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Plug-and-play organ-on-a-chip can be customized to the patient – Nanowerk

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Apr 27, 2022(Nanowerk News) Engineered tissues have become a critical component for modeling diseases and testing the efficacy and safety of drugs in a human context. A major challenge for researchers has been how to model body functions and systemic diseases with multiple engineered tissues that can physiologically communicate - just like they do in the body.However, it is essential to provide each engineered tissue with its own environment so that the specific tissue phenotypes can be maintained for weeks to months, as required for biological and biomedical studies. Making the challenge even more complex is the necessity of linking the tissue modules together to facilitate their physiological communication, which is required for modeling conditions that involve more than one organ system, without sacrificing the individual engineered tissue environments.Novel plug-and-play multi-organ chip, customized to the patientUp to now, no one has been able to meet both conditions. A team of researchers from Columbia Engineering and Columbia University Irving Medical Center reports that they have developed a model of human physiology in the form of a multi-organ chip consisting of engineered human heart, bone, liver, and skin that are linked by vascular flow with circulating immune cells, to allow recapitulation of interdependent organ functions.The researchers have essentially created a plug-and-play multi-organ chip, which is the size of a microscope slide, that can be customized to the patient. Because disease progression and responses to treatment vary greatly from one person to another, such a chip will eventually enable personalized optimization of therapy for each patient.The new multi-organ chip has the size of a glass microscope slide and allows the culture of up to four human engineered tissues, whose location and number can be tailored to the question being asked. These tissues are connected by vascular flow, but the presence of a selectively permeable endothelial barrier maintains their tissue-specific niche. (Image: Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard/Columbia Engineering)The study is the cover story of the April 2022 issue of Nature Biomedical Engineering ("A multi-organ chip with matured tissue niches linked by vascular flow").This is a huge achievement for usweve spent ten years running hundreds of experiments, exploring innumerable great ideas, and building many prototypes, and now at last weve developed this platform that successfully captures the biology of organ interactions in the body, said the project leader Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, University Professor and the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Medical Sciences, and Dental Medicine.Inspired by the human bodyTaking inspiration from how the human body works, the team has built a human tissue-chip system in which they linked matured heart, liver, bone, and skin tissue modules by recirculating vascular flow, allowing for interdependent organs to communicate just as they do in the human body.The researchers chose these tissues because they have distinctly different embryonic origins, structural and functional properties, and are adversely affected by cancer treatment drugs, presenting a rigorous test of the proposed approach.Providing communication between tissues while preserving their individual phenotypes has been a major challenge, said Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard, the studys lead author and an associate research scientist in Vunjak-Novakovics Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering. Because we focus on using patient-derived tissue models we must individually mature each tissue so that it functions in a way that mimics responses you would see in the patient, and we dont want to sacrifice this advanced functionality when connecting multiple tissues. In the body, each organ maintains its own environment, while interacting with other organs by vascular flow carrying circulating cells and bioactive factors. So we chose to connect the tissues by vascular circulation, while preserving each individual tissue niche that is necessary to maintain its biological fidelity, mimicking the way that our organs are connected within the body. In the study, the team cultured liver, heart, bone, and skin, connected by vascular flow for four weeks. These tissues can be generated from a single human induced pluripotent stem cell, generating a patient-specific chip, a great model for individualized studies of human disease and drug testing. (Image: Keith Yeager/Columbia Engineering)Optimized tissue modules can be maintained for more than a monthThe group created tissue modules, each within its optimized environment and separated them from the common vascular flow by a selectively permeable endothelial barrier. The individual tissue environments were able to communicate across the endothelial barriers and via vascular circulation. The researchers also introduced into the vascular circulation the monocytes giving rise to macrophages, because of their important roles in directing tissue responses to injury, disease, and therapeutic outcomes.All tissues were derived from the same line of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), obtained from a small sample of blood, in order to demonstrate the ability for individualized, patient-specific studies. And, to prove the model can be used for long-term studies, the team maintained the tissues, which had already been grown and matured for four to six weeks, for an additional four weeks, after they were linked by vascular perfusion.Using the model to study anticancer drugsThe researchers also wanted to demonstrate how the model could be used for studies of an important systemic condition in a human context and chose to examine the adverse effects of anticancer drugs. They investigated the effects of doxorubicin a broadly used anticancer drug on heart, liver, bone, skin, and vasculature. They showed that the measured effects recapitulated those reported from clinical studies of cancer therapy using the same drug.The team developed in parallel a novel computational model of the multi-organ chip for mathematical simulations of drugs absorption, distribution, metabolism, and secretion. This model correctly predicted doxorubicins metabolism into doxorubicinol and its diffusion into the chip. The combination of the multi-organ chip with computational methodology in future studies of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of other drugs provides an improved basis for preclinical to clinical extrapolation, with improvements in the drug development pipeline.While doing that, we were also able to identify some early molecular markers of cardiotoxicity, the main side-effect that limits the broad use of the drug. Most notably, the multi-organ chip predicted precisely the cardiotoxicity and cardiomyopathy that often require clinicians to decrease therapeutic dosages of doxorubicin or even to stop the therapy," said Vunjak-Novakovic.The tissues cultured in the multi-organ chip (skin, heart, bone, liver, and endothelial barrier from left to right) maintained their tissue-specific structure and function after being linked by vascular flow. (Image: Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard/Columbia Engineering)Collaborations across the universityThe development of the multi-organ chip began from a platform with the heart, liver, and vasculature, nicknamed the HeLiVa platform. As is always the case with Vunjak-Novakovics biomedical research, collaborations were critical for completing the work. These include the collective talent of her laboratory, Andrea Califano and his systems biology team (Columbia University), Christopher S. Chen (Boston University) and Karen K. Hirschi (University of Virginia) with their expertise in vascular biology and engineering, Angela M. Christiano and her skin research team (Columbia University), Rajesh K. Soni of the Proteomics Core at Columbia University, and the computational modeling support of the team at CFD Research Corporation.A multitude of applications, all in individualized patient-specific contextsThe research team is currently using variations of this chip to study, all in individualized patient-specific contexts: breast cancer metastasis; prostate cancer metastasis; leukemia; effects of radiation on human tissues; the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on heart, lung, and vasculature; the effects of ischemia on the heart and brain; and the safety and effectiveness of drugs. The group is also developing a user-friendly standardized chip for both academic and clinical laboratories, to help utilize its full potential for advancing biological and medical studies.Vunjak-Novakovic added, After ten years of research on organs-on-chips, we still find it amazing that we can model a patients physiology by connecting millimeter sized tissues the beating heart muscle, the metabolizing liver, and the functioning skin and bone that are grown from the patients cells. We are excited about the potential of this approach. Its uniquely designed for studies of systemic conditions associated with injury or disease, and will enable us to maintain the biological properties of engineered human tissues along with their communication. One patient at a time, from inflammation to cancer!

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Plug-and-play organ-on-a-chip can be customized to the patient - Nanowerk

New invisibility cloak for therapeutics: Holger Frey receives ERC Advanced Grant to support his innovative research – EurekAlert

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

image:Professor Dr. Holger Frey view more

Credit: photo/: private

Since the first PEGylated drug was developed in the 1980s, the so-called PEGylation has become a standard procedure in the pharmaceutical sciences. The technique involves concealing active biopharmaceuticals under a kind of "cloak of invisibility" by means of conjugation with the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG). Consequently, they are not subjected to rapid degradation or undesirable attack by the immune system. The mRNA vaccines designed to protect against infection with the coronavirus are, for example, PEGylated. Unfortunately, problems with the concept are emerging, since an increasing number of individuals is developing antibodies against PEG, which in some instances can trigger severe allergic reactions. Professor Holger Frey of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is currently developing a novel procedure intended to sidestep the drawbacks of PEGylation, but at the same time preserving its benefits. He has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant worth EUR 2.5 million to support his research. An Advanced Grant is the EU's most richly endowed funding program, awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) to outstanding researchers. Holger Frey has been Professor of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry at JGU since 2002 and is an internationally recognized expert in the field of polyether chemistry.

PEGylation a key strategy of current nanomedicine

Polyethylene glycol is a substance that is fairly ubiquitous. It is present in cosmetics, toothpaste, detergents, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, foodstuffs, and textiles. PEG is employed in pharmaceutical technology and medicine as a carrier medium for active substances and in an extensive range of special applications. On the molecular level, PEG really comes into its own when it is conjugated with biopharmaceuticals and proteins to protect these through the process known as PEGylation. "PEGylation of many commercially available drugs is absolutely indispensable," emphasized Professor Holger Frey. "Without this, our bodies would identify the related active substances, including mRNA vaccines, as dangerous intruders and would rapidly degrade and excrete them. The camouflage effect has worked well for the past 30 years, but it looks like the magic is wearing off."

This is due to our immune system, which in many individuals no longer allows the polymer to circulate undetected in the bloodstream. The results of recent studies indicate that up 70 percent of the population in developed countries has antibodies against PEG; in the early 1980s, the corresponding percentage was just one to two percent. The result is that the immune system often quickly removes drugs conjugated with PEG from the blood circulation so that they are unable to develop their therapeutic effects. Moreover, there can also be intolerance and even severe allergic reactions effects that the technique was originally meant to prevent.

Research group to develop special PEG structures for use with medical drugs

One solution to this problem would be to devise new PEG-derived structures for use in medicine that differ from those exploited in everyday products. The purpose of the ERC-sponsored project RandoPEGMed is thus to create modified polymers for conjugation with medicinal agents. The basis will still be polyethylene glycol, but a PEG supplemented by additional building blocks. "What we are planning to do is break down the uniform structure by the insertion of randomly distributed irregularities," Frey clarified. "This should restore the masking effect, enabling the drugs to reach their intended destinations without being discovered by the immune system." Professor Holger Frey has many years of experience in this particular area. Over the past ten years and with the help of his team of 25 personnel, he has come up with a method that allows to precisely analyze polymer structures on the molecular level.

ERC Advanced Grants: Recognition for international top-level research

Holger Frey studied chemistry at the University of Freiburg and, following study periods in the USA and France, obtained his doctorate at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. He has been Professor of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry at JGU since 2002. His research field is new polymer materials including polymers for medical and pharmaceutical use as well as bio-based, potentially sustainable materials that could be used as alternatives to plastics made from fossil raw materials. The results of his research have appeared in more than 400 original publications and review articles while he has also obtained more than 40 patents. In addition, he is an associate editor of Polymer Chemistry of the Royal Society of Chemistry, one of the leading journals in the field of polymers. Among the various undertakings he is involved in at JGU, he is also co-project coordinator of Collaborative Research Center 1066 that targets nanodimensional polymer therapeutics for tumor therapy. This is an interdisciplinary research network that involves significant collaboration between the fields of chemistry, the pharmaceutical sciences, and medicine.

ERC Advanced Grants are awarded to outstanding researchers to enable them to work on projects considered to be highly speculative due to their innovative approach, but which, because of this, can open up access to new approaches in the corresponding research field. Only researchers who have already made significant breakthroughs and have been successfully working for at least ten years at the highest levels of international research are eligible for the grant. The only criteria considered in awarding ERC funding are the academic excellence of the researcher in question and the nature of their research project. An ERC grant thus also represents an important acknowledgement of the recipient's individual achievements

Related links:https://erc.europa.eu/news/erc-2021-advanced-grants-results ERC Advanced Grants 2022 ;https://www.ak-frey.chemie.uni-mainz.de/ Research group of Professor Holger Frey ;https://sfb1066.de/ Collaborative Research Center 1066: Nanodimensional polymer therapeutics for tumor therapy

Read more: https://www.uni-mainz.de/presse/aktuell/9265_ENG_HTML.php press release "Nylon as a building block for transparent electronic devices?" (19 Aug. 2019)

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Nano state: tiny and now everywhere, how big a problem are nanoparticles? – The Guardian

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

In 2019, Ikea announced it had developed curtains that it claimed could break down common indoor air pollutants. The secret, it said, was the fabrics special coating. What if we could use textiles to clean the air? asked Ikeas product developer, Mauricio Affonso, in a promotional video for the Gunrid curtains.

After explaining that the coating was a photocatalyst (similar to photosynthesis, found in nature), Affonso is shown gazing up at the gauzy curtains while uplifting music plays. Its amazing to work on something that can give people the opportunity to live a healthier life at home.

Puzzled by these claims how could a mineral coating clean the air? Avicenn, a French environmental nonprofit organisation, investigated. Independent laboratory tests of the Gunrid textile reported that samples contained tiny particles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) a substance not normally toxic but which can be possibly carcinogenic if inhaled, and potentially in other forms which supposedly gives self-cleaning properties to things such as paint and windows when exposed to sunlight.

These tiny particles, or nanoparticles, are at the forefront of materials science. Nanoparticles come in all shapes spheres, cubes, fibres or sheets but the crucial thing is their size: they are smaller than 100 nanometres (a human hair is approximately 80,000nm thick).

Many nanoparticles exist in nature. Nano-hairs make a geckos feet sticky, and nano-proteins make a spiders silk strong. But they can be manufactured, and because they are so small, they have special properties that make them attractive across a range of endeavours not just to companies such as Ikea. In medicine, they can transport cancer drugs directly into tumour cells, and nanosilver is used to coat medical breathing tubes and bandages. Nanos could direct pesticides to parts of a plant, or release nutrients from fertilisers in a more controlled manner.

They also have more mundane uses. Synthetic nanos are added to cosmetics and food. Nanosilver is used in textiles, where it is claimed to give antibacterial properties to plasters, gym leggings, yoga mats and period pants.

But scientists such as those at Avicenn are concerned that when these household items get washed, recycled or thrown away, synthetic nanos are released into the environment making their way into the soil and sea in ways that are still not understood. Some scientists believe nanoparticles could pose an even greater threat than microplastics.

Synthetic nano particles of plastic have been found in the ocean and in ice on both poles. Nanoparticles from socks and sunscreen have been found to pollute water, and certain nanos have been shown to negatively affect marine wildlife including fish and crustaceans. As with antibiotics, resistance to antimicrobial nanosilver can develop silver-tolerant soil bacteria have now been found.

Little is known even about where nanoparticles are, let alone their effects on the environment. As they are so tiny, most experiments are conducted in labs, and it can be hard to pin down where they are applied.

The main problem with these substances is that we cannot measure them we know they are there but theyre so tiny theyre difficult to detect, which is why you dont hear as much about them, says Nick Voulvoulis, professor of environmental technology at Imperial College London.

He worries about the uncontrolled use of nanos in consumer products. If nanos are used properly in applications that are useful or beneficial, thats justified, but if they are used anywhere and everywhere because they have certain properties, thats crazy.

Synthetic nanoparticles are not inherently harmful. Like their natural cousins, many are metal-based, but they can be made of any substance. Crucially, unlike chemical compounds, they cannot be dissolved. Their tiny size gives them, paradoxically, an enormous surface area, which makes them behave differently to non-nano versions of the same material. It can make them more mobile, more reactive and potentially more toxic, depending on shape, size, type, how a substance is released into the environment and its concentration.

And released into the environment they are, on a massive scale. According to Avicenn, the release of nanos is most likely during manufacture or disposal, but it can also happen when items are washed which is known to occur with fabrics containing nanosilver. Sewage systems cannot trap them and they end up in the ocean: the OECD says even advanced wastewater-treatment plants cannot deal with nanoparticles.

From a health perspective, inhalation is the most harmful route of exposure to nanos such as TiO2 for factory workers and consumers. Avicenns tests concluded that the average particle size was 4.9nm, and all 300 particles analysed were below the official nano threshold of 100nm.

Ikea insisted its own tests showed the TiO2 particles were properly bound to the fabric and pose no risk to customers, and said it took workers safety extremely seriously. The firm has not referred to them as nanoparticles, and said that once integrated into textile surfaces there was no good standard method to measure the particle size distribution of a material, acknowledging that EU definitions of nanomaterials were under review.

We recognise that the tests and measurements of nano-particles are complex, especially for materials containing particles that tend to form agglomerates, it said.

As for Ikeas curtains shedding TiO2 nanoparticles when washed or discarded, Ikea said it was confident that the treatment is properly bound to the fabric, and therefore we do not see a risk of inhaling the treatment, but acknowledged that as with any textile, parts of the textile can come off during use or washing.

Many nanos do not persist for long in the environment. However, because they are consistently being discharged, levels remain fairly constant. Nanos are pseudo-persistent because they degrade quite quickly but they keep entering the environment, Voulvoulis says.

His main concern is whether nanos become carriers for other compounds, a subject of scientific debate. In 2009, Spanish scientists suggested nanos could bind to and transport toxic pollutants, and possibly be toxic themselves by generating reactive free radicals. If other toxic pollutants latch on to nanos surfaces, they argued, marine plants and animals could absorb them more easily.

Other scientists suggest the opposite: that organic matter in sewage coat nanoparticles, rendering them less active. And others fear nanos could trigger toxic cocktail effects making them more harmful in combination than individual substances would be separately.

So far, synthetic nanomaterials are relatively dispersed in the sea, and unlikely to significantly affect marine animals, says Dr Tobias Lammel of Gothenburg University, who has studied copper nanos. But he warns: Its possible that the concentration of some manufactured nanomaterials in the marine environment will increase It is important to keep an eye on this.

Given the huge question marks, Avicenn wants more stringent regulations on nanos, and more caution in product design. Companies are eager to sell innovative and fancy products, but they must thoroughly assess their benefits-risks balance at each step of the life-cycle of the products, says Mathilde Detcheverry, Avicenns policy manager.

From August, the EU will ban use of TiO2 nanos in food (where it is called E171) and the European Commission recently announced that 12 nanomaterials would soon be prohibited in cosmetics.

Detcheverry says: As scientific knowledge about the environmental and health impacts of engineered nanos such as silver and titanium dioxide advances, we need to make sure nanos are only allowed for specific and essential uses in order to minimise any adverse effects at the source and [ensure they are] not released uncontrollably.

Two years after the release of Ikeas Gunrid curtains, Avicenn tried to buy more for further tests, but they had been withdrawn from sale.

Ikea told the Guardian that Gunrid remained safe to use as a traditional curtain but it was withdrawn because the functionality was not as effective as expected. If thats true for example, that despite TiO2 having proven photocatalytic properties and being used in self-cleaning and air-purifying products, its efficacy on curtains could be localised and not powerful then at the very least Ikeas experience suggests nanoparticles benefits may not outweigh the potential and frequently unknown risks, Detcheverry says.

Nanoparticles are often promoted as silver bullets against pollution or bacteria, she says, but we must make sure that the cure is not worse than the disease.

Gunrid was just one product of many thousands that use nanoparticles. As Ikeas Affonso says in the video: Whats so great about Gunrid is that this technology could be applied to any textile.

This article was amended on 26 April 2022 to correct the spelling of Gothenburg.

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Nano state: tiny and now everywhere, how big a problem are nanoparticles? - The Guardian

Nanocapsules Market Growth to Remain Strong as Suggested by the Report with Key Players Camurus, Carlina Tech, Cerulean Pharma | Forecast to 2029 -…

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

The Global Nanocapsules Market to reach at an estimated value of USD$ 5,982.01 Million by 2029 and grow at a CAGR of 8.75% in the forecast period of 2022 to 2029.

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According to the market report analysis, Nanopharmacology is defined as a new branch of pharmacology that deals with the application of nanotechnology in the field of nanomedicine. This is a potential step towards prevention and curing of disease by using molecular knowledge about human body and molecular tools. Nanopharmacology studies the interaction between nanoscale drugs and proteins such as RNA, DNA, and cells & tissues.

Some of most important key factors driving the growth of the Global Nanocapsules Market are rise in the incidences of chronic diseases worldwide, growing pharmaceutical industry, rise in the demand for nanocapsules, rise in the demand from the end user industry, increase in the investment and research focus by highly developed countries such as the U.S. and Germany and rise in the implementation of partnership and research collaborations.

The Global Nanocapsules Market is segmented on the basis of Polymer Type, Application, Therapy Area, Route of Administration and Region.

Based on the Polymer Type, the nanocapsules market is segmented into natural polymers and synthetic polymers.

On the basis of Application, the nanocapsules market is segmented into pharmaceutical, cosmetic and others.

On the basis of Therapy Area, the nanocapsules market is segmented into oncology, pain management, endocrinology and others.

Based on the Route of Administration, the nanocapsules market is segmented into parenteral route and oral route.

In terms of the geographic analysis, North America dominates the nanocapsules market due to rise in the demand for nanocapsules, rise in the demand from the end user industry and rise in the implementation of partnership and research collaborations in this region. APAC is the expected region in terms of growth in nanocapsules market due to increase in the opportunities for life science functions of nanocapsules in this region.

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Global Nanocapsules Market Objectives:

1 To provide detailed information regarding key factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges) influencing the growth of the Nanocapsules Market

2 To analyze and forecast the size of the Nanocapsules Market, in terms of value and volume

3 To analyze opportunities in the Nanocapsules Market for stakeholders and provide a competitive landscape of the market

4 To define, segment, and estimate the Nanocapsules Market based on deposit type and end-use industry

5 To strategically profile key players and comprehensively analyze their market shares and core competencies

6 To strategically analyze micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contribution to the total market

7 To forecast the size of market segments, in terms of value, with respect to main regions, namely, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and South America

8 To track and analyze competitive developments, such as new product developments, acquisitions, expansions, partnerships, and collaborations in the Nanocapsules Market

Top Leading Key Manufacturers are: BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., PitchBook Data, Camurus AB, Carlina Technologies, Cerulean Pharma, Gamma Capital, LOral, Nano Green Sciences Inc., NanoSphere Health Sciences, PlasmaChem GmbH and SINTEF. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.

Region segment: This report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Nanocapsules in these regions, from 2013 to 2029 (forecast), covering: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America

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Global Nanocapsules Market: Table of Contents

1 Report Overview 2022-2029

2 Global Growth Trends 2022-2029

3 Competition Landscape by Key Players

4 Global Nanocapsules Market Analysis by Regions

5 Global Nanocapsules Market Analysis by Type

6 Global Nanocapsules Market Analysis by Applications

7 Global Nanocapsules Market Analysis by End-User

8 Key Companies Profiled

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10 Marketing Channel, Distributors, and Customers

11 Market Dynamics

12 Global Nanocapsules Market Forecasts 2022-2029

13 Research Findings and Conclusion

14 Methodology and Data Source

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Clinical Trial of Liposomes in Children’s Anticancer Therapy | IJN – Dove Medical Press

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Introduction

Recently nanoscale drugs become an area of intense novel drug research.1,2 Several nanocarriers, including liposomes, have been utilized for cancer therapies.3,4 Among these, liposomes have attracted the most attention because of their potency of side effects,5 prolonged the retention-time for encapsulated payloads in cancer cells,6 effectively resolving some of the problems of off-target effects of anticancer drugs by improving the pharmacokinetic profiles and pharmacological properties of several agents.7,8

Clinical trials are the most effective strategy for evaluating the efficacy of a drug on a specific disease9,10 and are a critical step in the successful development of more effective drugs.11 Thus, exploring clinical trials, especially analyzing registered clinical trials, has become an important facet of research to help future clinical practice. ClinicalTrials.gov is a public trial registry provided by the US National Library of Medicine and the US Food and Drug Administration. Zarin et al12 postulated that the number of clinical trials in ClinicalTrials.gov accounted for more than 80% of all studies in the World Health Organizations International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. This proportion will likely expand with further implementation of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (FDAAA 801), which expands the scope of mandatory clinical trial registration.13 Moreover, a joint statement from all International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) member journals indicated that clinical trials must be publicly registered in trials registries before they are considered for publication. Therefore, to better evaluate the breadth of liposome treatments for pediatric cancers, we performed a cross-sectional study to investigate the characteristic of registered trials in ClinicalTrials.gov regarding liposomes in childrens anticancer therapy.

A cross-sectional, descriptive study of clinical trials for LCAT registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov database was conducted. The trials were obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov using the advanced search function with the search term cancer for condition or disease and the term liposome for Other terms on December 30, 2021. All of the identified clinical trials were assessed to obtain records of all studies. Intervention and observation studies were all included. We used the age field as a filter, and we included trials explicitly designed for the child (birth 17 years of age). Next, we manually reviewed all of the trials and selected those using liposomal drugs for childrens anticancer therapy. Trials utilizing non-liposomal drugs were excluded. The following information and data were extracted: registered number, title, study type, conditions, interventions, locations, start date, the status of the trial, study results, study samples, participant ages, primary sponsor, location, primary purpose, phases of each trial, allocation, intervention model, masking and intervention. All trials were then further subclassified according to their study type. We used descriptive statistics to characterize trial categories. Frequencies and percentages were provided for categorical data. All analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office Excel 2010, Microsoft Corporation).

The initial search identified 1552 clinical trials on liposomes in cancer therapy registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov database through December 30, 2021. After using the age field (child; birth 17 years of age) as a filter, 352 trials focusing on liposomes in childrens anticancer therapy were included. After carefully reviewing all the information, 278 trials were not liposomal drugs and were excluded. Thus, a total of 74 registered trials focusing on liposomes in childrens anticancer therapy were subsequently included, including four observational studies and 70 intervention trials (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Flowchart of trial selection.

The basic characteristics of the included trials are shown in Table 1. Among the 74 eligible trials, 70 (94.6%) were interventional trials, and the 4 (5.4%) were observational trials. Half of these trials were initiated prior to 2007. Every five years, the number of initiated trials changed a little from 2007 to 2021. Most of the included trials (47.3%) have been completed, although only 23.0% of trials had available results in this database. The sources of funding were indicated for 40.5% of trials. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) was the second-largest contributor, accounting for 36.5% of included trials. North America was the most frequently identified study location (68.9%), followed by Europe (14.9%), Asia (12.2%), and other (4.1%).

Table 1 Characteristics of All Included Trials

Of the four observational trials, two were retrospective, and two trials were prospective. Of the 70 interventional trials, 63 (90.0%) were for treatment, 3 (4.3%) were for supportive care, 2 (2.9%) were for diagnostic, and 2 (2.9%) were for prevention. The allocation concealment was not clear in 48.6% of these studies. 21 (30.0%) trials were randomized, and 15 (21.4%) trials were non-randomized. More than half of the intervention models were single group assignments (52.9%), followed by parallel assignments (22.9%), and unknown (21.4%). Among the 70 interventional trials, the majority of trials (50, 71.4%) were without masking, 13 (18.6%) were with unknown masking, and 7 (10.0%) were with masking (1 single masking, 4 double maskings, and 2 quadruple maskings). 20 (28.6%) were phase 3 trials, 21 (30.0%) were phase 1 trials, and 17 (24.3%) were phase 2 trials. More than half of the trials recruited less than 50 participants, 12 trials (17.1%) recruited 100500 individuals, and 12 trials (17.1%) did not indicate the number of participants. The study design characteristics of interventional trials are displayed in Table 2.

Table 2 Study Design Elements of Interventional Trials (n = 70)

A total of 70 interventional trials investigated 17 liposomal drugs, mainly focused on organic chemicals (43/70, 61.4%). 32 trials (45.7%) investigated liposomal doxorubicin. Of these trials for liposomal drugs, the highest proportion was testing liposomal doxorubicin (45.7%), followed by liposomal vincristine (17.1%) and liposomal cytarabine (5.7%). Three trials investigated liposomal complex compounds, of which two trials were liposomal daunorubicin-cytarabine, and one trial was liposomal doxorubicin-daunorubicin. A summary of studied liposomal drugs for prevention is provided in Table 3.

Table 3 Overview of Drugs for Prevention

A total of 70 interventional trials investigated 17 liposomal drugs for 123 types of cancer. Of these cancers, the highest proportion was leukemia (15.4%), followed by lymphoma (9.8%) and ovarian cancer (8.9%). Detailed data is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Overview cancer types assessed for liposomal treatment for prevention (n = 123). The following cancers appeared only once: advanced cancer, bone cancer, germ cell tumors, glioma, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, kidney tumor, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, pediatric cancer, plasma cell neoplasm, precancerous condition, and prostate cancer.

Liposomes have been extensively investigated for overcoming cancer drug resistance,14 cancer-targeted therapy,15 and as a sustained and controlled release drug delivery system.16 However, liposomes do have limited clinical utility due to properties such as uncontrollable drug release, instability in storage, and insufficient drug loading.17 Specifically, due to their small aqueous internal volumes, liposomes have a relatively low encapsulation efficacy for water-soluble drugs.18 Meanwhile, large-scale liposomes production with low batch-to-batch differences is a challenge for the industry, which ultimately delays the clinical translation of new products.19 In addition, recruitment of children is a persistent challenge for researchers seeking to include these populations in clinical trials.20 First, societal concerns and parental emotional involvement can act to delay or prevent certain types of paediatric research.20,21 Second, medical ethics and clinical trial design for children need further refinement.22 Thus, the number of trials of liposomes in childrens anticancer therapy has not increased significantly over time and clinical trials focusing on liposomes account for only about 4.77% (74/1552) of clinical trials on liposomes in cancer therapy. Liposomally-delivered drugs have predominantly been organic chemicals (43/70, 61.4%). For example, 32 trials (45.7%) investigated liposomal doxorubicin. These results were following previous literature reports on the efficacy of delivering doxorubicin this way. To enhance the solubility of a hydrophobic substance, lipid-based drug delivery systems, especially liposomes, are among the best candidates.2325

In this study, the highest proportion of cancer type for prevention in a children was leukemia (15.4%), and the highest proportion of liposomal drug was in liposomal doxorubicin (45.7%), followed by liposomal vincristine (17.1%) and liposomal cytarabine (5.7%). For decades, the standard of care for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been the combination of a nucleoside analog with an anthracycline.26,27 Vincristine and cytarabine are nucleoside, and doxorubicin is a type of anthracycline. This indicated that liposomal doxorubicin combined with vincristine or cytarabine for childhood leukemia is an important future direction for liposomes in childrens anticancer therapy.

High quality, adequately powered, masked, appropriately sized, and appropriately sized, and randomized clinical trials represent a critical priority for high-quality clinical trials.2830 However, only 30.0% of trials studied here were randomized, and the majority of trials (71.4%) were without masking. Previously, it has been suggested that efficient trial designs are essential for rare malignancies has randomized trials are less feasible.31 To address this, there are multiple strategies for, such using as a Bayesian posterior predictive approach,32 or using complex innovative design,33 a novel multi-arm, multi-stage (MAMS) design.34 Hearn et al35 discussed in depth this issue highlighting the need for decision-makers to avoid adopting entrenched positions about the nature of the trial design.

The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

1. Jiang X, Zheng Y-W, Bao S, et al. Drug discovery and formulation development for acute pancreatitis. Drug Deliv. 2020;27(1):15621580. doi:10.1080/10717544.2020.1840665

2. Guo S, Liang Y, Liu L, et al. Research on the fate of polymeric nanoparticles in the process of the intestinal absorption based on model nanoparticles with various characteristics: size, surface charge and pro-hydrophobics. J Nanobiotechnol. 2021;19(1):32. doi:10.1186/s12951-021-00770-2

3. Qi -S-S, Sun J-H, Yu H-H, Yu S-Q. Co-delivery nanoparticles of anti-cancer drugs for improving chemotherapy efficacy. Drug Deliv. 2017;24(1):19091926. doi:10.1080/10717544.2017.1410256

4. Kim K, Khang D. Past, present, and future of anticancer nanomedicine. Int J Nanomedicine. 2020;15:57195743. doi:10.2147/IJN.S254774

5. Fenske DB, Cullis PR. Liposomal nanomedicines. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2008;5(1):2544. doi:10.1517/17425247.5.1.25

6. Suntres ZE. Liposomal antioxidants for protection against oxidant-induced damage. J Toxicol. 2011;2011:152474. doi:10.1155/2011/152474

7. Landi-Librandi AP, Chrysostomo TN, Caleiro Seixas Azzolini AE, Marzocchi-Machado CM, de Oliveira CA, Lucisano-Valim YM. Study of quercetin-loaded liposomes as potential drug carriers: in vitro evaluation of human complement activation. J Liposome Res. 2012;22(2):8999. doi:10.3109/08982104.2011.615321

8. Mignet N, Seguin J, Chabot GG. Bioavailability of polyphenol liposomes: a challenge ahead. Pharmaceutics. 2013;5(3):457471. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics5030457

9. Feizabadi M, Fahimnia F, Mosavi Jarrahi A, Naghshineh N, Tofighi S. Iranian clinical trials: an analysis of registered trials in International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP). J Evid Based Med. 2017;10(2):9196. doi:10.1111/jebm.12248

10. Chen L, Su Y, Quan L, Zhang Y, Du L. Clinical trials focusing on drug control and prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a comprehensive analysis of trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Original research. Front Pharmacol. 2019;9. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01574

11. Jacobsen PB, Wells KJ, Meade CD, et al. Effects of a brief multimedia psychoeducational intervention on the attitudes and interest of patients with cancer regarding clinical trial participation: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(20):25162521. doi:10.1200/JCO.2011.39.5186

12. Zarin DA, Ide NC, Tse T, Harlan WR, West JC, Lindberg DAB. Issues in the registration of clinical trials. JAMA. 2007;297(19):21122120. doi:10.1001/jama.297.19.2112

13. Tse T, Williams RJ, Zarin DA. Reporting basic results in ClinicalTrials.gov. Chest. 2009;136(1):295303. doi:10.1378/chest.08-3022

14. Bai F, Yin Y, Chen T, et al. Development of liposomal pemetrexed for enhanced therapy against multidrug resistance mediated by ABCC5 in breast cancer. Int J Nanomedicine. 2018;13:13271339. doi:10.2147/IJN.S150237

15. Riaz MK, Riaz MA, Zhang X, et al. Surface functionalization and targeting strategies of liposomes in solid tumor therapy: a review. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(1):195. doi:10.3390/ijms19010195

16. Yue P-J, He L, Qiu SW, et al. OX26/CTX-conjugated PEGylated liposome as a dual-targeting gene delivery system for brain glioma. Mol Cancer. 2014;13:191. doi:10.1186/1476-4598-13-191

17. Wicki A, Witzigmann D, Balasubramanian V, Huwyler J. Nanomedicine in cancer therapy: challenges, opportunities, and clinical applications. J Control Release. 2015;200:138157. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.12.030

18. Akbarzadeh A, Rezaei-Sadabady R, Davaran S, et al. Liposome: classification, preparation, and applications. Nanoscale Res Lett. 2013;8(1):102. doi:10.1186/1556-276x-8-102

19. Al-Amin MD, Bellato F, Mastrotto F, et al. Dexamethasone loaded liposomes by thin-film hydration and microfluidic procedures: formulation challenges. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(5):1611. doi:10.3390/ijms21051611

20. Cunningham-Erves J, Deakings J, Mayo-Gamble T, Kelly-Taylor K, Miller ST. Factors influencing parental trust in medical researchers for child and adolescent patients clinical trial participation. Psychol Health Med. 2019;24(6):691702. doi:10.1080/13548506.2019.1566623

21. Rentea RM, Oyetunji TA, Peter SDS. Ethics of randomized trials in pediatric surgery. Pediatr Surg Int. 2020;36(8):865867. doi:10.1007/s00383-020-04665-5

22. Nicholl A, Evelegh K, Deering KE, et al. Using a Respectful Approach to Child-centred Healthcare (ReACH) in a paediatric clinical trial: a feasibility study. PLoS One. 2020;15(11):e0241764. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0241764

23. Nik ME, Malaekeh-Nikouei B, Amin M, et al. Liposomal formulation of Galbanic acid improved therapeutic efficacy of pegylated liposomal Doxorubicin in mouse colon carcinoma. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):9527. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-45974-7

24. Laverman P, Boerman OC, Storm G, Oyen WJG. (99m)Tc-labelled Stealth liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx) in glioblastomas and metastatic brain tumours. Br J Cancer. 2002;86(4):659661. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6600093

25. Wang G, Wang J, Wu W, Tony To SS, Zhao H, Wang J. Advances in lipid-based drug delivery: enhancing efficiency for hydrophobic drugs. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2015;12(9):14751499. doi:10.1517/17425247.2015.1021681

26. Chen EC, Fathi AT, Brunner AM. Reformulating acute myeloid leukemia: liposomal cytarabine and daunorubicin (CPX-351) as an emerging therapy for secondary AML. Onco Targets Ther. 2018;11:34253434. doi:10.2147/OTT.S141212

27. Preisler HD, Anderson K, Rai K, et al. The frequency of long-term remission in patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia treated with conventional maintenance chemotherapy: a study of 760 patients with a minimal follow-up time of 6 years. Br J Haematol. 1989;71(2):189194. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.1989.tb04253.x

28. Zwierzyna M, Davies M, Hingorani AD, Hunter J. Clinical trial design and dissemination: comprehensive analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed data since 2005. BMJ. 2018;361:k2130. doi:10.1136/bmj.k2130

29. Zhang C, Kwong JSW, Yuan R-X, et al. Effectiveness and tolerability of different recommended doses of PPIs and H(2)RAs in GERD: network meta-analysis and GRADE system. Sci Rep. 2017;7:41021. doi:10.1038/srep41021

30. Oh ES, Fong TG, Hshieh TT, Inouye SK. Delirium in older persons: advances in diagnosis and treatment. JAMA. 2017;318(12):11611174. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.12067

31. Italiano A, Nanda S, Briggs A, et al. Larotrectinib versus prior therapies in tropomyosin receptor kinase fusion cancer: an intra-patient comparative analysis. Cancers. 2020;12(11):3246. doi:10.3390/cancers12113246

32. Dutton P, Love S, Faleti A, Hassan B. The use of Bayesian design in two trials in rare cancers. Trials. 2015;16(Suppl 2):P213. doi:10.1186/1745-6215-16-S2-P213

33. Blagden SP, Billingham L, Brown LC, et al. Effective delivery of Complex Innovative Design (CID) cancer trials-A consensus statement. Br J Cancer. 2020;122(4):473482. doi:10.1038/s41416-019-0653-9

34. Sydes MR, Parmar MKB, Mason MD, et al. Flexible trial design in practice - stopping arms for lack-of-benefit and adding research arms mid-trial in STAMPEDE: a multi-arm multi-stage randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2012;13:168. doi:10.1186/1745-6215-13-168

35. Hearn J, Keat N, Law K, Sharpe R. How cancer research UK is adapting to adaptive designs. Trials. 2011;12(Suppl 1):A6. doi:10.1186/1745-6215-12-S1-A6

Clinical Trial of Liposomes in Children's Anticancer Therapy | IJN - Dove Medical Press

Global Advanced Functional Materials Market To Be Driven By The Surging Demand From Medical Sector In The Forecast Period Of 2021-2026 …

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

The new report by Expert Market Research titled, Global Advanced Functional Materials Market Report and Forecast 2021-2026, gives an in-depth analysis of the globaladvanced functional materials market, assessing the market based on its type, end-use, and major regions. The report tracks the latest trends in the industry and studies their impact on the overall market. It also assesses the market dynamics, covering the key demand and price indicators, along with analyzing the market based on the SWOT and Porters Five Forces models.

Request a free sample copy in PDF or view the report summary@https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/advanced-functional-materials-market/requestsample

The key highlights of the report include:

Market Overview (2016-2026)

The growth in the global advanced functional materials market is induced by the medical device technology which is advancing at a rapid pace. With increased focus on imaging techniques, implantable devices, and regeneration technologyin medicine, drug delivery industrial equipment, and biomedical engineering, the adoption of advanced functional materials is increasing rapidly, that aims to augment growth of the market. Advanced functional materials supersede conventional materials by having superior characteristics such as durability, toughness, durability, and elasticity. The advanced functional material industry for low carbon emissions applications is anticipated to be driven by rising lightweight vehicles demandcombined with improved fuel efficiency.

Industry Definition and Major Segments

Usingeffective power and signaltransmission to every object, advanced functional materials serve to minimise total power usage. Thin conductors or interlinks used within advanced functional material-based mini electronics aid in countering signal propagation and power failure concerns associated with large PCBs and thick interconnects.

Explore the full report with the table of contents@https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/advanced-functional-materials-market

Based on its types, the market is divided into:

Based on end-use, the market is divided into:

On the basis of region, the market is divided into:

Market Trends

In the years ahead, the manufacturing of lighter weight, handy, and adaptable substrate technological tools will boost adoption ofadvanced functional materials. One of the crucial industry trends in the advanced functional materials marketis the strong market for microelectronics andminiaturisation. The healthcare industry has a huge demand for advanced functional materials. In the industry, nanomaterials are the dominant type of material. The use of nano materials in the nanotechnological sector of the healthcare industry is consistently expanding. Nanomedicine is the use of nanotechnology to diagnose, monitor, deliver drugs, treat, and regulate biological systems. Although, an absence of expansion plans and technological innovation is anticipated to stymie the industrys growth over the forecast period.

Key Market Players

The major players in the market are Morgan Advanced Materials plc, KYOCERA Corporation, Hexcel Corporation, Nanophase Technologies Corporation, KURARAY CO., LTD, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (OTCMKTS: HENKY), among others. The report covers the market shares, capacities, plant turnarounds, expansions, investments and mergers and acquisitions, among other latest developments of these market players.

About Us:

Expert Market Research is a leading business intelligence firm, providing custom and syndicated market reports along with consultancy services for our clients. We serve a wide client base ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to small and medium enterprises. Our reports cover over 100 industries across established and emerging markets researched by our skilled analysts who track the latest economic, demographic, trade and market data globally.

At Expert Market Research, we tailor our approach according to our clients needs and preferences, providing them with valuable, actionable and up-to-date insights into the market, thus, helping them realize their optimum growth potential. We offer market intelligence across a range of industry verticals which include Pharmaceuticals, Food and Beverage, Technology, Retail, Chemical and Materials, Energy and Mining, Packaging and Agriculture.

We also provide state-of-the-art procurement intelligence through our platform,https://www.procurementresource.com. Procurement Resource is a leading platform for digital procurement solutions, offering daily price tracking, market intelligence, supply chain intelligence, procurement analytics, and category insights through our thoroughly researched and infallible market reports, production cost reports, price analysis, and benchmarking.

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Determined to bring client satisfaction, we make sure that our tailored approach meets the clients unique market intelligence requirements. Our syndicated and customized research reports cover a wide spectrum of industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and food and beverage to packaging, logistics, and transportation.

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*We at Expert Market Research always thrive to give you the latest information. The numbers in the article are only indicative and may be different from the actual report.

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Global Advanced Functional Materials Market To Be Driven By The Surging Demand From Medical Sector In The Forecast Period Of 2021-2026 ...

Webinar The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, 13 May 2022 – ThinkGeoEnergy

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Join this webinar with Dr Datu Buyung Agusdinata, from the Arizona State University, for an interesting presentation on "The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions".

The ASU BILGI Talk Series will be hosting world-renowned intellectuals and researchers contributing to our understanding of the complex range of forces which are reshaping our world. The series will be global in nature, crossing the boundaries between cultures and disciplines.

On Friday, May 13, 2022, Senior Global Futures Scientist Dr. Datu Buyung Agusdinata will be the guest. Deputy Chair, Department of Energy Systems Engineering in Istanbul Bilgi University Fusun Servin Tut Haklidir will be the moderator.

(Datu) Buyung Agusdinata was an associate research scientist at Purdue University before joining the Northern Illinois University as a faculty member. His main research interests include sustainable energy and transportation systems, green supply chain, system analysis of the development and impacts of nanomedicine, and drought adaptation policies.

As a guest faculty researcher at the Argonne National Laboratory, he investigated the added values of improved forecast of electricity generation from solar to support a better integration of solar energy to the electricity market. Recently, he serves as a co-PI on an NSF-funded workshop to identify climate change mitigation strategies based on improved understanding and management of coupled food, energy and water (FEW) production-consumption systems.

Click here to register in advance for this webinar.

Source: Istanbul Bilgi University via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler

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Webinar The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, 13 May 2022 - ThinkGeoEnergy

Sports gambling in Kansas could get done this week – KSN-TV

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Place your bets. Sports gambling has a shot at passing this week.

It should pass in the Senate, said Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-District 19. Its pretty tight.

Clayton lives in the Kansas City area, where she says casinos and other sports venues could bring in a lot of revenue from sports gambling being legalized inside the State of Kansas. She says the key is the Kansas Senate.

If there are more than 21 votes in the Senate, it would go to the governor, said Clayton.

Wichita Representative Tom Sawyer says if the measure passes, the money the state would make on betting would not have to go to the general fund.

Oh, yeah. The budgets in very strong shape. We were already in pretty strong shape, said Sawyer. But then the consensus estimating group met last week and upped the revenue estimates another $760 million over the next two years.

That could mean up to $10 million in revenue to go straight to a fund that would try to lure a professional sports team, like the Royals or Chiefs, into Kansas.

Im also the ranking minority member on the commerce committee, so Im very familiar with economic development incentives and how they work, said Clayton. I have not spoken with anyone with the Chiefs personally and highly doubt that I am that high up to do that. But Im going to assume that they wouldnt hate it.

The sports gambling would be inside venues like Kansas Casinos. There would also be apps available for download so you could bet on your phone.

The apps would use Geofencing and place detection, so they could only be used inside the borders of Kansas.

We will have to see how all this plays out, said Sawyer. I think that will pass before were done.

Sports gambling is just one issue still to be voted on this session. If its not up for a vote this week, some lawmakers say it will definitely come up again on a second wrap session in a couple of weeks.

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Sports gambling in Kansas could get done this week - KSN-TV

Johns gives update on sports gambling numbers after first 5 months – American Press | American Press – American Press

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

In the first five months of sports betting being legalized in Louisiana, $628 million was wagered, generating $7.4 million in taxes, Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns said Tuesday.

Johns provided information to the Senate Judiciary B Committee on legislation by Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette. Senate Bill 290 passed with amendments and cleaned up some language related to sports betting. It heads to the Senate floor for consideration.

The bill makes sure that all aspects of sports betting comply with a program that allows residents to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling.

Casinos can share information from that database with the platforms that take actual bets.

The bill also clarifies that sports wagering platform providers cannot claim more than $5 million in eligible promotional play per licensee in any calendar year. The legislation also specifies that the taxes going to local governments of the 55 parishes that approved sports betting will be based on population.

When discussing promotional play, Johns said it will take at least a full year to track how well it will work and to get a clear picture of how many new customers will come on board. States vary when it comes to promotional play, with some offering no credits, others having unlimited credits and some having a tiered system.

He mentioned how casinos are putting up millions of dollars to build out permanent, first-class sports betting facilities.

LAuberge Casino in Lake Charles was the first one to build out a permanent facility, spending $4.8 million, he said.

Golden Nugget Casino plans to spend close to $9 million on its permanent facility. LAuberge Casino in Baton Rouge is spending $6.5 million, and Harrahs Casino in New Orleans is spending $12 million.

Johns said he went to the LAuberge sports betting area at 10:30 a.m. on the first week of the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament and found a packed house.

It will seat 225 people, and there was not a seat available, he said.

Johns said he is excited about how sports betting was implemented.

Weve done it the right way, and weve had zero problems with the program as we rolled it out, he said.

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Johns gives update on sports gambling numbers after first 5 months - American Press | American Press - American Press

Kindred’s revenue from harmful gambling decreased to 3.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 – PR Newswire

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

VALLETTA, Malta, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --In the first quarter of 2022, Kindred's share of revenue from harmful gambling decreased to 3.3 per cent. Increased focus on improving and optimising intervention measures has contributed to the decrease.Kindred also entered a collaboration with RecoverMe, an app supporting users regain control of their gambling habits.

In the first quarter of 2022, Kindred Group plc's (Kindred) share of revenue from harmful gambling decreased to 3.3 (3.9) per cent. The positive trend has been impacted byseasonal changes, with the first quarter historically seeing lower shares of revenue from harmful gambling year on year, as well as an optimised process for manual interventions towards high-risk customers. This has resulted in fewer customers being re-detected following interventions, leading to a more sustainable gambling behaviour which is one of the ambitions outlined in the Group's roadmap. Kindred also continues their more cautious approach to the younger demographic (age group 18 to 25), since this group is at higher risk to harmful gambling and more prone to addiction. The increased focus has resulted in a larger decrease in the percentage of harmful revenue from this demographic group.

Global statistics from Kindred Group

Q2 2021

Q3 2021

Q4 2021

Q1 2022*

Share of gross winnings revenue from high-risk players

4.3%

3.3%

4.0%

3.3%

Improvement effect after interventions

76.9%

64.9%

79.2%

83.1%

*90 day rolling period between 20 December and 19 March 2022

During the quarter, Kindred has updated the improvement effect metric after interventions. Instead of only focusing on financial indicators, the metric now includes behavioural indicators, which is more aligned with Kindred's detection system, PS-EDS.

"We started 2022 with a focus on targeted deliveries. Our team has specifically focused on optimising our manual interventions further, resulting in a higher percentage of customers showing healthier gambling behaviour after they have been detected and contacted by our responsible gambling team," says Henrik Tjrnstrm, CEO of Kindred Group.

Kindred has also entered a collaboration with the team behind the RecoverMe app, which uses research-proven techniques to help users regain control of their gambling habits. Thanks to the collaboration, Kindred can offer the app to its customers for free, initially in the UK and the US.

"Only eight per cent of individuals with problem gambling seek help due to the stigma associated with the addiction, inaccessibility and lack of awareness of treatment options. RecoverMe's partnership with Kindred is a vital lifeline in helping us provide care to those that need it most. We believe passionately that collaboration with organisations like Kindred will help us reach those that need support and historically have been individuals who are difficult to reach and access therapy," says Tejus Patel, Junior Doctor at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and co-founder of RecoverMe.

"I am very proud that we have entered the collaboration with the team behind the RecoverMe app, ensuring we can offer this service for free to all our customers in the UK and the US. We are also sponsoring additional PhD programmes on addiction studies, enabling these students to study and work full-time in academia. Our focus right now is to continue to increase efficiency and speed in engaging with detected customers as early intervention is critical in preventing a harmful behaviour," concludes Tjrnstrm.

About our journey towards zero

Kindred Group is committed to transform gambling by being a trusted source of entertainment that contributes positively to society. Therefore, Kindred has set an ambition to reach zero per cent revenue from harmful gambling by 2023 and to report this metric on a quarterly basis. This is done to increase transparency, to support a fact-based dialogue about harmful gambling, and to raise awareness of the Group's sustainability work. To read more, visit: http://www.kindredgroup.com/zero.

CONTACT:

For more information:Maria Angell Dupont, External Communications Manager, Kindred Group[emailprotected]+46 72 165 15 17

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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Kindred's revenue from harmful gambling decreased to 3.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 - PR Newswire

Dutch Gambling Authority vs Electronic Arts, and the future of loot boxes – GamesIndustry.biz

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

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After more than four years of discussion, there finally seems to be clarity about whether the FIFA Packs should be seen as gambling under Dutch legislation.

The Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Dutch State Council ruled last month that FIFA's card packs do not qualify as a game of chance, because they form an 'inseparable part' of a game of skill: the FIFA Ultimate team mode.

As this court is the highest administrative court in the Netherlands, lodging an appeal is not an option for the Dutch Gambling Authority and this ruling is a landmark case for the treatment of loot boxes under Dutch gambling legislation.

This article takes a closer look at the ruling and its possible consequences for the global video games industry.

First, it is necessary to outline the Dutch legal framework.

The Dutch gambling laws are codified in the Dutch Gambling Act ("Wet op de Kansspelen").

Under this law it is prohibited to offer a game of chance to a person on Dutch territory, except in case the company that offers this game has received a permit of the Dutch Gambling Authority ("de Nederlandse Kansspelautoriteit").

Ren Otto, Van Iersel Luchtman

The Dutch legal definition of a 'game of chance' contains two criteria that have to be met:

The criterium that the participant has an opportunity to win a 'prize or premium' means that the participant should be able to obtain something of economic value in case that he/she/they wins. This could either be money or an item of economic worth.

The criterium that the outcome of the game is determined by chance means that the participant cannot influence the outcome of the game by his/her/their own actions.

One can imagine that there could be quite a few scenarios where both skill and chance are in play. In those cases, a game is still considered a game of chance, except when the participant can exercise a predominant influence of the outcome of the game with his/her/their skill. So games where chance is the major contributor to the outcome of the game are still considered games of chance.

Whether this is the case has to be assessed by evaluating the results that the (large) majority of the players achieve by playing the game. This assessment method has the consequence that even if a few very skilled players are able to determine their outcome by their unusual high level of skill (such as by having extraordinary senses or by spending a lot of time on training), the game will still be considered a game of chance if the vast majority of players rely on luck.

The decision of the Dutch State Council is rather brief and only takes up nine pages. The judge starts with the consideration that in the case of loot boxes, it must first be established whether obtaining or opening them can be regarded as a standalone game. Only if a loot box is a standalone game should it be assessed whether a loot box meets the definition of a game of chance. According to the judge, in order to determine this, it is necessary to look at how the game is played by the majority of players.

The actual in-game economy will be of high importance when assessing the legality of loot boxes

In the case of FIFA Ultimate Team, the judge considers that this is a (mixed) game of skill, because in the end the virtual football matches are won by the best player. The FIFA packs are considered part of this mode, as the packs are acquired and opened in this mode (and would only be opened to get good players for playing the virtual football matches).

According to the judge, the fact that it is possible to buy FIFA packs with real money does not make the situation any different. The judge attaches particular importance to the fact that 92% of the FIFA packs would be obtained by playing the game and only 8% are bought.

In light of the foregoing, FIFA packs are seen as an integral part of FIFA Ultimate Team, which is considered a game of skill. As a result, the Dutch State Council considers that Dutch gambling legislation does not apply to loot boxes and their offering is therefore not prohibited.

According to the Dutch State Council, it could be different in a specific case if it is shown that loot boxes are opened on a large scale for the sole reason of trading their contents.

In all honesty, I find this ruling quite unexpected and surprising. The reason for this is that the Dutch State Council introduces a new standard of assessment.

The fact that the Dutch gambling laws are not applicable to games of chance that form an inseparable part of a game of skill is not new. This had already been ruled by the Dutch Supreme Court in 1991.

What is actually new is the assessment criterion that to determine whether a loot box is an inseparable part of a game of skill, it must be looked at how the game is played by the vast majority of players. If this criterion is also used by the Dutch State Council in the future, this means that the actual in-game economy will be of high importance when assessing the legality of loot boxes.

The fact that the majority of Ultimate Team players earn card pack in-game weighed heavily in Electronic Arts' favour

According to this decision, it seems that loot boxes are not subject to Dutch gambling laws if the following cumulative criteria are met:

This would mean that actually a lot of loot boxes in modern video games are no longer subject to the Dutch gambling laws and would therefore be legally allowed.

A lot of video games include loot boxes in competitive multiplayer games to obtain skins or useful items which might influence the chance of winning any game, but in the end the winner is decided in the online multiplayer match.

Since the Netherlands was at the forefront of the loot boxes discussion, I imagine this could set some informal precedent for other countries

The only exception I can quickly think of is for the new 'play to earn' games where you could argue that players would buy loot boxes for the sake of trading the economic value of the contents thereof (which would not be compliant with the fourth criterium).

What still remains unclear is what the ratio should be between paid loot boxes and loot boxes obtained by playing the game. It seems that at least the vast majority of the loot boxes should be obtained by playing the game, but any tipping point is currently absent. So in cases where 60% of the loot boxes are obtained by playing the game, it is still unclear if the Dutch gambling laws apply.

As such, I could imagine that video game developers offering loot boxes in the Netherlands could maximize the amount of loot boxes (per period of time) that any player can buy to keep this ratio favourable for the argument that the Dutch gambling laws are not applicable.

Nevertheless, it seems that many video games that were not released due to any risk non-compliance with the Dutch gambling legislation could consider to still release their game in the Netherlands after this court decision.

It has yet to be seen whether this decision will set an international precedent. Gambling laws are determined nationally and therefore the legal frameworks are different between countries. However, since the Netherlands was one of the countries at the forefront of the discussion about whether loot boxes were compliant with gambling laws, I could also imagine that the decision could set some informal precedent for other countries as well.

How large or small this precedent is, depends hugely on the similarities between legal regimes across different countries. In countries where gambling laws do not apply to games of chance that are an inseparable part of a game of skill, it could be well possible that the reasoning of the Dutch State Council will be followed. However, that court is free to decide otherwise.

That being said, it seems that loot boxes are less of a legal black box in the Netherlands as of this court decision.

Ren Otto is a video games & esports lawyer at the Dutch law firm Van Iersel Luchtman. He is also a board member of Breda Game City and an ambassador for Women in Games. He was included our Game Changers 2021 feature for his contributions to the industry.

Dutch Gambling Authority vs Electronic Arts, and the future of loot boxes - GamesIndustry.biz

Illegal gambling ringleader admits violating terms of supervised release The Nevada Independent – The Nevada Independent

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Recently outed in a deposition for holding an ownership stake in a restaurant inside Resorts World Las Vegas, a convicted gambling ringleader and bookmaker also faces new special conditions of his supervised release.

David Stroj, known on the street as Fat Dave, has a documented history of organized crime associations. He also has a history of gambling at Strip casinos, and appears to own a piece of Tacos El Cabron inside Resorts World.

Strojs gambling violated the terms of his three-year supervised release, which followed an 18-month sentence in 2018 in a federal case that resulted in the indictment in 2015 of 25 people. In that case, federal prosecutors successfully argued that Stroj was a flight risk who might leave the country to avoid standing trial. That restriction was later modified.

A document filed March 17 by Senior U.S. Probation Officer Tina Nieman in the U.S. District CourtSouthern District of California spells out Strojs probation violation for gambling and also appears to shed light on the business at Resorts World.

It came to this officers attention in January 2022 that Mr. Stroj was gambling in Las Vegas, Nevada, without this officers knowledge or approval, Nieman wrote. Mr. Strojs family recently opened a restaurant in the Resorts World Casino, located in Las Vegas. The family plans to open another restaurant in Las Vegas later this year. These ventures have required Mr. Stroj to travel frequently to Las Vegas and will require future travel as well. However, in all of his trips to date, he did not seek permission from this officer to gamble.

In a statement Wednesday, Resorts World emphatically denied Stroj ever had a presence at the taco shop: David Stroj is not now, nor has he ever been, a manager or owner of Tacos El Cabron. Peter Stroj, who we have learned is David Strojs father, is a manager. Resorts World Las Vegas did a complete due diligence on the tenant prior to entering into the lease agreement.

In an April 5 deposition in connection with an unrelated multimillion-dollar bankruptcy fraud litigation, embattled gambler and business operator Brandon Sattler described facilitating the installation of video-related equipment at Tacos El Cabron and Strojs active role in the restaurant. But Sattlers deposition included several inconsistencies and the company has called his claims maliciously false and unfounded.

After Stroj admitted to his parole officer that he had gambled repeatedly without permission, he provided player card account records for his gambling at Circa Resort and Casino and Treasure Island, Nieman wrote. He lost approximately $16,000 and won around $9,500 gambling in 2021, according to the document.

He also admitted gambling at Resorts World last year, but failed to provide player card information. He claimed the information was unavailable because he had been banned from the casino.

Setting aside the fact that even gamblers who get kicked out of casinos can obtain their player card information for tax purposes, the mystery of how much Stroj played in 2021 at Resorts World should be easily remedied by the licensed casino operator. If it hasnt already done so, this might be a good time for the casino-resort to make that information available.

Prior to his 2015 arrest on illegal gambling and bookmaking charges in a case in which authorities alleged Strojs crew conspired to launder millions through California card rooms and Las Vegas casinos, he had three prior bookmaking convictions in Philadelphia. Those cases had connections to the Philadelphia mob, according to published reports.

Strojs supervised release began March 10, 2020, according to the document. It was modified to allow him to travel outside California in October 2021 under the conditions that he not gamble, bet sports, or frequent casinos without prior approval. He was permitted to play in legitimate poker tournaments with approval.

The violations resulted in tightened conditions, including no gambling of any kind and traveling to Las Vegas for business only, and only then with approval of his probation officer.

Although he has stipulated to the stricter terms of supervision, Stroj has been ordered to appear at a June 6 hearing in federal court in California to explain why his supervised release should not be revoked.

Denials from the casino company notwithstanding, the Sattler deposition and parole officers report raise questions that the Gaming Control Board ought to be demanding answers to.

At a March control board licensing hearing, Member Brittnie Watkins asked Resorts World President Scott Sibella about controversies surrounding gamblers Robert J. Cipriani and [without naming him] Sattler. Sibella downplayed his interaction with the two men. Both have raised the issue of Strojs ownership connection to the restaurant.

Efforts to gather comments from control board members this week were unsuccessful.

John L. Smith is an author and longtime columnist. He was born in Henderson and his familys Nevada roots go back to 1881. His stories have appeared in Time, Readers Digest, The Daily Beast, Reuters, Ruralite and Desert Companion, among others. He also offers weekly commentary on Nevada Public Radio station KNPR.

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Illegal gambling ringleader admits violating terms of supervised release The Nevada Independent - The Nevada Independent

Nepal Blocks Access to Illegal Crypto and Gambling Sites – GamblingNews.com

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

In Summary:

Image Source: Shutterstock.com (Photo by Adil_Designs)

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority or NTA has begun a broader crackdown on a number of websites, particularly those focusing on illegal economic activities. The company which regulates the technology and telecommunications sector has limited access to a number of websites that have to do with cryptocurrencies, online gambling, or hyper networking.

The NTA has argued that such websites have no license to operate legally in Nepal and have as a result been blacklisted. Consumers are urged to step forward and tip the watchdog about any such websites that continue to operate despite a prohibition to do so. The NTA is also working with ISPs to ensure that websites are blocked and not accessible with Nepalese IPs.

Furthermore, the government has cautioned anyone who wishes to participate in illegal businesses prohibited by the NTA and warned that such people may find themselves in legal trouble. Nepal has decided to act on solid evidence that citizens are engaging in networking, cryptocurrencies, and gambling in large numbers without any oversight that exposed their data and privacy to criminals.

Nepalese citizens living abroad have chosen to invest in such options as well, slashing remittances back to the country. The NTA has clamped down on all virtual currencies and online gambling operations as they are not officially allowed by the regulator or existing laws. The regulators announced ban on such websites is just the first step in the broader regulatory framework planned by the NTA.

The watchdog will further help with enforcement action and seek to limit the pernicious effects of those activities. Nepalese citizens will come under bigger scrutiny when attempting to deal with cryptocurrencies and the NTA will work with the Central Investigation Bureau of the Nepal Police to make sure that people involved in the proliferation of such illegal services are brought to justice.

The NTA previously compiled a list of websites to be blocked and worked on optimizing its techniques to track and act against illegal operators and is now stepping up its game by taking enforcement action against them.

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Beto Gives Texas Online Gambling Proponents Hope – OnlinePokerReport.com

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Shutterstock/Vic Hinterlang

Texas is not a gambling-friendly state at the moment. That could start to change, however, if Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke puts into action what he said on Wednesday. ORourke claims that if hes elected on Nov. 8, hes inclined to support both legal casino gambling and sports betting in the state of Texas.

As far as casinos go, hes probably talking about retail gambling for now. However, that would be a necessary first step towards eventually having an online option.

ORourke said residents are already traveling to engage in both retail and online gambling outside of the state.

During a press conference, he spoke about the obvious benefit to legalization:

We would be able to bring in billions of dollars more.

To the east and west, Texas is surrounded by legal sports betting states. Only its northern neighbor, Oklahoma, lacks legal sportsbooks. That said, New Mexico doesnt have online sports betting and isnt likely to add it any time soon, according to Online Poker Reports sister site, Legal Sports Report.

Hypothetically, if Texas does eventually legalize all forms of online gambling, it would be a big prize. Its 30 million residents would nearly equal the populations of the top three US online casino states.

Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania contain nearly 32 million people put together. Last year, each one of those states generated more than $1 billion in iGaming revenue.

Though ORourke seems to be leaning in that direction, dont count on it happening too soon.

If online sports betting becomes a reality in the second-most populous American state, it likely wont happen until next year. Retail casino construction would likely take years. Getting those forms of gambling underway would set the stage for online casinos, but that would take several more years, at least.

Here are the reasons for that.

US online casinos have a strong toehold in the eastern part of the country, with six states live:

However, legal online sportsbooks far outnumber and generally predate online casinos. Right now,19 states and the District of Columbia are home to legal online sportsbooks.

The most recent online sports betting launches were:

New York is an example of how sports betting can kickstart the conversation about online casinos. Empire State legislators made an effort to legalize iGaming this year, though those bills never reached a vote.

That lag generally happens because lawmakers tend to have more reservations about online casino gambling than sports betting. One concern they have is that they consider online casino wagering Big G gambling, which they believe requires study before legalization. They and their constituents suffer from the widespread misconception that sports betting is relatively safer.

Another big and possibly unfounded concern is that retail casinos may suffer if they legalize iGaming.

For instance in Illinois, where online sportsbooks launched in March 2020, an iGaming bill flopped during 2021.

That happened after a lawmaker voiced exactly that concern in April 2021. Rep. Bob Rita asked during the Illinois House Executive Committee if online casinos would cannibalize retail casino revenue. The committee chairman was listening to testimony about the Internet Gaming Act (IGA), which hed sponsored.

IGA didnt pass last year, to online gambling advocates chagrin. It has now been more than two years since Illinois legalized online sports betting and the state doesnt have legal online casinos.

Sports betting might get the conversation started, but so far most online casino success stories have gone the omnibus route, instead.

The most recent states to legalize and launch online casinos did so as part of package deals with online sports betting:

Along those lines, Kentucky Senators didnt bring HB 606 up for a vote on March 30. The measure wouldve legalizedonline poker and sports betting, though not casino gaming. However, the bill failed to reach the finish line on the last day of the Kentucky General Assembly session.

A common belief about online gambling is that it wont be legalized if retail gambling isnt there first.

So far, it has been true that if a state doesnt have land-based casinos, lawmakers wont even consider the online version.

There is one notable exception when it comes to sports betting: Tennessee.

Online sportsbooks launched in the Volunteer State in November 2020. However, even now, Tennesseans have to travel out of state to visit commercial or tribal casinos.

Kentucky also lacks land-based casinos, and attempted to follow in Tennessees footsteps, but failed.

Texas has no commercial casinos and only one full-size tribal casino, which is only a Class II gaming facility. That means it can offer slots-like bingo machines, but not true slots or table games.

Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel is in Eagle Pass, a small town near the Mexican border. At that point, Texans may consider crossing the border, as both retail casinos and online gaming are legal there.

Meanwhile, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribal entity of El Paso presented an argument in February to the US Supreme Court in order to start offering electronic bingo, as well.

ORourkes exact wording leaves things ambiguous. Whatever his intent, it seems unlikely that a conservative state like Texas would go from virtually no gambling to full-package online gambling in a single step.

However, just about every publication reporting on his statement ends up discussing online gambling, as well as retail casinos.

Perhaps ORourke meant both.

Its hard to know, because the gubernatorial candidate only spoke about gambling for 30 seconds out of more than 40 spent discussing Texas property taxes:

If we were to make legal casino gambling and sports betting in the state of Texas, which as you all know many Texans engage in now, its only that those revenues go to other states and to other state governments, we would be able to bring in billions of dollars more.

And from listening to Texans across the state, one, its a very popular proposal. And two, I think it would also help us to address some of the challenges that we have in reducing inflation and property taxes in the state of Texas. So I think that warrants a very close look and its something that Im inclined to support.

On his gubernatorial campaign site, the former congressman and presidential candidate blames incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott for property taxes increasing $20 billion since he took office. Abbott first entered office in 2014 and, if reelected, this will be his third term.

A poll of Texas voters in March found Abbott in the lead at 42% and ORourke narrowly behind, at 40%. The Lyceum survey has an error rate of plus or minus 2.83%, so a win may be well within reach.

In Texas, even 30 seconds of discussion about gambling gets noticed.

ORourke was already on record as advocating expanding Medicaid and legalizing marijuana in order to generate enough state tax revenue to accommodate lowering property tax rates. He mentioned gambling expansion as another possible method.

The press conference about lowering property taxes features ORourke and elected leaders standing on a lawn in Dallas County, across from what appear to be single-family homes. Amid wind and traffic noises, ORourke talked about how he would ensure Texans could remain in their homes, despite rising property tax rates.

About halfway through, he mentioned wagering.

As of yesterday, ORourkes video that was largely about what he termed the property tax crisis had 968 reactions, 509 comments and 6,800 views.

Its hard to tell if his talk about gambling within that video is whats garnering the attention.

Because an April 20 tweet by the Houston Chronicle linking to its gated article, Beto ORourke Calls For Legalizing Casino Gambling, Sports Betting In Texas, had520 retweets, 81 quote tweets and 2,318 likes as of last night.

For context, ORourkes most popular Facebook video is a San Antonio rally on Friday. The recording has 1,300 reactions, 649 comments and 10,000 views.

LSR notes that in order to legalize online gambling, Texas will also have to amend its constitution.

So just about every effort to expand gambling in Texas stops at the door of reluctant lawmakers.

The Texas Tribune explains one retail casino expansion effort in an article published on June 16, 2021:

Las Vegas Sands ended up spending as much as $6.3 million on lobbying at the Capitol, according to state records, plus what the company pegged as at least $2 million on a statewide ad campaign. It is likely that the companys total spending topped $10 million, given the number of weeks that the company stayed on the air in the states most expensive media markets.

Whats more, theLonghorn Statesefforts will be hampered by its unusually short legislative sessions.

The Texas Legislature meets for 140 days, and only during odd-numbered years. Thats an even shorter calendar than the one for the Indiana General Assembly, which saw online gambling bills die in committee onJan. 25.

That makes it the state with the 14th-shortestsessions. For comparison, the Utah State Legislature comes in dead last, meeting just 45 days a year. (See chart below).

Indiana lawmakers rank four spots higher than Texas, because lawmakers meet for four months per odd-numbered year and 2.5 months on even-numbered years, like 2022.

Meanwhile, Hoosiers have been able to bet online on sports sinceOctober 2019.

Short legislative sessions have a way of killing online gambling bills, at least the more ambitious ones. Except for West Virginia, all states with full online gambling are among the ones with longer sessions. When it comes to sports betting, the shorter a states sessions, the more likely it is to be retail-only, if it has legalized it at all.

So even if ORourkes victory comes to pass and he pushes for legalization, Texas could still be many years away from launching iGaming. However, it even being a possibility is a change from the current situation in which its not even on the radar.

Data: Legiscan / Graph: Online Poker Report

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The State of the Gambling Industry in Canada – Nilsen Report

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Wagering money on an events uncertain outcome is a favorite pastime of many, and Canadians are not people to shy away from this activity. The countrys gambling market includes casinos, bingo halls, video gaming machines, lotteries, and sports betting.

In 2020, the largest gambling market fell to the Asia Pacific, accounting for 38% of revenue. Next up was North America, with 29%, and that includes Canada. Although land-based casinos arent the first thing that you think of when you picture the Land of Maple Leaf, the country boasts a robust gaming industry.

Canadians have access to many brick-and-mortar establishments, racinos, and gaming parlors. Even restaurants and bars feature slot machines for their patrons in some provinces. Besides that, this polite population also enjoys unrestricted access to online gambling sites. Whats the state of the gambling industry in Canada today? Lets find out.

Globally, 350 million people have worrying gambling habits, and Canadians arent spared from this fault. Canada is home to 220,000 addicts, and even though this isnt a significant number compared to its overall population of 38 million, its still an issue worth keeping an eye on. While most wager small amounts here and there, others end up losing more than $500,000 per annum.

Interestingly, a whopping three out of four Canadians participate in some form of gambling. In terms of gender demographics, it is a male sport. The populations favorite forms of betting include lotteries and scratchies. Altogether, the country generates around $16 billion in revenue from the industry as a whole.

Gambling in Canada is legal as long as its with a company thats licensed or managed by the government. However, laws and regulations on the industry may be confusing as they change according to territory or province. For example, Saskatchewan and Quebec have differing minimum age requirements to play in a casino.

One recent change that received a lot of attention is the legalization of single-event sports betting in Canada. This came into effect in August of 2021. Despite many participating in the act (illegally) prior to the rule change, Canadians are nonetheless breathing a sigh of relief.

While Canadians are able to wager their money on casino websites, the regulation of these companies is somewhat sketchy. That being said, online gambling companies can operate and welcome Canadian players under a number of international licenses.

Canadians are spoilt for choice when it comes to online casinos. Popular iGaming sites include Jackpot City, Spin Casino, 888 Casino, Wheelz Casino, and Bet365 Casino. Over 19 million citizens actively gamble online, and the country ranks eighth on the list of top spenders. Although many enjoy land-based establishments, the number of people turning to their online counterparts is climbing due to ease of access.

Another fast-growing sector in Canada is eSports betting. Because there are currently no domestic eSports wagering sites, Canadians rely entirely on overseas bookies. The younger population bets on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Dota 2, and tournaments like the DreamHack and ESL series.

Canadians will see a more extensive range of games to bet on as time passes. Now, sports games like FIFA and NBA 2K operate their own leagues and tournaments, and lets not forget the popularity of Fortnite betting markets.

Betting on outcomes is an activity that dates back to the Paleolithic period, and if it is still going strong today, you know its here to stay. Canadians who love a bit of risk-taking need not move anywhere. By the looks of things, theyll be able to enjoy their favorite hobby for years to come.

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The State of the Gambling Industry in Canada - Nilsen Report

"To be the first and only licensed esports gambling site in the American market proves that we’re a credible, legitimate operator" – Yogonet…

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

Earlier this month, New Jersey debuted its first esports betting platform: the VIE.gg esportsbook, operated by online gambling company Esports Entertainment Group. The announcement was far from being just another licensure, representing a landmark event for a number of reasons. It provides esports bettors with a legal means through which to engage with their passion; confirms the Garden State as a pioneer of online gaming and confirms EEG as a pioneer in this space, which has now become the first licensed esports gambling site in the US market.

"I think it proves to the market that were a credible, legitimate operator," CEO Grant Johnson tells Yogonet in an exclusive video interview. "Weve had many conversations and calls from other groups in other states, and well be able to create accurate financial modeling for what esports gambling looks like." The opportunities opened by the historic launch are mutliple, and Johnson discusses them at large.

Additionally, the executive talks about a second landmark event that also finds EEG at its center -the first sanctioned skill-based wagering event, a Madden tournament held in Hard Rock Atlantic City-, as well as the key features of the company's player-versus-player betting product. EEG invited 8 casino operators, and its internalobjective is to have a casino agreement in place before fall. Lastly, the CEO discusses how the esports betting industry is advancing in the country, and what to expect next from this growing segment.

The company has now launched its esports betting platform in New Jersey, a first for the state. What can you tell us about this landmark event?

Getting through the regulatory process to be the first, and currently the only, licensed esports gambling site in the American market had its own challenges. When you are first doing anything, its always a little bit more difficult.

New Jersey has always been an innovator in online gambling: they led the charge to get online sportsbooks approved, and thats changed everything in the market. Thankfully, they had that commitment to getting through this process, because there are a lot of things we learned along the way that we didnt expect.

We got through, and now were up. What does that mean for us? I think it proves to the market that were a credible, legitimate operator. We now have five tier-one licenses, but more importantly, for the American market, we have a US license.

Has that opened other opportunities? Yes. Weve had many conversations and calls from other groups in other states; weve presented and participated in the State of Ohio, where we were instrumental in getting esports added to their regulatory framework. We have excellent partners in Ohio, and there are other states were talking to.

We will now have an opportunity to market unrestricted in the state of New Jersey, and well be able to create accurate financial modeling for what esports gambling looks like, because nobody really knows. We all believe that theres a lot of gray market activity that takes place. So we know theres a demand, but we dont know how big it is. We will know that now.

Going to the specifics of the new esportsbook, what are the main features of the product and what options does it give to users?

It functions the same as a sportsbook, the software platform is the same. It has over/under, theres a handicapping system And this will allow for fans of esports betting for the first time to wager on their favorite games; their favorite players; their favorite teams in live tournaments.

Weve also had some of the publishers in direct conversation with the DGE, which is why were able to add a Call of Duty and Overwatch league to the mix. We do know that games like Madden, FIFA, and 2K are very popular in the United States, so were looking at additional titles.

Being first makes us more credible and attractive to the publishers as well. They dont have any need to take any chances if theyre going to do something in gaming. They want to make sure theyre dealing with a transparent, credible operator.

What this will also allow us to do is see which titles are the most popular with the American gambler. Were going to learn which is the biggest title in the North American market with the site.

New Jersey is unique, because it has Philadelphia in the south and New York in the north, so not only it is the 11th biggest state by population - it has the benefit of being geographically desirable because of those two big markets, which are right there. Were going to be able to open the market up to pent-up demand.

There are a lot of gray market bettors right now, and we believe that given the choice of a credible site, a substantial number of those people would rather deal with a licensed platform that is protecting them. Because theyve got the DGE, the SEC, looking up for their best interest.

Because it is a sportsbook license, we will probably, in the future, bring our sportsbook platform in as well. But well be esports-first versus what you see today. Sportsbooks have their product first, and theyll offer a couple of line extensions on some DOTA and League of Legends.Sports will be the line extension for us.

What impact do you expect this historic launch, and the growing interest in esports betting, to have in other jurisdictions? Will they take notes from this launch?

Weve already had some regulatory bodies from other states reach out to us to ask us if we could come and testify at hearings, as theyre exploring what esports look like, and if it should be added to the sports gaming regulatory framework. Our CFO and our head of strategy presented twice in Ohio.

Being now recognized by one of the leaders in the sportsbooks market - that puts us above our peers. When these regulatory bodies consider adding esports, they reach out to us. Weve had three other states reaching out to us; regulators in those states. We expect more of that going forward.

If we talk about big gaming states, we must mention Nevada. Last month, the Esports Technical Advisory Committee had its first meeting. Whats your take on this new entity, and what role do you expect it to play?

One of our staff members -our head of strategy- presented. Obviously, Las Vegas is, the biggest location - its the mecca of gaming in the North American market. It is a key market, and it factors very heavily in our future plans. Thats about as specific as I can get right now.

In regard to other markets outside the US, you have mentioned the opportunity of expanding to Ontario, which has now launched its market. Can you tell us about this market in particular, and others where the company is looking at opportunities?

Ontario is a big landmark. As far as the Canadian market is concerned, I believe it is the most important in the country. Given that we just launched in New Jersey, were just getting started there. But of course, Ontario would be, for the Canadian market, the most important jurisdiction for us to look at.

Another recent landmark achievement for the company in New Jersey was the first sanctioned skill-based wagering event, which was held in Hard Rock Atlantic City. What would you describe as the main takeaways from this event, and what was the reception of the new LANDuel platform like?

There are a lot of very encouraging takeaways. Number one, we learned that gamers want this type of product. Its easy to understand - Im gonna play Madden with you, and were gonna bet 25 on it. I dont have to understand the over/under; or whats the spread. Im not betting on somebody. Its not a gambling product but a betting one, so its regulated differently and you dont need a gambling license.

We took extra steps because we felt that this was a product that casino operators would find interesting to bring to their venues. And what we learned at the event was that the players will come, because they came. We had about 400 people sign up immediately to come out to the event.

Unfortunately, the weekend we picked was during the Final Four in March Madness, and all the hotel rooms were up. That was great for Atlantic City, but it made it difficult for some gamers, who drove in from Ohio to participate. That was a logistical challenge that was difficult to overcome - we wouldnt necessarily try to go head-to-head with the biggest college sporting event.

But the players liked it. The only complaint they had was that they didnt like being restricted to only being able to bet 25 a match. That surprised us - in a positive way, of course, because as a gaming and betting company you want to be able to allow players to bet what they want. We felt with the DGE that it was prudent to sort of cap it at 25 initially, just so that we could get a better feel of what was going on.

Players didnt have to bet themselves. Theyre playing in a tournament, and the betting was optional, all the way through. Some of the players tried to make 500 side bets, but it was a regulated event in the casino and the DGE was present, so we clearly couldnt allow that. But we were encouraged that there was an appetite.

We invited eight casino operators down to come to see the event, and then had a meeting to talk about the product. The operators thought for themselves that this was a product that was interesting to the under-30 crowd. Theyre not getting this crowd back, and that was what theyve been trying to figure out - how they get that younger demographic into their physical venues.

Because its not just betting - they stay in hotel rooms, they buy food, they watch a show. There are a lot of economic trickle-down elements to having this very lucrative demographic in their casinos. So I saw firsthand that of the eight casinos that came out, all eight operators want to follow up, and that was very encouraging.

What is next for the LANDuel platform in general and in regards to integrations with the Hard Rock casino in specific?

We are following up with the operators who came. They want to see some of the mathematics, what this looks like on the economic side What happens if they have a 40-station gaming room or a 100-station gaming room, and just sort of walk through how that could be installed, and how quickly could they get trained and operational.

I would say our objective is to have a casino agreement in place before fall. Thats our internal objective. Im not saying that theres a contract on the table - there isnt as of todays date, but thats our internal objective.

Do you still believe esports betting will become as big as sports in 10 or 15 years? And what role do you expect the company, having entered this space so early, to play within this landscape?

Yes, I believe it will get on the same par as sports betting, but its going to take some time. There were some fairly wild numbers being thrown around the last couple of years about how big esports betting is, but nobody really knows how big it is yet. But well have some hard numbers to work with here over the rest of this calendar year.

That said, if we look back in time five years ago, you know how many universities had esports teams? Zero. And now you have over 200 institutions of higher learning that have esports varsity teams. They have intercollegiate teams. And approximately 100 of those schools have scholarship programs.

High schools now have esports and gaming rooms. Thats the critical path; thats the ecosystem thats going to build the industry. As those gamers and their fans get older and they graduate, they get jobs, they have more disposable income. Thats when esports is going to start to get on par with sportsbooks.

Do I think its two years? Not a chance. Do I think 10 years? Maybe. 15 years start to get more realistic, possibly as long as 20, but its going to happen. The gaming industry is already bigger than music and movies, so its already got a huge footprint. There are three and a half billion people that consider themselves gamers.

Its a massive audience; they just have to get comfortable and used to following certain teams that have relevance to them. Were starting to see more leagues stationed in cities, with more structure to those leagues, and were starting to see college and university teams, with the student body that follows them

Its a whole system that has grown. You cant just magically make a boom. It has to mature as the audience matures. So itll get there; I absolutely believe it. Clearly, were committed to it. I think the faster-moving product, though, will be the skill-based product; the player-versus-player product. I think thatll get there more quickly.

But the two are key elements to what will make for a healthy industry, and we have the pole position on both. Were the first for the esports gambling license, and the first with a player-versus-player platform thats been approved by a recognized regulatory body.

Watch the full video interview with EEG CEO on our YouTube channel.

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"To be the first and only licensed esports gambling site in the American market proves that we're a credible, legitimate operator" - Yogonet...

5 Reasons Why You Should Play the Best Gambling Only in Licensed Online Casinos – Shared

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

With the current advancement in technology, online casinos have come to the limelight, hosting even better gambling services than the old-fashioned ones. However, choosing just any kind of online service can be risky, owing to the fact that users may get scammed while trying to bank. This is the sole reason why every bettor trying to make real money off online gambling must consider using a standard casino.

So, what is a standard casino? A standard casino is a licensed gambling service that offers fair and reliable services. In addition, they make online gambling better and safer for everyone to gamble and make real money effortlessly. Due to the multitude of services, finding a 10-dollar deposit online casino may be difficult. Fortunately, they are still certainly available.

These services provide bettors with the chance to make as low as a 10-dollar deposit to play their favorite games for real cash. Moreover, they are licensed and regulated by legal jurisdictions. So, why is it important to play at a licensed casino like these? This article will expose you to five reasons to always consider a licensed platform.

Using an online service requires that users pay good attention to the kind of site or platform they are entering. Online gambling is not an exception here. Only licensed casinos can offer reliable and fast banking services. More importantly, these platforms make sure to provide instant payouts from the best banking methods.

You don't want to risk your hard-earned money falling into the hands of scammers pretending to host an online casino. With licensed casinos, players also get to pick from various digital banking currencies to transact speedily. This also includes cryptocurrency transacts with Bitcoin and other alike digital assets.

Following how the deadly pandemic affected social settings, internet casinos brought about a unique style of entertaining gamblers. In fact, it ranked one of the highest searches during the lockdown. All you have to do is get any internet-accessible device and start making real-time bets. Gambling in a licensed casino makes it safer for online gambling to be fair and profitable to ready-bettors.

For a gambling operator to get licensed, it must have completed some expected tests from several gaming jurisdictions. These legal bodies make sure gambling operators guarantee the security of online customers. There is no way they will run away with your winnings or even rig the game to their advantage. Every licensed casino follows a protocol that mandates that they provide fair gambling entertainment.

The most interesting feature of any licensed online casino is the amazing collection of bonuses for customers. A legal casino makes bonus schemes compulsory to keep their esteemed customers happy at all times. You will find different promotions, including, birthday gifts, monthly rewards, and even welcome bonuses for just signing up.

For the traditional mortar-and-brick casino, their gaming entertainments only guarantee up to 85% RTP. Luckily, licensed online services do the extreme to guarantee over 95% RTP on almost all their entertainment. These games are also very easy for beginners to learn.

Online casinos are the perfect venue to find some of the best libraries of fun games and other entertainments. This way, players choose any game suitable to their playing skills and bank capabilities. Even better, gamblers have access to these games from the comfort of their houses without going out at all.

This is one of the greatest pros to playing at a licensed casino. You dont need to stay confined to a particular place to start playing. Just make sure everything at your desired service is available to your country of residence. So, there will not be any hindrance holding you from maximizing your winnings through these online casinos.

Cybercriminals are too rampant nowadays. To avoid the cases of cybercriminals, choosing licensed services is the best. This way, all your private data, and credentials are kept in safe hands. On the downside, registering at an unlicensed gambling service can risk leaking your information to hackers. At this point, they may go as far as emptying your bank accounts.

When looking for the proper online casino to start making real money, make sure it is a licensed service. Playing at a casino without a license can be very jeopardizing. Therefore, it is very important to play at a legal service that guarantees your safety without any doubt.

Unlike land-based casino venues, these online services are convenient and easy to use. With such a bright atmosphere, licensed platforms can assure punters of the best gambling experience. In short, you get the best gaming, faster banking, amazing bonuses, and even more realistic money-making opportunities. Always go for the best!

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5 Reasons Why You Should Play the Best Gambling Only in Licensed Online Casinos - Shared

Prosecutors: Argument over gambling winnings led to deadly Streamwood shooting – Daily Herald

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

A disagreement between friends over gambling winnings Friday escalated to murder, Cook County authorities said Monday.

Salvatore Scardino, 27, of the 0-100 block of North Victoria Lane in Streamwood, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deadly shooting of his 31-year-old neighbor, Kwemi Hardwick. Scardino was ordered held without bail Monday, after his initial court appearance.

Authorities say Hardwick was shot in the middle of his back, in his right cheek and above his left ear. They say Scardino told police he acted in self-defense but also admitted firing the first shots "as the victim's back was to him and as the victim was leaving the room."

The disagreement over the gambling winnings started at a Streamwood sports bar, where, prosecutors say, employees had to intervene when Scardino "aggressively got up" and stood chest-to-chest with Hardwick. Employees asked Scardino to leave the bar, which he did, prosecutors said.

The bar's general manager later walked Hardwick outside and observed Scardino yelling and waving his hands, prosecutors said.

At the same time, a witness who was leaving a nearby restaurant saw a man yelling in the direction of the sports bar. The witness reported seeing the man pull a handgun from his waistband and wave it in the air, according to prosecutors.

The witness reported the incident to Bartlett police about 7:44 p.m. Friday, describing a man who matched Scardino's description, prosecutors said.

About 9:41 p.m. Friday, police received a 911 call about a man near Scardino and Hardwick's apartment buildings yelling "come on out," but the caller could not describe the man, prosecutors said.

Hardwick, who the general manager described as "in good spirits," later returned to the sports bar with his dog but was denied entry. Video shows Hardwick leaving the bar about 10:16 p.m. in his car. Witnesses said Hardwick did not appear to have a gun and was not behaving aggressively, prosecutors said.

About 10:34 p.m., Scardino called 911 to report his neighbor broke into his house, that he "came in acting crazy" and Scardino had "to put him down," prosecutors said.

About the same time, another neighbor reported gunshots. She said a bullet came through her wall and landed on the kitchen floor, according to prosecutors.

Police arrived to find Hardwick's vehicle parked and running in the driveway, with the dog in the back seat, prosecutors said.

Authorities say Scardino later told police Hardwick entered his house and that he defended himself, adding, "I shot him."

Officers found Hardwick face down and unresponsive. They recovered a 9 mm Smith and Wesson handgun, a magazine and four spent cartridge casings, prosecutors said.

According to authorities, "there were no indications or signs of a struggle within the apartment" and "no other weapons were recovered."

Prosecutors say that after Scardino was read his Miranda rights, he "acknowledged that after the victim was shot and incapacitated on the ground, instead of rendering aid or calling for assistance," he shot Hardwick again "to end his suffering." Scardino next appears in court on May 20.

A GoFundMe campaign for Hardwick's funeral expenses was created by his wife and family Sunday. By Monday afternoon, it had raised $5,157 of its $30,000 goal.

"As some of you may know, on Friday, April 22, 2022, we lost our beloved son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend," Hardwick's family wrote. "Kwemi was funny, outgoing, open-hearted, and a fantastic soul. He was exceptional; he touched the lives of every single person he crossed paths with.

"We are devastated by Kwemi's passing; this was an unexpected incident," the post continues.

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Prosecutors: Argument over gambling winnings led to deadly Streamwood shooting - Daily Herald

Cleveland Browns partner with Bally’s Interactive on sports gambling – Crain’s Cleveland Business

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

One of the phrases used by the Haslam Sports Group is "fan obsession."

"It's all about the fans and giving them the best possible experiences," said Ted Tywang, vice president, general counsel at Haslam Sports Group. "We're always looking to deepen our engagement and our connection with the fans."

That philosophy, Tywang said, drove the Cleveland Browns to choose Bally's Interactive as their official sports betting partner. The announcement comes roughly seven months before legal sports gambling arrives in Ohio.

The long-term partnership will include a branded lounge at FirstEnergy Stadium, a mobile Bally Bet Sportsbook app in Ohio and free-to-play gaming opportunities, pending appropriate licensing and regulatory approvals.

The Browns still are working on plans for the stadium lounge, and the details will be finalized in the coming months. The lounge will allow fans age 21 and up to watch and bet on games from across the league.

"We'll keep you in suspense because the details are still being developed," said Tywang, noting the organization is working with Bally's on the sportsbook. "We do know that we'll have a first-class lounge on game day and it will have a really interactive environment.

"We've done some initial work to identify the possibilities and we feel really great about what we're looking at."

Bally's Interactive, which is a division of Bally's corporation (NYSE: BALY), provides several sports betting products, including iGaming, free-to-play and daily fantasy sports options. Its brands include the online sportsbook Bally Bet, the online Bally Casino, the daily fantasy sports app Monkey Knight Fight, the free-to-play game provider SportsCaller and the fan engagement provider Telescope.

Ohio will be the 18th state where Bally's does business, Tywang said.

The Browns-Bally's partnership will include "fan engagement activations," as well as digital content and a free-to-play predictor game that will give registered users the chance to earn Browns-themed non-cash prizes.

"We are excited to partner with such a historic pro football franchise to secure sports betting market access in Ohio, and bring to its fan base more ways to engage through our online gaming platforms," said Adi Dhandhania, chief operating officer of North America for Bally's Interactive. "The Browns' stadium and game day atmosphere provide a great opportunity for us to showcase our Bally Bet Sportsbook app and Bally Play products in Ohio."

In February, the Cavs announced they reached a multiyear partnership with Caesars Entertainment Inc., making Caesars an official sports betting partner and the official casino partner of the team.

That partnership includes plans to open a 10,355-square-foot retail sportsbook on the street level inside the northwest atrium area of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Also, the Cavaliers signed a long-term partnership with Fubo Gaming in October and made Fubo Sportsbook an official sports betting partner of the team in February.

The Cleveland Guardians have not yet announced any plans for sports gambling.

The Browns, Cavaliers and Guardians are among the five Cuyahoga County entities eligible for a Type A license, joining the downtown JACK casino and the Jack Thistledown racino. Type A licenses include online and mobile sports betting. The Ohio Casino Control Commission can issue up to 25 Type A licenses statewide.

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Cleveland Browns partner with Bally's Interactive on sports gambling - Crain's Cleveland Business

Future intelligence: AI and the gambling industry – Tech & innovation – iGaming Business

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Danzig

As casino capabilities evolve, so too does the need for the latest technological advancements to make the market bigger, better and more attractive to players. One of the fastest-growing areas is artificial intelligence, a process in which software is programmed to perform human tasks. By Marese O'Hagan

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has influenced how the gambling industry operates in multiple ways. It has widened the industrys horizons, creating an environment where machine-operated capabilities are almost limitless.

Practically every area of the industry takes advantage of the applications of AI, from developers creating games to operators monitoring customer play.

AI is also changing how the world develops outside the industry, becoming a key component of self-driving cars and medical advancements.

Last year, Grand View Research estimated the global AI market was valued at $62.35bn in 2020, and predicted that this would rise to more than $930bn by 2028.

Reflecting on recent years, Paolo Personeni, managing director of managed betting services at Sportradar, sees AI as indicative of how the industry has matured and essential to its ongoingdevelopment.

Our industry has undergone significant digital transformation in the past five years and artificial intelligence has been critical in its evolution, he says. [It] is an essential component of product development.

It could be argued that the gambling industry is an ideal testing ground for AI. AI functions through harvesting data, which allows it to analyse statistics and occurrences to continually improve upon its accuracy.

And data is at the heart of how AI operates in the gambling industry, as Lloyd Danzig, founder and managing partner at Sharp Alpha Advisors, points out. The gambling industry relies heavily on the leveraging of historical data to anticipate future outcomes and behaviours, says Danzig.

This is a core competency required for game design, oddsmaking, risk management, customer profiling, rewards programme optimisation and fraud detection.

AIs use in sports betting is particularly key, says Personeni, as an asset to ensure Sportradars products and solutions are as accurate as possible. For Sportradar, one of our core focus areas is on utilising machine and deep learning to develop exceptional computer vision capabilities, which is a form of artificial intelligence that teaches models to interpret and understand videos and images, he explains.

While we, as individuals, are very good at understanding what is happening in front of us at sporting events, we have limited capacity in the amount of data we can manually interpret, record digitally and upload.

This can lead to AI picking up on specific aspects of gameplay, whichPersoneni sees as a bonus for customers.

Computer vision provides a hundred-fold increase in the level of statistics and data that we can produce and then feed into our products and services that we offer to our clients, he says.

For example, by calculating velocities and trajectories of players we can predict when players will go offside or predict when an attack is mounting.

AI that goes further than data crunching, focusing on to-the-minute information, is already being used in sports betting and esports betting.

Real-time AI is the top choice for these areas, wherein data providers must provide the most up-to-date information on gameplay. Pandascore CEO Flavien Guillocheau revealed last year that the operator creates 300 data points every half-second for League of Legends with its AI, with an accuracy of over 99%.

Not only can AI facilitate betting by making the process much smoother, but it can also act as a safeguard and create areas of engagement.

AI can be designed to pick up on any and every aspect of a game, which lends to its boundlessness. In 2019, hardware intelligence company MicroTeam launched a pair of AI football boots which allow gameplay data to be captured within a millimeter of accuracy at high speed, including attack routes and distance travelled without the ball. This is then analysed and used for player and match assessments and sports betting platforms.

Similarly, AI is used to analyse and predict gameplay in esports to provide the best experience for bettors. Esports Technologies is one of the latest companies to implement AI in this way, filing a patent application last October to cover AI that can create odds models for esports betting tournaments.

And just as AI facilitates new permutations of gambling products, so it can act as a safeguard for the adverse effects of the industry. Leigh Nissim, CEO of Future Anthem, sees AI as a road to reducing problem gambling. However, he adds that the extensive types of technology make data collection challenging, which could stifle the full effectiveness of AI.

In responsible gambling, there are quite traditional practices of how to prevent player risk, says Nissim. Youre modelling on other players who have cancelled and self-excluded. As consumers move to other tools, such as open banking and other ways of depositing, its increasingly hard to see how they are depositing. That data set is quite challenging.

AI features heavily in customer interaction, particularly in maximising the player experience in areas such as customer service. Danzig emphasises that it is also of great use in detecting and preventing problem gambling.

Nissim questions whether operators are making the most out of AI in terms of customer service.

I think people are making strides in trying to prevent player exits or departure, or trying to optimise their marketing funnel, he says.

Theres increasing sophistication in the use of complex models that predict those characteristics. But are they using AI in real time to improve consumer experiences?

Commercial AI tools are extremely capable in cases that rely on pattern recognition across large data sets, he adds. These capabilities allow for the efficient analysis of historical user behaviour and engagement to determine how to maximise the experience for a particular user or when to flag behaviour as being potentially harmful.

As the gambling industry advances, there are ongoing conversations on how to optimise, enhance and expand the sector further.

While much of these conversations focus on digital applications, AI could play an equally important role in the land-based sector. According to AI cloud service DataRobot, AI can be implemented on casino floors. The service can be used to predict the level of play that could occur on the casino floor and adjust staffing levels to match.

The rest of the industry is quickly following suit. However, AI should not be seen as a remedy for all sector shortcomings. Danzig explains how the initial implementation of AI can come as a shock to businesses, particularly if they have a cavalier attitude.

When businesses first embark on the journey to integrate AI solutions, they often find that the process will be much more costly and resource-intensive than originally expected, he says. In part, this is due to a misconception that AI is a one-size-fits-all panacea that immediately improves efficiency and profitability.

According to Danzig this is not a problem-free solution and relies on a certain standard of data to work efficiently.

Once implemented, a primary downside to relying on AI solutions is that they can often exhibit unexpected behaviours that result in quickly compounding issues given the speed and scale with which they are deployed, he continues. AI solutions are only as good as the quality of the data being used as inputs, hence the phrase garbage in, garbage out.

A longstanding concern with AI, which has been documented thoroughly in popular media, is its potential to dominate society. However, this is not an industry concern.

Nissim believes that while AI could lead to reduced employment demand for certain manual tasks, many roles will be needed in the data side ofAI.

I dont think [AI] should threaten jobs, says Nissim. I think what it should threaten are manual processes And actually, thats where you find mistakes arise.

This, he says, will lead to agrowth in opportunities and employment.

Maybe manual processes will reduce, but what youll see is technical upweighting. Therewill be more data scientists, more data engineers, more technicians and more analysis.

Its not about job threats at all. The focus should be betterment and improvement delivering innovation to provide an improved experience for the player and to help protect operators.

Danzig agrees with this, emphasising the need for human labour in keeping AI running smoothly.

While it is possible that some jobs in the gambling industry will be lost to automation, AI solutions today rely heavily on human input and maintenance, he says.

In the next five years, the implementation of AI and machine learning tools across the gambling industry will create a significant number of new jobs and also enable stakeholders to refocus efforts toward more productive, and ultimately job-producing, functions.

According to Personeni, Sportradars AI-based capabilities already require a workforce to maintain, with the company employing more than 700 engineers and 40+ AI and machine learning experts to create 20 billion data files ingested from inception, 30 million odds per minute and near 100% total accuracy.

While AI has been revolutionary for the industry, there is natural curiosity towards where it could go next.

Its difficult to say, due to a combination of how boundless AI is proving itself to be and how fast the gambling industry is evolving. As Nissim adds, In some instances, [AI] can only develop as fast as the technology around it.

If the last few years of technological development are indicative of the future,AI will able to keep up with and, at times, exceed what the gambling industry can offer.

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Future intelligence: AI and the gambling industry - Tech & innovation - iGaming Business

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