Less than super: online poker’s travails
Less than super: online poker’s travailsOnline poker scandal, Jackpocket concerns, Penn’s online losses examined, Macau revival +More
Know when to walk away and know when to run. Poker’s latest cheating scandalTake, take, take: A recent superuser cheating scandal at GGPoker, the market’s biggest operator in terms of traffic, has placed questions over trust in the industry. GGPoker announced in late December it had banned a player called ‘MoneyTaker69’, with the operator confiscating close to $30,000 in winnings. Add it up: A user on the Two Plus Two forum called ‘GGSuperUser’ posted MoneyTaker69’s stats, which showed the player had won at 90 big blinds per 100 across a sample of 8,900 hands in December alone.
Thumbnailed: A ‘superuser’ is a term used to describe poker players who use devices or tools that give them an unfair advantage over other players, such as the ability to see other players’ hole cards.
InclineBet provides performance-driven digital marketing services to the global regulated iGaming market. Our team bring unrivalled expertise in digital marketing, online casino and sports betting to deliver high-performance UA, CRM and Creative services. iGaming isn’t merely another market we serve, it’s the only market. Click to learn more about what we do and how we can help. Erosion of trustInside scoop: Steve Ruddock, iGaming analyst for affiliate Gambling.com, told E+M: “It looks like a typical security breach that the company believed it patched. The failure has definitely eroded the trust of the poker community.” Scandal sheet: While infamous cheating scandals have occurred before in online poker, this is arguably the most significant proven case since the Absolute Poker scandal of 2007, where Absolute Poker insiders were found to have cheated and the company was fined $500,000.
An unlikely ascent: GGPoker has reached the top of the online poker market table in terms of cash-game traffic in a short space of time, usurping long-time leader PokerStars.
In the shadows: Consensus in the industry is that GGPoker has risen to this position as a result of its gray-market activities, particularly in China. Most forms of gambling are illegal in China, but a ban on online poker has only been strongly enforced by the government since 2018; after GGPoker had made a name for itself in the country.
Stagnant pool: With online poker now some way removed from the boom of the mid-2000s, it is unlikely any other operator will break GGPoker’s current position of strength without also operating in gray markets.
+More analyst takesSlow progress: Worries over soon-to-be-acquired Kindred’s progress towards producing its proprietary sportsbook were not allayed by the recent Q4 earnings. The company, subject to a $2.8bn bid from FDJ, said it remained on track to deliver its own sportsbook with the initial rollout now planned for the current quarter.
MGM Resorts: The market reacted badly to MGM’s earnings, sending the shares down 6% the day after the call with analysts as investors took fright at the news for slimmer Las Vegas margins.
Dog eat dog: The report from EKG on cannibalization between B&M gaming and iCasino, as reported on by Compliance+More, was the cause of some debate on LinkedIn as Brian Wyman, partner at Innovation Capital, went toe-to-toe with David Briggs, co-founder at GeoComply, over the report’s conclusions and, well, a lot more. Click here to start the thread. 🍿 BettingJobs is the global leading recruitment solution provider for the iGaming, Sports Betting, and Lottery sectors. Backed by a 20-year track record of successfully supporting the iGaming industry, it's no surprise BettingJobs is experiencing rapid growth and outstanding results. Does your company plan to expand its teams to cope with strong demand and growth? Contact BettingJobs today where their dedicated team members will help you find exactly what you are looking for. DraftKings’ Jackpocket regulatory fearsJack in the box: Looking at the $750m acquisition of Jackpocket, the team at Regulus pointed out it “appears” to tick a lot of DK’s strategic, product and cultural boxes. The team noted that Jackpocket “exists because US adoption of online lottery has been sclerotic, especially for instants,” pointing out that only seven states offer some form of iLottery.
Utility futility: But regulatory questions loom with the twin dangers of either the courier model being questioned or states moving directly to iLottery, both of which could “undermine the utility” of the courier workaround.
Number of the beast: This worked for DraftKings in DFS, the team added, but lottery is a “very different beast with nervous friends in much higher places.” Further, they suggested the “clear attempt to use a lottery workaround product” to leverage sports betting and iCasino is also likely to turn up the regulatory heat.
Penn online dynamicsTipping the scales: Looking into the dynamics of ESPN Bet’s promo push, the team at Deutsche Bank explained how the better-than-expected registrations and deposits in Q4 could have led to the “considerable miss” of $344m relative to the expected $100m-$150m losses.
Pulling back: They noted that in the subsequent weeks, ESPN Bet’s promotional expenses have started to normalize. Management said on the call that promotions as a percentage of handle had fallen back to 2.8% in January vs. over 32% in November.
The losses haven’t helped Penn’s leverage situation, with Deutsche Bank noting the ratio of debt to EBITDA has “ticked up meaningfully.” This is set to worsen this year before any online-driven improvements.
Analyst takes – MacauDragon’s breath: Both visitation and hotel occupancy during the recent Chinese New Year period “approached” levels last seen in 2019, according to Jefferies, who noted that total arrivals of 1.36m far exceeded Macau government forecasts for ~1m visitors.
Fearsome: Jefferies said channel checks showed daily revenue for the holiday period for both Mass and VIP were up MoM 8-10% in the first instance and 10-14% for the latter. The analysts said this appeared to point to the second-highest post-pandemic ADR, only bettered by October’s Golden Week. Calendar
Operators, how's your risk management for NFL or March Madness? Utilize the trading screen used by top operators in the US, Europe, and Australia. Optic Odds includes:
Also, our push format API offering real-time betting odds from 150+ sportsbooks: player props, alternate markets, injury data, historical odds, schedules, ranking, scores & more, is available upon request. Get in touch at ryan@opticodds.com. An +More Media publication. For sponsorship inquiries email scott@andmore.media. |
Older messages
‘Priority USA’ – DraftKings’ home turf ambitions
Monday, February 19, 2024
DraftKings call and reaction, by the numbers – NJ and NY, startup focus – LiveDuel +More ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Name in lights: MGM revels in the business of show
Monday, February 19, 2024
MGM's boomtown benefits, Penn's NY license, DDI and GiG earnings, Catena reaction +More ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Penn revives ghost of OSB losses past
Monday, February 19, 2024
Penn earnings disappoint, Betsson earnings, MGM and GiG reaction +More ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
DraftKings pockets Jackpocket, misses on earnings
Monday, February 19, 2024
DraftKings M&A and Q4 earnings, Penn earnings reaction, shares watch – DDI, sector watch – Bitcoin +More ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Rumors swirl over $750m Jackpocket bid
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Jackpocket buyout rumors, M&A targets for 2024, Boyd on land-based gaming deal prospects +More
You Might Also Like
See who's speaking at SaaStr Annual this year
Monday, April 29, 2024
And save 20% before prices go up May 1 To view this email as a web page, click here SaaStr Annual 2024 | Sept 10-12 | SF Bay Area Hey SaaStr Community, We're gearing up for SaaStr Europa 2024 in
There Is So Much Money Sloshing Around The System
Monday, April 29, 2024
Listen now (2 mins) | READER NOTE: This Thursday I am hosting a free webinar for anyone who is trying to transition into a new job in the bitcoin and crypto industry. Previously, my team and I have
Agtech's big valuation reset
Monday, April 29, 2024
Corporate buyers lead on IT deals; layoffs drag down gaming stocks; RevenueCat bags $12M for subscription management Read online | Don't want to receive these emails? Manage your subscription. Log
Cycling Mikey
Monday, April 29, 2024
Before we as leaders have a difficult conversation, we need to understand how we present the information is as important as the information itself.
Core Update Homework ✏️
Monday, April 29, 2024
To-dos after a Google Core Update.
🔔Stagflation & the miserable economy
Monday, April 29, 2024
One metric shows how the US today compares the painful landscape of the 1970s
Here's what I know about the EA Sports College Football 25 cover athletes
Monday, April 29, 2024
Plus a topheavy NFL Draft and everybody trying to sue the NCAA
Scoop: Tipico ‘set to sell’ its US platform
Monday, April 29, 2024
Tipico's US platform sale, Novig shuts in Colorado, GLP on deal flow, startup focus – SBC First Pitch +More ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
The proven formula of the next unicorn
Monday, April 29, 2024
Today's hack The formula of the next unicorn: "Accruing benefits" + "Mounting losses" GreylockPartners, who backed 4 of 5 $10B companies during their earlier stages (series A/B)
The grounds read grim for coffee
Monday, April 29, 2024
Also in today's edition: Indian output craves Chinese inputs; Loan shortage coming up ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏