Claims ex violated NDA

A billion-dollar lottery winner in Maine who has to this point remained anonymous is at risk of losing his identity shield should he continue with a lawsuit against his ex.

signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the mother of his child

The man won $1.35bn in Mega Millions in 2022, taking the lump-sum payment for $724m before taxes. Maine does not technically allow for lottery winners to claim their prizes anonymously, but does allow them to set up trusts and LLCs to claim winnings, effectively protecting their identities. “John Doe” did this and signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the mother of his child, known only in court documents as “Sara Smith.”

The NDA restricted Smith to telling only their child, her significant other, and financial advisors and attorneys of the lottery haul. In late 2023, the winner sued Smith for $100,000, claiming that she told his parents of the windfall in a phone conversation.

But now, with a trial a possibility, a judge has denied John Doe’s request for closed-door proceedings. A public trial would naturally unveil the man’s identity.

Plaintiff concerned with safety

According to the Portland Press Herald, US District Judge John Woodcock called the man’s request for a private trial a “nonstarter,” adding that the idea “runs hard against historic concept of what the courts are and what they are not in this country.”

A public trial would put the plaintiff in a difficult situation. He filed the lawsuit because Smith allegedly violated their NDA, which they signed so that he could conceal his identity as a now-wealthy man. But a public trial would ruin that.

His attorneys said that “his identity and confidential information would be revealed to the public and the media; he would effectively lose the privacy war and subject himself and his minor daughter to the irreparable harm he brought suit to avoid.”

The plaintiff says remaining anonymous is important because he believes that if people know he is rich, his safety and the safety of his daughter could be at risk.

Judge believes public access is top priority

In addition to his opinion that a closed trial would run contrary to what the legal system stands for, Judge Woodcock did not buy John Doe’s argument that revealing his identity would put him at any unusual risk, at least not risk that would merit a private trial.

a party’s wealth alone is not a legitimate reason to restrict the right of public access”

“By the Court’s reckoning, one of Mr. Doe’s main points is that because he is now wealthy, the consequences of his filing this lawsuit are different for him as opposed to other less financially fortunate individuals,” Woodcock wrote in his opinion. “He fears his new-found wealth will make him the target of an inquisitive and occasionally malevolent people …  However legitimate his concerns, a party’s wealth alone is not a legitimate reason to restrict the right of public access.”

The judge added that with his millions, John Doe can easily afford “levels of security and isolation not generally available to the general public.”

The lottery winner presented an alternative option of an audio-only trial using pseudonyms, but Judge Woodcock rejected that, as well.

John Doe has filed an appeal.

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MGA, Penn reach understanding

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission and Penn Entertainment have reached an accord over controversial comments made by ESPN “College Game Day” host Rece Davis. 

not gambling but “risk-free investing”

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) presented its findings to an MGC adjudicatory hearing over Davis’s 2024 comment on an ESPN Bet segment that a suggested sports betting pick was not gambling but “risk-free investing.”

The IEB told the MGC panel Davis’s comments violated state sports betting compliance and ESPN Bet content guidance policy, which bans terms such as “free,” “risk free,” and “can’t lose” where sports bets are concerned.

Penn signed a ten-year, $2bn ESPN Bet deal with Disney in 2023 and, as such, shares the betting platform’s responsibility for regulatory compliance. 

At the hearing, a Penn lawyer didn’t dispute the IEB’s findings, focusing instead on the partnered firms’ quick actions over Davis’s comments. Rather than making Penn sweat, the MGC accepted its efforts to rectify Davis’s controversial comments. 

Relationship rescued

Penn Entertainment’s Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Chris Soriano was in the MGC hot seat on Thursday. He made the case that his firm and ESPN Bet’s shared commitment to regulatory compliance “led to the prompt action and reporting of the incident” to the state regulatory body.

At the hearing, MGC Commissioner Paul Brodeuer praised the partner firms for their speedy reaction to dealing with Davis’s “off-the-cuff comment.”

Davis made the comment on the back of ESPN Bet’s Erin Dolan’s pick for an NCAA matchup. Davis responded with: “Some would call this wagering, gambling, I think the way you sold this…I think what it is, is risk-free investment.”

Commissioner Brodeuer acknowledged that an ESPN producer caught Davis’s incendiary statement immediately and confronted the host straightaway. 

best you can do in the circumstances of an unplanned comment”

“I think that was an excellent outcome and the best you can do in the circumstances of an unplanned comment,” Brodeuer said.

MGC Chair Jordan Maynard also praised Penn and Soriano for their “swift action on that day and the day after, and your swift reporting to us.”

What next?

According to reports, the “MGC will take action at a later date, which could result in a fine.” 

The worst-case scenario would be Penn losing its Massachusetts sports betting license, which appears highly unlikely given the MGC’s approval of how the involved brands cleaned up their mess. 

According to the New York Times last week, Davis has agreed to a new seven-year ESPN deal for “tens of millions of dollars.” This will guarantee that Davis will lead ESPN’s hosting duties through the rest of the network’s College Football Playoff deal set to run until 2031-32.

The post Penn Entertainment, Massachusetts Make Peace Over “Risk-Free” Comment By ESPN’s Rece Davis appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

A Russian teenager who stabbed her abusive, gambling addicted father to death with a kitchen knife has avoided going to prison for her actions.   

According to news outlet Readovka, Russian authorities have initially spared the girl named Alisa from prison pending a trial, while investigators have also ordered a post-mortem psychiatric test into the deceased father, 42, referred to as Roman Z. 

Alisa allegedly knifed Roman to death in “a desperate attempt to save her older sister from a brutal attack, following a disagreement.”

Roman allegedly attacked his older daughter after forcefully demanding she take out a loan to pay off his gambling debts, reportedly stating he would “drag her to the bank” if she refused to go.

As the argument escalated, Roman punched the elder girl and then swung a small knife at her, cutting her hand.   

The father’s prior warnings that it was futile for the girls to report his abusive behavior to the police – and that it would make things worse for them – appear to have massively backfired. 

endured beatings and humiliation

Too scared to approach the police, the girls allegedly endured beatings and humiliation from Roman, until the youngest finally cracked over Roman’s attack on her sister.  

According to reports, Russian state investigators stated Alisa ambushed her father from behind, plunging the kitchen knife twice into his neck.

The post 15-Year-Old Girl Stabs Abusive, Gambling-Addicted Dad to Death in Moscow appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

A harsh new bill in New York would make sweeping changes to the state’s gambling landscape. Despite tax revenue from sportsbooks reaching almost $3bn in the Empire State since the market went live in January 2022, Assemblymember Robert Carroll went ahead and introduced the legislation to the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee.

wouldn’t be able to mention free bets, odds boosts, and other similar types of offers

The bill would introduce a daily betting cap of $5,000, only allow people to make up to five deposits in a 24-hour period, and significantly curtail advertising of these products. Marketing materials wouldn’t be able to mention free bets, odds boosts, and other similar types of offers.

The bill would also stop all sports betting ads between 8am and 10pm or during live sports events. Most of these types of marketing materials run in these timeframes.

Lawmakers who oppose the proposal believe that if passed, it would significantly hurt tax revenue as high-stakes gamblers would go across state lines to New Jersey or use offshore sportsbooks to place their action.

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Unibet knows how to do live poker

My first Unibet Open was in Citywest in Dublin in 2011. Looking back years later, my abiding memory was that it was the first time I played in a tournament where I felt like a foreigner in my own country. Exactly how much the collapse of the Celtic Tiger and subsequent austerity affected the Irish poker economy was made clear that there was a tournament in Ireland that got less than a dozen locals to buy in.

Nevertheless, it was a very fun weekend. It turns out feeling like a foreigner in your own land doesn’t have to be a bad thing, if the atmosphere among the visitors is as friendly as it was at the event.

Fast forward five years and I’m in Bucharest at the biggest ever Unibet Open. The first thing that stood out was the friendliness I’d seen in Dublin was still there in abundance. In the intervening five years I’d grown accustomed to less friendly and more testy atmospheric conditions surrounding live poker, so this felt like a refreshing return to the good old days of live poker.

I was also surprised how many faces I recognized from Dublin: Unibet had clearly done a better job retaining players than other sites and operators. After shooting the breeze with some of the Unibet staff, it was easy to see why.

ethos and culture of the company was geared towards the recreational poker experience

The whole ethos and culture of the company was geared towards the recreational poker experience. This is something that ties in with my view of how poker should be. It should be fun for the so-called fun players: if not, what’s the point? Live poker, in particular, shouldn’t be 9 robots sitting at a table wearing hoodies, shades, and Beats grinding GTO ranges.

Unibet clearly recognized this, which is why I was delighted to announce after the event that I would be representing them as a brand ambassador alongside my good friends Ian Simpson and David Lappin starting at the following Unibet Open in London.

All good things

For eight and a half years, “The Chip Race” has been incredibly fortunate to be sponsored by a company that respected our vision for the show and always had our backs. Unibet Poker is a great poker site that cares about its players and the health of the game. It has been an honor to partner with them, represent their brand, and amplify their message.

June 1, our partnership with Unibet Poker will come to an end

On June 1, our partnership with Unibet Poker will come to an end and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who helped us down the years, in particular David Pomroy, Kris Bergvall, Kat Arnsby, Nataly Sopacuaperu, Kasia Scanlon, Simon Steedman, Andy Paton, Stubbe Buchwald, and Sebastian Rebhan.

Between now and then, we will put out three more episodes of “The Chip Race,” two strategy videos, and our 100th episode of The Lock-In from The Irish Open. We will try to make them all bangers.

Being an ambassador

I learned how to play poker in May 2007. In the 18 years since, I have been an ambassador for three different online poker sites for almost 13 of those years. I’ve also been an ambassador for other brands for a total of nine years, making me one of the most sponsored players in the game, so if this turns out to be my last sponsorship, well, I’ve had a good run.

Of course, if anyone else out there thinks I fit what they’re looking for in an ambassador, I’m more than happy to entertain the possibility. It has been a pleasure to work alongside David in what was his first sponsorship deal, and in an ideal world, that partnership continues. If not, I will say that David has grown into the role to become a tremendous ambassador.

It has been an honor and a privilege for both of us to represent Unibet as ambassadors for more than eight years, and I’d like to thank all the great people we worked with and everyone who supported us.

Is this the end for “The Chip Race”?

Maybe. David and I are both very busy men, and as much as the podcast is a labor of love for both of us, we can’t justify investing the considerable amount of time we do in making it without a sponsor. The demands on David’s time are particularly heavy, as in addition to hosting the show, he is also our sound engineer and chief researcher, publicist, and script writer.

We are open to finding a new sponsor or sponsors to enable us to continue past June. We have established ourselves as a leading global poker podcast, with a big audience worldwide, which we hope makes us attractive to potential new sponsors.

connected us to thousands upon thousands of wonderful enthusiasts worldwide

We will both be more than a little sad if this does turn out to be the end of the show, but we know all good things must come to an end, and there’s something to be said for going out on a high. We would leave behind a body of work we both feel very proud of, that connected us to thousands upon thousands of wonderful enthusiasts worldwide.

A few people have asked if or assumed that we must have a new sponsor lined up given our public announcement, but I swear this is not the case. A few have reached out to express interest, but nothing is guaranteed, so watch this space.

The post Dara O’Kearney: End of an Era as “The Chip Race’s” Unibet Sponsorship Comes to an End appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

Try the best new online slots of the week for April 18, with walking wilds and fixed jackpots on the menu. We have gathered another collection of amazing new slot releases with the most exciting modifiers.

Danny Dollar from Hacksaw Gaming opens our best new online slots of the week. Hit the Big Top in this circus-themed slot and win multiplier boosts worth up to 200x.

Next up, Dragonfate’s Favor offers a welcome return to this page for Play’n GO. Trigger walking wild reels with mini-wilds in tow!

KA Gaming’s Kick Cash Monkey offers multiple random modifiers, all triggered by the cute ape. Unleash random multipliers or wild reels in another exciting jungle-themed slot by KA Gaming.

We end our best new online slots of the week with Oops from Shady Lady. It’s a new developer for our regular page, and we’re certain to be seeing more slots from them. Oops is a cheeky pandemic-themed slot featuring mutated scatter rats and lots of bonus action.

Don’t forget, you can test all the best new online slots of the week for free right here. Simply tap or click the demo-play links for each game and test them via your browser.

Danny Dollar by Hacksaw Gaming

Roll up and play Danny Dollar by Hacksaw Gaming for a fun-filled session of big-money action. Win up to 12,500x stake with expanding symbols and massive wild multipliers.  

Hacksaw Gaming’s retro design (as seen in recent slots featuring Ro$$ the Crazy Cat) gets another outing in Danny Dollar. It’s a 5×5 reel slot set in a circus where Danny the showman expands into a Wild-Dollar-Reel on any win.

Additionally, wild reels can expand across existing wilds to boost multipliers up to 200x. it’s possible to combine more than one multiplier on a single win. Look out for the Nudge symbols, too, which can extend Dollar-Reels by one row.

You trigger the Dollar Dash bonus feature by hitting three scatters in any position. You start with ten free spins, plus reel indicators show where Danny symbols landed previously. New Danny symbols must be positioned no higher than the previous marker.

Alternatively, you can activate the No Bills, No Thrills bonus with four scatters. You enjoy the same features as the Dollar Dash bonus round. Plus, a Progressive Global Multiplier kicks in that applies to all winning spins.

The expanding wild multiplier symbols are the star of the show in Danny Dollar. You can achieve some nice base game wins without the need for triggering one of the two main bonuses.

Plus, the slot is improved by Hacksaw Gaming’s trademark slick graphics and animation. Give the game a spin for free today and see what you think.

Dragonfate’s Favor by Play’n GO

Choose from three free spins bonuses in Dragonfate’s Favor from Play’n GO. Boost your payouts with walking wilds in one of the best new online slots of the week!

There’s more stacked symbol mayhem in Play’n GO’s new slot, Dragonfate’s Favor. This dragon-themed slot features stacked symbols that can trigger re-spins when they land.  

Goldar the dragon is the star in Dragonfate’s Favor. He appears as a giant stacked symbol across all reels. Plus, Hatchling symbols occupy a 1×1 space and also act as wilds.

Goldar triggers re-spins when he’s fully visible. Plus, Goldar is sticky and walks to the left by one reel for every re-spin. Hatchling wilds follow behind, giving you two ways to complete paylines and win.

You also trigger free spins by hitting 3–6 scatters in any position. In addition, scatters pay a fixed prize worth up to 100x. You can win up to 100 free spins with one of three distinct bonus features.

Select Alpha Blessing for 8–20 free spins with Goldar moving in multiple directions. The Hatchling Reward bonus features sticky Hatchlings that apply 2x–3x multipliers. Finally, the Dragon’s Gift bonus features sticky wilds and up to 11 free spins with retriggers.

Dragonfate’s Favor will appeal if you love Pokemon or are a general fantasy enthusiast. However, the walking wild reels will also appeal if you love NetEnt slots, such as Jack & the Beanstalk. Give Dragonfate’s Favor a play for free and see if it works for you.

Kick Cash Monkey by KA Gaming

Head into the jungle with Kick Cash Monkey from KA Gaming. Trigger board modifiers or unlock one of the four big fixed jackpots.  

KA Gaming’s monkey-themed slots continue this month with one of the best in the range. Kick Cash Monkey doesn’t have the classic slots feel of Monkey Maniac. However, it does boast mystery symbols, multipliers, and four fixed jackpots.

You play Kick Cash Monkey on a five-reel set-up with 25 fixed paylines. The paylines aren’t the only things that are fixed, however: you can also win four fixed jackpots during the game.

To start, you must trigger the Kick Cash feature by landing a kick symbol on reel 5. Any boards that have landed on the reels will break to reveal your prize.

For instance, you win free spins by breaking the Free Spin board, or 1x–15x multipliers by smashing the Multiplier Board. Alternatively, you can win either the Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand jackpot by landing and breaking the Treasure Box board.

Kick Cash Monkey also boasts one or two extra random bonuses that enhance the game’s appeal. The monkey may throw a banana onto the reels at random to turn symbols into wilds.

We found the mystery symbol feature was also a winner for us when we tested the game. The mystery symbol can land anywhere, transforming into a regular symbol when the reels stop.

Kick Cask Monkey is the most bonus-laden slot in KA Gaming’s range of simian-themed games. Give it a spin for free now and see if it unleashes any jungle wins.

Oops by Shady Lady

Can you handle the virus outbreak in Oops from Shady Lady and rack up some slot wins?  Win up to 20,000x and make the most of an RTP of 96.28% when you spin.

Do we need a pandemic-themed slot on the market? If Oops is anything to go by, Shady Lady has hit upon one of the best new online slots of the week.

The game begins with a slick cut sequence that details an underground lab where a mutant virus has escaped. Scientists have turned into zombies, and lab rats have gone loco. There are even “flu-like features” that trigger during the game.

You can hit one of three flu-like features randomly during the base game. These include “fever” and “cough”, where reels are filled with mystery reveal symbols.

In addition, you can trigger free spins with three or more scary Lab Rat scatters. Virus symbols appear during the free spins and will split or spread to increase wins.

The higher the mutation level in free spins, the more you win. You can upgrade the mutation level and retrigger additional free games, too.

Oops features a host of interesting touches. Each reel position spins independently, and you play 4096 ways to win on each spin. Plus, you can view a counter displaying how many spins without “infection” (a winning spin) there have been.

Ready to brave a brand-new pandemic? Play Oops and unleash the mutation with our demo-play version.  

For more exciting games, make sure you visit our New Online Slots page!

The post Best New Online Slots of the Week | April 18, 2025 appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

Nobody will forget the experience

By now, anyone who pays even a little attention to the goings-on in Las Vegas has heard about the debacle that was the MrBeast Experience at Resorts World. Running April 13-15, the event was supposed to consist of “a variety of on-site activations designed to offer an immersive and unforgettable experience.”

no activities, no events, nothing

It was certainly an unforgettable experience, but not for good reasons. Attendees reported not just a disappointing experience, but quite literally no experience. There were no activities, no events, nothing. Gift bags included seemingly random MrBeast merch with no regard to apparel sizes, and low-quality Feastables chocolate (MrBeast’s brand).

All of this for about $1,000. And MrBeast did not make an appearance.

Attendees were eventually given a $50 voucher for use at the property, but $50 does not go far at Resorts World. Fortunately, after everyone rightfully raised a stink, Resorts World agreed to issue refunds.

MrBeast had no involvement

It sounds like the “experience” was destined to fail from the very start because of a combination of greed and lack of communication.

According to the in-the-know social media account Las Vegas Locally, a Resorts World insider said: “The MrBeast Experience was essentially just a licensing deal with the MrBeast IP. There was no experience ever planned, and internally none of the teams were informed of the extent of the hotel package.”

So, on Team MrBeast’s end, it was a quick and easy way to make some money, to get “clicks,” as it were. Just give Resorts World permission to use the name and logo and cash the check. Additional evidence that it was a completely hands-off situation with MrBeast was his response on X to a disgruntled attendee:

“Hey! This definitely isn’t the experience we hoped they’d deliver. My team’s already on it—I’d love to personally make it up to you and anyone else by inviting everybody affected to tour my actual studio! Can’t wait to meet you all and my team is reaching out to everyone :D”

Note the wording: “the experience we hoped they’d deliver.” It really was just a licensing deal and MrBeast had no input.

Ok, you made the deal…now do something

On Resorts World’s side, as the insider told Las Vegas Locally, “internally none of the teams were informed of the extent of the hotel package,” clearly a gigantic communications screw-up.

no idea what they were doing

It is unknown publicly exactly what happened – and really, that’s Resorts World’s business – but some marketing manager probably got overexcited about the deal they just made with the almighty MrBeast and ended up over their head. They got all pumped to get signage printed and the promo announcement made and then either forgot about the rest or assigned tasks to someone else who had no idea what they were doing.

Basically, it was amateur hour. It’s like when I was a green IT consultant, fresh out of college, and was sent to New York City for a day to oversee the installation of racks of equipment in a client’s new server room. I had no idea what I was doing and just hoped that everyone on the client site did. The best I could do was observe, nod, and peer closely at times. I did “tip” a cargo delivery person $20 to bring the equipment into the building when he was just going to plunk everything on the sidewalk. So that was quick thinking.

So, there was likely one person who knew much of anything about the MrBeast Experience, but nobody who was actually tasked to design any events or collaborate with MrBeast’s team. I wouldn’t be surprised if the person who put together the goodie bags had no idea what they were and just said “umm….ok” when told to do something.

MrBeast was happy to make money, Resorts World was happy to draw people in with the MrBeast name, but nobody involved actually talked to each other about doing anything.

The post The MrBeast Experience at Resorts World Las Vegas Doomed to Fail Right From the Jump appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

GambleAware is looking to spark a nationwide debate about the growing number of underage people engaging in gambling. It launched a new display in London made up of 85,000 poker chips, with each chip representing a kid who suffers from gambling harm.

Many people on social media have been lending their opinions about the subject, with video games like FIFA taking a lot of flak. One commenter on a quote post from Good Morning Britain remarked that it’s nearly impossible for teenagers to use licensed online gambling sites due to extensive verification checks:

Loot boxes are criticized again and again by other posters. One man detailed how he got addicted to FIFA Ultimate Team and the packs that players can buy with real money:

A big point is that these types of games have an age rating of just three years old, so kids have access to loot box elements that mimic slot games. Packs reward users with items of varying rarity levels and the most desirable players only have very small probabilities of appearing upon opening a pack.

the UK government decided against banning loot boxes

Despite commissioning a 22-month consultation into the topic, the UK government decided against banning loot boxes, despite many other countries like the Netherlands and Belgium doing so.

The post FIFA Video Game Getting Blamed for Rising Number of Underage Gamblers in UK appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

Law enforcement has targeted a St. Petersburg, Florida, police officer for allegedly sharing confidential information from private databases with the suspect allegedly responsible for two explosive devices that were left at the Tampa Hard Rock casino in September.

facing up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony

Officer Brandon Klaiber is facing two counts of offense against intellectual property and has been suspended without pay. He is facing up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony.

The 40-year-old is a long-time friend of the suspect, Bryan Eckley, who was released on $200,000 bail in April following his arrest on October 30. Eckley still denies involvement, and a judge in the case said that he was entitled to bail as the devices were more akin to fireworks than viable destructive devices.

He allegedly left two devices in restrooms in late September, leading to an evacuation.

Investigators found text messages between Eckley and Klaiber that contained information from restricted databases. The release announcing the second arrest did not shed any light on the nature of the information.

Klaiber has been an officer since 2008 and regularly provided information to his friend about different individuals. The authorities are now trying to determine if he disclosed similar information to others.

The post Police Officer Arrested for Sharing Confidential Info With Tampa Hard Rock Casino Bomb Suspect appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

The Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto has to pay a CA$120,000 (US$86,492) penalty to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) after two dealers were caught colluding with players that led to the illicit winnings of CA$20,000 (US$14,415) over a week period.

AGCO was unhappy that pit supervisors and the property’s surveillance team missed it all

Some of the ways in which the dealers helped three individuals cheat included intentionally showing hidden cards, overpaying winning hands, and overdrawing dealer cards. AGCO was unhappy that pit supervisors and the property’s surveillance team missed it all and failed to follow table audit processes.

AGCO charged five people in the case and remarked that it wasn’t a one-off incident at the Toronto casino. It received a CA$80,000 (US$57,661) fine in September 2023 over a cheating scheme involving an electronic craps dealer.

Talking about the matter, AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said that all licensees “have an obligation to ensure the integrity of gameplay in their casinos.”

The post Toronto Casino Hit With CA$120k Fine After Dealers Colluded to Steal CA$20k appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

American poker pro Steve O’Dwyer is not happy with players who abuse the late registration system for tournaments. He took to X on Thursday to make his feelings clear, stating that “tournament organisers and directors need to start being extremely strict” about not allowing players to register once a late reg period has closed.

Within the rant, he called out Daniel Smiljkovic specifically. He is a German player with around $92,000 in live earnings. O’Dwyer claims Smiljkovic “and others of his ilk” will continuously abuse the late reg system until organizers come down harder on the activity.

O’Dwyer explained his grievances in a series of posts, highlighting a specific incident at the ongoing Irish Open when Smiljkovic was supposedly seated for the 10k event 16 minutes after late reg closed. “He does this everywhere he goes and gets away with it,” the poker pro said.

People like him ruin it for everyone else.”

O’Dwyer, who has more than $46m in live earnings and is 14^th on the all time money list, said that some tournaments have made changes in response to his complaints, and he urged others to do the same. “It would be great if we could trust everyone to allow a little bit of leeway,” O’Dwyer stated. “But people like him ruin it for everyone else.”

The PokerStars and PaddyPower Poker-sponsored Irish Open is running from April 10 to April 21 at the Royal Dublin Society in the Irish capital. The Main Event has a prize pool of €2.5m ($2.8m).

The post Poker Pro Steve O’Dwyer Lashes Out at Daniel Smiljkovic in Late Reg Rant appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.

Games and spending

A new survey by Tokyo-based SMBC Consumer Finance has revealed how gacha games influence the online spending habits of Japan residents in their 20s. 

For 18.8% of the 1,000 surveyed, gacha – Japanese digital, video-type online games that involve in-game purchases similar to loot boxes – eats into their living expenses. 

spent enough on in-game purchases to affect their “ability to cover living expenses”

According to Automaton, almost one in five young Japanese admitted to having spent enough on in-game purchases to affect their “ability to cover living expenses.”

Men (22.8%) were more likely to prioritize in-game purchases over living expenses such as rent and food than women (14.8%).

While nearly 25% of those canvassed regretted spending money on gacha, the number of young Japanese who made purchases via microtransactions is on the rise. 

Men and women alike

While women appear considerably less likely to spend in-game than men, those who make such transactions have also spiked. In 2025, 2.6% more women than in 2024 fell into the category of not being able to enjoy games without making in-game buys.  

The result is that “women are following the trend at almost the same pace as men.”

I can’t enjoy the game if I don’t make in-game purchases.”

The 2025 survey’s insights came from positive answers to questions offering responses that included: “I’m willing to pay to have an advantage in-game” and “I can’t enjoy the game if I don’t make in-game purchases.”

Overall rise and fall

Overall, the survey states that the percentage of Japanese spending on gacha and other online games offering in-game purchases has risen 5.8% over 2024, to 21.6% in 2025.

Somewhat contrary, however, was that the survey found the average spend on in-game purchases is decreasing. In 2024, those canvassed spent a monthly average of approximately ¥5,138 ($35.85) on microtransactions. In 2025, this figure dropped to ¥4,247 ($29.63).

The post Study Reveals In-Game Purchases Bite Into Living Expenses for 1 in 5 Japanese Young Adults appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News.