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Penn National Stock Drops 10% Despite Earnings Beat

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Penn National Gaming Inc. shares dropped more than 10% last Thursday trading after the gambling company reported earnings that more than doubled expectations. Penn reported first-quarter profit of $91 million, or 55 cents a share, improving from a loss of $5.26 a share in the same quarter a year ago, which was mostly due to an impairment charge of more than $600 million related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penn reported net revenue of $1.28 billion, up from $1.12 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts on average expected earnings of 26 cents a share on sales of $1.14 billion.

Shares dove in Thursday’s trading session despite the earnings beat, with Penn suffering the second-weakest day of any S&P 500 stock behind only Etsy Inc.’s ETSY, +4.97% post-earnings selloff. Jefferies analysts had expected “a neutral to modestly positive reaction in the shares” after the numbers hit, but said that a slower rollout of online gambling options could temper enthusiasm.

“The upside in the quarter … should be expected given the regional strength previously indicated by peers, but is positive nonetheless. Separately, the ongoing transformation to a technology-driven enterprise continues to progress, albeit more gradually than some peers, [which] could temper the Street’s bullishness in response,” the analysts wrote ahead of Thursday morning’s conference call.

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Executives did not appear to provide any reason for pessimism in the call, with Chief Executive Jay Snowden calling out improving metrics into the current quarter. The company did not provide any official guidance for the current quarter nor year due to pandemic uncertainty.

“Our performance in March and April … reflects the additional easing of restrictions and an increase in the percentage of people vaccinated. Revenues were 8% over the same two-month period in 2019, while adjusted Ebitdar accelerated 29% to $410 million and Ebitdar margins increased 650 basis points to nearly 40%. We also note that spend-per-visit is much higher than it was pre-COVID,” Snowden said.

Penn has seen its stock rise more than 400% in the past year amid further legalization of sports betting and its investment in popular sports website Barstool.

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Canada

Golden Nugget Online Casino Debuts in Ontario

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Golden Nugget Online Gaming has officially entered the Canada online casino market with its launch in Ontario.

Backed by DraftKings technology, the brand is now offering players a feature-rich mobile and desktop gaming platform. This move also marks the first time the Golden Nugget brand has expanded outside the US.

The casino debuted with more than 2000 slot titles, alongside blackjack, roulette, and craps. The platform is available on iOS and Android, ensuring accessibility across devices.

With its debut in “The Heartland Province,” Ontario becomes the fifth region where Golden Nugget operates, joining Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

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Matt Kalish, President of DraftKings North America, noted that this development is a welcome opportunity for the brand to provide top-quality online casino gaming for players in a burgeoning iGaming market.

Kalish added: “Golden Nugget is one of the most iconic brands in gaming, and we are thrilled to be live in Ontario with its robust mobile casino offering. The Golden Nugget Online Gaming casino app offers hundreds of popular casino games, exclusive content, smooth navigation, premium support, and a dynamic loyalty program – all backed by DraftKings’ cutting-edge technology.”

Ontario’s regulated iGaming market is already crowded. iGaming Ontario reports that the province hosts 50 licensed operators and 87 active gaming websites. Importantly, online casinos account for 88% of cash wagers. In June alone, the vertical produced CA$243 million in net gaming revenue from CA$7.26 billion in total wagers.

Golden Nugget aims to stand out with both classic and exclusive content. Players can access land-based favorites like Huff N’ More Puff, Cleopatra, and Hypernova Megaways. Exclusive DraftKings titles such as Rocket, Dollar Up, and Quakey Shakey also enhance the library. Many jackpot titles even exceed $1 million.

The post Golden Nugget Online Casino Debuts in Ontario appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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AGLC

Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links

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Law enforcement in Alberta continues to search for the last suspect in a sophisticated fraud operation that targeted ATMs in Edmonton-area casinos and resulted in over CAD 1 million ($720,487) in losses throughout Western Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has confirmed that Hisham Ismaeel, 28, remains at large with a province-wide warrant for his arrest. He faces charges of fraud exceeding $5000 and possessing proceeds of crime. Police have already arrested four other men linked to the scheme. Investigators describe the operation as a well-planned effort to exploit financial systems and clean dirty money.

The accused, Elliot Miao, 42, Van Bau Ta, 39, Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad, 37, and Dennis Jones, 42, showed up in the Alberta Court of Justice last week. They face charges from fraud and money laundering to owning criminal property. Miao also has a narcotics trafficking charge after police found cocaine when they searched with warrants.

Investigators claim the group made coordinated withdrawals at several casino ATMs, timing their transactions to avoid getting caught. This action messed up ATM networks in the area and showed flaws in the systems that banks and casinos use to stop misuse.

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The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region led an investigation that involved six search warrants in Edmonton. The Edmonton Police Service, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), and several banks supported this effort. Officials said the case shows how teamwork between public agencies and the private sector plays a key role in combating modern financial crime.

AGLC representatives pointed out that casino operators in the province must follow strict reporting and surveillance rules under Canada’s anti-money laundering laws. The specific casinos affected remain unnamed, but the Edmonton region has seven licensed facilities. AGLC said its policies helped spot problems and backed the RCMP’s investigation.

Compliance experts say this fraud shows how criminals change their methods to take advantage of weak spots in reporting limits and transaction checks. They claim that casinos, which deal with lots of cash, are still easy targets unless they keep improving their detection systems and teach their front-line workers to notice coordinated actions like several big withdrawals happening one after another.

For now, the case highlights both the money and crime aspects of casino-related fraud. Besides the million-dollar losses, finding drugs during the raids points to a bigger criminal operation where financial crimes and drug dealing overlap.

The post Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Bragg Gaming

Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems

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Bragg Gaming Group, a leading online gaming technology provider, has confirmed a major cybersecurity incident that compromised its internal IT infrastructure in the early hours of Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The company detected unauthorized intrusion attempts that successfully breached its internal network, triggering an immediate and comprehensive incident response.

Key Takeaways

  • Bragg Gaming Group experienced a cybersecurity breach involving access to internal IT systems.

  • No customer personal data or payment information appears to have been compromised.

  • The company has enacted full containment and investigation protocols.

Details of the Breach

According to a preliminary forensic analysis by Bragg’s internal security team, the attack was a targeted breach aimed at the company’s internal computer environment. While the exact method of intrusion is still under investigation, early indicators suggest a sophisticated exploit of internal network vulnerabilities.

Fortunately, the company’s customer-facing systems, including sensitive user data and financial information, appear to have been unaffected. Bragg’s existing encryption protocols and access control systems successfully prevented the attackers from accessing customer information.

Immediate Response Measures

In response to the breach, Bragg launched a multi-tiered containment strategy, including:

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  • Network Segmentation to isolate affected systems

  • Enhanced Monitoring of data flows across its Remote Games Server (RGS) platform

  • Security Audits of critical infrastructure, including the Bragg Hub and PAM systems

  • Engagement of Independent Cybersecurity Experts to assist in incident analysis and system hardening

Bragg’s Security Operations Center has also elevated its alert level, initiating 24/7 monitoring across all server clusters and network endpoints. In addition, company-wide penetration testing is now underway to proactively identify any residual vulnerabilities.

Business Continuity Maintained

Despite the severity of the breach, Bragg reports that its operations remain unaffected. All gaming services, including iCasino and sportsbook offerings across regulated markets, continue to function without disruption.

“While this incident is deeply concerning, we are confident in the rapid and thorough response initiated by our team,” a company spokesperson stated. “We remain committed to protecting our infrastructure, our partners, and most importantly, our players.”

Looking Ahead

As part of its response, Bragg has also launched mandatory security awareness training for all employees to reinforce best practices and prevent future incidents.

Cybersecurity analysts will continue working with Bragg to determine the full scope of the attack, improve system resilience, and maintain the trust of its users and stakeholders.

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Bragg’s handling of the incident highlights both the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the importance of robust, responsive defense systems in the digital gaming sector.

Source: cybersecuritynews.com

The post Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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