Playtech Expands LeoVegas Partnership to the Netherlands

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The NSW Independent Casino Commission has found Crown Sydney suitable to retain its casino licence after nearly three years of intensive remediation.

Chief Commissioner, Philip Crawford, said Crown has come a long way and must now demonstrate its long-term commitment to maintaining suitability.

“The NICC is confident the Crown we deemed suitable today has a strong model to keep operating into the future,” Mr Crawford said.

The NICC’s suitability assessment established that Crown Sydney has fundamentally reformed its business and is operating the casino within the objects of the Act, the requirements of the suitability deed, and in compliance with its regulatory obligations.

In addition to proving it can run the casino lawfully, Crown has remediated its business in other meaningful ways such as building a culture of transparency and accountability across its integrated resort.

“Hard work and transformation aside, the NICC has not forgotten the level of misconduct exposed in 2021 when Crown was found unsuitable,” said Mr Crawford.

“Crown Sydney has ongoing work to reach steady state and it must continue to lift standards and maintain its cultural transformation.

“There is and will always be room for improvement, but Crown is a changed business that is looking toward the future.

“Likewise, the NICC is a changed regulator with enhanced powers, a singular focus on casinos, and a mandate to address the risks of harm.

“This decision is a positive outcome for Crown Sydney, its staff, and the community – who can be sure the NICC will use all of its powers to keep the casino in check.”

In addition to the implementation of hundreds of new internal controls, the Bergin-based reforms have been reflected in a new licence and new regulatory agreement between Crown Sydney, the NSW Government and the NICC.

These agreements include updated settings, such as the removal of fetters to the NICC’s powers, as well as previous compensation trigger clauses that are no longer part of the casino legislation.

Mr Crawford said: “Crown cannot disregard the responsibility and privilege that comes with holding a casino licence. Crown Sydney’s ability to provide a destination hospitality and entertainment venue underpinned by the restricted gaming facility is contingent on its steadfast commitment to continuing suitability, accountability and compliance.”

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Distributor extends 3 Pots series with Asian-themed title

3 Oaks Gaming, an established distributor of iGaming content, has launched 3 China Pots: Hold and Win, the first time the company has integrated the popular 3 Pots mechanic within a Far East-themed title.

The latest instalment from 3 Oaks to incorporate the 3 Pots functionality sees players transported to the allure of the Orient, where the Extra, Double and Multi modifiers influence the Bonus Game once activated.

To trigger the Hold and Win round, Bonus symbols depicting the different pots are added to the progress meter within the main game. Enough blue icons open the Extra Feature, where four respins are awarded instead of the standard three. Red symbols unlock the Double Feature, which activates two game boards, while the purple Multi Feature adds multipliers to random cells.

The Extra, Double and Multi Pot features can all be triggered simultaneously, enhancing the win potential to new heights when the modifiers work in combination.

Additionally, the game’s Mini, Minor and Major Jackpots may appear during the Bonus Game and reward the corresponding cash value, with the Grand Jackpot worth 2,000x also awarded when the entire grid is filled within the Hold and Win mode.

Yuriy Muratov, Chief Commercial Officer at 3 Oaks Gaming, said: “3 China Pots: Hold and Win takes users on a mystical voyage to an opulent palace, where players can uncover a wealth of riches thanks to the captivating 3 Pots mechanic.

“The 3 Pots mechanic continues to grow in popularity and incorporating it within such a popular slot theme will only broaden its appeal to a wider audience.”

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Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.

“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.

The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.

“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.

The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.

For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.

Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.

Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”

The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.

“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.

He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.

“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.

In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.

At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.