We have reached a short period of calm in sports betting. The 2020 NFL season is behind us, we are a month out from March Madness and several months away from the NHL and NBA playoffs.
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But this will not slow down the PlayUSA Rewind. This week, Iowa sports betting records a solid January, Arizona flirts with sports betting and the Super Bowl caused problems for several betting operators.
On the rewind:
Online registration boost Iowa sports betting
Well hello Iowa! And hello, remote registration.
January was an impressive month for Iowa sports betting. Residents and visitors to the Hawkeye State wagered nearly $150 million to begin the year, increasing about 30% from December. Why the sudden spike? January was the first-month customers had the ability to sign-up for sports betting account remotely.
According to data from the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission, Iowa sportsbooks collected roughly $11 million in revenue, translating to $765,672 in state taxes.
The takeaway: Numbers like these continue to prove how impactful remote registration is to the gaming industry, especially during a pandemic. States like Georgia, Nebraska and Ohio that are still discussing plans to launch sports betting should monitor how remote registration helps with logistics. There is nothing worse than missing out on tax dollars because people don’t want to drive to a public place to sign up for accounts – rightly so in a pandemic.
Arizona sports betting bill has the kitchen sink
Everyone knows if you want to get a sports betting bill passed, you open the flood gates. Right?
Wrong.
All that a jammed packed sports betting bill does is complicate things and delay the process.
A pair of bills recently emerged which would make Arizona sports betting a reality. However, they are packed full of every sports betting component imaginable, including the kitchen sink.
In addition to sports betting, HB 2772 and SB 1797 would also permit daily fantasy sports and keno.
They also allow for:
- Tribal sports betting (16 tribes operating 24 casinos)
- 20 total licenses (10 tribal & 10 for professional sports operators)
- Kiosks
- Betting at stadiums, arenas, and courses associated with AZ professional sports teams
While it doesn’t sound like much, that is a lot of content for one bill. The odd part is the 10 licenses for pro-sports teams. Arizona only has five major sports franchises and two prominent racetracks, Phoenix Raceway and TPC Scottsdale. Expect some push back from tribal operators on that one.
The takeaway: It’s clear that Arizona is shooting for inclusivity. But perhaps they should take a step back and look at how neighboring states have approached the issue. Step one is renegotiating compacts with the state’s gaming tribes. Then figuring out if a 50/50 licensing split is the best course of action.
Super Bowl traffic causes problems for online sportsbooks
In our last story, sportsbooks across the US couldn’t handle the traffic associated with Super Bowl betting.
Yes, the biggest betting day of the year and a handful of operators experienced some one-off (hopefully) glitches. Customers, this writer included, reported several outages at legal sportsbooks across the US prior to kickoff.
The list includes:
- BetMGM (Nevada)
- FanDuel
- DraftKings
- BetRivers
- Barstool Sportsbook
DraftKings, BetRivers, and Barstool are all powered by Kambi. In a statement to Legal Sports Report, DraftKings said the technical issues were due to the massive traffic to its backend provider.
“We’re aware customers were unable to access our mobile and online Sportsbook. It appears this outage was caused by a surge in traffic that caused problems for our backend provider. Our DFS and pools products, supported by in-house technology, are functioning without issue. This incident is why we believe owning our own technology is important.”
The takeaway: You should prepare for the worst. Things might have been easier back in 2019 when less than a handful of states had online sports betting. But as the industry continues to push mobile wagering, backend providers like Kambi will need to up their game. Sportsbooks should be preparing for another massive surge in traffic as March Madness steadily approaches.
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Game Review – China Mystery by Konami
Have you ever fancied yourself a detective, prowling the seemingly endless corridors and back alleys of Shanghai’s Nanjing Road? Maybe you prefer the idea of gambling in an upscale casino in Macau?
The China Mystery slot machine by Konami plays on that rich Chinese motif that fills such an important gaming niche in the world of online slot games. With imagery inspired by China of old, China Mystery takes players on a quest to find treasure.
If you’re ready to unravel the mystery of big wins, consider investigating why so many players are drawn into China Mystery’s alluring gameplay.
Compare Game Features – Paylines – RTP
| Software | Konami |
| Type of Slot | Video Slot |
| Paylines | 30 |
| Reels | 5 |
| Min. Bet | $0.30 |
| Max. Bet | $300 |
| Max. RTP | 96.08% |
| Max. Jackpot | 63,000 x coins |
| Features | Scatters, Bonus Rounds, Multiplier |
| Free Play | Yes |
China Mystery: Core Gameplay
Konami’s China Mystery celebrates Chinese lore with its dragons and various other iconic Far Eastern symbols. The game’s protagonist is a mysterious lady in black who embodies its mysterious attraction.
She is definitely a lady you want to see more of when you play as she represents China Mystery’s wild.
She will appear in her rice hat on the reels to lead you to winning combinations. China Mystery also features symbols like Chinese paper lanterns, tortoises, porcelain vases, and lucky coins.
Soothing audio accompanies the gameplay and is reminiscent of sounds you might hear in a Zen garden. It makes a nice contrast to the hot gaming action.
China Mystery Slot Features
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China Mystery features five slots and 30 paylines that are set on the side of your game screen. Players can bet between 30 and 300 coins. This game features the potential to win up to 450 free spins, so it’s no mystery why so many online slot players are attracted to China Mystery.
High-paying symbols, an exciting base game, and adrenaline-boosting features make China Mystery a standout. The game’s bonus round is a major draw. Free games and action-stacked symbols round out the fun.
China Mystery’s Base Game
China Mystery slots feature a streamlined base game that’s sure to appeal to players who like a conventional experience. The slot game pays from left to right.
There are ten standard symbols along with the scatter and wild symbols. The lady represents the wild, but the highest-paying symbol is the Chinese inscription that’s written in gold; its background is red so it’s an easy image to spot.
If you manage to land this symbol on a winning line five times in a row, you can win a thousand coins.
After the inscription symbol, players will want to see tortoises show up in the reels. In Chinese folklore, the tortoise is a symbol of tenacity and longevity.
When you land five on them in a row, your tenacity can pay off with a 500-coin win. The blue vase antiquity and the paper lanterns are associated with a reward for 250 coins each. The playing cards (9 to ace) offer more modest rewards that range between 100 and 150-times the line bet.
China Mystery Features
The beautiful Chinese woman is the wild symbol for China Mystery. She can show up on reels two, three, four, and five where she can substitute for all the game’s symbols.
The scatter symbol is the ancient Chinese coin. The scatter comes with a free spins offer and gambling feature. Players who spin three scatters will earn eight free spins and a two-times multiplier.
The fun feature here is that players can elect for free spins or make a trade for a random coin amount. This gambling feature could land players a major reward—as many as 63,900 coins!
Conclusion
China Mystery is a mobile-optimized slot game that works with major mobile devices—smartphones and tablets. Its premise is exciting and perfectly conveys that Chinese motif that so many players enjoy. Could the graphics be better—probably, as evidenced by the newer 3D graphics available in many slot games these days.
However, Konami has created a great balance between colorful design and exciting gameplay. The game action is exhilarating—particularly the bonus feature. China Mystery features an RTP of 96.01%. The selection of symbols is intriguing too.
If you enjoy the genre of China or Asian-inspired slot games, you’ll want to give China Mystery a try.