PokerStars lost its bet on the Atlantic Club casino in New Jersey. Judge Raymond Batten ruled that the Atlantic City casino is free to accept purchase bids from other companies in its fight to avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure. The ruling is a significant setback for PokerStars, which hoped to use the Atlantic Club as a…
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The new OLG casino revenue sharing agreement announced last week was overshadowed by the firing of Paul Godfrey as Chairman of Ontario’s gaming body. However, the revenue agreement resulted in outright rejections in Toronto, while other communities are asking for answers to more questions, such as Ottawa. Under the old agreement, casino host communities benefitted…
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Paul Godfrey was let go from his position as OLG Chairman on May 16, which led to the resignation of the entire OLG Board of Governors. The organization was in the middle of a massive modernization and gambling expansion process, but is now without leaders or direction to complete the transition. Godfrey gave a short…
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The city of Toronto went through a tough week, and could experience an equally tumultuous time next week. Allegations that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was caught on video smoking crack from a pipe drowned out the mayor’s earlier decision to cancel a special council meeting on the OLG casino, scheduled for May 21. However, that…
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The OLG gaming modernization strategy appeared to collapse under its own weight yesterday. OLG Chairman Paul Godfrey was let go from his position by the Ontario government only hours after Toronto Mayor Rob Ford announced the city’s casino debate is “dead.” Rob Ford held an impromptu press conference late afternoon, at which he presented himself…
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The Ontario government is moving ahead with the OLG modernization strategy, but the new government leaders are revamping some pieces of the strategy, including extending support for Ontario’s beleaguered horseracing industry. Premier Kathleen Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa stated that candidates are under consideration to replace OLG Chairman Paul Godfrey. Wynne and Sousa’s predecessors,…
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The decision on a downtown Toronto casino is expected to be settled at a city council meeting on May 21. But the OLG selected the downtown region as one viable location for a casino, and the northwestern regions of the GTA as a second viable location. The Woodbine racetrack, established in Etobicoke nearby Pearson International…
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In the Toronto-Boston NHL playoff series, redemption seems to be the word of play for the young Maple Leafs roster. The Leafs were the undisputed underdogs going into the first round against the more experienced, and physically stronger Bruins roster. But in a remarkable test of resilience and creativity, the Leafs forced the Bruins into…
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Many Canadian cities are debating the pros and cons of investing in privatized casinos, but south of the border, Americans are recognizing the value of online casinos. The US stood firmly against legalized online gambling for years, and passed the Unlawful Internet Betting Act in 2006 to symbolize that opposition. But over the years, American…
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Canada crowned a new World Poker Tour champion this week at the Playground Poker Club in Montreal. Amir Babakhani crushed the final table to win the Canadian Spring Championship leg of the tour, capturing the top prize of $442,248, along with a $25,000 stake in the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio Casino in Las…
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