iGaming News: Match-fixing locks, IP blocks and mega slot jackpots.
Every week, some extraordinary story comes out of the online gambling industry. Some athlete gets in trouble for fixing a match violations. A regulator alters the state of iGaming laws. The world’s luckiest gambler strikes it rich to the tune of a 7-figure jackpot prize. Yes, these stories aren’t all that uncommon. But when they all happen within the course of a few days – that’s headline worthy!
Cricketer Slapped with 3-Yr Lock-Out for PCB Violation
To start the week, 29-year old batsman Umar Akmel of Pakistan was issued a three-year ban from all cricket games. The retroactive lock-out dates back to February 20 of this year, when Akmal was found guilty of violating the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Code; specifically Article 2.4.4, relating to failure to report being approached about the match fixing.
To be clear, Akmal is not accused of fixing matches. His transgression was failing to report being approached and/or propositioned to conspire in match fixing. That in itself is a violation worthy of penalty.
“The PCB doesn’t take any pleasure in seeing a promising international cricketer being declared ineligible for three years on corruption charges,” said Asif Mahmood. Director of Anti-Corruption and Security for the BCB. “But this is once again a timely reminder to all who think they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code.”
Akmal’s 3-year ban is far more lenient than the penalty for conspiring to fix a match. Earlier this year, fellow Pakistani cricketer Nasir Jamshed pleaded guiltily to match-fixing charges, and is currently serving a 17-month prison sentence.
IGT’s MegaJackpot Strikes for £1.2 Million
The headlines brightened on Tuesday, when it was revealed that some very lucky slots player had struck slot machine gold. One of IGT’s networked MegaJackpot Slots released its progressive prize to the tune of £1,274,861.
There’s not a lot of information out yet. We don’t know who the fortunate player was, or from what country he or she was playing. Nor do we know what online casino that player was logged into at the time. We don’t even know which IGT online slot was being played when the monumental jackpot was struck.
What we do know is that the MegaJackpot network has been regurgitating its wealth, on average, once every 10 weeks since jackpot-tracking became a recorded statistic over a decade ago. With a progressive seed of £500,000, the network averages a payout of £862,660 per strike. The largest prize of £2,148,947 was paid all the way back in September of 2013.
Denmark Institutes 16 More Gambling Site IP Blocks
Word is coming down from the Danish high seats today that 16 online gambling sites have been blocked. That’s in addition to the multitude of websites that already populated the nation’s IP block list. As such, Danish players will no longer be able to access those websites.
No word yet on which sites were blocked, but it’s assumed most, if not all of them, deal in skin betting; a practice that appeals to younger, oft-underage video gaming enthusiasts.
“We work to protect players against illegal gambling, and we also need to ensure that the operators who are licenced to offer gambling in Denmark can run their businesses under orderly conditions,” said Spillemyndigheden Director Morten Niels Jakobsen. “That is why it is very important for us to clamp down on gambling offered without a licence.”
Jakobsen adds that his agency is “particularly concerned with skin betting, as this type of game especially attracts young people under 18, who, via video games, may be exposed to elements from gambling.”
