The post Galatasaray Suspends $14m Shirt Sponsorship Amid Illegal Gambling Claims appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>Turkish soccer giant Galatasaray has suspended its shirt sponsorship deal with Serwin Global Solutions after allegations of illegal betting.
The contract, which runs for two years and is worth over $14m, promotes the digital news platform Meritking.news. The move attracted criticism as the site is allegedly linked to illegal betting operators. Galatasaray’s Vice President Niyazi Yelkencioglu initially defended the deal, insisting that the arrangement was only with the news portal, but the club has now U-turned.
ensure that our collaborations are conducted in a manner that protects the interests of our club”
“We have suspended the sponsorship agreements with Serwin Global Solutions SDN BHD until the information and claims provided to us are clarified,” said a statement from Galatasaray. “We will continue to ensure that our collaborations are conducted in a manner that protects the interests of our club.”
Yelkencioglu also claimed that the contract had a clause which would allow termination if any illegal activities were discovered, before insisting that it had been thoroughly reviewed by the club’s legal team.
The move was made even more controversial after fierce rivals Fenerbah?e filed several complaints to sporting authorities against Galatasaray, which included the sponsorship deal. The complaints were filed before a crucial match between the two teams, who sit in the top two positions in Turkey’s Süper?Lig, on Saturday, September 21.
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]]>The post Halfords Manager Stole and Gambled Away ￡90k Through Coupon Inflation Scheme appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>A manager at Halfords in Scotland stole ￡90,000 ($119,669) from his employer through a coupon refund scheme and gambled away all the money. Gary Ridgewell will serve 30 months in prison for the embezzlement that took place over five years at the automotive retail store’s Dumbarton and Perth locations.
The scam saw the 51-year-old increase the value of coupons from customers in the system and then take the difference for himself from the tills. This wouldn’t raised any red flags as the recorded balance and the cash in the register would match. If the till didn’t have enough cash in it, Ridgewell would add funds to it from the safe.
Halfords started investigating suspicious transactions at stores as part of a separate probe
Everything eventually came to a head when Halfords started investigating suspicious transactions at stores as part of a separate probe, and the company suspended Ridgewell in March 2018 after looking into suspiciously high safe balances. Investigators subsequently saw the instances of theft on video surveillance footage, and Ridgewell confessed everything after they confronted him.
The court heard that Ridgewell started gambling as a 13-year-old and struggled with addiction most of his life. Sheriff Alison McKay said that even if the defendant made total restitution, the severity of the case meant that some prison time was almost inevitable.
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]]>The post Jungle Booked: Dan Cates to Headline Unibet Deepstack Open Marrakesh appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>One of the biggest stars in poker and one of the sharpest minds that the game has ever known, Daniel Cates has dominated in both the live and online arena during his 17-year career. A fearless mixed game player specializing in short-handed formats, he usually pedals his wares in the biggest cash games. In 2021 and 2022, though, he went back-to-back in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship at the World Series of Poker.
failure to pay up on a $100,000 bet
In the past week, Cates has been in the news after he took to social media to out David Oppenheim for what he alleges is failure to pay up on a $100,000 bet about which of them is hotter to women and gay men. Cates only published partial screenshots, making it hard to discern whether the bet was booked. He also alluded to “arbitration,” which was either inconclusive or unstageable.
Regardless, the post of Cates’ which piqued my interest this week had nothing to do with his perceived hotness but was actually him announcing on Instagram that he would be attending the Unibet Deepstack Open in Morocco.
Starting this Friday in the El Saadi Casino in Marrakesh is one of the most anticipated poker events on the African continent. Ten action-packed days of tournaments ranging in buy-in from 1950 Moroccan Dirham ($195) to 20,000 Moroccan Dirham ($2000) are promised as is a very special Pot-Limit Omaha cash game in which Cates is booked to play.
When I heard about this game, I immediately wanted in on the action. You see, I recently came second in back-to-back Pot Limit Omaha tournaments at the Festival Series Malta. I picked up the phone and spoke with the organizers who initially seemed keen that I get in the mix, but rumor has it that Cates was so intimidated, both by my recent breakout results and by my handsomeness, that he vetoed me.
I would both straddle and intentionally dress poorly
Suffice to say, I was devastated. The $20/$40 game looks juicy, and I am attending the festival anyway, so I implored the Deepstack Open’s head honcho Alex Henry to make the case for me again. I assured him that I would both straddle and intentionally dress poorly so as not to upstage the 34-year-old guest of honor/heartthrob.
As a compromise, it was agreed that I would commentate but not play. As a brand ambassador for Unibet, it is a greater priority that Cates feel comfortable and I am very much looking forward to critiquing Jungleman’s play. Henry told VegasSlotsOnline News that “it is an honor to have an Omaha player of David’s caliber in the booth.”
Henry added: “It is really exciting for us to be back in Marrakech and the El Saadi Casino, one of our best venues on the tour! The UDSO Omaha Cash Game Challenge will not be the only surprise – we are also hosting the first ‘Vlad Casino live tournament’ as well as blackjack and roulette tournaments.”
The livestream will be a central part of this year’s UDSO Marrakesh. The $20/$40 PLO Cash Game will be showcased on Monday night as will most of the final tables, all viewable for free at www.deepstackopen.com.
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]]>The post Pragmatic Play Enters Third Major Euro Sportsbook Market With DAZN Bet UK? appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>Gibraltar-based iGaming content provider Pragmatic Play has made its UK sportsbook debut with its launch of DAZN Bet.
Pragmatic’s bow across the pond gives the brand a foothold in its third major European market after previous launches in Germany and Spain, again via DAZN Bet.
According to a Pragmatic news release, DAZN Bet UK account holders can access “pre-match and in-play data, player props, and bet builders.” The release also talks up DAZN Bet UK’s new horse racing market.
Pragmatic Play’s Senior Vice President of Sports Gareth Crook, meanwhile, said his firm was proud to have launched in the UK, which has been in its plans for some time.
“Entering the UK market with a competitive sportsbook product was an early ambition of ours,” Crook stated.
the most competitive and mature sports betting market”
The Pragmatic exec added that, while the UK was “arguably the most competitive and mature sports betting market” in the world, post-launch indicators of DAZN Bet UK are “highly positive.”
DAZN Bet’s Managing Director Germany, Austria, UK & New Markets, Daniel Berthold, said the UK sportsbook launch “aligned perfectly with our mission to deliver an innovative, dynamic and engaging sports betting experience to our UK customers.”
Berthold added: “This step allows us to bring our unique proposition to the UK.”
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]]>The post BGC Study Estimates UK Gamblers Spend as Much as ￡4.3bn on Black Market Each Year appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>The UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has released a new study claiming that as many as 1.5 million people in the UK spend as much as ￡4.3bn ($5.7bn) gambling illegally every year.
The industry body commissioned Frontier Economics to carry out the research, and the resulting findings are the first significant look at the prevalence of the black market since the release of the government white paper on gambling legislation in April 2023.
government loses out on as much as ￡335m ($445m) over a five-year period
The report highlights the aggressive marketing tactics from offshore operators targeting people in the UK. Estimates suggest the resulting outflow of money will cost the government as much as ￡335m ($445m) over a five-year period if no changes are made.
As these platforms don’t have to adhere to the UK regulators’ rules, they incentivize people to sign up with hefty welcome bonuses, anonymous gameplay, and no restrictive payment measures. These operators can evade sanctions by rebranding or making new identities.
54% of people were not even aware the platform they were using was not legal
The report says that over one in five people in the 18 to 24-year-old age range use black market platforms and that 54% of people were not even aware the platform they were using was not legal in the UK.
It also found that some overseas operators deliberately go after people who excluded themselves from all UK Gambling Commission-licensed gambling sites through GAMSTOP.
While online gambling makes up the bulk of the illegal expenditure, with about ￡2.7bn ($3.6bn) of an allocation, land-based operations also contribute significantly, with ￡1.6bn ($2.1bn) spent at illegal facilities across the region.
Talking about the new research, BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said that it “exposes the unnerving true scale of the growing, unsafe, unregulated gambling black market.” Hurst said that illegal operators don’t care about the safety of players, and they don’t want to help fund the government or sporting bodies that benefit from gambling tax money.
She believes that the regulator and government are “sleepwalking” into this major issue and that more needs to be done. She pointed out that stricter affordability checks, and more bans on advertising, will only drive more people to these unregulated sites.
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]]>The post Colossus Bets Launches Audacious Bid to Replace Tote at UK Racecourses appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>Colossus Bets will launch a bid to replace Tote as the trackside bookmaker at UK racecourses, according to a report in UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph.
Several major racecourses have been approached with multi-million pound offers
The newspaper claimed that several major racecourses have been approached with multimillion-pound offers to set up a new trackside bookmakers and replace the Tote, which has been the standard operator at UK races for 96 years.
Colossus, which is owned by secretive Australian businessman Zeljko Ranogajec and former PR executive Bernard Marantelli, was founded in 2013. Ranogajec, who is nicknamed “The Loch Ness Monster” for his elusive personal appearances, is believed to be a billionaire and likely operates under the alias John Wilson.
The Tote was established by Winston Churchill in 1928 when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in a bid to provide funding for racing and crack down on illegal betting. Initially owned by the government, it was sold to bookmaker Betfred in 2011 for ￡265m ($351m.)
It is now owned by a consortium of high-profile figures in racing, and pays around ￡13m ($17.3m) per year to UK racecourses for the right to offer trackside betting services. Additionally, 10% of its profits are donated to the Horserace Betting Levy Board, which contributes significant sums to prize money.
Tote runs on a parimutuel betting system, pooling all bets taken on races
The Tote runs on a parimutuel betting system, pooling all bets taken on races and dividing the sum among winners, minus a commission. According to The Telegraph, Colossus will maintain the same model if successful in its bid.
The Tote also generates significant revenues from its World Pool, which is run by the Hong Kong Jocket Club. The World Pool, which allows global bettors to contribute to a single pool, often earns between ￡500,000 ($663,000) and ￡800,000 ($1.06m) for each designated event.
Ranogajec is likely to face significant opposition in his bid, due to the Tote’s owners largely being made up of breeders, trainers, and other influential figures in the racing world. While the UK’s 59 courses have a variety of owners, the report claims that they will make a united decision on the bid.
The current arrangement with the Tote doesn’t really work for a lot of us.”
One source from the report who was close to the negotiations stated: “The current arrangement with the Tote doesn’t really work for a lot of us. There’s potential for Colossus to change that, but we’re miles away from doing a deal.”
“They have work to do to prove their credibility. The courses are all talking, but there’s work to do. It’s very politically charged.”
The Australian businessman was said to have made his fortune playing blackjack and poker in the 1980s before becoming involved in horses. His subsequent success was then in parimutuel betting, where he often negotiated rebates from operators.
Ranogajec was also at the centre of of a years-long investigation by the Australian Taxation Office, which ended in both parties agreeing to a settlement in 2024.
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]]>The post Brazil Sets October 1 Deadline for Unlicensed Gambling Operators to Close appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>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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]]>The post Caretaker Jailed After Stealing Life Savings from Elderly Man to Fund Gambling Habit appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>A caretaker in Nottinghamshire, England, was jailed for six years after stealing ￡125,000 ($165,000) from an elderly man she was looking after to fund holidays and online gambling.
she completely drained his life savings over a period of less than two years
Anne Hill, 57, gained power of attorney over Louis Woodward, who is in his eighties. After accessing his bank accounts, she completely drained his life savings over a period of less than two years between August 2019 and April 2021.
Woodward was left with nothing remaining from his life savings, and was actually overdrawn when Hill was arrested in April 2021.
Hill had also used the power of attorney to take three drawdowns from a mortgage held by Woodward and secured against his home which totaled over ￡93,000 ($123,000). The money was then transferred to Hill’s own account.
Suspicions against Hill were first raised by one of Woodward’s friends, which eventually led to her 2021 arrest.
Hill had insisted that Woodward had given her permission to transfer the money to pay his bills, and also claimed that he had gifted her ￡60,000 ($79,320).
However, jurors heard information to the contrary from Woodward, giving a video interview before his death at the age of 86. He insisted that Hill only had permission to use money for his own benefit and that he had not gifted her the ￡60,000.
Hill blew over ￡108,251.91 ($143,345) gambling online
The court heard that over the two-year period of theft, the long-term gambler Hill blew over ￡108,252 ($143,345) gambling online across more than 17,000 transactions.?
She had also booked a two-week family vacation in Turkey costing over ￡7,000 ($9,300), although this was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hill denied any wrongdoing at the trial, but was found guilty of five counts of fraud and one count of perverting the course of justice.
On passing the sentence, Judge Mark Watson said: “This was a betrayal of the very significant trust placed in you. You deliberately targeted him because of his vulnerabilities.”
“You took what you wanted, when you wanted it, stripping him of his life savings and then trying to take even more.”
Detective Sergeant Daniel Weaver, who led the criminal investigation into Hill’s activities, also spoke of the additional victims who had suffered, saying: “The other victims in this case are the beneficiaries of Mr Woodward’s will – the animal charities and long-standing friends he had chosen to support after his death.”
“We will now look to use the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover available funds from Anne Hill, so that his final wishes can be fulfilled as far as possible.”
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]]>The post Playtech Stock Rises 14% After Dispute With Mexican iGaming Brand Ends appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>Shares in UK’s Playtech Plc, the world’s largest supplier of online gaming and sports betting software, rose 14% on the back of news that its ongoing dispute with?Mexican iGaming operator Cali Interactive has been resolved.
refusal to pay B2B license and service fees
The detente dated back to July 2023 over Caliplay, the joint venture between Playtech and Cali Interactive. The dispute was over the Mexican parent’s refusal to pay B2B license and service fees amounting, at the time, to €122m ($132m) to Playtech for the lease of its proprietary software.
Despite the dispute heading to courts in London and Mexico, Playtech had constantly stressed that it wanted to continue its relationship with the Mexican brand. The relationship appears back on after Playtech announced on Monday that Cali Interactive has agreed to pay a total of $140m over four years to settle its debt.
The dispute over, a new agreement has been inked with the Cali brand that includes an eight-year B2B contract for Playtech’s ongoing software and technology support.
According to media reports, the new agreement will see Playtech own a 30.8% stake in a new US-incorporated subsidiary of Caliplay called Caliente Interactive. The UK firm can now also “appoint a director to Caliplay’s board.”
Caliplay Chairman Emilio Hank said the company was “delighted to finalize this renewed agreement.” Hank added the Mexican brand was “focused on growing Caliplay, leveraging our core strengths and Playtech’s leading technology to broaden our geographical footprint.”
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]]>The post Mass Graves Found at Philippines Offshore Gambling Facility appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>The Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating alleged mass graves found after a raid at Lucky South 99, a Philippines Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).
The fact that there is an existing grave site [means] it would not be a surprise if there are others.”
“It is a very serious matter that we cannot take for granted,” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said. “The fact that there is an existing grave site [means] it would not be a surprise if there are others.”
The discovery is the latest link between POGOs and crime in the Philippines, and the news comes as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prepares to finalize a presidential decree which will immediately outlaw the gambling facilities in the country.
POGOs have spread in the Philippines since they were legalized in 2016 by former president Rodrigo Duterte. The operators have brought in significant revenue by providing offshore platforms to bettors in countries with strict restrictions on gambling, such as China.
The discovery of mass graves marks a nadir for the industry
However, POGOs have also been dogged by their association with criminal activity such as human trafficking, drug crimes, and prostitution. The discovery of mass graves marks a nadir for the industry as it prepares to close down its operations.
The association with organized crime caused president Marcos to prepare a decree outlawing all POGOs in the country, with many facilities raided in recent months.
At the time of the decree being announced, there were over 400 operational POGOs within the Philippines, which contributed 166.5bn pesos ($2.9bn) of revenue per year to government. However, Marcos’ administration decided that the overall economic cost to the country in reputational and tourism damage was greater.
Authorities will now press on with further investigations, with additional raids and probes to determine the depth of criminal activity at many of the facilities across the country.
In a statement given to reporters, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Spokesperson Winston Casio. added: “Over the weekend, prosecutors, Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group investigators, officers of PAOCC, and witnesses have identified possible burial locations.”
“These are very serious allegations that our task group cannot take lightly. For this reason, we have decided to apply for a search warrant to calm the anxious minds of both the foreign embassies with missing nationals as well as the relatives of those who have disappeared.”
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]]>The post Flutter to Control 30% of Italian Market With €2.3bn Snaitech Purchase From Playtech appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>Flutter Entertainment has confirmed rumors that it intends to take over Italian gaming operator Snaitech in a deal worth €2.3bn ($2.5bn). The company believes the deal will help it develop a stronger position in Europe’s biggest regulated gambling market.
transaction will also help create about €70m ($78m) in synergies
Flutter already owns Sisal, so the new deal will give it an estimated 30% share of the overall online gambling sector in the country; Snaitech controls almost 10% of the market and has an average of 291 monthly players. The company believes the latest transaction will also help create about €70m ($78m) in synergies.
The hope is to complete the deal with Playtech by the second quarter of next year. The news of this agreement comes only a few days after Flutter announced its $350m purchase of a 56% stake in NSX Group, a company that operates the popular Betnacional brand in the rapidly growing Brazilian market.
Talking about the Snaitech deal, Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson said that it is “compelling tactically and financially” and is an ideal fit for the company’s approach to mergers and acquisitions. He believes Snaitech will benefit by taking advantage of Flutter’s suite of capabilities and products.
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]]>The post UK Government Reprimands Flutter’s Sky Betting & Gaming for Sharing Customer Data With Advertisers appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.
]]>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.?
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.”
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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