This Week in Gambling

In a dispute with root tied to Black Friday, the long and bitter PokerStars Kentucky fight has finally come to an end. This battle has been slowly simmering for a decade, beginning after the passage of the UIGEA, and escalating with the events of April, 2011, when the US Department of Justice seized the domains of the major online poker rooms. The state of Kentucky alleged that PokerStars offered “illegal gambling to state residents between 2007 and 2011. As a result, the state imposed a fine on the company of $290 million to Amaya Gaming, who were then the owners…

After Hurricane Ida pushed the launch of Louisiana sports betting back, things look to be on track once more. Originally slated to roll out in September, all indications are residents will be able to bet on sporting events by mid-October… if not sooner. In an interview with USA Today, the Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, Ronnie Johns, stated that the state “Our goal now is to have them up and running by Oct. 1st”. However, operators from outside of the state have not been licensed as of yet. The Board hopes to have some at least some of…

Disney sports betting? Really? After the company has spent millions of dollars and countless years fighting gambling expansion as much as possible? What’s with the change of direction? And why would a company so suddenly change course? And in other news, the Cosmopolitan Casino on the Las Vegas Strip has a new owner… of sorts We’ve been spending a lot of time over the past several weeks discussing sports betting, what with the kickoff of the NFL season and all. And this week we’re talking about Disney sports betting! Disney? Yes! This week’s big story involves a bit of a…

MGM Resorts has announced an agreement with the Blackstone Group which will allow them to acquire operation of The Cosmopolitan at City Center on the Las Vegas Strip. The deal includes a cash consideration of over $1.6 billion. What’s unique about this agreement is that it separates the physical property from the operations of the resort. Blackstone has said Monday it will sell the property itself for $5.65 billion, but MGM now has a 30-year lease agreement. The Cosmo originally opened in December of 2010, but was purchased by Blackstone in 2014. MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle stated that they…

Play’n Go’s Fire Joker Freeze slot is a 3 reel game with 5 paylines! It features Wilds and Expanding Wilds along with four different wheel bonuses! Plus, Fire Joker Freeze can also be played on mobile! When the wheel stops on the multiplier, the multiplier lives up to its name and multiplies the winnings on the spin that triggers the wheel. If the wheel stops on the Snowflake symbol, the current wheel will be removed and the player advances to the next wheel, giving the player another spin with a new set of multipliers. Wheel 1 multipliers: x2, x3, x4…

It wasn’t too long ago that Disney fought sports betting expansion in Florida with millions of dollars in negative ad campaigns. However, now that they have clearly lost that battle, the company is considering an “aggressive” approach to gambling via ESPN. Disney Corporation purchased ESPN back in 1996, back when no one would have ever thought legal and regulated betting on sports would have been possible. But what a difference 20 years can make! Now their CEO, Bob Chapek, has admitted the company is pushing forward in the midst of American sports betting expansion. The goal is to partner with…