Category Archives: Gambling

Asias gambling markets both land-based and online took major hits in 2020; land-based casinos at the hands of COVID-19 and online casinos at the hands of meddling governments.

Due to its proximity to China, Macau was the first market to demonstrate both the horrors the pandemic would inflict on casino markets as well as the enormous lengths casinos would have to go to ensure customers and staff were protected once casinos reopened.

Unlike most North American casinos, which shut down for months, Macau casinos were closed for only 15 days, but their swift reopening brought anything but a return to normal.

Things hit bottom in June with revenue of only MOP716m, down 97% year-on-year, and while things have improved slightly, mainland Chinese gamblers still need some convincing to make the trek to Macau.

Over the first 11 months of 2020, total gaming revenue is barely equal to two months worth of 2019. Its probably fitting that this was the year that the Macau casino sectors founding father Stanley Ho opted to shuffle off this mortal coil.

While all sectors of Macaus gaming market felt the squeeze, junket operators took it on the chin. Worse, unlike previous disruptions to Macaus market, the global nature of the pandemic meant there were few alternative markets to which they could steer VIP gamblers.

Junkets could face further trouble in 2021, even if the COVID vaccines prove effective. Chinas war on cross-border gambling included compiling a (still unpublished) blacklist of countries it felt were guilty of luring mainland residents abroad to gamble, which was followed by plans to introduce a new law criminalizing organizing and soliciting by casinos abroad that appears to strike at the very heart of the junket business model.

JUNKETS ADAPT TO SURVIVEThe pressure caused many smaller junkets to pack it in this year, while others decided to follow Suncity Groups lead by investigating options for actually owning casinos rather than just feeding customers to them. Tak Chun Group boss Chan Weng Lin owned a one-third stake in Macau Legend Development by the end of 2020.

Suncity survived a liquidity crunch when boss Alvin Chau dug into his own pockets to keep the lights on while reassuring investors that theyd be spared the pain of the junket downturn. Suncitys 2019 run-in with Chinese authorities over online gambling caused it to halt its Philippine-based, China-facing tele-betting service while pulling the plug on its popular 138.com online casino.

Suncitys land-based casino operator ambitions made great strides in 2020, including acquiring majority control of Russias Tigre de Cristal, holding a VIP preview of its new Hoiana resort casino in Vietnam and making solid progress on its Manila casino project.

CHINA DECLARES WAR ON ONLINE GAMBLINGChinas war on online gambling ramped up dramatically in 2020, perhaps emboldened by the countrys ability to convince Cambodia to ban its online gambling market in January.

That same month, China issued what initially appeared to be a boilerplate warning of its anti-online intentions but this time they meant it. They even mobilized the general public by announcing a public snitching platform, with financial incentives for citizens not sufficiently motivated by patriotism and/or prudery.

The campaign took special aim at payment processors, resulting in the largest ever fine against a financial institution and a new focus on fourth-party processing. The government also made its first takedowns of crypto-based gambling payment networks.

Perhaps even more interesting, the government made sure that Chinas telecom giants understood they could no longer plead ignorance of their platforms being used for gambling purposes. A senior exec at Baidu was marched off in handcuffs after authorities concluded the search engine giant was getting fat off online gambling links.

Perhaps as a means of avoiding accusations of hypocrisy, China also hobbled its state-run lotteries by eliminating so-called high-frequency products. The lotteries, which were already struggling after their pandemic shutdown which lasted far longer than Macaus now expect another year of negative growth in 2021.

PHILIPPINES LOSES POGO PATIENCEWhile China has long complained about Philippine-licensed online gambling operators serving the Chinese market, it was the Philippine government that proved the biggest threat to its gambling sites in 2020.

Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) had long been criticized for thumbing their noses at immigration rules and tax obligations but these tensions reached a boiling point early in 2020 as the pandemic brought fresh concerns about Chinese POGO staff possibly carrying the virus into the Philippines.

The shutdown of the Philippine gambling industry both online and land-based provided the opportunity for a fresh start, with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) requiring POGOs to receive a thumbs-up from both immigration and tax authorities before being allowed to resume operations.

While those hurdles seemed a reasonable way to rid the market of bad eggs, the government then imposed a crushing 5% tax on online gambling turnover that punished all operators, regardless of their compliance history.

By December, PAGCOR had authorized only 36 POGOs to resume operations that number shrank to 35 before the month was through and its unclear how many of these had actually resumed operations.

The impact on the governments share of gambling revenue was enormous, prompting PAGCOR to authorize online cockfighting and live-dealer casino games from Manilas struggling integrated resorts. Moreover, unlike POGOs, which were restricted to foreign customers only, these options would be available to local residents.

But not just any locals. PAGCOR later clarified that the livestreamed Live Shot casino games would be accessible only by Philippine VIPs, who would be required to submit to facial recognition technology to play. Analysts scoffed at the slim revenue potential of such a niche market but every little bit counts, we guess.

INDIAIndia appeared to have taken a bold step into the future when the state of Karnataka authorized online betting at the Bangalore Turf Club, only to withdraw permission just weeks after the digital offerings launch when someone had the effrontery to point out that the state had no online gambling regulations.

Delta Corp made waves in December after announcing it had received approval to build Goas first integrated resort casino in the city of Pernem. However, the states gambling laws will limit its offering to electronic gaming only, as live tables are only permitted on the states floating casinos.

Online skill games proved a crutch on which hybrid operators such as Delta could lean while their Goa casinos were shut by COVID-19, but a raft of states pushed back on these online operations as the year went on, with Andhra Pradesh threatening to jail not only operators but also individual gamblers.

Indias online opposition took an international turn when Chinese-run gambling sites got the bums rush after the two countries shed blood over a disputed border area.

ELSEWHERECambodias online ban turned Sihanoukville into a ghost town overnight, as Chinese operators whose land-based casinos consisted of a bachelor apartment, a lap-desk and a webcam decided to get out of Dodge. Many have reportedly decamped to a controversial economic zone in Myanmar that is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Cambodia finally approved its decades-in-the-making new gambling laws and, while nobodys actually seen the whole thing yet, the countrys only major casino operator NagaCorp has expressed pleasure at its reportedly reasonable tax rates.

In Japan, the process of picking casino host cities and licensees continued at its predictably glacial pace, although the situation wasnt helped by a scandal involving casino hopefuls and Liberal Democratic Party politicians, the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the withdrawal of interest by Las Vegas Sands and, oh yeah, COVID-19.

In Saipan, Imperial Pacific International finished constructing its Imperial Palace resort, paid all its outstanding contractor bills and regulatory fees, and turned a tidy profit as VIP gamblers honored all their credit markers. Just kidding! IPI was its usual horror show, and frankly were sick of wasting time on these clowns.

AUSTRALIAWell finish up with the only casino outfit that made IPI look competent in 2020: Crown Resorts, which may have also been the only major operator in 2020 for whom COVID-19 was a secondary concern.

The year started with Crowns largest shareholder James Packer (pictured above) touting the Christmas launch of its shiny new Crown Sydney, and ended with the Sydney casino opening without any gambling and the companys Victorian gaming license under threat.

Early in the year, Melco Resorts & Entertainment ditched its plan to buy 20% of Crown to avoid submitting itself to Australian regulatory scrutiny. While MRE was forced to sell the 10% of Crown it had already acquired at a significant loss, MRE likely considered it money well spent, as it was able to avoid having its reputation being dragged down alongside Crowns.

The snafu culminated in an astonishing two-month stretch in which a seemingly endless parade of Crown execs and directors expressed a heady mix of confusion, ignorance and disinterest regarding their regulatory compliance obligations.

The criticism worked both ways, as gaming regulators in states where Crown operated tried hard to explain why theyd been looking the other way all this time. Victoria responded by accelerating its five-year review of Crown Melbournes license by two years while the federal AUSTRAC body initiated a formal enforcement investigation into Crown Melbournes anti-money laundering shortcomings.

New South Wales wont reveal Crown Sydneys ultimate fate until February, but even if Crown gets off with a financial penalty and a shorter regulatory leash, the companys decision to swear off junket operators plus Australias increasingly dodgy relationship with China means the casino will have to rely on domestic VIPs to keep the lights on. (That sound you hear is investors fleeing for the exits.)

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Gambling year in review 2020: Asia and Australia - CalvinAyre.com

December 23, 2020@3:10 PM| Updated: December 24, 2020 @ 7:14 AM

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Its the holiday season and one of the most-common stocking stuffers is scratch off lottery tickets. However, this months episode of What Are The Odds looks at the implications of this stocking stuffer, and how it can have an ill-effect on kids. Host Jenna Hotaling talks with Karen Burncroff, Community Educator for United Way of Seneca County and her son Casey, a local 10th grader, about gambling among teens. If youre a parent how can you start a conversation about gambling? And should they happen more often? These questions and more on this edition of What Are The Odds.

What Are The Odds Podcast

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WHAT ARE THE ODDS: Starting a conversation with teens about problem gambling (podcast) - FingerLakes1.com

When you are famous and you have a lot of money, the question of whether or not to spend a thousand dollars on gambling becomes irrelevant. Nowadays, it is very popular among celebrities to play casino games. Moreover, many of them perfectly know blackjack speluitleg, and they are often private visitors in casinos.

Below, you will find out who of the famous media personalities visit gambling establishments more often and how much they have lost or won during their pastime.

Lets start with the tastiest the biggest celebrity wins in the casino. Tobey Maguire will be the first on the list of lucky ones. His bid was $100,000. But the guy apparently still had a spider instinct, and it gave him big wins.

His colleagues, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, also like to sit out loud in the casino. Ben was incredibly generous one day and left a $150,000 tip after winning $800,000, which made the staff very happy. It is also worth mentioning that the famous actor was able to win the prize playing three $20,000 hands of Blackjack. Not the worst bet, isnt it?

The next fan of betting on sports is Ashton Kutcher. The actor bluntly stated that he is, perhaps, almost the main sponsor of all betting businesses. Last time, Ashton spent $750,000 in just four weeks.

The list of the lucky ones to complete in this article is 50 Cent, who won $1 million and, later on, an additional $500,000. The most interesting thing is that the rapper later tweeted that sometimes, he listens to the voices in his head, which tell him the right actions to win.

Now, lets get to the list of the biggest celebrity losses in history. Surprisingly, among those who suffered from the biggest losses, there are just the same sports stars who, apparently, do not know ordinary poker regels.

And first on the losing list is Charles Barkley, the NBA star who lost 20,000,000 US dollars. Due to this amount of losses, Charles even had problems with the casino.

Also, Manchester Uniteds best player, Wayne Rooney, lost a huge amount. The player has a strong gambling addiction; so, this is not surprising. He lost 500,000 pounds in just two hours playing roulette.

In conclusion, you must remember one essential thing: Mother Fortune is a changeable lady. And for the gaming activity not to harm you, you need to remember about the limits.

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Celebrity gamblers and their big wins & losses - Film Daily

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Thanks to New Jerseys Supreme Court victory in May 2018, it is now possible for every state in the US to legalize mobile sports betting in the country. However, each state government must pass a bill to allow different types of casino games and sports betting to be available online. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been leading the way in terms of mobile gambling in the United States and you will find multiple options across the two states.

For example, in New Jersey it is legal to bet on sports, play casino games and poker online. In terms of regulated mobile gambling in the United States, New Jersey is the largest market operator. There are over a dozen legal poker rooms and mobile casinos alone plus many gambling brands have been introducing sportsbook applications for mobile devices. Golden Nugget, Virgin Casino, Tropicana, 888 Poker, PokerStars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and William Hill are just some of the mobile gambling brands on offer in New Jersey.

With the legalization of mobile gambling across the United States, we have seen the introduction of several popular payment methods. Many gamblers are using a PayPal wallet for their betting and this is without doubt one of the safest options available. Several Indiana sportsbooks now accept PayPal as on official payment method, with BetRivers, BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, and FanDuel offering PayPal for both deposit and withdrawal. Although there are currently no plans in place to introduce mobile casinos and poker rooms in Indiana, there are certainly plenty of sportsbooks apps for those who enjoy a wager.

Another state where mobile gambling is possible in the US is Pennsylvania and residents can enjoy playing casino games, betting on sports, and playing poker online. Pennsylvania introduced all three forms of mobile gambling in 2019, with online poker the last to be launched in November. In terms of mobile gambling applications in Pennsylvania, you will find BetRivers, Hollywood Casino, Unibet, PokerStars, DraftKings, and FanDuel.

Moving on and West Virginia were one of the first states to introduce online sports betting apps. The first sportsbook apps launched in December 2018, with DraftKings and FanDuel leading the way. Online casinos came a little a later to West Virginia and were launched in July 2020. The state also has plans to introduce online poker and we expect to see the first real money poker apps sometime in 2021.

Following New Jerseys Supreme Court victory, Delaware was the first state to bring legal mobile sports betting to the United States yet it still awaits an official app from sportsbook operators. There are several states where online gambling is legal but the companies involved have yet to develop and release a gambling app. However, mobile gambling is possible in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Montana, Michigan, Illinois, and Washington DC.

We may have to wait a short while before we see the introduction of mobile gambling applications in each of these states. Nonetheless, the signs are positive that mobile gambling is going to be available to millions of people across the United States in 2021.

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Where is Mobile Gambling Possible in the US? - Off The Bench - Off The Bench Baseball

Placing a bet in Michigan will soon be as easy as picking up your phone or logging onto your computer.

This week, the Michigan Gaming Control Board approved provisional licenses for 15 platform providers that aim to run online gambling and sports betting operations for the states commercial and tribal casinos.

All platform providers still have to complete additional regulatory requirements before members of the public can place their wagers, including testing the games and platforms, approve internal controls and obtain occupational licenses for some employees.

But industry experts say that process will likely move quickly now that rules setting the framework for online gaming in Michigan are on the books, as casinos and providers have been working behind the scenes with state officials for months to prepare for launch.

The expectation is we should have online sports betting ready to go on either late December or early January in Michigan, said Michael Huff, a Grand Rapids-based corporate and sports law attorney.

Online wagering imminent in Michigan as lawmakers prepare to take up licensing rules

A year in the making

Michigan residents can currently play Michigan Lottery games online. But a legislative package signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last December opened up the playing field to allow Michigans commercial and tribal casinos the opportunity to provide their own online offerings, including mobile sports betting options.

In-person sportsbooks went live in March, just before COVID-19 was first detected in Michigan. But setting up rules for online gambling took more time, in part because the gaming control board had to set up an all-new framework that incorporated the licensing process, standards and regulations and penalties for noncompliance.

The board has taken applications and reviewed submissions on internal controls and branding from prospective operators, platform providers, suppliers and vendors since mid-May, and in October submitted draft administrative rules for approval.

Before the administration could begin issuing licenses, however, the rules went to the legislatures Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR. The rules have to be before JCAR for 15 session days before going into effect unless the requirement is waived.

Last week, Michigan lawmakers on the committee signed off on waiving the 15-session day waiting period, a step industry insiders viewed as the last big hurdle to getting the system up and running.

Sen. Pete Lucido, who co-chairs the JCAR committee, told MLive ahead of the hearing he thought letting the board proceed as soon as possible - especially considering the limited in-person gaming options due to the COVID-19 pandemic - was the best route to take.

Provisional licenses approved

In a Wednesday statement, Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director Richard Kalm announced 15 provisional licenses for online gaming and sports betting platform providers were approved.

The official launch date for online gambling and betting in Michigan depends on how quickly platform providers can fulfill the regulatory requirements, Kalm said.

Operators and providers are allowed to launch mobile applications prior to launch, and members of the public can download them and make accounts but wagers cant be placed until providers are given the OK, Kalm said.

The platform providers ability to meet the requirements of the laws and rules will determine which entities can be licensed for launch first, he said.

Provisional licenses were issued this week to:

American Wagering, Inc. d/b/a William Hill Sports Book

Betfair Interactive US LLC d/b/a FanDuel Sportsbook

BetMGM, LLC d/b/a Roar Digital

Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming, LLC d/b/a TwinSpires

Crown MI Gaming LLC d/b/a DraftKings

GAN Nevada Inc.

Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc.

NYX Digital Gaming (USA), LLC

Parx Interactive Inc.

Penn Sports Interactive, LLC

PointsBet Michigan LLC

Rush Street Interactive MI, LLC

Sports Information Services Limited d/b/a Kambi

TSG Interactive US Services Limited d/b/a Fox Bet

WSI US, LLC d/b/a Wynn Sports

A huge growth opportunity

State officials and industry experts predict the launch of online wagering options will open up new markets and boost revenue, particularly as COVID-19 continues to limit in-person gambling.

Michigans three commercial casinos in Detroit are currently closed as part of a state order shutting down certain in-person business activity. Tribal casinos are not required to adhere to state orders, although two tribes voluntarily closed their gaming facilities and those that remain open are still subject to COVID-19 precautions.

The three Detroit casinos MGM, MotorCity and Greektown had been operating at 15% capacity since operators were allowed to reopen in early August. As of October, those casinos year-to-date revenue on table games and slots was $550 million, down 54.2% from the $1.2 billion in revenue reported during the first 10 months of 2019.

In other states where its already legal, the numbers show consumers are taking advantage of placing their bets online. In October, New Jersey casinos took in $338 million in total gaming revenue, 43% of which was from online gaming, and in Pennsylvania, 28% of the $320 million in total gaming revenue for October came from online gaming, Gerry Ahern, director of North American content for Gambling.com, recently told MLive.

I think those numbers bear out, at least in some respect, to what we could see here in Michigan, Ahern said.

Considering the closures, capacity limits and game postponements or cancellations, observers say in-person sports betting has performed reasonably well in Michigan so far, and they anticipate online offerings will only boost that interest.

Huff said the state of Indiana has taken about $1.6 billion in total bets since June 2018 and collected about $12.3 million in tax revenue. Once online sports betting is approved in Michigan, Huff said it could be a pretty big revenue generator.

Sports betting is something that states have viewed as a huge growth opportunity, he said.

Rules of play

Michigan officials have been watching online gaming launches in other states closely and plan to be monitoring for any possible quirks once they get the green light to launch platforms, particularly when it comes to geolocation and identity verification.

Residents who opt to place a bet online must be over the age of 21 and be located within the state of Michigan.

Under the law, an 8.4% tax on retail sports bets are collected after winnings are paid out. Taxes on internet gambling would range between 20 and 28 percent, depending on how much money a casino generates from online gambling.

Most of the tax revenue generated by online gambling will be directed to the School Aid Fund, which funds K-12 schools in Michigan. Another $4 million a year would go to a fund compensating firefighters who contract cancer due to exposure to smoke and chemicals while on the job, and other funds will be set aside to go to a compulsive gaming prevention fund.

Read more on MLive:

Online wagering imminent in Michigan as lawmakers prepare to take up licensing rules

With Michigan casinos operating at limited capacity, state officials look to move up start of online betting

Michigan poised to legalize online gambling, sports betting

Sports betting, online gambling legalized in Michigan

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What to know as Michigan prepares to launch online gambling and sports betting - MLive.com

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Riot Korea is taking severe measures against illegal Chinese gambling sites that targeted professional League players solo queue matches, according to a report by Inven Global.

This situation came to light a couple of days ago when multiple LCK and LPL players encountered griefing teammates who intentionally died more than 10 times in a game or threw a big lead. Some Korean League players found a website where people could bet against certain pros and the griefing teammate could make money while sacrificing a bit of LP.

To combat this situation, Riot Korea has investigated more than 10,000 accounts with a rank of Diamond 2 and above that were suspicious of griefing behavior. Riot Korea deactivated those accounts on Dec. 8 to prevent them from breaking the terms of service any longer.

Intentional feeding and illegal gambling on ranked matches is unacceptable under any circumstances, Riot Korea said.We, at Riot Games, will do everything in our power to fully eradicate such actions from taking place.

A hotline was established on Dec. 9 for all LCK teams who see suspicious activities in their games. If a griefing player is encountered, LCK teams can now report them directly to Riot Korea, who will investigate the claims.

Starting today, a real-time restriction solution of all unauthorized third party programs was added. These third-party programs would reduce the ping for overseas players to acceptable levels.

Once the real-time solution has detected a player using one of these programs, theyll be locked out of their account and it will be suspended, while also allowing other players to remake the game. This process will only take three minutes, according to Riot, giving other players the chance to queue up for another game instead of having to wait for the surrender vote or attempt to win a four-vs-five match.

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Riot Korea to take action against illegal Chinese gambling websites that targeted League pros' solo queue games - Dot Esports

Craig Carton will host a program on WFAN called, "Hello, My Name is Craig," starting in January that focuses on gambling addiction.

Carton, who has co-hosted the stations afternoon drive time program since last month, said the show will be heard at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays beginning Jan. 9.

"I will be hosting a responsible gambling show and a show about addiction," Carton said in announcing the program on the air on Thursday afternoon.

He said "1-800-GAMBLER," which helps people who are problem gamblers, is partnering with the station on the show.

"Theyre going to bring their expertise into it," Carton said. "Ill tell the stories of gambling and the way my addiction manifested itself in the bad decisions I made, which became criminal.

"Theyre the experts. Theyre the ones that are going to walk us through whats going on inside our noggin that makes us irrational and leads to an addiction."

Carton was released from prison in June after serving about a year upon being convicted on federal fraud charges. His offense was not directly related to gambling, but it was motivated by funding his debts from gambling.

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"Ive got a problem, man," he said on the air. "Im not happy about it. Im no longer ashamed of it, because Im taking ownership of it . . . Im sick and I didnt recognize that I was sick."

Carton said he owes a minimum of 150 hours of community service to help people who are problem gamblers.

"Im looking forward to that part of my life," he said. "Im looking forward to making a positive change in the world, using my mistakes . . . Hopefully that will resonate with you."

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.

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Carton to host gambling addiction show on WFAN - Newsday

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NBA Gambling Podcast continues its preview of all 30 teams and their projected season win totals. Todays episode covers the Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns. The rest of the NBA teams are covered in episodes 100 and 101.

George Brooks (@georgeaBrooks) returns for second appearance on the podcast. She and host Ryan McKee (@TheRyanMcKee) debate each of these five teams offseason acquisitions, player movement, starting five, bench depth, and any other statistics they found to support their Over or Under leans on team totals. Please check out Ryans notes for the podcast below. Its a great review of everything reviewed on this episode.

Projected Win Total:35.5

ESPNs Kevin Pelton RPM:Average wins: 36.0Playoffs: 62%8th Place in East (last season 33 wins)

2020 W/L Record:20 47

Coach:Lloyd Pierces 3rd Season

Starting 5Trae YoungBogdan BogdanovicCam ReddishJohn CollinsClint Capela

AdditionsBogdan BogdanovicRajon RondoKris DunnDanilo GallinariSolomon HillBruno FernandoOnyeka Okongwu (Drafted 6th)

LostJeff TeagueDeAndre BembryVince Carter

Projected Win Total:32.5

ESPNs Kevin Pelton RPM:Average wins: 34.9Playoffs: 51%9th Place in East (last season 25 wins)

2020 W/L Record:25 47

Coach:Scott Brooks 5th Season

Starting 5Russell WestbrookBradley BealTroy Brown Jr.Rui HachimuraThomas Bryant

AdditionsRussell WestbrookDavis Bertans (Re-signed)Deni Avdija (9th Pick)Robin Lopez

LostJohn Wall

Projected Win Total:23.5

ESPNs Kevin Pelton RPM:Average wins: 23.9Playoffs: 1%14th Place in East

2020 W/L Record:20 4613th place

Coach:Dwane Casey (3rd Season)

Starting 5Killian Hayes (Derrick Rose)Delon WrightSvi MykhailiukBlake GriffinMason Plumlee

AdditionsKillian HayesWayne EllingtonJerami GrantJosh JacksonJahlil OkaforMason PlumleeLiAngelo Ball

LostChristian WoodThon MakerLangston GallowayTony SnellAndre Drummond (midseason last year)Luke KennardBruce Brown

Projected Win Total:21.5

ESPNs Kevin Pelton RPM:Average wins: 23.8Playoffs: 1%Last place in East

2020 W/L Record:19-46Last place in East

Coach:J. B. Bickerstaff1st full season after taking over for John Beilein last season

Starting 5Darius GarlandCollin SextonIsaac OkoroKevin LoveAndre Drummond

AdditionsIsaac OkoroJaVale McGeeDamyean DotsonThon Maker

Projected Win Total:39.5

ESPNs Kevin Pelton RPM:Average wins: 38.6Playoffs: 63%8th Place

2020 W/L Record:34-3810th place

Coach:Monty Williams (2nd year)

Starting 5Chris PaulDevin BookerMikal BridgesJae CrowderDeAndre Ayton

AdditionsChris PaulJae CrowderJalen SmithLangston GallowayDamian JonesAbdel NaderETwaun Moore

LostKelly OubreRicky RubioCameron Payne?Frank KaminskyAron Baynes

NBA Playoff Teams Season Win Totals 2020-21

NBA Win Totals For Teams With New Head Coaches

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Wizards, Hawks, Pistons, Cavs, Suns Win Totals Preview | NBA Gambling Podcast (Ep. 103) - The Sports Gambling Podcast

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Mohegan Sun has retrofitted a few blackjack tables with Plexiglas barriers to protect dealers and gamblers during COVID.

The last time Gov. Ned Lamont and the tribal owners of Connecticuts two casinos tried to reach a deal on sports betting and online gaming, the effort ended in acrimony.

But the gambling, economic and political environment is vastly changed.

For the first time, the administration is intent on putting forward a proposed framework rather than react to the legislature or tribal casino owners. And the focus is on making a deal with the tribes, not placating commercial competitors, such as MGM Resorts International.

Perhaps most significantly, Lamont also is dropping his opposition to so-called iGaming and is ready to emulate New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where the states gambling laws allow every adult the convenience of turning their smartphone, laptop or iPad into a virtual 24/7 casino.

This is something thats going on all around us, and I think Connecticut should participate, Lamont said Monday. If we found out anything in the course of this horrible COVID cycle, more and more of the world is going virtual, more and more of the world is going online. Thats tele-health and tele-learning, but its also iGaming and sports betting. And I dont think you want Connecticut left behind.

Another factor is that the pandemic has left the state and the casinos hungry for new revenue sources. Due to COVID-19, the two casinos, Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun, closed on March 18 for the first time since they opened. They have since reopened at limited capacity, but revenues are sharply down.

The previous round of gambling talks effectively ended in March, just days before the novel coronavirus was detected in Connecticut, the General Assembly suspended operations and the governor turned his attention to managing the public health challenges of a pandemic.

In March, the state of play was this:

With the pandemic-induced recession, no one is talking seriously about a new casino, at least in the immediate future.

MGM has eliminated thousands of jobs during the pandemic, and James Murren of Connecticut no longer is the chief executive of the publicly traded gambling company. After spending millions in recent years opposing the East Windsor casino, MGM does not currently have any Connecticut lobbyists on its payroll.

The politics suddenly seem a little simpler.

This feels like the stars are aligning, said Rodney Butler, the tribal chairman of the Mashantucket Pequots, the owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Weve had ongoing conversations with the governor. He has been engaged, and were looking forward to getting into much more detailed conversations.

We deeply value our partnership with Connecticut that is generational and historical, said Chuck Bunnell, the chief of staff of the Mohegan Tribal Nation, owner of Mohegan Sun. Certainly the pandemic has been a challenge to all of us globally, but I think it has brought some clarity to this industry and what the future may hold for our partnership.

The tribes and Connecticut have had a de facto gambling partnership under agreements struck in the early 1990s by Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. The state promised the tribes exclusive rights to casino games. In return, the tribes agreed to pay the state 25% of gross slots revenue, a deal that has produced more than $8 billion for the state since 1993.

The partnership was tested in Lamonts first two years as governor, when he declined to move forward on any gambling expansion.

The tribes assert that sports betting, which was first offered legally in the U.S. at Nevada casinos, is a casino game covered by their agreements. MGM and other commercial interests advocated an open competition. Either path seemed to invite litigation.

Lamont sought a grand bargain, a consensus on the competing commercial and tribal interests. His staff says Lamont is ready to proceed, and the governor clearly is making a deal with the tribes his preference.

Frankie Graziano :: Connecticut Public Radio

Gov. Ned Lamont and Rodney Butler, the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot tribal nation, as sports-betting talks broke down for the first time, in 2019.

We have a natural partnership when it comes to gaming with the tribes, and I believe this is the foundation, said Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, the new co-chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. I believe it is going to happen.

House Speaker-designate Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Scanlon and Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, the new co-chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee, will take the lead on passage of any gambling legislation in the coming session. Horn noted that only the governor can renegotiate the terms of the gambling agreements with the sovereign tribes.

Like Scanlon, Ritter favors dealing with the tribes.

They are large large employers here in the state of Connecticut, so I lean toward giving them more authority in terms of sports gaming. But also understand there are others who have different viewpoints, Ritter said.

Rep. Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, the new House majority leader, said online casino gambling is a major cultural change, as well as a legislative issue.

Its a huge change, especially when you put it in the context of problem gambling, said Rojas, who added that added gambling can amount to a new tax on the poor. Its concerning to me.

David Lehman, the former Goldman Sachs partner who is the governors commissioner of economic development, already has conducted preliminary market studies about online gambling, and he will be part of the team leading the talks with the tribes, said Paul Mounds, the governors chief of staff.

The others will be Melissa McCaw, who oversees the states budget as secretary of policy and management, as well as Mounds and Bob Clark, the governors general counsel.

While the politics are simpler, they are hardly simple.

Legislative leaders say they believe sports betting can win passage in the General Assembly, but the prospect of allowing casino games to be offered on smartphones is uncertain. Other interests will oppose giving the tribes exclusive rights to sports betting.

Sportech PLC, the British company that owns the Connecticut rights to pari-mutuel betting on horses, dogs and jai alai, would like to offer sports betting at its OTB facilities and online. It already is permitted to take OTB bets by computer or smartphone.

Its still very important to us, said Ted Taylor, the president of Sportech in Connecticut.

Sports betting would be a relatively small revenue source for the state and tribes compared to online casino gambling and the prospect of allowing the Connecticut Lottery to conduct its games online.

Connecticut made $628.9 million in gambling last year: $370 million from the lottery, $255 million from the casinos, and $3 million from OTB.

This is something we should have done a long time ago, said Osten, who is filing a revised version of her legislation in the coming session.

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With Lamont bullish on gambling expansion, the odds improve - The CT Mirror