The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. He’s back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, there’s more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.
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The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. He’s back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, there’s more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.

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PlayTenn.com: Football pushes sports betting to fresh record in September

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PlayTenn.com: Football pushes sports betting to fresh record in September

 

A record $257 million in bets poured into Tennessee sportsbooks in September, as a full month of college football and the return of the NFL spurred bettors. The new highwater mark is indicative of a market that still has plenty of room for growth, according to PlayTenn, which tracks the Tennessee gaming market.

“As impressive as September was, the Tennessee sports betting market has not nearly reached its potential,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayTenn.com. “Baseball’s postseason and the return of the NBA, coupled with a full month of the NFL, should move Tennessee forward again. The records will continue to fall over the next few months.”

Sportsbooks accepted $257.3 million in bets in September, up 78.1% from $144.5 million, according to official data released Tuesday by the Tennessee Education Lottery and Sports Wagering Advisory Council. Bettors placed $8.6 million in wagers per day over the 30 days of September, up from $4.7 million per day over the 31 days of August.

The handle topped the state’s previous high of $211.3 million wagered in January, and marked just the third time since Tennessee launched sports betting in November 2020 that betting surpassed $200 million in a month.

Gross revenue set a record, too. Sportsbooks won $25.6 million in September, up 93.9% from $13.2 million in August, topping the record $20.9 million in revenue gained in January. The win led to $16.6 million in taxable revenue, which yielded $3.3 million in tax revenue.

The return of football was the key to Tennessee’s surge.

“Football is unique in the way it motivates bettors, and sportsbooks got a little help with decent starts in September by the Titans and Volunteers,” said Nicole Russo, analyst for PlayTenn.com. “With local interest in the Atlanta Braves and the start of the Grizzlies season adding to the mix, October should push sportsbooks to yet another level.”

At 9.9% in September, the combined hold for Tennessee’s sportsbooks still hovered near the 10% threshold required by Tennessee regulations. That rule, among others, is still being reviewed by the Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council.

Operators have been outspoken in their concern for the rule, which is unprecedented among U.S. legal sports betting markets.

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“It’s remarkable how well Tennessee has performed, and it has even more potential,” Russo said. “Removing the hold requirement would spur competition among operators. And savvy customers who shop for the best odds and promotions would benefit most. That would help grow the market over the long term.”

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WinSpirit and Casino Guru Turn Responsible Gaming into a Trend

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Talking about Responsible Gaming (RG) is nothing new in iGaming — but doing it in a way players actually enjoy is rare. For WinSpirit, it became a chance to do what the brand does best — think differently, engage, and prove that even the most serious topics can be turned into content players actually want to share.

Instead of burying RG in disclaimers or policy pages, WinSpirit brought together their creativity and  expertise of Casino Guru to turn it into a SmartPlay Social Media campaign.

Data-Driven Creativity

Before launching the campaign, WinSpirit turned to its community with a simple question: what do you really know about Responsible Gaming? Nearly 800 players responded, and the results were telling.

  • 63% knew the primary goal of RG.
  • 46% felt enabling those tools was easy and knew where to find information.
  • 56% highlighted WinSpirit’s own email disclaimers (launched this year) as the most effective reminders.

The findings confirmed that awareness was already strong, but also showed that some players still found RG “too complicated.”

“When we asked our community which reminders help them stay mindful, 56% highlighted the email disclaimers developed by WinSpirit Casino this year as the most effective”, – said WinSpirit analytics team manager.

This insight revealed a gap: while some forms work well for many, others may need a different touchpoint to simplify the message. Social media naturally became the next logical step to address the topic.

A Campaign Built for the Feed

The six-part series was crafted not just to inform, but to feel native to social media culture. Players swiped through “red flag or green light” checks, busted common myths with quick-hit facts, and even debated an “unpopular opinion”: games are built for entertainment, not profit. The final self-check felt less like a form and more like a challenge — engaging, fast, and easy to share.

What elevated the initiative further was the expertise behind it. WinSpirit teamed up with Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling at Casino Guru — a rare pairing of a progressive operator and an independent authority. In an industry where these voices often stay on opposite sides, this collaboration showed the power of combining creativity with credibility.

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Here is what Šimon Vincze said about the initiative: “I am glad we could support WinSpirit on this journey and help bring a successful campaign to life by combining expert insights with natural and engaging communication. Their PR team did an excellent job, as demonstrated by the statistics. Player protection is an integral part of the gambling industry’s development. Sooner or later, most players will expect a certain level of well-being and care. Those who start on this journey earlier will benefit from a competitive edge and a loyal player base.”

Impact That Lasts

Social media reach for the campaign exceeded 10,000 people.

Social Media Engagement achieved 53% and boosted monthly metrics of Social Media pages by 80%. But the main result is still on the way – in the first month alone, WinSpirit saw a 12% rise in player support queries about Responsible Gaming tools.

More importantly, Responsible Gaming shifted from being background noise to a conversation players wanted to join. Awareness turned into curiosity — and curiosity sparked deeper understanding.

“This isn’t about ticking boxes,” says the WinSpirit team. “It’s about giving players the confidence and control that keep the game fun.”

For an industry where communication often feels routine, the campaign proved that creativity doesn’t weaken the message — it amplifies it. Even compliance can capture attention when delivered in the language of players.

 

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Scientific Games’ Award-Winning PlayCentral Self-Service Technology Heading to NASPL 2025

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PlayCentral Terminals Meet Diverse Lottery Retailer Needs as Self-Service Adoption Accelerates

Scientific Games award-winning PlayCentral lottery self-service technology will be showcased at the North American Association of State & Provincial Lotteries 2025 Conference, taking place Sept. 8-11 in Ontario, Canada. Developed with the guiding principle that “one size does not fit all,” the company’s family of PlayCentral self-service terminals offers a broad range of form factors, feature sets and configurations to fit diverse retail footprints, from large-format grocery and mass merchandisers to high-traffic convenience stores and compact independent outlets. Each PlayCentral model is designed to optimize space, maximize product visibility and enhance the self-service purchasing experience.

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According to a 2024 PYMNTS Intelligence Report, 84% of U.S. consumers enjoy using self-service kiosks, and two-thirds now prefer them over staffed checkout lanes.

PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ was named a Gold Winner in the 2025 American Business Awards and a Bronze Winner in the 2025 International Business Awards in the Emerging Technology category. Several years ago, Scientific Games was named Walmart Services Division Supplier of the Year for Product, recognizing a PlayCentral model as an “exceptional or innovative product that enhanced customer savings (money and/or time, value or assortment).”

Unique in the industry, all terminals in the PlayCentral family support the full line sales of draw games, instant scratch games, Fast Play and monitor games, offering the greatest opportunity for lottery expansion to all player segments and playstyles. PlayCentral terminals have been deployed in thousands of lottery retail locations across North America, processing millions of transactions annually.

“PlayCentral self-service terminals are at the epicenter of a modern retail ecosystem. Powered by SCiQ, the technology integrates store-level analytics for streamlined inventory management, offering players a convenient, user-friendly shopping experience and readying lotteries for future payment strategies,” said Mike Cardell, Senior Vice President, Americas Systems for Scientific Games. “Our PlayCentral family is designed to adapt to any store layout, meet a host of different retailer requirements and deliver personalized game recommendations powered by AI. This is how Scientific Games helps lotteries and retailers grow their business while giving players enhanced self-service experiences.”

In addition to flexibility for a wide variety of retail environments, PlayCentral terminals integrate Scientific Games’ new GameChoice AI technology to provide personalized product recommendations to players. These data-driven insights help lotteries feature the right mix of games based on specific sales trends and player preferences, and it’s already driving higher engagement and incremental sales.

Scientific Games applied the same strategy to PlayCentral as with its highly successful line of WAVE clerk-operated countertop retail terminals. The sleek terminals allow players to purchase games, check tickets and access promotions without clerk assistance, while helping lotteries expand points of sale, showcase a complete portfolio and give retailers tools to operate more efficiently and increase sales without adding labor costs.

Scientific Games is the world’s largest lottery games provider and the fastest-growing lottery systems provider, delivering retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries.

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GameChoice™, PlayCentral®, SCiQ® and WAVE™ are trademarks of Scientific Games, LLC. © 2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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“The Craig Carton Show” to Debut on SportsGrid FAST Channel, Thursday, September 4th

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SportsGrid today announced the debut of The Craig Carton Show, a new daily sports talk program hosted by celebrated broadcaster Craig Carton, premiering Thursday, September 4, 2025 on the SportsGrid FAST Channel.

The show will air weekdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon ET, produced by FOX Sports and Red Seat Ventures, originating from SportsGrid’s Studio 34, in the heart of New York City.

“The Craig Carton Show” will bring Carton’s signature energy, sharp insights, and unfiltered perspective to sports fans nationwide, covering the day’s biggest storylines, debates, and personalities in sports.

“I couldn’t be more excited to launch The Craig Carton Show on SportsGrid. Studio 34 is an incredible stage in the middle of New York City, and I can’t wait to deliver a new program format that’s smart, authentic, and most importantly, fun for sports fans everywhere.” said Craig Carton.

The SportsGrid FAST Channel is distributed widely across major connected TV and free ad-supported streaming platforms, including Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, LG Channels, Sling Freestream, DIRECTV, Pluto TV, Vizio WatchFree+, and more. As one of the most consistently top-ranked independent FAST sports channels, SportsGrid continues to drive millions of monthly viewer impressions and sessions from a massive national audience base.

“SportsGrid is about delivering compelling, original live sports programming to fans wherever they watch, and bringing Craig Carton into our lineup is a perfect example of that mission. His voice, personality, and deep connection with sports audiences make him a tremendous fit for the SportsGrid FAST Channel.” Said Louis Maione, SportsGrid’s Founder and President.

Eric Pearce, Red Seat Ventures EVP, Creator Operations added: “We’ve long admired Craig’s ability to connect with fans through his passion and unique style. Partnering with SportsGrid to bring this program to life is a great opportunity to showcase Craig’s talent in a modern, dynamic format that reaches millions of fans across connected TV platforms every day.”

 

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