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China cracks down private gambling in WeChat groups during World Cup
Online gambling was banned by the Chinese government in 2015. But the FIFA World Cup in Russia triggered a sudden growth of online gambling activities, especially in WeChat groups.
The Chinese authorities are cracking down such illegal gambling operations. The government is concerned that online lotteries, driven by profit, may give access to underage teenagers or create other management loopholes, while others complain about the inconvenience of going into a lottery store and said the ban has prompted many to bet in WeChat groups or go to foreign websites.
“Always illegal”
During the World Cup this year, mobile apps and websites selling the lotteries have flourished, with some topping the app store list, including the Tiantianaicaipiao, Renrenzhongcaipiao and Caipiaocaipiao.
After the official clampdown, however, such platforms and those backed by Weibo and Tencent have suspended operations, CNR reported. Many such websites come up with this notice when one tries to log on: “System is under maintenance and upgrade.”
“Purchasing lotteries online has always been illegal. Relatively lax supervision by authorities led to a spike in recent years,” Adrian Geng, the CEO of Sina Caitong, told the Global Times.
Operators are willing to take risks because of the allure of huge profits, Geng added.
In 2015, eight central government agencies banned online lottery, citing risks to buyers’ interests.
Under lottery management rules, no entity shall carry out the business of sale of lottery via internet without the approval of the Ministry of Finance. All sports lottery tickets are sold offline through branches run by the General Administration of Sports.
If lotteries were sold widely online, underage teenagers who are not allowed to bet would get access. Income from online sales cannot be identified at a provincial level as Chinese lottery sales are province-based, Geng explained.
As of June 20, the National Sports Lottery Center suspended thousands of sales terminals involved in online ticket sales in many provinces, Xinhualuncai, a WeChat account specializing in lottery, reported. The number of suspended machines was expected to reach more than 6,000 on June 21, the report said.
Geng said that meeting social responsibility, rather than making money, is the ultimate goal of the National Sports Lottery Center. “That’s why the center wouldn’t use the FIFA World Cup to advertise itself for more revenue.”
Total sales of China’s sports lotteries in the week from June 18 to 24 stood at 11.83 billion yuan ($1.7 billion), while it was only 1.6 billion yuan a week before the World Cup, data released on sporttery.cn, official website of lottery SMG, shows.
Not market-driven
Even though online lottery is banned, Chinese gamblers still have many options to taste the thrill of betting.
Xue, a PhD student based in Shanghai, said that many of his friends use private gambling in WeChat groups, in which one person is the “banker” and provides winning and losing rates.
“Mobile payment on Alipay and WeChat allows us to gamble in private with small amounts of money more conveniently. We don’t have to choose online lottery,” Xue told the Global Times.
“I feel everyone is betting this year during the World Cup. Even many people who don’t watch soccer matches are into it,” he said.
Foreign gambling websites also illegally sneak into the Chinese market in an effort to take a share of the spoils, which results in huge outflow of capital of Chinese citizens, Chen Haiping, a researcher at the Gaming Research Center of China with Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times.
Some stores or groups on platforms such as Taobao, WeChat and QQ have also been found claiming that they are commissioned to sell lottery, according to Nandu Daily.
Lottery is seen as a welfare project in China. Its issuers are not motivated by the market, only routinely raising funds to meet the financing gap of the government for good causes, Chen noted.
But the trend of internet, said Chen, is irresistible and the lottery has already developed into an industry involving tourism, amusement and culture. There has been talk of opening online lottery services inside Chinese government circles in recent years, but since different interest groups are involved, the progress has been slow.
Source: globaltimes.cn
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Kore Digital Mining Ltd Announces Additional 14 PH/s Bitcoin Mining Capacity
Kore Digital Mining Ltd, a UK based Bitcoin mining company, announces that effective 1st May 2024, an additional 14 PH/s mining capacity will be added to its existing infrastructure.
This additional capacity will be provided by a major Bitcoin mining corporation and will be operational until 30th June 2024.
Derek Nisbet, Kore’s Founder & CEO, said – “We are pleased to work with a leading Bitcoin Miner in securing a large amount of mining capacity, for a 2 month trial period. We look forward to hopefully extending this period and engaging more with major mining corporations offering Bitcoin hashing opportunities, in the future.”
This additional 14PH/s Bitcoin mining capacity adds to the existing 2 PH/s currently operational with Kore’s own infrastructure and an additional 4 PH/s is due to be added over the next quarter, totalling 20 PH/s.
The post Kore Digital Mining Ltd Announces Additional 14 PH/s Bitcoin Mining Capacity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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William Hill Announced as Official Betting Partner of Qipco Guineas Festival
Leading bookmaker becomes official betting partner of first UK Classic meeting of 2024
William Hill has been announced as the new official betting partner of the Qipco Guineas Festival, the first UK Classic meeting of the season.
It’s the latest addition to William Hill’s spring racing roster, following sponsorship of The Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster, the Punchestown Champion Chase and its status as official betting partner of the Randox Grand National Festival.
The 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas headline the three-day meeting and the leading bookmaker will sponsor 15 races across the weekend with the Jockey Club Stakes, Palace House and Dahlia Stakes among the races now featuring the William Hill title.
Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten superstar City of Troy is still all the rage for the 2,000 Guineas at 4/6 whereas Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel heads a competitive looking 1,000 Guineas market at 7/2.
“We’re delighted to become the official betting partner of the Qipco Guineas Festival, strengthening our relationship with The Jockey Club on the back of a fantastic Grand National Festival,” a spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said. “It’s brilliant for William Hill to be associated directly with such a prestigious event at Newmarket, the home of the thoroughbred, for this season’s first two Classics. The company has a close connection with the history of the 2,000 Guineas as William Hill himself bred the 1949 winner, Nimbus, who then went on to win the Derby.
“We’re excited to be involved at racing’s key meetings and see the Qipco Guineas Festival as the perfect sponsorship as the British flat season kicks into gear.”
Newmarket – 2,000 Guineas: May 4, 2024
City Of Troy | 4/6 |
Rosallion | 4/1 |
Notable Speech | 12/1 |
Henry Longfellow | 12/1 |
Night Raider | 16/1 |
Alyanaabi | 16/1 |
Ancient Wisdom | 16/1 |
Task Force | 16/1 |
Ghostwriter | 16/1 |
Iberian | 20/1 |
BAR | 25/1 |
Newmarket – 1,000 Guineas: May 5, 2024
Fallen Angel | 7/2 |
Ylang Ylang | 4/1 |
Dance Sequence | 5/1 |
Ramatuelle | 10/1 |
See The Fire | 12/1 |
Content | 12/1 |
One Look | 14/1 |
Pretty Crystal | 14/1 |
Buttons | 20/1 |
Purple Lily | 20/1 |
Porta Fortuna | 20/1 |
Star Style | 20/1 |
BAR | 25/1 |
The post William Hill Announced as Official Betting Partner of Qipco Guineas Festival appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia
Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia, is celebrating Elyrion (∑∫ỹriȱŋ) Tribe Week with a brand-new Midnight (₼idŋighţ) skin and donations to support reforestation.
Tapping into the Elyrion Tribe’s nature magic abilities, every purchase of an Elyrion item in the game will plant one real-world tree from April 22-28 2024. Midjiwan has teamed up with The Canopy Project, an organisation that works with global partners to reforest areas in urgent need of rehabilitation, combining The Battle Of Polytopia’s themes with a desire to make real change in the world. Previous years of Elyrion Tribe Week have resulted in the planting of over 12,000 trees.
The Elyrion Tribe is a mysterious group of elves, dedicated to defending their woodland home with their unique magic and connection with nature. Players using the Elyrion tribe have the ability to enchant animals into Polytaurs and summon powerful Fire Dragons.
Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:
“This is a hugely exciting partnership, allowing players to support the planet and contribute to reforestation whilst also accessing brilliant new content to use in The Battle Of Polytopia.”
Alongside donating to The Canopy Project, The Battle Of Polytopia also boasts a brand-new skin for the Elyrion Tribe! The Midnight skin allows players to create graves, build crypts, and summon demons in dark forests, all in service of the mysterious Shard of D’Naeh.
The Midnight skin re-skins the entire Elyrion Tribe as the Midnight Cult. Everything the Elyrion Tribe is all about – nature, enchantment, and sanctuary – is turned on its head, corrupted into a dark, twisted dystopia of itself.
Midjiwan has already invested €250,000 in solar power projects in rural areas around Africa, and other charitable projects. The studio continues to seek opportunities to combine its in-game creativity with real-world benefits. The Battle of Polytopia is available on Nintendo Switch, the App Store, Google Play, PC, and Tesla cars.
The post Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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