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After a marathon 15-hour final table Jason Koon emerged victorious from a field of 103 entries to win the 2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Montenegro $1,000,000 HKD (~$128,000 USD) …

Pennsylvania’s legal and regulated daily fantasy sports market is growing already, just a few weeks after it launched.

In fact, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) this week it has received applications from four additional fantasy sports contest operators. That’s in addition to the six previously received and approved.

The first daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests taxed and regulated by the state kicked off on the last weekend of April.

State lawmakers made fantasy sports legal as a part of a comprehensive gambling expansion legislation package passed in October 2017. They approved a 15 percent tax on fantasy sports operators’ adjusted revenue and tasked the PGCB with providing oversight on fantasy sports contests.

It all came into effect on April 28, marking the first roll-out of any new form of gambling made legal under the new gambling expansion legislation.

Regulating and taxing daily fantasy sports

Many Pennsylvania residents have been playing DFS for the past few years. However, they did so in what was a gray market. Now, it’s all legal and above board for players in Pennsylvania 18 years of age or older who participate in fantasy sports contests on approved operators.

Operators previously approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board are:

• Fanduel
• DraftKings
• DRAFT
• Fantasy Football Players Championship
• Boom Fantasy
• Fastpick

The four new fantasy sports operators approved by the board this week include:

• Sportshub National Fantasy Championships
• Yahoo Fantasy Sports
• Fantasy Draft
• Scout Fantasy Sports

The board says it is legal to participate in fantasy sports contests with any of the 10 firms listed above. As long as players are submitting an entry fee for a contest and initiating play from within Pennsylvania. However, if you are playing while inside Pennsylvania state lines, the board says it is not legal to participate in fantasy sports contests with any other firm.

Fantasy sports contests allow players to compete against one another by drafting a fantasy team of athletes under a limited budget. The teams earn points based on the stats put together by drafted players in real-life sporting events. Daily fantasy sports contests take place over a single day’s games or a limited period of time. However, traditional fantasy sports contests play out over an entire season.

Both contests are run like tournaments, with a prize pool created through entry fees and ultimately split between the top point-earning teams after operator fees are removed.

New tax revenues and a fair playing environment

PGCB Executive Director Kevin O’Toole says the new taxes on fantasy sports entry fees are already creating new revenue for the state. Plus, O’Toole says the government oversight provided gives players the opportunity to participate in a fair playing environment. One with licensed operators meeting standards set out in the law and regulated by the board.

Several other new online gambling initiatives were also approved back in October 2017, including:

• Slots
• Table games
• Poker
• Lottery sales

The Pennsylvania Lottery previously announced plans to launch online lottery sales in May 2018.

The regulatory and licensing process still ongoing for online slots, online table games, and online poker. The state’s first online casinos and online poker sites are expected to launch sometime in the fourth quarter of 2018 or early 2019.

The post Number Of DFS Operators In PA Jumps From 6 To 10 appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

The Season XVI of the World Poker Tour has been one to remember. Unexpected champions, dramatic final tables, and record-breaking fields all lead up to the finale at ARIA in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WPT Tournament of Champions is a one-of-a-kind event in its third year — the first time in Las Vegas.

From May 24-26, the eye of the poker viewing tower shifts toward Las Vegas for one of the year’s most highly anticipated celebrations.

Value is hard to find at times in big buy-in tournaments, but the World Poker Tour is pulling out all the stops to ensure this year’s Tournament of Champions tops all.

$15,000 + $0 = must-play

For starters, the $15,000 event is rake free. In a generous move unheard of these days in poker, the WPT and ARIA are pooling every nickel from the $15,000 buy-in into the prize pool.

ARIA is on the forefront of rake-free events and their partnership with the WPT ensure that continues.

The first two seasons of the Tournament of Champions were also rake-free when held at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in Florida. An appropriate gesture for two locations with no state income tax.

When high roller tournaments became a permanent mainstay in the ARIA poker ecosystem, the casino offered an amazing deal for players. For most ARIA High Rollers, players who register for the tournament on time do not have to pay rake. The entry fee of $1,000 is waived and all $25,000 goes directly into the prize pool.

The World Poker Tour is conscious about as much money staying in their player pool as possible and the rake-free aspect is one way to ensure this.

On top of the no rake for players is a prize pool sweetener of $100,000. No matter if the prize pool is $500,000 or $2 million, the WPT adds $100,000 into the final pot.

This year’s winner also takes home far more than just six-figure in prize money. The WPT is throwing in $50,000 cash on top of the announced first-place prize. Also at the winner’s circle sits the Hublot watch awarded to all Season XVI victors.

Just for entering the Tournament of Champions, players receive gift bags valued at $1,000.

Home cooking?

The final table of the Tournament of Champions is filmed for television at the new Esports Arena Las Vegas at Luxor. The WPT’s partnership with ARIA along with their overall growth in Las Vegas makes shifting the Tournament of Champions location a natural fit.

There are many notable WPT Champions Club members who have yet to play in the Tournament of Champions who may decide to register with the event so close to home.

Two players that immediately come to mind are two-time winners Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari. Neither has taken advantage in their lifetime seat in an event with a fair amount of prizes to chase after.

This could be due to scheduling conflicts with overseas events and prior commitments as the pair only travels for events of the highest buy-in status.

ARIA is running a $50,000 High Roller on May 24 and $100,000 Super High Roller on May 25 which causes an interesting bind. Both players are registered for the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl on May 27 and could look to use the high rollers as a warm-up. Or, they could decide that a $15,000 event with a small field and lower buy-in might be worth the time.

Other WPT Champions living in Las Vegas who might make the drive over to ARIA to play the TOC include David Williams and Nick Schulman.

There is an indication of which champions will participate based on entry into the $10,000 Bobby Baldwin Classic the same week.

The final qualifier into the Tournament of Champions is awarded their $15,000 seat when the Bobby Baldwin Classic ends on May 26.

Location drives quantity

The respective field sizes of 66 and 64 in the first two Tournament of Champions are good but not great. There is the potential to hit at least 80 with the move to Las Vegas and later start date than seasons prior. Season XIV and XV hosted the Tournament of Champions in April.

However many players wind up in the Tournament of Champions field, they have elite value waiting for them.

The post Rake-Free WPT Tournament of Champions Provides Value That Is Missing In Poker appeared first on .

For many, the terms “poker” and “no-limit hold’em” are essentially one in the same.

But for those who really dig deep into the game of poker, it’s the ability to play every variant of the game that makes for the truly best all-around player.

Beyond no-limit hold’em, games like pot-limit Omaha, deuce to seven triple draw, badugi and stud hi/lo provide card players a measure of excitement and depth of strategy that goes beyond the oft-played two card game.

When summer hits Las Vegas and poker players from all over the world converge for the World Series of Poker, the mixed game action all over the city hits a fever pitch. So, for those looking to play a wider variety of poker games in their cash and tournament sessions, here are some Sin City poker rooms that are happy to oblige.

Bellagio Hotel & Casino

The legendary Big Game that takes place inside Bobby’s Room may be off-limits (and extremely high-limits) to your average mixed game player but that’s not to say there is not amazing mixed game action to be had at The Bellagio.

The Bellagio offers a standard $20/$40 Mixed Game which regularly runs. But during the summer, the card room prides itself on just how much non-stop mixed game action they spread. A quick call to the poker room will let you know that during the WSOP it quickly “gets ridiculous” how many tables get started and how high the limits are. Sure, there’s the occasional $4-8 mixed game for those who want to test the waters, but the standard limits can run the gambit all the way up to $300-600.

As is with just about all of the poker rooms in Las Vegas, the actual mix of games that is played is determined by the players that start the game but can be altered at any time.

Aria Resort & Casino

The Aria poker room is one of the most well-traveled rooms in Las Vegas and they are, generally, the closest rivaled room to the Bellagio when it comes to mixed games. Ivey’s Room, another high limit, mostly exclusive room is the site of many ulta-high-limit mixed games but regular rounders can find their way into an Aria mixed game that doesn’t break the bank.

On Tuesdays around 1 p.m. PT, there’s a regular $4-8 game that is held in the room. The format is “join the game, add a game” so whenever you take a seat in this game, you get to bring your favorite variant along with you.

The Aria also advertises that it will spread mixed games from $9-18 all the way to $30-60 and higher. When the summer comes though, it’s best to check in to see if there are any mixed games on the floor. The Aria boasts one of the busiest poker rooms in the city and when tournament series start up and players flock to the room, space can get tight and their mixed games can get squeezed out.

Wynn Las Vegas

Perhaps the most luxurious poker room on the strip is at the Wynn. The roughly two-year-old room is a favorite for those who enjoy the feeling of playing in the lap of luxury. It’s also a favorite for those who play in their regular $9-18 mixed game.

The Wynn indicated that during the summer, especially Thursday through Sunday when the weekend warriors come to town, there will usually be a mixed game. Limits start as low as the regular $9-18 but can jettison up to $1k-2k.

A sentiment expressed by the Wynn that is echoed by other rooms that offer mixed games is “if you have the players, they’ll spread the game.”

Venetian Las Vegas

No-limit hold’em is the standard in the Venetian poker room, but when the summer comes and their popular DeepStack Championship Poker Series arrives, mixed games become more of a possibility. The tournament area will be expanding into the convention space this summer allowing for more cash game action.

When they are spread, the room sees a trend to playing draw games — baduci and deuce-to-seven — but with their core audience being a NLHE one it’s best to call ahead to get on … or even start an interest list.

The Orleans

Located just off the strip, the Orleans also offers regularly spread $4-8 mixed. In addition, they have plenty of tables of Omaha Hi-Lo going at any given time. For players looking to start a mixed game from scratch, the Orleans may have a ready and willing player base to help you fill up your interest list.

World Series of Poker (Rio)

Of course, when going to the World Series of Poker to play mixed games one would hope that the Pavilion inside the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino would have an offering. If history serves as a guide, the big board will be offering a wide variety of games at some pretty high limits. Omaha 8 starting around $10-20 up through $75-150, a $50-100 Stud game and $10-20 mixed games have all been known to be spread in the midst of the non-stop barrage of gold bracelet tournament action.

Las Vegas Tournaments

In addition to the spike in mixed game cash options all around town, the summer tournament scene is replete with opportunities for the fan of the mixed game.

Those looking for the biggest tournament buy-ins will find them within the halls of the Rio during the World Series itself. But, for those looking to play some more moderate stakes there are a number of summer tournament series taking place that look to directly compete with the WSOP and provide excellent structures and healthy paydays.

Planet Hollywood, The Venetian, Binion’s, The Golden Nugget and Aria all have extensive tournament schedule and all include a variety of non-no-limit hold’em games over the course of the summer.

Date	Venue	Event	Time	Buy-In
5/27	Planet Hollywood	H.O.R.S.E. (One Day Event)	12:00 PM	$250
5/29	Planet Hollywood	Dealer Choice	3:00 PM	$130
5/30	Golden Nugget	H.O.R.S.E.	11:00 AM	$250
5/30	Aria	Eight Game Mix	11:00 AM	$470
6/1	Binion’s	H.O.R.S.E.	11:00 AM	$365
6/1	Planet Hollywood	Triple Draw Mixer 2-7, A-5, Badugi	12:00 PM	$300
6/2	Golden Nugget	Omaha 8/Stud8 Mix	11:00 AM	$250
6/2	WSOP (Rio)	Mixed Triple Draw Lowball	3:00 PM	$2,500
6/3	Venetian	H.O.R.S.E.	4:00 PM	$600
6/3	Aria	Triple Draw Mixer 2-7, A-5, Badugi	11:00 AM	$470
6/3	Planet Hollywood	GOLIATH Dealers Choice	12:00 PM	$300
6/4	WSOP (Rio)	Dealers Choice 6-Handed	3:00 PM	$1,500
6/4	Golden Nugget	Pot Limit Omaha/O8/Big O Mix	11:00 AM	$250
6/5	Binion’s	Mixed Triple Draw (2-7, A-5, Badugi)	11:00 AM	$365
6/6	WSOP (Rio)	H.O.R.S.E.	3:00 PM	$1,500
6/6	Golden Nugget	Mixed Triple Draw (2-7, A-5, Badugi)	11:00 AM	$250
6/7	WSOP (Rio)	Dealers Choice 6-Handed	3:00 PM	$10,000
6/7	Planet Hollywood	H.O.R.S.E. (One Day Event)	12:00 PM	$250
6/9	WSOP (Rio)	Eight Game Mix	3:00 PM	$1,500
6/9	Binion’s	Omaha 8/Stud 8 Mix	11:00 AM	$365
6/10	Aria	H.O.R.S.E.	11:00 AM	$470
6/10	Planet Hollywood	H.O.R.S.E. + NLH, 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw	12:00 PM	$250
6/12	WSOP (Rio)	H.O.R.S.E.	3:00 PM	$10,000
6/15	WSOP (Rio)	Poker Players Championship	3:00 PM	$50,000
6/15	Golden Nugget	8-Game Mix	11:00 AM	$250
6/16	WSOP (Rio)	Pot Limit Omaha H/L/O8/Big O Mix	3:00 PM	$1,500
6/19	WSOP (Rio)	Mixed Big Bet	3:00 PM	$2,500
6/20	Binion’s	Crazy 7-Card Hi/Lo Stud Mix	11:00 AM	$365
6/21	Golden Nugget	Omaha 8/Stud8 Championship	10:00 AM	$570
6/21	Venetian	Omaha 8/Stud 8 Mix	1:00 PM	$600
6/22	WSOP (Rio)	Omaha 8/Stud 8 Mix	3:00 PM	$2,500
6/27	Golden Nugget	Pot Limit Omaha/O8/Big O Mix	11:00 AM	$570
6/28	Binion’s	H.O.R.S.E. Championship	11:00 AM	$585
7/1	Golden Nugget	H.O.R.S.E.	11:00 AM	$360
7/2	Venetian	Omaha 8/Stud 8 Mix	1:00 PM	$600
7/10	WSOP (Rio)	NLHE/PLO Mix	3:00 PM	$1,500
7/12	WSOP (Rio)	H.O.R.S.E.	3:00 PM	$3,000
7/13	Planet Hollywood	H.O.R.S.E. (One Day Event)	11:00 AM	$250

So whether it is cash or tournaments, for the mixed game maniac summer in Sin City provides all the action one could hope for.

The post Vegas Poker Guide For The Mixed Games Player appeared first on .

Monmouth Park announced plans to file a lawsuit, claiming that sports leagues owed them hundreds of millions in damages after barring Monmouth from sports betting in New Jersey in 2014.

The post Monmouth Park Doesn’t Hold Back, Seeks Restitution From Sports Leagues appeared first on Play NJ.

Earlier this year, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) announced it was buying Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

Purchasing the Erie, Pennsylvania casino, gave CDI entry into the expanding Pennsylvania gaming market. It also gave them entry into the future online gambling market expected to launch in the state later this year.

At the time of the announcement, Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI said this of the purchase:

“Presque Isle will give us a foothold in Pennsylvania which has recently passed legislation authorizing real money online gaming.”

The statement, made three months ago, appears to set the stage for two strategic partnerships CDI made this week.

Monday’s Supreme Court decision opened the door for legalized sports betting across the nation. Following the news, Churchill Downs has been busy expanding its reach to secure its place in the market as it gets ready to explode.

Churchill Downs partners with SBTech

In addition to its newly acquired Pennsylvania casino, Churchill Downs owns racetracks and casinos in several other states:

• Kentucky
• Mississipi
• Illinois
• Florida
• Louisiana
• Ohio
• Maine

It has been offering horse betting in those states via its mobile app, TwinSpires.com.

This week, CDI and SBTech finalized a partnership to expand its online betting offerings. The agreement will give SBTech entry into the U.S. market and give CDI a comprehensive iGaming platform.

The platform, “consisting of the consumer website, mobile apps, and back-office systems to manage iGaming and sports wagering” will expedite CDI’s entry into markets as sports betting laws allow.

“We are thrilled to have Churchill Downs as our first U.S. partner,” said Richard Carter, CEO of SBTech in a statement. “The combination of Churchill’s leading presence in the U.S. market, coupled with SBTech’s deep expertise in regulated sports betting markets globally, makes for an ideal partnership as we enter this monumental chapter in the U.S. gaming industry.”

Churchill Downs partners with Golden Nugget in New Jersey

Also this week, Churchill Downs confirmed it plans to offer online gaming in New Jersey under Golden Nugget‘s casino license.

It is necessary to have a land-based casino presence to enter the online gambling market in the Garden State. The state’s gambling laws allow for casinos to sub-lease licenses to partners.

This partnership has the potential to expand the presence of both companies in markets they would not be able to enter otherwise.

“We are looking forward to offering integrated iGaming and sports betting products in New Jersey,” said Carstanjen. “We have the unique opportunity to leverage our knowledge and experience operating the largest legal online horse racing wagering business in the U.S. as we enter the iGaming and sports betting markets.”

Sports betting and online gambling environments are changing daily

Since the Supreme Court lifted the ban on sports betting this week, the news has been fast and furious in the gaming space. Forging strategic partnerships will allow casinos to launch online gambling products faster. It also gives foreign companies entry into an evolving and growing U.S. sports betting and online gaming market.

The relationships Churchill Downs forged this week positions them to enter the New Jersey market as soon as this summer. Lawmakers in the state are hoping to have legislation on the books at the beginning of June.

Mississipi is another state where CDI is ready to accept sports wagers. The Mississippi Gaming Commission told Legal Sports Report to expect sports betting to launch late-summer.

Pennsylvania may be the feather in CDI’s cap, though. Pennsylvania has the sixth-largest population in the country. It also is about to launch several new forms of gambling, thanks to expansion bill passed last year.

With a land-based casino presence and a comprehensive gaming platform provider, Churchill Downs is ready to capitalize when online gaming and sports betting goes live in the Keystone State.

The post Churchill Downs Inks Partnerships With SBTech And Golden Nugget appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

Authorities in Florida say that a local poker pro and real estate investor ate a marijuana-laced edible before a Wednesday fatal car crash in which he fled the scene. According …

Rush Street Interactive and Kambi Group have inked a deal that will bring online sports betting to Rush Street’s PlaySugarhouse NJ online casino.

The post PlaySugarhouse NJ Online Casino Preps To Add Sports Betting To Its Offerings appeared first on Play NJ.