Gambling in the USA
Sacramento Kings Partner with MGM Resorts and Xperiel
The Sacramento Kings announced a partnership with MGM Resorts International and Xperiel, the inventor of the Real World Web platform, to provide new incentives to fans engaging with the NBA’s first free-to-play gaming experience. “Call the Shot” is available for fans within the Fan Zone of the award-winning, dual-mode Sacramento Kings + Golden 1Center app, which was first released in 2016.
“Call the Shot” allows fans to predict the outcomes of game quarters, player performance as well as interact with their favorite NBA team – all while offering in-app prize opportunities with no purchase required to participate. Featuring MGM Resorts as its premier gaming sponsor, “Call the Shot” is the first mobile offering from an NBA team that offers high-frequency predictive gaming to fans.
“We are committed to exploring new ways that technology can be used to engage with fans as they consume and interact with the game,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “The future is experiential and we are proud to lead the way in continuing to redefine the fan experience with this innovative and interactive platform.”
“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with the Kings to become their exclusive presenting partner for the Call the Shot game,” said MGM Resorts International President of Interactive Gaming Scott Butera. “MGM Resorts looks forward to this unique opportunity to innovate free-to-play gaming and provide fans with a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.”
“When we first started working with the Kings a few years ago, Vivek Ranadivé had the vision that any predictive gaming experience we create together should have a Vegas-like gaming feel without the actual wagering,” said Xperiel CEO and co-founder Alex Hertel. “It is thrilling to see what we’ve built under Vivek’s guidance and look forward to continuing to work with the Kings and other NBA teams to create immersive digital fan experiences and drive sports technology innovation with our Real World Web platform.”
Fans utilizing “Call the Shot” can make real-time predictions on shooting percentage, top scoring teams, top scoring players, which team will have the highest rebounds and more. These predictions can be made before the game and during each quarter, with correct guesses awarded virtual credits that can be used for in-app prize opportunities or to continue playing until the end of the game.
Virtual credits won in the Xperiel activations can only be redeemed in the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center app, are non-transferable and have no monetary value. During the game, successful fans playing both at the arena and at home will have their names appear on the leaderboard within the app and then projected onto the 4K Ultra HD videoboard, VSP SKEYE View, at Golden 1 Center. After the game, fans can use virtual credits for in-app prize opportunities. Prizes may include a wide selection of autographed Kings gear and game tickets. Season-length grand prizes will be fulfilled through a partnership between Xperiel and Amazon.
MGM Resorts, which signed a multi-year long-term partnership agreement with the NBA in July, is participating as the league’s official gaming partner, providing prizes and helping to create an exciting, Vegas-like experience for app users. MGM Resorts seized the opportunity to extend its commitment to the growth of the NBA by partnering with the Kings, the first NBA team to provide a more immersive free-to-play gamified app-based experience for fans both at Golden 1 Center and those watching remotely.
“Call the Shot” is the result of a multiyear partnership between Xperiel and the Kings. Previously, Kings fans have used “Photo in the Plaza” through the team’s proprietary mobile app to post selfies that appear on the arena’s exterior screens and catch virtual basketballs via an augmented reality prize cannon.
In addition to its partnership with the Kings, Xperiel is partnering with Amazon to fulfill delivery of season grand prizes – which may include a Microsoft XBox ‘One S’ with NBA 2K18, a Sonos PLAY:1 sound system and an Amazon Echo Show – directly to winners’ homes.
Xperiel has partnered with sports teams for several years to create more dynamic, gamified fan experiences that provide mobile users a variety of different ways to interact with their favorite sports teams as well as smart stadiums and a wide variety of IoT sensors. The Xperiel platform merges the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality to create a diverse network of connected devices called the Real World Web. Delivered through personal devices and location-based infrastructure, the gamified experiences tap into the excitement of Kings games and offers fans a fundamentally new way to try to guess the outcome of various aspects of games and player performances.
About MGM Resorts International:
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 29 unique hotel and destination gaming offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company acquired the operations of Empire City Casino in New York in 2019, and in 2018, opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The over 82,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.
About Xperiel:
Xperiel, inventor of the Real World Web (RWW), merges the physical and digital worlds by enabling mixed reality, predictive gaming and immersive experiences accessible to consumers through brands’ existing or new mobile apps. Xperiel’s RWW platform provides a device-agnostic operating system for the Internet of Things (IoT) which connects consumer devices to the world around them and connects all technology together into a single network. Using Xperiel’s patented, easy-to-use graphical programming language Pebbles, organizations across the retail, professional sports and entertainment spectrum (and beyond) can quickly, cost-effectively design and deliver interactive, customized apps in a few days or weeks, not months—without the expense of time-consuming development efforts. Teams and brands including the New York Jets, the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pepsico and MGM work with Xperiel to deploy interactive applications that drive consumer engagement and customer loyalty while increasing revenue opportunities in today’s fast-paced, digital world. www.xperiel.com
Gambling in the USA
Georgia Lottery Takes Retail Experience to Next Level with Scientific Games’ SCiQ Technology

SCiQ Ecosystem Modernizes Lottery Scratch Game Sales, Simplifies Retail Operations
The Georgia Lottery Corporation is taking a major step forward in transforming the way players experience instant scratch games at retail with the launch of Scientific Games’ award-winning SCiQ retail ecosystem at 1,500 locations statewide. The breakthrough retail technology modernizes how scratch games are sold and managed, bringing greater operational efficiency to retailers and a convenient, streamlined purchasing experience for players.
The innovative retail technology rollout is the latest milestone in a long-standing partnership between the Georgia Lottery and metro Atlanta-based Scientific Games, a collaboration that began at the Lottery’s inception in 1993. Through the long-standing partnership, Scientific Games has worked with the Lottery to launch its first scratch game, first second-chance promotion and is soon to launch its first loyalty program.
“Retail environments are evolving, and the Georgia Lottery is proud to lead with smart technology solutions that align with how today’s consumers want to shop,” said Gretchen Corbin, President and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation. “SCiQ brings a modern retail presence to our instant games, helps our retailers operate more efficiently and ultimately supports our mission to maximize revenues for the HOPE Scholarship and Georgia Pre-K program.”
A Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards for Operations Management Solution and Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards for Achievement in Product Innovation, SCiQ is being deployed across the diverse mix of Georgia Lottery retailers, including both major chain and independent stores. Each will benefit from:
- Real-time inventory tracking proven to reduce out-of-stocks and drive increased product sales
- Advanced sales analytics to help optimize sales performance and strategic planning
- Easy-to-use reporting tools that reduce operational time and provide management insights
- Dynamic digital menu boards that elevate the product’s in-store presence and promotion while providing players with real-time updated information
- Game dispensing bins that secure products, reduce theft and provide ticket-by-ticket operational tracking
“We are especially proud to bring the benefits of SCiQ to our home state,” said John Schulz, President of the Americas for Scientific Games. “The Georgia Lottery has always been a forward-thinking partner, and this retail modernization initiative is another move to ensure future growth for its instant game business to sustain future funding for Georgia’s students.”
A leading innovator in the industry, the Georgia Lottery ranked No. 2 in the world for scratch game per capita sales (La Fleur’s 2025 World Almanac). It has been a participant in the Scientific Games Enhanced Partnership program since the Lottery’s inception, benefiting from instant game design and production, portfolio management and game planning services, data analytics, advanced logistics, licensed brand services and retail sales and marketing support. Used by more than 20 lotteries, including five of the top six performing instant game lotteries worldwide, the SGEP program drove 31% better performance for U.S. partners in fiscal year 2023-24.
As the world’s largest lottery games company and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider in North America, Scientific Games currently serves more than 150 lotteries in 50 countries around the world.
SCiQ® is a registered trademark of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Gambling in the USA
$50 MILLION GUARANTEED IN ACR POKER’S BIGGEST-EVER TOURNAMENT SERIES: THE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL, LAUNCHING THIS WEEKEND

- $4.25 million guaranteed in Monster Main Events across three tourneys, plus
- $2.8 million guaranteed in Multi-Flight Events
Fresh off the massive Dual Venom tournaments with over $10 million in prize pools, ACR Poker announces the return of its flagship Online Super Series (OSS) XL. From this Sunday through Tuesday, September 30th, players of all bankrolls can jump into supersized poker action and compete for a staggering $50 million in guaranteed prize pools.
Headlining the OSS XL schedule are three monster Main Events. Starting Sunday, September 21st, players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events.
Adding to the excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from Wednesday, September 17th to Sunday, September 21st at 3pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.
“After heated back-to-back Venom tourneys, the OSS XL feels like the perfect follow-up,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “This series offers every type of player a mix of incredible value with a lot of variety. From Main Events to Survivor Flips and Mystery Bounties, plus big guarantees on top, it’s the kind of schedule that gets the whole community fired up, and I can’t wait to dive in.”
In addition, the jam-packed schedule features plenty of multi-flight action. The $630 buy-in Multi-Flight tournament boasts a $1.5 million guarantee, with Day 1’s starting on Sunday, September 7th and Day 2 on Monday, September 29th.
There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 guaranteed $109 buy-in events, with Day 1’s starting on September 7th and September 21st. Players can jump into the $200,000 guaranteed ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 guaranteed ($5.50 buy-in) events, with the final flight and Day 2 on September 28th.
To add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest returns with $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.
For further details on the OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.
Gambling in the USA
Major Casino Operators Ready to Invest if Georgia Lifts Casino Ban

As discussions about legalizing gambling in Georgia gain momentum, major casino operators like Wynn Resorts and Boyd Gaming are poised to lead the charge if the state changes its restrictive laws.
During a recent Georgia House study committee meeting, Christopher Gordon, president of Wynn Resorts’ development arm, expressed keen interest in building a multibillion-dollar casino should legal barriers be removed. Similarly, Boyd Gaming’s government affairs vice president Ryan Soultz highlighted Georgia’s market attractiveness.
Wynn’s model would be similar to its $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor, suggesting that a new Georgia casino could employ up to 4000 workers and contribute substantial gaming tax revenue.
Although specific locations have not been chosen, both companies have indicated they would need constitutional changes to move forward. Their willingness to invest heavily in the Peach State demonstrates a strong belief in the untapped potential of the state’s gambling market.
Such developments offer a compelling argument for lawmakers to consider gambling expansion, marking a shift toward economic incentives as a primary motivator for legislative change.
Should Georgia proceed with legalizing casino gambling, the legislative language will be crucial in shaping the industry’s landscape. Key proposals may include requiring casino companies to invest at least $1.2 billion per resort and generate a minimum number of jobs, often set at around 10,000 per license. This ensures that any developments bring tangible benefits to the local economy.
Additional legislative demands include rigorous background checks for key personnel, proven industry experience, and adherence to strict technical and financial standards. Only companies with substantial capital and robust infrastructure, like Wynn Resorts and Boyd Gaming, are likely to meet these stringent requirements.
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