Category Archives: Blackjack

If you like the blackjack, the poker, gambling, cards, etc., this article is for you. Today in COOL we show you the 5 most luxurious casinos in the world. Keep reading and get to know them, they will become a mandatory stop in your travel guide.

The 5 most luxurious casinos in the world

The best game rooms They are usually incorporated in some of the best resorts in the great cities of the world, including Las Vegas, Macao Y Singapore.

Long gaming tables, countless slot machines, a paradise for the passionate of casinos. An oasis of luxury in which decoration and architecture come together to result in a unique and exclusive space.

Bellagio, Las Vegas

If we talk about the most luxurious casinos in the world, Las Vegas, also known as sin City, it has to host one of them. The Bellagio hotel It is an Italian-style complex and one of the most elegant in the world, with a rating of 5 diamonds conceived by the AAA, the American Automobile Association.

Its casino is made up of a large 7,000 square meter poker room with 40 tables, 2,400 slot machines, poker tables blackjack classic, rooms for betting on horse races and 2 exclusive rooms for the strongest bets.

Bellagio Casino is world famous for its high-end poker rooms, known as The Office, where it hosts numerous international poker tournaments, including the World Poker Tour.

Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas

This complex protects inside the largest casino in the Caribbean, where important events are held every year. Your game room has 84 gaming tables and 750 slot machines.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapur

He is considered like the most expensive in the world. Las Vegas invested a whopping 4.1 billion euros in its construction. It features one of the largest Swarovski chandeliers in the world.

The casino consists of 15,000 square meters distributed in 4 levels occupied by more than 600 table games and more than 1,500 slot machines.

Did it seem little to you? One level is dedicated exclusively to online games.

The Venetian, Macao

One of the largest complexes in China. Its main characteristic is that it is made up of immense canals in the purest Venetian style that you can travel by gondola.

It is one of the largest casinos in the world, with 51,000 square meters, in addition to being the only one where you can bet in the entire region. Has 900 gaming tables and 3,400 slot machines, private gaming rooms and a large space for sporting and entertainment events.

A complex of 4 hotels surrounded by a nature reserve where you can even find an outside river with crocodiles.

The casino consists of 38 game tables for blackjack, American roulette or stud poker among others, in addition to about 1,000 slot machines.

Disclaimer: This article is generated from the feed and not edited by our team.

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The most luxurious casinos in the world that you have to know - Market Research Telecast

There are some games and seasons that shouldnt be played or should end. If only the NFL had a surrender clause like in blackjack.

The Giants can fall into both categories.

They officially will end a season that virtually ended weeks ago when they host Washington in the finale at MetLife Sunday. Only the true Giants faithful will be in attendance or watching it Sunday.

This was a team scheduled to be on the brink of the playoffs this year before everything collapsed around them from their defense to the quarterback.

Instead, they will be involved in a restructure/rebuild in 2022.

Embattled head coach Joe Judge mad a passionate plea for his job last week before he took a subtle shot at the Redskins stating, this aint a team thats having fistfights on the sidelines.

But by all indications, Judge appears to be safe. Management still likes his brash, bold, rah-rah approach despite the face that he will likely win 10 games in two years.

They likely will lose their sixth straight game Sunday and end the season with a 4-13 mark. That will give Judge a 10-23 mark.

Giants ownership has been waiting for the second coming of Bill Parcells/Tom Couhglin clone, but former head coaches Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur didnt produce in spite of fitting the mold. Ownership still likens Judge to be the heir.

In Judges defense, his team had been ravaged by injuries, mainly severely affected by the loss of quarterback Daniel Jones. Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm didnt get the job done in place of Jones.

His defense has suffered injuries, but they lack the spark of last season that helped them produce a 5-3 mark in the second half. Leonard Williams hasnt looked the same since he signed his new contract, and James Bradberry has the sophomore jinx. The unit couldnt fill the void left by Blake Martinez when his season ended with an injury.

All of this, of course, ties to GM Dave Gettleman. He has been strongly rumored to be out at the end of the season. There also have been rumors about his retirement, which he should have already taken.

I always was a Gettleman fan, but the overall results surfaced this season. Its all hindsight, but Gettleman hasnt hit a high enough batting average, a comparison owner John Mara referred to enhance the season.

Its becoming more apparent that Gettleman made a major mistake drafting Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018 and quarterback Daniel Jones in the sixth round, notbally when he could have had Buffalos Josh Allen and probably Clevelands Nick Chubb as alternate choices.

Barkley did have more than 100 yards and was the teams offense in their loss to Chicago last week. With his injuries as well as his lack of burst, Barkley ran for the century mark for the first time since 2019.

Now the team will be faced with the decision to pick up Barkleys and Jones options next year. Its becoming more evident that they wont do both.

Gettlemans major flaw was his failure to establish an effective offensive line. Guard Will Hernandezs play has deteriorated, and there are still some lingering questions about recent top pick Andrew Thomas. Gettleman tried to piece together some cohesion via waiver wire pickups and trades, but it didnt work. He also released Kevin Zeitler, their best lineman, to help the cap.

Speaking of the cap, the Giants are rock bottom in cap space, and the new GM will have his hands full.

Forget about Russell Wilson coming to the Giants. It doesnt work with cap room or with draft picks.

So, the Giants will play out the string Sunday, and this season can finally end.

From there, it will be a mess to clean up and put on some new fronts for next year.

Originally posted here:

Judge, Gettleman, and A Giant Mess Ahead - NY Sports Day

The stock market generally makes you wealthy little by little over time; the S&P 500 averages a 10% annual return historically. Quickly doubling your money is something you might think is better done by playing blackjack, but it's possible in the stock market too.

What's the trick? Well, the market has a tendency to overreact, lifting popular stocks to really high levels as well as severely punishing stocks when something happens they don't like. If you can find an unpopular stock with strong fundamentals and a potential growth catalyst on the horizon, you could catch the wave as the market rushes back to the stock on a change in sentiment.

Image source: Getty Images.

While investing works best when you buy in with a long-term holding strategy, you can increase your chances of outsized returns if you happen to make that buy-in when the stock is priced at a discount. Here are five stocks priced at a discount that have what it takes to double up in 2022 if the right scenario plays out.

Telecom giant AT&T (NYSE:T) is not what comes to mind when thinking of quick returns -- the stock price on this company is somehow down over the past decade. However, AT&T could easily double in 2022. The company has tightened its focus to what it does best and is offloading its entertainment and streaming holdings. That, of course, comes after putting itself in a mountain of debt, buying DirecTV for $67 billion in 2015,and Time Warner for $85 billion in 2018.

The company has gotten out from under DirecTV, selling it for $16.25 billion in 2021. It is spinning off the remainder of its entertainment assets in a deal with Discovery that will wipe 43 billion of debt off of AT&T's balance sheet sometime in 2022. The stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 8 and could trade back to its historical average P/E ratio of 18 after the deal closes.

Fitness technology company Peloton Interactive (NASDAQ:PTON) was one of the proverbial "COVID stocks," seeing demand for its products accelerate during lockdowns. The company's revenue growth soared, and management responded by investing heavily into the business to keep up with demand. Unfortunately, demand has started to fall back to earth, resulting in Peloton's financials getting crippled. The stock price has fallen from its highs of $171 a share down to nearly $30.

Despite management's mistakes, Peloton's connected fitness segment remains a massive success. In the first quarter of fiscal 2022 (ending Sept. 30), Peloton's most recent quarter, connected fitness subscriptions grew 87% year over year to 2.49 million. The subscription business will eventually contribute more and more to the bottom line, which long-term investors can follow. The stock has declined so much that a sign of Peloton's financials rebounding could easily double the share price from these beaten-down levels.

PTON Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts

Our mobile phones are great advertising tools, precisely the business Digital Turbine (NASDAQ:APPS) is in. The company is in charge of preinstalling apps on new phones. When you boot up that new phone for the first time, those apps you already see have likely paid to be there. The stock has been a winner already, up more than 8,000% over the last five years.

However, the company has made a handful of acquisitions in the past year, which can cause uncertainty among investors, potentially causing a sell-off when the markets come under pressure as they have. However, Digital Turbine is very profitable, turning nearly $0.20 of every revenue dollar into free cash flow. If the company reassures investors that the business is running smoothly over the next few quarters, the stock could head back toward highs, doubling the share price.

Mobile phones aren't just great for advertising. Gaming is one of the most popular uses for smartphones. Skillz (NYSE:SKLZ) runs a platform on which game developers can quickly launch competitive matches of their games where users play for real money and prizes. Skillz stock has fallen from grace, down a whopping 86% from highs. The reason? The company is spending more on sales and marketing than it generates revenue. Management is doing this mainly to fuel growth, but investors are likely punishing the stock for its money-losing ways in the current market environment.

But when you fall so far, there is ample room for recovery. In early 2021, Skillz and the National Football League struck a partnership to have a developer challenge. This challenge is ongoing, and the winning developer games will be launched on the Skillz platform with NFL marketing support and team licensing. The NFL is a massive brand, and if this goes well when the games get set to launch in the fall, the sentiment around Skillz might change for the better and quickly.

Buying and selling your home is a long, expensive, and tedious process, but Opendoor Technologies (NASDAQ:OPEN) is trying to change that. The company pioneered iBuying, where companies buy your home with a cash offer to quickly and easily take it off your hands. It then resells the house on the open market. Real estate is one of the largest industries in the world and has resisted major disruption for decades. Investors may still be skeptical of the business model, especially after Opendoor's largest competitor Zillow quit iBuying after sustaining major losses.

This skepticism has punished Opendoor's stock, and for good reason; iBuying is Opendoor's whole business, so bankruptcy is on the table if iBuying can't work. However, Opendoor is showing so far that its model might not be so crazy after all. For a company that did $2.3 billion in revenue in 2021 Q3, its most recent quarter, its net losses were just $17 million, indicating that the business is nearing profitability. The stock trades at a price-to-sales ratio of just 0.5, so if Opendoor shows a profit in 2022, the valuation leaves plenty of room for optimistic investors to bid the stock higher.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

Original post:

5 Stocks That Could Double Your Money in 2022 - Motley Fool

49ers Jimmy Garoppolo practices for second consecutive day

Im trying to get it back to my old motion where its fluid and everything like that, but it will just take some time, Garoppolo said on Wednesday. Its a process, but were working in the right direction.

49ers Notebook: Trey Lances impressive feat; Shanahan on QB practice reps, and why he ignores The Chart; Bosa predicts eventual DeMeco Ryans departure

Shanahan: I always compare to blackjack. If Im playing blackjack, I will always double down on eleven, but its because Im going to play for an hour and eventually the odds will come out that way, supposedly. If you go for it every time on 4th-and-1, eventually you should get it more than you have. But I dont look at it that way. Whos the three-technique? Whos blocking him? Whats the weather? Whos the quarterback on the other side? Can we kick a field goal? All that type of stuff. Do I feel the momentum? Whatever my gut is. Theres so many things that go into it.

Deebo isnt looking to squash beef with Rams star Donald

I dont know the guy, Samuel said. Obviously, he dont know who I am, which he should. I dont know, I just dont walk up to people and be like, Hey, how you doing? Im Deebo. Im not that type of guy or whatever.

49ers practice report: Trent Williams remains out with Rams looming

Perhaps the veteran is getting a couple days off to ensure his readiness for Sunday. Williams doesnt necessarily need the days of practice to be effective on the field. However, his two consecutive absences arent encouraging and Friday should give more insight into his availability in the biggest game of the year.

Lombardi: Trey Lance? Jimmy Garoppolo? Both? The 49ers have been building QB option power now theyre using it (paywall)

The subtext is obvious. The 49ers actively want the Rams to at least thinkthat Garoppolo is capable of playing in Sundays pivotal showdown at SoFi Stadium. That way, the Rams will at least be compelled to prepare for both Garoppolo and rookie quarterback Trey Lance, who started the 49ers most recent win over Houston.

Excerpt from:

49ers News: Another Day, Another Thumbs Up For Jimmy In Practice - Niners Nation

Blackjack (Twenty-one, pontoon or Vingt-et-un) is a kind of card game which usually involves gambling. It is often played in casinos. There is a dealer, who deals cards from a special device called a 'dealer's shoe' or a 'shuffling machine'. The dealer has one to eight decks. When there are one or two decks, the dealer usually holds the decks instead of dealing from a shoe.

It is a 'dealer versus players game'. Each player has their own game against the dealer. Cards are dealt in succession, and bets placed for each hand. Players win if their cards add up to more than the dealer's hand to a limit of 21. Hands which add up to more than 21, called busted hands, lose. Face cards count as 10. Aces can count as one or eleven.

'Blackjack', an ace and a face card or ten, is the top scorer. Blackjack usually pays a bonus. Five cards adding to 21 or fewer is the next ranking hand. Apart from that, unbusted hands rank by total add-up. Hands below the dealer's hand lose unless the dealer goes over 21 (busts). Hands equal to the dealer's keep their chips. If both the player and dealer bust, the dealer wins.

Players have a choice whether or not to get extra cards. Stand means to get no more cards and hit means to ask for another card. To stand, wave your hand back and forth. To ask for another card, wave your hand toward you. You can ask for any number of cards unless you bust. The dealer has rules as to when he takes extra cards for himself (or herself). In the UK, the dealer must stand on 16.[1] These rules are set by the casino and cannot change after the game has started. In some states or countries, the rules are set by the government.[2][3]

There is some skill in blackjack, because the odds change as the cards are dealt. The critical information is the numbers of tens (including face cards) which have been dealt. This is because they are the common cause of 'busting' the dealer hand and because they are needed for a blackjack. Aces are also important because they are needed for a blackjack.[4] Keeping track of the cards is called 'card counting'. It is legal if done without a device like a computer. But, many casinos tell players to leave if they think are counting the cards.

Over the years the origin of Blackjack, like many other games, has eluded researchers for a long time and which continues to be hotly debated to this day. Till date there has been no clear consensus, but most agree it probably originated in French casinos around 1700, where it was called Vingt-et-Unwhich, translated, means twenty-one. Most believe it was probably derived from the French card games, Chemin de Fer, and French Ferme, which were in vogue at that time. Another of its version was prevalent in Spain, which was called 'One and Thirty'. The basic rule of the Spanish version was to reach 31 with a minimum of three cards.A theory that's also doing the rounds is that Blackjack was an invention by the Romans. It is believed that Romans used to play this game with wooden blocks of different numerical values. This theory holds some weight as Romans loved gambling, but that by no means confirms the theory. Among the various versions of the game, 'Vingt-et-Un' or '21' continued to grow in popularity and reach. It gradually spread to North America thanks to French colonists and soon after it was played throughout the continent. The rules of Blackjack were then different from those of modern or contemporary Blackjack. Just to elaborate, in this form of Blackjack, only the dealer was permitted to double. Also, a betting round was there between each of the playing cards dealt.The game was still termed '21' when it gained popularity in Nevada in 1931 as the State first chose to make gambling legal. Its origin is disputed, but it is certainly related to several French and Italian gambling games. In Britain since World War I, the informal game has been called pontoon.[5][6] To draw more people to the game, some casinos then offered a special bet: A hand featuring either of the black jacks (the Jack of Spades or that of Clubs) plus the Ace of Spades would pay 10-to-1 odds on the lucky player's bet. Although casinos later discontinued this peculiar payout, the name 'blackjack' or 'black jack' remained, as the game is known today.Five of Clubs: "Watsons card". The name has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes but refers to a famous gambler who is supposed to have won 10,000 at Faro through his wager in connection with this card.Blackjack was not conceived by any one person at one definite point of time. On the contrary, blackjack has evolved over centuries; it continues to evolve and grow even today, thanks to the Internet. Fuelling its popularity the online casino industry has developed various versions of the game which has truly revolutionized it.Now a few reputed casino operators have started an innovative and far more enjoyable concept of this game: live blackjack game with real dealers. Live Blackjack is the most advanced way to play your favourite casino game right in the comfort of your home, without having to go a long way to a field-based casino.[7][8]

This is an example of a Blackjack game. Players are named by gambling chip colour: white, brown, blue and black.

The dealer has given two cards each to the four players who are betting. One of the dealer's two cards is face-up so all the players can see it (an Ace), and the other is face down.

The dealer turns their card over and gets a 6, together with the Ace takes them to 17, and stands because the dealer must stand on 17. (In this case the dealer must stand on a "soft" 17). Results:

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Blackjack - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Evolutions Ezugi announced on Thursday that it received studio and security certificates from the UK Gambling Commission for 11 of its games. As a result, the highly-popular games are now fully certified and ready to launch in the UK market.

The GC approval marks an important step for Ezugi that expands further its licensing and operating market. The highly-popular titles that received approval target a broad audience of consumers and operators. The company explained that the titles aim to be attractive for people who are into traditional and well-known casino games as well as those who are looking for more localized offerings.

We are delighted to mark such a significant milestone and look forward to providing our best games to UK players,

Those titles include the well-known Baccarat, Roulette, Auto-Roulette, Blackjack, and Unlimited Blackjack. The users will also be able to enjoy the top-performing Dragon Tiger, Teen Patti, Bet on Teen Patti, Lucky 7, as well as Ezugis most recent title Cricket War.

Founded in 2012, Ezugi has been a part of Evolution since 2018. The recent licensing in the UK market complements ongoing growth for the company across Europe. Last year, the company expanded its presence significantly in Italy by inking a strategic deal with Sisal, the gaming lottery giant. Moreover, Ezugi inked another key deal for the Italian market by joining forces with BLOX.

Ezugis business development director, Pang Goh, acknowledged that licensing the 11 games marks an important step for the company. He said that collecting the certificates from the GC complements Ezugis ongoing strategy to reach the absolute highest industry standards.

This is a very significant step for Ezugi and its growth.

Goh explained that the companys license is acquired under Evolution Malta Limited but Ezugi is pleased to have its best games certified. According to him, Ezugis localized and innovative game content will be well received by the UK operators. Moreover, he acknowledged that those titles will bring benefits for the operators.

We are looking forward to this next chapter and to provide our best performing games to UK players,

In conclusion, Goh outlined that Ezugi is looking forward to the next chapter of its growth in the UK market by providing its best games to customers in the country. Undoubtedly, the recent licensing will help Ezugi continue growing its presence in the UK and Europe.

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Ezugi Grows in the UK, Secures Certificates by the Gambling Commission - GamblingNews.com

Tobias Menzies will star in a new miniseries about the aftermath of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The actor, best known for playing Prince Philip in the last two seasons of The Crown and both Blackjack and Frank Randall in early seasons of Outlander, will play Edward Stanton in the Apple TV+ series, which is titled Manhunt.

Stanton was Lincoln's war secretary and close friend. Following the president's death, per a summary cited by Deadline, Stanton was driven almost mad by his obsession with catching assassin John Wilkes Booth, and his determination to preserve and protect Lincoln's legacy. The project is described as part historical fiction, part conspiracy thriller, and will be directed by Carl Franklin (Mindhunter).

Deadline also reports that the series will feature a number of Black historical figures who were involved both with the manhunt and with Booth's escape. These figures include Mary Simms, a former slave who gave Booth safe harbor while he was on the run.

Casting for other roles, including Booth, Simms, and Lincoln, is yet to be announced.

Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer, assassinated President Lincoln on the evening of April 14, 1865, just five days after the end of the Civil War. The subsequent manhunt for Booth was one of the largest in history, with some 10,000 federal troops and detectives assigned to search for him. He was finally apprehended in Virginia twelve days after the killing, and killed during a standoff with sergeants.

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Tobias Menzies Will Star in a New Series About the Hunt For Abraham Lincoln's Assassin - TownandCountrymag.com

KJZZ

Arizona gamblers can bet on sports using apps.

Arizonans bet nearly $780 million in the first two months that the state allowed gambling on sporting events.

But all that wagering, pushed by Gov. Doug Ducey, translated to just slightly more than $1 million in state revenues. Thats because of a provision in the law he signed has the state effectively financing free games to entice people to gamble.

And if the pattern doesnt change, the state will wind up with far less than the $100 million a year in new revenues that proponents were claiming.

Thats not the only issue.

It turns out that that revenue sharing from the tribal casinos, which until this past fall had a monopoly on gaming, was less than $21.5 million for the last three months of 2021. The Department of Gaming reports that is 32% less than from the same period a year earlier.

Max Hartgraves, spokesman for the agency, acknowledged the numbers and the fact that the 2020 legislation built in five years worth of what amount to credits the gaming industry can use to offset what they owe the state. But he said the low net revenue numbers for the state are likely to be only temporary.

Its basically to jump-start the market in the state,he said of the deductions the gaming companies can take. Gubernatorial press aide C.J. Karamargin agreed.

These numbers are going to go up, he told Capitol Media Services. And he boasted of Arizona already having the fifth highest handle of wagers in the entire country.

That, however, has so far not translated into actual dollars into state coffers the prime reason behind the legislation.

Newly legalized fantasy sports wagering on made-up teams of real players also has not taken off, with the state collecting only about $24,000 in gaming taxes in its first two months.

The new reports are the first since Ducey signed legislation in August allowing the sports franchises that are being given licenses to take bets on professional and college games to give away free samples.

As adopted, the franchises or the outside firms they hire to run their gaming operations can provide free bets or promotional credits.

But the key is the law says these operators can reduce what they report in adjusted gross receipts the amount used to compute what they owe the state by up to 20% for each of the first two years they are in business to compensate them for those free bets.

That drops to 15% in the third year of gaming and 10% in years four and five. After that, write-offs are not allowed.

So, in September, the state reported $291.2 million in gross wagers, virtually all of that placed on phones and other mobile apps.

The companies paid out $258.9 million in winnings, leaving them with $31.6 million in net wagers.

But the companies also took $31.2 million in promotional credits,leaving them with about $392,000 subject to the state tax of 8% on in-person bets and 10% on mobile or just $31,393 owed to the state.

It got somewhat better in October, with $486.1 million in wagers.

But here, too, after deducting the promotional credits, that left $10.4 million in net revenues and slightly more than $1 million for the state.

Karamargin, however, preferred to focus on the gross handle rather than what wound up in state coffers. He said the Arizona numbers are incredible, given that Nevada, in that same month, had $1.2 billion in gaming handle.

Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-Chandler), who was the sponsor of the House version of the legislation, said the numbers in the reports at least those showing the level of gaming are a positive sign. It shows theres clearly demand, he said. People of Arizona are responding and are embracing this.

Phoenix Suns and FanDuel Group

A viewing area inside FanDuel Sportsbook at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.

So if there is all that interest, does the state need to incentivize enticements for people to gamble?

Yes, said Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), the sponsor of the Senate version.

Im likening it to a store offering a holiday sale or something like that,he said. You need to entice people into the door to get them interested in doing something that they may have never done before.Shope said thats particularly true for online sports wagering.

This is something new for Arizona, he said.

Karamargin said he cannot say that the incentives are necessary to get people to wager on sports. Instead, he said, all he can work with is the big increase from September gaming actually started Sep. 9 and October with the $1 million in state revenues.

How do we know it would have been that without the incentives? he said.

Weninger had his own explanation.

What its really geared for is enticing the existing illegal bettors to come over to these platforms, to bring them into the legal fold, he said.

Weninger said the companies that operate the sports wagering will voluntarily begin to scale back their giveaways and enticements once Arizonans are in the habit of betting on sports.

You saw a big drop from September to October,said Weninger, with the amount of credits taken dropping from $31.2 million to $26 million. Its no different, he said, with how he operates his own restaurants, providing incentives to get new customers that arent necessary after they become regulars.

Anyway, Weninger said, it would be wrong to look at the benefits of legalized sports gaming based solely on the tax on net profits of the wagering companies, even after the promotion deductions.

I believe theres a lot of indirect revenue that comes through this, through economic development, through lots of tourism, Weninger said. And that, he said, doesnt count all the money that TV stations in Arizona are making from the blizzard of commercials promoting gambling and the free wagers.

The numbers do not include the initial $14 million in licensing fees for the operations plus the $3 million a year the state expects to get in renewals.

Weninger said he was not surprised that tribal gaming numbers are down. He said it reflects the fact that this form of gambling things like slot machines, keno and blackjack tables require physical presence.

You have to be masked up the entire time youre in there,Weninger said. So Im sure COVID is affecting that somewhat right now, and has been.

Hartgraves agreed. He said that casinos tend to cater to the older crowd, those who may be less willing to risk contracting the virus.

The tribes, however, were willing participants in the deal in hopes of eventually generating additional dollars for themselves.

In exchange for agreeing to off-reservation sports gaming, they get to operate not only more slot machines and table games like blackjack and poker but add craps, roulette and baccarat to their offerings. They, too, are able to take bets on sporting events and fantasy sports.

And rural tribes were given a big break in how much they have to share of their handle with the state.

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Arizonans bet $780M on sports in September and October. The state only made $1M - KJZZ

January 4, 2022

This years Sydney to Hobart had a very strong link to the Central Coast as local sailors Reece and Liam Woulfe were part of the crew of the Line Honours winning super maxi sail boat Blackjack.

Of course Central Coast sailors have featured prominently on the world stage for many years, with world champion Tom Slingsby maintaining strong ties with Gosford Sailing Club.

Reece talked to Central Coast Newspapers about the challenging ordeal while sailing back to Sydney. The vessel took just two days, 12 hours and 37 minutes to complete, arriving at 1:37 am into Hobart, comfortably ahead of prized favorites Law Connect and SHK Scallywag.

From the beginning of the race we knew the first 24hrs were going to be tough for us, the strong southerly favoured the other two 100fts Law Connect and Scallywag said Reece

With the breeze dropping off along the coast of Tasmania in the forecast our team knew we just had to keep the distance between us and the leading boat as small as possible, we didnt expect Blackjack would be leading the fleet for majority of the race!

The aggressive sea state along the coast line made for a bumpy ride but once we sailed across the bass strait we finally hit smoother water and thats where we began to put some good distance between us and the other boats

Its been an incredible experience being apart of the Blackjack team over the past 2 years and to be surrounded by some of the most experienced and talented sailors Australia has to offer has been a privilege.

This was my first Hobart and to do it along side one of my best mates Liam Woulfe just made the win that much sweeter! said Reece

Blackjack will sail back to Sydney now where we can continue to modify, improve and prepare for the next race to come.

Reece, a former Kincumber High School student will now return to work at McConaghy Boats in Gosford.

CCN

Continue reading here:

Two young local heroes of the Sydney to Hobart - Central Coast News - Central Coast Community News

KJZZ

Arizona gamblers can bet on sports using apps.

Arizonans bet nearly $780 million in the first two months that the state allowed gambling on sporting events.

But all that wagering, pushed by Gov. Doug Ducey, translated to just slightly more than $1 million in state revenues. Thats because of a provision in the law he signed has the state effectively financing free games to entice people to gamble.

And if the pattern doesnt change, the state will wind up with far less than the $100 million a year in new revenues that proponents were claiming.

Thats not the only issue.

It turns out that that revenue sharing from the tribal casinos, which until this past fall had a monopoly on gaming, was less than $21.5 million for the last three months of 2021. The Department of Gaming reports that is 32% less than from the same period a year earlier.

Max Hartgraves, spokesman for the agency, acknowledged the numbers and the fact that the 2020 legislation built in five years worth of what amount to credits the gaming industry can use to offset what they owe the state. But he said the low net revenue numbers for the state are likely to be only temporary.

Its basically to jump-start the market in the state,he said of the deductions the gaming companies can take. Gubernatorial press aide C.J. Karamargin agreed.

These numbers are going to go up, he told Capitol Media Services. And he boasted of Arizona already having the fifth highest handle of wagers in the entire country.

That, however, has so far not translated into actual dollars into state coffers the prime reason behind the legislation.

Newly legalized fantasy sports wagering on made-up teams of real players also has not taken off, with the state collecting only about $24,000 in gaming taxes in its first two months.

The new reports are the first since Ducey signed legislation in August allowing the sports franchises that are being given licenses to take bets on professional and college games to give away free samples.

As adopted, the franchises or the outside firms they hire to run their gaming operations can provide free bets or promotional credits.

But the key is the law says these operators can reduce what they report in adjusted gross receipts the amount used to compute what they owe the state by up to 20% for each of the first two years they are in business to compensate them for those free bets.

That drops to 15% in the third year of gaming and 10% in years four and five. After that, write-offs are not allowed.

So, in September, the state reported $291.2 million in gross wagers, virtually all of that placed on phones and other mobile apps.

The companies paid out $258.9 million in winnings, leaving them with $31.6 million in net wagers.

But the companies also took $31.2 million in promotional credits,leaving them with about $392,000 subject to the state tax of 8% on in-person bets and 10% on mobile or just $31,393 owed to the state.

It got somewhat better in October, with $486.1 million in wagers.

But here, too, after deducting the promotional credits, that left $10.4 million in net revenues and slightly more than $1 million for the state.

Karamargin, however, preferred to focus on the gross handle rather than what wound up in state coffers. He said the Arizona numbers are incredible, given that Nevada, in that same month, had $1.2 billion in gaming handle.

Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-Chandler), who was the sponsor of the House version of the legislation, said the numbers in the reports at least those showing the level of gaming are a positive sign. It shows theres clearly demand, he said. People of Arizona are responding and are embracing this.

Phoenix Suns and FanDuel Group

A viewing area inside FanDuel Sportsbook at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.

So if there is all that interest, does the state need to incentivize enticements for people to gamble?

Yes, said Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge), the sponsor of the Senate version.

Im likening it to a store offering a holiday sale or something like that,he said. You need to entice people into the door to get them interested in doing something that they may have never done before.Shope said thats particularly true for online sports wagering.

This is something new for Arizona, he said.

Karamargin said he cannot say that the incentives are necessary to get people to wager on sports. Instead, he said, all he can work with is the big increase from September gaming actually started Sep. 9 and October with the $1 million in state revenues.

How do we know it would have been that without the incentives? he said.

Weninger had his own explanation.

What its really geared for is enticing the existing illegal bettors to come over to these platforms, to bring them into the legal fold, he said.

Weninger said the companies that operate the sports wagering will voluntarily begin to scale back their giveaways and enticements once Arizonans are in the habit of betting on sports.

You saw a big drop from September to October,said Weninger, with the amount of credits taken dropping from $31.2 million to $26 million. Its no different, he said, with how he operates his own restaurants, providing incentives to get new customers that arent necessary after they become regulars.

Anyway, Weninger said, it would be wrong to look at the benefits of legalized sports gaming based solely on the tax on net profits of the wagering companies, even after the promotion deductions.

I believe theres a lot of indirect revenue that comes through this, through economic development, through lots of tourism, Weninger said. And that, he said, doesnt count all the money that TV stations in Arizona are making from the blizzard of commercials promoting gambling and the free wagers.

The numbers do not include the initial $14 million in licensing fees for the operations plus the $3 million a year the state expects to get in renewals.

Weninger said he was not surprised that tribal gaming numbers are down. He said it reflects the fact that this form of gambling things like slot machines, keno and blackjack tables require physical presence.

You have to be masked up the entire time youre in there,Weninger said. So Im sure COVID is affecting that somewhat right now, and has been.

Hartgraves agreed. He said that casinos tend to cater to the older crowd, those who may be less willing to risk contracting the virus.

The tribes, however, were willing participants in the deal in hopes of eventually generating additional dollars for themselves.

In exchange for agreeing to off-reservation sports gaming, they get to operate not only more slot machines and table games like blackjack and poker but add craps, roulette and baccarat to their offerings. They, too, are able to take bets on sporting events and fantasy sports.

And rural tribes were given a big break in how much they have to share of their handle with the state.

See the article here:

Arizonans bet $780M on sports in September and October. The state only made $1M - Fronteras: The Changing America Desk