Good Luck Good Fortune

About Good Luck Good Fortune

Two blockbuster developments in the casino space earlier this year seemed to indicate an increasingly bullish bet on the sector, including Fertitta Entertainment’s acquisition of Caesars Entertainment in May. The other is a subsequent takeover offer of MGM Resorts from its largest shareholder, Barry Diller’s People Inc. But a negative shift in market conditions could affect both deals.

In July, Fertitta’s General Counsel Steven Scheinthal told the Nevada Gaming Control Board that the company had a letter of intent from banks to finance the transaction but was waiting for better borrowing conditions. Fertitta is assuming nearly $12 billion in Caesars’ debt and is committed to a $6.6 billion financing package.

“Our hope is that in the next few months there will be a window of opportunity where the market will be hotter and [it’s] a more interest rate friendly environment where we can go raise the money and then just put it in an escrow account,” Scheinthal said at the time.

How to play Good Luck Good Fortune

GeoComply processed 99.8 million geolocation checks during Week 1 of the NFL season, reflecting a dramatic surge in sports betting activity. New player registrations also spiked, with sign-ups jumping over 310% to hit 135,700.

The numbers underscore the NFL’s massive pull with sports bettors, but Week 1 also offered a clear snapshot of how football betting economics are evolving, according to Legal Sports Report (LSR).

GeoComply, a Vancouver-based anti-fraud and geolocation technology company, provides compliance services to sportsbook clients worldwide.

What is Good Luck Good Fortune?

In recent weeks, German authorities conducted a crackdown on an alleged illegal online gambling operation suspected of facilitating wagers totalling approximately €5.86 billion over a 30-month period.  

The DSWV trade body, representing licensed sports-betting operators, broadly welcomed the enforcement action as a necessary response to the illegal market’s growth and associated risks. 

“This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached,” said Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV.