Florida Player Wins the Record-Breaking $1.6 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot

The biggest news in the gambling world last week was that an unnamed lottery player from Florida won the Mega Millions lottery on Tuesday. The winning numbers were 13, 19, 20, 32, and 33, along with a Mega Ball 14, with the prize being roughly $1.6 billion. The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Neptune Beach, which will receive a $100,000 bonus for selling it.

This is the fourth time someone from Florida won the lottery, but no one before last Tuesday won such a huge amount. This is the biggest lottery win in the history of the Sunshine State. It’s also the second-biggest lottery win in the history of the United States, with the record-holding jackpot being drawn last year when a player from California hit Powerball’s $2.04 billion jackpot.

The lucky Florida winner, however, won’t be a lottery billionaire. The thing is that a huge chunk of that $1.6 billion jackpot will be taken by the US in the form of federal tax, which is about 37%. What this means is that the lottery winner will get “only” about $494 million after taxes.

Who Is the Lucky Mega Millions Jackpot Winner?

No one knows, at least not at the moment. As per a state law passed last year in Florida, the identity of the winner doesn’t have to be until 90 days after the draw. The bill came as a way of protecting the winners as there were some instances where big-money winners were targeted by criminals right after winning the jackpot.

However, after the end of the 90-day period, Florida requires the lottery to share the info about the jackpot winners (who won $250,000 or more) in an effort to keep the business transparent.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Another 4 NFL Players Suspended for Gambling

In April, five players got suspended by the NFL for breaking its gambling rules. Two months later, another four footballers received a suspension for the same reason.

On Thursday, June 29, 2023, the National Football League (NFL) officially announced the suspension of three players for violating the league’s gambling rules.

Demetrius Taylor, Isaiah Rodgers, and Rashod Berry were suspended for a period of one year and immediately got released by their teams on free agency. Further, Nicholas Petit-Frere got suspended for six games in the 2023 NFL season, but the Tennessee Titans decided to keep him on the team.

Isaiah Rodgers Suspended for Small $50 Bets

The NFL remains true to its gambling policy as evident from the fact that the organization decided to suspend Isaiah Rodgers for a period of one year after it became clear he took part in betting. Even though he made relatively small bets, most of which were up to $50, with one prop bet having a stake of $1,000, the NFL still decided to punish him.

Not only did he get suspended, but he also lost his job for his gambling adventure. Right after the suspension was revealed, the Indianapolis Colts decided to part ways with him, releasing him on free agency.

Rodgers wasn’t the only Colt who lost his place in the team due to the gambling scandal. Rashod Berry had pretty much the same fate. Over in Detroit, the Lions decided to waive Demetrius Taylor who’s the third NFL player to receive a one-year ban on Thursday. In addition, there’s a rumor that another one of Detroit’s players is under investigation by the league, although it’s yet to be seen who the player is and whether he’ll receive suspension as well.

Apart from the three players suspended for 12 months, Nicholas Petit-Frere of the Tennessee Titans received a six-game ban. The reason why he got away relatively lightly is that the investigation showed that he was unaware of the NFL’s gambling rules. He was betting in Tennessee, a state that made betting legal, which made him think it was fine for professional footballers to take part in this activity as well.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

800k Maryland Cars End Up Advertising a Filipino Cockfighting Site on Their Plates

What do cars in Maryland have in common with an online casino in the Philippines called Casino Gcash FAFA855, which offers, amongst other things, betting on cockfighting events?

Well, it turns out, they’ve got a lot in common – there are roughly 800,000 cars with Maryland register plates that promote this Filipino gambling site, albeit unintentionally.

How Did a Filipino Online Casino End Up on Maryland Car Plates?

Maryland native Francis Scott Key wrote the US National Anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” after observing the British Navy bombarding Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The bombardment happened during the War of 1812.

The War of 1812 has a special place in the hearts and minds of Marylanders, which is why it’s no surprise that the state wanted to commemorate it in 2012 by issuing special license plates.

Some 800,000 Maryland cards received plates with an inscription saying “War of 1812” on top and the URL “www.StarSpangled200.org” at the bottom. The URL led to a site explaining the history of the National Anthem.

The problem is that 10 years later, the domain owners decided to use it for a different purpose. Instead of discussing the state’s history, it now leads to a gambling site in the Philippines.

Casino Gcash Philippines – FAFA855 is where the URL is leading, which is a site that offers online casino gaming, but also cockfighting betting.

Shady Casino Promoting Cockfighting Betting

Gambling is legal in the Philippines but there are many shady casinos out there with no license, some of which might be promoting stuff like cockfighting. One such gambling site is the one that inadvertently ended up being promoted by almost 800,000 Maryland cars.

Truth be told, the site did not gain much exposure, nor did all this kerfuffle bring new customers its way. And we believe that’s a good thing. Our opinion is that casino afficionados should only gamble at legit sites that have zero tolerance for animal cruelty. The good news is that such online casinos are actually in the majority.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Drake Curse Continues: Canadian Rapper Losses a $400k Bet on Jake Paul

Canadian hip-hop artist Drake is famously a huge fan of sports betting, but in recent times, he hasn’t been very successful. The most recent in a long series of betting losses happened on Sunday when he lost a $400,000 bet on Jake Paul.

Drake bet that the Youtuber-turned-boxer would beat Tommy Fury by knockout in the event called the Truth in Saudi Arabia. However, Tyson Fury’s younger brother won the fight by a split decision after eight super-exciting rounds.

Jake Paul Fails to Make Drake $1.44M Richer

Drake backed Jake Paul to win the fight against Tommy Fury by knockout, putting a total of $400,000 on the American pugilist in the form of Bitcoin (about 17 BTC). The odds were +260 (3.60), meaning that if the younger of the Paul brothers won the fight, Drake would’ve cashed in $1.44.

Drake used the crypto-friendly sportsbook Stake to place his high-stake bet. This wasn’t the first time he used this platform to bet. Actually, he’s been using it for several years. One of the first notable moments in his Stake story happened in February 2022 when he won $712,000 in BTC after betting on the Los Angeles Rams to win the Super Bowl LVI. Since then, however, he hasn’t had much success betting.

Some of his biggest losses include losing $275,000 on Jorge Masvidal against Colby Covington at UFC 272, and $234,000 on Charles Leclerc in the Formula 1 Spanish GP race. His betting failures inspired the online community to start making jokes about him. In turn, Drake became the subject of an online joke.

The Drake Curse, as it’s called, refers to the situation in which the favorite is likely to lose after Drake has backed them.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Which State Will be the First to Legalize Online Casino Gambling in 2023?

Online sports betting is legal and regulated in more than two dozen states. Legal online casino gambling, however, is still available in just six states – New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan.

However, those states are cashing in a lot of money from gambling tax, which could inspire lawmakers from the other 44 states to start thinking about following their path. So, which state is likely to say yes to online casinos in 2023? We think it might be New York.

New York State Needs Dollars

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on New York’s economy, which is why its lawmakers changed their stance toward online betting. They made it legal in 2022, which proved to be a fantastic decision.

Back in November, various media outlets reported that the state has already cashed in over $740 million in tax money from mobile sportsbooks. That number is probably even higher a month later, especially after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, one of the most popular events for NY-based bettors.

Those are great numbers, but New York needs more. An easy way to get more dollars in the state account is to make online casino gambling legal. Although there’s no official discussion about this, there are some politicians who have already given support for this idea.

Another major reason why New York might be the first state to greenlight online casino gambling in 2023 is that several of its neighbor states have already done it – New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

In practice, this means that a significant proportion of NY gamblers visit other states whenever they’re in the mood for playing online slots, roulette, or some other internet casino game.

Other States That Could Become iCasino-Friendly in 2023

Indiana is another very good candidate to make online casinos legal in 2023. All the signs are there, most notably the fact that the state’s gaming commission has already conducted a study on feasibility. Unsurprisingly, the study showed that legalizing iCasinos would be the right move.

The same goes for Ohio, whose first online sportsbooks are going live on January 1, 2023. Illinois is also among the states reportedly considering online casino legalization, along with Iowa, Vermont, Massachusetts, and others.

State of Online Gambling in Canada in 2023

Online casino gambling remains illegal in Canada, but the country is changing its gaming attitude at a fast pace. In fact, the chances are Canada will change its stance on iCasinos soon, possibly even in 2023.

The thing is that as per Canada’s new gambling laws, only those gambling sites with a local license can operate in the country. However, offshore casinos aren’t yet banned, and Canadians aren’t punished for using them.

In layman’s terms, this means that a huge number of Canadian gamblers are spending their money at iCasinos registered in island countries like Curacao, Antigua and Barbuda, and so on. As those casinos aren’t giving any money via tax to Canada, the country might decide to deal with the issue with the simplest method – by regulating the online gambling market.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Jake Paul’s Micro-Betting App Betr to Get Its First License

A few months ago, YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul and his entrepreneur friend Joey Levy invested $50 million in a start-up called Betr. The project in question is actually a micro-betting app that allows users to place wagers on prop bets in live events. So far, users could do this only for fun, but starting January 1, 2023, some of them will be able to micro-bet for real money.

The first day of the new year is when legal sports betting will kick off in Ohio with 25 licensed gambling sites set to go live. One of those sites is Jake Paul’s Betr.

Betr to Become the 1st App for Micro-Betting with Real Money

Jake Paul and Joey Levy teamed up to fund Betr, an innovative start-up that’s meant to cash in on the sports betting frenzy that’s been happening in the United States. As more and more states make this gambling activity legal and regulated, sportsbook operators are turning incredible profits.

Betr is supposed to bring its founders a great turn on investment but through a bit different angle. Rather than letting the users bet on the outcome of sports events – as regular sportsbooks do – Betr is focused on micro-betting.

If you’re not familiar with the term, micro-betting is an activity in which you put your money on bets that are going to be settled within minutes or even seconds.

Micro-Betting Explained

With regular sports betting, you put your money on the outcome (or some other market) of the game. For the bet to settle, you need to wait for the game to finish. With micro-betting, you bet on live events, that is, the games that have already started.

You have this option in regular sportsbooks as well, in the live betting section. That’s where you can bet on the outcome, the total number of goals, and so on. With micro-betting, however, you get to bet on stuff that is going to be settled much quicker.

Some examples of micro bets include:

  • Team to score the next point(s)
  • Player to make the next foul
  • Method of the next point
  • Correct score at the end of the current minute
  • Result (1X2) in the next five minutes

With micro-bets, you don’t have to wait long before your bet is settled. This means that you will get your winnings quickly as well. This means that you can then continue micro-betting until the final whistle.

As you can see, micro-betting is a gambling activity that will keep you glued to the screen. You need to be involved actively, rather than just passively watching the game.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Mattress Mack Taking Home the Biggest Sports Betting Win in History

Mattress Mack has done something no one’s done before – he cashed out a $75 million sports betting win.

The Texas-based furniture tycoon won the mega-bet after backing his favorite baseball team – the Houston Astros – to win the 2022 World Series.

Led by Dusty Baker, the Astros beat the Philadelphia Eagles 4-2 in the series to win the Fall Classic. They did it despite going 1-2 down after the first three games.

Caesars Sportsbook Pays Out the Biggest Winning Ever

Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale has won a total of $75 million thanks to his favorite team. He did it by placing several bets on the Astros, wagering about $10 million.

One of those bets was a $3 million wager on the Astros to win the 2022 World Series back in March. He did it at the betting odds of +1000 at Caesars Online Sportsbook. What this meant is that Mattress Mack’s winning was $30 million.

The Astros won and McIngvale won the money, a big portion of which he’s planning to give back to his customers. According to the man himself, he’s going to give a refund to everyone who’s spent more than $3,000 on his mattresses during the Astros’ trophy-winning season.

Can the Astros Do It Again in 2023?

Mattress Mack has only collected his 2022 World Series winnings from Caesars, but the odds for the next season are already up. The furniture show owner will be pleased to learn that his boys are favored to win the title once again.

The odds of the Astros winning the 2023 World Series are +550 at most sportsbooks and online casinos. However, some of them are giving the shortest odds to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that got knocked out of the MLB playoffs in round 1 this year.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale Bets $10 Million on Houston Astros

Earlier this year, a Houston Astros superfan Jim McIngvale placed a series of wagers on this team to win the 2022 World Series. If the Astros win their second MLB title in the franchise history, McIngvale will add another $75 million to his bank account, which would be the biggest sports betting payout in the history of the United States.

The 2022 World Series started on Friday, October 28, but things didn’t go well for McIngvale’s boys in the first game. The Astros lost 6-5 on their turf. The match took place at Minute Maid Park, where more than 42k supporters came to watch the game and support the Astros.

The second game of the series will be played in Texas as well, but then the series moves to Pennsylvania, with two games to take place at Philly’s Citizens Bank Park. If the series is tied after four games, the World Series will return to Houston for the final two matches.

Mattress Mack Customer to Profit if the Astros Win

Jim McIngvale made his fortune as an owner of a furniture store chain which earned him the nickname Mattress Mack. Gallery Furniture, as the chain is called, is one of the most successful businesses in Houston. This explains why McIngvale was capable of betting more than $10 million dollars on his favorite MLS team.

McIngvale sees baseball as a unifying force a divided nation needs in 2022 – “The entire country is divided politically between Republicans and Democrats, but baseball brings us all together.”

Mattress Mack loves baseball, but he loves his fellow Houstonians even more. According to the man himself, if the Astros win, he is going to give some of the money to his customers. His plan is to use the winnings to pay back every customer who spent more than $3,000 on a mattress at Gallery Furniture.

Mattress Mack’s Poor Betting Record

McIngvale loves sports betting, but he’s not a very successful bettor. Earlier this year, he put $4.5 million on the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI – the biggest wager ever made with a mobile device in the USA – and we know how that went.

Apart from making bad sports betting mistakes, we also saw him back losing candidates in the elections. In 2015, he supported Bill King in the Houston mayor’s race. His candidate ended up losing. Three years later, he supported Republican John Culberson for Congress, but he lost too. In 2022, his choice in the 2022 Texas Attorney General election was George P. Bush. As you’ve probably guessed, Bushed lost.

Is it time for Mattress Mack’s losing streak to come to an end?

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Lucky Slots Player Wins $2.8 Million at The Venetian in Vegas

A lucky gambler won nearly $3 million on slots at The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. The exact figure is $2,835,768, which the lucky winner – who decided to stay anonymous – won after betting just $5.88, proving that seven-figure wins are possible even when gambling pocket money.

The gambler hit the jackpot playing a slot game called Dancing Drums Explosion at one of more than 1,800 fruit machines at the Venetian.

This win is one of the biggest jackpots in 2022 but is far from being the biggest win in the history of Las Vegas. In fact, there are dozens of gamblers who have won 10-times (or more) the amount of The Venetian player.

Biggest Fruit Machine Wins in the History of Vegas

Slots are the most popular casino games in Las Vegas. Players love them cause they’re fun to play and don’t require too much money, while also giving them a chance to win huge jackpots. And we really mean huge! There are some lucky slots players that have cashed-in tens of millions of dollars.

To prove our point, here are the top three biggest wins in the history of Las Vegas:

  • $39.7 Million at Excalibur Casino – A lucky gambler from Los Angeles hit the biggest slots jackpot in history, winning nearly $40 million. The player did it at Excalibur Casino where he had spent only $100 on the Megabucks slot before hitting the jackpot.
  • $35 Million at Desert Inn – The second-largest jackpot win in Las Vegas was the work of Cynthia Jay Brennan, who won $35 million in 2000. Once again, the multimillionaire-making machine was Megabucks, which she played at Desert Inn, a casino that was a part of Wynn Las Vegas at the time.
  • $27.6 Million at Palace Station Casino – A lucky pensioner hit the jackpot at Palace Station Casino in 1998, after spending $300 on slots. Guess which game they played? You’ve guessed it – Megabucks.

Biggest Online Casino Wins of All Time

Megabucks is a progressive jackpot slot that’s turned a number of people into millionaires. This fruit machine doesn’t have its own internet version, but this doesn’t mean online slots players haven’t won millions.

On the contrary, in the relatively short history of online gaming, a huge number of gamblers have hit ginormous jackpots. The most notable examples are the following:

  • €19.4 Million – A lucky player from Belgium won a €19.4 million jackpot, which at the time, was equal to $23.6 million. They did it while playing a Microgaming-powered slot game called Mega Moolah at an online gambling site called Napoleon Sports & Casino.
  • €17.8 Million – It was 2013 when a Finnish player won the jackpot playing NetEnt’s Mega Fortune at PAF.com. The most interesting fact about this win is that the player had only wagered 225 cents before hitting the jackpot.

If all this jackpot talk has put you in the mood for online gambling, follow the link to see the list of the best progressive jackpot slots you can play in 2022.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Yahoo! Names 10 Best Casinos in the United States

As a part of its lifestyle series of “Top 10” articles, Yahoo! has also touched upon the gambling industry. Last week, the portal revealed its top picks for the best casinos in the US. Unsurprisingly, the top two casinos are located in America’s gambling capital – Las Vegas, Nevada.

That’s not the end of the Nevada-based casino that made it to Yahoo’s list. A casino from Reno is also on the list. Then, there are two casinos from Atlantic City, New Jersey, as well as two from Arizona. The remaining three are from Connecticut, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.

Yahoo’s 10 Best Casinos in the US

The list comprises the following ten gambling establishments:

  1. Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
  2. ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
  3. Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada
  4. Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey
  5. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey
  6. Gila River Resorts & Casinos at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona
  7. Talking Stick Resort & Casino in Scottsdale, Arizona
  8. Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut
  9. WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma
  10. Island View Casino Resort in Gulfport, Mississippi

To create this list, Yahoo! factored in everything from the size of the gambling floor to how good the service is.

Las Vegas Casinos Leading the Way

Yahoo! put Bellagio Resort & Casino in the #1 place as the best casino in the United States. With its iconic fountains, impeccable service, and a plethora of non-gambling activities, Bellagio is the top pick not just for gamblers but also for regular tourists.

Just behind it is ARIA Resort and Casino, another high-end establishment located on the Las Vegas Strip. In fact, this casino is located right next to Bellagio.

Although it’s not in Vegas, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is another casino in Nevada that’s made it to the list. Sitting in the #3 position, this integrated resort is located in Reno, just south of the highway connecting the city with Sacramento and San Francisco in northern California.

Atlantic City Casino Rule the East Coast

There are nine casinos currently operating in Atlantic City, and two of them have made it to Yahoo’s list of the 10 best casinos in the US. Those are Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, thanks to which AC remains the east coast gambling capital.

Speaking of the eastern coast of the United States, there’s just one more casino located in this region that got a place on Yahoo’s list. The casino in question is Foxwoods Resort Casino, a tribal casino owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Nirvana Producer Steve Albini Wins His Second WSOP Bracelet

Steve Albini, a famous music producer who used to work with Nirvana, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and many other rock’n’roll stars, won WSOP Event #32: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E last Saturday. In addition to winning the bracelet, Albini also won a $196,089 prize. It was his second bracelet win, with the first one happening in 2018 when he won Event #31: $1,500 Seven Card Stud.

Albini Defeats Elite Players on His Road to the WSOP Bracelet

On his way to winning the 2022 event, he had to defeat a field of 773 poker players. Among those is Tamon Nakamura, who cashed out $19,373 by finishing in #8 place. Further, Eddy Vataru finished in seventh place, winning $25,294.

Peter Brownstein took sixth place, banking $33,552 along the way. Kyle Loman was next to go home, taking a $45,209 prize for finishing fifth.

Richard Bai finished in the #4 place, winning $61,862, while the no.3 player Jason Daly got himself an $85,943 prize. James Morgan, who’s one of the most successful active players from Canada, finished in second place, cashing in $121,195.

Other Celebrities Who Took Part in the WSOP

Steve Albini is just one in a long list of poker-loving celebrities. In fact, some real A-listers have tried themselves in the WSOP, although not many of them achieved as much as Nirvana’s legendary producer.

One of the best examples is actor James Woods, who’s had 21 money finishes at the WSOP, collecting around $130,000 in total. Toby Maguire of Spiderman fame also took part in several WSOP tournaments, cashing in circa $50,000.

When it comes to actors and actresses, the most successful celebrity in the WSOP is comedian Jennifer Tilly. According to HendonMob, she’s earned over a million dollars in her poker career, winning one WSOP bracelet along the way.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Buddhist Monk Wins Lottery, Gives Money to Charity

As reported by Yahoo Sports a few days ago, a 47-year-old Buddhist monk from Thailand hit a big lottery win of about 18 million Thai baht or around $540,000.

A member of the Wat Phra That Phanom temple, the monk explained that he’s usually against gambling, telling the press that his reason to buy the lottery ticket was to help his local vendor who was struggling with sales. Reportedly, the monk bought three lottery tickets, one of which had the winning numbers on it.

Jackpot-Hitting Monk Giving Away His Winnings

In an interview he gave to the local press, the lottery-winning monk said he believed the money belongs to the angels. He believed it was a divine intervention that led him to the jackpot as an award for taking good care of the temple for more than ten years.

The monk decided to give the money away, diving the winning between the temple, local schools, and charitable organizations. He also started giving 500 baht or about $15 to over 1,000 people from his town. The monk quickly had to adjust his plans, setting the sum to 200 baht after a few more thousand people from other parts of Thailand showed up at his door.

He was eventually forced to put an end to the giveaway after the local authorities warned him that such a massive gathering could lead to the spread of COVID-19.

Lottery Winners Who Gave It All Away

This wasn’t the first time a Buddhist monk hit a big prize in the Thai Lottery. Just a few months earlier, another did the same. This monk won around $588,000 after winning three lottery tickets.

He too decided to give some of the money to charity but was forced to go into hiding after several thousand people came to him to ask for donations.

Outside Thailand, we’ve seen many other examples of people giving away their lottery winnings. For instance, over in Canada, a former Miss Quebec started her own humanitarian organization in 2018 after winning CA$1,000 a week on the Canadian Lottery.

Five years earlier, another Canadian gave even more to charity. The story goes that Tom Crist, a successful businessman from Calgary won CA$40 million, all of which he decided to give away to cancer charities. Crist explained that during his life, he’s earned enough money for his kids to live fine lives. With his wife dying of cancer a few months before he hit the jackpot, he decided it was best to invest money in fighting the disease.

In the United Kingdom, a former nurse Barbara Wragg and her husband Ray gave $7.1 million to various local charities in their hometown of Sheffield after hitting $9.9 million on the UK lottery. A big chunk of that money went to the hospital where Mrs. Wragg had spent most of her working days.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Dan Bilzerian Challenges a Billionaire to a $100M Heads-Up Poker Match

Social media star turned poker player Dan Bilzerian is planning to set up the biggest Heads-up poker match in the history of the game. The match is supposed to have $100 million at stake. Of course, only if his opponent agrees to the conditions.

Dan Bilzerian’s opponent is supposed to be Alec Gores, an Israeli-American entrepreneur whose worth is estimated to be about $2.8 billion.

As per Bilzerian, the match would be a Pay-Per-View event, with each player putting $50 million on the table.

Old Rivals to Get Back to the Poker Table

Dan Bilzerian revealed his $100 million poker match plan while speaking to YouTuber Logan Paul in his ImPaulsive podcast. As per Bilzerian, the match wasn’t his plan, but Gores’.

The two used to play one another in poker matches organized by Molly Bloom, whose stories were later told in the movie Molly’s Game.

Bilzerian and Gores usually played Heads-up poker during those days, and the story goes that Bilzerian was more successful. In fact, the Instagram superstar claims he won about $40 million from the matches against Gores.

Now, it seems that Gores wants a payback. And he wants to play for “real money.”

How Good Poker Players Bilzerian and Gores Actually Are?

Neither player is thought of as an expert in the poker community, although both have been really passionate about the game. This goes especially for Bilzerian, who’s one of the ambassadors for GGPoker, a leading online poker platform.

The thing about Bilzerian’s poker prowess is that we don’t actually know much about it. He’s played most of his high-stake games privately. In fact, there’s no public evidence of him winning tens of millions against Gores apart from the stories found in his autobiography, The Setup.

It’s a similar case when Gores is concerned. Although it’s clear that he was involved in “Molly’s Game,” it’s not clear how much he won/lost. There are, however, some reports about Gores beating Andy Beal in a high-stakes poker match a few years ago.

If you’re not familiar with the name, Beal is a Texas-based banker who’s famous in the poker community for his books dissecting the game.

Beal’s 2005 book The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time, remains one of the best-sellers of the genre.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

PokerStars to Hold Summer Online Tournament in MI, NJ, and PA

The world’s largest online poker room is set to launch a summer tournament in America. Over the next two weeks, poker players from three states – Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania – will get a chance to take part in the PokerStars Summer Stacks Festival.

The tournament series starts on Saturday, June 12, and will wrap up 14 days later, on June 27. The prize pool is set at over $2.5 million, spread across more than 100 events. The main event is set to happen in the last two days of the tournament, in all three states simultaneously.

The buy-in for the main event is $100, while other tournaments come with lower price tags. There are even a couple of tournaments with free entry.

$2.5 Million in Prizes at PokerStars Summer Tournament

PokerStars Summer Stacks Festival will give away over $2.5 million in prizes to players from MI, NJ, and PA. Not every state will get an equal share of the prize pool, however.

Michigan and Pennsylvania will have a prize pool of $1 million each, while players from New Jersey will get to compete for their share of the $500,000 prize fund.

The main event is the one where the most money is to be made. The buy-in in each state is $100 for the tournament, but the prizes are not the same.

The players from Michigan will compete for $100,000 in prizes in the main event. The same goes for those in Pennsylvania, while the New Jersey main event will have a prize pool of $50,000.

The reason behind this probably lies in the fact that PokerStars is looking to promote its brand in Michigan, where it launched only in January.

When it comes to Pennsylvania, it’s where PokerStars is the only licensed online poker room. Pennsylvania seems to be the golden goose for this company, which generated $25.7 million in the last fiscal year.

Over in New Jersey, the online poker market is ruled by three companies. In addition to PokerStars, NJ players can also play poker at WSOP.com and BetMGM.

Online Poker Market Ready to Grow

The fact that the PokerStars Summer Stacks Festival will have $2.5 million in prizes suggests that there’s a lot of interest in online poker in America. The trouble is that people can play online poker only in a couple of US states.

In addition to the three states where the PokerStars summer tournament is taking place, there are three other online poker-friendly states – Nevada, Delaware, and West Virginia.

As per the current law, only three states in the US allow their players to play online poker against players from a different state. Players from NJ, NV, and DE can play poker online against each other.

The same isn’t the case with players based in MI, PA, and WV, who can only play against the players based in their own state.

The obstacle on the road of getting all the six states in a shared liquidity network is the 60 years’ old Wire Act. However, that might change real soon, as the Biden Administration might decide not to get on board with the Wire Act expansion.

Only one week is remaining for them to ask for a Supreme Court review. If they don’t do that, it will signal that the new administration isn’t too keen on the Wire Act.

As a result, the state governments of MI, PA, and WV could decide to join the other three in a shared poker liquidity network. From there, the sky is the limit for the online poker business in the US.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Saracen Casino Resort Makes an Unofficial Debut before Oct 20

The Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas made an unofficial opening on Thursday, October 15 and is tipped to open to the general public tomorrow Tuesday, October 20.

Saracen Casino Resort Completed, Grand Opening for October 20

Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, made an unofficial opening Thursday night, welcoming special guests and residents from the state. The casino resort which has been developed by the Quapaw Nation since August 2019, announced its grand opening will be October 20.

Billed as the largest commercial construction project in Arkansas, the casino resort soft opening attracted interest from Gov. Asa Hutchison, as well as other elected officials, among which Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington and Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson, along with Quapaw Nation’s Chairman Joseph Tali Byrd and Tribal Princess Kristal Glass.

The 200,000 square foot casino will house 80,000 square feet of gaming space, offering 2,000 slot machines, 30 table games, a poker room and a sports book. The resort will offer amenities such as a 300-room hotel tower with luxury accommodation options, 6 restaurants, an outdoor venue for special events, as well as 15,000 square feet of event facilities for indoor concerts, special events and banquets.

The casino resort built in a region which was once home to the Quapaw Nation has already hired over 700 people and is further looking for around 100 more, as the tribe wants to contribute to the thriving of Pine Bluff and Jefferson County by its homecoming, feeling proud of the economic development it would bring to the region.

Divvying up the Tax Revenue

According to a constitutional amendment voted by residents in Arkansas, Pine Bluff will receive 19.5% of the gaming revenue from the casino resort, while Jefferson County will get 8% of it. Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington noted that further infrastructure projects will be funded by the increase in receipts due to the addition of the casino.

“I think this money is going to help us give those increases to our first responders that we’ve been looking to for so many years so we can have that level of retention that we need.” Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington

Shirley Washington further outlined that the city could not attract a lot of industries and should make the most of this opportunity by making Pine Bluff a destination city. Furthermore, the Mayor expressed hopes that due to the new jobs created and the opportunities for people to afford nicer homes crime levels would be driven down.

Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson expressed his expectations things would start to evolve fast around Pine Bluff, as due to the revenue from Saracen Casino Resort, “we’re building three new buildings, the new health department, a new veterans service building and were also building a new coroner’s office”.

The casino will open following strict guidelines for health and safety, and wearing of masks will be mandatory, as well as temperature checks at the entry. Slot machines are divided by plexiglass barriers and table games are limited to 3 to 4 seats.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

GGPoker Banishes 40 Players Over RTA Use, Seizes $1,175,305

Earlier this week, the online poker platform GGPoker announced its investigation on the use of real-time analysis (RTA) has concluded. Following the results of the investigation, the company decided to ban a total of 40 accounts, 13 of which had their winnings seized. The total amount of money seized from those accounts is $1,175,305.43, all of which will be returned to the players who fell victim to the RTA-using players.

One of the players who’s found guilty of using the RTA is the German player Fedor Kruse. Even though the poker platform did not mention its name explicitly, it’s almost certain that he’s lost all of his recent winnings as a result of the GGPoker RTA investigation.

The player who made a name for himself playing Call of Duty on Stream has been playing big-money poker lately on the GGPoker platform, with stakes as high as $200/$400. And he won most of them! Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t his poker skills or his luck that brought him the fortune. Instead, it was an RTA tool that he nicknamed the Dream Machine.

The Story Behind the GGPoker RTA Ban?

As per the rules set up by the GGPoker platform, it is forbidden to use any sort of RTA software. Players know this, so using such tools is going to result in account suspension every time GGPoker notices it.

“At GGPoker Network (‘GGPN’), we firmly believe Poker to be a battle of wits that is meant to be experienced without the use of any Real-Time Assistance (‘RTA’) whatsoever. To this end, we were among the first to prohibit heads-up displays, and we have been quick to ban players in the past that were using prohibited software.“

The problem is that figuring out who’s using it is not easy. However, since recently, it seems that GGPoker has cracked the code, as evident from the fact that 80 players have found guilty of using the RTA, half of which ended up with their accounts suspended.

GGPoker is definitely an enemy of RTA, but many poker players believe it should be the case. For many people involved with online poker, the use of real-time analysis is not a form of cheating. They argue that the use of RTA is no different from having a rules book by your side while playing.

How it works is that the RTA is actually a database of pre-solved poker hands, with literally thousands of potential scenarios. The software gives the player an opportunity to compare the hands similar to the one that’s currently on in the game. This way, the RTA can give the player an edge over others.

PokerStars to Help Little Fish

GGPoker wasn’t the only poker platform in the news headlines last week. Its main rival, the largest poker platform in the world, Poker Stars, has also decided to do some good deeds recently. The company has decided to help out “fish,” that is, inexperienced players who often lose their money to pro poker players looking to make some easy money.

The solution to prevent predatory behavior is to keep inexperienced players separated from experienced players in cash games. To do that, PokerStars has created Active Waiting Lists, which should prevent poker experts from robbing newcomers of their money. How it’s meant to work is that in order to be allowed in a waiting list, a player needs to have played games with the same stakes.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Betmakers Extended Its Racing Services Contract with William Hill

BetMakers has announced its contract with William Hill that was set to expire by the end of the year has been extended for two more years. The new agreement that would run until December 31, 2022 has some new additions, too.

Australian-based technology company BetMakers is a data distributor for a whole plethora of sports betting operators, including UK giant William Hill. Its products allow for direct real-time comparisons between odds of different sports books, but the company’s expertise is in the field of racing, tracking every race and collecting and analyzing data for betting purposes.

Racing Events Importance

Under the terms of the extension to the initially signed in 2018 contract, BetMakers Technology Group will keep providing its wagering tools, plus all of its expanded racing products.

“The extension and upgrading of BetMakers’ racing services and solutions to William Hill at an international level comes during a challenging time for wagering operators with the suspension of many sports globally…”

Todd Buckingham, CEO, BetMakers Technology Group

The timing of the contract extension does not come as a surprise at the background of what is going on around the world. For more than a month already the major sports events have been put at a standstill due to the spreading menace of the coronavirus, which has shifted the focus of the punters towards the sports that are still on.

Racing events are still running, albeit without attendance, but the presence of people at the race track matters little to the bettor, especially when there is not much on offer wagering-wise. And these developments force bookmakers to shift their focus, too, scrambling for racing data and analytical tools.

“Over the past two years we have made enormous strides in diversifying our racing content to include products from all over the globe, which was one of our key strategic ambitions. This success could not have happened without the excellent collaboration of William Hill Group Trading and BetMakers, who offer an incredible wealth of experience in International racing. This transition has seen William Hill increase its racing content significantly.”

Mark Howarth, Director of Racing, William Hill

Extension Comes With Perks

The contract extension has come with some sweeteners for the data solutions provider company, as William Hill will incrementally increase the payments to BetMakers along the course of the contract. Furthermore, the sports betting giant has given first option to any product the Australian technology firm has on offer, as long as its price matches or beats the price of a competitor offering, local or international one.

William Hill has recently updated investors regarding its 2020 revenue expectations, suspending dividend and warning that a significant reduction on its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization /EBITDA/ of up to £110 million may occur, even pointing out the total negative impact from the ongoing health crisis is still unknown. The sports betting and gaming operator even amended the remuneration packages of its managers to prepare to deal with the upcoming adversity.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Gamstop: Self-Exclude To Protect Against Gambling-Related Harm

UK residents are strongly urged to sign up for the self-exclusion from gambling scheme, Gamstop, to protect themselves from excessive losses through online gambling while being locked down in their homes due to the coronavirus /Covid-19/ spread mitigation measures.

MPs Raised Concerns

The problem was initially raised by some Members of Parliament who expressed their concerns some people might seek distraction in gambling during the virus lockdown and might need extra measures of protection from such harm. The Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group even went further by suggesting all gaming operators implement a £50 limit for daily gambling for all players during the period.

Regulator Responded By Issuing Guidance

The UK Gambling Commission released guidance for operators, reminding them to continue to behave responsibly, especially in terms of their continuous assessment of individual client affordability as some clients may have serious income disruptions. In addition, gambling companies were asked push up their efforts for social responsibility interaction with their clients to be able to identify and intervene to prevent gambling-related harm. Lastly, gaming operators were advised not to take advantage from the ongoing health crisis for marketing purposes and keep their onboarding process on a responsible basis.

Industry Body Urged Members’ Responsibility

In support to the regulatory guidance by the UK GC, the gaming industry body, the Betting and Gaming Council /BGC/, issued an action plan for its members. Among the 10 points outlined, the BGC asked all operators to increase safer gambling messages, step up interventions and promotion of deposit limits, as well as take appropriate action to ensure responsible advertising, including reporting advertising from illegal operators.

Gamstop Provides Radical Solution

Gamstop, a free service that allows people to exclude themselves from gambling websites that launched back in April 2018 and since then had acquired more than 130,000 registered users, recommended to people to take decisive action and self-restrict their access to any type of online gambling, at least for the duration of the lockdown.

“We are concerned that, at a time when so many people are being forced to stay at home during the coronavirus, vulnerable consumers who may have an issue with their gambling might be tempted to spend money they do not have on online gambling.” – Fiona Palmer, CEO, Gamstop

The self-exclusion scheme allows registered users three options in terms of duration of the self-exclusion, six months, one year or five years, but according to its statistics, 73% opt to exclude themselves for the maximum duration period.
Gamstop’s advice to people to self-restrict their access to online gambling was prompted from the spike in the number of their users asking to remove the self-imposed restrictions so they can gamble again, something the scheme is designed to prevent from happening, for their own protection.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Genesis Casino Mega Moolah Player Wins £2M in Jackpot Money

An unnamed UK player has hit over £2 million jackpot in Microgaming’s Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot at the Genesis Casino.

Anonymous UK Player Hits £2M Jackpot

Mega Moolah, Microgaming’s famous progressive jackpot slot, has turned another lucky winner. The Genesis Casino dished out the whopping £2,772,916.45 jackpot to a UK national who prefers to remain anonymous, the official press release stated.

On November 8, 2019 the unknown player placed a £6.25 bet resulting and the huge payout. The casino and Microgaming have already confirmed that the player will be awarded the prize in a lump sum payment and not in annuities.

So far, Mega Moolah has dished out £100 million in jackpot prizes in the past 13 years since it was created. Estimated 10 people have won seven and eight-figure jackpots, accounting for roughly £40 million of the total amount.

Some 570 players have won over £8,000. Commenting on the developments, Microgaming COO Andrew Clucas had this to say:

“Congratulations to Genesis Casino and the lucky winner on this truly life-changing win. Mega Moolah has once again delivered an amazing payout. Our industry-leading progressive jackpot network has now paid out €1.1 billion and continues to lead the way, offering players thrilling and rewarding gameplay experiences.”

Genesis Casino CEO Ariel Reem also shared in the joy of having promoted a player to the top of the casino pecking order. The team, Reem confided, was delighted at the news. He congratulated the team’s efforts for keeping the casino a preferred gaming venue among English gamers.

Estimated £74 million have been paid by Microgaming in total progressive jackpots, making the operator one of the most generous gaming companies currently on the market.

The Big Winners in Mega Moolah

There have been a number of big winners in Mega Moolah, with most of them bagging a number of big rewards. Winners were always awarded in the currency they were playing in. The biggest win to date is recorded by John Orchard who landed $9.49 million on December 9, 2010.

Orchard is still the largest winner in Mega Moolah. He is followed by Georgios M who landed $8.65 million on May 11, 2019. Next on the list is Gabriel L with $.5.94 million on September 9, 2013. Seven more people have won, apart from the anonymous UK player similar amounts.

Mega Moolah as a phenomenon has set in motion a number of other games, equally interested to use progressive jackpot mechanics and attract more customers. With the United States legalizing its own gambling space, it’s no surprise that Pennsylvania also introduced this segment.

There have been other successful progressive games out there, including Mega Fortune, Playtech’s Hall of Gods, Arabian Nights Slot, Mega Moolah Isis, and Melon Madness slot, to name a few. Mega Moolah Isis is considered to be the touched-up version of the traditional game, coming with a number of perks designed to favor the player further.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

GoRacingGreen Boosted by Kindred’s Unibet Bid

Photo credit: Go Racing Together

  • Kindred joins GoRacingGreen initiative
  • Unibet is the main promoter at racecourse tracks
  • More venues to receive the GoRacingGreen specialists

Kindred has revved up its involvement with the horse racing industry in a bid to help people with mental health issues feel more included.

Kindred Takes Part in GoRacingGreen

Kindred Group has boosted the company’s involvement with the horse racing to make the industry more inclusive to everyone. As a result, one of the world’s largest sports betting, racing and gaming operators has invested in #GoRacingGreen, an initiative designed to make the industry more accessible to people who love attending horse races and suffer from mental health issues.

To execute its plan, Kindred Group will rely on its flagship brand, Unibet and a pilot scheme is launching at Newbury Racecourse as early as August 17. Everyone in attendance is encouraged to wear a green outfit, which indicates that they are available for a chat with anyone who musters up the courage and approach them.

This is to help particularly anxious individual overcome their social fear and be more involved with the life at racecourses.

Unibet Brings Everyone Together

As part of a broader move, Unibet wants to help Newbury staff be able to tell who needs help and assist those attendees who suffer from various issues, from crippling social anxiety to dementia. There will also be alcohol free zones across the racecourse as a result.

With Unibet’s backing, the #GoRacingGreen initiative will be able to expand across other racecourses in the United Kingdom, founder Debbie Matthews believes. Commenting on the occasion, Kindred’s head of Racing Communications and Sponsorship Ed Nicholson had this to say:

“The investment we are announcing today means GoRacingGreen can continue to build on their fantastic work since they started the project earlier this year. Having attended the training session undertaken at Newbury earlier in the week, I saw at first-hand what a fantastic scheme this is.

Our partnership with GoRacingGreen shows a new model for sport sponsorship is possible. Kindred is leading the way in becoming a sponsor for a sport and its communities and we are looking forward to piloting the project at Newbury this Saturday.”

Kindred and Unibet believe that operators have the obligation to ensure that the industry is more open to people with special needs and that everyone should be having a good time to begin with.
Meanwhile, Matthews has acknowledged the importance of the project and involvement of Unibet in the project. According to the founder of the initiative, more people would be able to benefit from #GoRacingGreen as a result of Unibet’s direct involvement.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.