News and Analysis
CT Governor Lamont and Mohegan Tribe Hash Out iGaming and Sports Betting Deal
This week, Connecticut Govern Ned Lamont has struck a deal with the CT Mohegan Tribe to expand gambling throughout the state (retail and online) after weeks of discussion. It gives the Connecticut state lottery the ability to regulate and authorize 15 new retail providers. Initial licenses will last ten years with a 20% tax rate on revenue.
Mohegan Tribe Chairman Gessner said of the deal: “This path will allow Connecticut to generate tax revenues from sports and online gaming that are competitive with other states, and help keep Connecticut with those states when it comes to growing our economy and benefiting the state budget.” So it’s an all-round win for everyone in CT this week.
In January, Lamont announced his intention to legalize iGaming within the state in his State of the State Address, but at that time had no formal agreement in place with the Mohegan Tribe. This deal overcomes significant barriers to affecting gambling reform in law and means that iGaming will soon launch in CT. The Mohegan Tribe will be crucial to the successful rollout of iGaming in the state.
Conscious Gaming Launches Bettor Safe: Gambling Campaign to Educated Players on Legal iGaming
An independent charity, Conscious Gaming, has launched a nationwide campaign this week called Bettor Safe. The program aims to educate gamblers about the differences between regulated and unregulated casinos and improving players’ awareness.
The campaign uses multi-media channels to empower players to independently spot unregulated sites from those legally licensed to operate and avoid rogue casinos. It comes hot on the heels of recent research from the American Gambling Association (AGA) that reported 35% of players were not aware of gambling laws in their state and had been duped by unregulated gambling operators in the past. An additional survey conducted by Conscious Gaming findings showed that 75% of NJ and PA players could not tell between legal and illegal online casinos.
Seth Palansky, Conscious Gaming’s VP of CSR, said; “Bettor Safe underscores Conscious Gaming’s commitment to consumer protection and safety by directly educating individuals about the risks of unregulated online betting […] This campaign comes at a pivotal moment when American sports fans are gearing up for the NCAA basketball tournament amid a pandemic that continues to push individuals online. Now more than ever, we must educate consumers and equip them with the tools to make more informed decisions about online betting.”
At Casino Cabbie, we take a firm line on offshore gambling and never recommend unlicensed casinos. As we are a licensed review site, we don’t need to recommend offshore casinos; the NJDGE and PGCB approve us to legally advertise and recommend US casinos. What’s more, as the US gambling scene is currently flourishing, there’re plenty of regulated and safe online casinos to take your pick from.
Take a look at the top sites in your state using our state-by-state gambling guides - just click on the map to learn more. If you’re not located in a gambling state, then US sweepstakes casinos are all the rage, so there’s no need to play offshore anymore!
Sands Sells Las Vegas Empire for $6.25bn
This week, Sands Casino agreed to sell its Las Vegas casino empire for the sum of $6.25bn to Apollo Global. Sands plans to focus more on Asian Markets after seeing large land-based revenue drops in 2020.
FanDuel (Flutter Entertainment) Faces Class-Action Suit
FanDuel is facing a class-action lawsuit in Illinois from a player, Andrew Melnick, who claims the operator intentionally delayed real-time results causing players to lose money on bets. Challenging casinos and sportsbooks legally is a perfect example of why you should only ever gamble at licensed online casinos: they are subject to US laws.
Slots of the Week
Looking for top new game releases to start your weekend with a bang? Then check out these brand new slots and play for real money or in demo mode!
Wheel of Fortune Megaways: Big Time Gaming (BTG). RTP: 96.46%.
Wheel of Fortune Slot is one of IGT’s most popular productions and is based on a TV game show by the same name. This show, which was first released in 1975, was an instant hit. The Wheel of Fortune Slot released this week is a collab between IGT and BTG and gives this player-loved title a Megaways™ twist, stacked symbols, and free spins.
This game breaks records with its stats; not only does it feature an over-the-average RTP, but with up to a million ways to win and top-notch payouts that promise max wins up to 80,150x your bet! To hit up the highest-caliber wins, you’ll need to get to the bonus features, including free spins, Wheel of Fortune Megaways Wheel, and wild stacks.
This slot compliments the Wheel of Fortune Slot franchise but delivers more action, ways to win, and prizes than ever before, thanks to the borrowed BTG mechanics. Find a BTG Casino and claim your deposit bonus to start spinning to win today with Wheel of Fortune Megaways™ from $0.20-100!
Dragon's Fire Infinireels Slot: Red Tiger Gaming. RTP: 94.72%.
Red Tiger Gaming is a fresh face on the US games scene, but the studio is already impressing with its games. Dragon's Fire Infinireels (NetEnt’s trademark mechanic where new reels are added with each winning spin) delivers wilds, multipliers, free games, and ways to win that change with every spin, creating a grand prize potential of 10,413 x your stake.
Dragon's Fire Infinireels slot looks and spins awesomely and has the bonus symbols to boot with features including random fire eggs, random multipliers, fire wilds, and free spins with bonus symbols. Take this slot for a test drive in demo mode or for real money at these Red Tiger Gaming Online Casinos. Spins start from just $0.10, and the max cost is $10 - it’s a high volatility title.
Grand Loot Slot: Pariplay. RTP: 96.42%.
This week’s high volatility and high max prize themes continue through our last title, Grand Loot Slot by Pariplay. Pariplay, like Red Tiger, is new to the US and hits the market hard with this impressive new title. The game opens on the rain-pattered streets of 1920s New York, a world of ruthless gangsters, where a gun battle is taking place on the streets.
The high-thrill narrative is matched with high volatility spins and a considerably high prize potential of up to 50,000x your bet. Set on 5x4 reels with 40 lines, this game delivers epic multipliers, expanding symbols, a Grand Loot Free Spins Bonus Round, and special payday symbols with spins costing just $0.50-5.00! Find out more about Pariplay Casinos and the studio’s games.
Alright folks, that's it for this week. Have a fantastic weekend and we'll see you next week for more news and fresh games.
