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Poker Industry PRO: UCOP From MPN Joins the Spring Tournament Series Fray

UCOP: Full Throttle will be running in May for the first time, with €500,000 guaranteed.

The Universal Championship of Poker (UCOP) from MPN will hit the schedule for the first time in May with €500,000 guaranteed over 67 events.

Highlights of UCOP: Full Throttle, to give its full title, include the main event with €40,000 guaranteed and a €320 high roller with €30,000 guaranteed. Four PLO tournaments are on the schedule with the rest of the lineup made up of No Limit Hold’em bounty, re-buy and freezeout events.

Read the full article on pokerfuse →

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Batavia Downs Saddling Up For NY Sports Betting

The New York horse racing industry is preparing for the possibility of legal sports betting.

This week, an executive from Western Regional Off-Track Betting expressed an immediate appetite for expanded wagering through its Batavia Downs headquarters. COO Mike Nolan told The Daily News that WROTB will move into NY sports betting without delay if legislation clears a path.

“If we can do it legally,” Nolan said, “we’ll do everything we can to be up and running as soon as possible.” The group also operates dozens of OTBs in the state, all west of I-81.

Nolan’s sentiments echo those of operators in neighboring New Jersey, where legalization is also pending. Monmouth Park, for example, hopes to be taking sports bets within weeks of a US Supreme Court ruling.

Batavia Downs bullish on sports betting

New York and New Jersey are both among a small group of states with new sports betting laws. Like everyone not named Nevada, though, they’re prohibited from activating that law under a superseding federal prohibition.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) blocks state-based regulation of sports betting unless it was already in place before 1992. Nevada was grandfathered in, but any laws passed thereafter are effectively void unless something changes at the federal level.

NJ is trying to do the changing. It took the matter all the way to the highest court in the nation, presenting oral arguments last December. Murphy vs. NCAA will be decided within a matter of weeks, and the gaming industry is giddy with anticipation.

Many expect to see PASPA repealed, including Nolan. Horsemen speak the language of handicapping, so he was ready with a number. “If you wanted me to give you some odds, I would say 60/40 that the Supreme Court will overturn it,” he said.

Batavia Downs already has an early game plan on the whiteboard.

“We have all kinds of areas that we could retrofit and get going quickly,” Nolan said. “We would be tied in with some really big sports outfit that had been doing sports betting for years. It’s our hope that if everything goes well and in our favor, we’re hoping to have sports betting by the NFL season.”

The goal, of course, would be to target the region’s existing sports fanbase. “Certainly, with two professional sports teams in western New York, the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres, it will be exciting.”

‘If we can do it legally…’

Herein lies the current issue for Batavia Downs.

Tracks and OTBs in neighboring states are eager for sports betting with good reason. They’ll be involved from the start. Laws in NJ and Pennsylvania allow those venues to seek licenses if the federal hurdles are removed.

Pari-mutuel facilities in the Empire State aren’t so fortunate at the moment though. As written, the state’s own sports betting law limits licensure to the four commercial NY casinos. Even if PASPA were repealed tomorrow, the racing industry would still need new legislation to offer sports betting.

Lawmakers are in the process of revisiting the issue. Several news bills have already appeared this session, each of them including tracks and OTBs in the industry.

Time is of the essence, though. Tracks in neighboring states have already positioned themselves for sports betting, and the Supreme Court’s hourglass is nearly empty.

Daily News also reports that WROTB has been working with lawmakers in Albany to get legislation moving. A recent proposal from Sen. John Bonacic (S 7900) evidently reflects compromises that arose from those discussions.

Creating a quality wagering product

Horse betting is old hat for Batavia Downs; it has hosted pari-mutuel racing since 1973. It also has its limit of 600 video lottery terminals, operating as a licensed racino since 2005. This new vertical, though, would require a bit of catching up.

Nolan said the WROTB is already getting familiar with the mechanics in a proactive way. “We’ve been educating ourselves on sportsbooks and sports betting so we can bring the best sports betting product to New York State,” he said.

It sounds like they’re past the preliminary stages. According to Nolan, the group is now seeking out an operating partnership. “This past Friday, we just had a video conference with a sportsbook company,” he said. “That was our second talk with them and we’ve had talks with others.”

Batavia Downs does seem to be a good candidate for sports betting. Customers already enjoy sports-centric promotions and seasonal events, and the property even embraces NY daily fantasy sports. Two years ago, it entered into a long-term agreement with FanDuel to offer DFS contests.

That’s so 2016 though. The mere prospect of widespread sports betting has begun to shift the current beneath the gaming industry this year. That includes some DFS operators, like DraftKings, along with casinos, tracks, OTBs, video poker parlors and lottery retailers in every relevant state.

Batavia Downs is trying to bring sports betting into western New York, too — and to do so quickly.

The post Batavia Downs Saddling Up For NY Sports Betting appeared first on Play NY.

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Churchill Downs CEO: We ‘Like States’ That May Legalize Online Casinos, Sports Betting

Churchill Downs Incorporated appears to be betting on the future of legalized online gambling and sports betting in a big way. That’s one of the takeaways from the company’s Q1 earnings call on Thursday, as the company indicated it is seeking out markets that may legalize one or both. What’s new from Churchill Downs When CDI […]

The post Churchill Downs CEO: We ‘Like States’ That May Legalize Online Casinos, Sports Betting appeared first on Online Poker Report.

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Caesars Expands Into Dubai And A Hotel-Only Property

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caesars Entertainment Corporation entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Meraas Holdings LLC April 15 to manage two developments in Dubai with one catch: no casino.

“Through our collaboration with Meraas, we anticipate Bluewaters Island will evolve into the region’s top hospitality, dining and entertainment destination,” said Mark Frissora, president and chief executive officer of Caesars Entertainment, in a release. “This project represents Caesars’ ability to focus on our strengths in hospitality as well as reinforce our commitment and capacity to establish brands in new global markets.”

These two resorts – soon to be Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and Caesars Bluewaters Dubai –  will stand as Caesars Entertainment’s first non-gaming resorts, reported PR Newswire.

Both are beachfront on a man-made island. Here are some of the other details:

  • 479 five-star rooms
  • Beach club
  • Caesars Beach Club Bluewaters Dubai
  • Indoor and outdoor pools
  • Spa with a wellness center
  • Meeting and convention space
  • 12 restaurants and bars

Dubai goes worldwide with Caesars

His Excellency Abdulla Al Habbai, group chairman of Meraas, said:

“Meraas is dedicated to implementing the vision of our wise leadership and consolidating Dubai’s status as a global tourist destination in line with the Dubai Tourism Vision 2020,” said His Excellency Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman of Meraas. “We are creating unique experiences and leveraging strategic partnerships to showcase the best of what Dubai can offer to its visitors. The landmark arrangement with Caesars Entertainment, which aims to establish Bluewaters as a world-class tourist attraction with exclusive international entertainment opportunities, is a significant achievement for the emirate’s thriving hospitality and entertainment sectors.”

Over the past five years, Meraas invested Dh18 billion ($4.86 billion) in leisure and entertainment projects, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

STR data released in January showed that Dubai had the highest numbers of rooms in the works in the Mena region in 2018. That number capped at nearly 36,394 hotel rooms in construction to get to the existing emirate’s total of 97,736.

According to KSNV, Caesars already has two casinos in Egypt.

Play At Caesars Online Now With Free Signup Bonus

Gambling banned in Dubai

In the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states, gambling is banned due to the overwhelmingly Muslim population. The large expatriate population, comparatively, may share interest in the U.S. gaming resorts, reported Reuters.

According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia is building the non-religious tourism industry in the region to reduce reliance on oil exports. This has become another potential avenue for Caesars years in the future.

“Certainly with the crown prince’s reforms, Saudi Arabia has become far more attractive for a Western brand like us,” said Bob Morse, president of hospitality for Caesars, to Reuters.

Caesars to continue international expansion

Not only is Caesars looking into Saudi Arabia and potentially Japan, but already Caesars is building a resort and casino in South Korea in a joint venture with Guangzhou R&F Properties, The Motley Fool reported.

This model of expansion is familiar in the hotel industry for big players like Hilton or Four Seasons. These operators don’t own the hotels, but operate while collecting a fee for provided services and expertise.

While for Caesars the fee was not disclosed, CBRE Hotels’ Americas Research found that fees typically run between 3 and 3.5 percent of revenue. With a $400 nightly charge for hotel rooms, that would place Caesars at $2 million in managing the hotel business only, estimated Motley Fool. Entertainment and dining could also contribute to said fee. Together, these fees could result in a high revenue from quantities alone.

Moreover, not long after news about the Dubai casino broke, Caesars announced the launch of a non-casino property in Mexico.

This trend is likely to continue with MGM Resorts following suit. After the launch of MGM Hospitality, a hotel development and management business, the company is also building hotels in Dubai that will carry the MGM and Bellagio brands. This property, owned by Wasl Hospitality, will finish construction in 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Caesars Expands Into Dubai And A Hotel-Only Property appeared first on Play USA.

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How To Change Your WSOP.com Account Over Before May 1

Nevada-based players soon will need to make some changes to stay in the game with WSOP.com.

WSOP’s move to pool players in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware will create an enhanced experience in each state. WSOP.com becomes the first online poker site to offer shared liquidity with players from the three states.

The new experience will require a new account though. Regulations in New Jersey require accounts to run through state-based servers, so it’s off to the Garden State for everyone.

A pre-registration period opened this week and continues through May 1. WSOP.com put out carrots, like a chance at a free $10,000 Main Event seat, to encourage early migration by its Nevada customers.

What Nevada players need to do to start the move

Migrate your account to the NJ client

First, you will need a new account — get that process started here. When you open that new account, your current Nevada account will close. Much of your information will move with you to New Jersey, including bankroll, loyalty points, and tournament tickets. WSOP.com only makes that transfer promise if you pre-register by May 1 though.

Your screen name likely will remain the same. It might not if a New Jersey player already owns it or an early-bird migrator beats you to it. Be prepared also that hand histories and player notes will not survive the move.

Your bankroll will get a boost as well — the current signup bonus is a 100 percent match up to $1,000. During the pre-registration period, WSOP will not accept deposits or wager for the interstate-play site.

Confirm your eligibility

Before you can play, you will need to verify eligibility through the standard Know Your Customer (KYC) check. This allows WSOP.com to check your identity and location.

If you do not pass, you can upload documents to be ready for the new site. If you moved recently, the KYC check might not know your new address and you can verify it this way.

Download the new client

When the day of migration hits, WSOP will take down all games for a few hours to facilitate the transition. You will need to update your mobile or desktop software when the site comes back up. You will still log into the Nevada site, but behind the scenes, you will be routed through the New Jersey servers.

If you have any trouble, WSOP.com customer service can be reached 24 hours a day:

1-866-745-2385
[email protected]

A comprehensive FAQ is also availableon the WSOP site.

If you are visiting for the live World Series of Poker (WSOP) this summer, keep your eyes out for the Lambada Room. That area has WSOP.com customer service reps on staff who can help you set up your account.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post How To Change Your WSOP.com Account Over Before May 1 appeared first on Play Nevada.