As the sports industry starts to see signs of life, now is a great time to get behind licensed sports gambling companies. Score Media and Sports, the parent company of sports wagering platform theScore, is ready to take its operations to a whole new level, completing a secondary funding round that saw it add $25 million to its coffers. That money will come in handy as the company looks to expand across North America and capture a large portion of a mega-billion-dollar industry.

theScore offers an app that allows users to receive personalized results on live scores, news, stats and gambling information. It also offers a mobile sports gambling app, theScore Bet, which has already been introduced to sports gambling fans in New Jersey. After completing a $40-million funding round last September, the addition of another $25 million through the latest offering shows the value investors see in the companys future.

In addition to its New Jersey operations, theScore is now ready to get into Colorado. It just received approval this week from the Colorado Division of Gaming to launch mobile and online sports gambling, which will prove highly lucrative given the states recent success with its sports betting. In just the first full month of legalized sports gambling in May, the state saw a handle of $25.62 million not bad, considering there were no major U.S. sports in action at the time. In a press release, company founder and CEO John Levy asserts, We cant wait to launch theScore Bet in Colorado later this month and showcase our incredible betting product to the passionate sports fans there, said John Levy, Founder and CEO of theScore. This regulatory approval is another significant step toward theScore Bets multi-state expansion as we roll out our uniquely integrated media and betting experience across the country.

The company is also introducing its app to Indiana, where it has worked out a deal to be the skin for Penn National Gaming. This past June, it scored another big partnership when it became an authorized gaming operator for MLB. The continued expansion into different markets and facets of sports is leading to the company quickly becoming one of the major sports gambling entities in the U.S. The fact that it has been able to score important deals in both Colorado and Indiana is noteworthy, because both of these states are expected to be leaders among all states that legalize sports gambling.

The funds collected by Score Media will be put to good use right away. It says in a statement, theScore intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, including funding the continued growth and development of its gaming operations in the United States and Canada.

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theScore's latest funding will help with sports gambling expansion - CalvinAyre.com

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) The 2020 coronavirus pandemic shuttered kids and adults at home, giving way for some individuals who gamble and game to become addicted to those activities.

The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling reports seeing at 20% jump in calls to the state helpline from June to July for those struggling with gambling and gaming addictions.

Council Executive Director Mike Stone explained, "the isolation of the pandemic plays well with the typical secrecy and isolation of problem and addicted gamblers. And that could be the same with somebody who's excessively video gaming."

He said the World Health Organization started sounding the alarm for gaming disorders in 2019 and the pandemic accelerated it for hundreds of players of all ages.

Stone said the WHO defined a gaming disorder as "people that spent too much time playing video games to their own detriment in their families, in their own health." He added that they "have seen research that indicates that there's a transference of that gaming behavior that possibly could go into gambling."

Many gamers are young people. And this year, kids have had more time for gaming with many extracurricular activities canceled due to the pandemic.

"Parents and others need to just monitor what's going on with gaming, Stone said. If it becomes excessive, then it might be advisable to pay more attention to what the what the young person is doing."

Stone said he hopes players realize KCPA does not want to deter them from playing.

"No, we're not saying don't play video games, we're not saying ban them. We're not saying don't gamble. We're not saying to go in and ban all gambling activities, he said. What we are saying is, please be responsible in your actions. And if it's gotten out of control. If you can't game--if you can't play the video games, as purely entertainment if they become an obsession. If you can't gamble as entertainment. Then it--try to recognize that and then reach out for help.

Stone noted that 1-800-GAMBLERS is open 24 hours a day, and it's completely confidential. Its operators are ready to help anyone who reaches out across Kentucky.

"There are trained telephone counselors who have been trained about gambling addiction and how to talk to people who are who are gambling ethics or families with gambling addicts or somebody that's concerned about a gambling problem, he said. And they're starting to learn the basics of how to talk to people about gaming as well. They do have resources that they can refer people to all across the Commonwealth at the community mental health centers."

All in all, Stone explained there is one particular warning sign gamblers and gamers need to look out for:

"The number one, one thing, I believe, is if it's no fun anymore. If what you're doing is something that you're being driven internally to do. And you're not really enjoying it. That is when he said you need to get help.

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Sharp increase in callers to Kentucky gambling helpline likely linked to pandemic - LEX18 Lexington KY News

The ' Online Gambling and Sports Betting market' report Added by Market Study Report, LLC, enumerates information about the industry in terms of market share, market size, revenue forecasts, and regional outlook. The report further illustrates competitive insights of key players in the business vertical followed by an overview of their diverse portfolios and growth strategies.

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Heading into another day with a full NBA bubble slate Last Word on Hoops NBA Gambling picks are looking to give you some winners today. Yesterdays picks went 2-1 and ended up winning .86 Units. We also hit our first Bonus Parlay to win three units. Hopefully, todays NBA gambling picks will bring you more of the same.

Today is the first day of back-to-backs inside the NBA bubble. For a lot of teams, these games could prove to be problematic, but it may be just the opposite for the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are riding high after their first two games in the bubble. In todays game against the Orlando Magic, the Pacers are hoping to ride the momentum of those wins and pick up another one. The Magic are coming into the game undefeated as well but this game will end with one less undefeated team inside the bubble.

Take everything that was said about back to backs in the last pick, and throw it out the window. The Miami Heat are coming into todays game against the Boston Celtics off of a loss to the Toronto Raptors yesterdays. In their Tuesday win against the Portland Trailblazers, the Celtics relied heavily on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown down the stretch and will look for much of the same from that duo today. Tatum and Brown have certainly blossomed into one of the best combo punches in the league right now.

This game will have a ton of points. That is the only thing you can be certain of with these two teams getting together. The best argument for the Portland Trailblazers is the resurgence of Jusuf Nurki. The Houston Rockets will not have an answer for the Portland big man. This game could very well come down to who has the ball last. The Blazers are coming off arguably the worst 10 seconds of basketball that has been played inside the bubble. Todays game will give them the opportunity to bounce back from a tough loss to the Celtics, and with the clash of two high powered offenses, anything is possible.

Yesterdays bonus parlay won three units if you took it. We have another one today to try to maximize your units.

Record to date: 7-5

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Bonus Parlay: 1-3

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NBA Gambling Picks August 4th - Last Word on Pro Basketball

The U.Ks gambling commission (UKGC) has rolled out its most recent public campaign that is meant to promote ways to stay safe while gambling. The campaign is dubbed nine ways to keep yourself safe when gaming.

The campaign aims to raise awareness on safer gambling measures and tools, facilities as well as support systems like GamCare and GambleAware. Additionally, UKGC is seeking to offer better and all-round guidance on effective ways to monitor personal activity on licensed platforms.

The Gambling Commission reminds all users to undertake realities checks to figure out why they are gambling are they looking to escape debt or make quick cash?

The body also reminds users of the rights they hold, including the right to request a timeout from all gambling-related activity for a given period.

The commission reminds all vulnerable users that licensed gambling operators are required to offer them access to self-exclusion programs like GAMSTOP, which enforces a longer time-out from gambling, up-to six months.

The UKGC, through this campaign, is expected to widen its initiative on creating public awareness on consumer rights as well as responsibilities during gambling.

Source: https://europeangaming.eu/portal/latest-news/2020/08/04/75353/uk-gambling-commission-launches-public-awareness-campaign-on-gambling-controls-rights-and-safeguards/

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UK Gambling Commission Rolls Out Public Awareness on Gambling Control, Safeguards, and Rights - Tunf.com News

It was a moderately eventful week at the Federal Circuit as the judges geared up for their August argument session and perhaps returned from their summer vacations.The Court issued 13 opinions and 2 orders on petitions for a writ of mandamus (1 grant and 1 denial).And the Court finally acted on a petition for rehearing that had been pending since December (and that wepreviouslymentioned).The original panel modified its opinion to order further proceedings on a claim it previously held ineligible under Section101, and an evenly divided en banc Court denied en banc rehearing. That denial drew 2 concurring opinions, 3 dissenting opinions, and 1 dissent without opinion.Below we provide our other usual statistics and our case of the weekour highly subjective selection based on whatever case piqued our interest.

Precedential opinions: 7

Non-precedential opinions:6

Rule 36:0

Longest pending case from argument: Australian Therapeutic Supplies Pty. Ltd. v. Naked TM, LLC, No.19-1567 (199 days)

Shortest pending case from argument (non-Rule 36): Tie betweenTakeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. v. Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., No.20-1407, andTakeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. v. Alkem Laboratories Limited, No.20-1545 (53 days each)

Case of the week:FanDuel, Inc. v. Interactive Games LLC, No.19-1393 (July 29, 2020)

Panel:Judges Dyk, Moore, and Hughes, with Judge Hughes writing the majority opinion and Judge Dyk concurring in part and dissenting in part.

You should read this case if:You have an IPR appeal involving a procedural challenge under the APA.

As our readers likely know, one important difference between district court litigation and Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings is that PTAB proceedings like IPRs are subject to the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.In our case of the week, a patent owner took a gamble on an APA challenge at the Federal Circuit but went bust.

FanDuel petitioned for an inter partes review of a patent owned by Interactive Games related to remote gambling. It asserted that the challenged claims were unpatentable for obviousness based on a combination of three references.In Interactive Gamess preliminary patent owner response, it defended the validity of a dependent claim (claim6) only by arguing that the reference on which FanDuel relied for claim6s additional limitations did not qualify as prior art.The Board instituted an IPR, finding a reasonable likelihood that FanDuel would prevail on its challenge to claim6 but only expressly discussing the prior-art issue.But the Boards final written decision ultimately upheld claim6.It did not discuss whether the disputed reference qualified as prior art; instead, it found that FanDuel had not demonstrated a motivation to combine that reference with the other asserted references.

On appeal, FanDuel argued that the Board violated the APA by changing theories midstream and adopting a new theory that Interactive Games never raised in its submissions, all without giving FanDuel notice and an opportunity to respond to this supposedly new theory.The Federal Circuit rejected that contention, observing that FanDuels argument that it lacked notice that the Board might address and reject the obviousness arguments made in FanDuels own petition strains credulity.The Court gave two somewhat overlapping reasons for its conclusion.

First, the Court pointed to the different standards of proof required to institute versus to invalidate.At institution, the Board need only find a reasonable likelihood that a petitioner will succeed, whereas in a final decision, the Board must find invalidity by a preponderance of the evidence.Those differing standards permit the Board to adopt different views of the sufficiency of a petitioners asserted obviousness arguments in its initial versus final decisions without first alerting the parties to that possibility.In fact, the Court recognized, [t]his happens with some frequency.

Second, the Court observed that the burden of proving invalidity in an IPR remains on the petitioner throughout the proceeding. Indeed, the Court explained, a patent owner carries no obligation to raise any objection to the petitioners challenges at all.Thus, the petitioners contentions, rather than a patent owners response, define the universe of issues the Board may address in its final written decision.Applying those principles, the Court noted that the central question throughout the IPR was whether FanDuel proved its theory as to how the asserted references combined to make claim6 obvious.FanDuel was on notice that the Board would decide that issue [f]rom the moment FanDuel filed its petition.And that was exactly what the Board ultimately did in its final written decision.The Court concluded that [n]o APA violation results from such a course.

The Court went on to reject FanDuels challenge to the substance of the Boards non-obviousness determination.Judge Dyk dissented from that part of the majoritys opinion but agreed with the majority in rejecting FanDuels procedural challenge.

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Last Week in the Federal Circuit (July 27-31): Gambling on an APA Challenge - JD Supra

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Edward Siedle, Guest MINDSETTER

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Edward Siedle

Many public and private pensions are gambling on highly speculative funds that invest in so-called longevity-contingent assets, such as life insurance policies insuring the lives of individuals who are generally at least 70 years old. The insured individual must have a life expectancy ranging from, say, not less than two years to not more than 15 years. A given fund may have exposure to hundreds of lives in the portfolio with an average insured age of over 80 years old.

The sooner the terminally ill and other elderly insured individuals die, the betteras far as your pension is concerned.

With more than80% of COVID deathsin the United States occurring in people aged 65 and older, this should be the best of times for gambling on these controversial funds which often promise annualized returns ranging from 8-12%. (Actual net returns are likely to be less than half those promised.)

If so, would it comfort you to know your pension was profiting from the misery of others?

Do you know whether your pension invests in life settlements? Have any such investments been clearly disclosed to you? Do the people managing your pension even know?

Believe it or not, they may not.

Today many alternative investment funds provide that they may withhold disclosure of underlying investments from pensions and participants, including stinky stuff like payday loans and life settlements.

Life settlement funds are controversial for a host of obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. Gambling on these highly speculative investments in a pension ensuring the retirement security of workers is doubly problematic.

Many regulators, lawmakers and other governmental authorities, as well as many insurance companies and insurance industry organizations, oppose the selling and buying of longevity-contingent assets. The industry and some of its participants have long been in legal and regulatory hot water. Opponents of the industry argue that these life insurance transactions are contrary to public policy by promoting financial speculation on human life and all-too-often involve elements of fraud and other wrongdoing.

Ask yourself: Why would an elderly, sickly or terminally ill insured person sell his or her life insurance policy? Because he or she needs cash to cover rising medical costs and living expenses? What are the chances the sale of that individuals life insurance policy may have been coerced or induced by fraud? Its no surprise that thoughtful regulators and lawmakers would be highly concerned.

The limited regulatory oversight of these funds is another major red flag. Many funds take the position that whole life settlements do not constitute securities under the federal securities laws and do not register as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Compliance with other federal and state securities laws is also a concern. The SEC has long had difficulty reigning in industry abuses since unless securities are involved the agency generally lacks jurisdiction.

Worst of all, since the portfolio investments of these funds do not currently have a readily available market for valuation purposes, the likelihood that portfolio values, as well as investment returns may be inflated by the managers is high. This is particularly troublesome for open-ended investment funds, where new investors may be buying into a fund at an already inflated Net Asset Value (NAV). The life settlement asset class has had a troubled past with respect to inflated NAVs caused by funds underestimating life expectancies.

In other words, fund managers, are so hopeful that the old and sick insureds will die sooner rather than later, they assume the life expectancies will be shorter.

In Europe,a number of open-end funds (so-called sickened death bond funds) have gated, trapping investors. After waiting several years for the funds to liquidate, investors have recovered only pennies on the dollar.

In my opinion, additional regulatory action regarding overvaluations of the portfolios of these funds is almost certainly coming. If so, your pensionyour retirement securitymay be at risk.

In 2016, the Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector Generalissued ascathing reportfinding that the Virgin Islands General Employees Retirement System had entered into an extremely risky and questionable life settlement investment that jeopardized about $42 million of its investment portfolio. This was done without performing the necessary due diligence and obtaining the necessary expert advice, before exposing the pension fund to this high-risk investment. As a result, GERS has already written-off 20% or $8.4 million of the remaining value. In addition, GERS also granted a $10 million line of credit to the same partnership that is handling the viatical. The majority of the proceeds were to pay past due and near term premiums for the policies.

An advisor to the pension noted, There is uncertainty on the use of viaticals as an investment by a defined benefit plan. Also, The nature of the investment in viaticals, that is an investment seeking profits off death, raises issues of social responsibility.

To be sure, in my opinion, life settlement funds are the antithesis of socially responsible investing.

Should your retirement savings be in longevity-contingent assets supporting speculation on human life which often involve elements of fraud and other wrongdoing? First, find out whether your pension is invested in these funds, then let your voice be heard. Best case scenarioyour pension is profiting from the misery of others. Far more likelyits losing money playing in this nasty sandbox.

For more on how to protect your pension, see my bookWho Stole My Pension?

This piece was first published in Forbes.

"Pension Detective." Born Edward Ahmed Hamilton Siedle, I grew up in Trinidad, Venezuela, Panama, Peru, England, Uganda, Egypt and the U.S. I am a former SEC attorney, former Legal Counsel and Director of Compliance to Putnam Investments. For over 20 years, I owned securities trading and investment banking firms. My firm, Benchmark Financial Services, Inc. and I have pioneered over $1 trillion in forensic investigations of the money management industry. I am nationally recognized as an authority on pensions and investment management matters, having testified before the Senate Banking Committee regarding the mutual fund scandals and as an expert in various Madoff and other litigations. I am an active member of the Florida Bar. In 2017, I secured the largest SEC whistleblower award in history ($48 million) and in 2018, the largest CFTC award in history ($30 million)

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Your Pension May Be Gambling On Human Life, Profiting From COVID Deaths - GoLocalProv

There is a point in a V-shaped economicrecovery when all hope seems futile: That is when you are at the bottom of the V.

Maybe thats where the UK economy is, or soon will be? Faith in the prospect of a rapid bounce back is beginning to drain away in some parts of the property market.

The Bank of England is feeling the same vibe and is reported to be close to revising its optimistic V-shaped forecast of sharp sudden fall in gross domestic productfollowed by a rapid climb into growth,the Financial Times reported.

The prospect of a U-shaped, W-shaped or, worst of all, L-shaped economic future begins to loom.

The mood in some regional centres, particularly in Manchester, where a local lockdown has been imposed, has become appreciably less upbeat. Even the ebullient local character can't quite overcome the sense of trouble ahead.

We didnt panic in March when the national lockdown began. Others panicked, but we didnt,OBI Property co-founder Will Lewis said of the Manchester market. We kept our cash and planned to get through to 1 September, expecting the final quarter to pick up. But I see now we were totally wrong because the end of the year will be tougher than anything weve seen so far. The worst is yet to come.

London-based observers like CBRE Global Investors Head of UK Strategy and Research Andrew Angeli chose different language, but the sentiment is similar.

Lets not get overly distracted by the alphabet soup used to characterise the shape of economic performance for the record, our view is it is probably a Nike swoosh or square root but the focus should be on the sustainability of the recovery, the return to something that resembles normal, and on that theres a lot of reasons for trepidation, Angeli told Bisnow.

Theres the spectre of a resurgent virus, though we are still seeing the first wave play out economically, and with localised lockdowns, the furlough scheme closing, there is a threat to the property market which will confound decision-making for some time.

The Bank of England

Angeli points to two data sets that worry him. The first is the lag in investment activity in London and the UK, compared to continental peers like the German cities and Paris. The disconnect between Germany and London is stark, he said.

The second is the bid-ask spreads in the German, Paris and London office property markets. Discounts are being demanded in the UK, and whilst in Paris or Munich you are now at or better than pre-COVID pricing, in London thats not true.

Rent collection data, which is bad and not getting better, adds to the sense that all is definitely not well, nor likely to improve soon. With Brexit hovering, unexplained, in the background, Angeli is not surprised investors are concerned and confused.

The property markets may be waking up to this, and about time too Angeli suggested. The property market has been on life support the last few months, it is a slow-mover as an asset class, and the mood now reminds me of March this year, as we watched the virus marching towards us, Angeli said, reflecting that the economic consequences are now getting closer.

Sooner or later rents will have to realign with GDP, and the long-term loss of economic capacity will have to be confronted.

Angeli agrees that there is still plenty of capital ready to spring into action if the right property opportunities present themselves in the office or logistics sector. But this niche activity should not distract from the bigger picture.

Even so, in tough times a deal is a deal and the London and regional markets could see both some clever strategic acquisitions and some more simple-minded bargain hunting. This activity looks to some observers like early evidence of the kind of recovery everyone hoped to see.

We are already seeing evidence that some parts of the property market will see a V-shaped recovery, Cushman & Wakefield Head of UK Research & Insight Greg Mansell said. Since restrictions eased, investors have shown a strong interest in logistics properties, food stores and prime London offices.

In London offices, for example, we know that over 2B of London office assets are currently under offer and another 2B are at bid stage; an encouraging rebound from the last quarter where less than 1B transacted for the first time in over 20 years. There is a backlog of deal activity that needs to work its way through the market in the coming months so we shouldnt underestimate how quickly activity could pick up.

Mansell says the occupational market may play catch-up, moving at a slower pace. For now the process of discerning real levels of demand, and discovering market rents, is unusually difficult.

Regardless of V-shapes, U-shapes and so on, we will have a two-tier occupier market for all property types: businesses with cash and a secure business could recover quickly, while indebted businesses hampered by current restrictions will recover slowly, if at all, Mansell said.

New data published by Oxford Economicssuggested an easy climb out of the coronavirus crunch is unlikely, but also offers some grounds for hope.

Oxford Economics analysis of regional trends suggests the economic fallout will be uneven, and unlike that of the 2008-12 recession.It saidthe West Midlands is the worst-hit in 2020, London the most insulated. But 2021 will see their positions reversed. Oxford Economics said that 2021 will be subdued, with no region achieving a level of GVA higher than it was in 2019, but it forecast that all will do so in 2022.

It predicted that the largest 2020 decline and strongest 2021 rebound will be in the West Midlands, which by the end of this year will have experienced a 13.2% plunge in GVA. In 20201 it will rebound by 11.9%. The regions reliance on manufacturing and the auto sector accounts for the exaggerated response.

The consultancy estimates that London, compared to the other UK regions, is experiencing the smallest reduction to its GVA, with a decline of 9.8% compared with 2019. Everywhere else, it said, the decline is in double figures.

The property market may be heading for a blinding realisation of the kind experienced by OBI'sLewis:The worst is yet to come. Or it may discover a more patchy recovery in progress by the end of the year, a recovery of the kind Oxford Economics suggest. Somewhere between a V and a U.

Contact David Thame at david.thame@bisnow.com.

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Is The Property Market Gambling On A V-Shaped Recovery? - Bisnow

On 14 July 2020, the Parliament ofUkraineadopted the Law "On State Regulation of Activities on Organizing and Conducting Gambling" (the "Gambling Law"), which introduces state regulation of gambling in Ukraine.

The Gambling Law sets up licenses for the following types of gambling activities: organization and operation of casinos (onsite and online); organization and operation of sports betting (onsite and online); organization and operation of slot machines rooms; issuance and operation of lotteries; organization and operation of online poker games (the " gambling operating license").

In addition, the Gambling Law specifies a separate license for provision of services in gambling sphere. This license is narrow in scope and gives right to provide a gambling software only (the "gambling software license"). It does not cover the provision of facilities for gambling. Therefore, any business that provides facilities for gambling has to obtain a gambling operating license even when it holds a gambling software license.

What is gambling software?

According to the Gambling Law a gambling software is a computer software designed for use in the connection with remote gambling (including online gambling) and solely in connection with a gaming machine used by a gambling operator in the provision of facilities for gambling.

The Gambling Law defines "online" and "offline" systems which are used by gambling operators to provide gambling activities.

Both systems consists of a range of hardware and software that:

Every online system or slot machine must include random number generator to ensure a random nature of the prize.

Who needs a gambling software license?

According to the Gambling Law any commercial undertaking, a resident of Ukraine, has to obtain a gambling software license, if it provides/supplies a gambling software directly used for determining the result of a game, including but not limiting to case, when it provides a gambling to Ukrainian Internet gambling operators or to non-resident operators with foreign operating gambling license.

The language of the Gambling law is vague enough to provide definite criteria for determining with reasonable certainty about who exactly has to obtain a gambling software license.

For example, it is not clear who in the supply chain must obtain a license. Whether it is only a final supplier or all other suppliers in the chain? For example, must a company holding intellectual property rights in a software obtain a license, if a contracting supplier of a software is its affiliating company? Moreover, it is not clear what "provision/supply" of a software means within the scope of the law. Whether it means the provision of legal right to use software or giving actual access to a software, or both?

Nevertheless, the current version of the Gambling Law does not require a gambling software license for manufacturing, installing or adapting a gambling software.

Given the above, the Gambling Law does not provide clearly defined answer to the question who exactly needs to obtain a software gambling license.

Technical standards

All gambling software must meet software technical standards, if it is made available to customers via Internet under a gambling operating license.

In particular, online systems must:

License term and fee

A license is issued by the Commission on the Development and Regulation of Gambling Activity in Ukraine for a period of 5 (five) years. The license fee is equivalent to 300 (three hundred) minimum wages and set at EUR 46,000 for 5 years.

See more here:

Overview of gambling software regulation in Ukraine - Lexology

Since the return of live sports, gambling revenues have been historically strong. Events such as the National Football League draft enjoyed record gambling marks. This points to pent-up demand and bodes well for companies trying to carve success in the field.

With legalization decisions delegated to states, 22 have approved legislation to allow the activity since 2018. COVID-19 destroyed tax revenue streams which could incentivize more states to follow suit. Regardless, sports gambling is set to enjoy long-term growth. DraftKings is a popular pick within the space, but Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ:PENN) is best positioned to thrive.

Image source: Getty Images.

Penn National Gaming is a regional casino company operating in 19 states. COVID-19 has certainly been tough for the entire industry, but Penn's credit and equity market activity hasboosted its cash position to $1.4 billion. This is vital to continue investing aggressively in sports gambling.

While Penn does have physical sports books at its casinos, its main initiative is establishing a dominant presence in digital sports gambling. How?

Earlier this year, CEO Jay Snowden announced a 36% stake in Barstool Sports, with warrants to acquire another 14%. Together, the two companies plan to release a digital sports betting app this year called Barstool Sports Book. Online gambling alone is set to grow to $103 billion by 2025, powered by an 11.5% annual growth rate. Furthermore, there is a black-market industry worth $150 billion for legal competition to convert. Penn and Barstool together are positioned to thrive in this promising growth area.

Today, Barstool Sports attracts 66 million monthly active users (MAUs). By comparison, the average team in the NFL -- the largest sports league in the world -- averages roughly the same number of monthly viewers. Engagement among Barstool MAUs is equally impressive. One-third of Barstool's audience is made up of daily users. For comparison: BuzzFeed's daily audience checks in at a relatively high (but still inferior) 23%.

Before the merger, Penn's customer base was older than the typical sports gambler. Barstool quickly fixed that problem. The sports media platform reels in 27% of Gen-Z Americans monthly. Additionally, the Barstool community consumes more entertainment and is more tech savvy than the average American. Perhaps most importantly, Barstool users gamble on sports abundantly with nearly half doing so weekly. The gigantic following Barstool Sports enjoys is nothing short of ideal for growing Penn's piece of this growing field. The two companies seem to be a match made in heaven.

Importantly, gambling does not rely on fans in the stands as a prerequisite for occurring. This means Penn should recover more quickly than sports alternatives, such as The Madison Square Garden Company,which relies on fans for revenue. The NFL, Professional Golfers' Association, Major League Baseball, and several college football teamsalready have confirmed cases. This will likely delay spectators at events, but regardless, the events are continuing and gambling can as well.

Today, 90% of Penn's physical properties are open once more with occupancy restrictions. Its properties cater to drive-in gamblers and not fliers, which is ideal in the current pandemic environment. No single state represents more than 15% of Penn's total revenue. This geographic diversity is enviable as new COVID flare ups force some states to close. While long-term growth for Snowden's organization will come from sports gambling, these casinos are still important cash-flow generators for the company.

Sports gambling will surely be a growth story for years to come. Together, Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sports are uniquely positioned to make a large mark. With a new sports gambling app debuting later this year and Penn casinos quickly opening, this is my favorite gambling play. For investors wanting exposure to the space, give this one a look.

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This Gambling Stock Is Poised for a Bull Run -- and It's Not DraftKings - The Motley Fool

I enjoy sports in many different ways. I like to watch them, I used to play many different sports, and I like to bet on them. Im not alone in these things, especially when it comes to gambling on sporting events.

The sad fact is that most people who gamble on sports should quit. This is because most sports gamblers arent doing what they need to do to win money over time.

Heres a list of seven reasons why you should stop gambling on sports. And theres also some information about what you can do to improve your odds of winning if youre not ready to quit.

I want to share a secret about gambling on sports with you. Using the point spreads published by the big sportsbooks, you could break even in the long run by flipping a coin to pick winners if you didnt have to pay vig.

When you make a bet using a point spread, there are only three possible outcomes. You can win or lose or tie. When you win, you receive your original bet back plus the amount you won.

When you lose, you dont get anything back, resulting in a loss of your original bet amount. When you tie, in most cases you get your bet back.

If youre able to bet $100 to win $100, all you have to do is win 50% of the time to break even. And you can win 50% of the time blindly picking sides of the point spread to bet on.

The main problem is you cant bet with the sportsbooks on an even basis. You have to be more than you can win. This is generally 10%, so you have to bet $110 to win $100.

Most sports gamblers cant beat the extra charge, called a vig. If youre not beating the vig, you should stop gambling on sports.

The main reason why most sports gamblers cant beat the vig is because they dont spend enough time handicapping events. The problem is that just putting in more time isnt always enough. Handicapping sports games is a challenging skill to develop.

Heres what most sports gamblers do: They look at the lines at the sportsbook and either bet on their favorite team, quickly guess which team to bet on, or spend a couple minutes looking at the standings and a few stats, and then they make a wager.

All of these tactics are basically the same as flipping a coin or throwing darts to pick a team to bet on.

You have two options when it comes to betting on sporting events. You can either dedicate enough time and effort to each game to give yourself a realistic chance to profit, or you should simply bet on the team you want and not worry about anything else.

The reason why I say you have two choices is because if youre not handicapping games correctly, theres no reason to even try to get an edge. Youre not going to get an edge any way except thorough evaluation and handicapping.

While its true that some of the top sports gamblers in the world place wagers on a wide range of sporting events, the truth is that youre not good enough to do this. You cant make profitable wagers on every sport offered by the sportsbooks.

You have to pick one sport and/or area to focus on if you want to have any realistic chance at profit. You cant bet on everything if you want to win.

Many sports gamblers are what I call action junkies. They feel like they have to have action on games every day, so they basically bet on everything.

You cant afford to be an action junkie. If getting action is more important than winning, you should simply give up on the idea of being a winning sports gambler.

I mentioned in a previous section that you can either properly evaluate sporting events or forget everything and just pick whatever team you want. Its a complete waste of time to do anything in between the two extremes.

Hope and luck are two of the most dangerous words a sports gambler can use. Anytime you hope something happens or rely on luck, its a sure sign that you either need to quit betting on sports or you need to invest more time evaluating the games you want to place bets on.

Every sports gambler hopes that they get lucky. But almost all of them lose. Forget about hope or luck. The best sports gamblers never have to rely on hope or luck, because they develop sports betting systems that help them secure long term profits.

If you arent using a dedicated bankroll for all of your sports gambling activities you either need to start using one immediately or stop gambling on sports.

This might sound like a harsh or extreme statement, but professional sports gamblers use a bankroll. Amateur sports gamblers dont use a bankroll. Some professional sports gamblers make a profit, and very few amateur gamblers make a profit.

Using a dedicated bankroll wont make you a profitable sports gambler, but its one of the things you need to do if youre serious about winning.

Your bankroll is a tool that helps you win. A dedicated sport gambling bankroll helps you track your profits and losses and helps you determine proper bet sizing.

Advantage gamblers have found ways to make a profit. Gambling on sports is one of the ways that some professional advantage players make a profit. But its not necessarily the easiest way. In this section and the next section youre going to learn about two options that might be better than gambling on sports.

Poker strategy is more straightforward than sports gambling strategy. Poker strategy is still complicated, and most players never learn enough to be profitable. But its easier for many gamblers to learn how to beta poker games than it is to learn how to beat sportsbooks.

The truth is that if youre willing to do the work and put in the time you can use any of the 3 gambling areas to make a profit. But you have to pick one and stick with it. If gambling on sports isnt working out for you, consider focusing on poker.

If sports gambling and poker arent working out for you, blackjack might be the answer. In fact, if you can learn a few advanced blackjack strategies and how to get away with them, its a good reason to stop gambling on sports.

Real money blackjack is easier than handicapping sporting events and learning poker strategy. Its still not easy, but if youre willing to put in enough time and practice you can learn how to win as a blackjack player.

You just need to learn 3 things to be a winning blackjack gambler.

The rules and strategy are simple. You can even get a card that lists all of the best strategy plays and use it when you play. But it doesnt take long to memorize blackjack strategy. This leaves learning how to count cards.

You can find articles about counting cards on this site or by reading a good book or two. Once you know how it works, all you have to do is practice.

Should you stop gambling on sports? In the end this is a decision that youre going to need to make. If youre not profitably gambling on sports yet, are you willing to do what you need to do to change your results?

If youre not willing to make changes, you should probably stop gambling on sports and find something else to do. Poker and blackjack are both options that some gamblers use to make profits.

If you still want to gamble on sporting events after reading the 7 reasons why you should stop, then its time to get busy. Learn more about handicapping sporting events and start putting in more time and effort. This is the only way to start making money gambling on sporting events.

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Sports Betting Alternatives - Why You Should Stop Betting on Sports - BestUSCasinos.org

The University of Buffalo in New York State has been dedicating efforts to better understanding the nature of problem gambling and how it affects individuals. Its latest research conducted by a sociologist associated with the university comes to show that there is a link between the background characteristics of people associated with crime and problem gambling.

Christopher Dennison, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Buffalos College of Arts and Sciences, recently pointed out that one of the latest researches into problem gambling behavior and tendencies has reached a pivotal point. He conducted the research along with Jessica Finkeldey, an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, and Gregory Rocheleau, an assistant professor at Ball State University

Its insight will allow us to better understand the people going through gambling addiction and the way their brains work. Criminals and people with an unhealthy relationship with gambling have more in common. Mr. Dennison recently made it clear that the specific characteristic used to predict that a person would eventually develop an unhealthy relationship with gaming could also be used for predicting that a person could become a criminal.

This link comes in handy when previous notions have to be debunked. Up until this point, the problem gambling has been considered the trigger of crime activities. Seeking more money an individual could gamble could lead to crime, or the crime proceeds could easily be laundered with the help of gambling activities. Now, the University of Buffalo has found a link between the two practices connecting them on an entirely new level.

The people showcasing tendencies of problem gambling development in the future are also predisposed to criminal activities. Mr. Dennison pointed out that the general discrepancy between people experiencing gambling addiction and the ones that have never gambled led to a change of perspective and some doubts regarding the cause and effect theory on problem gambling.

Individuals experiencing gambling addiction find themselves unable to think of anything else, gambling takes up a substantial portion of their daily schedule. They also experience preoccupation with the very thought of gaming. Mr. Dennison further clarified that the issue with problem gambling is that it takes over the entire life of the individual experiencing its negative impact.

They fail to keep the time spent gambling within the healthy range, as they use it as a form of escapism from reality and everything bothering them in life. He also made it clear that both problem gambling and criminal activities show similar symptoms. This has been discovered as a groundbreaking new link between the two practices.

Some of the predispositions associated with both crimes and gambling addiction are substance use in the past, socioeconomic status, along with the occasional association with individuals observing delinquency at an earlier stage of their life. The new research Mr. Dennison completed showed that these variables make up a so-called confounding bias. The research could optimize the treatment of both behaviors for improved positive results.

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Similar Predispositions Link Gambling Addiction and Crime, New Research - Casino Reports

Your pension may gambling on highly-controversial life settlement funds which profit when people die ... [+] prematurely from COVID.

Whether you know it or not, your pension may be gambling on highly-speculative life settlement funds which profit when people die prematurely from COVID. Life settlement funds are controversial for a host of obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. These investments in a pension ensuring the retirement security of workers is doubly problematic.

Many public and private pensions are gambling on highly speculative funds that invest in so-called longevity-contingent assets, such as life insurance policies insuring the lives of individuals who are generally at least 70 years old. The insured individual must have a life expectancy ranging from, say, not less than two years to not more than 15 years. A given fund may have exposure to hundreds of lives in the portfolio with an average insured age of over 80 years old.

The sooner the terminally ill and other elderly insured individuals die, the betteras far as your pension is concerned.

With more than 80% of COVID deaths in the United States occurring in people aged 65 and older, this should be the best of times for gambling on these controversial funds which often promise annualized returns ranging from 8-12%. (Actual net returns are likely to be less than half those promised.)

If so, would it comfort you to know your pension was profiting from the misery of others?

Do you know whether your pension invests in life settlements? Have any such investments been clearly disclosed to you? Do the people managing your pension even know?

Believe it or not, they may not.

Today many alternative investment funds provide that they may withhold disclosure of underlying investments from pensions and participants, including stinky stuff like payday loans and life settlements.

Life settlement funds are controversial for a host of obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. Gambling on these highly speculative investments in a pension ensuring the retirement security of workers is doubly problematic.

Many regulators, lawmakers and other governmental authorities, as well as many insurance companies and insurance industry organizations, oppose the selling and buying of longevity-contingent assets. The industry and some of its participants have long been in legal and regulatory hot water. Opponents of the industry argue that these life insurance transactions are contrary to public policy by promoting financial speculation on human life and all-too-often involve elements of fraud and other wrongdoing.

Ask yourself: Why would an elderly, sickly or terminally ill insured person sell his or her life insurance policy? Because he or she needs cash to cover rising medical costs and living expenses? What are the chances the sale of that individuals life insurance policy may have been coerced or induced by fraud? Its no surprise that thoughtful regulators and lawmakers would be highly concerned.

The limited regulatory oversight of these funds is another major red flag. Many funds take the position that whole life settlements do not constitute securities under the federal securities laws and do not register as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Compliance with other federal and state securities laws is also a concern. The SEC has long had difficulty reigning in industry abuses since unless securities are involved the agency generally lacks jurisdiction.

Worst of all, since the portfolio investments of these funds do not currently have a readily available market for valuation purposes, the likelihood that portfolio values, as well as investment returns may be inflated by the managers is high. This is particularly troublesome for open-ended investment funds, where new investors may be buying into a fund at an already inflated Net Asset Value (NAV). The life settlement asset class has had a troubled past with respect to inflated NAVs caused by funds underestimating life expectancies.

In other words, fund managers, are so hopeful that the old and sick insureds will die sooner rather than later, they assume the life expectancies will be shorter.

In Europe, a number of open-end funds (so-called sickened death bond funds) have gated, trapping investors. After waiting several years for the funds to liquidate, investors have recovered only pennies on the dollar.

In my opinion, additional regulatory action regarding overvaluations of the portfolios of these funds is almost certainly coming. If so, your pensionyour retirement securitymay be at risk.

In 2016, the Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector Generalissued a scathing report finding that the Virgin Islands General Employees Retirement System had entered into an extremely risky and questionable life settlement investment that jeopardized about $42 million of its investment portfolio. This was done without performing the necessary due diligence and obtaining the necessary expert advice, before exposing the pension fund to this high-risk investment. As a result, GERS has already written-off 20% or $8.4 million of the remaining value. In addition, GERS also granted a $10 million line of credit to the same partnership that is handling the viatical. The majority of the proceeds were to pay past due and near term premiums for the policies.

An advisor to the pension noted, There is uncertainty on the use of viaticals as an investment by a defined benefit plan. Also, The nature of the investment in viaticals, that is an investment seeking profits off death, raises issues of social responsibility.

To be sure, in my opinion, life settlement funds are the antithesis of socially responsible investing.

Should your retirement savings be in longevity-contingent assets supporting speculation on human life which often involve elements of fraud and other wrongdoing? First, find out whether your pension is invested in these funds, then let your voice be heard. Best case scenarioyour pension is profiting from the misery of others. Far more likelyits losing money playing in this nasty sandbox.

For more on how to protect your pension, see my book Who Stole My Pension?

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Your Pension May Be Gambling On Human Life, Profiting From COVID Deaths - Forbes

In the fast moving world of gambling, sometimes you might miss news that could be important to you. To make sure youre all caught up on gaming industry news, be it online or brick and mortar, were rounding up the some of the announcements and partnerships from the last week that you might have missed.

Dont miss out on all of the latest announcements. Our Press Release section is updated constantly.

OneTouchinks partnership with Slotegrator

Mobile-first games developerOneTouchhas partnered with the fast-growing content aggregator, Slotegrator, in a move that further bolsters its international footprint.

Under the agreement, OneTouchs engaging suite of slot and table games, includingDragon Tiger,Wild SorceryandNeon 2077, is set to launch across Slotegrators global partnership network.

The online aggregators operator portfolio covers an international range of regulated jurisdictions, comprising a selection of high-profile platform partners across major European markets and the CIS.

The deal sees OneTouch continue to extend the reach of its diverse portfolio, following on from its comprehensive commercial agreements recently signed with Revolver Gaming as well as Jazz Gaming Solutions.

Soft2Bet enhances Nordic influence with Frumzi launch

Casino platform provider Soft2Bet has further expanded its commercial presence in the Nordic marketswith the launch of a new online casino brand, Frumzi.

The latest member of Soft2Bets ever-growing brand portfolio gives players access to a diverse array of new content,and a PaynPlay registration option that provides instant deposits/withdrawals via Trustly.

There are now more than 20 innovative online casinos and sportsbooks under the Soft2Bet umbrella, including widely popular brands such as CampoBet and Wazamba.

Soft2Bets latest bespoke product continues the companys impressive extension of its player reach in regulated markets across the globe, with the group set to obtain further EU certification in addition to itsSGA, MGA and Curacao licences.

Relax Gaming launches with Princess Casino

Relax Gaming,igaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has expanded its footprint in Romania, launching with renowned local operator Princess Casino.

Popular titles from the suppliers in-house portfolio including the Tumble Series,Money TrainandSnake Arenahave been made available to the online casinos players, complemented by the extensive library of third-party studio games available through the Relax platform.

With a quality range of content from big brands such as BTG, 4ThePlayer and ReelPlay, as well as Relaxs Silver Bullet studio partners, the deal provides Crowd Services-operated Princess Casino with a hand-picked collection of games that have been tailored to the Romanian market.

GAMING1launches groundbreaking AI player protection tools

Leading gaming and sports betting partnerGAMING1has developed an innovative new product suite to promote responsible gambling.

The toolkit, which was designed by the companys in-house product development team, aims to monitor all players activities and detect any early sign of problem gambling.

The new system deploys artificial intelligence and data science technologies to determine and monitor individuals at risk, before GAMING1s Responsible Gaming Operation team uses machine learning technologies to further analyse problematic behaviour.

Those identified at the highest risk level according to the companys proprietary modelling are then provided with rapid and comprehensive assistance by its in-house team of player protection experts.

Playtech Poker and Casino content now live with Enlabs

Playtech,the worlds leading gambling technology company, has welcomedEnlabs brands Optibet.lv and BestPoker.com to the Playtech iPoker network the leading poker network in the world.

At a time where Poker as a vertical is evolving in line with market challenges, Playtech is continuing to develop and expand the iPoker network. This new partnership sees Playtech enter the Latvian poker market, in line with Playtechs wider strategy to focus on growth in regulated markets worldwide. The iPoker network offers an excellent liquidity pool, backed by premium software and services developed to comply with regulatory requirements in multiple jurisdictions.

The new partnership will bring not only Playtechs award winning Poker product to Enlabs customers, but also Playtechs industry leading Casino content including access to Playtechs extensive offering of branded titles such asJustice Leagueand theSporting LegendsSuite.

United Remote weave warm Wazdan welcome.

Aggregator and platform United Remote has announced a new partnership with online casino slots developer Wazdan to further extend its games portfolio and provide additional choice to the aggregators established B2B distribution channel.

For further information visitwww.united-remote.com

Wazdan Partners with Lithuanias Most Popular Betting Platform, TOPsport

Innovative slots producer, Wazdan, is excited to unveil their latest partnership, with Lithuanias most popular online betting platform, TOPsport.

TOPsport is a leading betting and casino platform in Lithuania, offering players sports betting and more than 1000 casino games including video slots, exclusive games, table games, classic slots, poker, lotteries and even racing. All from a list of high-profile providers, of which Wazdan is now proudly a part of.

BF Games partners with Crocobet in Georgia

Creative development studio BF Games has signed a deal with Crocobet to offer its entire portfolio of casino content to the leading operator in Georgia.

The deal gives Crocobet access to BF Games entire slots portfolio, including classic hits such asBook of Gods, Stunning Hot, Crystal Mania, Hot ClassicandBonnie & Clyde,as well as newly-released summer titleHot Sunrise.

Crocobet is a well-established local operator in Georgia, offering its customers a wide range of casino and slot games as well as a complete sportsbook.

OneTouch pens key agreement with Bitcasino for live dealer products

Mobile-first games developerOneTouchhas announced a deal with specialist cryptocurrency casino operator, Bitcasino.

The agreement will see an engaging selection of the studios live dealer products. go live with the popular online casino later this year, including live dealer Baccarat, Roulette and Blackjack.

Founded in 2014, Bitcasino is the worlds first licensed Bitcoin-focused operator, with OneTouchs latest commercial partnership boosting its appeal amongst a wide range of audiences.

The providers engaging portfolio of slot and table games, which is known for its innovative mobile-first designs and intuitive single-touch interactivity, will be enjoyed by a rapidly growing fanbase thanks to the recent string of deals it has signed with the likes of Slotegrator and Revolver Gaming.

BetGames.TV strikes major content deal with Logrand Entertainment Group

BetGames.TV, the leading live dealer betting games supplier, has announced a partnership with Logrand Entertainment Group which sees its entire portfolio now live onStrendus, the operators main brand in Mexico.

The studio has signed numerous strategic agreements across LatAm in recent months, and this latest deal further enhances the companys presence in the regions thriving regulated markets.

Classic live games such asWheel of Fortune,BaccaratandBetGames.TVs innovative spin on Texas Holdem poker,6+ Poker,are now all available onStrendusand its associate brand Mustangmoney.

Camanbet shifts from purely retail to omnichannel approach with BtoBet

Leading iGaming platform provider has intensified its partnership with Camanbet, with the Venezuela-based operator going live online by making use of the Neuron 3 platform.

Camanbet have been present on a national level for the past 14 years, primarily through its vast retail network. Nonetheless the operator had been for the past months exploring ways of diversifying its business strategy by also taking its operations online in order to target a new fold of player. Through its online and mobile version, players can now have access to a wider selection of verticals including live casino, slots, and virtual sports.

GrooveGaming gets connected to LatAm specialist BetConnections.

Yet again aggregator GrooveGaming is in the news with a deal to supply content to LatAm specialistBetConnections, as GrooveGaming continues to expand rapidly on the back of some of the most robust technology in the iGaming industry.

GrooveGaming is the aggregator of choice for a host of big industry names including EveryMatrix, iGP, Digitain, Microgaming, ProgressPlay, Alea, Quickfire and BetConstruct, amongst others, with BetConnections providing a significant stepping stone into the LatAm market.

Selected by BetConnections on the depth of its portfolio, GrooveGamings powerful platform includes over 4000 casino games as well as a wealth of aggregated content ranging from slots, online casino and live casino, to poker and table games, that operators can access via easy integration to drive player engagement and revenue.

BetConnections also took into account that GrooveGaming has been recognised as one of the 10 Best Technology Solution Providers of 2020 by IndustryEra, firmly demonstrating that the aggregatorstechnology development is being acknowledged not only in the iGaming industry, but also from outside it.

Excerpt from:

Gambling Industry Announcement and Partnership Roundup - August 6, 2020 - CalvinAyre.com

Vegas is famous for its enormous and luxurious casinos. We have seen many movies where the main character does the magic on the poker table. When you cant go to Vegas, you can bring Vegas to your home. All you need to do is watch some classic movies that feature amusing gambling stories. There are tons of movies that include a casino in the plot, but we only picked the top 5 for you. They are available on Netflix so that you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home. Make sure that you dont miss the carefully chosen list of the most popular gambling movies!

Croupier

Gambling movies show different aspects, so this one is different from the others. It is all about which perspective you want to see. Croupier is a story about a dealer that takes you into the shady world of gambling. People here put big stakes on the table, rather than gambling with only their pay. The movie takes you into the worlds of small card rooms, rather than the flashy and luxurious casinos. This is a classic movie made in 1998, so it is worth seeing.

Casino Royale

One of the Bond movies included a casino in the plot. Casino Royale is one of Bonds toughest missions. The undercover spy is on a mission to investigate the mysterious deaths of other spies. Agent 007 discovers one common weakness among agents: being seduced by women. Bonds charm will gain Lady Fiona on his side. These two will work together to stop Le Chriffes plan to finance a terrorist group by cheating in the casino. This classic was filmed back in 1967. If you havent watched the casino blockbuster, you have certainly missed a lot. Next time you enjoy your favorite game at sites like pokerrules.club, dont miss watching the movie.

Oceans 11

Oceans 11 is a good comedy and an action movie. A group of eleven criminals joins together for a heist worth $150 million. Their ultimate plan is to rob three Vegas casinos. But, things get pretty complicated here. The owner is in a relationship with Tess, the ex of the leader of Oceans 11. This movie guarantees a great plot twist, as it gathers the elite from Hollywood. Clooney is the leader in this fun action movie and the chief planner of the casino robbery. This is one of the old-fashioned heist movies that you shouldnt miss.

Rounders

Mike McDermott is a law student that has a hidden hobby. He is a poker player, nut not many know that he is an actual genius. He doesnt only play for the fun nor the money. Mike is determined to enter the World Series and build his reputation in the poker world. But, not many things will g according to plan. The movie shows his side of the story while struggling to balance his love relationship, school, and endless love for poker. He joins the shady poker scene of New York to fulfill his mission.

The Cooler

The movie is a romantic drama with some gambling elements to spice things up. In the old-school casino language, a cooler is an employee whose presence brings bad luck to the gamblers. The casino manager, played by Alec Baldwin, sees this as an excellent opportunity. Bernie is the cooler of the Shangri-La casino, where he falls in love with Natalie. She then changes his life for the better. The movie puts an accent on Alec Baldwins exceptional performance as the manager of the casino.

Excerpt from:

Bring Vegas to Your Home with These Top 5 Gambling Movies on Netflix - Programming Insider

Internet searches for gambling services and casino games are at an all-time high. Data analysts have looked into the latest Google trends to find that more people searched for ways to enjoy gambling games online in the first half of 2020 than at any other point.

So, why have more people suddenly became interested in gambling, and what could it mean for the future of the industry?

Reasons Why Gambling Searches Are Up

The primary reason why gambling services have been in demand online is that their brick-and-mortar counterparts have been closed due to recent global events. With casino doors firmly shut, gamblers who would typically attend the casino to play blackjack, poker and other games now have to make use of online casinos instead.

But there may be additional reasons tied to the casinos being closed:

What Are People Searching for Exactly?

When we breakdown the rise in Google searches, it is clear to see that most people we are looking for online casinos to play classic games, such as video slots, roulette games, blackjack and so on. This is complemented by a rise in the number of people wanting to play more innovative games like live dealer games. One such example is The Crazy Time Game by Evolution Gaming, with its gameshow feel and increased interaction.

What Could This Mean for Online Casinos?

The latest surge in online casino demand will be predominantly good news for those offering these services. Many bookmakers have lost revenue due to the pandemic, mainly because of a lack of sports betting. Still, the surge in online casino demand will have somewhat balanced the books and kept the industry and peoples jobs stable during what has been a worrying time for many businesses.

The only downside to supercharged online casino searches is that the industry may come under fire if they do not complete due diligence in tackling problem gambling and stopping vulnerable people from betting before it is too late.

Some countries implemented new rules during the same period, which have gone some way to combat these instances from happening. For example, in Spain, there was a ban on gambling adverts, whereas the UK toyed with the idea of blanket daily betting limits. That did not come into effect, but there was a pre-planned ban on using credit cards at online casinos from April.

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A peak for gambling search results - FREE NEWS

The guys kick off their NFL preview series by breaking down the AFC Win Totals. Theyre joined by Ian St. Clair ( of the Mile High Report to preview the Broncos 2020 season. Is Drew Lock the guy in Denver? Will their defense return to dominance with a healthy Bradley Chubb?

Next up is San Diego Chargers super fan turned Los Angeles Chargers super fan & possible Colts super fan Justin Decker. The guys point out a ton of factors that favor a possible positive regression for the Chargers while also remaining cautious that they are the Chargers. Can Tyrods lack of turnovers help return the Chargers to competence?

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their first Super Bowl win since 1969. Can the Chiefs and Andy Reid remain hungry and conquer their very high 11.5 win total? How real is the Super Bowl hangover for winning teams?

Finally the podcast is closed out with analysis of the 2020 Raiders season. Derek Carr is planning on unleashing his Mamba Mentality this season, should the division be worried? Will Jon Gruden faking getting the corona virus be enough to get this team to the promised land?Jon Gruden Fakes Corona

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AFC Win Totals & Preview (Ep. 851) - The Sports Gambling Podcast

POTTSVILLE, Pa., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Celebrating its 35th year in business as licensed casino junket reps, Cotler VIP Tours, Inc.known publicly as VIP Gambling Toursannounced its expansion into interactive gaming with the launch of its US sportsbook affiliate brand ThePropsNetwork.com. The brand debuted in January with licensing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has since expanded into West Virginia, Indiana and Iowa. The sports and gambling focused media brand has survived the casino shut downs with original produced shows, podcasts, and a landmark venture into live professional sports productions.

"Our goal in launching ThePropsNetwork.com has been to make the enjoyable experiences we create for our VIP gamblers accessible to the online gambling community," says Steve Cotler, founder of Cotler VIP Tours, Inc. "Particularly now as we've seen the impact of COVID-19 on our land-based business model, creating an online presence allows us new opportunities to interact with existing customers, introduce new forms of gambling entertainment and engage a new generation of gambling clientele."

Cotler tapped Kyle Piaseckiwhose igaming credentials include Caesars Interactive Entertainment and Mobile Gaming Technologies dba 'CashBet'as a partner and head of affiliate operations for ThePropsNetwork.com. Seasoned television producer Sam Cotler serves as the brand's co-founder and head of content, developing original podcasts and video entertainment, such as "Just for Sport," hosted by 4X Emmy winning sports anchor Jumoke Davis, and "Pile It On" with co-hosts Steve Clark and Joel Walkowski, aka "The Professional Gambler" both accredited writers, producers, and comedians.

Walkowski also co-hosts "Inaction: The Quarantine Quiz Show," a comedy game show ThePropsNetwork.com debuted in April "to help sports fans pass the pandemic." The show is co-hosted by comedian Donnie Sengsstack.

When the casino and sports world shuttered in March, the team brokered a monumental sports and gambling media deal. The outcome being one of the first pro sporting events to return in the US. The high volume, live, professional, men's and women's Tennis series is now an available betting market on sportsbooks worldwide and broadcast daily on ESPN3.

Piasecki credits the brand leadership team's diverse experience with giving The Props Network a competitive edge: "Collectively, we understand what gamblersand specifically sports bettorswant in terms of original online content, and we have the capability to deliver it," he says. "The result is a true media brand that sets a new standard of quality for interactive gaming and, now more than ever, helps fill a void for sports fans who are missing that avenue of entertainment."

About Cotler VIP Tours Inc.

Cotler VIP Tours Inc./VIP Gambling Tours is celebrating over 35 years of providing the finest in individual and group arrangements to casino destinations. The company has come a long way since the first "Luxribus" trip to Atlantic City's original casino, Merv Griffin's Resorts International. The company is now licensed in over 15 gambling jurisdictions both domestic and internationally. They specialize in escorted casino travel on company owned "LuxriBus" coaches, Charter air, and VIP gambling Cruise accommodations. For more information, visit VIPGamblingTours.com

Media Contact: Kyle Piasecki / 244703@email4pr.com / 908-376-8646

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Cotler VIP Tours, Inc. Surviving COVID-19 With Pivot to Online Sports and Gambling Media Brand 'The Props Network' - Daily American Online

Problem gambling among adolescents and youth is a growing public health concern globally, as well as in Georgia, UNICEF study says.The aim of the UNICEF study, International Experience of Gambling Prevention Among Adolescents, conducted within the framework of the UNICEF and Patriarchate of Georgia Partnership, was to understand how other countries, including developed countries, are responding to growing problems of adolescents gambling, as well as share best practices in the concerned area.

Worldwide, the prevalence of gambling is 2 to 4 times higher among adolescents than among adults, with up to 8% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 being pathological gamblers. Problem gambling during adolescence can lead to adverse outcomes, such as strained relationships, delinquency and criminal behaviors, depression and even suicide. Such negative outcomes have short- and long-term implications for the individuals, their families, peers, as well as for society at large.

Adolescents are more susceptible to gambling fallacies, says Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia. Early exposure to gambling may lead to a higher risk of developing problem gambling. It is crucial to take decisive steps by strengthening evidence-based policies and prevention strategies, as well as by launching specific services tailored for young people to reduce current and future harm and social costs associated with gambling, Khalil added.

The study finds that a significant reduction of demand on gambling could be achieved by awareness raising, education activities, and public health policy introduction and implementation. Adolescents with less knowledge about gambling and problem gambling are more likely to gamble and achieve a problem gambling level than those who have greater knowledge about the harm of gambling.

In June 2020, the adolescents hotline 111 was established to address the psychosocial needs of adolescents/youth and their parents/caregivers, in response to an increase of pathological gambling or gaming during COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide psychological first aid and psychotherapy if needed. To reach the hotline, adolescents, children and their families need to dial 111. The number is operational during working days from 10am till 7pm. All calls from Georgia are free of charge.

The child hotline is a joint initiative of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories of Georgia, Labour, Health and Social Affairs and UNICEF. The goal of the hotline is to respond to the immediate needs of children and adolescents during the COVID19 pandemic.

Last week, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, Ekaterine Tikaradze conducted a working meeting with the representatives of UNICEF. UNICEF presented to the Ministry the results of the recently conducted research. The goal of the research is to assess the readiness of social system amid COVID-19 and its impact on the poverty rate. Read more.

EU and WHO delivered 15 tons of COVID-19 supplies in Georgia

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The FINANCIAL - UNICEF: Gambling prevention in adolescents should be on a national health agenda - The FINANCIAL

The Belgian Pro League (BPL), the top soccer league in Belgium, has a new gambling partner. The sportsbook and iGaming operator bwin, one of the entities under the umbrella of GVC Holdings, has signed on with the organization in a sports gambling deal that will cover the next three seasons. The arrangement includes the BPL, the 1B Pro League and the Super Cup.

The agreement was reportedly facilitated with the help of Eleven Sports, an international sports broadcaster that will be involved in the arrangement. Game streaming rights will be given to bwin, which will allow the operator to put live matches up on its website, as well as its mobile platforms. The financial details of the arrangement havent been released.

The commercial head of bwin Benelux & Row, Steven Cartigny, is ready to dig in and develop a robust plan in Belgium. He explains, bwin is extremely proud to become the exclusive betting partner of the Jupiler Pro League and Eleven Sports for the next three seasons. Thanks to its European sponsorship strategy, bwin has become a fixed value in the online sports and casino world. We also want to build a strong presence in Belgium.

bwin has already set up a successful partnership with the German Football Association and Bundesliga 3. As a result of this positive experience, we now continue to focus on Belgian football. Belgium is a breeding ground for talented football players, who are doing a great job worldwide.

Eleven Sports, which just celebrated its fifth anniversary, is found in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Poland and others. Its head of acquisitions and managing director for Belgium and Luxembourg, Guillaume Collard, adds, We welcome bwin to the Home of Belgian Football, our innovative project for Belgian football. We look forward to working together to champion bwins offering in a way that promotes responsible entertainment to fans.

BPL CEO Pierre Franois expects the agreement to have a positive impact on soccer transparency and integrity, and a possible catalyst for global sports maturity. He explains, Games of chance and betting can add an extra dimension to the football experience. However, each partner is aware of the risks of irresponsible behaviour. Thats why we are all committed to minimising the risks, each in his own role.

In this partnership, bwin, the Pro League and Eleven Sports will focus on an overall prevention policy, the protection of players and the integrity of football as a whole. This cooperation will be measured at any time against the goals and best practice set out in the cooperation agreement between the Pro League and the Gaming Commission.

Belgiums gaming scene has had a few setbacks this year. The Belgian Gaming Commission came under fire in February for alleged ethics violations, and the country has been clamping down betting limits over concerns of exaggerated online gambling due to the coronavirus lockdown. Overall, though, Belgium continues to have one of the better online gaming markets found anywhere.

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bwin becomes official gambling partner of the Belgian Pro League - CalvinAyre.com