Boyz II Men have officially announced their return to the Las Vegas Strip for a limited engagement at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in 2026. The world renowned R&B group is scheduled to perform four exclusive shows at The Chelsea, marking their third consecutive year appearing at the venue. The upcoming performances are set for August 14, 15, 21, and 22.
Known as the best selling R&B group of all time, the trio consisting of Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman continues to maintain a significant presence in the music industry. The group has sold over 64 million albums throughout their career and earned four Grammy Awards. This latest announcement follows a series of successful engagements in Las Vegas, including their long running residency at the Mirage earlier in their career and more recent summer runs at the Cosmopolitan.
The scheduled dates at The Chelsea are part of a broader period of activity for the group. Boyz II Men are currently involved in several high profile projects, including the development of a biographical film and a documentary that will chronicle their rise to fame and lasting impact on the music industry. The group also recently contributed to the entertainment landscape by recording a new opening serenade and closing credits for the long running animated series The Simpsons.
Beyond their standalone dates in Las Vegas, the group is participating in the New Edition Way Tour alongside New Edition and Toni Braxton throughout 2026. This large scale tour follows their recent performance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas earlier this year. The return to the smaller setting of The Chelsea allows fans to experience the group’s signature vocal harmonies in a more intimate environment compared to the arenas they are visiting on tour.
Northern Ireland’s Mark Johnston is relatively new to the live poker scene, but you would never think so if you looked at his results. Since recording his first Hendon Mob flag in September 2023, Johnston has racked up 21 cashes, including seven final tables. His 21st in-the-money finish was an impressive victory in the €350 Amaetur Championship Of Poker (ACOP) at the WPT GlobalDublin Poker Festival.
Johnston shot to fame in March 2024 when he entered the €1,150 Irish Open Main Event for the first time. A few days after parting company with €1,150, Johnston finished third from a 3,233-strong field and banked €232,685. He cashed in the 2025 Irish Open Main Event and has now recorded his first live victory in the Emerald Isle’s capital. He sure enjoys playing in Dublin.
WPT Global Dublin Poker Festival ACOP Main Event Final Table Results
Rank
Player
Country
Prize
1
Mark Johnston
Northern Ireland
€31,000
2
Robert McGuirk
Ireland
€27,250
3
Paudie Cusack
Ireland
€25,000
4
Sander Smit
Netherlands
€13,690
5
Karolis Mikalauskas
Lithuania
€10,850
6
David Lyons
Ireland
€8,450
7
John Fannon
Ireland
€6,160
8
Matthew Blayney
Ireland
€4,210
9
Panagiotis Kostopanagitis
Greece
€3,330
The €350 ACOP Main Event had a €100,000 guarantee, but ultimately awarded €212,294 after 706 players bought in. The top 95 finishers made the money, with a min-cash of €630 and a steadily increasing top prize of €31,000.
Greek grinder Panagiotis Kostopanagitis was the first of the nine finalists to be relieved of their stack. Matthew Blayney and Irish Poker Tour regular John Fannon followed suit before David Lyons busted in sixth place for a career-best €8,450.
Lithuania’s Karolis Mikalauskas’ only cash before this event was a runner-up finish in a €25 buy-in tournament in Dublin back in March 2016. He can now boast of a €10,850 prize after securing only his second cash in a decade.
¥100,000,000 ($15Million) Guaranteed During the WPT Global Asia Series
Fourth place and €13,690 went to Dutchman Sander Smit, who finished third in this event in 2017 for €15,714.
The final trio of surviving players struck a deal that essentially removed the last remaining pay jumps. That deal meant Paudie Cusack collected €25,000 for his third-place finish, the second-largest haul of his career.
Johnston and Robert McGuirk locked horns and butted heads in the one-on-one section of the 2026 ACOP Main Event. Johnston got the job done, his hands on a rather fetching championship belt, and a €31,000 top prize. McGuirk helped himself to a €27,250 concolsation prize.
The Dublin Poker Festival continues until March 1, with everyone’s attention now fixated on the €700 buy-in, €200,000 guaranted European Deepstack Poker Championship. Day 1a starts at noon on February 26, with Day 1b shuffling up and dealing at the same time on February 27. Day 2 begins at 12:00 p.m.GMT on February 28, and the third and final day’s play also kicks off at noon, but on March 1.
When this tournament was held in March 2025, it had a €570 buy-in. A field of 515 entrants created a €251,060 prize pool, of which an anonymous Irish player claimed €43,980 after emerging victoriously.
In 2024, Tomas Geleziunas came out on top and banked €43,993 of the €227,663 prize pool.
Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.
Garrett Popcorn Shops at the Miracle Mile Shops in Planet Hollywood was temporarily closed by the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) for scoring 14 demerits during a routine inspection on Feb. 18.
This gourmet popcorn shop, established in Chicago in 1949, specializes in hand-crafted, small-batch popcorn. (Image: miraclemileshopslv.com)
The gourmet popcorn shop was cited for:
Inadequate backflow prevention and proper wastewater and sewage disposal (5)
Food not protected from potential cross contamination (3)
Food not protected from potential contamination by employees and consumers (3)
Inadequate handwashing sinks stocked and accessible (3)
When businesses are closed by the SNHD, they are allowed to correct the issues as fast as they can, then request an immediate in-person reinspection. If the hazards are corrected, the business can reopen immediately and have the closure removed from SNHD’s website.
There is no phone number listed for the shop. A message left for Garrett’s corporate office on Sunday was not immediately returned.
Modern English
The English Hotel and the (former) Pepper Club in downtown Las Vegas. (Image: Wikimedia Commons.)
Kevin Jeffers, a former culinary operations manager for Station Casinos, is being given the shot to replace the Pepper Club at the English Hotel with a new concept he’s calling KJ’s (after his initials).
Jeffers described the restaurant to the Las Vegas Review-Journal as “a modern American restaurant and social bar offering an approachable dining experience rooted in community.” No opening date has been announced.
The Pepper Club was opened in 2022 by Todd English in the hotel the once-celebrated chef licensed his name to. The eatery closed in December for the same reason every restaurant in Las Vegas closes — either underperformance or allegations of sexual misconduct, as our colleague Vital Vegas repeats mantrically. Pepper Club was a rare case where both may have applied.
Dining Ins & Outs
Osteria Fiorella at Red Rock Station will follow Fiorella Pasta Bar at Durango Station out the door at Station Casinos, according to Vital Vegas. No closing date for the former been announced, though the latter is closing March 27. Both restaurants were opened by James Beard-awarded chef Marc Vetri, best known for his Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia — Osteria in July 2020, Fiorella Pasta Bar in December 2023. An outpost of Vetri Cucino at the Palms only survived from March 2020 to fall 2025.
Charter 75 Modern Kitchen has opened at Boyd Gaming’s Gold Coast Casino, just west of the Rio on West Flamingo Road. The restaurant takes its name from 1975, the year Boyd Gaming was founded. It replaces TGI Friday’s with a menu that’s not entirely different.
“Everything is bigger in Texas” is an overused cliche, but it genuinely does apply to the first-ever World Series of Poker (WSOP)-branded event in the Lone Star State, which takes place in just a few short months.
The World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) series at Texas Card House’s TCH Social in Austin guarantees at least $2 million in prize money will be awarded, making the series even juicier than many likely anticipated. There will be 18 gold rings up for grabs from April 23 to May 4 inside one of the top poker clubs in the state.
Tournament poker is booming in Texas, and for the first time ever, the major operators such as the WSOP, World Poker Tour (WPT), and RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) have embraced a state that doesn’t have traditional poker rooms due to strict anti-gambling laws. The Lodge Card Club in the Austin area recently hosted a WPT Prime Championship event, and the same poker club co-owned by Doug Polk brought the RGPS to town last month.
Even the Poker Tournaments are Big in Texas
RunGood will head to Dallas March 19-29 for a series at the new Palace Poker. One month later and the major poker action will take place at TCH Social for a historic event that is going to bring top Circuit grinders, recreational players, and local pros to Austin, all competing for WSOP jewelry for the first time in Texas poker history.
The series begins with the $100,000 guaranteed Event #1: $400 No Limit-Hold’em The First Lone Star Ring. Poker players will also have an opportunity to enter the multi-flight $600 Mini Main Event on Opening Day, which promises at least $500,000 in the prize pool, the second-largest tournament of the series.
The biggest prize pool at TCH Social will come on April 30 with the $1,700 Main Event, a $1 million guaranteed no-limit hold’em contest. There are three Day 1 flights scheduled, and this tournament should bring out over 1,000 players.
There’s a little something for just about everyone on the schedule, with non-hold’em tournaments, a seniors event, a ladies event, buy-ins ranging from $400 to $3,250, and prize pool guarantees in all 18 ring events.
Poker in Texas has been booming the past five years, with new social poker clubs popping up regularly across the state. Texas Card House’s Dallas location won a crucial legal battle last year that helped pave way for major operators such as the WSOP Circuit to enter the state.
A two-year-old goldendoodle abandoned at a Las Vegas airport was adopted by one of the officers who helped rescue him.
The original owner was arrested after leaving the dog tied to a JetBlue ticket counter
Officer Skeeter Black’s family had already been pre-approved by the same rescue to adopt a goldendoodle
A young goldendoodle abandoned inside Harry Reid International Airport has found a more loving home — with one of the officers who rescued him.
Officer Skeeter Black with JetBlue, his latest family member. (Image: LVMPD)
Las Vegas police announced that Officer Skeeter Black and his family adopted the 2‑year‑old pup, renamed JetBlue after the airline where he was left tied to a ticket counter baggage sizer.
The dog was abandoned after his previous owner, Germiran Bryson, was told she couldn’t board her flight without proper service‑dog documentation. Instead of leaving the airport with the dog or arranging care, she walked away.
“What began as a heartbreaking act of abandonment has turned into a powerful example of compassion, teamwork, and community partnership,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department wrote in an Instagram post.
The Leash of Destiny
Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas, which cared for JetBlue since he was taken into custody on Feb. 2, said it was inundated with hundreds of applications to adopt the pooch after police broke the sad news of his abandonment on Feb. 18. However, there was never really a doubt where he was headed.
According to police, the very same rescue had approved the Black family to adopt a goldendoodle months earlier, long before JetBlue appeared at the airport.
Photos and video released by the department show the moment Officer Black and his family arrived at the rescue facility to finalize the adoption. JetBlue, tail wagging, greeted them as if he already knew where he belonged.
Home-Broken
JetBlue (Image: LVMPD)
After Bryson left Germiran at the ticket counter, investigators said, she made her way to her flight’s departure gate. When police confronted her, she explained that the dog had a tracking chip implanted and therefore would find his way back to her.
At first, police offered to walk Bryson back to the dog and issue her a citation. However, they reported, she became “hostile” when they attempted to detain her, resisting as she was escorted through a security checkpoint.
She was arrested and booked on three misdemeanor charges, including animal abandonment and resisting a public officer.
Las Vegas police celebrated JetBlue’s relocation to a home where he’s more wanted.
“Today, JetBlue’s next journey begins this time, surrounded by the people who stepped in when he needed it the most,” their statement read. “Bon voyage, JetBlue and welcome to a new life where you’ll be loved beyond words by Officer Black and his family.”
In the 941st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by James Hartigan at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas. The quartet previews upcoming PokerStars live events, including the European Poker Tour (EPT) Paris, where the Spin & Go Championship will take place.
There’s also the PokerStars Open Philadelphia and the 2026 Irish Poker Open, which, according to Hartigan, is more than just a poker tournament; it’s a whole experience. Find out information about all those events, as well as some fun stories in between, like when Hartigan participated in a lip-synch battle with Caitlin Comeskey while he was dressed up as a blue shark.
Find out all about those stories and more in this week’s episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Time Stamps
Time
Topic
00:00
Welcome to the show
01:05
EPT Paris
06:50
Spin & Go Championship
14:30
PokerStars Open Philly
18:53
Irish Poker Open
22:30
Lip-synch battle with Caitlin Comeskey
Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show — tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway on X.
The Betway ambassador discusses his ride on Fun Fun Fun at Exeter on Friday before looking ahead to Sunday’s action in Ireland.
Although the race didn’t quite go to plan for our mare, it was nice to make the trip over to Exeter for the first time on Friday to ride Fun Fun Fun. In truth, I was never really happy with how she was travelling, and she just seemed to be finding everything hard work, so it’ll be back to the drawing board with her now I’d say.
I’m heading over to Naas on Sunday for five rides, so hopefully we’ll have a bit more luck there, and a few winners across the afternoon certainly wouldn’t hurt.
I start off with Dschingis Desire in the maiden hurdle (14:00), and she’d be wanting to bounce back now after a really disappointing showing at Leopardstown over Christmas on her first start for us. She stopped very quickly that day, so I’m hoping she’s much better than what she showed that day, but I would expect her to step forward with that outing under her belt. In fairness, we were quite handy in that race at Leopardstown, and we all stopped quite quickly up front, so maybe we just went a bit hard that day.
We then have Majolique making her first start for us in the Juvenile race (14:30). We haven’t got a whole lot of work into her at home, to be honest, but she’s shown us a bit of ability in the work that she has done, so I’m sure she’ll be able to win races. We’ll have to wait and see whether she’s up to winning this on her first start over hurdles, as it’s no easy task coming into a race like this, taking on juveniles with plenty of experience. Having said that, she’s won a race around Longchamp, so she has that experience under her belt, and you’d imagine they’re all competitive races around there. We’re not 100% sure what to expect from her here, so I’d say we’ll know more about her after this.
Joueur Masque goes in the third race (15:00), and he’s been very disappointing so far this season for us. We were hoping he could really kick on after getting off the mark in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in the summer, but his two runs since then have been well below that level. That win at Punchestown was on good to yielding ground, so it might be we’ll see better from him in the spring on a bit better ground, but he really does need to leave his recent efforts behind if he’s going to be winning this on Sunday.
Another horse on a bit of a retrieval mission is Blood Destiny, who runs in the Grade 3 feature race (16:30). I took a chance on him in that competitive handicap at Fairyhouse in January, and I could just never get competitive on him. He hasn’t been himself in his last couple of races at all, so he just needs to show us a bit more, but I suppose you could say the same about Captain Guinness who isn’t getting any younger, and Touch Me Not has been around plenty. They are all pretty exposed, so I’d say it’s just a case of who arrives there on Sunday on a going day.
There’s then a competitive novices’ handicap chase to conclude the card (17:00), and I’m looking forward to riding Magic McColgan in this. She seems to have taken to chasing relatively well, and she ran a respectable race at Naas last time behind The Great Nudie of Colin Bowe’s. I think she’ll appreciate this first start in handicap company, and a mark of 118 looks fair based on what she’s achieved so far, so I’m hoping she can give a good account of herself here in a race where I’m sure plenty of them will fancy their chances.
Hackers demand $1.5 million in Bitcoin after claiming to steal 800,000 internal Wynn Resorts employee records
The stolen data contains sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers, salaries, and birth dates
The extortionists used an Oracle vulnerability and vishing tactics to compromise Wynn’s internal systems
A prolific data‑theft and extortion gang claims to have stolen 800,000 internal records from Wynn Resorts and wants at least $1.5 million in Bitcoin to prevent a leak, according to The Register.
A cyberhacker gang has claimed to have stolen personal information from thousands of current and former employees of Wynn Resorts. (Image: Shutterstock)
The records reportedly include the full names, Social Security numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, job titles, salaries, start dates and birthdays of current and former Wynn employees.
The hacking crew, known as ShinyHunters, posted Wynn’s name on its leak site last week and is
Wynn Resorts, which operates major luxury properties in Las Vegas and Macau, has not confirmed the breach and did not respond to inquiries from multiple outlets.
A stock representation of a cyberhacker. (Image: Shutterstock)
ShinyHunters told The Register that it gained access to Wynn’s systems in September 2025 by exploiting an Oracle PeopleSoft vulnerability using an employee’s credentials. The group did not specify whether those credentials were stolen through social engineering or purchased from an insider.
ShinyHunters has increasingly relied on voice phishing, or “vishing,” to impersonate IT staff and trick employees into surrendering login credentials and multi‑factor authentication codes. This method mirrors the tactics used by Scattered Spider, the group responsible for the 2023 cyberattacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, which resulted in ransomware deployment, operational disruptions, and the theft of tens of thousands of customer records.
ShinyHunters, Scattered Spider, and the hacking collective LAPSUS$ are now believed to operate under a loose co-branded extortion identity sometimes referred to as Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters. Cybersecurity researchers emphasize that this is not a formal merger but a fluid collaboration among threat clusters that share infrastructure and techniques.
In addition to leaking its data, ShinyHunters has also threated Wynn Resorts with “several annoying problems that’ll come your way” if the company refuses to comply by deadline.
Wynn Resorts has not publicly confirmed the breach or responded to inquiries from multiple outlets.
Momentum is building in Wisconsin around a proposal that could reshape the state’s sports betting landscape. The State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 601, which would allow residents to place bets online or through mobile devices, provided those wagers are processed through servers located on tribal land. While the bill will advance to the Senate, its future remains uncertain.
The Bill Takes Inspiration from Florida
Currently, it is illegal to bet on sports at locations outside tribal casinos. Placing a wager anywhere outside a gaming property, even online, could lead to fines. AB 601 attempts to circumvent this issue by drawing a technical distinction: if a bet is routed through infrastructure physically located on sovereign tribal territory and covered under a gaming compact, it would be allowed.
This solution draws inspiration from other states. Under Florida’s framework, mobile bets are treated as if they occur on tribal land because that is where the servers are located. Any person in the state can thus freely engage with these offerings online, regardless of their location within the state. Courts have so far accepted this solution.
Supporters of the Wisconsin bill argue that the current legal framework fails to reflect modern market realities. Residents regularly wager online through offshore platforms that operate without proper regulatory control and do not contribute taxes. Legalizing mobile wagering could help protect consumers while opening a new revenue stream for tribal governments and the state.
Commercial Operators Remain Skeptical
Native American leaders strongly support this proposal, describing it as a way to support essential services and reduce long-term reliance on traditional casino traffic. Governor Tony Evers has also signaled he would not stand in the way of a proposal that expands tribal gaming rights, a stance that could prove decisive if the Senate passes the bill.
However, not everyone is convinced. The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents commercial sportsbook operators, has expressed concerns that a tribal-only structure would disadvantage national sportsbook brands. FanDuel and DraftKings have expressed worries that a requirement to partner with tribal operators to enter the market could limit their ability to compete.
Despite mounting support, Assembly Bill 601 must still overcome significant challenges. Senate approval is far from guaranteed, and any changes to tribal gaming compacts would need to pass federal review by the US Department of the Interior before mobile wagering could launch. Even so, supporters see the bill as a necessary step to keep Wisconsin sports betting aligned with market realities.
Doug Polk is starting a new heads-up poker challenge, and one of his preferred opponents is his former rival, Daniel Negreanu.
The poker legends battled on the virtual felt in 2021, a no-limit hold’em challenge that lasted 25,000 high-stakes hands. Polk, a heads-up legend, won $1.2 million against the Poker Hall of Famer. There was some animosity between the two leading up to the match.
After it ended, Polk respected that “DNegs” was willing to battle until the end despite being a heavy underdog, putting to rest the longstanding feud. If Polk gets his way, there will be a rematch on the horizon, but don’t count on it.
Heads-Up Poker Star Ready for New Challenge
Doug Polk
Polk’s upcoming heads-up challenge will be different, and this one will be played on ClubWPT Gold, the online poker platform he represents. But he’s looking to battle against some of the biggest names in the game, one being Negreanu. Other names he threw around in a tweet include Phil Hellmuth, Phil Galfond, Matt Berkey, Bryn Kenney, and Sam “Senor Tilt” Kiki.
If he gets his wish, he could enter the match, like he did with Negreanu, against someone he’s been feuding with. Berkey and Polk have gone at it for years, and Kiki took offense to Polk taking a shot at him in a recent video over angle-shooting allegations stemming from a hand during High Stakes Poker Season 15 on PokerGO.
The structure in the proposed heads-up matches differs from the Negreanu challenge. Polk wants to play 5,000 hands at 100/200-chip stakes (ClubWPT Gold’s equivalent to $100/$200). If he loses, he’ll give his opponent a $25,000 bounty. Each match will last three days, which differs from the months-long competition against Negreanu.
It’s unlikely Negreanu will face Polk for a third time — they also played a brief live poker game on PokerGO in 2023 (Negreanu won) — as Negreanu is a GGPoker ambassador. But Polk wrote that he will select an opponent “each round based on who will make the most compelling match for viewers.” So, don’t expect a random unknown high roller to step into the ring. He’s going for YouTube views. Negreanu, perhaps the least likely match of them all, would likely bring in the highest viewership.
The bounty increases by $25,000 each opponent, meaning the fourth and final match will have a $100,000 bounty. Polk will take his shot at proving he’s still a top-tier heads-up no-limit hold’em player.
The WSOP Las Vegas has officially released the daily event schedule for its fifty seventh annual series. The competition is set to return to the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. The 2026 edition will feature one hundred gold bracelet events starting on May 26. This launch represents what organizers describe as a revamped summer lineup intended to build on the momentum of the record breaking 2025 season.
The upcoming World Series of Poker will begin with several marquee tournaments designed to draw large crowds early in the summer. The opening slate includes the five hundred fifty dollar buy in Mini Mystery Millions on May 26, which features a guaranteed one million dollar bounty prize. Other highlighted events include the twenty five thousand dollar Heads Up No Limit Hold em Championship on May 29 and the fifteen hundred dollar Monster Stack on June 3.
High stakes enthusiasts will see the return of the two hundred fifty thousand dollar Super High Roller on June 13 and the fifty thousand dollar Poker Players Championship on June 21. The centerpiece of the WSOP Las Vegas remains the ten thousand dollar No Limit Hold em World Championship, commonly known as the Main Event. This tournament is scheduled to begin on July 2 and will run through July 13 when the final table will be determined.
For the first time, organizers have introduced a Summer Circuit series that will overlap with the main schedule from July 14 through July 25. This addition allows players to participate in ring events even as the bracelet competitions conclude. WSOP officials also confirmed that a free daily livestream will air on their official YouTube channel from opening day until the start of the Main Event. The broadcasts will originate from a redesigned television set located inside Paris Las Vegas and will feature prominent poker commentators.
Jack Effel, the senior vice president of poker operations for the WSOP Las Vegas, stated that the 2026 series provides expanded opportunities for players from the opening shuffle to the crowning of the world champion. Registration for the summer events is expected to open soon via the official mobile application.
Long-running efforts to roll back a controversial section of last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” are at a critical point as Nevada Rep. Dina Titus has taken an unusual procedural route to revive her stalled legislation. She aims to restore full deductions for gambling losses and enjoys broad support from players and industry representatives.
Titus Argues That Current Deduction Caps Are Unfair
The Nevada congresswoman recently filed a discharge petition to force a House vote on her FAIR BET Act, which has remained untouched in the House Ways and Means Committee since last summer. The bill would reverse a change included in the sweeping 2025 tax package signed by President Donald Trump that limits gamblers to deducting 90% of their losses against winnings.
While this adjustment may seem insignificant at first glance, it could have a substantial impact on the industry. Under the current rule, someone who wins $100,000 over the course of a year but also loses $100,000 will end up with $10,000 in taxable income. While such a player broke even in practice, in tax terms, they didn’t.
High-stakes and hobby gamblers are struggling, and local economies that depend on gaming revenue are hurting.
Nevada Rep. Dina Titus
Professional bettors and high-volume players argue that the measure is unfair and ignores economic realities. They point out that the new cap could result in tax bills tied to income that never truly existed. Titus also argues that other high-risk financial activities, such as trading stocks or commodities, are free from comparable limits.
Success Is Not Guaranteed
Industry groups, including the American Gaming Association, have intensified their lobbying efforts in recent weeks, warning lawmakers that the deduction cap, if left unchecked, could prompt gamblers to turn to unregulated offshore offerings that generate no taxes and lack critical safeguards. Jurisdictions like Nevada, where gaming remains a pillar of local employment and tax revenue, could be disproportionately affected.
Despite Titus’s efforts, the odds of success for a discharge petition are slim. The process requires 218 signatures to move a bill out of committee and onto the House floor. Even then, a vote is not guaranteed. With dozens of revenue-related measures already awaiting review, Titus’s proposal has yet to gain the needed attention.
My FAIR BET Act has been sitting in the Ways and Means Committee for eight months, despite commitments from House Republicans to restore the full gambling loss deduction.
Nevada Rep. Dina Titus
Legislators mostly regard discharge petitions as more symbolic than practical. However, several such maneuvers have successfully cleared the signature threshold since 2023, marking a resurgence for the practice. Even so, Titus’s petition has not received any additional signatures as of February 20. Its success will likely depend on the House’s willingness to revisit gambling policy during a crowded fiscal agenda.
Powerball’s most recent drawing saw one player in Tennessee narrowly miss the jackpot, effectively missing out on a payout of $169 million. However, the lucky player had cleverly opted to trigger the Power Play feature and will therefore take home a $2 million prize.
The Powerball Jackpot Has Now Reached $190M
The recent Powerball drawing took place on Wednesday and saw the jackpot survive for another round. At the time of the drawing, the jackpot had an annuity value of $169 million and a one-time lump sum option of $79.1 million.
The winning numbers for the drawing were 9, 33, 52, 64, and 66. The Powerball landed on 1, just like the Mega Ball did during last Friday’s drawing.
Since no one managed to match all numbers, the big prize went unclaimed. However, one player managed all numbers, except the Powerball, to win the game’s second-tier prize of $1 million. In this case, however, the Tennessee winner had the Power Play feature active, which netted them $2 million instead.
There were also nine winners of the third-tier prize, which included five regular winners who took home $50,000 each, as well as two who won $100,000 each due to Power Play.
Since the jackpot survived, it has now swelled to $190 million with a cash value of $89.1 million.
The next drawing is set to take place this Saturday.
The Recent Mega Millions Drawings Were Unexciting, But the Jackpot Grows Strong
In the meantime, the Tuesday Mega Millions drawing was the third drawing in a row without a winner of either the jackpot or a second-tier prize of $1 million (or more, depending on the multiplier). However, the game’s jackpot has increased to a mouth-watering $346 million with a cash value of $156.1 million for tonight’s drawing.
Speaking of jackpots, the recent Powerball winner came forward to claim their prize. The player in question won $209.3 million from one of the drawings held in January. The player opted to take the lump sum, securing $68.6 million after taxes.
In the meantime, a player in Ohio just won $3.5 million from the Ohio Lottery’s Classic Lotto game. The win landed on February 4, and the player immediately took off on a journey back home to take and redeem his ticket. In an interview with lottery officials, the happy winner said that he had been picking the same numbers for some 22 years.
Manchester United travel to Merseyside to face Everton on Monday night and we have picked out a three-leg bet builder for this Premier League clash.
United will be aiming to make it five victories from six in what will be the Red Devils’ first-ever visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The men from Manchester’s winning run came to an end with last week’s draw at lowly West Ham, but Michael Carrick’s men will take confidence from the fact they are now five games unbeaten run.
It will be an intriguing game on the banks of the Mersey as the Toffees are struggling to settle at their new ground, having not won at home since a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in early December.
While Everton have impressed on the road this season, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
With Jake O’Brien deployed at right-back and Jarrad Branthwaite only just returning from a long-term injury, the Blues’ backline has appeared shaky when the onus is on the team to play with purpose at home as opposed to sitting back.
United, meanwhile, have found the net in all of their away matches since the end of September and so the Red Devils will be confident of scoring against the Toffees.
Backing both teams to score may prove a smart move as, while the Toffees have been conceding, they have also been putting the ball in the back of the net.
Everton’s last five games have featured goals from both sides and this may well prove to be the case again.
Playing away from home, United should get opportunities to counter-attack Everton on Monday.
If the Red Devils get the chance to pounce on any errors from the home side and surge forward, Bryan Mbeumo will almost certainly be involved and looks a sound bet to record one or more shots against the Toffees.
Only four players in the Premier League have had more efforts on goal than the United’s former Brentford forward this season. Mbeumo has hit 46 shots and scored nine goals so far.
James Garner has taken on more responsibility this season and has proved to be a key player for Everton.
Playing in different roles, the midfielder’s versatility has been crucial and means Garner is often in the thick of the action.
The United academy graduate has picked up six yellow cards for the Blues this campaign and may be a smart pick to be booked as attempting to break up United’s play could lead to fouls in the centre of the park.
It is Super 8 time at the T20 World Cup and it promises to be an enthralling battle for glory between the remaining eight teams.
Twenty teams have been whittled down to eight as the T20 World Cup reaches the Super 8 stage, with the top two from Groups 1 and 2 making it through to the semi-finals.
Joint-hosts India are joined in Group 1 by South Africa, the West Indies and Zimbabwe, who have been the surprise package after seeing off Australia along the way to qualify for this stage of the tournament.
As for the other joint-hosts, Sri Lanka, they have also safely made it into Group 2, where they will take on England, New Zealand and Pakistan for a place in the last four.
With India being joint-hosts for the World Cup, they were always going to be a force to be reckoned with in favoured home conditions and that has proven to be the case so far, with the reigning champions winning all four Group A matches.
India haven’t really been tested by any of Pakistan, the United States, the Netherlands or Namibia and not every player in the team has hit peak performance yet, which is a worry to the other seven teams vying for glory.
Abhishek Sharma, the number one ranked T20 batter in the world, has been out for a duck three times and made an unbeaten 24 against the Proteas, but you would expect him to get things right sooner rather than later and he could be a huge danger from here onwards.
Varun Chakravarthy has impressed with the ball, taking nine wickets to sit second in the bowling charts, while he has been ably supported by Axar Patel (6), Jasprit Bumrah (4) and Hardik Pandya (5).
India are yet to get out of second gear and they have all the quality required to become the first nation to successfully defend their T20 crown.
T20 World Cup Super 8s Tip 1: India to win the T20 World Cup @ 6/5
Pakistan can catch fire
While winning the tournament could be a stretch for Pakistan, they do look capable of topping Group 2 and securing their place in the semi-finals.
England have not convinced in reaching the Super 8s and are easy to swerve in the Group 2 winner market, while Sri Lanka were beaten by six wickets against Zimbabwe last time out and they last made the semi-finals when going on to lift the trophy in 2014.
New Zealand are arguably the most dangerous team Pakistan will face, but the Black Caps were pushed by Afghanistan in their opener and were comfortably beaten by the Proteas to suggest they have things to work on.
Pakistan have the top run-scorer in the tournament in the shape of Sahibzada Farhan, who has amassed 220, while Usman Tariq has shown his bowling qualities with eight wickets.
The Falcons have a habit of turning up when it really matters, having made it to at least the semi-finals in six of the nine T20 World Cups, and they can do so again here as Group 2 winners.
T20 World Cup Super 8s Tip 2: Group 2 Winner – Pakistan @ 7/2
The horse racing broadcaster offers up his best bets from Saturday’s cards around the UK, including two from the feature races.
Nine races are split across four venues on ITV4 on Saturday, when no doubt the fallout from Constitution Hill’s run the night before at Southwell will also be much discussed.
Five of those ITV4 races come from Kempton and emphasise why the track would be such a loss, as its free‑draining nature looks likely to provide the best ground for a while – currently Good to Soft (Soft in Places). There is still the prospect of a heavy shower between now and racing, but hopefully it will not resemble the quagmire of recent weeks.
Two of the feature races look highly likely to go the way of the favourites courtesy of PRECIOUS MAN /(13:45 Kempton) in the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle and JAX JUNIOR/(14:25 Kempton) in the Pendil Novices’ Chase. Precious Man travels strongly, so a flat track plays more to his strengths than chief rival One Horse Town, and he can reverse the Cheltenham form on 5 lb better terms.
Jax Junior comfortably beat Jeriko Du Reponet and Miami Magic in a beginners’ chase here in November, and the recent return to form of his yard is also a big plus. Having been just 2/36 (A/E 0.55) through December and January, the yard of Lucy Wadham are 4/14 (A/E 2.57) this month, and Jax Junior can bolster that stat further. It is also worth remembering that this is a yard which has historically outperformed the market from a huge sample (505/3507, A/E 1.12), and their runners are always worth close inspection.
My tracker bursts into life on Saturday, so the selections will be spread more widely this week. FORTUNATE MAN/(14:43 Newcastle) appears both in my tracker and in one of the ITV4 races – the Eider at Newcastle. He has been brought along steadily and has long appealed as the type for a gruelling test like this. He was sent handicap chasing straight away after being given his mark and has spent the last couple of seasons gaining experience, with the odd win along the way. Still only a 7yo, this foundation can stand him in good stead as he encounters an extreme trip for the first time. I had him marked down as a potential Midlands National horse, but there is no reason why this would not suit just as well.
The other three selections all run at Chepstow, starting with A PERFECT DAY / (14:55 Chepstow) in the final Pertemps Qualifier for the Festival. He failed to last home in very testing conditions at Wincanton last time but showed enough for long enough to suggest he can do damage off 120. The winner that day, Champagne Chic, followed up at Haydock, and his trainer Ben Clarke continues to impress (49/346, A/E 1.19). He remains very much a yard to follow. This might be more of a win objective for him than for a few others, for whom simple qualification – without compromising their marks – may be the aim. It is worth remembering that Monmiral filled the final qualification slot in this when 4th in 2024 before winning the Final itself.
DR T J ECKLEBURG / (15:40 Chepstow) seems to be coming back to life just in time to repeat his victory in this race last year. He won that off a mark of 125 and lines up 5 lb lower here, having failed to fire earlier in the season and subsequently dropping quickly in the weights. The application of cheekpieces sparked improvement at Windsor last time (a track that would not play to his strengths), and that run immediately marked this race as an obvious target.
Finally, BANDE ORGANISÉE/(17:18 Chepstow) can land the maiden bumper. He comes from a particularly strong form race, having finished 3rd on debut, with the winner, second, and fourth all winning next time. I have been waiting for him to reappear, and even a reproduction of that debut effort would make him very hard to beat.
Aintree angle
Having examined some ante-post Cheltenham betting angles in last week’s blog, focus this week switches to Aintree. Our annual reminder: with the weights for the Grand National released this week and no penalties for any horse winning from now on, this is the point in the season when several contenders suddenly take a major step forward. This is the reason the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse has been added to ITV4 coverage, with all runners holding Aintree entries, and its outcome is likely to prompt a significant shift in the ante‑post market.
One that did look interesting when the weights were published is Mayo National and Galway Plate winner WESTERN FOLD 50000/1000, who could be worth taking an early position on at a big price.
TV producer Michael Levitt’s TikTok video of an overpriced Snickers bar at MGM Grand is going viral
Some commentors claim the high price is criminal, others argue it is a simple convenience tax
CEO Bill Hornbuckle previously admitted that some of his company’s pricing has been insensitive to the guest experiences
A Hollywood television producer may have stumbled into the most viral moment of his career — a short video filmed inside the MGM Grand that ignited a fresh round of internet fury over Las Vegas nickel-and-diming.
TV producer Michael Levitt takes the stage at the 9th Annual TV Land Awards in New York in 2011. (Image: Andrew H. Walker/FilmMagic via Getty)
Michael Levitt — whose résumé includes Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D‑List, The Billboard Music Awards, Hollywood Squares, The Teen Choice Awards, and Celebrity Duets — posted a 31-second video to his TikTok account from MGM Grand gift shop on February 15. In it, he holds up a Snickers bar and declares it costs $13.
“People wonder why people aren’t coming to Vegas,” he says. “Is that out of control or what?”
On TikTok, the clip performed decently — about 14,700 likes. But when the X account @WallStreetApes reposted it on February 18, it went ape____, garnering 1.2 million views in under 24 hours.
“This is why Las Vegas needs to be boycotted,” the account wrote. “This price on this isn’t just a scam. It should be considered criminal.” The sentiment resonated: thousands of commenters piled on.
Local social‑media news source Las Vegas Locally added his own spin, noting that MGM can charge $13 “because enough of you are willing to pay that much,” later adding: “Also, you‘re not paying $13 for a Snickers. You’re paying $13 to not have to make the short walk down the street to the Walgreens where they cost $2.”
A High Bar?
Complicating matters, the Snickers bar in question wasn’t standard US issue, but a special-edition Cherry Whip, an imported product that typically carries a higher base price. Several commenters pointed this out, arguing the clip lacked context.
“This is disingenuous — that’s an imported candy bar,” one commenter noted. “Try finding one in a regular store.”
Another TikTok user suggested the video was misleading because Levitt never showed the price tag. In response, Levitt posted a follow-up video the same day. To demonstrate that the entire row of candy bars in the store cost $13, the video showed him purchasing a domestic Kit‑Kat Chunky Drumstick at the same shop and getting run up for $12.99.
“Told ya — 13 dollars!” he said. (The graphic read, “Hi Kelly I accept your apology.”)
The $13 Snickers will no doubt earn its place in the pantheon of excessive Las Vegas markups, alongside the:
$25 silverware fee charged to room-service customers at the Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, and Mandalay Bay,
$26 bottle of minbar water at Aria
$50 cord unplugging fee at Paris Las Vegas
$50 early check-in charge at Flamingo
Read in detail about these and other maddening examples of Las Vegas nickel & diming in our November 2025 article, “Fee & Loathing.”
‘Shame on Us’
MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty)
Even MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle had to acknowledge the problem. On an earnings call last October, he admitted his company had overreached on certain prices.
“When we think about pricing and things that got everyone’s attention, whether it’s the infamous ($26) bottle of water or Starbucks coffee at Excalibur that cost $12, shame on us,” he said. “We should have been more sensitive to the overall experience at a place like Excalibur.
“To those customers, you can’t have a $29 room and a $12 coffee.”
Levitt’s video proves that customers at the MGM Grand — which is not one of MGM Resorts’ budget properties — aren’t happy paying such prices, either.
Lawmakers in Maine are targeting sweepstakes with a new proposal that could ban dual-currency sweepstakes casinos by classifying their fundamental business model as illegal gambling under state regulations. Legislative Document 2007 (LD 2007) targets platforms that offer casino-style games using two forms of virtual currency, one that players receive for free and another that can be redeemed for real-world prizes after being used in gameplay.
Player Safety Is a Significant Concern
At the center of the debate is whether such platforms function as genuine promotional sweepstakes or simply online casinos operating under a different label. LD 2007 defines an online sweepstakes game as any internet-based product that simulates traditional casino outcomes while allowing users to redeem winnings through a secondary currency system.
Some of the biggest names in regulated betting, such as DraftKings, have backed the proposal during a recent joint committee hearing. Company representatives argued that sweepstakes operators are effectively sidestepping the rules that licensed gambling businesses must follow. A lack of age checks and responsible gaming safeguards could significantly harm consumers.
If passed, the bill would establish a new section within Maine’s gaming laws specifically targeting sweepstakes-style products. Operating or promoting such games could trigger civil penalties ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation. Maine has roughly 60 sweepstakes casinos, meaning that a sudden ban could have significant consequences.
Sweepstakes Representatives Urge a More Measured Approach
State regulators have become increasingly concerned about the expanding reach of sweepstakes platforms. Rather than issuing cease-and-desist orders, regulators previously chose to warn consumers directly. The Maine Gambling Control Unit stresses that legitimate operators must display their state licensing information, a certification that sweepstakes platforms usually lack.
Industry representatives see things differently. VGW, the company behind Chumba Casino and Global Poker, was highly critical of the proposed legislation. Representatives argued that most users do not spend money and enjoy a safe social experience. The Social Gaming Leadership Alliancealso maintained that its members operate within established consumer-protection norms and contribute to the state’s broader economy.
Maine’s proposal aims for a complete ban, rather than the regulatory framework proposed by the sweepstakes sector. Several other states share similar sentiments. Illinois recently issued cease-and-desist letters against 65 companies, categorizing sweepstakes as illegal gambling. Utah, Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee, Maryland, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, and others have also taken actions to restrict such offerings.
The new cash game leaderboards, which launched on Feb. 16, allow players to earn leaderboard points by grinding both no-limit Hold’em and pot-limit Omaha (PLO) cash games.
The top players in both variants can compete for $12,000 in poker bonuses split into two races. Each weekly leaderboard runs through Thursday.
This is just the latest added incentive for players to grind on BetRivers Poker. Last month, the poker operator ran an “Added Money Week” and unveiled a “Splash the Pot” feature that adds bonus money to random cash game pots.
PokerNews will keep an eye on the cash game leaderboards and keep readers updated on the top performing grinders in Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia and Delaware.
BetRivers Poker is available in a handful of US states. The site, which became the second multi-state poker network in the country in June 2025, is repped by poker legends Phil Hellmuth and Phil Galfond, who spoke about the site last year on the PokerNewsLife Outside Poker podcast.
For more on BetRivers Poker, check out the second episode of the BetRivers TableTalk Podcast presented by PokerNews, where Chad Holloway and Keith Becker discuss BetRivers ambassador Hellmuth’s time with celebrities and his new Las Vegas condo.
Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for three Global Poker Awards for his writing.
The game is designed with a medium to high volatility level and offers a default return to player percentage of ninety six percent. One of the primary shifts in gameplay is the inclusion of a feature meter located beside the grid. As players land consecutive wins during a single spin sequence, they fill this meter to trigger five specific laboratory features. these include the destroy feature, which removes random symbols from the board, and the transform feature, which turns one set of symbols into another.
Other modifiers include the addition of random wilds, a line transform that creates matching rows, and an upgrade feature that increases the value of specific symbols. If a player manages to fill the meter completely by clearing enough symbols, the grid expands from its starting dimensions to a seven by seven layout. This expansion activates the galaxy star feature, which places a large three by three wild symbol in the center of the grid. During this phase, multipliers can also come into play, significantly increasing the payout potential compared to the base game.
The aesthetic remains faithful to the original space theme, using the familiar neon gemstones and cosmic backdrop, but the mechanics are notably more complex. In certain jurisdictions, the game includes a feature buy option, allowing players to bypass the base game grind to trigger specific modifiers or the galaxy star round directly for a set multiple of their stake. By combining the classic visual identity of the series with modern grid slot mechanics and a larger play area, Starburst Galaxy Online Slot represents a significant technical shift for the brand. Check out other products from Net Entertainment, like their Pirates Party game, or the Royal Nuts online slot, right here on this website.
