The year is almost over and it’s time to sit down and reflect on the past 12 months. As usual in the world of gambling, it was a crowded world.
Among the most eye-catching headlines of 2023, we’ve seen major bankruptcies of gambling rings, poker scams, new sports betting legislation, cyberattacks on casinos, and even Formula 1 in Las Vegas.
And to help you reflect on the past year, we’ve rounded up the most-read stories from 2023. So sit back, have a glass of mulled wine, and enjoy the wild ride as we say goodbye to the year.
William Kassoff charged with intentionally shorting the pots at the Irish Open
First, it’s over to the world of poker. In April, British poker player William Kassoff made headlines in another cheating scandal. As our resident poker pro David Lappin reported at the time, Kassouf – who was disqualified by sponsor Grosvenor Casinos in 2018 over chip dealing – was up to his old tricks again at this year’s Irish Open Poker Championship in Dublin.
One player claimed that Kasov ran away from the table
Players accused him of a range of untrustworthy behavior, including trying to get away with contributing a pre-flop bet by feigning ignorance. In a much worse accusation, one player claimed that Kassov sprinted away from the table while calculating the amount he was owed. This was confirmed by Keith Littlewood, who said it was part of his bowl:
Vegas slots news online I reached out to Littlewood, who explained: “None of the piles were counted or brought in the middle. Eclipse asked the dealer to leave them and sort them after the river. He took the 1st AA no redraw for a straight redraw with heart flush. The seat was a 4 straight with a diamond redraw.”
MGM Resorts casinos shut down by ransomware hackers
It’s easy to see why this news is next on our list, since it’s been dominating our headlines for weeks. Like something out of the movies and not reality, MGM Resorts International had a very difficult month of September thanks to a ransomware attack that essentially shut down operations at its Las Vegas casinos, resulting in the operator losing up to $8.4 million per day..
Leaving hotel guests unable to log into their rooms
MGM refused to pay the gang, which was eventually confirmed to be Russian hackers ALPHV or Black Cat, but its operations remained affected for weeks as it worked with the FBI on the case. The hack crashed slot machines and ATMs, left hotel guests unable to log into their rooms, and forced customers to stand in line for hours in casino lobbies to resolve issues.
Although MGM eventually brought its systems back online, it now faces a new headache thanks to a lawsuit related to the cyberattack. Caesars Entertainment is also at the center of one of these lawsuits after suffering a similar hack earlier in the year. However, the casino giant paid $30 million to settle its own issue before the news broke.
VSO News Talk to cybersecurity expert Jonathan Kerr to Lionfish Tech consultants at the time to learn more about the MGM hack.
Heelmike is the first creator to be banned from kicking ass due to the gender code while streaming
One of the major stories of the year is the success of Kick, the new streaming platform that the crypto casino stake company launched late last year. The launch came as a result of Twitch’s decision to ban unregulated casino content on the platform, a ban that included Stake among a series of other well-known cryptocurrency casinos.
Throughout 2023, several major Twitch stars have moved to Kick, including chess master GMHikaru, hot tub girl Amouranth, and even Twitch’s most followed streamer Ninja. Controversial Twitch star Heelmike was another big name to make the move, though it wasn’t long before he ran into some difficulties.
He had sex with a girl during the broadcast
Heelmike received his first official kick ban after he had sex with a girl during a broadcast. The streamer, who amassed 7.4 million followers on Twitch before being banned from that platform in December 2022, shared news of Kick’s one-day ban on X (then Twitter):
Some did not take kindly to this behavior, including streamer Xpose who described Heelmike’s performance as… “An absolute joke of the stream.” urged the 29-year-old “Create some real content instead of sexualizing women and using them to get views.”
Powerbroker death exposes one of ‘largest fraudulent scams in Australian history’
Now let’s move on to one of our most notable underworld stories. In October, the sudden death of a sports and racing broker in the Australian state of Victoria revealed the disappearance of nearly A$21.8 million ($13.89 million) from accounts linked to Victorian sportsbooks. It turns out that powerbroker was running one “The largest Ponzi scam in Australian history.”
Following the death of AMS Ivanhoe lawyer John Adams, the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB) confirmed it was investigating his law firm over… “Tens of millions of dollars” Which disappeared from the victims, including prominent investors. However, the alleged misappropriation of funds by Adams was outside his jurisdiction, meaning his powers were limited.
Anxiety ahead of the biggest moment on the Australian betting calendar
The Victorian Betting Association, which oversees a A$10 million ($6.3 million) fund for its sports betting clients, said A$1.8 million ($1.1 million) had disappeared, along with a further A$20 million ($12.7 million). American) in “Additional Private Investments.” It all came in the lead-up to the Melbourne Cup, raising concern ahead of the biggest moment on the Australian betting calendar.
Investigations are still ongoing.
The long-awaited Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas is receiving a mixed reception
What better way to end our report than with the topic that featured the most VSO News Headlines throughout 2023. Formula 1 finally merges with Las Vegas in November as the lights go out for the city’s long-awaited Grand Prix. While many were thrilled with the biggest sporting event at the gambling hub this year, others weren’t quite so happy.
The buildup was turbulent, to say the least. The anger of locals and tourists alike has been exacerbated by the construction sites that litter the Las Vegas Strip throughout the year. The Bellagio Fountain and Volcano Show at the Mirage was temporarily halted, while a major road disruption caused traffic around the busy area.
A construction worker died while working on a site at the Bellagio Fountains
To make matters worse, a construction worker died while working on one of the sites at the Bellagio Fountains. The worker suffered a broken neck and died after being taken to the hospital. The tragic incident came just one week after a carpenters union member warned on Channel X that the sites were not safe. He claimed that Formula 1 owner Liberty Media was using cheap out-of-state workers who did not require certain safety certifications.
The race itself was a spectacle, with a fierce fight from eventual victor Max Verstappen. However, a lawsuit has now put a damper on the event, as a result of a canceled practice session at the start of the weekend. A collision with a loose drain cover caused organizers to send fans home after they had only watched ten minutes of the action that day. Now, some are suing Liberty Media.
