting to take the unit private.

The post Resorts World Catskills Casino Sees Stabbing in Lobby, Suspect on the Lam appeared first on Casino.org.

Slotland Online Casino, a favorite of American and other players since 1998 has paid out its biggest progressive jackpot ever. A player named Carol M. took down $339,386 while she was playing Alice in Wonderland. Slotland has been known for decades as one of the most consistently safe places for players in the USA or anywhere else to play and be paid.

Unlike most progressive jackpots at online casinos, the Slotland jackpot builds over a variety of machines and is symbol driven. Players need to study the paytables and find the games that give them the biggest bang for their buck as the minimum bet to qualify for the jackpot varies from game to game. Carol was either doubly lucky or she knew this “locals” trick because the minimum bet to qualify for the progressive is $5 on Alice.

Longtime Slotland manager, Michael Hilary explains: “With a progressive jackpot, some of every qualifying bet goes into the jackpot pool. The longer it takes for someone to hit the jackpot, the bigger it gets.

“Since our progressive jackpot is tied to so many games, it’s won quite frequently and seldom goes over $300,000. This is a historic win for us!”

According to a Thursday press release, “The scatter symbol in the Alice in Wonderland slot can trigger up to fifteen free spins with multipliers. The Mad Hatter can change other symbols by throwing his hat onto them, possibly creating new winning combinations. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are Wild and expand to cover the entire reel.”

Local Area Progressive Across Slots and Card Games

Researching a little history on Slotland jackpots we find that it’s not just the slots that feed the jackpot – or that can win it – it is also connected to card-based games.

Without entering the current jackpot into the equation, Casino Listings’ Jackpot Tracker which has been following the progressive since 2010 shows that the progressive falls on average every 20 weeks now with an average win of $170,447 making Carol M.’s win not only the biggest ever but just about twice the average jackpot.

Looking back 10 years and a few months ago we see two jackpots fall within weeks of each other. Obviously, the first to be brought down was the largest, but the casino “reseeds” the pot at $50,000 every time it is won, so no winner can walk away unhappy.

The jackpot was won more frequently in the earliest days so it often paid less than the “current” average, but not always.

In 2012, Hilary spoke of the two-in-a-row lucky winners when he said: “On average, we’ve always gone six to eight weeks between big jackpot winners. None of us, least of all the winner, thought there’d be another jackpot win already!”

The first player won $180,000 and the second, a couple of weeks later won $67,000.

Out of Nowhere — Baaaam!

The so-far all-time biggest winner, Carol who has been playing slots there for the last few years told a customer service representative at Slotland: “I was sitting on the sofa, playing on my tablet with my kitty curled up on my lap. When I hit the jackpot, I jumped off the sofa and screamed so loud I almost gave my cat a heart attack!”

Hilary put up a special offer for new players and fairly recent depositors in the form of a couple of “Congrats to Carol” bonuses. The free chip and generous deposit bonus will be available until the last day of August and can be used to play any slots.

$19 FREE CHIP
Bonus code: ALICEJP19
Wagering requirement: 33x. Max. cashout: $100.

139% MATCH BONUS
Deposits of $5 – 200
Bonus code: ALICEJP139
Wagering requirement: 29xb

Slotland was one of the last online operators to give in to the pressures certain “bonus hunters” put on reliable operators but still offers some of the most “beatable” free chips out there for new players. Players who take the time to do some research on the operator can find the absolute best offers.

Source: Slotland Player Wins $339,386 Progressive Jackpot – the Casino’s Largest Payout Ever, Slotland press release, August 11, 2022

The post Player at American Favorite, Slotland Takes Down Biggest Jackpot Since 1998 Opening appeared first on Casino News Daily.