This Week in Gambling

New York State Senator John Bonacic has reintroduced his online poker bill that was passed by the Senate last year. The bill, S 3898, was introduced on Jan. 27 and referred to the New York Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee. The committee is chaired by Bonacic. The bill is expected to sail through the Senate – it passed by a 53-5 margin in 2016. However, the Assembly will be a different story, as I detailed in this column. S 3898 would legalize online poker in the state of New York by classifying certain forms of poker as games of…

Daily fantasy sports site DraftKings is heading to Germany. That’s thanks to a new gaming license the company acquired from the Malta Gaming Authority. The international expansion will occur sometime during Q1, Jeffrey Haas, chief international officer for DraftKings, told Legal Sports Report. It marks the first expansion of DraftKings’ footprint since DraftKings UK went live about a year ago. The core news is that DraftKings announced it had acquired a “Controlled Skill Games License” from the MGA. That is a new type of gaming license — apart from gambling licensing — that specifically looked to account for DFS. Acquiring…

This week’s news includes the state of New Jersey asking US President Trump to help their online gambling industry! Also, Antigua would like Trump to end their decade-long fight with America over Internet betting! And there is trouble in Canada where players have sued the Atlantic Lottery! This week’s special offer is from America’s Card Room!

Online poker supporters created the “Australian Online Poker Alliance (AOPA)” in order to exhort authorities to legalise the sector. The group is gathering the opponents against the latest amendment that prohibits online poker activities in the country. AOPA proposes a complete framework to regulate the sector and bring benefits to the Australian government as well. Australian Online Poker Alliance offers a platform to discuss the issue and promote their petition to the government. The website also informs residents on how to contact their local elected members of the Parliament to express their disagreement with the amendment approved in November 2016….

Pennsylvania has added another type of gambling offering to its wish list. A House Representative has recently informed fellow lawmakers that he plans to introduce a bill that would call for the legalization of sports betting within the Keystone State’s borders. Rep. Robert F. Matzie, who has been member of the state Legislature since 2009, said that he was encouraged by the election of former casino mogul Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, and particularly by the fact the nation’s new top official has hinted at having a soft spot for sports betting and the legalization…

The head of Sweden’s gambling regulatory agency is exiting his post ahead of schedule, prompting concerns that his absence will impact the country’s push to liberalize its online gambling market. On Friday, Sweden’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (Lotteriinspektionen) announced that general director Hakan Hallstedt (pictured) had been appointed a judge in Blekinge District Court, a position he will take up on May 15. Hallstedt will resign as Lotteriinspektionen director at the end of March. Hallstedt, who has headed up Lotteriinspektionen since September 2008, was originally supposed to step down when his current term ended this September. But Hallstedt apparently felt the…