Gambling in the USA
After Unanimous Commonwealth Court Victory, POM of PA Amends Second Commonwealth Court Complaint Aimed at Corruption by State and Local Government Agencies and “Team Casino”
On the 4th of December, Pace-O-Matic (POM) of Pennsylvania filed an amended complaint in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania outlining the coordinated corruption between state and local government agencies on behalf of actors in the private casino industry, who identified themselves as “Team Casino.”
POM of PA’s complaint asks the court to order the Bureau of Liquor Control & Enforcement (BLCE) and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) from targeting POM’s Pennsylvania Skill games by publicly and privately declaring them illegal.
“Over the course of nearly seven years, at the behest and with financial support provided by the private casino industry, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE), and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office have engaged in a coordinated campaign to attack and undermine the standing of POM’s legal Pennsylvania Skill games,” said Chief Public Affairs Officer, Mike Barley. “With the urging and coaching of actors representing the private casino industry, the state government ignored and/or purposefully misrepresented the law, court decisions, and basic elements of how our skill games operate in a coordinated, yet desperate, attempt to reputationally harm POM’s ability to operate a legal product in Pennsylvania.
“While the PGCB was created to oversee the private casino industry, their actions show they are wholly owned subsidiary of the industry they are intended to oversee. The BLCE is meant to interpret the law as written and respect court opinions, yet time and time again they took their orders from the private casino industry and ran a targeted campaign to harm the Pennsylvania small businesses and fraternal clubs who operate our skill games and rely on the supplemental revenue these games generate, as well as intimidate players from using our legal products. These actors were part of a national effort, led by the private casino industry in Pennsylvania and across the nation, to attack the legal skill game industry. Their behavior was appalling and does deep reputational damage as well as harms public confidence in the process.”
Yesterday, in another matter related to the legality of POM’s Pennsylvania Skill games, the Commonwealth Court unanimously ruled that POM’s skill games are legal games of skill. In the case, originally brought forth in Dauphin County, the Commonwealth Court ruled that the POM game is a game of predominant skill, not a game of chance, and that the “POM machines are not slot machines [and] the POM machines are not illegal” as noted in the ruling.
The newly amended complaint names the Bureau of Liquor Control & Enforcement (BLCE), Scott Miller, James Jones, Scott Berdine, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine, Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Andrew Throckmorton, Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso, Thomas J. McMahon from the Criminal Investigations Division, Chief County Detective Eric Kerchner with the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, PGCB Senior Counsel Denise Miller-Tshudy, Deputy Chief Counsel Christopher Herrington with the Pennsylvania State Police, and former BLCE Supervisor Todd Merlina.
There is a long history of corruption by these actors that the courts have noted in their opinions over the past year.
In yesterday’s unanimous Commonwealth Court opinion, the court notes “the Commonwealth was aware of adverse legal authority [referring to the Pinnacle case in which the POM game was determined a game of skill], it was required to cite and distinguish it.” Yet the Commonwealth omitted it. The court goes on to state that they “caution the Commonwealth that the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct require candor toward the tribunal and, specifically, the disclosure of directly adverse authority.”
In March, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Judge, Andrew H. Dowling, castigated the Commonwealth and the BLCE for their biased conduct, writing, “All three of the Commonwealth witnesses opined that the games were predominantly games of chance. However, we do not find these opinions to be persuasive for a number of reasons. Initially, it is this Court’s belief that the Commonwealth’s investigation shows case bias. The Commonwealth is seeking to make all machines like the POM machines into illegal gambling devices, and their whole approach and intent is to shut down games regardless of the actual gameplay. The fact that Officer Wentsler never played the Follow Me feature while undercover is indicative of this. Thus, the Commonwealth as a whole is biased against the games, and their approach lacks case credibility.”
This is the second court in as many months to rule the games were legal games of skill and allege misconduct in the investigation and prosecution of legal skill games.
In February, Monroe County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Harlacher Sibum wrote, “The court finds that the Commonwealth improperly withheld and misrepresented material evidence relative to the issuance of the search warrant in this matter, and that such conduct warrants the suppression of the seized property.”
Gambling in the USA
CasinoWebScripts Hits Milestone with 200 Sweepstakes Casino Games for the US Market
In an exciting development for sweepstakes operators across the US, CasinoWebScripts has announced a significant milestone: the release of more than 200 in-house developed sweepstakes casino games. This achievement highlights the company’s commitment to innovation and its dedication to providing high-quality, engaging gaming experiences without the burden of monthly revenue sharing.
CasinoWebScripts’ unique approach allows operators to rent these state-of-the-art games for a fixed monthly fee, eliminating revenue share, GGR% fees, and usage limitations. This model ensures that operators can offer top-tier entertainment to their players while enjoying predictable, straightforward billing.
Further enhancing their sweepstakes software, CasinoWebScripts has introduced an array of features tailored specifically to the needs of the US market. Players can now earn free coins for various activities such as verifying their email, confirming their phone number, and inviting friends. Additionally, the introduction of a VIP program and a complex Affiliate Program brings more value to the player experience, with customizations that resonate with the US audience.
To ensure a seamless operation for its clients, CasinoWebScripts has also created strategic partnerships with prestigious third-party providers for essential services like KYC, credit card processing, and anti-fraud measures. These collaborations have resulted in a fully integrated solution that allows operators to run their business smoothly, without worrying about missing components.
Oscar Stevens, Product Manager at CasinoWebScripts, said: “Achieving this milestone reflects our team’s dedication and commitment to excellence and innovation. Our suite of over 200 sweepstakes games and the comprehensive features we’ve rolled out are designed to set our clients apart in the competitive US market. We are committed to providing solutions that are not only user-friendly but also ensure a secure and engaging gaming environment for players.”
EveryMatrix is live with Supremeland Gaming, Inc. on DraftKings, its first exclusive content aggregation partnership in US.
The partnership will see Supremeland Gaming, through its American-based game studio Powderkeg, develop exclusive content on EveryMatrix technology, while also enabling EveryMatrix to distribute its games and provide additional gamification features such as free spins and tournaments for the US market via its SlotMatrix aggregation platform.
Supremeland Gaming’s content, via SlotMatrix, is now available on DraftKings in New Jersey with further states pending.
EveryMatrix is the industry’s largest content aggregator and has secured commercial agreements with several tier-1 operators in the US through SlotMatrix including DraftKings with its in-house content live in New Jersey and Ontario.
It has more than 300 global customers with North American licences in Ontario, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Erik Nyman, President, EveryMatrix Americas, said: “At the core of the EveryMatrix product strategy has been to deliver its world-leading casino productivity and aggregation platform to the US market.
“Today, we have enabled our first partner Supremeland Gaming to go live and our customers can facilitate bonus capabilities for third-party games which has been never seen in this market until now. Powderkeg develops high-quality games and we are confident players will enjoy them.”
Rickard Öhrn, CEO of Supremeland Gaming, said: “This major milestone represents the first step on an exciting journey we are undertaking to deliver mischievous, innovative, and really fun-to-play online games to a broader audience through our partnership with EveryMatrix.”
Gambling in the USA
INFRONT BETTOR EXPANDS NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSH STREET INTERACTIVE AGREEMENT
Key Partnership Across RSI Brands BetRivers and RushBet Includes Access to Infront’s Official ITF Data and Streams from 2025.
Infront Bettor, Infront’s betting-focused division, has successfully secured a strategic partnership with Rush Street Interactive Inc NYSE RSI (“RSI”), one of the leading operators in the Americas and the online operator of BetRivers in North America and RushBet in Latin America.
The new agreement covers Infront’s extensive portfolio, including access to the official fast path data of all International Tennis Federation ITF events, exclusively distributed by Infront Bettor from 2025. Official feed data directly from the umpire’s chair will be made available for over 58,000 matches from the Men’s and Women’s World Tennis Tour, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the Davis Cup. The corresponding video streams will also be distributed for a large portion of these matches.
The deal also covers Infront’s wider streaming portfolio from more than 40 global rights holders across soccer, basketball, and ice hockey. This includes top European soccer competitions such as France’s Ligue 1 Uber Eats from the 2024/25 season and premium ice hockey tournaments such as the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
Diogo Almeida, Head of Sales, Infront Bettor said: “Our venture into the US betting landscape marks a significant milestone for the bold plans we have for Infront Bettor, and partnering with a key player, like RSI, in the industry is obviously the best way to significantly bolster our presence in this rapidly expanding market. It also ensures that fans have unmatched access to top-tier global sports events, which will be perfectly complemented with 24/7 betting opportunities through our partnership with the ITF.”
Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, said: “This partnership is a pivotal step for us in enhancing our offering to make sure we have premium and round-the-clock coverage for our customers. We are also very proud to continue to deliver the ITF to our bettors through next year, offering an enhanced tennis package that will see us consume more events than ever before. We know Infront has plans to offer a more immersive tennis betting experience, adding supplementary betting markets through collecting level 2 and level 3 data, and we look forward to seeing these come to life next year.”
For more information, visit infront.sport.
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