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The Cordish Companies Proudly Celebrates The Grand Opening Of Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
The Cordish Companies have officially opened Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, the new world-class gaming, hotel, dining and entertainment destination located in the heart of the Philadelphia Stadium District. The opening marks another major milestone for the Company as the next Live! branded casino to open in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Live! Casino Pittsburgh opened in Hempfield Township, PA, in November 2020.
The Cordish Companies’ Principal Reed Cordish, Cordish Gaming Group President Rob Norton, and Executive Vice President Joe Billhimer were joined at a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (Second District), and numerous business, tourism and community leaders from the region.
The ceremony was hosted by Philadelphia fan favorite Ron Jaworski, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles; with special guest appearances by Philadelphia 76ers legend and Basketball Hall-of-Fame player Julius “Dr. J” Erving; former Philadelphia Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel; and former Eagles wide receiver, the “Invincible” Vince Papale. Guests were also delighted by appearances from the Phillie Phanatic, the Phandemic Krew, and the reigning Mummers champions, the South Philadelphia String Band.
Together, the group ushered in a new era of entertainment in the City of Philadelphia by ringing a giant replica Liberty Bell, followed by a fireworks spectacular.
“As a family-owned business for over 100 years, today marks an incredibly special day for my family and The Cordish Companies as we expand our Live! Casino brand into the great City of Philadelphia,” said Reed Cordish, Principal of The Cordish Companies. “Live! Philadelphia is the region’s premier gaming and entertainment destination, and we are proud to welcome our guests, Team Members and the community to go Live! with us. I’d like to thank Mayor Kenney, Councilmember Johnson, and local officials for their support for this project.”
The opening of Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia transforms the Philadelphia Stadium District into an integrated sports, entertainment and casino-resort destination and establishes the area as the only place in the country to experience big league action from four major professional sports teams, best-in-class dining and entertainment, world-class gaming and luxury hotel accommodations.
COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
As part of The Cordish Companies’ ongoing commitment to the community, more than $50,000 was donated to local Philadelphia non-profit organizations from proceeds generated from test night held prior to the official opening. During the ceremony, checks were presented to Philabundance, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, Young Chances Foundation, the Thomas & Woods Foundation, and the Garces Foundation.
“The Cordish Companies has embraced a culture of giving and community service since its inception,” said Joe Billhimer, Executive Vice President, Cordish Gaming Group. “We’re proud to be able to give back to the communities where our projects are located and where our Team Members live and work. Live! Philadelphia has long-term plans to support our local community and we’re thrilled to work with these and other amazing local organizations that make Philadelphia so special.”
Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia will generate over $2 billion in economic stimulus to the City, along with $100 million in tax revenues for the City in its first five years of operation, including $25 million to Philadelphia’s School District. The facility has created over 3,000 construction jobs during development and will create up to 2,000 permanent jobs for local and regional residents.
“I want to welcome The Cordish Companies and the new Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia to South Philadelphia and the entire Greater Philadelphia Region,” Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson (Second District) said. “I am excited that this new world-class gaming and entertainment destination is finally open and is in my Second Council District. The facility has provided over 3,000 new construction jobs and is now hiring to fill up to 2,000 permanent new positions for area residents. Hiring preference is being given to residents living in the communities immediately surrounding the Stadium District, then throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. This is the start of a great new tourist destination in South Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania.”
FIRST-CLASS DINING, ENTERTAINMENT & HOSPITALITY
Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia sets a new standard for gaming, dining, entertainment, hotel and special event accommodations. The 510,000 square-foot property features:
More than 2,100 slots and electronic table games
150 live-action table games
Dedicated 29 table Poker Room
Luxury, 12-story, 208-room Live! Hotel
A variety of dining and entertainment options
State-of-the-art, industry-leading FanDuel® Sportsbook
Six room Event Center featuring 15,000-square-feet of customizable meeting space to accommodate groups of 12 to 1,000 guests.
Convenient access to parking with an attached multi-level structured parking facility and adjacent surface parking
PLAYING IT SAFE
To prepare for opening, Live! developed a comprehensive Play It Safe plan, an enhanced health and sanitation program that allows for ample social distancing, reduced occupancies, and vigorous hygiene and health measures for all guests and Team Members.
Key components of the plan include the installation of the state-of-the-art Atmos Air Bi-Polar Air Purification System within the HVAC system to treat and clean the air in the facility, including any virus particulates. The system is designed to perform 12 air changes per hour throughout the casino floor, which is more than twice the frequency of most commercial buildings.
In addition, the one-of-a-kind Reel Clear slot management system will guarantee every customer who plays a slot machine is sitting down at a freshly sanitized machine and also has the capability to automatically social distance the customer from the nearest guest. The newly-developed system can automatically shut down a slot after it has been played and can only be reactivated by an attendance after it has been sanitized. Also, once a player starts to play a newly sanitized machine, the system, will lock down the machines on either side to enforce social distancing in areas not protected by plexiglass barriers. The system will also allow a patron to request their machine be cleaned at any time.
The plan follows guidelines and recommendations from federal and state public health officials, along with best practices for the gaming and hospitality industries focusing on masking, temperature checks, social distancing, and repeated cleaning of high-traffic areas, slot machines and table game equipment.
“Our priority is to provide a safe environment for our Team Members and guests,” said Billhimer. “The Play It Safe plan employs extraordinary measures to meet and exceed the COVID-19 guidelines outlined by the State to ensure all of our guests have fun and feel safe.”
SOURCE Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has mandated all Ontario-registered sportsbook operators to halt offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events immediately. This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.
Since December 2023, the AGCO has been conducting a comprehensive review of suspicious wagering activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro that was held in Orlando, Florida. Suspicious betting patterns on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds were reported to the AGCO by two registered independent integrity monitors and detected in Ontario by a registered igaming operator. Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s Manager placed $110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.
Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
The AGCO requires all Ontario-registered gaming operators to ensure the sport betting products they offer are on events that are effectively supervised by a sport governing body. At a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.
Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information. Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.
The AGCO has indicated to registered operators that in order for WBA betting products to be reinstated in Ontario, operators must demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events, thus bringing them into compliance with the Registrar’s Standards. In December 2022, the AGCO required gaming operators to stop offering bets on UFC events for similar issues related to insider betting safeguards. Within a month, UFC amended its policies and implemented new protocols that allowed the AGCO to reinstate betting on UFC events in the province.
“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body. Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.
Andrew Cochrane Chief Business Officer of GiG
GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time
Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG), has announced the launch of Casino Time, powered by its award winning iGaming platform and pioneering real-time rules engine LogicX, with revolutionary sportsbook, SportX soon to follow, to further extend its footprint in the regulated Canadian province of Ontario.
The launch of Casino Time carries extra significance, marking only the second time that on-demand, regulated online Bingo has been made available in Ontario. The new Bingo product vertical, launched alongside a strong Casino offering, will be boosted by GiG’s new sportsbook, SportX, as part of a planned release later this year.
GiG has focused its solutions on driving exponential growth in revenue for operators with its highly scalable iGaming platform, offering localised third party content and leading suppliers for the Ontarian market. GiGs peerless gamification layer creates an optimised and immersive casino experience tailored to regional preferences, swelling client retention and player engagement.
Canadian owned and operated, Casino Time is a joint venture amongst leading retail operators in Ontario’s Charitable Gaming sector, delivering Bingo, Slots and Live Dealer Casino Games. Promising a personalised service and community experience, Casino Time is continuing its long-standing partnership with local charities, introducing its joint fundraising model into the iGaming space for the first time.
Now coming towards the end of its second year of licensed operations, Ontario has emerged as one of the largest iGaming markets in North America, second only to New Jersey according to data supplied by Vixio. The first and as yet only Canadian province to launch a regulated market, Ontario boasts more than 1.6 million active player accounts spread over 40 plus operators, generating €1.3 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in its first year of trading, with this data supplied by iGaming Ontario.
Andrew Cochrane, Chief Business Officer of GiG, said: “GiG continues to set the pace with a strong cadence of brand launches in 2024, and I’m pleased that when operators are seeking platform solutions in regulated markets, GiG is leading the pack. Our partnership with Casino Time, will help deliver something new and exciting to the Ontarian market, and further helps to demonstrate the flexibility of our solutions, adapting to match the regional aspirations of our partners to deliver growth.”
D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time, said: “We are thrilled to partner with GiG as the core technology provider of our iGaming platform. Their powerful suite of player engagement tools, as well as diverse content and regulatory integrations, underpin our ability to serve and delight our player community. Our hybrid online and offline customer network, as well as unique bingo offerings, will drive exciting opportunities as the platform and the marketplace continues to grow.”
Glitnor Group, operating under the LCKY Group in Ontario, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). Glitnor Group’s luckycasino.ca brand sportsbook will feed into IBIA’s world leading betting integrity monitoring platform. The operator joins over 50 companies and 125 leading sports betting brands in IBIA and further cements the association’s position as the leading sports betting integrity monitoring body in Ontario and globally.
David Schwieler LCKY Group CEO, said: “At Glitnor Group, we’re dead serious about keeping our betting games fair and square. That’s why teaming up with IBIA is a big deal for us. We know how crucial it is to protect the spirit of sports, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and work closely with the IBIA to make sure sports betting stays exciting, speedy, and above all, fair.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Glitnor Group as IBIA’s latest member in Ontario. Glitnor and IBIA share a common goal to maintain the integrity of the sports betting marketplace and to protecting consumers and sports from match-fixing. Ensuring product integrity is paramount to our approach and we look forward to integrating Glitnor within our leading global sports betting integrity monitoring system.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.
Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members have over $300bn per annum in betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.
IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in 2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sports betting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.
IBIA’s 2023 annual integrity report detailed 184 alerts reported in the year, which represents a decrease of 101 (or 35%) on the revised 2022 figure of 285 alerts. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.
The post Glitnor Group expands IBIA’s betting integrity presence in Ontario appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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