This Week in Gambling

Most have noticed the rapid expansion of US sports betting over the past year or so, but few Americans have paid attention to the turmoil the industry is facing in the United Kingdom. Recently, Britain’s National Health Service joined the growing chorus of anti-gambling rhetoric there, and bookmakers in this country would be wise to take notice. In a letter sent to five of the largest UK operators, the head of National Health Service (NHS) in England said the link between betting and mental illness was “increasingly clear.” She called for an end to free bets, saying they drew people…

We review the Gemmed! Online Slot from our friends at Betsoft! Gemmed! features Wild and Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, and a Gamble Feature. It has over 40,000 paylines and can be played on mobile devices! Win with gems of ALL shapes and sizes in Gemmed! Featuring 40,503 ways to win and an innovative reel system, hunting for wins is quite fun here. The game uses a 9×9 grid with special reels that allow for symbols of different sizes. Payouts are awarded via contiguous symbols, which are symbols that touch each other, either adjacent or diagonally. With reels packed with symbols…

We have sports wagering news from New York and Vermont, plus gambling news from Oklahoma. But this week’s stories are overshadowed by the events in California on Sunday when we lost nine souls in a helicopter crash. Among the victims were NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his young daughter. Hello my friends, and thanks so much for joining me on another edition of This Week in Gambling. I come to you with a heavy heart for this program, as literally just hours before I came on I learned, like many of you, of the horrific helicopter crash in California that…

Kobe Bryant, an NBA all star and legend, and his daughter Gianna Maria Onore, died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in Calabasas, California. Several others who have not been identified yet were also onboard. Shortly afterward, fans began assembling a memorial directly outside of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Bryant wowed fans for two decades. “He will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement, via ABC. “This is a moment that leaves us struggling…

A federal judge has been asked to enter a ruling that Oklahoma gambling is illegal… at least certain types of games located at tribal casinos. Perhaps not all gambling, but Governor Kevin Stitt wants the judge to order the tribes to stop operating Class III games at their properties. That’s why he filed a lawsuit earlier this week. “We are reviewing the pleading his lawyers filed on his behalf,” senior counsel for the Chickasaw Nation Stephen Greetham said. “We look forward to learning what legal basis he will claim to justify the uncertainty he has endeavored to create.” Stitt not…

We take an up-close look at the amazing Soulcalibur II Casino Skill Game from our friends at GameCo! Players compete through 6 stages of one round fights and place bets each time until they finally get to fight Inferno for free! Bandai Namco Entertainment partnered with GameCo to develop this skill-based gambling machine based on “Soulcalibur II.” Players may only select Taki or Mitsurugi, and fight against Talim, Raphael, Cervantes, Ivy, Cassandra, and Sophitia. The Soulcalibur II Casino Skill Game features a faster-pace than the classic game but maintains core game play elements. Jackpots are randomly triggered and the game…