Casino City’s Friday Five: Regulation and Super Bowl edition
Let’s begin with some poker action:
5. Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship ends with a chop
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Winter Poker Open started off 2025 with two weeks of poker action featuring 30 trophy events and $5,000,000 in guarantees.
The tournament in Atlantic City culminated with the BWPO Championship that ended in a heads-up chop with Nguyen Le winning $425,000 and Joseph Neiman taking home $406,791.
Neiman won the final all-in flip to earn the title of BWPO Champion besting a field of 932 entries to finish as the official first place winner. The BWPO Championship surpassed the $2,000,000 million guarantee with a final prize pool of $2,875,255.
It was the largest live cash for Le and Neiman. It adds to Neiman’s championship resume. The Teaneck, New Jersey resident also won the World Amateur Backgammon championship in 1982.
Co-champs FTW at the @BorgataPoker WPO ??https://t.co/kGGW9uxaNz
— BetMGM Poker (@BetMGMPoker) January 22, 2025
4. Prediction market Kalshi launches sports betting
The trading exchange Kalshi filed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last Wednesday to put up odds on Super Bowl futures.
Kalshi successfully fought CFTC regulation to post presidential election betting odds last year.
Founded in 2018, the exchange offers trading on anything from who will win the Oscar for Best Picture to whether Trump will buy Greenland.
Sports trading is live on Kalshi!
— Kalshi (@Kalshi) January 23, 2025
Available in all 50 States:
• No house - trade directly with other users in an open market.
• Live trading during the game with no locked lines - cash out anytime.
• No bans or restrictions for winners.
The Golden Age of markets is here. https://t.co/QaQydR15YJ
3. Las Vegas to be filled with Super Bowl Watch parties
After successfully hosting the Super bowl last year, Vegas will offer a weekend full of high energy and excitement with watch parties.
Below are just a few examples of what guests can expect from Sin City next weekend:
Proper Eats Food Hall, located on the second-level promenade of Aria Resort & Casino, is gearing up with an all-inclusive food and beverage package which includes unlimited beer, wine and well cocktails.
Beer Park, the rooftop hotspot perched above Paris Las Vegas, will offer reserved seating options for groups of two, four, six or eight, ensuring a great vantage point to catch every touchdown and celebrate every play.
At Carmine’s at Caesars Palace, the MVP Ticket includes a premium Italian buffet featuring seafood, a carving station and more along with Carmine’s wines and top-shelf spirits. The Tailgate Ticket offers a buffet of fan-favorite Italian dishes paired with a premium open bar including wines, draft and bottled beers and spirits.
2. BetRivers Sportsbook to open at Swinomish Casino and Lodge
Earlier this week, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Rush Street Interactive announced the launch of in-person sports betting at the BetRivers Sportsbook at the Swinomish Casino & Lodge in Washington.
Customers will be able to place a wide array of bets at the new retail sportsbook on a variety of U.S. and worldwide sporting events, including parlays, prop bets and in-game bets.
1. Michigan Gaming Control Board orders MyBookie.ag to cease operations
Last week, the Michigan Gaming Control Board issued a cease-and-desist letter to Duranbah Limited N.V., the operator of MyBookie.ag, based in Curaçao.
The site offers a variety of casino-style games, such as slots, poker, and live-dealer games like blackjack, roulette, and craps. It also allows users to place bets on sporting events and horse races.
The MGCB’s investigation revealed that MyBookie.ag’s operation of online casino-style games for paying customers, without a valid Michigan gambling license, breaches several state laws.
Duranbah Limited N.V. has 14 days from receipt of the letter to cease offering gambling services to Michigan residents, as required by the cease-and-desist letter. If the company fails to comply, the MGCB is prepared to collaborate with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office for further legal actions.