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IGT Launches Super Star Poker II and Celebrates Renato Ascoli’s Hall of Fame Induction

IGT-Brings-Award-winning-Poker-Portfolio-to-Spain-with-Casino-BarcelonaInternational Game Technology PLC (IGT) has made headlines with two major announcements. Firstly, the launch of the Super Star Poker™ II game pack on the PeakBarTop™ Buddy Bar™ cabinet at Casino Barcelona in Spain marks a significant enhancement to its gaming offerings. Secondly, Renato Ascoli, IGT’s CEO of Global Lottery, has been honored with an induction into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame for his extensive contributions to the industry.

Super Star Poker II Launches at Casino Barcelona

IGT’s Super Star Poker II game pack has debuted at Casino Barcelona, featuring in the newly created “IGT Video Poker Area.” This area is designed to showcase IGT’s legendary video poker content, offering players an array of engaging themes and game types. Super Star Poker II includes single and multi-hand poker games, as well as Keno, roulette, and popular slot themes like Temple of Fire™ and Scarab™.

“Casino Barcelona is thrilled to offer our guests IGT’s world-class poker innovations in a specially designated video poker space,” said Erwin Alonso Buchhas, Slot Manager at Casino Barcelona. “Our collaboration with IGT brings a new level of gaming entertainment to players and will complement our robust collection of popular IGT slots games on our casino floor.”

The PeakBarTop™ Buddy Bar™ cabinet, an evolution of IGT’s award-winning PeakBarTop™ cabinet, enhances the gaming experience with a premium 23-inch high-definition curved LCD screen. This design combines a classic feel with contemporary ergonomic features, ensuring exceptional image quality and player comfort.

“IGT is excited to partner with Casino Barcelona to bring our performance-proven Super Star Poker II game pack on the PeakBarTop Buddy Bar hardware to players in Barcelona,” said Nick Khin, IGT Chief Operating Officer, Gaming. “Casino Barcelona’s dedicated IGT Video Poker Area is a great environment for players to enjoy celebrated IGT poker themes that are loved by players throughout the world.”

Renato Ascoli Inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame

Adding to the celebrations, Renato Ascoli, CEO of Global Lottery at IGT, will be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. This accolade recognizes Ascoli’s nearly two decades of influential leadership in the lottery and gaming sectors.

“With nearly 20 years of experience serving in high-level positions in the lottery and gaming industries, Renato Ascoli is an accomplished senior executive whose leadership has been paramount in driving new business and innovation,” said Vince Sadusky, IGT CEO. “Renato has a keen ability to identify and realize business growth opportunities, and his contributions will benefit the lottery industry for years to come. IGT congratulates Renato on his well-deserved induction into this year’s Lottery Industry Hall of Fame.”

In his role, Ascoli oversees global lottery and iLottery sales and operations, product and sales development, and technology support for IGT’s numerous lottery customers. Since the merger of GTECH and IGT in 2015, Ascoli has led both the Global Lottery and Global Gaming business units. His notable achievements include launching sports betting with the Rhode Island Lottery, initiating operations with the Mississippi Lottery, and deploying lottery terminals in Walmart stores.

“I am incredibly honored to be inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024,” said Ascoli. “Working in the lottery industry with many great leaders and innovators has been an absolute privilege. The future of the lottery industry is bright, and I look forward to helping our customers propel the modernization of lottery worldwide while continuing to generate funds for philanthropic causes.”

Ascoli’s earlier tenure at Lottomatica, one of the largest lotteries in the world, saw him lead the successful launch of the Gratta e Vinci (Scratch & Win) instant ticket brand in Italy and secure the exclusive Lotto concession in Italy with a consortium led by IGT.

Sources:

IGT Brings Award-Winning Poker Portfolio to Spain with Casino Barcelona, July 15, 2024.

IGT IGT CEO Global Lottery Renato Ascoli Inducted into Lottery Industry Hall of Fame, July 17, 2024.

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DraftKings Q1 Earnings Could Benefit from Super Bowl Parlays, Prop Bets, Says Analyst

While most sportsbook operators were pinched by the Super Bowl because the underdog Kansas City Chiefs won outright, DraftKings’ (NASDAQ: DKNG) first-quarter earnings might prove sturdy due to the operator winning on parlays and some popular proposition wagers.

DraftKings stock
A DraftKings billboard appears at Times Square in New York City. An analyst believes the operator did well with the Super Bowl and could have big iGaming opportunities ahead. (Image: NASDAQ)

Following a meeting with several high-ranking DraftKings executives, including co-founder and CEO Jason Robins, JPMorgan analyst Joseph Greff said he came away “incrementally impressed.” He added that the operator likely notched decent hold on the Super Bowl because neither Kanas Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce nor running back Isaiah Pacheco scored touchdowns in the big game, meaning plenty of DraftKings clients that built same-game parlays with those props lost.

Continuous product iteration and technology competencies are driving higher structural hold rates, benefiting from increased adoption of its higher-margin parlay products and other diversified bet types that are unlocking increased engagement and monetization of its customer base,” observed Greff.

The analyst added DraftKings’ overall Super Bowl hold was solid even with the Chiefs winning and the operator may have given a clue to that effect by raising 2024 guidance earlier this month.

DraftKings iGaming Future Bright

As has been widely documented, gaming companies, including DraftKings, are enthusiastic about the long-term outlook for internet casinos, but just six states currently permit that form of wagering.

Greff told clients that DraftKings is considering pitching iGaming in Illinois as an avenue for plugging gaps in the that state’s budget. That’s viewed as a potential compromise to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D-IL) recently proposed budget, which pitches raising the state’s tax on sports betting to 35% from 15%.

The JPMorgan analyst added that the DraftKings executives cited bullish revenue trends in the states that allow internet casinos and that the outlook for expansion is bright because some states, including New York and some in New England, are grappling with budget constraints and need to find new sources of revenue.

The executives also discussed DraftKings’ recently unveiled $750 million cash/stock deal for online lottery provider Jackpocket, telling Greff the firm will initially function as a standalone entity and later be integrated into the buyer’s sports betting and iGaming platforms. The acquisition could help DraftKings expansion efforts, including into Texas where Jackpocket is already operational, according to the analyst.

Speaking of Expansion…

DraftKings management told Greff they remain open to additional acquisitions and with a soaring share price and with $1.27 billion in cash and cash equivalents on hand at the end of 2023, the operator has the resources with which to make deals.

The analyst noted that the gaming company is open to international purchases and while specific jurisdictions weren’t mentioned, it appears DraftKings is unlikely to go shopping in Western Europe due to limited growth opportunities in that region.

Greff pointed out that given the firm’s strong cash position, it could consider a share repurchase program, but a potential dividend wasn’t mentioned.

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Ex-Raiders Player Henry Ruggs Remains in Nevada Prison Camp During Super Bowl

As Henry Ruggs III’s former Las Vegas Raiders teammates watched Super Bowl LVIII this past Sunday, he continues his sentence at a Nevada prison camp with dorms rather than jail cells.

Henry Ruggs III
Henry Ruggs III, pictured above in a Las Vegas courtroom. He’s now serving a sentence at a Nevada prison camp for a deadly DUI. (Image: La Presse)

Ruggs, 25, is incarcerated at Stewart Conservation Camp, which is described as a minimum-security complex in Carson City, according to Las Vegas TV station KLAS.

No word if he watched the iconic football game played at Allegiant Stadium.

Nowadays, he’s been earning $2.50 an hour at a job that has him work off-site for government offices, KLAS reported.

Transfer From Prison

First, he was incarcerated at High Desert State Prison, after pleading guilty to two charges stemming from a deadly collision.

In September, he reportedly was transferred to the minimum-security facility.

Ruggs was sentenced in August to at least three years in prison. He could be granted parole in August 2026.

In November 2021, Ruggs was driving up to 156 mph on Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas. He crashed his Corvette into a Toyota RAV4, driven by Tina Tintor, 23. She and her dog, Max, both perished in the fiery collision.

Ruggs’ blood-alcohol level after the deadly incident was 0.16, authorities revealed. That’s double the legal limit.

Initially, he was charged with DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in bodily harm, two counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, and possession of a firearm while under the influence.

Ruggs faced up to 50 years in prison if he had been convicted of dropped charges, prosecutors said.

But he pled guilty to reduced charges of DUI resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter.

The firearm charge was one of those dropped counts even though a loaded gun was found in his Corvette after the crash.

Ruggs was socializing at TopGolf in Las Vegas hours before the crash.

Courtroom Apology

Before being sentenced, Ruggs last year apologized to Tintor’s family, his former team (the Las Vegas Raiders), and his relatives.

“To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021, have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max,” Ruggs said in the courtroom.

I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many.”

After the crash, Ruggs was released by the Raiders. He had signed a four-year NFL contract reportedly worth more than $16M.

He was a first-round NFL Draft pick. Ruggs led the Raiders in receiving yards in 2021. The former Alabama standout had 24 receptions, 469 receiving yards, and two touchdowns through seven games.

His sentence has been questioned by former NFL star and celebrity O. J. Simpson, who believed it to be short, compared to his own sentence for armed robbery, which was between nine and 33 years.

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Taylor Swift Effect: Kelce TD Most Bet Super Bowl Prop at DraftKings Except in Illinois

Taylor Swift might be having an impact on Super Bowl betting trends. As of Friday afternoon, the most wagered on Super Bowl proposition bet among DraftKings clients is Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — Swift’s boyfriend — to score the first touchdown.

Super Bowl odds Chiefs 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift. She might be stirring interest in Super Bowl prop bets tied to the star tight end. (Image: Getty Images)

The caveat is that Illinois is the exception. Still, it’s an impressive anecdote because DraftKings offers mobile sports wagering in 24 states, including Illinois. It’s not immediately clear why bettors in the Land of Lincoln haven’t made the Kelce to score the first touchdown the top prop bet for the big game, but there’s speculation it’s because bettors there are heavily including that wager as a leg in same-game parlays (SGPs).

At this writing, DraftKings is offering the Kelce to score the first touchdown prop bet at +700 (bet $100 to win $700). That’s longer than the +600 offered by the sportsbook earlier today.

This year marks the fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years by the Chiefs, with Kelce on the roster for all those games. In the team’s 2020, 2021, and 2023 showings in the big game, in which it won two, the tight combined for 22 receptions on 27 targets for 257 yards and two touchdowns — one apiece in the 2020 and 2023 Super Bowls.

Kelce TD Prop Bet No Sure Thing

In the world of sports betting, there’s no such thing as a “lock,” and that’s certainly true of the Kelce prop bet. Hence, sportsbook operators such as DraftKings are offering long odds to entice bettors to embrace what’s essentially a long shot.

The potential success of the bet isn’t about Kelce or Swift. He’s widely regarded as one of the best tight ends of all-time and is viewed as being on the position’s “Mt. Rushmore” along with Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, and Shannon Sharpe.

Rather, the long odds on the Kelce prop wager may be attributable to the first quarter of Super Bowls being equivalent to the first rounds of heavyweight title weights, with the teams feeling each other out rather than attempting to land haymakers.

As a result, the first quarter in a Super Bowl isn’t always conducive to scoring touchdowns. In the first seven Super Bowls played this century, six featured no first-quarter touchdowns. The same is true of another six editions of the big game this century.

Swift Has Enhanced Popularity of Kelce Props

Swift will attend the Super Bowl, jetting to Las Vegas from a concert in Tokyo the night before, but she won’t be performing.

Owing to state-level regulations in the US, there will be no prop bets specific to the music star, but DraftKings and other sportsbooks are offering prop wagers inspired by Swift. In fact, DraftKings has a lengthy menu of such bets, each named after one of her hit singles, but the bets pertain to on-the-field action.

As the Kelce/Swift romance flourished during the regular season with her attending more Chiefs games, some gaming companies noted that they experienced an elevated handle on Kelce prop bets.

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