Michigan Rep. Brandt Iden explained to Online Poker Report that there really only is one point of contention keeping Indian gaming tribes from supporting his bill to legalize online gambling and sports betting in the state.
The post Here’s The One Big Hurdle Slowing Progress For Michigan Online Gambling, Sports Betting appeared first on Online Poker Report.
The gambling world can sometimes produce really off-the-wall stories. Every month there are plenty of cases of individuals going to extreme lengths to pay back debts, or of simply bizarre …
It’s been one month since interstate online poker kicked into gear for New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada, and the shared player pool for WSOP.com NJ and 888 Poker is gaining traction with a busy summer ahead.
The post One Month Later, How Do Things Look With Interstate Online Poker In New Jersey? appeared first on Play NJ.
The three biggest stacks have over 80% of the total chips in play, while the rest is sitting quite short. Can the defending champ go back to back?
Since the NJ sports betting ruling, people assume that if online poker players can combine into one betting pool across state lines, sports bettors can do the same. They are wrong, at least for now. Here’s why.
The post If Online Poker Can Mingle Across State Lines, Why Can’t Legal Sports Betting? appeared first on Play NJ.
Illinois has been trying to legalize online gambling and daily fantasy sports for several years, but plans were sidetracked a bit in 2018. Sports betting took over the spotlight, with five bills introduced in the span of about six weeks.
Following the recent US Supreme Court decision, lawmakers took an apparent step to fast-track legalization of all three. A dormant casino bill was loaded up with provisions that would have created an omnibus expansion akin to Pennsylvania last year.
With just two days left in the legislative session, however, there’s not much time for discussion. If the bill is going to pass, it’s going to do so by excluding any items that lack broad support.
Right now, that list includes all forms of internet gaming and gambling.
The current version of S 7 would authorize six new casinos across the eastern half of the state, along with gambling terminals in the Chicago airports. It would also allow the state’s horse racing tracks to become racinos with the addition of tables and machines.
The Senate passed the bill in 2017, but it’s undergone significant changes since. Last year’s session expired with the bill stuck in an amendment loop within the House Rules Committee.
Almost a full year later, the bill suddenly came back to life in May.
Rep. Robert Rita first added his name as a sponsor, then filed an amendment last week. As reported by Online Poker Report, the new sections would allow the state to legalize online gambling, DFS, and sports betting. There are no provisions, but the articles were inserted as placeholders.
That seems to be the extent of it for now. Rita’s outline says this: “Leave internet gaming, fantasy sports, and sports betting sections blank to be resolved later.” During a committee hearing on Monday, he confirmed that those three issues are too controversial to deal with this week.
The group voted 5-4 to advance the bill, but that was one fewer than needed to move it to the floor. It remains in the House Gaming Subcommittee, which Rita chairs.
The legislature could revisit the controversial bits over the summer or, more likely, after the November elections.
Illinois has once again taken a pass on passing online gambling legislation, and it’s not for a lack of consideration. Sports betting, in particular, got a hard look this year.
Sen. Napolean Harris, a Democrat from Harvey, sponsored one of the measures to set rules, taxes and regulations for Illinois. “If they allow sports gambling in Indiana before they do Illinois, I can see a lot of Illinoisans just jumping the border, placing bets,” Harris said to NPR Illinois.
Harris’ bill is one of several active across both chambers of the Illinois legislature. Lawmakers considered the issue at an intermediate level, including a round of hearings in April. Steve Brubaker posted on Twitter that MLB, NBA, and PGA had hired lobbyists in the state, and league lawyers were present to provide testimony.
The Illinois Senate passed a bill that would have legalized online casino games in 2017. Bills concerning online poker and DFS followed in the latter half of the year. None of them made it through the House.
Even DFS remains illegal under existing law, as stated by Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Despite this, operators are still active in the state. DraftKings and FanDuel still serve the state, along with most of their competitors.
Four years into the conversion, lawmakers have yet to pass any relevant bill. Five of them carried over into 2018 without consideration.
The Chicago Tribune reported that supporters of legalization and taxation of sports betting expect the legalization to produce revenue for the state and change the black market industry.
The competition from the other gambling proposals for new casinos, fantasy sports, and slot machines at racetracks may affect its passage. Rep. Lou Lang told the Tribune that the odds are against passage by the adjournment date.
In total, he said that sports betting would generate less than $100 million a year for state coffers. A study from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC showed earnings could total about $680 million in the state and tens of millions in tax revenue.
Still, casinos would be subject to licensing and integrity fees and would be limited to Illinois residents. Wagers would be taxed at 12.5 percent.
Illinois casino operators and the Illinois Casino Gaming Association are concerned about high taxes and fees. The fees could consume 20 percent of the proceeds.
The same concerns come with legalization about the “human cost of this type of gambling.”
The post Illinois Pump-Fakes With An Online-Free Gambling Expansion Bill appeared first on Play USA.
The former Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City was expected to be demolished in spring 2018, but with the busy summer season on the horizon, AC officials want to wait until possibly late fall.
The post Holding Pattern: AC Officials Press Pause On Plans For Trump Plaza Demolition appeared first on Play NJ.
Atlantic City is well known for its casinos. More than a dozen have been built over the years since casino gambling was first made legal there in 1978.
There are currently seven casinos in operation in Atlantic City, the only place casino gambling is actually legal in the state of New Jersey. The casinos include:
Plus, two more are scheduled to open, or re-open, on June 28, 2018, including:
This will leave no shortage of places to gamble in the oceanside resort town that was once dubbed America’s Playground.
But the truth is, Atlantic City has always seen itself as more than just a place to place a bet. The city envisions itself as a world-class vacation destination for people from across the country and around the world.
Atlantic City has always made strong investments in infrastructure and supported local business with an aim at turning that vision into reality. This effort has made sure there are plenty of reasons to visit Atlantic City other than casinos. Here are the top four:
The casinos built alongside it are definitely a highlight of any visit to the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk. However, the Boardwalk itself is an experience worth visiting Atlantic City.
The Atlantic City Boardwalk first opened in the summer of 1870. It now runs almost six miles long from Absecon Inlet in the north and into Ventnor City in the south.
In addition to a variety of casino and hotels, the Boardwalk features dozens of retail stores, shopping malls, restaurants, amusements, and several piers running off of it with various attractions of their own.
One can still enjoy saltwater taffy and funnel cakes, or buy various Atlantic City-themed souvenirs on the Boardwalk. Plus, people can catch all the seaside sights and sounds riding down the Boardwalk in a rolling chair or experience a thrill on an amusement park ride, the same way visitors to Atlantic City have for almost 150 years.
The Atlantic City Boardwalk is a kitschy trip down memory lane in the heart of one of America’s greatest oceanside resort cities, making it one of the most popular reasons to visit Atlantic City other than casinos.
Perhaps the best thing about Atlantic City is that it’s built on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. That means when summer rolls around, it’s time to hit the beach.
The famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and the beach in front of it are just a few steps away from any Boardwalk casino and hotel. Plus, there are dozens of beach destinations up and down the Jersey Shore, from Sandy Hook to Cape May just a few miles from Atlantic City.
A perfect summer’s day spent body surfing waves in the Atlantic, building sand castles on the shore, and soaking up some of the sun’s warm rays will have just about anyone convinced there’s more to Atlantic City than just gambling.
From high-end boutiques inside several casinos to shopping malls with everything one could imagine, including one of the biggest outlet malls on the East Coast, Atlantic City truly has something for everyone when it comes to shopping. Atlantic City shopping may be one of the best reasons to visit the area other than gambling.
Most of Atlantic City’s casinos feature luxury shops where you can spend all your winnings and more. However, Tropicana Casino and Resort ups the ante with its The Quarter at Tropicana shopping mall, adjacent to the property.
The Quarter is an old Havana-themed indoor shopping center at the Tropicana with more than 40 stores, restaurants, and nightclubs. It is a mecca for shopping entertainment and nightlife in the area.
In the meantime, Playground Pier has been converted into a luxury four-story shopping mall adjacent to Caesars casino. The mall has an underwater theme and caters more to high-end shoppers on what was once called the Million Dollar Pier.
Finally, there is Tanger Outlets The Walk. This 109-store open-air outlet mall spans more than three city blocks already, and it keeps on growing. Just behind the Boardwalk and the many hotels and casinos that call it home, there’s plenty of deals to be found shopping here.
That’s not all there is when it comes to shopping in AC. However, these three locations alone are enough to make shopping one of the best reasons to visit Atlantic City other than gambling.
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Visit Golden NuggetFinally, there are outposts of some of the best fine-dining establishments in the world. Some casino buffets rival those found in Las Vegas. Plus, there are classic cheap eats you’ll only find locally in AC. No matter how you slice it, Atlantic City has become a foodie heaven.
Celebrity chefs such as Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Wolfgang Puck, and a variety of others have opened up restaurants at Atlantic City casinos over the past few years. These moves have only served to grow the city’s reputation for high-end food.
The buffet restaurants at Borgata and Golden Nugget are among those that now offer spreads akin to something most diners would expect to find only in Las Vegas. The upgrades enhance AC’s reputation for all kinds of great food.
However, that reputation has always been built on the back of classic local joints such as White House Subs. This legendary no-frills sandwich shop has been around since 1946 and has long been known for quality-made New Jersey subs at a decent price. The main location on Arctic Avenue has been packing them in for decades. Now, a new shop will open up inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City in the summer of 2018.
White House Subs is reason enough to come to Atlantic City to eat. But it’s also the rock-solid foundation of an unrivaled East Coast dining scene — one that has become one of the best reasons to visit Atlantic City other than its casinos.
The post Want To Get Out Of The House? There’s More To Atlantic City Than Just Casinos appeared first on NJ Online Casino.
The waiting is over. Pennsylvania has soft-launched online lottery as part of its expanded gambling platform.
Pennsylvania Lottery unveiled its iLottery Tuesday, nearly a month after implementing Keno at authorized retailers. The 46th anniversary year of PA Lottery has been one for the annals. Since 1972, it has been paying out cash prizes while donating a cut of the revenue toward various programs focused on senior citizens.
Yet the Keystone State has not seen a year such as 2018. And the online lottery is the latest, and most noteworthy, example.
In 2017, Pennsylvania introduced a gambling expansion bill to diversify its offered games, including online gambling.
“As we reflect on 46 great years, we’re hard at work to build the Pennsylvania Lottery of the future,” said Drew Svitko, executive director of PA Lottery. “In coming months, we’ll launch an iLottery online gaming platform and new types of draw games that will help us to modernize our business and generate new funds to benefit older Pennsylvanians.”
For some time, there was uncertainty surrounding the timeline of the new gaming platform. Even as recently as the end of March. Yet excitement built as time wore on. Then, Tuesday came.
Lo, iLottery was bestowed upon the Keystone State. Though it is a soft launch, allowing PA Lottery to turn the games loose without promoting them. This also provides the lottery to work out any bugs before the masses attack the PA iLottery.
As part of its soft launch, PA iLottery has limited its game selections for the time being.
On its website are 11 instant win games:
Essentially, these games are digital scratch-offs. Though instant wins offer bonus rounds and other user customization features. Minimum real-money bets begin at $0.01 per round. Players must be at least 18 years old to play.
Several platforms are available for players, including PC or Mac and via the Pennsylvania Lottery app on iOS.
A soft launch is typically a teaser. Think of it as an extended trailer to a big-budget movie.
When Pennsylvania passed its gambling bill in 2017, the intended goal of iLottery was to attract a younger audience and generate another $30 million for the PA Lottery.
A more expansive list of iLottery games will surely be rolled out. Keno, it is hoped, will continue to gain in popularity. Even sports betting is on the way after the US Supreme Court cleared the path for legalization by striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act just a few weeks ago.
Pennsylvania continues to work toward modernizing its lottery gaming. And iLottery could be its biggest step yet.
The post Pennsylvania Soft Launches PA iLottery And Instant Win Games appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.
The Illinois legislature is considering several gaming expansions, including sports betting, online gaming, and daily fantasy sports.
The post Illinois Sets The Stage For Sports Betting And Online Gambling Push Later This Year appeared first on Online Poker Report.