After serving over 24 years as a Commissioner on the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (“MMA”) Commission, Joe Pennington presided over his final commission meeting on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Pennington was appointed to the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission in 2001 by Governor Jane Hull and served under the next four administrations of Janet Napolitano, Jan Brewer, Doug Ducey, and Katie Hobbs.

During his tenure, Commissioner Pennington played a key role in strengthening safety protocols for fighters and reinforcing Arizona’s position as a leader in combat sports regulation. He is most proud of the Commission’s commitment to combatant safety, exemplified by the adoption of the concussion protocol and testing, the passage of 581679, the Boxing/MMA Omnibus Bill, in 2024, and the adoption of rules for Boxing, MMA, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Tough Man competitions. Last fall, the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission was recognized as “Commission of the Year” at the North American Boxing Federation Awards Banquet for its regulatory efforts.

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside Commissioner Pennington over the last few years,” said Danny Vella, Executive Director of ADG’s Boxing and MMA Division. “I am grateful for his nearly two and a half decades of dedicated service and commitment to enhancing combat sports regulation in Arizona. I wish Mr. Pennington the best in his retirement and look forward to the continued impact of his tremendous contributions.”

“On behalf of the Arizona Department of Gaming, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Commissioner Joe Pennington for his unwavering dedication and service to the Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts community in Arizona,” said Director Jackie Johnson, ADG. “Through multiple administrations, his commitment to integrity, fairness, and the growth of combat sports has left a lasting impact on the industry and the state. We thank him for his years of leadership and public service.”

Serving in his final commission meeting, Commissioner Pennington was presented a commendation from Executive Director Vella on behalf of Governor Katie Hobbs, receiving well wishes from several attendees of the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission meeting on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, The Department and its staff wish Mr. Pennington a joyous and adventurous retirement, and we are forever grateful for his 24 years of service to combat sports safety and regulation in Arizona.

It is with great pride that, after months of work, BetBlocker can announce the launch of a dedicated US division of its charity, BetBlocker US, Inc. 

BetBlocker has become synonymous in the UK and Europe with providing entirely anonymous gambling blocking software, at no charge, to tens of thousands of users every day. Now it will focus on extending the protections it can offer to US residents, helping to manage their gambling habits responsibly. This can only be viewed as a massive step forward for safer gambling practices in the US. BetBlocker’s market coverage continues apace.

BetBlocker can now confirm its registration as a 501(c) Non-profit Organisation in Delaware, allowing it to aid in the state’s vision of enriching the lives of everyone.  It is the intention of the charity to expand on the support services that it already offers in North America. Support is already available to speakers of English and Spanish, and in the near future, the app will also launch in Chinese, which is currently in development. In offering support services in these 3 languages, BetBlocker addresses the needs of the speakers of the top 3 used languages in the US. Another 17 languages are already available for users of the app.

The launch of BetBlocker’s American division coincides with the exciting confirmation that the Colorado Lottery has chosen to signpost BetBlocker to users of its official website.   A link to the BetBlocker app can be accessed from the Know Your Limits section of their website.

When asked about the charity’s recent expansion into the US, Founder and Trustee of BetBlocker, Duncan Garvie, commented:

“BetBlocker’s pioneering free support has been minimising harm for tens of thousands of people all over the world for close to a decade now. By establishing the US arm of the charity, it is our hope that we can raise the profile of the service in North America and support tens of thousands more people in the coming years.

It is my strong belief that pay walls between users and support for gambling harm create a barrier that ensures that the most vulnerable, and the least able to pay, are the least able to access support. Free support is essential, and I’m confident that in the coming years we will be there for hundreds of thousands of people across the North American continent, that would otherwise struggle to manage their gambling.”

Adventura Gaming, a new boutique gaming company pioneering branded casino games that blend world renowned celebrities and brands with cutting-edge gameplay, is launching its casino table game, Penn & Teller Casino Monte, on March 3 at Rio Hotel & Casino. Creating an innovative table game experience with the beloved and iconic Penn & Teller, the game is poised to attract valuable new audiences to casinos as the first celebrity branded casino table game of its kind.

“We couldn’t be more proud to officially announce Adventura Gaming to the industry with the launch of our Penn & Teller Casino Monte, a groundbreaking table game that merges entertainment, innovation and the magic of one of the world’s most iconic duos,” said David Anthony, president and cofounder at Adventura Gaming. “By combining engaging gameplay with a celebrity brand that resonates with audiences outside of slot machines, we’re creating a fresh and exciting experience for players while delivering added value to casino operators,” added Cinnamon Booth, Adventura Gaming’s executive vice president and cofounder.

“Casino Monte is a brand-new table game that’s fiendishly fun,” remarked Penn Jillette, one half of the storied Penn & Teller duo. “When Adventura introduced us to this new casino table game concept, it quickly became clear—not only could we learn it and play it, but it was genuinely fun. I thought if we can learn it, anyone can, and they’ll have a great time doing it.”

As soon as they saw its engaging mechanics, Adventura Gaming was immediately captivated by its potential, and moved decisively to license and refine the game. Anthony and Booth said they’ve “loved the idea of Penn & Teller going all the way back to their three-card game shenanigans in Run DMC’s Tricky music video. So of course, we knew right away they were the only ones we wanted to partner with.”

Drawing in an audience with internationally recognized celebrity magicians Penn & Teller, and its original patented gameplay, Penn & Teller Casino Monte allows players to place a bet on ‘Penn,’ ‘&’ or ‘Teller’ and the higher the card, the better the chances to win.