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Florida approves new gambling facility in Miami
The Florida authorities have approved a gambling facility for jai-alai and poker based in Miami. The facility will start functioning in Edgewater, near downtown Miami, within the next two years.
The new “summer jai-alai” permit is a victory for West Flagler, which had sought permission for another facility and won a court case last year reinstating its application for a second jai-alai permit using a loophole in state law, the West Flagler.
The state Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation that oversees gambling, approved the permit to build and run a facility at 3030 Biscayne Blvd. in Edgewater. The company, which is run by the Havenick family, already operates Magic City Casino southeast of Miami International Airport and Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Racing & Poker in Bonita Springs.
“We’ve just been waiting for a year and a half for the state to decide what to do,” West Flagler vice president Isadore Havenick said of the second permit. “We see it as just another entertainment offering in the Miami area.”
The Edgewater project, which does not yet have a name, would join other new facilities in South Florida expanding jai-alai, a sport that was common until the early 1980s but has faded since in popularity. Magic City Casino, its sister facility southeast of Miami International Airport, is phasing out dog racing for jai-alai even as it continues to operate slot machines. The owner of Hialeah Park also recently opened Kings Court Key, a Florida City complex also offering jai-alai and poker.
The so called “summer jai-alai” permit allows gambling on jai-alai games only from May through November, and the company can begin hosting poker games after the first jai-alai game is played. In the winter season when games are not allowed, the facility will house improve comedy performances and concerts for local bands, Havenick said. The facility is also expected to include a restaurant and hire 300 to 500 people.
West Flagler is also nearing an agreement to rent the 50,000-square-foot property off Biscayne Boulevard from the development firm Crescent Heights to build the fronton and a card room for games.
Because West Flagler does not intend to operate slot machines at the Edgewater site, the facility’s permit would not be affected by a requirement that the Legislature approve any new casinos or a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November that would shift approval for expanding casino gambling to voters. The amendment could affect what kinds of poker games are played on site.
Both of West Flagler’s permits have been the subject of litigation, in part because of Florida’s convoluted gambling laws.
The company received a summer jai-alai permit in 2011 after its attorney John Lockwood used a loophole in a Florida statute that grants a summer permit to the lowest-performing pari-mutuel facility in a county. West Flagler also successfully argued for a second permit when an appeals court agreed that a rule allowing one permit every two years should be evaluated on a rolling basis.
Lockwood acknowledged that the interpretation of the statute has played an outsized role in expanding opportunities for the industry in the region.
“The statute and the court’s interpretation has definitely started to shape the face” of gaming in South Florida, Lockwood said. “It’s been very important to this industry.”
Source: Yogonet.com
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SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch
SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, has expanded Wild Extravaganza’s reach in the U.S launching in West Virginia, alongside existing markets, New Jersey and Michigan.
Wild Extravaganza is a high-energy 5×3 video slot that packs vibrant visuals, dynamic gameplay, and huge win potential in a 10-payline experience. The game pays left to right, right to left, and even from the middle, offering players multiple chances to win on every spin.
The core feature of Wild Extravaganza is its multiplying wilds, which can stack on three of the five reels and can reveal a 2x, 3x, or 7x win multiplier.
Wild Extravaganza is fully supported by EveryMatrix’s suite of advanced engagement tools, including free spins, leaderboards, and tournaments, helping operators drive acquisition and retention in regulated U.S markets.
This U.S release is part of a recent surge of SlotMatrix exclusive games entering the market, including 3 Coin Treasures, Lara Jones Treasures of Egypt 2, and Glorious Diamonds.
EveryMatrix holds licences in key North American markets, including West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ontario, and powers more than 300 customers globally.
Stephen Orchard, Head of Commercial Operations, SlotMatrix, said: “Wild Extravaganza is all about giving players thrilling, fast-paced action and the chance to land some seriously big wins. We’re excited to bring this experience to West Virginia as we continue our expansion across the U.S.”
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DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025
The company strengthens its market position with the recent launch of sports betting
DATA.BET, a trusted sportsbook solution supplier, will present its expanded portfolio at SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon, stand D160. The company now offers a unified solution covering sports, esports, and virtual sports.
From September 16 to 18, the company’s representatives will unveil the updated product suite. Building on its established presence in esports and virtual sports betting, DATA.BET has expanded into traditional sports betting, covering over 50,000 sports events per month across 63+ pre-match and 38 live sports disciplines. The company’s 24/7 in-house trading team maintains 93% market uptime while delivering 1000+ betting markets backed by official data partnerships.
Each betting vertical, as well as individual sports and leagues within them, can be activated separately or combined based on market needs. Operators can instantly launch the complete sportsbook solution through a ready-to-use Single Page Application (iFrame), while those with an existing betting platform can integrate directly via the Odds Feed API.
At SBC Summit, visitors will explore DATA.BET’s core products: Risk Management system, Odds Feed, Widgets, Streams, SPA (iFrame), and Bet Builder available for all three verticals. The latest features joined our comprehensive suite include Hot Bundles for express betting optimization and Timeline Widget for enhanced game process tracking.
“This marks our first offline presentation of the complete sportsbook solution we launched in May with our full product range and latest features for betting,” said Natalie Loshatynska, Head of PR & Marketing at DATA.BET. “We look forward to showing SBC Summit participants how our technology empowers operators and platform providers to offer their clients a more dynamic and engaging betting experience.”
Discover DATA.BET’s betting technology solution at stand D160. Connect with the team at [email protected] to schedule a meeting.
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Bacta commissioned research shows huge support for seaside arcades led by Gen Z
The findings of independent research conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally representative respondents aged 16+ shows that Generation Z has fallen in love with the seaside arcades so popular with their grandparents.
The research reveals that 8 in 10 respondents (81 percent) view seaside arcades as being part of British culture and it is young Brits that are banging the drum for arcades, with 90 percent of 25–34-year-olds backing their importance.
Despite overwhelming public support from Britain’s younger generations, seaside arcades continue to face a perfect storm of challenges from rising energy and staffing costs, plus the threat of increased taxation as suggested by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
72 percent say Government should do more to protect them – with 86 percent of those aged 25-34-years calling for urgent action.
The research findings confirm the central role played by seaside arcades with 72 percent of adults saying they would visit an arcade on a trip to the seaside a figure that rises to 91 percent for 24-34-year-olds.
In terms of providing accessible entertainment 55 percent say that arcades offer great value for money, making them the UK’s most affordable family day out. As a result, 84 percent confirmed they have enjoyed arcades with multiple generations of their family.
The importance of contributions to local economies featured highly in the research paper with 7 in 10 stating that arcades play a key role in regenerating seaside towns, a figure that rises to 85 percent of 18-24-year-olds.
Reflecting on the research findings Joseph Cullis, President of UK trade association, Bacta said: “Britain’s seaside arcades are a vital element of our proud tourism industry, a modern cultural icon, and have been a fun family activity for more than a century.
“It’s brilliant but not surprising to see young people are embracing them with all the enthusiasm of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents before them.
“At Bacta, we’re fighting to protect our seaside arcades from the threats of rising costs and from those who want to tax them out of existence. We hope that local councillors, MPs and the Treasury will heed the wants and needs of the British people and protect these vital institutions.”
Elliot Ball, who co-owns and runs Clacton Pier with his brother Billy, said other attractions would be at risk if arcades were taxed even more.
“I’m the fifth generation of my family – on both sides – involved in amusement arcades so this is a labour of love” he stated.
“But the threat from the government to raise gambling tax would put at risk a traditional family day out to the seaside. Trips here have been making memories for generations, and it’s great that younger people are finding the same safe, harmless fun on the pier that has been raising a smile and lighting up eyes for years and years.
“We’ve bounced back from the pandemic and the rise of staycations helps, but many of Britain’s most beloved seaside attractions will be put at high risk if gambling taxes rise.”
The post Bacta commissioned research shows huge support for seaside arcades led by Gen Z appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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