What Is New In The Casino Industry

The world of casinos is incredibly busy, with many changes happening in the industry. Whether in an online casino or land-based version, you can never get enough of the drama. There is always something to report, from proposals to appointments, partnerships to apprehension.

In this post, we bring you all the latest news and happenings in the industry.

Gustavson to Replace Quraeshi as Lottery.com CEO

Mark Gustavson has been named the new chief executive and main executive officer of Lottery.com, effective immediately. This sees him take over the role of Sohail Quraeshi, officially appointed CEO in November after being hired in October on an interim basis.

Gustavson, who officially took up duties on February 1, will also serve as the company’s principal financial and accounting officer until a suitable replacement is identified.

Gustavson’s hiring is the most recent change at Lottery.com’s top management level after the company announced Edward Moffly’s resignation as interim CFO last month.

EveryMatrix Partners with Dutch Operator

An exclusive content agreement has been reached between EveryMatrix and Dutch state-owned operator Holland Casino Online. With the multi-year deal, Armadillo Studios and Spearhead Studios, owned by EveryMatrix, will provide Holland Casino Online with its online casino material.

All games, including Fortune Dragon Queen: Exotic Wilds and Mythological Mayhem Supreme Streaks, will be accessible via SlotMatrix.

Pala Casino Announces Collaboration with NASCAR and RFK Racing Ahead of Cup Series Race

Looking forward to the Pala Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series event, Pala Casino has announced a new collaboration with RFK Racing and NASCAR. The race, slated for February 26 in Fontana, California, will be the second race in the NASCAR Cup Series after the Daytona 500.

The deal also means that Chris Buescher’s No. 17 RFK Ford will display Pala Casino’s logo.

Illinois Moves for Online Casino Approval Again

After a failed attempt in 2021, Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro is back with a fresh proposal, SB1656, to legalize online casinos. The bill would enable the state’s racetracks and casinos to apply for online gaming licenses with up to three skins on one license, with the Illinois Gaming Board to manage and supervise the business.

The proposal won’t have compulsory in-person registration requirements, unlike Illinois’ sports betting. However, the legislation will include diversity and ethical gaming operations requirements. Among the obligations are that a self-exclusion list must be created, and operators must prominently advertise responsible gambling reminders on their online casino platforms.

Castro’s legislation will also prioritize diversity in recruitment and vendor expenditure, modeling Massachusetts and Maryland’s legalized sports betting. As part of the diversity mandate, licensees must submit yearly reports stating their objectives for the following year and how they fared in terms of earlier inclusion objectives.

The bill contains tight deadlines to expedite applicants, especially those with existing licenses in other jurisdictions, to avoid the criticism leveled at the sports betting debuts in Massachusetts and Maryland for operating slowly.

Castro will be banking on the premise that the state’s ongoing dominance in the sports betting industry can serve as a model for opening its online casino market.

Chinese National Goes to Jail Over Gambling Scam

A Chinese national, Wu Hong, who conned two people out of millions of dollars in Singapore, has been sentenced to prison. The 41-year-old con artist ran a phony investment fraud, telling her victims that it would finance Chinese gamblers entering the country.

Wu began planning the scheme in 2013 when she met Tam Kwong Yoeng, her first victim, in a pub. But it would be three more years before she started, also successfully scamming 61-year-old Soh Choon Heong.

According to The Strait Times, Wu started enticing them to part with money in 2016 and continued the fraud until 2019. The investors became increasingly doubtful after she failed to deliver profits for them and eventually called the police.

She has been sentenced to 12 years in prison which is quite lucky, considering that every fraud conviction has a possible 10-year prison sentence and monetary sanctions.