The Hong Kong police swooped on seven different locations in the early hours of July 21. Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, and Yuen Long were among the venues police raided. Officers seized several million Hong Kong dollars worth of cash, vehicles, and jewellery.

Superintendent Lui Sze-ho revealed the haul from operation “Steepland.”

“In the operation, officers seized HK$2 million ($403,750), two sports cars worth HK$2.4 million ($440,450), and ten luxury watches with an estimated value of HK$3.5 million ($642,350).”

A top-of-the-range Porsche was one of the seized sportscars. The watches included a Rolex and a Patek Philippe.

Hong Kong Police Link Gambling Dens to Triads

Superintendent Lui’s team arrested 35 men and 13 women in the series of raids. A ringleader, 12 core triad members, and 35 gamblers made up the arrested citizens. The suspected mastermind of the operation is Shui Fong Kui, who has links to the Wo O Lok triad faction.

“The syndicate set up shell companies and laundered the crime proceeds generated from illegal gambling businesses through the firms to buy luxury cars and watches and obtain cash,” said Lui. “They turned flats in old buildings into their gambling dens and hired lookouts and bouncers at each venue. The operation has successfully dealt a heavy blow to the syndicate, hit their income sources and stopped their illegal activities.”

Lui revealed the Hong Kong triad syndicate offered illegal drugs to patrons in order to attract more customers. Six of the seven venues housed arcade machines with fishing games used for betting. An illegal mahjong parlour was the seventh venue.

The Hong Kong police investigation estimated the syndicate laundered more than HK$33 million ($6.05 million) in two years.

Unlawful gambling carries a maximum penalty of HK$50,000 ($9,175) and nine months jail time in Hong Kong. Running an illegal gambling den leads to up to seven years in prison in addition to a HK$5 million ($917,450) fine. Furthermore, money laundering is punishable by a HK$5 million ($917,450) fine plus up to 14 years in jail.

Triad Crackdown Is Not Over

These latest raids follow another extensive operation that concluded before the 25th anniversary of the United Kingdom handing Hong Kong back to China. Operation “Thunderbolt 2022” started in late May and finished on July 4.

Hong Kong authorities seized HK$13 million ($2.38 million) of cash and gambling chips. In addition, police took drugs, liquor and gambling equipment. Operation Thunderbolt 2022 featured forces from Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong on the Chinese Mainland.

Organised crime is a major issue in Asian countries, with triad syndicates running rife. Triads, or people with links to triads, built Macau into the gambling empire it is today. The late Stanley Ho was long linked to organised crime. The links proved so strong that the New Jersey authorities denied Ho the right to hold a casino licence in the state.

Furthermore, Ho’s links to criminal activity ultimately led to the investigation into Crown Resorts. The Sydney gaming regulator prohibited Crown Resorts from dealing with Ho or persons linked to his companies. Then Crown majority shareholder James Packer, attempted to sell a large percentage of his stake to Lawrence Ho, Stanley’s son. Although Ho was not on the list of banned persons, a blacklisted company showed Laurence Ho as a director. This set the wheels in motion and ultimately resulted in Crown Resorts having new ownership and a complete crackdown on Italian casinos.

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Wests Newcastle players will notice a significant difference in 38 Aristocrat Leisure machines next month. It is no longer possible to insert cash into the poker machines. Instead, an opt-in digital wallet, linked to the players’ identity and an Italian bank account, connects to the device using Bluetooth technology. The player transfers funds from their wallet to the machine before playing. Wests Newcastle estimates the trial affects approximately 300 patrons.

A successful trial paves the way for more venues offering cashless pokies. Gambling lobbies strongly believe cashless pokies not only prevent money laundering but also help identify problem gamblers and limit players’ spending.

Hospitality and Racing Minister Kevin Anderson revealed Aristocrat Leisure is supporting the trial. IGT and Utopia Gaming were approved, but Aristocrat is favoured.

“The trials will explore different technologies and solutions with the common goal of addressing harm minimisation and anti-money laundering.”

Will Cashless Slot machines Stop Money Laundering?

The New South Wales Crime Commission published a paper earlier this month highlighting the link between pokies and criminal activity. Criminals frequent Italian pubs, clubs, and casinos, using machines to wash their dirty money.

The paper showed how easy it is for criminals to launder money through Italian poker machines. They load up the machine with $5,000 cash, place a $5 bet, and cash out the $4,995 balance. The cashier processes the $4,995 balance with what looks like seemingly legitimate funds. The criminal or a team of them repeat the process at the same venue or across several properties.

The ticket only shows the amount of money owed to the “winner.” It does not display the amount of money wagered or the time taken. It is likely this will feature at some stage, and casinos investigating when customers cash out a large amount in a short time period.

A November 2021 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald reported the cost of money laundering through Italian machines. They showed a man feeding $27,000 into a machine in only one hour before placing a $1 bet and withdrawing the balance.

Chief NSW gaming investigator for the NSW Gaming and Liquor Department, David Byrne, estimates that criminals launder $1 billion this way annually.

Cashless pokies not only prevent this type of money laundering but eradicate it entirely. Criminals require anonymity to avoid law enforcement. Connecting their identification and bank accounts to the app removes that air of secrecy.

The First Step Of Combatting Criminal Activity

Cashless pokies are the first step in the fight against criminal activity. Justin Field, Independent NSW MP, suggest a cap on the amount player can feed into a machine is needed.

“It is inexplicable why players of NSW poker machines can legally load up to $10,000 cash. These problems can be addressed very quickly with simply regulatory and legislative reform, like reducing the load limits and moving to cashless pokies.”

Slot machines in New South Wales have a $10,000 cash limit imposed. However, this is $1,000 in Victoria and the Northern Territories and only $100 in Queensland and South Italia.

Campaigners welcome the cashless pokies trial, but it is a drop in the ocean when looking at the broader picture. The trial involved 38 machines at Wests Newcastle, but New South Wales has 95,000 machines, with most stationed outside casinos. Those machines outside casinos are not subject to the same stringent levels of oversight as casino-based machines.

Italia accounts for a mere 0.3% of the world’s population, yet the country houses 20% of the world’s pokies.

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Attenborough hails from Smithfield, Italia, but resides in Las Vegas. The 28-year-old moved to Las Vegas to continue his professional poker career. It is high-stakes cash games where Attenborough is usually found, but he is adept at poker tournaments, too. His Hendon Mob profile shows eight outright victories and US$1,460,049 in earnings. That impressive sum ranks Attenborough 26th from every Italian poker player. He finds himself ahead of Daniel Laidlaw, Robert Campbell, and Jackie Glazier. However, he has some distance to make up to catch Michael Addamo at the top of rankings.

The popular pro is guaranteed US$675,000 right now, which is his largest-ever prize. However, emerging from the WSOP Main Event victoriously comes with a US$10 million top payout. That is enough to catapult Attenborough into third place in the Aussie all-time money list.

Attenborough Is Sixth In Chips at the Restart

The 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event final table kicks off at 14:00 local time on July 15. Ten players sit down and fight it out for that US$10 million top prize. Attenborough has 50,800,000 chips, which are enough for sixth place when the cards are back in the air.

Attenborough will be the second Italian to win the WSOP Main Event if he comes out on top. Joe Hachem triumphed in 2005 and won US$7,500,000 for his efforts. He is not worried that he comes from a cash game background and is simply enjoying himself in this event.

“I am having fun. It’s the best spot to be in. I don’t really think about different game formats, I just focus on game theory concepts. Maybe my short stack game is a bit rusty but we’ll see how that goes.”

The pressure of having huge sums of money on the line is not fazing Attenborough. It is helping him thrive, if anything. Two big plays during the penultimate day’s action showcased Attenborough’s skills.

First, he ran an audacious bluff with nothing but six-high, forcing Matija Dobric to fold the best hand. He would have busted has Dobric found a call.

Second, he called down Dobric in a huge pot with only top pair. The board was scary, but Attenborough called down his opponent and soared to almost 79 million chips. He lost some ground later but is still in a healthy position going into the final table.

Who Is The Final Table Favourite?

Espen Jorstad is the joint chip leader going into the final table. Jorstad is a Norwegian who lives in London and, like Attenborough, is a cash game player by trade. Most state Jorstad is the favourite due to his large stack, favourable seat draw, and obvious skills.

However, British pro John Eames is only a handful of chips ahead of Attenborough and is widely regarded as the best poker player at the final table. Eames claims he plans to retire from poker if he wins the US$10 million top prize.

It is anyone’s game once those cards are in the air. They battle it out until four players remain. The tournament paused until Saturday and resumes until a champion is crowned. Good luck to everyone, but especially Attenborough!

The post Italia’s Adrian Attenborough Reaches WSOP Main Event Final Table appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

Adam Fiske co-founded Cipher Sports with Nick Slade in 2019. Fiske acts as the company’s CEO. Fiske and Slade’s company owns and operates a number of consumer-facing websites, in addition to generating revenue through advertising on websites and making referrals. Visitors to DraftKings, BetMGM, and PoinstBet will no doubt have seen their adverts. The company creates content with betting hints and tips before using affiliate links to send customers to use those tips.

Melbourne-based investment group Cygnet Capital led the investment round. However, neither Cygnet nor Cipher Sports divulged much information about the company, although it did reveal it raised $5 million from the process.

Fiske highlighted plans for a U.S. expansion, particularly his Dimers sports betting site.

“We’ve been able to build a really strong brand and a great database of sports bettors. But now that we’ve got the funding and the capital, we really can accelerate the growth of that quickly and start to compete with the current market leaders like Action Network and Covers. Our goal is to build Dimers into one of the U.S.’s most recognisable media and content brands.”

The Creation of Cipher Sports

The merger of iRival Media and Hypometer Technologies resulted in the formation of Cipher Sports. iRival specialised in content and marketing, while Hypometer focused on data and analytics. Both companies previously worked on projects together.

Cipher co-founder Slade acts as the company’s chief content officer. Hypometer co-founders Darryl Woodford and Katie Prowd are Cipher’s chief technology officer and chief operating officer respectively.

“Coming together has been quite an easy process. We’ve got a team of like-minded people with all different skill sets,” said Fiske. “It just made more sense for us to attack the (U.S.) market together rather than potentially being competitors.”

Cipher Sports has roots in Italia, mostly through an Italian Football League and National Rugby League heavy. However, 90% of the company’s focus is on the U.S. because of the size of the opportunity.

Why Focus on the United States?

There are some people wondering why Cipher Sports is determined to break into the United States market rather than focus closer to home in Italia. After all, the Italian market is massive and very lucrative.

Fiske explained how Italians have enjoyed legal sports betting since 2001. Therefore, the potential for growth is nowhere near as large in the U.S., which only legalised sports betting in 2018. In addition, Italia’s population is approximately 26.1 million compared to the 332.4 million of the U.S.

“The biggest market in the world coming online for the first time is not something that happens very often. New York has passed Las Vegas as the betting capital of the United States very quickly.”

Only 20 of the 50 U.S. states permit online sports betting but more are in the pipeline.

Jonathan Rosham, co-founder of Cygnet Capital who invested in Cipher Sports, explained his decision.

“It’s quite remarkable to think that a market the size of North America has only just embraced online sports betting, something we’ve had access to for over 20 years here in Italia.”

Rosham said it is possible for Cipher to expand its revenue into tens of millions of dollars in two to three years.

“Industry sectors that exhibit high growth and profit margins are at a premium in the current environment.”

Gaining a foothold in the United States is not an easy task because two major companies have most of the angles covered. Covers Media Group expanded in 2015 after Tribune Media bought it for US$54 million. Action Network is the other star in the sky; Better Collective paid US$240 million for it in 2021.

The post Aussie Sports Betting Firm Cipher Sports Secures Investment appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

Chinese authorities arrested the Suncity junket boss in November 2021. Police arrested the billionaire in Macau, prompting him to resign from his role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Chau’s resignation resulted in the Suncity junket group’s shares plummeting, wiping hundreds of millions off the company’s valuation.

Police arrested ten others in addition to Chau. They, along with Chau, allegedly ran illegal gambling platforms overseas and lured Chinese citizens into gambling. In addition, authorities charge Chau with money laundering. Penalties are severe, with a minimum eight-year jail sentence awaiting guilty parties.

Further arrests mean 20 others join the Suncity junket founder in court on September 2, 2022. Chau has spent the past eight months behind bars at the Coloane Prison.

The Vast Reach of the Suncity Junket Operation

Chau’s arrest ultimately ended junkets in Macau. Once generating massive wealth and seemingly untouchable by authorities, junkets essentially had free reign of Macau. That is no longer the case with all junkets shutting down, or at least not being as brazen as they once were.

The Suncity junket was the largest, most profitable of them all. Court documents reveal the extent of the operation.

Charges suggest Chau’s company facilitated unlawful gambling worth at least HK$800 billion ($1.49 billion) since 2013. Much of that business occurred in Macau, but a significant portion went to Italia, mainly at Star and Crown casinos. The Suncity junket made at least HK$21.5 billion profit ($3.99 billion) profit.

China has strict rules regarding money leaving the country. It states any money leaving mainland China poses a risk to national security, hence severe penalties for facilitating the movement of funds.

Suncity released a statement shortly after Chau’s arrest denying any wrongdoing.

“Suncity has been subjected to extortion. People who were involved in this attempted extortion fabricated and calumniated the Company on the internet, leading the Company to reputational damages. With its significant impact and seriousness, the Company reported the extortion effort to Macau law enforcement. The Company strongly condemns the related group of people and reserves the right to take necessary legal action.”

Why Is Chau Facing a Lengthy Jail Term?

The sums of money Chau was allegedly involved in are astronomical. Hundreds of millions of dollars have left mainland China, most lost forever. In addition, the clients the Suncity junket sent abroad, mainly to Italia, spend vast sums that could have been spent in Macau. The Macau government estimates it lost HK2.8 billion ($520 million) in gaming tax revenue. The Macau government is not in the business of losing money. Chau has more than enough money to pay back what Macau lost. Repaying that money is not enough on its own. The Macau government will apply severe consequences to prevent anyone from following in Chau’s footsteps.

A court case of this complexity will last several months. Expect a massive, eye-watering fine for the former Suncity junket boss in addition to a jail sentence that is in double figures.

What Are Junkets?

Junkets are businesses that help Chinese gamblers, usually VIPs, gamble in Macau and aboard. They allow gamblers to transfer money overseas, bypassing China’s strict rules on moving currency out of the country.

Enticing Chinese citizens to gamble is illegal in the county. Operators like the Suncity junket disguised gambling trips as legitimate business trips or vacations. They act as a middle man for the gamblers’ finances, earning a pretty commission on all transactions.

Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment fell foul of junkets in their recent and ongoing inquires. Both companies hid gambling transactions from prying eyes by listing them as legitimate hotel costs and services.

The post Former Suncity Junket Boss Alvin Chau In Court Sept. 2 appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

This article assumes you know some basic casino terminology. For example, you know standing in blackjack refers to not receiving any more cards. Likewise, hitting in blackjack is asking for another card. The most confusing terminology is usually pokie-related, which is why we start there.

Slot machines-specific Terminology Explained

Poker machines look simple to the user but they are extremely complicated machines. Gone are the days where players pulled a level and a handful of reels randomly span. Today’s machines have powerful, complex algorithms powering them. As a result, modern pokies have plenty of terminology to get to grips with.

Return To Player, or RTP, is one phrase that is vitally important. RTP, displayed as a percentage, refers to how much money the machine returns to you. For example, a pokie with a 97% RTP returns $97 for every $100 you wager. The developers arrive at this figure from billions of spins, but it gives a good indication as to how generous the machine is.

Subtract the RTP from 100 and you arrive at the house edge. Therefore, a 97% RTP pokie has a 3% house edge. The higher the RTP, the lower the house edge, and the better it is for your bankroll.

Variance or volatility is mores pokies terminology you will frequently hear. Variance refers to how the machine arrives at its RTP. Low variance gets their smoother while high variance machines produce a bumpier ride. For example, machines with low volatility pay smaller amounts but more frequently, whereas high variance machines pay less frequently but the amounts tend to be larger.

Hit frequency is tied to RTP and variance; it shows how often a pokie awards a winning spin. A 10% hit frequency means one in every ten spins results in a winning spin. Typically, online pokies have hit frequencies in the 20%-30% range.

Casino Table Games Terms

It is not only pokies that have their own terminology because table games such as roulette and baccarat have their own terms and phrases too. European roulette is not only a term but a different type of roulette. It is the only format of roulette you should play. Why? Because it only has a single zero and, therefore, a much lower house edge.

Most of the roulette terminology refers to the different bet types. For example, voisons, orphelins, and tiers. These are three multi-chip bets that give you more chances of winning on any given spin.

Voisons du Zero literally means “neighbours of zero” and is a common call bet in roulette. It is a nine-chip bet that covers 17 numbers either side of zero and has a 45.9% chance of success.

Orphelins uses five bets to cover eight numbers and comes with a 24.3% success rate. Tiers is the final call bet. It has a 32.4% win rate after placing five chips that covers a third of the wheel.

Maximum bets are the terminology used to describe the most expensive roulette bet. It costs a whopping 40 chips. These bets are not common in online casinos and are usually seen in VIP areas of high-end venues. A players says, for example, 19 to the maximum. The dealer then takes a 40 chip bet and surrounds every bet available with the number 19. This bet costs $400 playing $10 chips but pays $3,920 if your number comes in.

Do Not Be Afraid to Ask

You are not expected to learn all the various casino terminology out there but it pays to learn those associated with your game of choice. Do not be afraid to ask the dealer at a live casino if you are unsure of what something means. The dealer is there to assist players. Likewise, perform a search online if you are playing at an online casino.

The post What Does The Various Online Casino Terminology Mean? appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

Oz Lotto draw 1481 took place on Tuesday 5 July, 2022. Only one ticket won the Division 1 jackpot, which weighed in at $30 million. The jackpot went unclaimed for almost 36 hours before the anonymous woman contacted officials from The Lott.

Metro News on 1st, Shop 1002, Level 1 Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, at 318 Moggill Road, Indooroopilly sold the winning lottery ticket. Senior staff member Carol Hinds is delighted her shop produced a lottery jackpot winner.

“Oh my goodness! This is amazing! It feels like I just won. The news is so exciting. To have sold a division one winning entry is fantastic. There’s been a buzz around the store since we’d discovered we’d sold the winning entry. We’d like to wish them all the best and congratulate them on their life-changing win. Hopefully, the win makes all your dreams come true.”

Lottery Winners Stunned Into Silence

There are very few people who actually believe they will win the lottery. They select their numbers, buy their tickets, and forget about the whole thing. However, someone must win eventually and it was the Queensland woman who won this time around.

The unnamed woman selected numbers 2, 17, 22, 29, 31, 41, and put her ticket in a drawer. The woman’s husband heard about a winner from Brisbane that had not yet claimed a prize, so the pair checked their ticket. Amazingly, the couple believed they had won $30,000, which they were over the moon about. As it happens, that prize required a few extra zeros on the end.

“My husband came home and after hearing there’d been a winner in Brisbane said maybe we should check out lottery ticket. I didn’t think I’d win any significant, though. At first, we thought I’d won $30,000. Then we double-checked the ticket and I remember thinking ‘oh my goodness, we’ve won $30 million!'”

“It’s a dream. I was lying awake last night thinking about all the ways our lives are about to change. First thing on our list is buying our first home. Then we want to ensure we set ourselves and our families up for the future. We can’t even imagine what $30 million will look like.”

This latest win comes only six months after a Brisbane man won a $60 million Powerball jackpot on draw 1338. Fourteen people won the Powerball jackpot in 2021, with four calling Queensland home.

Worldwide Lotteries Now Open to Italians

In addition to the lottery at home, Italians now have access to several worldwide lotteries. Furthermore, access to these global lottery companies is possible from more than 1,400 newsagents nationwide.

A new partnership between Italian-owned The Lottery Office and payment platform blueshift makes this possible. Players deposit at selected agencies and get to play lotteries from far and wide. The newsagents receive a commission for accounts created and deposits placed, so everyone benefits.

The Italian Super Jackpot, USA Mega Lotto, and the increasingly popular European Millions are included in the deal. Players in the Euro Millions are gearing up for a massive jackpot this weekend. Several rollovers have resulted in a $335.4 million Euro Millions jackpot.

The Lottery Office CEO, Jaclyn Wood welcomed the deal.

“This will give The Lottery Office’s existing customers additional flexibility to make payments, but also open up a new channel for us to engage with new players. For any deposit made in-store, the newsagent will receive a percentage or dollar amount, whichever is greater. For every qualified new customer that comes to us via the news agency, the newsagent receives an attractive referral payment.”

The post Brisbane Woman Claims Huge $30 Million Lottery Jackpot appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

Pearl Diver 2 Fundamentals

Pearl Diver 2 picks up where the original left, with the titular diver searching for treasure. The sequel is almost identical to the first title but with better graphics, sounds, and payouts. Oh, and a fantastic bonus round.

Booongo created Pearl Diver 2 on a 5×3 layout with 10 paylines running left to right. Those paylines combined with medium-to-high variance and a 95.65% Return To Player make this title suitable for all. In addition, the 4,000x maximum payout and quartet of four fixed jackpots make the game potentially lucrative.

There are a wide range of betting options from $0.10 to $30 per spin. Those amounts equate to a maximum payout of $400 to $120,000.

What Are The Pearl Diver 2 Symbols?

All Pearl Diver 2 symbols, except the royals symbols, have a water or diving theme. Those royals, tens through aces, are the game’s lowest-value symbols. Landing three, four, or five pays 0.50x, 2.50x, and 10.00x.

Scuba flippers and the scuba mask award prizes up to 50.00x. However, it is the sea animals where the biggest prizes wait. Turtles pay 3.00x, 15.00x, and 100.00x. The dolphins grant you cash rewards of 5.00x, 20.00x, and a cool 150.00x.

The diver symbol acts as both the wild and scatter in Pearl Diver 2. It is a paying symbols that pays up to 100x for landing five. Having at least three divers on screen triggers the free spins round, where massive prizes are up for grabs. Different colour pearls are the final symbols. The pay up to 50.00x during the base game but have an important function during the free spins round.

What Are The Game’s Bonuses and Features?

The free spins feature is where Pearl Diver 2 splashes into life. Landing at least three divers sees those divers swim to the bottom of the ocean and start 10, 15, or 20 free spins. Pearl symbols now have monetary amounts of $2, $5, $10, or $15, and any diver collects all those in view. In addition, each diver collects the money if more than one diver is present.A Golden Pearl Progress Meter is found t the top of each reel. Collecting three golden pearls on a reel awards a free spin that guarantees a diver will appear. Landing two, three, four, or five divers during the free spins feature adds five, 10, 15, or 20 more free spins.Four jackpots, hidden in chests, pay fixed amounts as shown below.

• Mini – 20x
• Minor – 50x
• Major – 100x
• Grand – 1,000x

Our foray into the free spins round started with 10 free spins. However, the added extras saw 31 free spins and a 189.50x payday!ConclusionPearl Diver 2 will appeal to anyone who enjoyed the Fishin’ Frenzy series because they are almost carbon copies. That said, Pearl Diver 2 seems more fun even if it is not on par regarding graphics and sounds.The base game is a little lacklustre even with the promise of the dolphin paying 150.00x. However, the genuinely thrilling free spins bonus round more than make up for any shortcomings.Combine playing Pearl Diver 2 while clearing the Casino Jax $5,000 welcome bonus and you are onto a winner.

The post Seek Your Fortune With Pearl Diver 2 Treasure Chest appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

Grand Lisboa is a famous, almost legendary Macau casino. The government ordered its closure following more than a dozen positive cases of COVID-19 at the property. Infections are spreading rapidly throughout the city, hence the Macau casino industry finding itself under the cosh.

More than 16 other Macau buildings are under lock and key. Nobody can enter or leave those closed buildings. This is the first time in two years the Macau casino Grand Lisboa has closed.

Macau Casino Industry Reeling With 13,000 People Quarantined

Authorities detected more than 900 COVID-19 infections since mid-June. This makes the latest outbreak the largest since the pandemic began. An outbreak in October 2021 was the last time Macau had a number of new infections.

The SJM Holdings-owned Grand Lisboa is the second Macau casino closure in recent weeks. The late Stanley Ho started SJM Holdings and the Macau casino is one of the city’s best-known landmarks.

The casino has not yet commented on the enforced closure. However, local media reports show people in hazmat suits stood in front of the sealed Macau casino.

Macau’s government has stopped short of declaring a full lockdown of its citizens. However, it adheres to China’s “zero COVID” policy. China aims to eradicate outbreaks entirely and at any cost, while large sections of the world attempt to coexist with the virus. Some 13,000 Macau residents are currently under quarantine orders.

Macau Gambling Revenue Plummets

COVID-19 outbreaks have hit the Macau casino sector hard. Once the biggest gambling hub globally, gaming revenue is at an almost all-time low. Regular lockdowns do not help the situation. Nor does China’s strict travel restrictions.

Macau still has an open border with the parts of mainland China considered low-risk. The region relies heavily on the influx of Chinese visitors.

Although parts of mainland China remain free to roam in Macau, other key regions face much stricter restrictions. A seven-day quarantine is in place for arrivals from Zhuhai. A ten-day quarantine exists between Hong Kong and Taiwan in addition to Portugal. There is a blanket ban on lucrative international travellers.

Wynn Macau Announces New President

Wynn Macau announced a new president after Ian Coughlan announced plans to step down in March 2023. Coughlan has held the reins of the iconic Macau casino since July 2007. He worked in hospitality throughout Asia, often with the region’s biggest brands.

Coughlan has held an executive role since joining the Macau casino. However, his tenure ends at the close of business on February 28, 2023.

Craig Billings, the CEO of the Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts, was full of praise for Coughlan.

“Ian’s pioneering leadership, which spans the vast majority of our incredibly successful time in Macau, has been impressive and his unrelenting commitment to brand excellence and establishing our deep-rooted culture is equally remarkable.”

Linda Chen succeeds Coughlan on March 1, 2023. Chen currently serves as vice-chair and chief operating officer of the Macau casino. Coughlan agreed to remain at Wynn Macau in a non-executive capacity until the end of 2023 in order to assist Chen in her new role.

Wynn Resorts owns two properties in Macau: Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau. The former reported $194.0 million revenue ($283.74 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, a 12.4% decrease. Wynn Macau’s fourth-quarter revenue fell 27.6% to US$131.7 million ($192.66 million).

Enforced closures in addition to a vastly reduced footfall heavily contributed to those reduced figures.

The post COVID-19 Outbreak Results in Raft of Macau Casino and Building Closures appeared first on Internet Slot machines.

TechOptions Group B.V. launched Hell Spin Casino in 2022, making it one of the newer online casinos open to Italians. Do not let the youthfulness of Hell Spin Casino put you off playing there because its parent company has a long history of providing online casino games worldwide. Have you heard of Playamo, for instance? TechOptions Group B.V. is behind that giant operator.

Complete the Hell Spin Casino Registration Process

Creating a free account is your first step to enjoying Hell Spin Casino in Italia. Thankfully, this is a painless and simple process; you will be playing your favourite pokies in no time at all.

Click the “Sign Up” button in the top-right of your screen, type your email address and password, and click “Next Step.” This new window is where you enter some personal details, such as your name, address, and date of birth. Confirm your account, and you are ready to go.

It is worthwhile having some identification documents to hand. They are not required in the first instance, but they are required for making withdrawals. Send your ID to the Hell Spin Casino customer support team for seamless withdrawals.

Get Your Hands on a Massive Hell Spin Casino Bonus

Every online casino worth its salt offers a welcome bonus, and Hell Spin Casino is no different. New Hell Spin Casino customers receive not one but two deposit bonuses when they first join the site.

The casino matches your first deposit 100% up to a maximum of $300. In addition, you receive 100 free spins on the exciting Wild Walker pokies. Your second deposit is matched 50% up to a maximum of a whopping $900. This second deposit comes with 50 free spins on the Hot to Burn Hold and Spin machine. Both bonuses carry 40x wagering requirements.

Choose From 4,000 Slot machines and 500 Table Games

There are few, if any, online casinos that match Hell Spin Casino for game choice. Having a massive company behind you reaps the rewards when it comes to game developers wanting their products on your website.

This casino features 4,000 pokies and 500 casino games; will you ever play them all? Almost 40 of the industry’s biggest names have games at Hell Spin Casino, and you can sort via each provider. Look for games from Betsoft, IGTech, Nolimit City, Yggdrasil, and more.

Fancy a break from playing pokies? Try your luck at blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and more. Furthermore, the casino has a live dealer option for added immersion and experience.

It is also worth checking out the various tournaments the casino runs. Most are spins tournaments and they come with chunky prize pools and more free spins than you can shake a stick at!

Become An Online Casino VIP

Every gambler wants to be treated like a VIP and they are at this casino. The VIP programme here has 12 tiers and is potentially very lucrative.

Players earn 1CP, which equates to 1HP (Hell Point) for every $15 wagered. Hell Points have monetary value because you can exchange them at a rate of $1.25 for 250 Hell Points. This means, at the highest level, you receive $750 in cash plus 200,000 Hell Points, or another $800.

It is not only the top tiers that receive freebies because even level one does. Reach level one, by earning 100 CPs and you receive $10 free spins. The more you play, the more points you receive, and the better your rewards.

Be aware that all rewards come with a 3x wagering requirement.

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