Ricky Grant

Ricky Grant

iGaming.org Writer Crypto/Casino/Sports
Ricky is a bitcoin enthusiast and understands the significance of cryptocurrencies not just in the iGaming industry but in society. Ricky has a particular interest in the US Casino landscape, and anything related to this. His favorite casino table games are blackjack and baccarat.

EXPERTISE

  • Crypto
  • Casino
  • US Market
  • iGaming

Ricky's latest articles


Zoning Roadblock Stalls Bally’s Casino in the Bronx

Bally's has hit a wall in its push to bring a casino to the Bronx New York City Council blocked the key zoning amendments the company needed to move forward with its $4 billion casino plan at Ferry Point That vote has stalled the project—at least for now Good to know New York City Council voted 29-9 against zoning changes for the..
9 months ago

Comanche Nation Expands Red River Casino with Events and New Gaming

Comanche Nation Entertainment (CNE) is rolling out a major expansion across its two key casino properties in Southwest Oklahoma With a focus on boosting local tourism and creating more economic opportunities, the project begins with a substantial overhaul of the Comanche Red River Hotel Casino Good to know CNE will add new slot..
9 months ago

Hard Rock Suspends Executive Amid Punta Cana Gambling Allegations

Hard Rock International is under pressure as it pursues a coveted New York City casino license The company has suspended a top executive, Alex Pariente, after serious money laundering allegations tied to its Punta Cana resort surfaced in recent weeks Good to know Hard Rock suspended SVP Alex Pariente following whistleblower claims at..
9 months ago

Brazil Betting Group Rejects Study Linking Gambling to Student Dropouts

A new study on the impact of online gambling on education in Brazil has sparked criticism from the country’s betting industry The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) pushed back against claims that gambling is stopping millions of young Brazilians from pursuing higher education, calling the conclusions unfair and..
9 months ago

Churchill Downs Takes Over Casino Salem Project in New Hampshire

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) is making a bigger push into the New England gaming market with a new investment in Salem, New Hampshire The company has acquired a majority stake in the Casino Salem project, which just kicked off its first phase on July 9 with around 100 historical horse racing machines and 13 live table games Good to..
9 months ago

Rivalry’s Revenue Drops While Losses Shrink in Q1 2025

Rivalry Corporation has taken a different direction in 2025, cutting costs and shifting its focus toward a smaller group of higher-value users While revenue dropped compared to the same time last year, the company says the changes are already showing signs of better efficiency Good to know Rivalry brought in CA$13M ($9487K USD) in net..
9 months ago

Bitwise Says Bitcoin Could Reach $200K as Supply Stays Tight

The price of Bitcoin may have much more room to grow, according to Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan, who believes the current wave of institutional buying could push BTC close to $200,000 before the year ends Good to know Bitcoin ETFs bought around 10,000 BTC in just one day The Bitcoin network produces only 450 BTC daily Bitwise expects..
9 months ago

Three Industry Veterans Join 2025 Gaming Hall of Fame

The American Gaming Association is getting ready to honor three industry veterans whose efforts helped shape legal gambling as we know it The 2025 Gaming Hall of Fame inductees will be celebrated this October during the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas Good to know David Berman helped lead over $125 billion in mergers and..
9 months ago

Online Sportsbooks Outpace Casinos in June in New York

New York gambling showed mixed results in June 2025, with online sportsbooks continuing to grow while retail casino revenue dipped slightly The state’s Gaming Commission released the latest numbers, offering a full snapshot of betting activity across digital and brick-and-mortar venues Good to know Online sports betting handle hit..
9 months ago

ADM Approves 46 Operators as Italy Reworks Licensing

Italy is overhauling how it handles online gambling, bringing in new rules, higher costs, and stricter oversight The latest round of license approvals from the Italian Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM) comes with major changes to the way gambling operators will do business in the country Good to know The new license fee is €7..
10 months ago

Ripple Chooses Traditional Bank BNY Mellon for Stablecoin Support

When Ripple launched RLUSD, its enterprise-focused stablecoin, the question was always going to be: who will handle custody Turns out, Ripple went old-school for a very new-school problem Instead of a crypto-native firm, it picked one of the oldest names in banking—BNY Mellon That move speaks volumes about where crypto may be heading..
10 months ago

New York Casino Licenses Enter Local Review Stage

The race for downstate New York casino licenses is now entering a political minefield, with eight proposals advancing to the next round — but none guaranteed a spot The application window has closed, and now the power lies with newly formed Community Advisory Committees (CACs), who will be the first to officially weigh in on each bid Good..
10 months ago

Paddy Power and Betfair Hit by Data Incident

Flutter Entertainment has confirmed a data breach involving two of its top brands, Paddy Power and Betfair The company says it has already taken steps to control the situation, notify regulators, and inform affected customers Good to know No passwords or payment info were leaked Usernames, email addresses, and IP data were among the..
10 months ago

Facebook and Instagram Ads Now Face Stricter Gambling Review

Meta is tightening its rules around gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram, rolling out a tougher approval process that all real-money gaming advertisers must now follow The move affects everything from poker and sports betting to online casinos and influencer ads Good to know All gambling ads now need advanced verification in Meta..
10 months ago

Maine Delays Online Gambling Expansion for Tribal Nations

Maine lawmakers wrapped up their latest session with dozens of bills approved, but many of them—including one that would expand online gambling—are now in limbo The proposed law would open the door for the Wabanaki Nations to offer online casino games statewide However, Governor Janet Mills has decided to delay any action Good to..
10 months ago

Stablecoins Make Better Daily Tools Than Bitcoin for Now, Says Lyn Alden

Bitcoin may be gaining traction as a long-term store of value, but according to macro analyst Lyn Alden, its day-to-day use as a payment method still has a long way to go In her latest commentary, Alden explains why BTC is not yet practical for widespread daily spending—and why that might not even matter Good to know Alden sees..
10 months ago

New Bitchat App Lets You Send Messages Without Cell or Wi-Fi

Jack Dorsey is working on something new again—this time, it is a messaging app that skips the internet, phone numbers, and even emails The project, called bitchat, is focused on privacy and resilience, offering encrypted peer-to-peer communication that works entirely offline using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networking Good to..
10 months ago

Michigan Casinos See Revenue Drop in June

Michigan’s casino industry had a mixed June, with revenue dipping compared to last year and regulators ramping up enforcement on unlicensed online operators While the three Detroit casinos still brought in over $100 million in revenue, the month showed signs of cooling Good to know June revenue fell 42% year-over-year to $101..
10 months ago

Brazil Puts Gambling Legalization Vote on Hold Again

Brazil’s long-running debate on legalizing land-based gambling just hit another pause Senate President Davi Alcolumbre pulled the latest vote on Bill 2234, pushing the issue further down the road—again A country with a population of over 226 million, no wonder gambling regulation keeps sparking debate It is a highly lucrative market that..
10 months ago

Bill to Shut Down Sweepstakes Gaming Clears Another Hurdle in California

California is pushing forward with efforts to tighten gambling laws, this time taking direct aim at online sweepstakes casinos Assembly Bill 831 is designed to shut down operators that use dual currency models to sidestep state gaming rules While the bill passed its latest Senate committee hearing, lawmakers still have questions about how it has..
10 months ago