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Survey Says Cleveland and Cincinnati Dominate Biggest NFL Busts List
NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — They don’t have a Super Bowl win among them, but it appears that Ohio’s pro football teams are good at something. Drafting busts.
The sports betting website “The Game Day” conducted a nationwide survey of pro sports fans, who agreed that JaMarcus Russell is not only the biggest bust in NFL history, but fans voted him the biggest bust in professional sports history overall.
The data is based on responses given by sports fans across 48 states plus Washington, D.C., who voted on the biggest busts in the NFL, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and the biggest ever busts in all sports combined.
“What was jarring was seeing so many athletes with Ohio ties on the list, particularly given the broad group of respondents. It shows Ohioans’ loyalty given their feverish fandom even while enduring a substandard product through the years.” – Pat Pickens, Writer at The Game Day and author of “The Whalers: The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Mystique of New England’s (Second) Greatest NHL Franchise”
Let’s start in the NFL, where you’ll find the Browns and the Bengals dominating the list of teams fans believe have drafted the most busts.
Biggest Busts in NFL History
1. JaMarcus Russell – Oakland Raiders (23.8%)
2. Johnny Manziel – Cleveland Browns (23.5%)
3. Ryan Leaf – San Diego Chargers (16.1%)
4. David Carr – New York Giants (6.6.%)
5. Tony Mandarich – Green Bay Packers (5.5%)
6. Charles Rogers – Detroit Lions (5%)
7. Akili Smith – Cincinnati Bengals (4.9%)
8. Tim Couch – Cleveland Browns (4.5%)
9. Dion Jordan – Miami Dolphins (4.3%)
10. Ki-Jana Carter – Cincinnati Bengals (3.6%)
Johnny Manziel (Cleveland), Akili Smith (Cincinnati), Tim Couch (Cleveland) and Ki-Jana Carter (Cincinnati) are all in the top 10. Manziel was drafted 22nd overall in 2014, and played in only 14 games over two seasons in Cleveland before moving north to the Canadian Football League.
Smith was taken third overall by the Bengals in the 1999 NFL Draft and won only three games in his brief career.
Couch was selected first overall by the Browns in the 1999 NFL Draft, He was Cleveland’s first draft pick when the club re-joined the NFL as an expansion team.
Carter was selected first overall in the 1995 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, but after suffering a ligament tear in his knee during his first preseason game, he was never the same.
Biggest Busts in Sports History (All Sports)
- JaMarcus Russell – Oakland Raiders (23.64%)
- Johnny Manziel – Cleveland Browns (23.34%)
- Greg Oden – Portland Trail Blazers (18.87%)
- Ryan Leaf – San Diego Chargers (15.99%)
- Brien Taylor – New York Yankees (14.10%)
- Anthony Bennett – Cleveland Cavaliers (12.81%)
- Kwame Brown – Washington Wizards (12.41%)
- Rick DiPietro – New York Islanders (12.31%)
- Brian Lawton – Minnesota North Stars (12.31%)
- Donavan Tate – San Diego Padres (11.92%)
And when you check the list of overall busts, it doesn’t get any better for Ohio. Johnny Manziel is number two on the list, Greg Oden is third, and Anthony Bennett is sixth. In fact, Oden and Bennett were voted the two biggest busts in NBA history (below).
Oden, although drafted by Portland as the number one overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, has Ohio ties as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Anthony Bennett was the number one overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of UNLV. He lasted one season in Cleveland and was out of the league within three years.
Russell received votes from fans in 40 states plus Washington, D.C. and, perhaps unsurprisingly, his biggest vote share came from California.
Biggest Busts in NBA History
1. Greg Oden – Portland Trail Blazers (19.1%)
2. Anthony Bennett – Cleveland Cavaliers (12.9%)
3. Kwame Brown – Washington Wizards (12.5%)
4. Jay Williams – Chicago Bulls (10.3%)
5. Darko Miličić – Detroit Pistons (9.5%)
6. Sam Bowie – Portland Trail Blazers (9.5%)
7. Chris Washburn – Golden State Warriors (7.8%)
8. Michael Olowokandi – Los Angeles Clippers (6%)
9. (Tie) Adam Morrison – Charlotte Hornets (5%)
(Tie) Hasheem Thabeet – Memphis Grizzlies (5%)
Oden and Bennett top the list of the biggest busts in the NBA (according to the survey). Oden grabbed more than 19% of the vote and Bennett nearly 13%.
Biggest Busts in MLB History
1. Brien Taylor – New York Yankees (14.2%)
2. Donavan Tate – San Diego Padres (12%)
3. Matt Bush – San Diego Padres (11.1%)
4. Todd Van Poppel – Oakland Athletics (10.6%)
5. Mark Appel – Detroit Tigers (10%)
Taylor was thought to be a can’t-miss fireballer of a pitcher taken number one overall in the 1992 draft by the New York Yankees. But after hurting his shoulder in a fight, he never got out of the minor leagues.
Biggest Busts in NHL History
1. (Tie) Rick DiPietro – New York Islanders (12.5%)
(Tie) Brian Lawton – Minnesota North Stars (12.5%)
3. Claude Gauthier – Detroit Red Wings (11%)
4. Nail Yakupov – Edmonton Oilers (10.7%)
5. Patrik Štefan – Atlanta Thrashers (9.4%)
DiPietro had his one impressive season (2006-07), but injuries cut his career short.
“The survey clearly shows that the perception of athletes is directly tied to a person’s fandom and familiarity of a player within their state. And as a New Yorker who is a Knicks fan, I can relate to sticking with a team despite all the letdowns.” – Rich Migliorisi, VP of Web Operations at The Game Day
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Contact:Lauren Polkey: [email protected]
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The anatomy of a high-performing iGaming platform: a guide from Slotegrator

Slotegrator, a gambling solutions provider and game aggregator, has released new downloadable material about the key components of a successful online casino platform. The guide includes practical checklists to help beginners set up platforms from scratch and experts enhance their projects.
In the iGaming industry, a project’s long-term success depends on the power and versatility of its platform. But that platform can’t be based on any old software; just like how you can’t have a car without four wheels and an engine, there are vital components to an online casino platform.
So what are they?
Let’s start with first impressions. The frontend is the “face” of a platform. Almost 75% of players judge a gambling website based on its appearance, and 88% of users won’t return after a negative experience.
Key frontend elements include:
- Branding (visitors should understand the idea from the first glance)
- Navigation (everything should be simple and easy to find)
- Transparency (players must have easy access to relevant information)
- Localization (adoption of language, currency and cultural norms).
If the frontend is the face, the backend is the brain. It should contain all the tools for successful online casino management. A quality backend should give the operator total, real-time monitoring and control over every aspect of a business — payment processing, regulatory compliance, game statistics, player data, retention strategies, analytics, compliance, player support, and everything else.
New operators often find themselves trying to choose whether to build such a platform in-house or to outsource the job. Slotegrator’s report carefully weighs the pros and cons of each option and reaches a clear conclusion: in-house development might save a little money in the short term, but it’ll cost much more in the long run.
“We created this guide to help operators to understand what truly belongs in a successful iGaming platform. An engaging frontend and a powerful backend are essential tools for attracting and retaining players. The guide is a valuable resource for evaluating a platform’s strengths and weaknesses and building a clear promotion strategy”, says Svetlana Kirichenko, Head of Marketing at Slotegrator.
Slotegrator’s guide also includes several key checklists:
- Essential frontend functions
- Key backend features
- Necessary modules for platform architecture (featuring a real example of Slotegrator’s turnkey online casino platform.
Download the guide via the link.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
The post The anatomy of a high-performing iGaming platform: a guide from Slotegrator appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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PAGCOR ORDERS TAKEDOWN OF GAMBLING BILLBOARDS

In a memorandum issued on July 7, PAGCOR directed all licensees, suppliers, system administrators, and gaming venue operators to take down gambling ad materials, including those displayed on trains, buses, jeepneys, and taxis.
The agency emphasized that only institutional or responsible gaming campaigns—subject to PAGCOR’s approval—will be permitted moving forward.
“We have given all our licensees and stakeholders until August 15 to completely remove all gambling-related ads,” said PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco.
“Prior to that, stakeholders must also submit an inventory of their existing billboard and wallscape advertisements by July 16.”
The inventory, according to Mr. Tengco, must include the size, material, location, rental contract expiration, and the corresponding permit number from the Ad Standards Council (ASC).
The PAGCOR chief said the move is part of the state gaming agency’s commitment to promote a safer and more responsible gaming environment in the country.
“While PAGCOR is mandated to regulate the gaming industry and generate revenues for nation-building, we do not want to encourage a culture of gambling addiction,” he said.
“Regulating excessive and pervasive gambling advertisements is a critical step in protecting vulnerable sectors of society, especially the youth.”
The agency also warned against replacing the dismantled advertisements with new gambling promotions, stressing that non-compliance will be dealt with accordingly.
The post PAGCOR ORDERS TAKEDOWN OF GAMBLING BILLBOARDS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING LAUNCH OF GOLDEN WINNER GRAND CHANCE

Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSE) (“Inspired” or the “Company”), a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, announced that Golden Winner Grand Chance™ has become the most successful UK and European iGaming launch in the Company’s history.
Released at the end of May across the UK, Gibraltar, and MGA jurisdictions, Golden Winner Grand Chance has rapidly secured the top spot, leading performance charts and setting new records across all industry key engagement and retention metrics. The game has already attracted over 200,000 unique players and boasts a 25% day-one retention rate, with 40% of players returning weekly, demonstrating its broad appeal across diverse demographics.
The game’s success cements Golden Winner Grand Chance as Inspired’s most successful UK release to date, surpassing previous benchmarks and further elevating the Golden Winner franchise, which now includes three of Inspired’s most-played UK titles. These include: Golden Winner™, Piggy Winner™, and the now record-breaking Golden Winner Grand Chance™.
Designed to deliver high-impact entertainment, Golden Winner Grand Chance builds on the original Golden Winner hit with an exciting combination of proven features and innovative twists. Mechanics such as Fortune Spins, Bonus Buy, and the standout Grand Chance Cherry, which offers the potential for significant prize pot wins, have driven both engagement and retention. The inclusion of two RTP rates ensures broad market suitability, while a suite of fun gameplay features keeps players returning for more.
The exceptional performance of Golden Winner Grand Chance highlights Inspired’s ability to develop compelling, feature-rich content that resonates with players and delivers consistent value to operators. With prominent in-lobby visibility and free spins activation strategies driving player acquisition, operators have quickly leveraged the game’s momentum.
Claire Osborne, Vice President of Interactive at Inspired, said: “Golden Winner Grand Chance has been a phenomenal success and a defining moment for our iGaming roadmap. It’s a perfect example of how our deep understanding of player preferences, combined with innovative game design, can lead to record-breaking performance. We’re thrilled with the results and excited to keep that momentum going well into summer with more blockbuster titles to come.”
The post INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING LAUNCH OF GOLDEN WINNER GRAND CHANCE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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