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Oprah assuming as President could turn out to be a game changer for gambling in the United States

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It seems that an Oprah presidency might evolve as a potential game changer for gambling in the United States

Until her acceptance speech at the Golden Globe awards Oprah Winfrey was never excogitated  as a presidential candidate, but the speech casted so much spell that several significant people suggested she could be a potential  candidate in the future. Indeed her odds dropped to as low as 20/1 at William Hill and other sportsbooks to be the President in 2020. However,  it is well known that afterwards Oprah made her part clear that she was not even a wee bit interested in politics but the fact that Donald Trump decided to run and got elected makes anything possible. So, with the Academy Awards taking place this weekend there is no question that rumours and speculation regarding Oprah running for President will abound again.  Googling on ‘Oprah and gambling’ reveals nothing aside from odds on her winning. It seems that on the issue of gambling Oprah has never expressed any opinion.

While speaking  to  a couple of Oprah aficionados, Joan and Shelly the two, claimed to have watched nearly every Oprah episode, read almost all her magazines and her self-help books and claim to be the biggest Oprah fans. They both suggested that,  Oprah would be good for the gambling industry. Without saying it specifically, they claimed Oprah does not believe in any organised religion, so unlike the Republicans under Bush, who tried to preach their brand of evangelical neo-conservatism (which of course included an anti-gambling stance that led to the passage of the UIGEA), Oprah has never preached or tried to force her beliefs on anyone. If she has an issue with the gambling industry she never said so.

“When Oprah talked about her drug use with her boyfriend in the 1980s, she never preached about the dangers or said that police fell down on the job because they failed to crack down on drug dealers,” Joan staed:  “she simply said that she had to accept that it had become a part of her life and the only way to kick drugs was to dump her boyfriend who got her using cocaine. That is one thing Oprah has constantly said – people need to make their own decisions in life and accept both the rewards and consequences of those decisions. And when she lost all the weight, she never put down anyone who was obese, she simply gave them the facts and told them to decide for themselves whether food is worth the risk of a heart attack later in life. Oprah once brought out a big tub of fat on stage and told people that this is what they were carrying around with them if they were overweight. She just wanted to give them the information, but she said that whether they decided to do something about it or not was naturally the individual’s decision.”

Going further Shelly said that in an episode of Oprah on her own station she had a woman on the show from Britain who had lost the down payment for a house to an online gambling company and was afraid to tell her husband. The woman told her husband she lost a few hundred pounds instead of the 100,000 pounds or so that she truly lost. In that episode Oprah and her guest never decried the evils of gambling, they never said that she should be ashamed to have been involved in the devil’s game or anything like that and they never mentioned the online gambling company let alone called them out for taking the bets. Instead they told the woman to own up to what she did, tell her husband the truth and face the consequences. Plus, they suggested she get help for her compulsive gambling, but that was it.”

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The two also pointed out that on many issues Oprah is very libertarian and has never told people they need to be protected from themselves. On issues like teenage pregnancy (she was 14 when she was raped and impregnated herself), gay marriage, gender reassignment, alcohol use and even religion Oprah told guests on the show that they have to decide for themselves, but to try and make an informed decision. And, In the book the Gospel According to Oprah, the author, Marsha Z. Nelson, notes that Oprah is a great spiritual leader, not because she tells people what to do in life, but rather asks them to do a self-examination, confess their mistakes and when necessary ask forgiveness. But the decision of what is right and wrong is not up to the religious leaders to decide, but rather the individuals.

Joan also said that she saw Oprah onstage with Cher and Tina Turner at Caesars Palace a few years back and while she could not say for certain she was fairly convinced she saw Oprah playing the slots that day. But for certain, she didn’t say anything negative about the casino itself or the gamblers at the show. She simply asked if they were winning and having fun.

So, does this prove that Oprah would be good for the gambling industry in America if she were to become president? Of course not.

It is quite possible that Oprah may be very opposed to any gambling expansion. But what we can be assured of is that she won’t be beholden to the religious right as many in the Republican party are currently, she won’t be beholden to Sheldon Adelson as the current Republican party is and based on prior comments she won’t blame the industry or even the individuals who get in trouble because of gambling. She will simply suggest a self-examination and self-help. And as president, she may try to get a bill introduced by Congress to provide more help to people who struggle with addictions, but again the decision is up to the individual.

Most importantly, Oprah is a great businesswoman and will certainly look at what is best to grow the economy and create jobs, but unlike Trump she won’t do so in a confrontational manner or in a way that will put the U.S. at odds with the rest of the world. And like it or not the casino industry along with lotteries and racetracks are important businesses in the U.S. that employ thousands of Americans and help grow the economy.

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Oprah is still 20-1 in the odds, but if she does decide to run there is no doubt she would immediately become the betting favourite. And that could be good for the gambling industry and for American gamblers.

Source: osga.com


Source: European Gaming Media and Events

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What makes Turbo Games’ provably fair games so special?

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A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.

Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”

Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.

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According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.

There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.

Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”

Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”

What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.

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Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.

 

 ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

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The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

More information: https://slotegrator.pro/

 

ABOUT TURBO GAMES

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Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.

Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.

The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.

More information: https://turbogames.io/

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Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

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Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.

Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.

Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.

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Participating in the event

As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.

To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair

About Games Factory Talents

A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.

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To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents

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810 THE SPREAD

Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting

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Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.

Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”

Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”

Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”

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The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:

6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.

9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.

12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.

4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.

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8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio

BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.

For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.

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