Author: Daniel Williams

Pennsylvania’s budget negotiations between the state’s Governor Tom Wolf and senior lawmakers have brought the matters of gambling expansion to an impasse. The Pennsylvania’s Senate and House broke off for recess without even making an agreement for the major details of such an expansion. All this has basically put online gambling expansion on hold in the state. The comprehensive gambling package which has been seen as the state’s chance for gambling industry expansion, was not finalised after local legislators have done nothing to ensure such a step. As a matter…

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has published a White Paper to propose some important reforms to the country’s legislation and regulatory framework. One of the main reasons why the Malta gambling regulatory watchdog has made this proposal is its attempt to annul the already existing legislation and replace it with a singular piece of legislation. The latter is aimed to be a primary Act of Parliament that will be passed with a complementary legislation that will cover the main regulatory areas. In addition, the Malta Gaming Authority will issue a…

The Irish Cabinet approved the Courts and Civil Liabilities Bill, which would set the legal age of 18 years for the available forms of gambling across the country. The new legislation, which is expected to be published over the days to come, is to provide a number of amendments of the Ireland’s Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956. Currently, the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 provides the legal and regulatory framework of gaming activities at circuses, carnivals, funfairs and amusement halls. In addition, it provides the necessary framework for arcades,…

Several Crown Resorts employees were released from Chinese jail, where they have been detained since October 2016, after being accused in gambling crimes. According to media reports, 10 of 16 company employees who were sentenced by local court in June, were released from the detention facilities in Shanghai they were in. First, four employees were released from a detention facility in Shanghai accompanied by their family members and security officials. They left immediately and refused to speak to media representatives. Then, as explained by an individual who identified himself of…

At the beginning of the week, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) revealed that it has published a special consultation document in collaboration with the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU). The document is a comprehensive study that is primarily focused on the upcoming application of the Authority’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism funding requirements imposed by the Malta gambling regulatory body on license holders. The document released as a joint publication of the MGA and FIAU is divided into five sections, which correspond to the major obligations of the licensees that are…

One of the international gambling companies with the best presence on a global scale – Hard Rock International – revealed some details of its Hard Rock Entertainment World proposal. The latter is expected to turn into one of the largest resort destinations on the territory of Europe. The Chief Executive Officer of Hard Rock International who is also Chairman of the company, Jim Allen, said that it was a great honour for the gaming operator to partner with the Catalan Government for the Hard Rock Entertainment World project. Mr. Allen…

The multi-billion merger deal between two of the largest Australian gaming companies – Tabcorp and Tatts Group – has still been in question. The deal has faced a deadlock after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has filed a federal court order for a further judicial review of the two operators’ deal, which is estimated to AU$11 billion. If finalised, the deal would create the largest conglomerate in the Australian gambling market. The merger got the official approval of the Australian Competition Tribunal (ACT) last month, but it has…

The negotiations related to Pennsylvania state government’s fiscal deficit have once again brought gambling expansion in the foreground. With the looming deadline for local legislators on Monday, the state’s gambling expansion could be the only suitable solution for the budget crisis in Pennsylvania. Over the weekend, a session to address the economic situation within the state was held by local legislators. The latter finally presented this year’s budget, with the approval of a number of gaming legislation projects expected to be discussed as part of the state’s attempt to find…

The two biggest players on the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) arena – DraftKings and FanDuel – have filed their response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) concerns related to the companies’ merger. The DFS operators have asked the Federal Trade Commission, the government agency which takes care of consumer protection, to give them the green light to bring their deal to end, claiming that the merger would not harm the Daily Fantasy Sports industry. The two companies have utterly denied the possibility that their deal would have a negative impact…

The Pennsylvania legislature is considered to be coming closer towards an agreement on an all-inclusive gaming package. The latter is expected to be beneficial for the state, as it could bring additional funding to Pennsylvania’s 2017/2018 budget. If the proposed gambling package is officially passed, this will be a great breakthrough for the local gambling industry, especially considering the fact that state’s authorities have been aiming to expand it. Pennsylvania House has a session being scheduled for today. It successful, there could be a vote on the comprehensive gambling package,…