The Injury

Real Madrid was forced to substitute for Benzema during the 30^th – minute of Real Madrid’s 3 to 0 win at Celtic in the squad’s 1^st – match of the group stage of the Champions League competition on Tuesday, September 6^th, 2022.

Real Madrid disclosed that Benzema was diagnosed with, “an injury to the semitendinosus tendon and a strain to the quadricep muscle in his right thigh.”

Time away from Football Activities for Karim Benzema

The Real Madrid football club was unable to provide any sort of a timeline for the return of Benzema as they stated his recovery will be continuously assessed throughout his rehabilitation of the recovery process.

Many of the Spanish media outlets have said Karim is anticipated to be out of action for at least a couple of weeks, which means Benzema will most likely have to sit out of the Madrid city derby at Atlético Madrid in the La Liga Spanish League competition which is currently scheduled to be played on Sunday, September 18^th, 2022.

The highly talented goal scorer should be able to recover in time to join France’s national team in order to prepare for the 2022 World Cup during the upcoming international break.

Benzema pulled up limping during a hard sprint while controlling the ball following him assisting the Real Madrid defense in the backfield of the pitch earlier this during their match at Celtic. Karim immediately put his hand up on his face as he had to slowly walked off the playing field and he was eventually replaced by Eden Hazard, who ultimately managed to score a goal as well as helping to set up his teammates on 2 other goals.

The head coach of the Real Madrid football club, Carlo Ancelotti, attempted to downplay Karim’s injury following the conclusion of the game as he said it did not appear to be a very serious injury or a major setback for his team.

The Importance of Karim Benzema to his Football Club

The now 34 – year – old striker is coming off of the best ever season of his decorated and illustrious professional football career, when he was the leading goal scorer in both the Champions League as well as the La Liga Spanish League competitions that Real Madrid managed to win.

Benzema scored 15 – goals in just the Champions League this season, and his performances included some very dramatic and decisive goals in the Real Madrid’s outstanding run to their current record of their 14^th – European championship title.

Karim Benzema’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards

Club

Lyon

• Ligue 1: 2004 – 2005, 2005 – 2006, 2006 – 2007, 2007 – 2008
• Coupe de France: 2007 – 2008
• Trophée des Champions: 2006, 2007

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2011 – 2012, 2016 – 2017, 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
• Copa del Rey: 2010 – 2011, 2013 – 2014
• Supercopa de España: 2012, 2017, 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
• UEFA Champions League: 2013 – 2014, 2015 – 2016, 2016 – 2017, 2017 – 2018, 2021 – 2022
• UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018

International

France – U17

• UEFA European Under – 17 Championship: 2004

France

• UEFA Nations League: 2020 – 2021

Individual

Lyon

• Bravo Award: 2008
• Ligue 1 Top Scorer: 2007 – 2008
• Coupe de France Top Scorer: 2007 – 2008
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2008, April 2008
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2007 – 2008
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007 – 2008
• Golden Lion for the Best Lyon Sportsman: 2007, 2008
• French Rookie of the Year: 2006
• Peace Cup Best player: 2007
• Peace Cup Bronze Boot: 2007
• Étoile d’Or: 2007 – 2008

Real Madrid

• UEFA Men’s Player of the Year: 2021 – 2022
• Onze d’Or: 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• French Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2021
• UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2021 – 2022
• UEFA Champions League Top Goal Scorer: 2021 – 2022
• UEFA Champions League Top Assist Provider: 2011 – 2012
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020 – 2021
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021 – 2022
• La Liga Player of the Season: 2019 – 2020
• La Liga Best Player (voted by Marca fans): 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2019 – 2020
• Pichichi Trophy: 2021 – 2022
• La Liga Team of the Season: 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2019 – 2020
• La Liga Player of the Month: October 2014, June 2020, March 2021, September 2021, April 2022
• Supercopa de España Top Scorer: 2021 – 2022
• Real Madrid Player of the Season: 2015 – 2016, 2018 – 2019, 2019 – 2020, 2021 – 2022
• Best French Player playing Abroad: 2019, 2021, 2022
• AS Player of the Year: 2021
• Kicker Player of the Season: 2022
• Madrid Sports Press Association Award (APDM)
• ESM Team of the Year: 2020 – 2021, 2021 – 2022
• L’Équipe’s Team of the Year: 2020, 2021
• Ballon d’Or Nominee: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
• FIFA FIFPRO World 11 Nominee: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
• UNFP Best French Player playing Abroad Nominee: 2016, 2017, 2018
• Member of Guinness World Records 2021: Player with the most consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League (qualified in the competition without interruption since 2005)

France

• 2005 UEFA – CAF Meridian Cup Top Scorer
• 2014 FIFA World Cup Man of the Match: Honduras (GS), Switzerland (GS)
• UEFA Euro 2020 Star of the Match: Portugal (GS)
• UEFA European Championship Bronze Boot: 2020
• UEFA Nations League Final Man of the Match: 2021
• UEFA Nations League Finals Bronze Boot: 2021
• UEFA Nations League Finals Goal of the Tournament: 2021

Sources:

Azzoni, Tales. “Relief for Real Madrid as Benzema has minor tendon injury”. The Associated Press. Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

Football Reference News Services. “Karim Benzema”. Football Reference. Friday, September 9, 2022.

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Sen. Jeff Brandes, a staunch sports betting proponent, filed this week a trio of bills looking to legalize wagering and task the Florida Lottery with regulating it.

If approved, SB 392 would authorize sports betting on the territory of the state and the Florida Lottery would oversee how the activity is conducted. Under the other two bills, SB 394 and SB 396, sports betting would be taxed at 15% on revenue, while wagering licenses would cost $100,000. License holders will also have to pay a $100,000 annual renewal fee.

The measures allow for digital sports betting and wagering at self-service lottery kiosks. They also call for the implementation of a maximum bet limit, which has been protested heavily by sports betting companies in other states and is likely to be shot down in Florida, as well.

Florida’s Legislature is set to convene on March 2 and will continue through April 30. Sen. Brandes introduced a nearly identical measures to bring legal sports betting to the state ahead of the 2020 legislative session, but these were not heard by any committees. The lawmaker hopes the three bills would be considered under the state’s new leadership.

Lack of Mention of Seminole Tribe Could Derail Effort

There is no mention of the Seminole Tribe in Sen. Brandes’ bills, which would certainly be a major stumbling block before his renewed attempt to legalize sports gambling. The tribe controls gaming and hospitality giant Hard Rock International and runs six casinos around Florida.

The powerful tribe argues that is has exclusivity over sports betting in the state. In 1995, the National Indian Gaming Commission concluded that all forms of Class III gaming fall under tribal purview. And sports betting is included in the definition for Class III gaming.

The Florida Legislature and the Seminole Tribe have been locked in a heavy dispute over the tribe’s gambling compact with the state for five years now and there have been very few signals that an agreement that pleases both parties would soon be reached.

The fact that Sen. Brandes’ bills do not mention the Seminoles as future providers of sports betting services could deepen the existing dispute and could eventually derail the lawmaker’s effort.

It should also be noted that under a constitutional amendment approved in a 2018 referendum, Florida voters have the final say on any gambling expansion proposal.

The Seminole Tribe has previously fought fiercely to prevent non-tribal gambling expansion (it ploughed millions into the 2018 referendum) and has succeeded, so sports betting happening without the tribe seems highly unlikely.

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State Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, the leading proponents of expanded sports gambling in New York in their respective chambers, said during the Betting on Sports America 2020 digital conference that the Legislature could churn out mobile wagering-focused legislation by the end of the year.

Retail sports betting was approved by New York voters back in 2013 as part of a Gov. Andrew Cuomo-backed constitutional amendment that authorized up to four upstate commercial casinos. Athletic gambling went live at sportsbooks at these casinos in 2019.

However, with Gov. Cuomo traditionally being reluctant to rubber-stamp any form of gambling expansion, mobile betting has remained off the menu.

Sen. Addabbo and Assemblyman Pretlow are optimistic this might change soon. The two lawmakers said that as the state is facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, new revenue sources will be badly needed.

They also rekindled hopes for legal mobile betting saying that a measure authorizing the practice could pass out of the state Legislature by the end of the year. Assemblyman Pretlow noted that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has revealed plans to add sports betting to the provisions of a revenue bill that will be tabled later this month.

The long-time mobile betting proponent further elaborated during the Betting on Sports America conference that took place earlier this week that both Assembly and Senate lawmakers will introduce mobile wagering initiatives in their 2021 budged proposals, if such initiatives fail to gain traction during revenue bill discussions this year.

Mobile Betting Could Still Be a Hard Sell for NY Governor

Assemblyman Pretlow said this week that his colleagues in the Legislature know that the state needs new revenues and he does not think mobile betting would be a hard sell with its potential to generate tens of millions of dollars in additional tax money.

The Assemblyman and his Senate colleague Addabbo believe that the coronavirus crisis that has thinned New York’s coffers and the state’s response to it could be the key to finally legalizing digital betting.

However, Gov. Cuomo’s stance on the matter is still unknown and the state’s top official could once again put up resistance against the legalization of mobile betting. He previously stated that sports betting did not have that much potential to turn into a source of significant new revenue and he is likely to still nurture this idea.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature could override a potential mobile betting veto from their fellow Democrat, Gov. Cuomo. However, Sen. Addabbo said lawmakers want to avoid clashing with the state’s top official and instead work in collaboration with him.

And even if they manage to get Gov. Cuomo on board, lawmakers in the two chambers of the Legislature will still have to iron out key differences between themselves. These include mobile betting taxation, operator access, and license availability, among other regulatory measures that are prone to create disturbances even in the merriest legislative scenarios.

Even Sen. Addabbo and Assemblyman Pretlow do not have an accord over the number of online betting licenses, also known as skins, for retail wagering partners.

Senator Addabbo believes a single-skin model has a better chance of winning Gov. Cuomo’s favor. Assemblyman Pretlow supports multiple skins modeled after New Jersey’s athletic gambling law.

Neighboring New Jersey has been breaking betting handle records for several months now, with a large portion of wagers coming from New Yorkers. It is believed that with its large population, trailing only California, Texas, and Florida, and rich sports heritage, New York is in a great position to become the new epicenter of legal digital betting in the US.

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Sports betting proponents in the state Legislature are looking to remove existing restrictions on betting on collegiate sports involving local teams in a bid to further boost wagering activity in the Garden State.

Under the state’s current gambling regulatory framework, betting on college games played in New Jersey and also betting on games played in other states involving New Jersey college teams is banned.

https://www.casinonewsdaily.com/2018/06/12/new-jersey-governor-signs-sports-betting-bill-amid-eventful-month-for-states-gambling-industry/

A bill introduced last month called for a referendum that would ask voters to approve betting on New Jersey college playoff or championships. The measure was amended this past Monday to allow placing bets on regular season college games as well.

The legislation was approved by the Senate Budget Committee to complete the first of several steps before it can be placed on the 2021 ballot and voted on by New Jersey residents.

Sen. Paul Sarlo, who represents the northern New Jersey area that includes MetLife Stadium, the venue that hosts Giants and Jets games, said that state lawmakers were on board for a more sweeping college betting bill, hence the recent updates to the measure.

A Lot of Activity and Betting

The recently introduced bill is aimed primarily at sporting events like the NCAA basketball tournament which attracts wide attention every year. New Jersey lawmakers also hope that MetLife Stadium could be chosen to host college football bowl games, among others.

Sen. Sarlo said that some of the top teams could be there and this would certainly generate “a lot of activity and betting.”

https://www.casinonewsdaily.com/2018/08/06/new-jersey-gambling-industrys-eventful-year-continues-with-massive-sports-betting-expansion/

Commenting on the bill, Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey president Christina Renna said that expanded college sports betting is “more bets and more revenue coming into the state.”

New Jersey’s nine operational casinos in Atlantic City and three racetracks are all authorized to accept sports bets at retail facilities, online, and via betting apps.

In September, the state beat its own national record from August, raking in nearly $750 million in bets from gamblers who were finally able to wager on the NFL after the coronavirus pandemic shut sports for months when it first hit earlier this year.

The state is set to release its figures for October later this week. Its brick-and-mortar and digital sportsbooks took in nearly $3.3 billion during the first three quarters of the year.

New Jersey’s September figures easily eclipsed Nevada’s all-time high of $614 million in betting handle in November 2019.

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The city’s casinos and other non-essential businesses were shuttered in mid-March to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and were allowed to resume operations in early July.

After a four-month closure and with the heavy restrictions on indoor gatherings, Atlantic City’s casino resorts have been burning through cash since their reopening.

It should also be noted that the properties also annually host big conventions and trade shows as well as various meetings. Among the nine operational casinos and other big event facilities such as the Atlantic City Convention Center and the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, the city offers more than 1.8 million square feet of meeting space across 315 rooms.

However, none of these have been used since the coronavirus swept into our lives this past spring. In November alone, two big annual conventions that usually attract thousands of delegates will be held online. Without the New Jersey Education Association and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities conventions, Atlantic City and New Jersey as a whole will lose millions of dollars.

Industry Asks Governor to Ease Restrictions

Steve Callender, President of New Jersey’s Casino Association and regional president for Caesars Entertainment Inc., which currently operates four of Atlantic City’s nine casinos, told Gov. Murphy that the industry needs help.

Mr. Callender noted that fall is usually their prime season for meetings and conventions and that without those, the industry would suffer another big hit, even more jobs would need to be cut, and economic recovery would take much longer.

The Casino Association President further noted that they need to be permitted to resume holding meetings and conventions and that indoor dining capacity should be increased to 50%. Mr. Callender said that the city’s nine casinos are prepared to host larger gatherings in full compliance with the state’s public health and social measures and “can do this well.”

Mark Giannantonio, President and CEO of Resorts Casino Hotel, said that the casino industry “has developed the most stringent health and safety protocols” and that they have “successfully and safely welcomed back indoor dining, and now is the time to begin to safely welcome back the convention and meeting business.”

Several state lawmakers have also asked Gov. Murphy to consider easing some of the restrictions. Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo and John Armato wrote to the state’s top official in September that without meetings and conventions “the negative economic impact to both large and small businesses, including lost wages, will be devastating to the market and residents of Atlantic City and Atlantic County.”

Bob McDevitt, President of UNITE HERE Local 54, the labor union that represented over 10,000 casino workers before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, said that only about 70% of the union’s members have retaken their jobs since Atlantic City’s nine casinos resumed operations in July. According to Mr. McDevitt, if meetings and conventions resume, another 5% would be able to return to work.

The labor union’s President said he was confident the industry could handle responsibly and successfully increased indoor capacities.

Soaring Cases Could Lead to Further Restrictions

While the industry is asking for permission to hold meetings and conventions and for increased dining capacities, a recent surge in new Covid-19 cases around the state could result in more restrictions to be implemented.

Gov. Murphy even suggested Friday that indoor dining in the state might be shut down completely if cases continue to increase.

However, more restrictions and the traditionally slow winter and early spring business could be devastating to Atlantic City’s casino industry, executives warn. As mentioned above, the city’s nine casinos lost millions of dollars during the four-month shutdown and have been recording revenue drops every month since their reopening in July.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Atlantic City’s casino industry had just begun recovering from a nightmare first half of the decade that saw four of its casinos close doors. Executives certainly fear that more and prolonged restrictions could eventually result in a new wave of permanent closures.

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The country has just moved into a so-called transitional period during which online gambling operators and their software providers will be able to adapt their products and operations to a permanent regulatory regime that is set to take effect in July 2021.

But what will this new regime entail and what will it mean for operators, iGaming software solution providers, and German gamblers? Here is a more detailed look into Germany’s online gaming and sports betting market reorganization.

The New State Treaty on Gambling

After two failed attempts in previous years, the heads of Germany’s 16 states finally agreed in March 2019 on the provisions of the so-called Third State Treaty on Gambling that had to pave the way for the regulation of sports betting in the country.

The legislation took effect on January 1, 2020 to serve as a temporary framework under which sports betting licenses would be issued to interested operators and these operators would prepare their Germany-facing operations for a permanent law, Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021, that was and is still set to be enforced in July 2021.

The vast majority of state leaders for years maintained a position that online casino games and online poker should not be legalized as part of the reorganization of the local market, despite calls from operators and some lawmakers.

However, in a move that surprised many, they eventually agreed this spring that the two practices should be permitted from July 2021.

At first, online gambling operators currently serving German players and willing to continue to operate in the market after its reorganization were told that they should refrain from offering online casino and poker products in the country until the law permits these.

German authorities warned that any attempt at defiance would not be tolerated and could result in companies not being granted gaming and sports betting licenses to operate in a regulated environment.

After calls from industry stakeholders for a phased reregulation of the market that would offer operators enough time to adapt to the new rules, Germany’s 16 states announced in September a so-called Tolerance Policy per which companies would not be prosecuted for offering online casino games and poker to German customers before July 2021 as long as they make their services compliant with the provisions of the new gambling law.

Operators were given until October 15 to make the necessary adjustments, quit the market, or face prosecution.

The Tolerance Policy

Germany-facing operators had to make a series of changes to their iGaming operations in order to please local lawmakers. It should be noted that these changes were concerned with online casino and poker products as online sports betting is already legal in Germany under the temporary law that took effect early this year.

Gambling companies were ordered to remove all table games from their games lobbies, including blackjack, roulette, and craps as well as live dealer versions of these. This practically means that they can only offer online slots to German players.

Germany’s new gambling law contains a set of restrictions on slots play and operators were ordered to make sure their games all follow strictly these restrictions.

One of the new rules obligates operators to implement a €1 per spin cap on slot stakes for all their games. In addition, players should not be allowed to play multiple games at the same time.

Other restrictions include:

• A €1,000 cap on monthly deposits, although that cap could be increased to up to €30,000 for certain players
• A five-second interval between each spin of the reels
• Autoplay must be disabled on all slots games
• Operators must implement a reality check every 60 minutes, with a mandatory five-minute cooling off period before players can resume playing
• A so-called panic button must be displayed at all times, enabling players to self-exclude from an online casino whenever they feel the need to
• Demo games must not be offered

For sports betting, in-play betting will not be permitted under the new rules.

Operators, Providers Hail Tolerance Policy

The Tolerance Policy was welcome news for operators who are interested in operating in Germany’s regulated market. GVC Holdings, which has been extremely active in voicing its opinion about what German lawmakers are doing right or wrong, said that the new policy finally brought “long-awaited clarity to the future of online gaming regulation in Germany.”

However, some expressed concerns that operators and their software providers were given a very short period of time to implement all the necessary changes. The German online gambling operators association, Deutscher Sportwettenverband, said that the October 15 deadline was “unrealistically tight” and that under normal circumstances, it takes several months for operators to complete the “complex IT projects” that adjusting their operations involves.

Despite the tight deadline, a number of online gambling providers have announced that they have made sure their products are fully compliant with the new German rules and that they are poised for further growth in this lucrative market.

Microgaming was among the first providers to embrace the new rules and to launch a solution that makes its products compliant with Germany’s Tolerance Policy and overall gambling rules. The company also said that it would make available more than 150 slots to its clients in the German market and their players, including hit titles Book of Oz, 9 Masks of Fire, and Bonanza.

ORYX Gaming, another major iGaming content provider, has too adjusted “a sizable proportion of [its]

content” to make it fully compliant with Germany’s transition period guidelines.

Most recently, online casino games maker Betsoft Gaming said that it has made sure to meet all the requirements set out by German authorities and that “should any further changes or new requirements come into force, then we will meet those with the same speed and efficiency.”

The games developer also said that at least 20 key online gambling operators have informed it that they would re-sign with it under the tightened regulations.

New Rules Basically End Affiliate Marketing

Gambling operators may not be entirely happy with the new rules and the many restrictions they are obligated to abide by if they want to operate in the German market, but there is one closely related sector that will be affected quite negatively by the new regime.

A provision in the new gambling law that prohibits operators from using affiliate links or paying marketing partners a percentage of their German revenue from customers referred by those same marketing partners has thrown Germany-facing affiliates into worrying waters.

Over the past few weeks, several gambling operators have informed their affiliate partners that they should cease advertising them in Germany. For instance, GVC sent an email to its affiliates instructing them to remove “all banners and promotional text relating to casino and poker products from all GVC brands” from their German websites, to stop any “social media, app or network activity” for GVC brands that target German players, and to “pause any media buying” aimed at German online casino and poker players.

GVC recently obtained four sports betting licenses from German regulators for its bwin, Sportingbet, Ladbrokes, and Gamebookers brands.

In a similar manner, bet365 told its affiliates to cease advertising activities in Germany and that they will also “need to make sure not to promote gaming offers from other competitors when promoting bet365.”

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That initial phase for the regulation of sports betting will run through June 30, 2021, and German lawmakers will be expected to have crafted a refined, permanent framework until then.

The Darmstadt Regional Council can now start issuing licenses to those operators that have already submitted their applications. It will also continue to accept and review newly submitted applications.

The authority said in a notice dated January 2, 2020 that it would accept applications submitted by post or email and that licenses would be granted to those operators that meet the minimum requirements that were made known last year. It also became known that the licensing procedure would not be subject to any additional deadlines.

The applications that have already been submitted will be processed on a “first come, first served” basis.

Third State Treaty on Gambling

After two unsuccessful attempts in previous years, Germany’s 16 states approved in the spring of 2019 the so-called Third State Treaty on Gambling. The piece of legislation set out the experimental sports betting regulation period that started on January 1 and will remain valid until mid-2021, and enabled betting operators willing to operate in Germany to obtain permits and run their operations in a regulated environment.

The State Treaty on Gambling removed a cap on the number of sports betting license applicants that its predecessors – the First and Second State Treaties on Gambling – contained. Germany’s previous efforts to regulate sports betting were slammed by industry stakeholders and EU authorities for being way too restrictive, and the cap on the number of operators that were to be allowed to enter the local market was one of the most heavily contested provisions.

However, German license holders will still face heavy restrictions once they are given the green light to operate in the country. They will not be allowed to offer in-play betting as well as online casino and poker products.

In July 2019, the Darmstadt Regional Council warned Germany-facing operators to halt all unauthorized operations. The council reiterated its warning in an open letter from mid-November, saying that no unlicensed activity would be tolerated and that any unlicensed operators that continue to target German customers after January 1 would face a prohibition procedure.

Despite the warnings, there weren’t many operators to apply for licenses prior January 1 and it is yet to be seen how many would move to apply now as the new regime is in force. However, bet365 announced late last year that it was shutting down its Germany-facing online casino. The company told its affiliates to remove any Germany-focused promotional materials relating to its gaming operation.

Given the fact that the major gambling operator has closed its casino for German players only, this could probably mean that it is planning to enter the local sports betting market.

Minimum Requirements

As mentioned earlier, operators interested to apply for licenses in Germany were informed by the Darmstadt Regional Council that they would need to meet certain minimum requirements.

These requirements include proof, declarations, and documents covering a number of areas, including:

• Information about the license applicant and its representatives
• How the applicant plans to address protection of minors and what responsible gambling measures it intends to deploy
• Payment processing and IT security

In other words, license applicants must provide the competent licensing body with information about concrete measures that are set to be implemented relating to responsible gambling, exclusion of minors and self-restricted bettors, prevention of gambling addiction, and dealing with problem gambling behavior.

Sports betting operators are also required to list all payment methods that will be used on their websites and provide information about their websites and any bonuses and other discount offers they intend to use to attract bettors.

Sports betting operators will also need to obtain additional advertising licenses if they want to promote their offering on television or the Internet.

Source: New sports betting licensing procedure starts in Germany

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The tiny Chinese enclave, which took the world of gambling by storm in the late 2000s and early 2010s, recorded an 8.5% decline in its casino revenue last month.

The city’s more than 40 operational casinos and gaming clubs generated MOP22.8 billion in revenue in November, down from MOP25 billion in the same month of 2018 and from MOP26.4 billion in October 2019.

Despite the revenue drop, the figure reported was better than analysts’ expectation for a year-over-year decrease of between 10% and 13%.

November was the second weakest month for Macau’s casino industry this year, only behind August when the city’s gambling venues saw an 8.6% revenue decline. In terms of revenue generated, last month was again the second worst month for the sector, only behind September when the local gambling venues generated a total of MOP22.1 billion.

As mentioned earlier, Macau is on track for its casino industry’s worst year since 2016 when annual revenue was down 3.3% to MOP223.2 billion. The city’s gaming revenue for the 11 months to November 30, 2019 amounts to MOP269.6 billion, down 2.4% year-on-year.

What Caused Another Month of Sliding Revenue?

According to analysts, Macau’s casino revenue continued to decline due to escalating Sino-US trade tensions and ongoing protests in Hong Kong. That resulted in a weakening demand from high roller gamblers, which account for the majority of the city’s gaming revenue.

While the protests in Hong Kong have caused transport disruption and hampered travel to the financial center and then to the major casino hub, analysts and gaming executives believe that their impact on revenues has so far been minimal.

However, that impact added up to other factors that eventually caused a more substantial impact. Some of those other factors included a softening Chinese economy and a weak Chinese yuan.

Demand for VIP players has also been affected by the recent media fire against Macau’s biggest junket operator Suncity. According to Mainland media outlets, the major promoter had raked in billions of dollars from online gaming and proxy betting, activities that are prohibited under Chinese laws.

Analysts project that the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Macau in December would put additional pressure on the local gambling sector. Macau visa policies have been tightened ahead of President Xi’s visit, which is expected to result in high rollers from Mainland China putting off their trips to the gambling mecca in a bid to avoid scrutiny.

While it seems that Macau will record its first year of revenue decline since 2016, analysts say that better times are coming for the major casino hub. According to experts, the city will see a “mild improvement” next year as demand is expected to grow. Early estimates are for a 3% annual revenue increase at the end of 2020, but it is to be seen whether those will be met.

Source: Macau casino revenues take a hit from Hong Kong protests and US-China trade war, slip 8.5 per cent in November, The South China Morning Post

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The $2.6 billion hotel and casino resort opened doors in late June in the Massachusetts City of Everett in the Greater Boston area. During its third-quarter conference call on Wednesday, Wynn Resorts said that the majority of the property’s revenue came from casino gambling.

Revenue from Encore’s slots and table games amounted to $114.9 million during the third quarter of the year. While proceeds from the Massachusetts property represented just a fraction of Wynn Resorts’ overall quarterly operating revenue of $1.71 billion, they were more than enough to offset losses sustained due to the poorer performance of the operator’s Macau-based resorts.

Since its launch, Encore has struggled to gain traction in New England’s lucrative but highly competitive New England slots market. In comparison, its table games have performed more than well. Wynn Resorts’ CEO, Matt Maddox, told investors on Wednesday that he was not concerned with the poorer than anticipated slots revenue as they were “at the beginning of the ramp, […]

not at the end.”

According to figures provided by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Encore generated $21.8 million in gross revenue from slots in September, which was less than half of the $48.9 million the property recorded in gross gaming proceeds, but was up $2 million from the August slots figure.

Tweaking Marketing

Commenting on what they plan to popularize Encore Boston Harbor both regionally and internationally, Mr. Maddox that they would be “tweaking our marketing” each quarter and that they would “be focusing on growing our database, working on controlling expenses, and growing revenues.”

Encore is set to launch a tiered loyalty card program early next year in a bid to capture the regional market. Tiered loyalty card programs usually treat members who play more to more attractive rewards.

Mr. Maddox said Wednesday that since the property’s opening, they have worked on catering to locals’ feedback and tweaking the resort’s menu in order to make it more appealing to customers from the Greater Boston region.

Mr. Maddox told investors that the “have been open for 136 days in Boston, and we’re learning each and every day how to become more local.”

The Wynn Resorts executive also welcomed Encore’s new President – Brian Gullbrants, who succeeded Bob DeSalvio last month. Mr. Maddox said praised Mr. Gullbrants, saying that he has been with the company for over a decade and that he is “the exact right person to lead” the Encore Boston Harbor project.

Wynn Resorts announced Mr. DeSalvio’s departure in mid-October. The former Encore Boston Harbor President was with the property for five years and overseeing the construction process and assembling the team that launched the luxury resort were a few of his responsibilities as its boss.

Source: Encore Boston Harbor earned $175.8M in third quarter, offsetting losses at other Wynn Resorts properties, MassLive

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The bill contains information about the number of gambling licenses that will be issued by Ukrainian authorities and outlines the requirements that license applicants will need to fulfill in order to be eligible to be granted permits to conduct gambling activities on the territory of the country.

Ukraine criminalized gambling in 2009 after a horrific fire that raced through a gambling hall in Dnipropetrovsk killed nine people. Following the incident, the country enforced the On Prohibition of Gambling Business in Ukraine law that shut down all casinos and gambling halls.

While most forms of gambling were officially banned, Ukrainians have fueled a thriving black market that includes unauthorized online gaming and betting operations and illegal brick-and-mortar establishments.

Ukraine’s newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, fresh off his victory this past spring, tasked his administration with crafting a bill that would legalize gambling in a bid to clamp down on illicit operations taking place on the territory of the country.

The measure was presented to and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in early October. It was then submitted to Ukraine’s unicameral parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. President Zelensky told lawmakers that he would expect the piece of legislation to be passed and enforced by December 1, 2019.

The Gambling Bill’s Provisions

Ukrainian lawmakers initially said that the new gambling bill would authorize casino gambling on the territory of hotels. However, the recently published text of the legislation shows that it also calls for the legalization of online casino gaming, online sports betting, online poker, and retail sports betting.

If the bill gets the necessary support in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine will issue 10 online gaming, 10 online betting, and five online poker licenses. In addition, authorities will grant 80 retail betting licenses. Each of these 80 licenses would allow its holder to open up to 10 wagering shops around the country.

As for casino gambling, it would be exclusively allowed at five-star hotels. There will be 20 casino licenses up for grabs. These will be available to five-star hotels with at least 200 rooms if those are located in the capital Kiev, and with at least 150 if they are located elsewhere in the country.

Land-based casino license fees for venues located at Kiev hotels will be determined by auction and will start at UAH37 million (approx. $1.5 million) per year. Fees for online gambling licenses as well as licenses for the operation of casinos located outside the capital will, too, be determined by auction starting at UAH25 million (approx. $1 million) annually.

The bill also provides for the establishment of a seven-member Commission for the Development and Regulation of Gambling. The regulator will have to draft licensing conditions for conducting gambling activities in Ukraine. Those must first be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers before taking effect.

Ukraine’s Finance Minister, Oksana Markarova, said last month that Ukraine could receive between UAH5-9 billion (approx. $200-$300 million) in taxes from regulated gambling.

Source: Ukraine releases gambling reform bill text, iGaming Business

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