Casino City’s Friday Five: Massive fines and sports betting edition
Before diving into those details, we also have a record-setting fine from the U.K. Gambling Commission, a six-figure jackpot win at an Oklahoma casino, a new Hell’s Kitchen location at a California casino and the schedule for the upcoming WCOOP.
Let’s start off with a six-figure win:
5. $361,706 jackpot on $uper hit$ Jackpot$ at Border Casino
A lucky player recently had a big day at Border Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, hitting a $uper Hit$ Jackpot$ progressive jackpot for $361,706 on the Star Spangled 7s Super Hits slot game.
$uper Hit$ Jackpot$ is a three-reel mechanical wide area progressive with a starting jackpot of $250,000. Games featuring $uper Hit$ Jackpot$ include Bourbon Street, Ca$h Barn, Crazy Cherry, Gems & Jewels, Hot Red Ruby, The King of Coin, Lucky Ducky, Mr. Money Bags, Reel Fever, Smooth as Silk, and Star Spangled Sevens.
4. Hell’s Kitchen opens at Harrah’s Resort Southern California
Last Friday, Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen — the eatery created by multi-Michelin-starred chef and television personality, Gordon Ramsay — opened its doors at Harrah's Resort Southern California.
As the first location in California and largest outpost to date, this Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen occupies an 11,360-square-foot space and can accommodate up to 332 guests.
"I love Southern California," said Chef Gordon Ramsay. "It's one of the best places to live, as well as visit, so it was a no brainer to bring California's first Hell's Kitchen to Harrah's Resort SoCal."
Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen at Harrah's Resort SoCal will feature many of Chef Ramsay's signature dishes, such as his famed Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding, among other specialty items such as Lobster Risotto, Wagyu Meatballs, Pan Seared Scallops and Crispy Skin Salmon.
Time to raise a little hell. Hell's Kitchen at #HarrahsSoCal is officially OPEN! @GordonRamsayHK @GordonRamsay #HarrahsSoCal #GRHellsKitchen #FunnerHK #HellsKitchen pic.twitter.com/XBauiqJIr2
— Harrah's SoCal (@HarrahsSoCal) August 13, 2022
3. UKGC hits Entain with record-breaking fine
Entain is to pay £17 million for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures at its online and land-based businesses.
The gambling business will pay £14 million for failures at its online business LC International Limited, which runs 13 websites, including ladbrokes.com, coral.co.uk and foxybingo.com. It will also pay £3 million for failures at its Ladbrokes Betting & Gaming Limited operation which runs 2,746 gambling premises across Britain.
Additional license conditions will also be added to ensure a business board member oversees an improvement plan, and that a third-party audit to review its compliance with the License Conditions and Codes of Practice takes place within 12 months.
Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “Our investigation revealed serious failures that have resulted in the largest enforcement outcome to date. There were completely unacceptable anti-money laundering and safer gambling failures. Operators are reminded they must never place commercial considerations over compliance.”
Rhodes continued by saying, “They should be aware that we will be monitoring them very carefully and further serious breaches will make the removal of their license to operate a very real possibility. We expect better and consumers deserve better.”
2. Kansas sports betting will launch next week
overnor Laura Kelly today announced that sportsbooks at Kansas’ four state-owned casinos can begin accepting wagers in person and on mobile platforms starting September 1, 2022, and will officially open September 8. Sports wagering, like all gaming in Kansas, is owned by the state and operated by the Kansas Lottery.
Under temporary rules and regulations, the state’s four casino gaming partners can begin launching sports betting just in time for the first NFL game on 8 September.
The four casinos contracted with the state to offer sports wagering through independent platforms are Boot Hill Casino and Resort; Ford County near Dodge City; Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane; Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, KS; and Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel in Pittsburg.
1. Schedule announced for 2022 World Championship of Online Poker
PokerStars’ World Championship of Online Poker is back for a 21st year to crown a host of World Champions and create epic moments from 4-28 September.
The series has $85 million in guaranteed prize pools across 104 events, with low, medium, and high buy-in levels from $5.50 up to $25,000.
New to the schedule is the addition of 12 World Championship events, where the winners will become the World Championship of that tournament’s specific poker discipline. Also new for 2022 is a change in the buy-in for the World Championship No-Limit Hold’em Main Event to $10,300.
This year’s WCOOP also sees the first ever official WCOOP Women’s Event. It will take place on 25 September and award a guaranteed prize pool of $38,000 across the three buy-in levels.
Breaking...
— PokerStars (@PokerStars) August 15, 2022
The #WCOOP schedule is here.
The $85M GTD series runs September 4th to 28th and features 322 tournaments, including 12 championship events.
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