New numbers show total wagers on online casino games are beating sports-related betting in Ontario. Data from iGaming Ontario shows Ontarians placed CA$14 billion in total wagers in the second quarter of 2023. About $11.6 billion of that total was casino compared to $2 billion spent on sports. The remaining $350 million was attributed to peer-to-peer poker.
Canada’s Ontario Province, home to Toronto (shown above), saw bettors place $14 billion in online igaming and sports betting wagers in the second quarter of 2023. (Image: Trip Advisor)
The numbers are beginning to reveal a picture of the competitive market for online casino gambling and online sports betting, particularly because the Ontario government officially launched the legal and regulated iGaming market in April of 2022. It was the first province in Canada to regulate online gambling.
Analysts believe the expansion of regulated online gambling from casinos to mobile and desktop screens attracts casual players in Ontario, including perhaps many who previously gambled in person. Ontario had more than 900K active player accounts in its most recent three quarter.
Taken together, wagers from April- June generated gaming revenues of $545 million. By comparison, during the same quarter last year, the first quarter of operation, the market generated $162 million.
Ontario Leading the Way in Canada
More than 60 online casinos and betting sites are operating with legal licenses in Ontario in 2023. So far, no other province has come close to matching that number.
For comparison, the IGO said the newly regulated market from April 2022 through the end of March 2023 saw $35.6 billion in total wagers. Nearly $28 billion during that time was spent on casino games and peer-to-peer bingo. That’s about four times higher than the $7 billion spent on betting.
The combined gambling activities in that first year generated $1.4 billion in gaming revenues, according to the IGO. The Ontario government received a roughly $260 million share of gaming revenues during that period.
Province Proud of Leading in Preventing Problems
The Ontario government points out the success of the market but also highlights resources put in place to provide support for problem gambling and to protect consumers.
Andrew Kennedy, a spokesperson for the provincial attorney general, said the province provides $31 million in annual funding for problem gambling. He said another $25 million goes toward treatment programs, while $6 million is earmarked for education and prevention efforts.
As the results show, we are a national leader through our online gaming market,” Kennedy said.
Analysts and government leaders are cautious about the newly released IGO numbers as they allow a glimpse of how much online gambling is taking place now, as opposed to before the launch of a regulated market. Some of the original concerns about shifting to a legal market were based on the potential rise in gambling activity.
Denzel Mims requested a trade last season and the New York Jets finally said goodbye to the disgruntled wide receiver when they dealt him to the Detroit Lions.
Wide receiver Denzel Mims celebrates a first down catch against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. (Image: Getty)
If Mims makes the Lions’ 53-man roster, then the Lions will send the Jets a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jets will also send the Lions a seventh-round pick to complete the deal.
Mims, 25, was a standout wide receiver and multisport star in his home state of Texas. He was heavily recruited and accepted a scholarship to play at Baylor.
Mims became a full-time starter in his second season at Baylor. He caught eight touchdowns as a sophomore and added eight more scores as a junior. He considered going pro but returned to Waco for his senior season.
Baylor went 11-2 record during Mims’ senior year. In 13 games, he recorded 12 touchdowns and hauled in 66 passes for 1,020 yards. Mims caught one touchdown in a loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Mims Never Synced with the Jets
During the NFL Draft Combine, Mims impressed scouts with his speed when he posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds.
The Jets selected Mims with a late second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he joined the team during one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Adam Gase was the head coach of the Jets during a disastrous 2-14 season. The offense was nonexistent with a banged-up Sam Darnold at quarterback. The team was in disarray under Gase, who was out of his depth and who would get fired at the end of the season.
Mims appeared in nine games as a rookie. He caught 23 passes for 357 yards but failed to reach the end zone.
Robert Saleh took over as head coach in 2021, and the Jets started a new quarterback with rookie Zach Wilson. Mims and Wilson never got on the same page. Mims missed multiple games due to food poisoning and tallied just eight catches for 133 yards and no touchdowns in his second season.
Heading into his third season, Mims saw a diminished role in the offense after the Jets drafted wide receiver Garret Wilson. Mims was bumped to the second string in the preseason and he requested a trade. The Jets kept him on the roster instead. Mims caught 11 passes for 186 yards and zero touchdowns last season.
During three disappointing seasons with the Jets, Mims suited up for 30 games. He was targeted 92 times but hauled in only 42 receptions for 676 yards and zero touchdowns.
Jets Add Aaron Rodgers, Mims Buried on Depth Chart
The Jets acquired future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers in late April. The team also hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator, who was the signal caller for the Packers during Rodgers’ back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.
The Jets signed two wide receivers, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, who were both former teammates of Rodgers in Green Bay. With the addition of Rodgers’ buddies, Mims slipped further down on the depth chart.
Garrett Wilson won the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year during a sensational season, and he’s currently at the top of the depth chart as WR #1. The Jets listed Lazard at WR #2. They recently signed speedster Mecole Hardman, who is currently WR #3. The Jets also have veteran Corey Davis on the roster.
Mims isn’t a special teams player, and that lack of versatility also sealed his fate. The Jets excused Mims from training camp, so it was only a matter of time before they cut him or dealt the unhappy wideout in a trade.
Since March, the Jets traded two fairly-young wide receivers. The Jets dealt Moore to the Cleveland Browns for a second-round pick in this year’s draft. Moore caught five touchdowns as a rookie in 2021 but added just one touchdown in 2022 due to Wilson’s ascension.
Futures Bettors Backing Rodgers and the Jets
The New York Jets are +1800 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII and saw a huge bump in their futures after adding Rodgers. The Jets are currently seventh on the NFL futures board.
It’s not surprising to see the defending Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, as the betting favorite to win another AFC Championship. The Chiefs are +330 odds to win the conference title and they’re ahead of the Buffalo Bills (+500), Cincinnati Bengals (+600), Jets (+1100), Miami Dolphins (+1100), and Baltimore Ravens (+1100).
The Bills are the consensus favorite at +120 odds to win the AFC East for a fourth-straight season. The Jets are second on the board at +270 odds, followed by the Dolphins (+300) and New England Patriots (+800). The Jets last claimed a division title during the 2002 season.
According to a “make the playoffs” prop bet by DraftKings, the Jets are -130 odds to reach the postseason and are +110 odds to fall short.
The Jets went 7-10 last season, and have a win total of 9.5 over/under this upcoming season.
Rodgers is +1600 odds to win the MVP this season and he’s the eighth highest player – all of them quarterbacks – on the NFL awards board at DraftKings.
Saleh is +1600 odds to win the NFL Coach of the Year, and he’s the sixth-highest coach on the board.
Running back Breece Hall tore his ACL last October. He was having a sensational rookie season, which was cut short by the knee injury. Hall is +2500 odds to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
It’s not every day that videos go viral featuring a woman being dragged off a motorized scooter in a luxury casino resort as another woman yanks her attacker’s hair. So, when you find out why it occurred, this becomes news.
OnlyFans model Danielle Pertusiello pins another woman to the carpet at Wynn Las Vegas on July 9. (Image: Splash News)
The melee, which also featured face-punching and shoe-throwing, occurred on July 9 after one of the combatants recognized a woman walking through Wynn Las Vegas as the OnlyFans model who was cheating with her husband, according to a police report obtained by Fox News.
OnlyFans is a London-based subscription service primarily used by sex workers to produce porn. It also hosts the work of content creators such as physical fitness trainers and musicians.
Footage of the brawl landed several Instagram and TikTok videos more than 5 million views each. Here’s a compilation of videos posted by Britain’s Daily Mail, which originally broke the story.
Scorecard
Daniella Pertusiello, 24, is an OnlyFans model. (Image: Daniella Lynn / Twitter)
Danielle Pertusiello, 24, was the OnlyFans model in the cream-colored miniskirt that got hiked up around her waist as she pinned a woman in cut-off jeans and a black-and-white halter top to the carpet.
Due to redactions in the police report, it’s unclear whether the pinned woman or a blonde woman in white sweatpants who ran up and punched Collado, who was the spurned wife. The blonde woman was also the one attacked on her motorized scooter.
Pertusiello told officers the fight began when she and her friend, Amanda Collado, 29, were entering a casino bathroom and both were “hit from behind by closed fists in the back of the head.”
“Danielle turned and immediately recognized” her attacker as the wife of the married man she had been cheating with, according to the report.
As police noted, security footage told a different story: that the spurned wife and her friend had merely tapped Pertusiello and Collado on the shoulders when they entered the casino.
Almost instantaneously, “all four females start throwing punches at each other,” according to the report.
The two-timing husband, whose name was also redacted, wasn’t in town to witness the incident, or else things could have gotten even more Jerry Springer-like.
Blow by Blow
An unidentified woman on a motorized scooter is attacked during the melee. (Image: Splash News)
It’s unclear which part of the fight happened first, though it is clear how the fight ended — with a security guard tackling Pertusiello to the ground.
Pertusiello and Collado were cited by Las Vegas police for disorderly conduct and released, though their attackers apparently got off scot-free. According to Fox News, officers tried interviewing the spurned wife, but she had vacated the hotel and wouldn’t answer her cell phone.
The viral videos all begin mid-fight. Some show Pertusiello pinning the woman in cut-off jeans and the halter as a male bystander tries breaking up the fight. Others show Pertusiello dragging the blonde in sweatpants off her motorized scooter as the woman in cut-off jeans and a halter yanks on the OnlyFans model’s hair.
A local woman has gone to court to challenge a casino in Concord, NH. She claims that the project was improperly approved by town officials.
Kassey Cameron, pictured above, has filed a court action against a recently-approved casino in Concord, New Hampshire. (Image: LinkedIn)
Residents were inadequately informed that the Concord Planning Board was to vote on the proposal at its June meeting, according to the lawsuit submitted in Merrimack County Superior Court by Kassey Cameron, the Concord Monitornewspaper reported on Thursday.
Without proper notice, they did not show up to speak against the application. There were other errors, too, the lawsuit alleges.
This appeal stems from a drastic deprivation of the public’s right to due process — to meaningfully participate in the process of determining the significance of the impacts a proposed, large-scale casino, microbrewery, restaurant, and ultimately a hotel — and from several legal errors,” Cameron’s attorney, Amy Manzelli of BCM Environmental & Land Law of Concord, said in the appeal.
If the judge sides with Cameron, the application would be returned to the planning board for more review, and perhaps another vote.
Many residents have warned that the casino could lead to increased crime and put a strain on the city’s emergency services.
The applicant, Andy Sanborn, a former state senator, was supposed to submit a study to predict the number of emergency calls the casino would create, the Monitor reported.
The board asked Sanborn in May to conduct a study projecting emergency calls. In June, he submitted to the board only one page of data, which basically cited numbers seen at nearby related businesses.
Board Was Ambushed
Sanborn reportedly only let planning staff know about the new data three hours before the start of the board’s June meeting. That led Planning Board Chair Richard Woodfin to call his actions “a little bit of an ambush.”
While the public was at home and not in attendance, the board not only took up the application, it digested new information it had just received, information it had previously found insufficient then approved it without the public ever having had any meaningful opportunity to be heard on it,” the lawsuit further claims.
The board approved the proposal by a 4-2 vote, with one board member abstaining.
Among the conditions the board set on the project are a traffic signalization plan, providing sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and connections on Loudon Road, according to the Monitor.
The complex is to be placed in the city’s east side, at the intersection of Loudon and Sheep Davis roads.
The board’s vote led to immediate criticism.
An Abomination
“I was appalled to read that you ‘reluctantly approved’ Andy Sanborn’s proposed casino project … I am still trying to comprehend how you could ‘reluctantly approve’ such a thing without a public hearing,” one resident, Dan Williams, wrote to the Planning Board.
I know that the citizens of Concord, especially those of us that live around the corner from this proposed abomination, will be determined to stop this plan,” his letter added.
During a lengthy review process, opponents of the casino raised concerns about its impact on the environment, increased traffic, and other negatives, such as the risk of prostitution and illegal drugs.
A local environmental group that advocates for limited growth, the Concord Greenspace Coalition, gave board members a petition opposing the casino.
Under Sanborn’s plans, the first phase of the project will lead to a 26,000-square-foot gaming floor. It will include 634 seats and 486 electronic games, 21 table games, and a poker room. Also included will be an 8,500-square-foot restaurant and brewpub. It would have room for 150 diners.
A hotel and event space will be included in the second phase of construction. Developers could add more gaming space, too.
Supporters of the project pointed out that the casino will add more than 250 jobs and attract visitors to the city. They also note that charities will benefit from the gaming property.
As a charitable gaming operation, 35% of gross revenue from the casino will be sent to approved charities every 10 days.
Sanborn already owns Concord’s Draft Sports Bar and Grill and the Concord Casino.
The last mafia capo in Italy, alleged Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro, continues to make headlines. This time, it’s not about the man responsible for illegal gambling, murder, and drug trafficking. Instead, it’s about a local politician and a police officer who are said to have tried to sell top-secret documents about him.
Giorgio Randazzo, municipal councilor of Mazara del Vallo, Italy, in a PR photo. The Sicilian lawmaker has been implicated in a scheme to sell top-secret mob documents. (Image: Mazara del Vallo government portal)
Palermo’s anti-mafia police arrested Giorgio Randazzo, the municipal councilor of Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, and police officer Luigi Pirollo on Thursday. As part of the continuing investigation, Fabrizio Corona, referred to in Italian media as the “king of the paparazzi,” could be arrested, as well.
Randazzo and Pirollo allegedly tried to sell confidential material to Corona relating to the capture of Denaro. The capo, whose life sentence for the murders of prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino was upheld by an appeals court on Wednesday, was arrested this past January after more than 30 years in hiding.
Anti-Mafiosos Become Gangsters
Randazzo and Pirollo allegedly planned to sell a series of top-secret files relating to the arrest of Denaro to the highest bidder for tens of thousands of euros. To do so, they turned to Corona as a potential buyer for the 768 files they had downloaded.
Corona then allegedly forwarded the files to a friend, said to be the head of the Italian online magazine Mow, Moreno Pisto. The magazine describes itself as “provocative” and “unsettling.”
Pirollo, who reportedly stole the documents from a Carabinieri server, faces charges of improper access to a government computer system and breach of official secrecy. Randazzo, so far, is looking at an accusation of receiving stolen goods and trading government secrets.
The Carabinieri arrested Randazzo and Pirollo under orders of the Palermo public prosecutor on Thursday. They’re now under house arrest. Corona is still waiting to learn what will happen to him, although he faces, at a minimum, charges of receiving stolen goods.
Corona Shoots Himself in the Foot
After the capture of the fugitive boss, Corona had taken possession of a series of audio conversations between the capo and some people he met at a clinic while undergoing chemotherapy. It was during his stay at the clinic that police arrested Denaro. When Corona revealed that he had copies of the conversations, investigators realized that there had been a leak.
That led to a judge approving a request by investigators to put a wiretap on Corona’s phone to try to ascertain the source of the leak. Eventually, his dealings with Randazzo and Pirollo were caught on the recordings, although this was a lucky byproduct of the taps.
The investigators also received a hand from Pisto. The Spanish media outlet EFE reported that he approached police with details of the stolen documents after Corona contacted him.
Permanent New Home for Denaro
Authorities nabbed Denaro in mid-January at a cancer hospital in Palermo, Italy, after he evaded authorities for 30 years. Presently, he resides in L’Aquila prison, where he has tried to appeal his arrest and incarceration. So far, he’s failed.
Denaro had his life sentence affirmed by the Caltanissetta Court of Appeal on Wednesday. He is said to be behind multiple homicides, including the 1992 bombing that claimed the lives of anti-Mafia advocates Falcone and Borsellino.
The court’s ruling coincided with the 31st anniversary of a bombing in Palermo that took the lives of Borsellino and five of his security guards. In addition to the murder of Falcone and Borsellino, Denaro was found guilty of the murder of the 12-year-old son of a fellow mafioso who turned against the mob. The boy had been strangled and dissolved in acid in 1996.
In addition to the assassinations, Denaro was also into maiming and injuring. In his trial, he was found guilty of various bombings of art and religious sites in cities across Italy that injured more than 40 people and killed 10.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A new “Vegas Myths Busted” publishes every Monday, with a bonus Flashback Friday edition. Today’s edition originally ran on Aug. 19, 2022.
Yes, that billboard truck pulling up alongside your car on the Las Vegas Strip reads, “Girls Straight to Your Room.” And yes, those dudes on the corner are handing out cards featuring photos of scantily clad women and a phone number to call.
A billboard truck seems to offer prostitution to Las Vegas Strip tourists in plain sight. But looks can be complicated, if not deceiving. (Image: janaintheworld.com)
But no, prostitution isn’t legal in Las Vegas.
Prostitution has been unofficially illegal in Las Vegas since its red-light districts were shut down in the ’40s and ’50s. Officially, prostitution in Clark County (Vegas, basically) was outlawed by the Nevada legislature in 1971. Nonbrothel prostitution, such as streetwalking and the outcall services implied by the billboard trucks, has been against the law everywhere in the state since 1987.
A number of people believe Las Vegas allows prostitution because it seems to be happening openly,” Michael Green, associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas told Casino.org. “It’s also something that people tend to think would be logical in Las Vegas. Anything goes here. So why not prostitution?”
A national headline last week illustrates pop culture’s role in perpetuating this myth. “Vegas Sex Worker Offering VIP Deal to Raiders,” claimed TMZ. The sex worker who made the offer, Arial Ganja, works at the Chicken Ranch in Nye County, an hour’s drive west of the Strip, which explains why she threw in a free limo ride as part of her deal.
What About the Billboard Trucks and Hooker Cards?
It’s perfectly legal for an escort to accept money to come to a stranger’s hotel room for a reason that’s unspecified. It’s also legal to advertise this service. In fact, it used to take up more than 100 pages of the telephone directory.
What a paid escort chooses to do once they get to your room may be legal or illegal. But it’s nothing the police can do anything about if no one calls them,” Green said.
If you happen across an actual brothel in Las Vegas, be assured that it’s neither legal nor a place you want to find yourself. In August 2022, two people were arrested and charged with running just such a brothel near the Las Vegas Strip. Close to 200 men had been observed by police entering their house in a residential neighborhood and exiting after less than an hour.
Brothels like this one, which advertised its services on Craigslist, are more likely to be associated with sex trafficking, kidnapping, drug dealing, and other unsafe crimes simply because the operation is, by definition, a criminal one.
Nevada’s Complicated Relationship with Hookers
In the 19th century, Nevada’s main draw wasn’t gambling or Cirque du Soleil, but gold and silver mines. The influx of diggers hoping to strike it rich resulted in three men for each woman. Brothels offered the illusion of evening up that number. Early in the 20th century, every other state in the union passed laws prohibiting businesses that force women and girls into prostitution.
But Nevada, where brothels were more culturally entrenched, did something unusual. It left the matter up to its counties and cities to decide.
“This reflects Nevada’s sometimes misbegotten libertarianism — live and let live,” Green said. “Its leaders decided to allow what other states would not. For example, in 1897, only Nevada would allow prizefighting, and both gambling and prostitution went merrily on.”
In the jurisdictions choosing to allow it, brothel prostitution became highly regulated. In 1937, Nevada’s State Board of Health began requiring brothel prostitutes to submit to weekly gonorrhea and monthly syphilis check-ups.
Finally, in the 1970s, some Nevada counties with long-regulated prostitution began officially legalizing brothels. Storey County was the first, sanctioning Joe Conforte’s Mustang Ranch in 1971.
Currently, 20 legal brothels operate in the 10 Nevada counties that allow them, according to the Nevada Brothel List site. That’s down from a peak of 35 brothels in the early ‘80s.
Vegas-Adjacent Prostitution
In addition to the Chicken Ranch, Sheri’s Ranch is also located an hour’s drive from the Strip in Nye County. Nye’s only other currently operating legal brothel, the Alien Cathouse, is 90 minutes northwest in Amargosa Valley.
For a while, Nye’s best-known brothel was Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch in Crystal, Nev. Basketball and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star Lamar Odom created international awareness for it in 2015 when he almost died of a drug overdose while staying there. Three years later, brothel impresario Hof actually did die there at age 72. In 2022, the brothel was listed for sale at $1.2M.
The sex workers at Nevada’s legal brothels operate like independent contractors renting out space at hair salons or day spas. They pay licensing fees to the state and their own taxes on their income. Sex workers also pay for their own weekly STD tests and sex worker registration cards, which vary in price by county.
They get to negotiate their own prices with clients, usually somewhere between $100-$1,000 per “menu” item, and they’re expected to kick half back to the brothel to cover rent, food, utilities, and other operating costs.
Why is Prostitution Illegal in Las Vegas?
That’s a funny question to ask, isn’t it? No one ever asks why brothels are illegal in Detroit or Wichita.
Fresh from his victory in Storey County, Joe Conforte ran smack into a wall he didn’t expect to hit when he tried securing a license to open a brothel in Clark County in 1971. Instead of getting a license, Conforte got prostitution outlawed. His request triggered county officials to convince state legislators to remove the choice of legal brothels from any county with more than 200K residents. (Back then, this meant Clark County.) Now, the law specifies 700K. Again, Clark County, but now also Washoe County, where Reno is located.
At the time of the 1971 prostitution law, the state had just instituted the Corporate Gaming Act to try to attract publicly traded companies and rid itself of organized crime,” Green said. “And, as the famous Las Vegan Andre Agassi once said, image is everything. But I think, on social issues, Las Vegas has become less libertarian with population growth.”
“We are much more conservative than most people realize.”
Look for “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. Click here to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email [email protected].
In the midst of political and economic upheaval in the UK, lawmakers have taken time out to discuss cryptocurrency. A plan that would have regulated crypto-like gambling, and even possibly given control to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), has fallen flat.
The UK House of Commons Treasury Committee in session. The government has rejected a recommendation by the committee to regulate cryptocurrency as gambling. (Image: UK House of Commons)
The proposition to classify cryptocurrency trading as gambling has been met with denial by the UK government. A House of Commons Treasury Committee had suggested the idea, arguing that investing in cryptocurrency was akin to gambling.
A government plan to enforce traditional financial regulations on cryptocurrencies like bitcoin (BTC) or ethereum (ETH) raised eyebrows among those in the Treasury Committee in May. They asserted that the move could give consumers a false sense of security about making crypto purchases.
Because of crypto market fluctuations, the committee decided that crypto trading was no better than gambling. In doing so, it showed that it doesn’t understand the ecosystem. Crypto was created as a form of currency, and as such, any trading is akin to Forex markets, which isn’t treated like gambling.
A Hard Pass on Treasury Idea
The Treasury Committee, by its own admission, believes cryptocurrency financial services should face comparable regulations and consequences as other industries with similar risks. In light of this, the committee proposed classifying cryptocurrencies as a form of gambling and urged the government to regulate them accordingly.
If the UK were to unilaterally adopt a system, which is out of step with approaches taken globally, this could push cryptoasset activity offshore, reducing the UK’s opportunity to make it safer and capitalise on the potential benefits, while leaving consumers exposed to residual risks,” said Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrew Griffith.
On July 19, the UK Minister of Finance, Andrew Griffith, expressed his disagreement with the Treasury Committee’s recommendations. He stated that the Treasury doesn’t completely align with the notion of treating crypto assets as gambling for trading and investment purposes.
He added that there still needs to be an initiative to establish a regulatory framework for the crypto economy, and that it should be treated comparably to traditional currencies. Considering the November 2022 FTX cryptocurrency exchange crash, it becomes evident that classifying cryptocurrencies as mere gambling won’t effectively manage the associated risks.
In addition, the Treasury Committee’s approach could counter international approaches to crypto regulations. Domestically, if the UKGC were to be given control under the committee’s plan, the result would be a wider gap in proper oversight, with the gaming regulator and financial watchdogs uncertain about who is actually in charge.
Crypto Oversight Still Coming
Just because the government rejected the Treasury’s approach doesn’t mean that crypto regulations aren’t in the works. Last month, a regulatory bill aimed at overseeing the cryptocurrency industry was introduced and discussed in parliament.
The bill lays out regulations for the crypto industry and the use of crypto promotions and advertising. It includes language that would force crypto companies to receive regulatory approval for their promotions, similar to current regulations for the financial sector.
By the close of 2023, the government may implement this legislation. In addition, it was clarified that the government actively participated in the suggestions presented by the Finance Committee.
The UK has indicated on numerous occasions that it wants to be a global crypto hub. For that to happen, it has to take a common-sense approach to oversight and have a good grasp of digital currency concepts.
Despite calls for a ban on online gaming in the Philippines, the country’s gaming regulator sees a lot of opportunity. It has already said that it wants to enter the online casino space, and a new announcement about the development of a virtual reality (VR) casino is doubling down on its stance.
PAGCOR officials and Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos attend the unveiling of PAGCOR’s new logo. Along with the new logo, the agency has plans for a new online casino. (Image: Philippine Star)
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has revealed some of its plans for the upcoming year. A new online casino, set to launch in early 2024, is an ambitious project spearheaded by Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR’s president and CEO.
The innovative platform, known as casinofilipino.com, seeks to revolutionize the online gambling experience by incorporating cutting-edge VR technology. Through this immersive technology, players will be transported to a virtual realm that perfectly simulates the atmosphere of a traditional brick-and-mortar casino.
Embracing the Digital Age
Tengco stated that the online casino possesses the potential to connect with players worldwide. As a result, it can provide the organization with opportunities to explore untapped markets.
Some lawmakers want PAGCOR’s operations to be separated. They are rallying support for the agency to dedicate itself only to regulations, foregoing any casino operations. It’s unclear what will happen to any online casinos PAGCOR launches if they get their way.
Moreover, PAGCOR is actively enhancing its slot machine operations. It has already initiated negotiations with diverse manufacturers to facilitate the upgrade of the segment.
The new PAGCOR boss expressed his anticipation for consumers to indulge in a novel gaming adventure with the upgrade. The goal is to replace the antiquated machines currently in the field with 3,500 cutting-edge gaming devices, all in accordance with the contractual agreement between PAGCOR and the manufacturer.
Additionally, PAGCOR proclaimed its commitment to refining its casino management system. To do so, it is in the process of creating in-house computer software programs that it will integrate into its existing infrastructure.
The gaming and casino regulatory body reported its earnings for the first half of 2023, revealing a substantial sum of PHP36.21 billion (US$663 million). This was off gross gaming revenue of PHP136.37 billion ($2.5 billion).
Tengco expressed his optimistic view that PAGCOR has the potential to surpass its pre-COVID-19 profit level by the conclusion of this year. Anticipating a notable surge in the latter half, he projected an income of PHP37 billion (US$676 million), subsequently contributing to a substantial annual income of PHP71 billion (US$1.29 billion).
The No-Go Logo
PAGCOR recently updated its logo, but the results haven’t been entirely welcome. Complaints surfaced after media outlets reported that the agency spent PHP3 million (US$54,810) for the new design.
Tengco defended the reports, asserting that the cost isn’t just for the logo. In addition, there were “other deliverables” that were included. Among these are manuals, stationery, brochures, and more.
The updated brand design includes what the designer, Printplus Graphic Services, meant to be a flame with shades of red and blue. This, according to Tengco, represents “energy, inspiration, passion, and transformation.” It also “represents a guiding light that helps people find their way.”
The new logo will begin appearing at all of the properties PAGCOR manages across the country, and that rollout carries additional costs. As the agency tries to stabilize its image, it’s hoping that a new brand appearance will help it establish a strong foundation.
Three 14-year-olds were arrested and are heading to court after several Kias were burglarized last Thursday at the parking garage at Bally’s Atlantic City.
Bally’s Atlantic City, pictured above. Three teens were arrested recently after car thefts at the property. (Image: WPG)
Two of the juveniles broke into and burglarized the vehicles at the 1900 Pacific Ave. parking facility, police said.
They attempted to steal the cars, but were unsuccessful. In the process, they damaged steering columns, police said.
One of the teens had a USB cable in his possession. It is known to be frequently used as a tool when stealing Kia and Hyundai cars, police revealed. The second teen had a screwdriver with him. Thieves sometimes use screwdrivers to turn on vehicle ignitions and break steering columns.
Detectives located the boys walking in the Connecticut and Wabash Avenues in Atlantic City last Friday night. The boys were stopped by Atlantic City detectives Christopher Dodson, Alberto Valles, Eric Evans, and Troy Grams.
Charges
The two teens were charged with three counts each of burglary and criminal mischief. They also were charged with possession of burglar tools.
The two were released to the custody of their parents. They are scheduled to appear in local court.
A third teen was found to be holding stolen credit cards. He was charged with receiving stolen property and was given a summons to appear in local court. The credit cards had been stolen from a car, police said.
None of the suspects was identified by the police because of their ages.
Free Wheel Locks
Given these break-ins and other recent car burglaries, the Atlantic City Police Department announced that it is distributing free steering wheel locks to Hyundai and Kia owners this week.
The distribution is part of an ongoing effort by Atlantic City cops to curb Kia and Hyundai car thefts.
These vehicles continue to be the most popular cars and SUVs for car thieves, particularly younger individuals,” Atlantic City police said in a recent statement.
To get the steering wheel locks, owners of these brands of cars who live in Atlantic City can use their affected vehicles or a copy of their car registration and driver’s license. They must bring those to the Clayton G. Graham Public Safety Building at 2715 Atlantic Ave., Atlantic City.
Local police will provide owners of these auto brands a free lock between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays.
Nationally, teenagers are increasingly finding information online on how to steal cars, such as on TikTok. They may use them for joy rides, or as a getaway vehicle for another crime, such as robberies, according to The New York Times.
Las Vegas investigators are looking into unsolved murder cases there for a possible connection to the Manhattan architect charged in the Gilgo Beach serial killings. Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested and charged last week in the deaths of three of the 11 women whose remains were found buried on a remote highway on New York’s Long Island in 2010 and 2011.
Though he lived, and allegedly murdered, in New York, Heuermann also owned two timeshares just off the Strip in Vegas.
Gilgo Beach Killer suspect Rex Heuermann is shown in his booking photo. (Image: Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department.)
“We are aware of Rex Heuermann’s connection to Las Vegas,” the Las Vegas Metro Police Department said in a statement. “We are currently reviewing our unsolved cases to see if he has any involvement.”
Heuermann, a married father of two, bought a two-bedroom timeshare at a property at 265 E. Harmon Ave. — now known as Club Wyndham Grand Desert — for $51,298 in 2004, according to records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He sold it for the exact same amount in 2013.
Heuermann still owns another two-bedroom timeshare he bought in 2005 — in Club De Soleil at 5499 W. Tropicana Ave. According to the newspaper, he bought it with his wife, Asa Ellerup, for about $17K , the newspaper said.
It is not known whether police have searched either of the premises for evidence.
The three young women whose deaths Heuermann is being charged with — 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy, 22-year-old Megan Waterman, and 27-year-old Amber Costello — are believed to have been sex workers who advertised their services online. Their remains were discovered during the 2010 search for the missing Shannan Gilbert, 23, who wasn’t found until a year later.
Heuermann is not suspected in all 11 deaths, but he was connected to Barthelemy, Waterman, and Costello via cellphone data. Authorities are also hoping to gather enough evidence to charge him with the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, shortly.
Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied any involvement in the killings.
