Indiana’s newest casino has opened to the public. On Friday, patrons flocked to Gary to see what the $300 million Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana has to offer.

The casino – the first land-based venue in Indiana’s northwestern gaming corridor – is a joint project between Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock International. It replaces the two Majestic Star Casino boats that were anchored in Gary’s Buffington Harbor.

Upon its opening, which was celebrated with ceremonial guitar smashes in lieu of a ribbon-cutting, Hard Rock becomes one of the largest casinos in the state. It features more than 1,600 slot machines and more than 80 table games.

The Hard Rock venue will also employ about 1,300 workers, with about half coming from the Majestic Star.

In speaking before the Indiana Gaming Commission earlier this year, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince said the casino is an important economic development project for his city, and not just because of the jobs or the visitors Hard Rock will bring.

The investment goes beyond just money as well, Prince added. The city’s newest business is also working closely with area organizations, such as the YMCA of Northwest Indiana.

“They’ve ensured that each of the top executive members of their team joins a board of civic organization groups here and… we believe that that has provided them an opportunity to develop a fundamental understanding of the community at large,” Prince said.

Hard Rock Celebrates Jackson Family

As with any Hard Rock, musical memorabilia are as much an attraction as the gaming itself. The signature piece is a guitar owned by Joe Jackson, patriarch to the iconic musical family that grew up in the Rust Belt town.

Jackson bought that guitar more than a half-century ago and used it to play in a band, a moonlighting gig to bring in more money for his family.

As the story goes, in 1964 Joe’s son Tito, then 10 years old, was caught playing the guitar without asking permission thanks to a broken string. After Joe fixed it, he had Tito play it one more time. As Tito played, brothers Jackie and Jermaine sang along. Thus began the family’s musical history, as Marlon and Michael would join their brothers in forming the Jackson 5.

While the Jackson 5 were an iconic group, several family members would go on to memorable solo careers themselves, most notably Michael and sister Janet.

Giovanni Taliaferro, Hard Rock International’s director of memorabilia design, flew to Los Angeles last month to get the instrument from Tito, one of the Jackson 5 members.

It all happened very fast, and I want to thank the entire Jackson family for entrusting us with preserving and showcasing this precious artifact in their hometown,” Taliaferro said at an event showcasing both the guitar and sign.

The guitar also serves as the basis for the 37-foot-tall sign that welcomes visitors to the 200,000-square-foot attraction.

At the grand opening on Friday, other Gary musicians, such as Deneice Williams, best known for the ’80s hit Let’s Hear it for the Boy, were on hand to celebrate the grand opening.

Indiana Investigation Delayed Opening

Groundbreaking on the casino took place in January 2020, but the project was overshadowed by an IGC investigation into Spectacle executives that was tied to alleged illicit campaign contributions that dated back to Centaur Gaming, a company that was owned by Spectacle founder Rod Ratcliff.

The inquiry, which is still ongoing, eventually led to IGC Executive Director Sara Gonso Tait temporarily stopping the transfer of assets from the Majestic Star to Hard Rock Northern Indiana. Ratcliff saw his gaming license suspended, and while he initially sued the commission over that ruling, he reached a settlement that allowed him to retire from gaming. John Keeler, a former Spectacle and Centaur executive, was indicted on federal charges.

Spectacle was also fined $530,000 by the IGC in March as a result of missing a state-imposed deadline to disassociate from Ratcliff.

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Online casino games maker and provider Pariplay has launched its products with major gambling operator Codere in the Colombian regulated market as part of a deal the two companies struck last fall.

Titles by Pariplay have recently made their debut on the games tab of Codere’s Colombia-facing website as the Malta-based studio looks to cement its position in the lucrative LatAm market.

Last year’s agreement with Codere was one of a series of such deals that would see Pariplay launch its content in Colombia. The partnership will also see the provider integrate its games with Codere’s Mexican business. It should be noted that Pariplay first entered Mexico in early 2020.

Established in 2010, Pariplay is a leading online casino games maker and aggregator. The company currently offers more than 120 proprietary online slots and thousands of gaming titles from third-party developers via its Fusion aggregation platform.

Pariplay is part of the larger Aspire Global Group. It has offices in Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Gibraltar, and India and is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, the Romanian National Gambling Office, and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Aside from Europe and the US, Latin America has been a market Pariplay has been looking to expand significantly in in the past several years.

Portfolio Performance to Continue to Go from Strength to Strength

Commenting on their latest big milestone, Pariplay Chief Commercial Officer Christine Lewis said that they see the Latin American region as a “market with great growth potential” and that their partnership with Codere Colombia will help them increase significantly the audience for their games in that region.

She went on to say that by launching their titles with “such a leading presence in the market,” they are confident the performance of their portfolio will continue to hop from strength to strength.

Codere is one of Spain’s leading retail and digital gambling operators. The company also boasts a strong presence in Mexico, Colombia, and other major Spanish-speaking markets.

Of teaming up with Pariplay, Sarit Adania, Casino Product Manager at the operator, said that the provider’s slots will help them diversify their existing offering in the Colombian market and that they know these games are already popular in the country.

The official went on to say that this is an alliance that will certainly bear fruit for the two involved parties in “a region that is seeing online gaming grow at a rapid pace.”

Codere operates in Colombia’s regulated online casino and betting space under its Codere Apuestas brand. The company is licensed and regulated by the country’s national regulator, Coljuegos.

It should also be noted that Pariplay’s recent expansion in Colombia is consistent with its parent company’s overall growth strategy across Latin America. The provider’s sister operation, BtoBet, which Aspire purchased last year in a €20 million deal, has too seen rapid growth in Colombia having signed supply deals with top-tier operators in the market such as William Hill and Betfair.

Source: Pariplay games go live in Colombia with Codere, Pariplay Newsroom, May 14, 2021

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The state of Ohio will turn five residents into millionaires starting in two weeks, and their shot at a $1 million prize is just that – a COVID-19 vaccination shot.

Gov. Mike DeWine (R) made the stunning announcement Wednesday night. Starting on May 26 and every Wednesday after that for the next five weeks, the Ohio Lottery will conduct a drawing of adult residents of the Buckeye State who have received at least one dose of a vaccine. 

And, yes, the person whose name is drawn – provided they were vaccinated before the drawing took place – will receive $1 million.

Now, I know that some of you are now shaking your heads and saying, ‘That Mike DeWine, he’s crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money,’” DeWine said during his COVID-19 briefing. “But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic — when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it… is a life that is lost now to COVID-19.”

The money for the “Ohio Vax-a-Million” drawings will come from federal funds given to the state from COVID relief packages.

Additional details will come out starting on Thursday, the governor added.

COVID Vaccination Rates Dropping

As the rate of COVID vaccinations has dropped in the past month, states have looked for creative ways to entice the holdouts to get a shot. 

In Kentucky earlier this week, Gov. Andy Beshear announced adults who get a shot at a participating Kroger or Walmart would get a free play for a Kentucky Lottery Cash Ball 225 drawing.

Ohio, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Research Center, has seen its seven-day average daily vaccinations go from 140,532 on April 11 to just 52,205 on Wednesday.

Across Ohio, nearly 9.2 million doses of vaccines have been administered and nearly 4 million people are completely vaccinated. That equates to roughly 34 percent of the state.

DeWine, though, isn’t keeping the kids out of the fun. While they cannot win a $1 million prize, the governor said kids who have received at least one dose will be entered into a separate drawing. Over a five-week span, the state will award five full-ride scholarships to a state university.

The state will create an electronic portal that will allow eligible kids to register for the drawings.

Ohio Vax-A-Million Draws Variety of Viewpoints

DeWine’s COVID lottery plan drew a mixed response on social media.

Some, like Josh Mandel, Ohio’s former state treasurer and a fellow Republican, used a popular Oprah meme to chide DeWine.

After a year of planning DeWine has finally unveiled his vaccine rollout strategy! pic.twitter.com/DBLcPosRYY

— Josh Mandel (@JoshMandelOhio) May 12, 2021

Others said the state could spend $5 million in taxpayer funds in better ways. For example, the money could go toward helping small businesses affected by COVID shutdowns and restrictions. Or, Ohio could provide aid to a lot more individuals.

Wow, I didn't think I could be anymore disappointed in government. Help poor people impacted by covid… nah, let's have a lottery, cause the first one has helped the schools so much.

— Dan (@tinysmalls45) May 12, 2021

However, there were several who saw the idea as a creative way to encourage more people to get a vaccine. Even if felt like something out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

I think it's all gonzo, but I am having a hard time criticizing it. Democrats support other things which have demonstrably failed. Republicans have actually broken their ass to NOT do other things. It's oompa-loompa time, dammit. https://t.co/ImAhMgaane

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) May 12, 2021

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Online casino games maker Kalamba Games has clinched an important partnership as it looks to grow its Bullseye brand and the products it incorporates.

The company announced Monday that it has picked iGaming content aggregator GrooveGaming to roll out an exclusive jackpots initiative via the Bullseye remote gaming server (RGS).

It should be noted that Kalamba’s iGaming content has already been live with GrooveGaming after the two companies teamed up in the spring of 2020.

Kalamba launched the Bullseye brand in the summer of 2020. This young operation includes the content creator and supplier’s proprietary RGS and its promotional tools that have all been crafted to increase player engagement and retention.

The newly penned partnership with GrooveGaming marks a new exciting step for the evolution of Bullseye and will see it launch its jackpot tool first with the fast-growing content aggregator becoming a beta partner.

GrooveGaming’s aggregation platform currently features more than 5,000 online casino titles from some of the world’s leading content makers. The products available on the aggregator include everything from online slots and table games to online poker offerings and live casino. A recently added Real Casino segment can also now be accessed by iGaming operators via one easy integration process, driving player engagement and improving revenues.

Both Kalamba and GrooveGaming were founded in 2016 and have grown significantly over the past five years. Kalamba has offices in Malta and a development studio in Krakow, Poland. As for GrooveGaming, it is headquartered in Israel and holds licenses from the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, which make it possible for its products to be delivered to partners operating in multiple markets.

Innovation at the Heart of Everything Kalamba Produces

Kalamba’s Bullseye was designed to enhance play with various features and promotional tools, including tournaments, leaderboards, meta games, and more. The provider’s standard progressive and mystery jackpots allow online gambling operators to utilize different powerful technologies on up to three tiers of jackpots simultaneously.

In addition, a dynamic RTP feature makes it possible for RTP to be adjusted and for any Kalamba online slot to be converted into a jackpot game on demand.

The provider has also introduced engagement driver Big Win Replay, a product that allows players to check recent and all-time big wins by clicking an icon within their game.

Commenting on their partnership with GrooveGaming, Kalamba Head of Sales and Account Management Tamas Kusztos said that innovation is at the heart of everything they do and drives them to produce “better and more engaging technology” that offers online casino operators the choice of deploying more products and services, take better business decisions and ultimately generate enhanced revenues.

The official noted further that they chose GrooveGaming as they Bullsey beta partner as the two companies share the same mindset.

GrooveGaming COO Yahale Meltzer said that teaming up with Kalamba and embarking on this industry-first journey is what their company is all about, “showing the strength of our platform as a test-bet for the latest jackpots technology.”

The GrooveGaming official noted further that progressive jackpots are a “most crucial gambling innovation” and praised Kalamba’s Bullseye for taking things to a whole new level.

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Ohio lawmakers unveiled their latest attempt at a sports betting bill on Thursday with hope they can fast track it through the state Legislature.

There remain several key details that lawmakers still need to flesh out. However, a key legislative leader expressed hope it can pass before lawmakers head out for summer break.

“There’ll be other iterations of the bill,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, said. “But we do want to get it done before the end of June. We think it’s time that we take action.”

While Schuring is not the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 176, he is the chairman of the Select Committee on Gaming. That panel took testimony from gaming industry representatives and other interested parties over a two-month period through March.

Then over the past month, Schuring met with other members of the committee to hash out details of the proposed legislation. He had a list of more than 200 bullet points put together before he met with Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, to begin putting the framework together.  

That committee is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday. That, though, is pending until the bill is officially referred to the committee.

Type A for Casinos, Online Operators

As it stands right now, Ohio would offer up to 40 sports betting licenses. It would offer up to 20 Type A licenses for online sports betting and 20 Type B licenses for brick-and-mortar establishments.

Ohio happens to have 11 casinos and racinos. Also, the state’s eight professional sports teams and the PGA Tour banded together to lobby lawmakers for access to licenses. While those numbers add up to 20, it doesn’t appear – for now, anyway – that lawmakers intend to award licenses exclusively to those businesses.

While noting the Type A licenses would likely be for the state’s casino operators, Schuring added that any other business willing to put up the money to accept bets would be able to apply for a license.

“We believe in the free market,” he said. “So, if there’s another entity out there right now, notwithstanding those 11 (casinos) that we’re talking about, who can come up with the money to bank the bet, come to Ohio.” 

Dan Dodd, a former Ohio state lawmaker who represents the online gaming industry trade group iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA), told Casino.org Thursday that he hoped the bill would include more than 20 online licenses.

He said a number of casino companies have made skin arrangements with multiple online sports betting operators in anticipation that casino licensees would serve as the primary license holder.

So I think there’s definitely more than 20 companies that are interested, and if we’re going to have a free market, I think we should make sure that those who are wanting to get into the market have the opportunity to do so,” said Dodd, the vice president of government affairs for ZHF Consulting.

As Schuring noted, he expects changes to the legislation. So, it remains a possibility the number of licenses will change.

Type B for Retail Operators

Interestingly, the current language for the Type B licenses would seem to deter casinos from pursuing them.

According to a bill analysis from the Ohio Legislative Budget Office’s Office of Research and Drafting, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks would not be allowed at casinos or racinos. Casinos could still get a license, but they would have to build a separate facility.

The more likely target for the Type B licenses would be the state’s major professional sports teams, Schuring said. He also thinks the retail establishments will be job creators.

We think it’s going to be an economic development tool for Ohio,” he said. “In fact, we’re going to say in the bill that one of the criteria for being awarded one of these licenses is that you have to show economic development.”

Both types of licenses would cost $1 million for three years. No one entity may hold more than five Type A or five Type B licenses. 

The state would tax license holders of both types at 10 percent of their net revenue.

Ohio Lottery Gets in the Game

That’s not all, though, for Ohio sports betting. The bill also includes a pari-mutuel product that the state lottery would offer. It appears to be in response to representatives from the state’s bowling alley and grocery trade associations. Both of those groups said their members wanted to offer a sports betting product as well.

For $20, bettors could pick an outcome of an event or series of events. The state’s lottery commission would take a percentage of each ticket. The winning ticket holders would split the remainder equally.

In an example given in the analysis, 1,000 people picked the winner in an NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of the $20,000, the lottery took 10 percent, meaning $18,000 would be up for grabs. If the 200 people who picked the Browns won, they would get $90, a net gain of $70. If the 800 people picking Pittsburgh were correct, they’d take home $22.50, a net gain of $2.50. 

House, Senate Coming Together on Sports Betting

This isn’t Ohio Legislature’s first time discussing sports betting. Last year, a bill cleared the state House by a strong margin. However, it never gained traction in the Senate, where there was a competing bill with different language. One of the key hangups was the House wanted the Ohio Lottery Commission to manage sports betting. Senators meanwhile wanted the Casino Control Commission to oversee it.

It also seems that there is now some common ground between the chambers when it comes to sports betting.

House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) told The Statehouse News Bureau that his chamber is also working on a bill. But there’s one key difference in what will likely come from the House this year.

“I think the general consensus is forming that the Casino Control Commission might be the appropriate body but that wouldn’t prevent them from possibly contracting with the Lottery Commission to do some things,” Cupp said.

How Can Ohio Pass Sports Betting by June

Dodd, who served two terms as a state representative, shed some light on how lawmakers may be able to get a bill through the legislature quickly.

He said that the Senate would likely hold hearings on the bill. But rather than take it to the floor, senators may take a House bill that’s already in the Senate and add the bill as an amendment.

Once it passes the Senate, it would go back to the House for a vote to concur on the amendment – in this case, the sports betting bill language. If the House concurs, the bill goes to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature.

If the House doesn’t concur, then both chambers would need to hammer out their differences in a conference committee.

“I would anticipate that the House and Senate will negotiate the amendments before they’re put into the house bill to avoid a conference committee,” Dodd said.

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