Caesars Entertainment has unveiled its first proprietary online casino game, Caesars Palace Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender, which is now available exclusively on Caesars Palace Online Casino in New Jersey.

Caesars Entertainment Reveals New Game

The new title is developed by the company’s recently established in-house games studio, Empire Creative. The announcement signifies Caesars Entertainment‘s first effort in developing, certifying, and releasing fully proprietary online casino games.

According to the company, Multihand Blackjack Surrender will help it expand Caesars Entertainment‘s presence into additional casino jurisdictions.

Fully branded launches are planned for both the Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino platforms.

Individuals aged 21 and over in New Jersey can be among the first to experience Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender by downloading the Caesars Palace Online Casino app on iOS or Android, or by visiting the platform on desktop.

What Does the Game Offer?

Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender features a slew of different mechanics that are not commonly seen in traditional digital versions of this table game classic. 

According to an official press release, the game is crafted to deliver a seamless user experience, emphasizing clear visuals, smooth gameplay, and features specifically designed to cater to the preferences of all online casino players. Here are just a few of its prominent features:

• Ambidextrous Game Modes – Offers both left- and right-handed modes, ensuring a comfortable and ergonomic experience for players regardless of their dominant hand.
• Brand-Aligned Design – Features player-selectable table felts paired with the iconic Caesars Palace laurel wreath for a visually branded experience.
• Comprehensive Wagering Options – Includes advanced betting features such as surrender, even money, and insurance, giving players greater control over their gameplay strategies.

Turbo Mode – Enables faster gameplay with accelerated hands and continuous action, ideal for players who prefer a quicker pace.

Officials Praise Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender

Matt Sunderland, senior vice president and chief iGaming officer at Caesars Digital, explained that bringing the first proprietary Caesars Entertainment game to the market is a major milestone for the company. He also said the gaming giant is excited to expand its in-house content offerings, which also shows the strength of the company’s new in-house studio team and highlights our dedication to innovation focused on the player experience.

Senior director of game products at Caesars Digital Scott Krell shared the sentiment and said that Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender combines the legacy of Caesars’ iconic branding with innovative gameplay features.

According to him, Caesar’s goal is to deliver a premium, personalized experience that distinguishes itself in an increasingly competitive market. Caesars Palace Signature Multihand Blackjack Surrender exemplifies this commitment. Every detail has been thoughtfully designed to give players the sensation of stepping into the heart of Caesars Palace to enjoy a table game from the comfort of their own home.

A former employee at Miami’s Miccosukee Casino and Resort is facing serious charges after being accused of stealing money from a slot machine.

He Allegedly Cashed Out 13 Gaming Vouchers 

G.G.D. from Hialeah, was taken into custody last Friday on charges related to the theft of funds from casino gaming machines. 

As reported by NBC6 South Florida News and the arrest report they cited, D. is accused of cashing out 13 gaming vouchers totaling $568.87.

The investigation was initiated after the casino’s human resources department contacted local authorities to report suspicious activity involving the man. 

The 69-year-old had recently been terminated from his job after internal reviews allegedly uncovered the thefts. The casino’s team flagged the issue and turned over the findings to the police.

Arrested When Collecting His Paycheck 

D. was arrested when he returned to the property to collect his final paycheck. Officers were waiting for him at the casino and took him into custody on-site.

During questioning, D. reportedly admitted to the thefts, though the specific details of his statement were not made public. 

D. made a confession to authorities, which was later redacted from the report, according to the document.

Following his arrest, Dinis was booked into jail. For now, no additional details have been released regarding whether the man is still in custody or has posted bond.

The case once again highlights the importance of internal security procedures at gaming venues and the role of casino staff in quickly and accurately detecting and reporting irregularities. 

While the amount in question may not seem substantial compared to larger casino thefts, even relatively small incidents are taken seriously, especially when involving employees.

According to NBC6, the Miccosukee Casino and Resort has not issued a public statement regarding the incident or provided additional context about D.’s employment history or access level. 

Therefore, it remains unclear whether he had a previous record or if this was considered an isolated incident.

Authorities have not indicated whether more charges could be filed or whether other individuals might be involved. For now, the focus remains on D. as the sole suspect in this case of employee theft.

March this year saw a 1.4% increase in total gambling spend in Denmark, compared to the same month of 2024, according to the Danish Gambling Authority (Spillemyndigheden). 

Denmark Sees Spending on Gambling Increase in March

Based on the regulator’s most recent monthly data, online casino revenue increased by 6.4% compared to March 2024, maintaining the growth trend observed in earlier months. Meanwhile, betting, gaming machines, and land-based casino activity saw slight declines, reflecting a continued shift toward digital gambling platforms.

February this year also marked an increase in spending on gambling, with Danish players spending 0.6% more compared to the same month in 2024.

The overall trend points to growth in spending, attributed in large part to the shift to online casinos. Spillemyndigheden recently released its annual report, The Gambling Market in Numbers 2024, offering a comprehensive overview of activity within Denmark’s regulated gambling sector.

The report revealed that total gambling expenditure in 2024 reached DKK 11.0 billion (about $1.6 billion), marking a 5.6% increase from 2023. Online gambling continued to capture a larger portion of the market, with the channelisation rate, representing the share of gambling through licensed operators, rising to 91.5% in 2024, up from 90.8% the previous year. Denmark now ranks fifth globally for regulated online gambling market share.

Some More Interesting Details the Report Showed

Spillemyndigheden’s report also marks the first time land-based bingo has been listed as a standalone gambling category in the monthly statistics. This follows regulatory changes introduced on 1 January 2025, allowing operators licensed under Denmark’s liberalised framework to offer bingo on a commercial basis. Data from charitable bingo activities continue to be reported separately under the lottery segment.

UEFA Men’s Euro 2024 also played a large part in last year’s spending on gambling, and the Spillemyndigheden report reflects that. It analyzed betting patterns during this event, as well as other major sporting events, and recorded a clear uptick in wagering when Denmark was in action. 

The report also featured updates on responsible gambling efforts, including the ROFUS self-exclusion register and the StopSpillet support helpline. On a related note, Spillemyndigheden recently revealed a new ad to raise awareness of unlicensed gambling. 

A final important note to take from the 2024 figures is that the gross gaming revenue totaled DKK 7.27 billion (around $1,149 billion). Online casinos contribute nearly half of that figure, reflecting the importance the sector has had for the country’s gambling industry over the past months.

According to police in the Philippines, two casino junket operators have allegedly received and transferred $3.6 million in ransom money paid by the family of a kidnapped Chinese businessman, Congyuan Guo, who was later found dead.

Businessman Found Dead Despite $3.6M Being Paid

Also known as Anson Tan or Anson Que, the affluent leader of Ellison Steel, a company that supplies steel to the construction and infrastructure sectors in the Philippines, was reported missing along with his driver, Armanie Pabillo, on March 29. The following day, a ransom note was sent to Guo’s family. 

However, on April 9, the bodies of the two men were discovered abandoned on the side of a road in a rural area northeast of Manila. They had been stuffed into nylon bags, with their heads wrapped in duct tape. Authorities reported signs of torture. Police now suspect that the kidnappers never intended to negotiate and that the ransom was simply a diversion. 

According to Brigadier General Jean Fajardo of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the junkets, 9 Dynasty Group and White Horse Club, funneled the money into multiple crypto wallets before it was converted into cryptocurrency. At least five individuals are said to have received the money from the two junkets before it was converted into cryptocurrency, with two of them already in custody. Authorities have stated that they are preparing to file charges against the executives of both junket operations, including money laundering, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and violations of e-commerce laws.

What Could Have Motivated This?

A source familiar with the case described the killers’ motive as one of “punishment.” Guo was involved in a $20 million online gambling deal that fell through. His partners requested a refund, but he was unable to make the payment. The Manila Times suggested that this was a message to not cross the wrong people, or else you would meet a gruesome end. 

However, Philippine police have already apprehended several people related to the crime. Among them is David Tan Liao, who is thought to have known Guo personally and is suspected of being the mastermind behind the scheme. Two other individuals have been identified but are still at large at the time of writing of this article.

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has shared details about new verification and screening processes that may apply at Thailand’s casinos. The country is now tinkering with the idea of running KYC and AML checks on land-based customers, and foreign nationals in particular, adding to a previous suggestion that would have needed for any local entering the casino floor to have an outsized fixed deposit in their bank.

KYC and AML Checks May Be Necessary for Future Casino Players from Abroad

The previous measure has been criticized as highly impractical, and the new one appears to be similarly restrictive and demanding.

Wealth and criminal background checks for international visitors are good in theory, as they would put Thailand’s fledgling gambling industry on a firm footing and avoid some of the mistakes committed by other jurisdictions, including Australia, whose casino giants have been plagued by regulatory scrutiny due to a poor record in keeping criminals away.

The practicality of such measure, though, would be a challenge to implement in practice, as it is yet unclear what means casinos would have to use to ensure that an individual is not a criminal.

Another issue stems from the fact that wealth checks are generally frowned upon in most of the world, and a person coming to gamble in Thailand’s future casinos may be loath to disclose financial information to the casino.

However, the Prime Minister has remained unfaltering in her commitment to see the project through. Speaking at Empowering Thais, she said:

“Entertainment complexes will not lead Thailand to its worst vices. Developed countries like Singapore, the US, Japan, and the UAE follow this global trend. They know that sand, sun, and sea are not enough any longer. There must be manmade. We don’t want Thailand to miss the trend.”

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Paetongtarn was referring to the fact that many of Thailand’s regional neighbors have already been offering casino gaming and entertainment, and that these complexes are an important part of a broader economic strategy.

Opposition Still Firm, Government Busy Handling Tariffs

However, opposition has proliferated. Academics have pointed out that Thailand is historically bad at regulating industries that are prone to corruption and that gambling could lead to high levels of money-launderings, something that the current administration must be paying attention to given the decision to at least consider the implementation of draconian AML and KYC checks for foreign patrons.

On the other hand, ensuring that only legitimate people enter gaming floors is a sign that Thailand is not betting purely on the casino floors at all. Rather, the emphasis is on developing the entire resort. Fears about the feasibility, perceived economic windfall, and morality of such projects remain.

Critics though will be happy to hear that the government has put efforts to push through with the legislation needed to establish casinos on the backburner due to the immediate issues that have to do with the US-led tariffs against the rest of the world.

After more than 10 years of legal maneuvering, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has reached the end of the line in its ambitions to establish a casino near Detroit. The US Supreme Court recently declined to hear the tribe’s appeal, upholding lower-court rulings that blocked the federal government from taking land into trust, a fundamental step for tribal gaming operations.

The Tribe Exhausted All Legal Options

The Supreme Court’s refusal effectively shuts the door on the Sault Tribe’s aspirations to break into southern Michigan’s more lucrative gaming markets. The tribe previously petitioned the US Department of the Interior to place 71 acres of land near New Boston’s Detroit Metro Airport into federal trust status under provisions of the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act (MILCSA), paving the way for a new casino.

The Sault Tribe purchased the land at the center of the dispute in 2012 using money from its Self-Sufficiency Fund, established under the MILCSA. The fund was established to help tribes invest in sustainable economic development and support services. However, a 2017 Interior Department verdict ruled that using the fund for a casino project didn’t qualify under the law’s intended uses.

In its appeal, the tribe argued that the denial “forever impaired” its ability to seek economic self-sufficiency. Federal courts remained skeptical, with the D.C. Circuit Court last year confirming the Interior Department’s verdict. The court concluded that simply acquiring land did not meet the Act’s requirement of “enhancing tribal lands,” necessary to tap into certain tribal settlement funds.

Tribal Casino Expansion Is Rarely Straightforward

This legal loss could deal a significant blow to the tribe’s long-term economic plans and its broader diversification efforts. The Sault Tribe operates five casinos in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. While these properties perform well within their local markets, they are far from the Lower Peninsula’s population density and tourist destinations.

A February ransomware attack added to the tribe’s recent challenges, disrupting its casino and governmental systems. The incident temporarily suspended hotel check-ins and shut down several community-facing services. While normal operations have since been restored, the attack exposed vulnerabilities in the tribe’s digital infrastructure and caused reputation and revenue losses.

Despite setbacks, tribal officials have not ruled out future economic projects. However, they must contend not only with regulatory hurdles but also with local competition. Two other Michigan-based tribes vocally opposed the Sault Tribe’s Detroit project, underlining the complex challenges inherent in any tribal casino expansion efforts.

Better Collective has appointed the experienced Christian Kirk Rasmussen as its co-chief executive officer in a move that will strengthen the company. Described by CEO Jesper Søgaard as a reliable ally, Rasmussen will help steer the company as it prepares to seize new opportunities.

The Company Is Pursuing Further Growth

The appointment was announced by CEO Jesper Søgaard who spoke about the company’s ongoing refocus. In a post on LinkedIn, he commented on the company’s preparation for future success, providing an insight into its plan.

According to CEO Søgaard, Better Collective is seeking to maintain its remarkable momentum and pursue additional organic growth and M&A opportunities. Now a global leader at the intersection of digital sports media, sports betting and entertainment, Better Collective is perfectly positioned to enter new markets and diversify its business.

Søgaard noted that Better Collective launched a comprehensive review of its structure, operations and portfolio to determine the next step it should take. The company determined that it will need to undertake several initiatives in order to enter the next phase of growth.

Better Collective Outlined Several Priorities

Søgaard said that, among other strategic initiatives, Better Collective is switching to new global business units. Instead of its current regional structure, the company will split its organization into three global business units, namely publishing, paid media, and esports.

Søgaard explained that this shift will allow his team to “centralize excellence and scale best practices.”

The second pillar of Better Collective’s new plan is strategic resource allocation which will see the company invest more into high-potential areas. At the same time, the company will scale down areas where impact is limited.

In line with that, the company will sharpen its focus on its flagship brands that will define the company’s future success.

Rasmussen Joins as Co-CEO

Finally, as mentioned, the company will welcome Christian Kirk Rasmussen as co-CEO. The appointee was welcomed by Søgaard who said that he is very excited to have his support.

For more than 20 years, we have been “a band of brothers”, having utilized our individual qualities, competencies, and personalities to drive the development of Better Collective alongside some great colleagues.

Jesper Søgaard, CEO, Better Collective

Søgaard added that Rasmussen will underpin Better Collective’s innovation, product development, and future growth opportunities. Rasmussen commented on his appointment, expressing excitement about this tremendous opportunity:

With the new position, I look so much forward to dedicating much more of my time to innovation and product development across our fantastic House of Brands while I will also be spending more of my time to look into future growth opportunities for our business.

Christian Kirk Rasmussen, co-CEO, Better Collective

In the meantime, Søgaard thanked Better Collective’s incredible team and partners for supporting the company and “shaping the future of digital sports media.”