Gamble

New Online Casino Games for US Players

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

There have been new online casino games being presented across several companies across many states this year. Today we present newly available games currently available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The new games have been developed by software developers including IGT, NYX, AGS, and NetEnt. So let’s give you a quick run-through on the new games available per state.

Casino Software Provider Banner CC theme

New ‘New Jersey’ Games

There are 6 new games available in New Jersey. All games were developed by Ainsworth, NetEnt, IGX and NYX. These games are all slot games and include:

Congo King Quad Shot – Ainsworth
Golden Goddess Mega Jackpot – IGT
Griffin’s Throne – IGT
Gold Cash Free Spins – Inspired (NYX)
Vegas NightLife – Netent
King of Babylon – SGDigital (NYX)

New ‘Pennsylvania’ Games

There are 4 new games available in Pennsylvania all developed by AGS. These games are also all slot games and can be found at online casinos that provide AGS games. The new games include:

Fire Wolf II
Fu Nan Fu Nu
Pharaoh Sun
Rakin’ Bacon

New ‘West Virginia’ Games

There are currently only 2 new games developed for players in the state of West Virginia. These games are both developed by NetEnt where one game is a new blackjack game and the other is a new slot game. Both games included are:

Blackjack Touch Single Deck– Netent
Bloodsuckers 2 – Netent

We recommend having a lot at the top list for online casinos here at CompareCasino. The top online casinos here on our website will provide the new games and provide new players with the best online bonuses.

Man Wins Lottery for the Sixth Time, with $250,000 Jackpot Prize in Idaho

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

Bryan Moss, an Idaho resident from Meridian, won a lottery for the sixth time on Thursday, January 28, 2021. It was his first jackpot win and was worth a whopping $250,000. Bryan’s lucky streak began with a $1,000 win, followed by an impressive $10,000. Since then, all his winnings never exceeded that amount until Thursday, when he hit the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

According to the press release announcing the news by the Idaho Lottery, “Bryan Moss is someone who has a positive outlook toward life and today, he has an additional 250,000 reasons to be happy”. The businessman who owns the Newko Sport and Nutrition health store located in Meridian, Idaho, plays the Idaho Lottery often, and the real reason, according to him, is for humanitarian purposes.

“I’m proud to help support Idaho public schools; that is why I play,” he said. The Idaho Lottery was played first over three decades ago, on July 19, 2021. It offers various entertaining games such as Powerball, Mega Millions, Wild Card, and Hot Lotto. There is also a daily game called the Idaho Pick 3, with nightly drawings.

PullTabs and Scratch GamesTM are part of their games library as well, the latter being what earned Bryan a quarter of a million dollars. The Gem State has done well on the lottery scene in America. It was the first to introduce VIP club promotions to its lottery players in North America. It allowed players to earn reward points from playing, which they could use to purchase lottery merch such as bicycles, watches, and even iPods.

Idaho and Gambling

Idaho, however, has not always been gambling-friendly. In 1953, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that all forms of casino games in the state, especially slot machines, were illegal. Decades after the ban, in 1983, a proposal for the creation of state lotteries was created, but it died a quick death as the legislature did not approve it. Nevertheless, six years later, in 1989, the Idaho Lottery began. This was a record-breaking moment for the lottery industry at the time, given the preceding controversies on the subject in the region.

Today, pari-mutuel wagering, tribal casinos, bingo, and lotteries have been legalized in the state. More modern gambling forms like online casinos, online sports betting, and poker are still not regulated within the state’s borders. There are no clear laws prohibiting residents from wagering at offshore gambling sites, but most people seem content playing within safe boundaries.

Idaho Lottery players are required to be 18 years old or older. The same applies to residents who want to participate in pari-mutuel and bingo. However, tribal casinos in the state require that you be at least 21 years before you are permitted to play in them.

It is known in the state of Idaho that the lottery is run by the state government. Half of the net funds gotten from the lottery goes back into the state’s public school system. The other half goes to the Permanent Building Fund, from which colleges and universities in the state obtain financial privileges. Having this knowledge, Bryan decided to play the lottery regularly as a means of giving back to the community.

According to the lottery website, between 1989 when the lottery began and now, the Idaho Lottery has sold more than $4.2 billion worth of products. This revenue has been split such that over $2.6 billion was awarded to the lottery’s players and $249 million returned in retail commissions. Idaho public schools and buildings have gotten $961.5 million from this too.

According to the lottery officials, Bryan Moss purchased his winning lottery ticket at ExtraMile, a store on Eagle Road and E. Goldstone Drive in Meridian, located in the same city as his health store. He claimed his winnings at the Idaho Lottery headquarters in Boise and posed for pictures with the huge check that bore the record of his cash prize.

Big Plans for the Big Win

When asked what he planned to do with the money, Bryan said he planned to set it aside for his daughter’s education in the future. ExtraMile, the store that sold the winning ticket, was also rewarded with $20,000 as a bonus from the state lottery.

Seeing as it appears that Bryan Moss seems to have a lucky lottery charm, it is expected that other players would want him to play for them. However, it doesn’t seem like Bryan will be accepting any of such invitations. We know this based on a Facebook post where he announced his big win.

“I’ve tried playing for others, but it does not work”, he said. Although they may not get the lucky man’s help, it is expected that more Idaho residents will try to secure a spot with Bryan as one of the lottery’s star winners. New players are expected to roll in in the weeks that follow, and experienced players should have the inspiration to keep trying.

This is good news for the Idaho Lottery, but more importantly for the public schools in the Gem State and beneficiaries of the Permanent Building Fund. Brian re-emphasized his primary reason for playing the lottery when he put up a picture on Facebook to celebrate his win with the caption:

“I’m proud to help support Idaho schools! #6 decent lotto win. #lucky.”

Acies Merges with PlayStudios in $1.1 Billion Deal

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

Recently, award-winning mobile game developer, PlayStudios and Acies acquisition Corporation, a publicly-traded Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), announced a merger. This means PlayStudios, which was formerly a privately owned company, is now available in public markets. Also, SPACs are referred to as blank cheque companies in many cases.

They do not have goods or services of their own, but they have huge capital used to fund/acquire private companies. Private companies entering the public markets through SPACs became popular in 2020 when other popular gaming companies like DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive and Genius Sports Group went public through different SPACs.

Acies Acquisition Corp.

Acies Acquisition Corp, the acquiring SPAC, is headed by Chairman Jim Murren, the former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. The corporation is traded on the NASDAQ as the ACAC, a Class A ordinary share. In October 2020, Acies SEC filing revealed that it was seeking an initial public offering of $200 million.

In the SEC filing, Acies stated that it was “focused on identifying a business combination target within the live, location-based and mobile experiential entertainment industries. Specific sectors that we will target span live events, family entertainment, casino gaming, destination hospitality, sports, sports betting and iGaming, and social and casual mobile games.”

PlayStudios

PlayStudios, the target company which meets these requirements, is headed by its Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Pascal. After the merger, Andrew Pascal will continue his role at the company and a key figure in Acies Acquisition Corp. Over the years, PlayStudios has developed a reputation as a developer of free-to-play games. It was described recently as “an award-winning developer of free-to-play casual games for mobile and social platforms that offer real-world rewards to loyal players” in a news release.

PlayStudios portfolio consists of top-ranked games with amazing designs. They have a large following due to numerous playAwards that loyal players get. The same news release stated that “over 80 partners and 275 entertainment, retail, travel, leisure, and gaming brands,” contribute to the rewards that players get. Over 10 million rewards with a retail value of about $500 million have been purchased by users using their loyalty points. The app was awarded as a Top Developer by App Annie, the gaming industry’s best in-app analytics and app performance data.

In a public statement by Andrew Pascal, “From our inception, we set out to create wonderfully compelling games that were free-to-play and offered real-world rewards. We’ve now demonstrated the positive, long-term impact of this value proposition with our current portfolio of apps, and we’re poised to carry that success into new products and new game genres. Becoming a public company and securing the resources and support of key institutional investors will enable us to accelerate our growth as we launch new products, pursue new acquisition opportunities, and scale up our unique PLAYAWARDS loyalty program.”

Acies Chairman, Jim Murren said, “Within today’s vast and growing games market, PLAYSTUDIOS is unique in offering their audience the opportunity to play for fun and earn for real. They know how to make engaging and enduring games and stand apart in having harnessed the power of a robust and full-featured loyalty program. “

He went on to lay out plans for the company’s future; “the focus is now to take the PLAYSTUDIOS platform and super-charge its growth. We have abundant initiatives, including targeted, strategic acquisitions; an expansion of the rewards program into new categories such as sports entertainment; and the exploration of opening the PLAYAWARDS platform under a loyalty-as-a-service model. We look forward to leveraging Acies’ M&A knowledge and broad relationships for the benefit of PLAYSTUDIOS and its shareholders.”

Valuation

The SPAC transaction, supported by Jim Murren’s former employer, values PlayStudios at $1.1 billion; that is 2.5x projected 2022 revenue of $435 million or 12.3x projected 2022 pro forma Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization EBITDA of $90 million. Therefore, PlayStudios will have ACAC stock worth 89.1 million shares and up to $150 million in cash.

PlayStudios and Acies are backed by institutional investors’ funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, ClearBridge Investments, Neuberger Berman Funds, and MGM Resorts International. These investors are top participants in the $250 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing round at $10 per Acies share towards the transaction closing.

A statement regarding the transaction stated that, After giving effect to the transaction, the company is expected to have approximately $290 million of cash and a public equity currency to accelerate PLAYSTUDIOS’ growth initiatives, including substantially expanding product development and acquisitions of other gaming and related companies.

Upon the closing of the transaction, and assuming none of Acies public stockholders elect to redeem their shares, existing PLAYSTUDIOS shareholders are expected to own 64%, the Acies sponsors 3%, PIPE participants 18%, and public stockholders 15%; all of the combined company.”

At the end of the transaction, the combined company will be named PLAYSTUDIOS and listed on NASDAQ under the new ticker symbol “MYPS.” The board of directors of the concerned parties has approved the transaction, and it is expected to be finalized at the end of the second quarter. Also, the stockholders at Acies will have to approve the transaction, and other closing conditions could affect the transaction.

More SPAC Mergers

The transaction between Acies and PlayStudios is not the only ongoing merger; other keepers are in the works. Announced around the same period is the merger between Tilman Fertitta’s Fertitta Entertainment confirmed and FAST Acquisition (traded on the NYSE as FST), with the operator of five Golden Nugget casinos and the Landry’s restaurant consortium valued at $6.6 billion. Also, this merger is expected to close at the end of the second quarter.

Conclusion

This is exciting news for the industry, with PlayStudios taking the lead as the first mobile game company offering real-life rewards to go public. This will pave way for more mergers and acquisitions, and overall growth for the casino industry, as well as its individual players.

The Expansion of European Casinos to the Indian Market

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

The online casino industry boasts a reach that transcends boundaries. Bettors can access the games library from international software providers, regardless of their location. This is why most casino brands target specific regions and design unique gaming products for selected areas. The most common location for this is Europe. With the increasing number of European gaming operators and interested bettors, most of these products were marketed to locals in the past.

However, the European gambling market is becoming saturated. There is a gradual shift as European operators have begun to target other locations. One of such countries is India.

Indian Casino Market Growth

From the results of a survey conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, there are over 500 million active internet users in India, a figure that is projected to increase exponentially. This high number of internet users presents a sizable pool of bettors for casino operators. The country has become one of the most marketable gambling destinations worldwide, although the Indian gambling industry is still growing.

Gambling is popular in India, with betting options ranging from casino games to sports betting options. An interesting fact is that the country’s gambling potential is largely untapped. However, the current options are limited since there are only a few online casino software providers in India. This leaves room for European companies to tap into the Indian casino market.

The Indian population has an affinity for sports, and there are endless betting opportunities for Indian bettors to explore. Indian casino sites can not match the services provided by international casino sites, prompting Indian players to search elsewhere for those services. This is why there is a massive influx of online betting sites in Indian rupees, targeted towards Indian players specifically.

India is gradually becoming the focus of many software providers; this is evident from the adaptation of some traditional Indian games by many casinos. Many European casinos now offer casino-style traditional Indian games such as Teen Patti and Andar Bahar, considered ‘national treasure’ by some, with the rules and regulations passed on from generation to generation. In addition to this, Evolution Gaming and Betway have introduced a Hindi language live casino featuring two new Bollywood-themed live dealer games – Bollywood Blackjack and Bollywood Roulette, to cater to the growing population of Indian bettors.

Many European casino operators are divesting into other markets due to the strict regulatory policies enforced in some European regions. In addition to being quite rigid, the regulations are also evolving constantly. However, Indian casino rules are typically more relaxed when it comes to online gambling, so European operators can leverage this opportunity to attract new Indian players.

Why are European casinos thriving in the Indian gambling industry?

Generally, Indians are known for their love of sports and sports betting. They enjoy playing card games and sports events like cricket, making the country an ideal target for European casinos. Many European casinos now offer Hindi as a language option. In addition to this, there are now European casinos that accept rupees. Also, there is a grey area in the online gambling laws of the country, making it possible for European gambling sites to flourish in India.

Typically, the games library at most Indian casinos is restricted to a few games since there are only a few online casino software providers in India. So, bettors can only bet on a limited number of games. This is not the case with European casinos, where bettors can access a broad range of game titles that include slots, table games, poker, and live dealer games, all powered by reputable software providers.

The European casino industry is highly competitive. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of casino operators in the market. So, European casinos are obligated to offer unique services if they want to stand out from the crowd. With the increasing number of European casinos in India, bettors can expect attractive welcome bonuses and other offers since these companies can afford the cost. Expert reports suggest that India loses $140 million yearly due to the unregulated market.

Once the gambling industry becomes regulated and more European casinos are established within the state, this would improve the country’s economy and contribute to job creation. The Indian gaming industry is projected to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2021. The future of online gambling in the Indian market is promising, with more Indian players choosing the better service options available at European casino

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission – Who Are They and What Do They Do?

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

Kahnawake Gaming Commission is the governing body for physical and online casinos located in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in southern Quebec. Kahnawake Mohawk Territory is a First Nations Reserve that is autonomous; they have their laws and regulations for different issues. They have regulations regarding company laws, corporate operations, taxation, and licensing.

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission issues licenses to casinos in this region and also monitors these licenses. They have licensed about fifty casino operators running roughly 250 online casinos.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established in 1996 and three years after, they passed laws concerning online gambling. This makes them one of the oldest online gaming legislators worldwide. From the time of its establishment to the time it enacted online gaming laws, Kahnawake Gaming Commission worked on becoming an autonomous entity in Canada. They spent this time outlining the political and legal structure of the Mohawk Territory, therefore, obtaining the legal right to license casinos.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission Regulations

Following its regulation of online sites, the “Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming”, casino operators seeking licenses have to host their gaming site at the Mohawk Internet Technologies data center. The data center is managed by Continent 8 Technologies which works specifically for hosting eGaming platforms.

The Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming gives some key principles by which Kahnawake Gaming Commission casinos should operate under the Kahnawake gambling law. Some of these principles are:

Online gambling based in, from, or within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake is regulated and controlled based on the law.
Ensure that online gambling activities carried out under this license are fair, honest, and responsible.
To ensure that online gambling from the jurisdiction of Kahnawake is not associated with criminality and crime.
To ensure that players playing in casinos with the Kahnawake license are treated fairly. They ensure that players’ information and activities at the online casinos are kept confidential.
They protect minors (persons under 18 years) and other vulnerable persons from the dangers of online gambling

Kahnawake Gaming Commission casinos are checked from time to time to confirm fairness, transparency, and excellent customer service. Kahnawake gaming commission complaints are thoroughly investigated and recorded. The commission takes action in cases where a player claims to have been wronged. For instance, when a player is not paid his/her winnings, when a player’s account is suddenly closed, or when players complain about the fairness of games in the casino.

Operators with a Kahnawake casino license are expected to be open to these investigations. This gives both the casino operator and the player peace of mind.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission Licenses

The commission gives four types of licenses to casino operators, they are:

Interactive Gaming Licences
Client Provider Authorisation
Inter-Jurisdictional Authorisation
Key Person Permit

Responsible Gaming

Like we mentioned earlier, Kahnawake Gaming Commission cares for players in its jurisdiction hence the provision of a self-exclusion list. There is a detailed self-exclusion request form that players who need help with their gambling habits can fill to get the care they need. Players can request a 1- year, 5- year, or lifetime ban on gambling. This form is only functional in Kahnawake Gaming Commission casinos. This is something you will not find with most casino licensing bodies.

Approved Agents

Kahnawake Gaming Commission works with third-party organizations called the ‘Approved Agents’ to aid them. The approved agents are auditors and consultants who give professional assistance in licensing and controlling online casinos. The four third party organizations listed on the website are

eCOGRA
Gaming Associates
iTech Labs
Technical Systems Testing (TST)

These four organizations work in different capacities to ensure one end goal: that the casinos licensed by the Commission are fair, safe, and trustworthy. TST ensures that casino sites are not hacked by identity thieves, eCOGRA publishes the RTPs of the casinos monthly, iTech tests and certifies online gaming systems and games, and Gaming Associates also certifies online gaming systems.

Conclusion

Kahnawake Gaming Commission, one of the earliest online licensing organizations has proved itself trustworthy. They have provided a great interactive environment for online casinos and players. Look out for their logo when signing up on a North American casino.

FIND A PLACE TO PLAY AT A CASINO WITH THIS LICENSE HERE!

The First Two Weeks of Legal Online Gambling in Michigan

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

After decades of missing out on the opportunity to enjoy a good sporting event or online casino game and win money from it through online bets, residents of The Wolverine State can finally participate in online gambling activities.

The State of Michigan permitted the launch of legal online gambling within its borders at noon on Friday, 22nd January 2021. The timing of this development was perfect, especially for sports betting, because of the lineup for that weekend. For instance, NFL conference championship games were live and Michigan sports bettors got to watch and place wagers.

Some people have theorized that the license to operate given to some sport betting giants in the state was done in a bid to help the gambling industry recover faster from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever the reason is, online betting statistics within the first two weeks of this launch clearly show that Michigan is well on its way to becoming one of the foremost states in the US with thriving online gaming industry.

10 online casinos and sportsbooks were approved to launch that Friday by The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), which will now regulate their activities going forward. A new round of operators was added to these the following week. Seeing how things are going, it is only expected that we’ll see more online gambling operators trooping into the market.

Industry experts predicted that there would be an impressive response from gamblers across the state after the launch. Their projection was based on the residents’ attitudes to prior legal gambling activities in the state, the time of the launch of the casinos, and the anticipation that had built up over time. Many reports have come in about the gamblers’ activities so far in Michigan and they have shown that these predictions were right.

BetMGM’s CEO, Adam Greenblatt, confirmed that the platform’s launch in Michigan was their “strongest launch yet.” BetMGM Michigan reported that over 200,000 successful logins were recorded on their platform and more than 2 million spins were seen, all within the first seven hours of being launched in the state.

However, some customers complained of problems with the BetMGM app. A representative from the company affirmed that there were glitches at some point, but it was as a result of unusually high traffic. He said that the problem was rectified the same day.

Google Trends were analyzed by Michigan Sharp, a website dedicated to the online gambling space in Michigan. They discovered that the launch of online sports betting in the state generated more interest than any previously recorded launch within the past year.

Furthermore, GeoComply, a company that facilitates geolocation tracking for many online gaming operators also announced that over 7.5 million online gambling transactions were recorded in Virginia and Michigan. Virginia has only two online operators, compared to Michigan’s ten at the time of launch, hence, the location with the higher percentage is obvious.

Since virtually every bettor in the state of Michigan would be a first-timer, there was an avalanche of bonuses being claimed on all the platforms. Bettors who could not join the thousands that flooded the Michigan online casinos and sportsbook did so the following week. Many of the operators, having had the experience of the previous week could manage them better.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has not released reports on the revenue generated so far, but they have corroborated reports of a large influx of players into the online gambling space since the Michigan online casino launch.

If you live in Michigan and are yet to jump on the wave of excitement sweeping through the Michigan online gaming world, you’re not too late. There are still loads of bonuses to be won and more than enough games and sports betting features to explore.

EXPLORE MICHIGAN CASINOS and SPORTSBOOKS HERE!

Sources: