This Week in Gambling

Is online gambling illegal in America now? The U.S. Department of Justice has done an a bout-face on their opinion on the 1961 Federal Wire Act. Their decision was in no small part a result of the millions of dollars in donations to certain congressmen from Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire owner of the largest gambling company in America, Sands Corporation. Reversing their decision from 2011, the DOJ now states that the 50 year old legislation makes all online gambling illegal, including casino games and poker. Their plan is to begin enforcing their new interpretation of the law within 90 days….

Pennsylvania gaming regulators are warning their online licensees to ensure their operations are compliant with the new US Department of Justice opinion on the 1961 Wire Act. On Friday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) issued a memo to its online gambling licensees – none of whom have actually been cleared to launch their local sites – giving them 30 days in which to clarify how their individual operations might be affected by the DOJ’s new view on the Wire Act. On Monday, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel made public a new legal opinion that the 1961 Wire Act…

We speak with Scientific Games about their Diamond Eternity slot machine, part of their Duo Fu Duo Cai jackpot games. Look for the Diamond Multiplier Symbol in the free spins feature. If the sparkle of a Diamond symbol lands on the reels, then a wild multiplier is applied to all wins! Part of the popular Duo Fu Duo Cai games series,the Diamond Eternity slot machine incorporates the beautiful Asian imagery and player-favorite game features the series is known for,, such as the Fu Bat Jackpot Bonus Feature where players pick from 12 Golden Lucky Coins and match 3 Fu Babies for…

Governor Charlie Baker introduced a new proposal on Thursday that aims to legalize Massachusetts sports betting, and tax those bets on professional sports both online and at casinos. The law would allow other entities to be licensed to offer the modality as well. Baker detailed that he would file legislation to allow the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to license the three casino operators in the state to offer on-site and online sports betting. This legislation would also pave the way for other operators, such as daily fantasy sports (DFS) entities to be licensed for sports betting. “Our legislation puts forth…

We speak with Aristocrat Gaming about their Mighty Link games, which bring a linked progressive to the Mighty Cash slot machines! Mighty Link games include the Ted slot machine, Pan Am slot, Elvira slot machine and the Zorro slot game. Mighty Cash gained a tremendous following among high volatility players by offering truly meaningful wins. It now reaches star status as the headliner in a multi-licensed themed progressive featuring the popular titles such as Ted, Zorro, Elvira and Pan Am. Each game combines the Mighty Cash bonus with a ‘Hold & Spin’™ style mechanic with a bonus wheel twist— triggered…

New York Governor Cuomo wants 2019 to be special. In fact, he wants this to be the year of legal New York sports betting. “Let’s authorize sports betting in the upstate casinos,” Cuomo said Tuesday early in his State of the State address. “It’s here. It’s a reality, and it will generate activity in those casinos.” New York passed a 2013 law that authorized four upstate casinos to offer in-person sports betting, if permitted by federal law. Then, in May of 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act… the federal statute which restricted…