The Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens have decimated the field in Circa Sports�� Circa Survivor NFL pick��em contest. Each greater than a touchdown favorite in Week 1 and Week 2 of the current NFL season, respectively, both lost, thus dooming thousands of entries in Survivor, as they were the two most popular incorrect picks. But fear not, those of you who have already been eliminated, as Circa is giving you what it calls the ��Circa Survivor Empathy Package.��

Everyone who finds themselves already out of the tournament through Week 2 is entitled to at least a two-night stay at Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas, or Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, November 4 through December 26, Monday through Thursday. Players who had three or more entries (up to ten were allowed) get three nights. Those who claim a package also get a day bed reservation at Stadium Swim.

Players may not choose the same team more than once.

In Circa Survivor, players pick one team to win straight-up each week of the NFL season (plus the Thanksgiving and Christmas slates). If that team wins, the entry moves on, if it loses, that entry is kaput. Players may not choose the same team more than once.

The contest had a $10 million guaranteed prize pool and a $1,000 rake-free buy-in.

Through Week 2, only 3,877 of the 14,266 entries remain. The last entry standing will receive the entire $14,266,000 prize pool. Should more than one person make it through to the end, as happened last year when four entries were perfect, they will split the total prize pool equally.

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A pair of men who cheated a Pittsburgh casino by marking cards have avoided a prison sentence. Serdar Ozmen and Bahri Sahpolat appeared in court on Wednesday and have to serve two years of probation for their crimes.

The gamblers, who reside in Maryland and California, were at the Live! Casino Pittsburgh when they played Mississippi Stud Poker and won more than $12,000.

personnel at the casino noticed irregularities while looking at surveillance footage

Security personnel at the casino noticed irregularities while looking at surveillance footage before confiscating their chips, and law enforcement apprehended the pair on charges of using a cheating device, criminal trespassing, receiving stolen property, and theft.

Ozmen and Sahpolat had remained in custody since their arrest and didn��t plead guilty to any charges. Besides the probation period, they can never re-enter the casino. They can complete an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program as they are first-time offenders, which will get rid of the trespassing charge.

In a statement about the cheating incident, Live! Casino Pittsburgh spokesperson Tom Meinert explained how staff detected the wrongdoing through ��sophisticated security measures�� and immediately contacted the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania State Police.

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Brazil��s Ministry of Finance has declared that unlicensed gambling operators must cease operations in the country by October 1.

Brazil has long had gambling companies work in a largely unregulated gray market, but is underway with plans to launch a federal, regulated gambling market, which is set to launch on January 1, 2025.

just two weeks to shut down before facing legal consequences

That means that companies who have failed to apply for a license and are still operational have just two weeks to shut down before facing legal consequences.

Companies already operating will be able to continue to do so provided they have already applied for a license. Regis Dudena, General Secretary of the Secretariat for Betting and Prizes, said: ��We will maintain the adaptation period until the end of December only for those who have already demonstrated that they want to act in accordance with the law, and in accordance with Brazilian rules.��

113 companies have applied for gambling licenses ahead of the 2025 launch, which require a payment of R$30m ($5.48m) to be submitted before the end of 2024. Brazil has already begun cracking down on payments received by operators that are not compliant.

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Illegal gambling arcade

The United States Attorney��s Office for the District of Colorado (USAO-CO) has announced a guilty verdict for the owner of Player One Arcade in Denver who ran an illicit gambling enterprise.

A federal jury found Denver native Jonathan Arvay, 38, guilty on one count apiece of conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business, and conducting an illegal gambling business.

The USAO-DO took to X Tuesday with news of the two guilty charges Arvay will face at his scheduled December 12 sentencing:

According to the feds, Arvay��s Player One Arcade was one establishment in a gambling parlor chain spreading outwards from Denver to the cities of Greeley and Pueblo and taking in Colorado Springs, Lakewood, and Aurora. 

These establishments housed multiple electronic gambling machines ��made to resemble arcade games,�� and virtual slot machines, stated the DOJ press release.

E-currency for cash

According to the USAO-CO release, whatever winnings players made on the games would be converted to cryptocurrency, which could then be exchanged for cash.

Arvay��s trial notes reveal customers in Player One Arcade, or the other parlors, would exchange any credits won for cryptocurrency known as Obsidian Digital Asset Coin.

looked like ATMs but were instead crypto teller machines

Housed within the arcades, or next door to them, were what looked like ATMs but were instead crypto teller machines. Customers would then use the machines to convert their e-currency winnings into cash, for which they would pay a transfer fee.

USAO-CO��s Acting US Attorney Matt Kirsch stated on Tuesday that Arvay and other unnamed defendants ran ��a large, complex�� illegal gambling operation via online and brick-and-mortar channels. ?

Kirsch said the gambling parlors ��masqueraded as arcades with a veneer of legitimacy.�� IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge, Tom Demeo, meanwhile, praised those involved in the investigation for helping unravel Arvay��s ��complex financial scheme.��

Demeo added that IRS special agents will counter fraudsters devising ��new ways to evade their tax liability and defraud the government,�� by adding novel investigative methods to trace the illegal funds and ��hold these criminals accountable.��

Community concerns

FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said the money made by the illegal gambling parlors led to multiple violations besides money laundering and fraud. Michalek went on to thank all parties involved for successfully dismantling ��the gambling dens that were negatively impacting surrounding communities.��

establishments were causing real harm in our communities.��

Attorney Kirsch was also grateful to officers of the law for ��digging beneath the veneer and finding that these establishments were causing real harm in our communities.��

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Unlawful data sharing

The data protection arm of the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has ��reprimanded�� Flutter-owned Sky Betting & Gaming for unlawfully sharing subscribers�� details with advertising firms.

complaint by pressure group

According to The Guardian on Tuesday, the telling off by the Information Commissioner��s Office (ICO) came after the regulator investigated Flutter��s Sky Betting & Gaming holding brand Bonne Terre Ltd after a complaint by pressure group Clean Up Gambling.

The not-for-profit body alleged the Flutter iGaming subsidiary, whose brands include Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Bingo, Sky Casino and Sky Poker, was ��misusing its customers�� personal data to target vulnerable gamblers.��

Upon investigation, the ICO said it found zero evidence Sky��s intention was to target at-risk gamblers.?

Fortunate finding

A Sky Betting & Gaming spokesperson stated the iGaming firm ��welcomed�� the all-clear on the vulnerable gambling accusation after the ICO��s ��exhaustive 18-month investigation.��

What the probe uncovered, however, was that the Flutter firm had, without customers�� consent, processed their data via advertising cookies over a seven-week period in early 2023. Sky then immediately passed customers�� data onto advertising tech firms before it gave customers the option to accept or decline cookies.

In a statement, ICO Deputy Commissioner Stephen Bonner said seemingly tailored ads, such as a commercial for sneakers popping up after joining a gym online, were commonplace.?Bonner added, however, that while some people may be happy to consent to these ads, others might not appreciate them when they impinge on the more ��sensitive aspects of our digital activity.��

personal information being shared with advertisers��

��For example, if you are visiting a gambling website or looking up concerning health symptoms, you may want to prevent this personal information being shared with advertisers.��

The spokesperson for Flutter��s UK iGaming brand blamed the breach on an ��accidental technical error.�� The exec added Sky ��rectified this error within a day of becoming aware of it.��

Dealing with the past

Clean Up Gambling first leveled the claim against Sky Bet��s ��invasive�� online data retrieval processes that involved ��widespread illegality�� back in August 2022.

The probe may have brought back bad memories for Flutter of a Sky Vegas free spins promo sent to vulnerable customers in 2021, for which the UKGC fined it ��1.17m ($2.24m).

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Not many vehicles get more attention than the Tesla Cybertrucks have received since their inception. People seem to either love or hate the space-like creations, which spawned from the mind of controversial billionaire Elon Musk.

a fleet of the futuristic trucks worth more than $1.6m combined

To show off the trucks, that hit the market in November last year, renowned Tesla light show creator Simon Pollock curated an experience in Las Vegas over the weekend. It featured a fleet of the futuristic trucks worth more than $1.6m combined, which put on a light show in front of the Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

The soundtrack was a remix of Kanye West��s hit song ��Stronger,�� and the trunks lifted up their trunks to add to the overall spectacle. Viewing discretion is advised if you struggle with flashing lights:

The Cybertruck��s official X page approved, responding to the video saying: ��I think we could sell out a stadium with that show.�� Comments from the general public were also overwhelmingly positive, and Simon Pollock let people know that he��s planning an even bigger spectacle for a Halloween special on October 26.

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Union leader defiant

A union leader who was imprisoned for striking against the biggest casino in Cambodia has said she will continue fighting after her release.

Chhim Sithar was sentenced to two years�� imprisonment in May 2023 for incitement to commit a felony, relating to her part in the casino workers�� strike against Nagaworld in Phnom Penh.

more than 1,300 employees, mostly union members, were laid off

Sithar had been one of the leading figures of a strike which started in December 2021 after more than 1,300 employees, mostly union members, were laid off amid financial troubles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She attended a demonstration before she was arrested and charged in January 2022. Several other union members were also charged, although all received suspended sentences.

Cambodia��s longest strike

Despite her imprisonment, Sithar remains undeterred and has vowed to continue the industrial action. Speaking to The Associated Press, she said: ��We will continue holding strike action until we get a solution. That��s the position we have determined since the first strike.��

As long as there��s no justice, our struggle continues.��

��Unfortunately, as of today, after nearly three years, our workers have still not gotten justice. Therefore, as long as there��s no justice, our struggle continues.��

Nagaworld, which is owned by the estate of the late Malaysian billionaire Chen Lip Keong, is the largest casino in Cambodia and has been operating since receiving its license in 1994.

The strike, taking place in the capital of Phnom Penh, was far more high-profile and long-running than other industrial action in Cambodia��s history, which drew a harsh response from authorities. Seeking to avoid a demonstration at the prison, Sithar was released at dawn on Monday and escorted back to her home in Phnom Penh.

Union members attacked

Union members were subjected to police violence as well as other intimidation tactics, which Cambodian human rights campaign group LICADHO called ��relentless efforts by authorities to suppress the strike �� including sexual harassment, physical assaults, and judicial harassment.��

At the time of the strike, Amnesty International also condemned the response, saying union members were ��prosecuted solely for exercising their basic rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.��

Protests continued after Sithar was detained. In December 2022, more than 200 protestors accepted an offer of compensation, but the remainder fought on, despite the risks.

��No one wants to be in prison and I can say that we were afraid,�� said Sithar. ��But I want to make a comparison �� Which one is the scarier? For me, the scare of losing the rights to a union, the scare of losing the right to unionize, is more scary than putting me in jail.��

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The Islamic political party making huge federal and territorial gains in Malaysia has vowed to voters it will end gambling in Pahang, home of the integrated resort casino (IRC) Resorts World Genting, if it wins the state in general elections. ?

Gentings�� shares nosedived in 2022 when Mal Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) became the biggest party in federal parliament after crushing the GE15 national elections. With four of Malaysia��s 13 states already under its control, PAS now wants to take Pahang in GE15 and is upping the voter ante.

According to the South China Morning Times, the party is ��tapping into concerns by the country��s Muslim majority over gambling.�� The Koran forbids gambling.

Gambling is harmful, so we have to close it.��

The SCMT cited a deputy at a PAS annual gathering as telling voters in Pahang that, if they want an end to gambling in their state, they should vote for the rising political power. ��Gambling is harmful, so we have to close it,�� stated PAS�� Andansura Rabu.

Rabu, however, said the eradication of gambling wasn��t about religion, but rather a ��social issue.�� Genting��s Resorts World casino is believed to have contributed approximately 5 billion ringgit ($1.16bn) annually to government coffers pre-COVID-19.

While Genting shares have recovered since the 2022 slump, the rising tide of support for the party ahead of the GE15 elections, which must be held before 2028, poses a real threat to Kuala Lumpur-based Genting��s Resorts World interests in Pehang.

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The campaign against a Missouri amendment to legalize sports betting has received a $4m donation from Caesars Entertainment.

A political action committee (PAC), Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment (MADOGA), was formed last week in an attempt to convince Missourians to vote against the proposals when they go to the polls on November 5.

Caesars�� donation to the group means that it is the first casino company to declare a position on the proposal, which has been backed by a PAC called the Sports Betting Alliance, consisting of BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbook, and FanDuel. Contributions from DraftKings and FanDuel alone have totaled $9.525m.

Missouri is one of 12 remaining states without some form of legalized sports betting; the issue has faced political deadlock for the past five years. Three years ago, an alliance of prospective operators and sports teams formed a campaign, but the new amendment is more restrictive, limiting each operator to one sports betting skin, even if they own multiple properties in the state.

polls have been extremely mixed on the issue

The proposal was also the subject of a lawsuit which argued that it should not have been considered for a public vote, but after it emerged victorious, Missourians will now be able to have their say. Polls have been extremely mixed on the issue, with multiple studies released showing public support both for an against legalization.

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Flutter Entertainment will establish a new business in Brazil after agreeing to acquire an initial 56% stake in NSX Group, operator of the Brazilian Betnacional brand.

The $350m deal, which the group expects to complete by Q2 2025, includes a clause allowing Flutter to increase its stake both five and ten years after completion.

The group is expected to post $256m in revenue and $34m in adjusted EBITDA this year.

NSX has been operating in Brazil since 2021, and includes the Betnacional, Betpix, MrJack.bet, and Pagbet brands. Flutter will also add its Betfair brand to the new Brazilian arm of its growing empire. The group is expected to post $256m in revenue and $34m in adjusted EBITDA this year.

The deal comes as Brazil prepares to open up to new operators as it moves forward with plans for legal, regulated gambling, bringing the current gray market to an end.

Flutter CEO Peter Jackson cited the local know-how of NSX as crucial to the deal, stating: ��We believe that combining the extensive local expertise?of?the NSX team, our existing Betfair?business, and the power of the Flutter Edge, will create a compelling opportunity to capitalize on the growth opportunity in Brazil which presents an exciting runway of future growth.��

Further details of the deal will be announced on the company��s upcoming investor day, September 25.

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Not good enough

Star Entertainment Group is hanging on for dear life as it waits to hear the fate of its casino license in New South Wales (NSW). The Brisbane-based company was subject to a second probe by SC Adam Bell after the authorities felt it hadn��t made sufficient progress in addressing serious issues uncovered by the initial inquiry in 2022.

issued a disciplinary notice to the company regarding four major breaches

The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) confirmed on Friday that Star will have to pay a fine of AU$100m (US$67m) if it manages to hold onto its license to operate a Sydney casino. It issued a disciplinary notice to the company regarding four major breaches that the report from August 30 outlined.

These relate to not running welfare checks on hundreds of high-risk customers, forging these checks, and a case of cash fraud. Star has two weeks to respond to these allegations. The regulator also wants more insight into the operator’s current financial position and what it intends to do to remediate itself if it holds onto the license.

Many issues

Star issued a response by saying it might query certain issues and plans to reply by September 27.

The embattled company also has concerns in Queensland, where it operates two casinos. The Queensland regulator is waiting to see what happens in NSW before proceeding with its own probe into the company.

Investor money remains tied up as Star Entertainment��s shares currently aren��t available to trade on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) after it failed to report its annual report for the most recent fiscal year by the deadline.

Long-running problems

Australia��s casino sector has faced severe scrutiny in recent years. Authorities found that Star Entertainment was guilty of significant anti-money laundering failures, player protection issues, and other major compliance failings.

held onto its license following the initial probe in October 2022

It held onto its license following the initial probe in October 2022, but the regulator appointed a special manager, Nicholas Weeks, to oversee the remediation efforts. Despite the appointment, numerous issues raised further concerns, including an ATM malfunction that led to patrons getting AU$3.2m (US$2.1m) in free cash after it took the Star Sydney weeks to resolve the problem.

The other major casino company in Australia, Crown Resorts, dealt with similar issues and also had to pay nine-figure fines for its transgressions.

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Law enforcement in Las Vegas has apprehended a woman who allegedly stole almost $40,000 from a man she met at an unnamed Strip casino. The victim invited Monica Falcon to go home with him on June 12, and when he was asleep, she reportedly took $600 in cash, $17,000 from his bank account, $4,912 worth of Venmo payments, and $17,500 from a cryptocurrency account.

identified Falcon by looking at casino surveillance video

Police identified Falcon by looking at casino surveillance video, and the victim subsequently identified her as the woman he took to his apartment.

Falcon has a rap sheet that includes charges of trespassing, prostitution, and solicitation. Police officers got in touch with her by phone and asked that she turn herself in to give a statement.

After she refused to do so, police arrested her last month, charging her with theft with a value of $25,000 or more and less than $100,000. Her next court hearing is on December 4.

The felony charge carries between one and ten years in prison, plus restitution.

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