Caesars Entertainment has agreed to sell its World Series of Poker (WSOP) property to NSUS Inc – parent company of online poker operator GGPoker. Total estimates have placed the deal at USD $500mn, with NSUS having to pay $250mn cash up front and the other half in five years. GGPoker has worked with WSOP as partner for several years GGPoker …
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Martin Lycka: At the crossroads of esports and betting
Martin Lycka, Entain’s Senior Vice President of US Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling, delves into the world of esports as the sector becomes increasingly popular for sportsbooks across the world. Just west of Mar Sara, 25 March 2506, 12:45 Zulu Time: a deserted platoon of Terran Marines, supported by a few remaining Vultures running on fumes and a Siege Tank …
Read More »Martin Lycka: The Empire State asks ‘How About Sports Betting?’
Entain’s Senior Vice President of US Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling Martin Lycka checks his playbook as New York State drives for the mobile betting end zone. “How about sports betting?”; could these four simple words uttered by NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo at a December press conference be an auspicious sign of things to come as regards regulation of mobile sports betting in the Empire State? Some would argue …
Read More »Martin Lycka – Santa’s correspondence with Gambling…
In the latest of a series of columns on international gambling legislation, Entain Group’s recently promoted Senior Vice President of US Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling Martin Lycka shares another letter to Santa… The other day, a letter came through our letterbox which was stamped ‘North Pole’. Within the gilded envelope made of silky smooth paper, was this message: “Dear …
Read More »Martin Lycka – O Canada when will you revamp sports betting?
Despite all the sports betting regulatory action in the US following last week’s votes, GVC Holdings Senior Vice President of US Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling Martin Lycka is looking at the reaction further north. The fearless men who stand on guard at the Ontario border, through snow, wind and sleet, noticed something rapidly whirling through the plains of Michigan …
Read More »Martin Lycka – The age of super mergers
As the key factions in the gambling landscape build alliance after alliance, GVC Holdings Director of Regulatory Affairs Martin Lycka muses on the way it is changing the world we work in. The landscape of the fabled land of Gamealot has changed a lot over the last decade or so. Sir William hailed a Caesar from across the pond and …
Read More »Martin Lycka – Regulatory high temperatures cancel industry’s ‘silly season’
Facing key regulatory showdowns across the European markets of Spain, Sweden, Germany and the UK, Martin Lycka GVC Holdings Director of Regulatory Affairs tells industry leadership to buckle down for the stresses of a working summer… _____________ COVID-19 has upended everything. Even the regulatory silly season is now at risk of being cancelled; that eagerly awaited period of slow news …
Read More »Martin Lycka – The Gambling Prince of Sweden
GVC’s Director of Regulatory Affairs Martin Lycka offers a dramatic twist on the Swedish licensing process, in which operators may not get the curtain call they’ve been looking for. Act I – A Truly Glorious Day January 1, 2019. A momentous day in Swedish gambling history. The online gambling market opens. A fanfare sounds. The curtain goes up. Licensed operators …
Read More »Martin Lycka – April lockdown can never be forgotten
GVC’s Director of Regulatory Affairs Martin Lycka reviews the events of a world-changing April 2020, in which tough lessons have been learnt by the lived experience of working and adjusting to national lockdown orders… _____________________________ Dear Diary, What a month this has been. In the UK, we are told the virus has peaked and is now hopefully ebbing. However, we are …
Read More »SBC Digital Summit: “Simulation of complex events is normally the best answer” – Jonathan Smith
Delivering the Sports Betting Masterclass on day one of the SBC Digital Summit, Jonathan Smith – founder of Sports Book Training Services – showcased his methods of simulation of the Premier League season in an online tutorial. In the tutorial, which was taken from his online course for soccer odds compilers, Smith demonstrated how to build a simple league winner …
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