Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) is set for expansion in Argentina after recently signing a head of terms agreement with local gambling company Grupo Slots.

Under the terms of the newly announced agreement, GiG will provide its new partner with a full online gambling turnkey solution that will support its entry in the regulated iGaming market of the City of Buenos Aires.

GiG will supply Grupo Slots with its technical iGaming platform, its sportsbook solution, front-end development, the GiG data platform and GiG Logic. The deal has an initial contract period of four years with an automatic extension for another year.

GiG and Grupo Slots are set to sign a final agreement before the end of this year’s third quarter. The deal is based on a revenue share model and set up fees. Details about the portion of revenue GiG will get from Grupo Slots have not been disclosed.

Grupo Slots is one of Argentina’s leading gaming and entertainment groups. The company boasts more than three decades of experience in the gambling industry. It is headquartered in San Luis and operates more than 20 casino locations, gambling, and bingo halls around its homeland. It also conducts lottery activities and manages the Jugadon.com gaming website. In addition, the company operates hotels, dining outlets, and convention centers.

LatAm Expansion

Grupo Slots is among the companies to have expressed interest in obtaining a license to conduct online gambling activities in Buenos Aires as part of the reorganization of the city’s iGaming market. The company will be looking to leverage its popularity and leading position in Argentina’s land-based gambling market as it expands online.

Commenting on their partnership with the operator, GiG CEO Richard Brown said that they “see great potential in the regulated markets within Argentina”, and that they consider it a great opportunity to partner one of the largest land-based operators there and to be thus able to showcase their product in the LatAm region “while delivering the platform for online gambling transformation for Grupo Slots.”

Grupo Slots General Manager Juan Ignacio Torres said that they are extremely pleased to have teamed up with GiG and that this agreement complements them and provides them “a tool of quality and excellence to continue growing in this market with so much future potential.”

The Buenos Aires legislature passed last year legislation that authorized the reorganization of the city’s gambling market to permit online sports betting and casino activities. The move aimed to create a well-regulated environment and curb the proliferation of unregulated offshore gambling.

The Buenos Aires gambling regulator, Loteria de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (LOTBA), launched this past February a license application process for operators interested to conduct online gaming and betting activities within city limits. LOTBA said back then that it anticipated first licenses to be issued by the end of the fourth quarter of the year with regulated website launches following shortly.

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Las Vegas gaming and hospitality operator Wynn Resorts has closed its Yokohama office after the Covid-19 pandemic caused delays in Japan’s timetable for awarding up to three casino licenses.

The company said in a statement issued Sunday that despite its decision to shutter its office in Yokohama, it remains interested in developing an integrated resort in the city as part of Japan’s effort to introduce Las Vegas- and Macau-style casino gaming in a bid to boost international tourism.

Wynn said in its Sunday statement that the coronavirus health crisis “is having an unprecedented negative impact on integrated resort development, and resort companies such as Wynn are considering how to evolve our operations to align with a post-pandemic market.”

The company also noted that, long term, it remains interested in Japan and will “monitor the situation closely” and that it will pursue expansion in that nascent market in future.

Wynn’s announcement comes shortly after reports emerged that the Japanese government has pushed back the publication of a national basic policy on integrated resorts to August or later. The need to add protocols for curbing the coronavirus spread in the framework is believed to have forced the delay.

The policy was previously expected to be published by late July. The delay is now likely to impact the government’s entire timeline for awarding up to three gaming licenses for the country’s first-ever integrated resorts with casinos.

According to previous plans, cities/prefectures interested to host casino resorts and their casino operator partners were expected to be able to apply for gaming licenses between January and July, 2021. The opening of the license application window could now be pushed back to a later date.

Delayed National IR Policy Impacts Yokohama’s Plans

Wynn has been interested in expanding in Japan for many years. The company originally eyed Osaka as the city where it wanted to build and operate and integrated resort with a casino, but dropped that plan late last year and announced a ‘Yokohama Focus’ instead.

Wynn’s CEO, Matt Maddox, said at the time that after “carefully investigating and studying candidate sites all over Japan”, they have set their sights on Yokohama as the port city “already has many attractive tourist facilities, and its MICE facilities have a high potential.”

Following news that Japan’s central government would delay the publication of the national IR implementation policy, Yokohama said that it would be difficult for local officials to finalize and release the city’s own basic policy.

Japan’s second largest city entered the country’s casino race last summer. It quickly attracted a slew of major casino companies, including Las Vegas Sands, Wynn, Genting Singapore, and Melco Resorts & Entertainment.

However, uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have forced operators to reconsider their plans and priorities. Las Vegas Sands announced earlier this year that it would no longer pursue a Japanese casino license, citing high tax rates, unfavorable terms, and the cost of building in the country.

It is to be seen whether the worst health panic the world has experienced in many years would result in other gaming and hospitality powerhouses abandoning their Japanese dream.

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The Illinois Gaming Board on Thursday approved the transformation of Hawthorne Race Course, the state’s oldest horse racing track, into a full-blown casino with slots and table games.

Aside from securing permit to add Las Vegas-style casino options, Hawthorne was also approved for sports betting by the state gambling regulator. This means that the racetrack would also feature a sportsbook.

In fact, sports betting is expected to arrive at Hawthorne sooner than its planned casino. Property management said Thursday that they are looking to launch wagering in time for the new NFL season.

Founded in the late 1800s in the Chicagoland area, Hawthorne is Illinois’ oldest racetrack and the state’s longest-running gambling venue. It is now the first state racetrack to have been approved to add casino gaming options under a sweeping gambling reform passed by Governor J.B. Pritzker in the summer of 2019.

Under that reform, racetracks converting into full-fledged racinos will have to contribute 18% of their gaming revenue to the state’s struggling horse racing industry.

Commenting on the recently secured regulatory approval, Tim Carey, President and CEO of the racetrack, said that “it’s really hard to put into context what this means for the very hardworking people of the Illinois racing industry” as they will be able to “keep their businesses and families in Illinois.”

Mr. Carey went on to say that adding casino options will enable them to showcase the historic sport of horse racing to “a new generation of fans.”

Planned Expansion

In addition to slot machines and table games, Hawthorne’s owners also plan to add a “state-of-the-art sportsbook” that will be developed and operated in partnership with Australian bookmaker PointsBet as well as dining facilities “showcasing well-known Chicago culinary experiences”, a multi-level parking garage, and a new racing experience with upgraded wagering facilities.

Construction is set to kick off in September and the casino is expected to open doors in late 2021.

Hawthorne CEO of Gaming Kevin Kline said that “a lot of people may have expected us to simply put some slot machines and tables into our existing facility” but the property is actually planning to “substantially raise the bar on the Chicagoland casino experience.”

Mr. Kline added that they are “going to lead with innovation, excitement, and a culture that celebrates our customers and empowers our team members every day.”

And while Hawthorne is set for major expansion, Arlington Park, the Chicago area’s other racetrack, could be sold, the CEO of the property’s corporate owner Churchill Downs Inc. revealed Thursday.

Churchill Downs’ Chief, Bill Carstanjen, told shareholders that the land hosting the racetrack could be sold as “the long-term solution is not Arlington Park” and that land “will have a higher and better purpose for something else at some point.”

Mr. Carstanjen’s comments came after the coronavirus delayed the start of the horse racing season while contract negotiations with horse trainers pushed it back further until July 23.

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Online gambling group Betsson has confirmed the recent acquisition of a 70% stake in Colombian operator Colbet amid growing interest in Colombia’s regulated iGaming market and as more and more international gaming and sports betting companies are exploring expansion opportunities in the Latin American region.

Colbet, through its colbet.co website, provides both online casino-style and sports betting offering to its Colombian gambling customers.

It should also be noted that Colbet was the fourth online gambling operator to obtain a license from Colombia’s gambling regulator, Coljuegos, to operate in the country’s regulated market. That happened in 2017 when Colombia reorganized its iGaming space in a manner that enabled interested companies to obtain licenses and operate in a regulated environment.

Colbet to Migrate to Betsson Platform

Now as Colbet is majority owned by Betsson, it will migrate to the latter’s proprietary online gambling platform. The migration will enable the Colombian operator to deliver improved experience to its customers with the latest technology in the sector and a wide range of available payment options.

Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall confirmed the acquisition, saying that after the first quarter of the year, they took the important step to strengthen their position in the LatAm region by acquiring a 70% stake in Colbet.

Mr. Lindwall went on to say that the transaction will provide them with access to Colombia’s online casino and sports betting market.

Expansion across the Region and Elsewhere

Betsson has been looking to expand across the lucrative Latin American region for some time now and the purchase of a 70% stake in Colbet is not the only deal of this kind the company has closed in recent months.

Last year, Betsson bought a 75% stake in Brazil-based gambling operator Suaposta to secure its entry and expansion in that market, as well.

Latin America has been drawing a lot of interest from the industry in recent months and many believe that it is one of the emerging regions holding the biggest growth potential for online gambling companies.

However, it should be noted that aside from Latin America, Betsson has also been looking to expand across other important markets as part of its global growth strategy. As recently noted by the company’s management, it has made its first steps in Kenya where there is ever-growing demand for online sports betting and gaming experience.

Last month, Betsson also unveiled plans to enter the nascent wagering market of the US state of Colorado. The Centennial State is the first stop in the online gambling operator’s wider strategy to expand in as many states where athletic gambling is legal as possible. To enter Colorado, Betsson has teamed up with Dostal Alley Casino in Central City.

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If there were annual awards for criminals, John Christopher Colletti would win in the most creative disguise category. For more than a year, he managed to hide his identity and rip off several casinos in Michigan, ultimately getting away with over $100,000. He pulled off his capers by copying the identity of a gambler, even going so far as to use prosthetic face masks to avoid getting caught. However, the law finally caught up with him and his days of dress-up and thievery have come to an end.

According to The Detroit News, the 55-year old began his escapades in May of last year. Colletti had concocted a scheme that included the purchase of stolen identities and using the data to create fake driver’s licenses. From there, he was able to steal the identities of casino customers who belonged to an MGM Grand Detroit VIP programs that, as a perk, offered cash advances at kiosks located inside the gambling venues. Since the kiosks are under the watchful eye of casino surveillance at all times, he used his elaborate disguises to fool everyone. Between April and May of last year, he walked away with about $98,840, having donned a full prosthetic mask, glasses, hats and other elements to cover his face.

On one particular occasion, he conducted a total of 15 transactions to withdraw $30,000 within 30 minutes. However, security personnel became a little suspicious and ultimately started to put the pieces together. According to FBI Special Agent Julia MacBeth, surveillance footage helped unravel the mystery and showed how Colletti “would look at a piece of paper, likely containing the victims last four digits of the patron’s Social Security Number and the last four digits of the patron’s telephone number, which were needed to complete the transactions” each time he approached a kiosk.

By the time Colletti was identified, the FBI had to figure out where he was. It didn’t take long to follow the trail and he was ultimately picked up by Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police at the Prairie Band Casino and Resort in Mayetta, Kansas. The investigation that followed included the discovery of a storage unit he rented that contained mannequin heads sporting the prosthetic masks, hundreds of receipts from the MGM Grand and 48 fake driver’s licenses. He has reportedly already been extradited to Michigan and is now being held behind bars, with no bond possible.

It can’t be just a coincidence that his escapades included the MGM Grand. While there has not been an official connection made, the casino’s owner, MGM Resorts, was hacked last summer and over ten million customers had their data stolen. MGM tried, at first, to deny the hack had taken place, but eventually came clean.

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