Tag Archives: casino

Kahnawake council launches legal challenge against Ontario igaming laws

Kahnawake council launches legal challenge against Ontario igaming laws

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawàke (MCK) has launched a constitutional challenge against iGaming Ontario and the attorney-general of Ontario, arguing that the province’s regulation of gambling is unconstitutional.

The Council – which runs its own gambling licensing regime – said that the Ontario regime did not meet the requirements for gambling outlined in Canada’s constitution.

As a result, it has filed a motion in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to challenge the legality of Ontario’s igaming framework, which it said was “illegal and unconstitutional”.

Ontario igaming legal status

Commercial betting and gaming are legal in Canada only if it is “conducted and managed” by a provincial government. While in most provinces that offer online gambling, the government runs a monopoly, Ontario instead launched a licensed regime this year, with more than 30 different licensed operators so far.

While a specific definition of conducting and managing is not provided, the Mohawk Council of ..

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Lahcene Merzoug on PressEnter’s management buyout

Lahcene Merzoug on PressEnter’s management buyout

Fresh from announcing a management buyout, PressEnter CEO Lahcene Merzoug talks to iGB about the new leadership's strategy and future plans.

So, the cat is out the bag; PressEnter Group will be under new (or should we say old?) management.

There are many questions that remain: Will the new chairman stay the course or head to uncharted waters? What form will the shape of the business’ future growth take? And what’s the plan with the company’s brands?

The business formerly known as Betpoint has reinvented itself before, though only the new owners know what the plan is now. Current CEO and future executive chair Lahcene Merzoug explains in his own words.

What was the rationale behind the management buyout, and what important factors led the executive team to decide to go down this route?

The management team has grown the business into what it is today, so we could clearly see the potential in the company and its operations. When the opportunity to buy PressEnter Group arose, ..

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Codere Q3 revenue hits pre-pandemic levels thanks to strong LatAm growth

Codere Q3 revenue hits pre-pandemic levels thanks to strong LatAm growth

Spain, Italy and Latin America-facing gaming business Nueva Codere’s Q3 revenue increased 47.2% year-on-year to €343.4m (£300.7m/ $357.8m), recovering to pre-pandemic levels.

The robust revenue growth is mainly due to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in venues, ensuring a rebound for Codere in almost all markets.

Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 74.8% to €57.4m from €24.6m in the same period the previous year. Codere’s potent performance in Argentina and other Latin American countries is one important factor in this result.

The company’s adjusted EBITDA margin also rose 2.6% to 16.7% in the three-months leading to 30 September compared to the same period of 2021.

Codere country totals

Revenue jumped for Codere in all Latin American markets – most dramatically in Argentina where it increased 146% year-on-year to €98.6m, 122% of the pre-pandemic total. One important factor is that average player spend per visit has incr..

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AGA: Q3 US gaming revenue hits record $15bn

AGA: Q3 US gaming revenue hits record $15bn

US gaming revenue reached a record $15.17bn (£13.31bn/€15.1bn) in Q3, an all-time quarterly high, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker.

This is a 2% increase on the previous record of $14.81bn reached in the preceding quarter. Subsequently, 2022 is set to surpass 2021 as the highest grossing year of gaming revenue, already at 14.7% ahead of the same period the previous year. The total for the first nine months of the year is also ahead of 2019’s full-year revenue.

“While business challenges remain, high consumer demand continues to fuel our industry’s record success,” said AGA president and CEO Bill Miller. “Our sustained momentum in the face of broader economic volatility points to gaming’s overall health today and provides confidence as we look to the future.”

The industry’s year-on-year Q3 growth rate of 8.8% outperformed the broader US economy’s 2.6% growth rate in the same period.

[Read full story on iGaming Business]

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The 2022 US midterm elections: What we are watching

The 2022 US midterm elections: What we are watching

As the US goes to the polls for the midterm elections, there are plenty of races that could affect the progress of sports betting regulation and gaming expansion. Paul Girvan picks out the states to watch.

The 2022 US midterm elections, while important in so many ways, contain few issues directly related to gambling regulation.

Rather, they represent an opportunity to extract a thorn that has irritated the body politic and coloured the consideration and adoption of more gaming legislation, whether it be sports betting legislation or casino regulation.

Only in two states does gaming appear directly, or indirectly, on the ballot: California and Georgia.

Register now for this special webinar on 10 November

California

In California, a statewide ballot measures voter approval for constitutional changes, through Propositions 26 and 27.

Polling suggests both the tribal and commercial sports betting ballot measures are doomed to fail.

Prop 26 permits Native American casinos and four..

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Sports betting growth drives PA gambling revenue up 7.9% in September

Sports betting growth drives PA gambling revenue up 7.9% in September

Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania increased by 7.9% year-on-year in September following a 77.7% jump in sports betting revenue.

Total gambling revenue for the month amounted to $448.5m (£399.5m/€459.1m), which was ahead of $415.7m in September 2021 and also 5.4% higher than $425.4m in August of this year.

Retail slots remained by far the main source of revenue for operators in Pennsylvania during September, though revenue from this area of the market fell 0.2% to $198.5m. Retail table games revenue was also down 2.9% to $81.6m.

However, these declines were more than offset by growth in almost all other sections of the state’s market, including sports betting where revenue rocketed from $28.3m in 2021 to $50.2m this year.

Of this total, $43.0m came from online wagering, with the remaining $7.3m generated at retail sportsbooks. Sports betting handle was also up 11.5% year-on-year to $645.2m.

Valley Forge Casino Resort and FanDuel moved into first place in the sports betting market in..

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New Jersey gambling revenue continues upward trend in September

New Jersey gambling revenue continues upward trend in September

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased for the second consecutive month in September, while the US state also reported year-on-year growth across almost all markets.

Total gaming revenue for the month amounted to $485.0m (£430.0m/€493.0m), up 3.0% from $470.7m posted in August and also 6.9% ahead of the $453.6m recorded in September 2021.

Land-based gambling revenue edged up 1.3% year-on-year to $251.7m, with slots revenue up 2.5% to $186.5m, though table games revenue slipped 1.9% to $65.3m.

Online casino revenue also increased by 10.3% from $122.6m to $135.2m, driven by a 10.7% rise in online slots revenue to $133.0m. In contrast, peer-to-peer internet poker revenue was down 8.7% to $2.3m, making it one of only two markets areas – alongside land-based table games – to decline year-on-year.

The Borgata led the way in igaming, posting $41.1m in revenue for September. Resorts Digital was second on $34.19m, marginally ahead of Golden Nugget with $34.18m.

Turning to sports betting ..

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Detroit casino revenue declines in September

Detroit casino revenue declines in September

Revenue from the three commercial casinos in Detroit, Michigan declined month-on-month and year-on-year in September.

Total revenue for the month amounted to $103.4m (£92.1m/€106.2m), which was 2.5% lower than $106.1m in August this year and also 6.3% down from $110.4m in September of 2021.

Slots and table games accounted for $100.8m of revenue in September, down 5.7% from $106.9m in the same month last year and also 3.5% lower than $104.4m in August of this year.

The remaining $2.6m in revenue came from qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) from retail sports betting at the casinos, a 24.9% decline on $3.5m in September 2021, but 56.3% higher than $1.7m in August.

It was also noted that sports betting handle for the month reached $18.5m, down 42.8% on last year but 69.1% up from $11.0m in August 2022.

The MGM casino remained the market leader with 48% share of the Detroit market, ahead of MotorCity on 31% and the Hollywood Casino at Greektown on 21%.

MGM’s revenue comprised $..

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Sweden to open applications for B2B licences on 1 March

Sweden to open applications for B2B licences on 1 March

Sweden will open its application process for B2B supplier licences on 1 March 2023, regulator Spelinspektionen has announced, despite the fact the bill to implement these licences has not yet passed the legislature.

Currently, the bill to implement gambling software licences has not yet become law. The measure was proposed by the government in an effort to increase the level of channelisation in the Swedish market, but has not yet gone to a vote in the Riksdag.

While the results of Sweden’s recent election mean that the government that introduced the bill no longer holds a majority, Spelinspektionen said it was still working to ensure the bill could come into effect as planned if it is passed. The text of the bill says that the new licence regime will come into force on 1 July 2023.

In order to do this, it has now said that it will open applications for licences from 1 March 2023 and encouraged suppliers to prepare applications to be submitted from this date.

The regulator said the..

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