FanDuel and the American Gaming Association announced jointly Monday they will partner to promote responsible sports betting, with the Flutter Entertainment subsidiary becoming the first sportsbook to join the “Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly” campaign.

Through the “Have a Game Plan” campaign, the AGA and partners provide information to gaming consumers regarding where to find legally licensed sports betting options in each US state. It also highlights responsible sports betting practices and how to identify problem gambling behaviors.

AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said in the statement that FanDuel’s participation is coming at a key time.

“Responsibility to our customers has always been a pillar of AGA member operations. Extending this to meet the new realities of an expanded sports betting ecosystem is going to require full collaboration with everyone involved in it – gaming operators, media companies and leagues and teams,” Miller said. “We’re excited to have a partner like FanDuel to help extend this important initiative.”

The association started the “Have a Game Plan” campaign in 2019. Other official partners include NASCAR, NHL, PGA Tour, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, and the Vegas Golden Knights.

FanDuel Makes Substantial Pledge

The first sportsbook involved in the campaign is also one of the biggest in the industry.

According to the statement, FanDuel has made “a multi-million commitment” to the initiative. That includes using its media inventory as well as league and team partnerships to promote responsible sports betting.

FanDuel is licensed in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In addition to the sports betting licenses, FanDuel also has official partnerships with numerous professional sports teams. That includes, among others, the Washington Football Team, Denver Broncos, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons. It also has partnerships with the NBA, NHL, and MLB.

We are not only going to commit substantial FanDuel resources to promote ‘Have a Game Plan,’ but we intend to build a consortium of partners throughout the sports and gaming business to scale this initiative and we encourage other operators to join us,” said FanDuel Group CEO Matt King.

Sports betting is currently legal, although not necessarily operational, in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Elsewhere, lawmakers in 17 states have filed legislation this year to legalize the game in their state.

Problem Gambling Awareness Month

The announcement between FanDuel and the AGA comes March is also Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

The purpose behind the grassroots-led initiative is to increase public awareness about problem gambling. It also raises awareness on how to identify, prevent, treat, and recover from the mental health issue.

If you or someone you know needs help dealing with a problem gaming issue, help is available via phone or text at 1-800-522-4700.

The post FanDuel, AGA ‘Have a Game Plan’ to Promote Responsible Sports Betting appeared first on Casino.org.

Three people have recently been indicted in relation to a baccarat cheating incident at Encore Boston Harbor, one of two full-scale casino resorts operating on the territory of Massachusetts.

The indictments were served this past Friday, the state Attorney General’s office told local media.

The cheating scheme involved a dealer at the gambling venue, a former casino dealer from Maryland, and a third individual from Philadelphia. They stole around $23,500 from the property over two nights.

The Attorney General’s office said that Jianming Li and Jun Zhang, the two dealers, each faced charges of cheating under the Massachusetts Gaming Act, conspiracy, and larceny by a single scheme. The Encore employee was also charged with making false statements to state gambling regulators.

The third individual involved in the cheating incident was slapped with charges of cheating under the state Gaming Act and conspiracy.

Developed and operated by Las Vegas casino giant Wynn Resorts, Encore Boston Harbor opened doors in the summer of 2019 as the state’s second full-blown gaming resort, MGM Springfield being the first. The property is located in the City of Everett in the Greater Boston Area. It features a wide array of table games and slot machines.

How the Incident Unfolded

Authorities said that Li, a casino dealer at the gambling venue, acted together with Zhang, a former dealer who worked at Maryland gambling facilities, to devise the cheating scheme that ultimately resulted in them netting $23,500 over two nights at Encore.

As he was dealing playing cards at his baccarat table, Li allegedly exposed some of them, memorized them, and marked them with a so-called bookmark card. He then used his cell phone to communicate the cards and in what order they would be dealt to his accomplice. They used separate bathrooms to discuss their actions.

At some point, De Lin, the third individual involved in the incident, joined the other two. All three defendants are set to be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court.

This is not the first time Encore got entangled in a table game cheating scandal. Shortly after its launch in mid-2019, the property was hit with a class-action lawsuit filed by patrons who alleged it was cheating customers to reap financial benefits and boost its revenue.

According to the suit, Encore paid 6:5 for a blackjack, but it should have paid out at 3:2 for a 21. Under state gaming law, casinos are allowed to pay at 6:5, but only if certain requirements are fulfilled so that the gambling venues ensure the playing field between players and the house is leveled. The lawsuit claimed that the property had implemented additional ruled that increased the house’s edge.

Source: “Cheating scheme involving baccarat at Encore Boston Harbor leads to charges; two other men indicted in separate stabbing case at casino”, MassLive, March 7, 2021

The post Three Indicted over Baccarat Cheating Incident at Boston Area Casino appeared first on Casino News Daily.

During a global pandemic, it might have been assumed that poker would go the way of live music festivals, with the much-photographed mass gatherings of poker tournaments being such a draw to new and aspirational poker players.  

Poker, however, has shown its hand during the current COVID-19 crisis and it’s a pairing of resilience and poker, hole cards showing strength and character. Online poker has thrived, poker has pivoted to accommodate those new players and the industry has more than survived.  

Perhaps the hand that poker itself has shown is pocket kings, but every cowboy has to ride into the sunset one day and that day has arrived for the Poker page on the CalvinAyre.com website.  

It is said that all great poker players have an exit strategy, and that theory should hold for all those who bring the game to fans and players, too. Calvin Ayre has been at the personal and professional forefront of poker coverage for many years.  

For so long, CalvinAyre.com has been a beacon in the poker reporting landscape but as the outgoing incumbent of this position of privilege, I haven’t been at the centre of this role for so long as to claim anywhere near all the credit.  

A huge thanks for his outstanding reporting on this site should go to Lee Davy, who for many years, brought poker to life on Calvin Ayre. I personally owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lee for the efforts he made in not only making me feel so well prepared to take up the mantle when he moved on to pastures new, but in establishing the Calvin Ayre brand so well for so many years within the poker world.

Ours is a niche industry, but it is a wonderful and welcoming one, and Calvin Ayre has been a huge part of the poker industry in my time, too. The name has opened doors, helped me speak to some of the biggest and best poker players from around the globe.  

Recent articles have been just important in bringing you, poker fans, the latest news, features that cut to the heart, diamond, spade and club of each issue and hopefully, entertaining you. While to some, the future of online poker is the most vital discussion point, others would like to know what it takes to quit their job and become a professional player.  

There have been many uplifting elements to writing about poker through a global pandemic, as odd as those words must feel to read and certainly are to write. From inspirational quotes to motivate players who are just joining or continue to love the game to what could help players turn pro as an alternative to more difficult careers to sustain (they do exist!), it has genuinely been a job I have treasured and I hope you have enjoyed the content that I and the incredible Calvin Ayre content team have been able to bring you during the past 18 months or so.  

Bringing you series of articles such as Poker on Screen and Poker in Print has been a massive source of pride for myself and the team and I even got the chance to discuss poker in the movies and on television on the recent episode of the award-winning podcast, The Chip Race.  

As ever, I am indebted to too many people to mention, but Derek, Bill, Jasmine and every one of the Calvin Ayre team, as well as Calvin himself of course, have all shown a lot of faith in me to carry the torch and I hope I’ve done them all credit.  

Finally, I really want to thank you, the reader who has kept coming back to find out what else I’m writing about each day, week, month and year. It is you to whom I write, constant reader, and if you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read, then feel free to follow me on Twitter, where a new destination will shortly be announced. 

I’m as excited about my own future as the future of poker itself and while I’m changing seats, I’ll be staying at the table.  

I’ve got chips in the game after all.  

The post Farewell to Poker on Calvin Ayre appeared first on CalvinAyre.com.

If you’ve been paying attention to this space for the past almost 10 years, you’ll know that we’ve been proponents of the original bitcoin and the promises made in the bitcoin whitepaper.

Calvin used to write annual predictions for the gambling industry and in his first edition in 2011, Calvin made a point to mention Bitcoin. 

14. ANONYMOUS PAYMENT SYSTEMS: This will be the year a modified version of Bitcoin hits the net. Someone is going to figure out how to make this work and when they do, all the anti-gambling, over-regulating authoritarian governments will be exposed as emperors without clothes. It might not be obvious that this is even happening at first, since these systems are by definition stealthy affairs.

He saw the potential of Bitcoin and the limitations of BTC but in the past several years, which dovetailed with his links to Craig Wright aka Satoshi Nakamoto, Calvin put his focus squarely on making Bitcoin SV a success and realize the potential he saw almost a decade ago.

I’ve put together an FAQ that hopefully answers other questions you may have that may not have been answered in Calvin’s statement, if not let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Why the move?

Calvin Ayre has been primarily focused on Bitcoin SV for a long time. The decision to cease reporting on the gambling industry is in no way a slight to the gambling industry but rather a signal to the gambling industry as to how much Calvin believes in Bitcoin SV and it’s future.

The gambling industry will always hold a fondness in his heart, but he is 100% laser focused on the success of Bitcoin SV. Calvin Ayre hopes that his dedication to Bitcoin SV will encourage others in the gambling industry to take unbiased analytical review at the technology behind BSV as it is Bitcoin in its truest form in accordance with Satoshi Nakamoto’s Whitepaper.

Calvin Ayre believes bitcoin SV is the best technology for the gambling industry and, he wants the gambling industry to come along on the journey.

Calvin Ayre is encouraging the gambling industry to explore the benefits of Bitcoin SV. It’s more than a coin or an investment vehicle. Like TCP/IP, it’s a protocol that opens so many possibilities to create solutions for today’s problems beyond payments, particularly solutions involving data management.

What happens next?

Will there be media partnerships available with CalvinAyre.com?

As we will no longer be updating CalvinAyre.com on until there is a new website in place, we won’t be entertaining media partnerships.

We suggest you reach out to Alex at Info@CoinGeek.com as CoinGeek.com is entertaining and actively seeking new partnerships where there is synergistic alignment.

What will happen to CalvinAyre.com’s gambling articles and videos?

CalvinAyre.com’s gambling content will remain as is for the time being.

When a new version of CalvinAyre.com is launched, we will maintain an accessible archive of our almost 12 years of news, columns, and interviews although it’s location will likely change.

In 2020, we migrated all of the CalvinAyre.com interviews and highlight videos to our CalvinAyreNews YouTube Channel where they will remain available to watch and share.

The CalvinAyreNews Facebook and Twitter accounts will no longer be updated but will remain. Please note – Requests sent through social media will no longer be answered.

If you have a question or request regarding CalvinAyre.com’s legacy contact, please use the contact form on the website and someone will get back to you.

What happens to the CalvinAyre.com Team?

The behind-the-scenes team will continue working with Ayre Media, but their focus will shift from CalvinAyre.com to CoinGeek.com or one of the other Ayre Media brands.

Our great writers and columnists who have contributed so much to CalvinAyre.com’s a success over the years have share their plans in a final column on the site.

Some are transitioning to CoinGeek.com, while others have decided to go it alone with a subscription newsletter or hit the free agent market, something to consider if your site needs great writers to cover the gambling industry.

Tell me about CoinGeek.com and CoinGeek Conferences

In much the same way that CalvinAyre.com presented a different voice to challenge the status-quo thinking in the gambling industry, CoinGeek.com aims to do the same for the burgeoning blockchain industry.

It’s correcting misinformation and flawed reasoning and it’s offering solutions for people new to the blockchain space. It’s fighting against the status quo and the self-serving promotion that has permeated the space. CoinGeek.com shares daily news on the latest developments in the industry and features the brightest and most creative minds in the community to give you the best insights on the current state and direction of the technology.

Calvin Ayre held legendary events for the gambling industry and he’s bringing some of that gambling industry sizzle to blockchain events. CoinGeek Conferences have been held in New York, London, Toronto, Seoul, and Hong Kong with more slated for the coming years.

You can see highlights of past events at https://coingeekconference.com/past-conferences

We thank you for taking time out of your day to visit CalvinAyre.com

The post CalvinAyre.com to cease publishing gambling news. Calvin Ayre to focus 100% on the success of Bitcoin SV appeared first on CalvinAyre.com.

The US Senate is expected to vote on the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, by this weekend. Should it pass, Nevada stands to be a big winner. But what about the state’s struggling gaming industry?

The spending package includes $350 billion in direct aid to state, local, and county governments. Thanks to a formula that incorporates states’ unemployment rates in the allotment process, Nevada’s governments are currently projected to receive slightly more than $4 billion. That’s pending any possible adjustment the Senate may make to the bill.

According to a congressional analysis, Nevada stands to get $884 million more in funding than if the allocation was made simply by population. Only four states are expected to get a bigger increase than Nevada.

The legislation (HR 1319) gives governments four ways to use that funding, but some of those have latitude. Officials can use the funds to respond to the pandemic, cover its costs, or replace lost or diminished revenues. In addition, they can also allocate money to “address the negative economic impacts of such emergency.”

That’s where help for Nevada’s gaming industry may come into play. The bill, as currently written, would let Nevada and its municipalities use some of those funds to promote or spur visitors to flock to the its casinos and other attractions. More visitors not only would mean increased tax revenue but it would also lead to more jobs too.

Nevada Gets “Fair Share” in Rescue Plan

One of the lawmakers who was instrumental in getting the House to factor unemployment into state and local aid allocations was US Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada.

In a statement to Casino.org this week she said the state has had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, yet in state aid allocations in previous COVID relief bills did not account for that – or the impact that unemployment has on local economies.

The bill will provide Nevada and Clark County the flexibility we need to accelerate vaccine distribution, keep frontline workers on the payroll, and help get our economy back on track,” Titus said. “Under the American Rescue Plan, Nevada is finally getting its fair share.”

A main reason why Nevada’s unemployment rate became one of the nation’s highest was the furloughs and layoffs that occurred in the state’s gaming industry last year after Gov. Steve Sisolak shut down casinos and other businesses for months. Even as casinos began reopening in June, operations were and still continue to be limited.

Titus, whose district covers Las Vegas, also serves as the co-chair for both the Congressional Gaming Caucus and the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. Besides working to get unemployment factored into the state and local allocations, she also got other funding set aside for communities dependent on tourism.

Another provision in the act sets aside $3 billion in “economic adjustment” aid. That funding will help communities across the country deal with various impacts from the pandemic. That provision includes $450 million in monies dedicated to localities enduring job losses due to reduced travel and tourism.

Gaming Industry Slumping Under COVID

As noted previously, one way state and local governments can use the direct aid is by replacing lost revenue. Nevada lost a significant amount of tax revenue last year due to COVID’s impact on the gaming and hospitality industries.

The prospects for the 2021 fiscal year aren’t any more enticing. McCarran International Airport reported that passenger traffic in December 2020 was down more than 60 percent from the year prior. Hotel occupancy rates for that month were just 45,4 percent for the weekend and 25 percent for midweek.

Wait and See, For Now

Of the $4 billion projected to come to Nevada, about $3 billion is slated to go to the state. Five communities deemed metropolitan cities would share $285 million. The allocation for the counties is projected to be $597 million, while other smaller cities stand to receive $151 million.

Most of the metro and county funding would go to the Las Vegas area. The city itself is projected to get $131 million. Clark County, which has jurisdiction over the Las Vegas Strip, is scheduled to receive $440 million. Additional funding would also go to Henderson ($37 million) and North Las Vegas ($47 million).

Officials in Nevada’s metropolis are taking a wait-and-see approach for now, at least until the Rescue Plan becomes law.

“At this time, the city of Las Vegas continues to assess the full amount of eligible funding we are likely to receive from the federal government,” said David Riggleman, communications director for the city of Las Vegas, in a statement to Casino.org. “Once we have a more definitive view, the City Council will have the opportunity to make the final decisions on how those monies should be disseminated. Those final decisions are yet to be made.”

Clark County Senior Public Information Officer Stacey Welling told Casino.org that it’s too early to determine how county leaders will allocate the funding since the bill is still making its way through Congress.

“We expect the final legislation may impose restrictions on how the funding is spent by local governments,” Welling said.

The post Nevada Stands to Win Big in $1.9T American Rescue Plan, Can It Help the Casinos? appeared first on Casino.org.