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Greg Tinglee, Media Man Group

Randwick Racehorse, Sydney, Australia. Big thumbs up for Day 1.

Some highlights for us included FIFA Q&A, Live U, Blonde Robot (Red Dragon etc) and Sailor Girl. The way speakers and exhibitors were able to discuss and break down complex broadcast technology and the like into fairly easy to understand terms was impressive and most welcome. Everyone made us feel very welcome and we've got some great and unique content to work with now thanks to Content Live. Greg Tingle, Media Man Group.

#contentlive #content+technology #content #contentbusiness #technology #technologybusiness #contentexpo #contentnews #randwickracecourse #randwick #media #mediamanbroadcasting #mediamancontact #mediamantech #mediamannews #mediamanaustralia #mediamanint

Media Man Content Blog: Content News Media and SEO for busines and brands

Media Man Content Blog

Content News Media

SEO News

Search News Media News

Content News Media

Ways to find unique content ideas from real-life insights

Find out how to create content that sets you apart from the competition using untapped sources. Here are four areas to explore.

Marketers often work at a distance from frontline operations.

We may not directly build the product, deal with angry customer phone calls, or be out in the field selling.

We might even be at an agency, an additional level removed from the shop floor or direct interactions with the target customer. 

How, then, can you:

Know what to write about?

Insert meaningful insights into your landing pages or ad creative?

Effectively persuade your target audience that you are the clear choice over your competitors? 

Digging new wells to find new content

One of the best writing tips I’ve ever received is to “dig new wells.” That is, to get content no one else is writing, you need to establish different sources. 

Too often, content writing for the web starts with the search results. While it makes sense to look at what’s ranking for your target keywords, it should not be your only source of information. 

The rise of 10x content and the Skyscraper Technique led some content writers to rely on rewording and combining top pages into a long, SEO-focused page. But it’s not getting outside sources of information. 

For me, the best type of content for the web comes from outside the web. Pulling content ideas, inspiration, and even language from real-life sources can help your content stand out, resonate with your target audience, and even alleviate any concerns they have. 

Plus, combining outside-sourced content with an SEO’s skills in finding keywords, structuring content, and generating links can form a powerful piece of content that performs nicely. 

Here are a few ways to dig new wells to find new content. 

1. Source content from employees

The single greatest source of content is from front-line employees. Depending on your business, you might have: 

Salespeople

Salespeople earn their living by earning trust, highlighting benefits, and alleviating fears of potential customers or clients.

Any successful salesperson has already worked out a script based on common pain points and exactly what message can help convince people to buy.

Customer service representatives (CSRs)

As frontline workers who come in contact the most with existing customers, they know the most common questions and objections people have.

If a CSR gets asked the same question regularly (say once per week or greater), the answer to that question should become content on your site. 

Those doing the work

Another great source of content is from those doing the actual work. Visit the factory floor, buy coffee for the production team, or go for a ride along with the installation team.

By spending time with those who actually make your products or carry out your services, you will get a newfound understanding and appreciation for what they do.

Plus, they should be able to provide great insights into how you are different than your competitors – whether it is better materials, unique processes, or attention to detail. 

Example of sourcing content from employees

I had a client in the agriculture industry who wanted to grow by getting their brand in front of more farmers. My main contact was a salesperson working in the field six days a week, traveling from farm to farm.

In some ways, he functioned more as a consultant, helping generate ideas and sharing best practices from others to help each farmer expand their operation. 

He would be the first to tell you he was not a great choice for writing new content for their website. Here’s what worked for us: I would get him on the phone while driving between farms, and he would rant.

For half an hour, he would brain-dump his thoughts on a certain product or service his company was offering. I was simply there to transcribe and ask follow-up questions. 

When it was time to write the website content, I found that the salesperson’s rants would form 80% of the page. I was merely there to edit and shape it into a logical flow and ensure it was optimized for search and conversions. 

2. Source content from current customers

Another well of great content ideas is from your current customers or clients. They are your best source for entering the buyer’s mind and decision-making process. 

If possible, make it a habit to regularly interview some of your current customers. Ask them questions about: 

Their pain points. 

How they researched options.

What mattered and didn’t matter to them as they made a decision.

You can sometimes use these stories as the basis for case studies or featured project pages for your site. At the very least, you will uncover phrases, words and concepts that can become integral parts of your website content and marketing efforts. 

Example of sourcing content from current customers

A few years back, I was working on a branding campaign for a furniture company. Their core business was selling through furniture stores; they saw an opportunity to increase sales by working with high-end interior designers. 

As we worked on drafting content for their website and marketing material, our team booked calls with a handful of interior designers with whom they currently worked. 

These phone calls were a wealth of information and insights into these interior designers’ pain points, goals and dreams. 

Some insights they provided were completely unknown to the furniture company. What we learned from these calls proved invaluable in shaping the website content. 

3. Source content from past customers

Past customer reviews are among the easiest yet impactful wells to pull content ideas and language.

Whether past customers have left reviews on your Google Business Profile, Amazon, a third-party review site, or your own internal system, these are great sources of info about how the market views your product or service. 

Customer reviews are great because they provide a glimpse into your customer's thinking at scale – no need to interview them. Online reviews also collect the right language, pain points, and angles you may not have noticed. 

Whenever I take on a new local SEO client, I make it a point to read every review on their Google Business Profile. I like looking for trends and themes across the reviews and see anecdotally what really matters to customers. 

Google does pull out themes by seeing the top 10 topics or phrases mentioned in reviews.

You can take your reviews and put them in a sentiment analysis tool to see topics, trends, and talk points that you can share with your CSR or use in your marketing, advertising and website efforts. 

Example of sourcing content from past customers

One time, I was reading reviews for a new client in the home service industry.

A few reviews told a similar story: each mentioned the same salesperson by name and how professional and informational the salesperson was – especially compared to other companies. And each said a surprising detail: the salesperson gave a gift of local jam. 

One specific salesperson was doing this to make connections with his prospects, but it was leaving such an impact on customers that they mentioned it in their reviews.

When our client found out about this, they made it a standard across all sales staff, and we mentioned it as part of the online appointment scheduler. 

4. Source content from competitors 

A surprising source of content ideas can come from your competitors.

As we saw above, if online reviews for your own products or services can provide helpful insights for your marketing efforts,  what can you learn from reading the reviews of your competitors? A lot!

Find a few of your competitors and read every review of theirs that is three stars or lower. Bad or mixed reviews can provide a gold mine of information about what people don't like about your competitors.

These points can be used in your marketing efforts, as they are pain points your target audience has, and your competitors are not meeting. 

Example of sourcing content from competitors

While conducting competitive research for an outdoor structure company, I noticed their main competitors had a fair amount of indifferent reviews. As I read these reviews, I noticed themes. Most reviews mentioned:

A lack of communication. 

Misunderstandings about the delivery and installation process. 

I took this to the client, and we discussed how we could make their service better. The client worked on strengthening their already solid customer communication system. 

On the website, we invested in content to fully explain how they deliver and install their structures, answering every single question their CSR is regularly asked. 

Finally, we created a comprehensive guide on the entire sales process, from initial order through installation. We used this as a target for a remarketing campaign to help reengage with potential customers. 

Dig deeper: Competitor content analysis: Here’s what you can learn

Start creating new content today

To create content that no one is creating, you need to get different sources no one else can get.

Interview your employees and current customers. Summarize feedback from past customers and those disappointed with your competitors.

Gain valuable insights to tell your unique story and stand out.

Media Man Content Blog: PR, SEO and SEM News

Media Man Content Blog

PR, SEO and SEM News

Human and A.I elements

PR, SEO and SEM Powers Business And Online Business Exposure via Internet Matrix Of Things Says Media Man

Boost online visibility and improve search engine rankings by integrating public relations and SEO strategies.

Summaey, Key Points and Keywords

Digital technology has transformed how brands connect with their audiences.

To connect successfully, brands need to take an integrated approach.

Combining the strengths of PR and SEO is one aspect that delivers benefits across a brand's entire marketing strategy.

When talking about how digital technology transformed brands and marketing, most marketers are quick to point out the arrival of new digital marketing channels and the influence of social media. But what about public relations (PR) and search engine optimization (SEO)?

Traditionally, most brand teams would have considered PR and SEO separately or even left SEO to their website teams. As the two disciplines come closer together, brands are starting to see the benefits of integrating PR and SEO.

Understanding the relationship of PR and SEO in digital marketing

The Public Relations Society of America defines PR as a "strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics." Just a few decades ago, PR professionals relied mainly on newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets to spread their messages. Today, they have a far wider choice of channels, most of them digital.

SEO, on the other hand, is firmly linked to the digital age. The term describes how teams increase their brand's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. As Google puts it, SEO is about "helping search engines understand and present content."

Both PR and SEO rely on understanding the brand's audiences and taking a strategic approach to reaching those audiences. While they have traditionally pursued that goal separately, brand teams and company leadership teams are starting to realize that combining their efforts can create previously unknown synergies.

The best marketing strategies have a few things in common. They are built on a central message or a set of messages woven through the entire campaign. They also use the combined power of a variety of different (digital) marketing channels, making sure that their core messages are recognizable across all of them. Lastly, they are based on a solid strategy and clear objectives. Both of those ensure each strategic element contributes toward achieving the objectives.

Use the same principles to integrate PR and SEO and take advantage of the power of public relations to support search engine rankings. Here are four ways PR supports SEO.

Backlinks

Backlinks from high-ranking, influential websites can transform your rankings. So, how can you convince other websites to link to yours? Enter PR. Compelling storytelling is the strength of PR. Use that strength to craft content others would like to share on their platforms.

Consider blog posts, case studies, or high-quality video content to attract the attention of your target brands. Don't be afraid to send direct links to their brand teams or tag relevant brands if you share social media content.

In most cases, you will spend some time building a relationship before others backlink to you. Stay the course, and you will reap the rewards in the long term.

Keyword research

You don't need to be an SEO expert to understand the importance of keyword research. Knowing how potential customers search for you and optimizing your website accordingly are cornerstones of successful search engine marketing.

To be effective, keyword research needs to include the actual words your audience is looking for and the search intent. Once both are clear, your SEO team needs to share them with your PO professionals. Applying keyword research results only to your website would mean missing out on a large part of the opportunity.

Integrating SEO and content marketing

So-called keyword stuffing no longer works for successful SEO. Search engines are looking for well-organized content that adds value to the person who initiated the search. However, that does not mean that you should remove SEO keywords from your PR content.

The opposite is the case: Skilled PR professionals can utilize target keywords without compromising their storytelling. Think about thought leadership articles, social media posts, and even press releases – all of these forms of content can contribute toward higher rankings.

Monitoring and measuring performance

Measuring the performance and effectiveness of your efforts is critical to understanding what is working and what needs to be adapted. Start by establishing clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to allow you to benchmark successes and understand where improvement is needed.

Most search engines offer a range of analytics tools to help you understand your performance. Make sure those are set up and ready to monitor your activity right from the start.

Best practices

Both PR and SEO require mid- to long-term commitment. Over time, their impact builds up and grows stronger. That is why some of the brands reaping the most noticeable results started their integration a few years ago.

Airbnb, for example, developed relationships with leading influencers and thought leaders as early as 2015 to create content that helped users experience key cities and drove traffic to the accommodation platform. The content created by those influencers contributed to Airbnb's search engine rankings.

Inbound marketing and sales platform Hubspot is another example of a brand integrating PR and SEO successfully. The company realized in 2017 that previous approaches to SEO were no longer as effective. To maximize the potential of their content for search engine rankings, the team not only integrated its own approach but even built a tool customers could use to validate the potential effectiveness of content before creating it.

News

SEO Tips For A Small Business

In the digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any small business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a pivotal role in improving your website’s visibility on search engines like Google, which can drive more organic traffic and potential customers to your site. While SEO can be a complex and ongoing process, there are several quick and effective strategies that small businesses can implement to boost their online presence. In this article, we’ll explore some simple and quick SEO strategies tailored to small businesses.

Optimize Your Website’s On-Page Elements

One of the fundamental aspects of SEO is on-page optimization. This involves optimizing various elements on your website to make it more search engine-friendly:

a. Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers are likely to search for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find valuable keywords for your niche.

b. Title Tags: Create unique, descriptive, and keyword-rich title tags for each page on your website. These tags appear as the clickable headline in search engine results and should accurately represent the content of the page.

c. Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling meta descriptions that provide a concise summary of your page’s content. Include relevant keywords and a call to action to encourage clicks.

d. Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and make it more readable for both users and search engines. Include keywords naturally in your headers.

e. Image Optimization: Compress and optimize images on your website to improve page load speed. Add descriptive alt text to your images for accessibility and SEO benefits.

Create High-Quality, Relevant Content

Content is king in the world of SEO. Producing high-quality, informative, and engaging content is essential for attracting and retaining visitors. Consider the following tips:

a. Blogging: Start a blog on your website and regularly publish articles related to your industry, products, or services. Share valuable insights, tips, and solutions to common problems.

b. Keyword Integration: Incorporate your target keywords naturally into your content. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your SEO efforts.

c. Visual Content: Use a mix of text, images, videos, and infographics to make your content more engaging and shareable.

d. Regular Updates: Keep your content fresh and up to date. Outdated information can negatively impact your search rankings.

e. Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your website to improve user navigation and help search engines understand your site’s structure.

Mobile Optimization

With the majority of internet users browsing on mobile devices, mobile optimization is no longer optional. Google considers mobile-friendliness a significant ranking factor. Ensure your website is responsive, loads quickly on mobile devices, and offers a seamless user experience.

Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

Local SEO is essential for small businesses that serve specific geographic areas. Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows you to manage your business listing on Google. Here’s what you should do:

a. Claim Your Listing: Claim and verify your business on GMB to appear in local search results and on Google Maps.

b. Accurate Information: Ensure your business name, address, phone number, and hours of operation are accurate and consistent across all online platforms.

c. Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your GMB listing. Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, to engage with customers and improve your online reputation.

d. Posts and Updates: Use GMB to post updates, promotions, events, and other relevant information to attract local customers.

Build Quality Backlinks

Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a vital ranking factor in SEO. However, it’s essential to focus on quality over quantity. Here’s how to build quality backlinks:

a. Guest Blogging: Contribute guest posts to reputable websites in your industry. Ensure the content is valuable and relevant to the host site’s audience.

b. Local Directories: List your business on local directories, industry-specific directories, and review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor.

c. Social Media: Share your content on social media platforms to increase its visibility and potentially earn natural backlinks when others link to your content.

d. Influencer Outreach: Collaborate with influencers or experts in your niche who can link to your website or mention your products/services.

Conclusion

SEO is a powerful tool for small businesses looking to compete in the digital marketplace. While SEO is an ongoing process, these quick strategies can help you get started and see noticeable improvements in your website’s search engine visibility. Remember that SEO requires patience, monitoring, and adaptation to stay ahead in the competitive online landscape. By consistently implementing these strategies, your small business can establish a stronger online presence and attract more potential customers.

Local SEO

In today's digital age, 97% of consumers go online to find local services, and 82% of smartphone users use a search engine when looking for a local business. If you're not optimizing for local search, you're missing out on a significant chunk of potential customers right in your vicinity.

The web is a bustling hub of business opportunities. If you're a local enterprise looking to stand out, our tailored Local SEO strategies can position you at the forefront of your industry. Our skilled team of Local SEO experts has a proven track record of delivering results for businesses on the east coast of Australia.

We understand the Australian market, its nuances, and what the local audience is searching for. Our strategies have helped numerous businesses rank on the first page of search results.

Our Local SEO packages are designed to be budget-friendly, making them accessible to businesses of all sizes. Our team is just a call away to address any of your concerns or to provide updates.

Our deep understanding of the Aussie market, combined with our expertise in local SEO, has allowed numerous businesses to achieve and maintain a strong online presence in the region. We pride ourselves on our commitment to delivering tangible results and our dedication to our clientele.

SEO

Media Man (Digital), a leading expert SEO marketing company in Australia, is here to skyrocket your online visibility and drive targeted traffic to your website. With our cutting-edge strategies and proven techniques, we ensure that your business stays on top of search engine rankings, generating higher conversions and maximising your ROI. Our team of skilled professionals will work closely with you to understand your unique business needs and tailor a customised SEO strategy that delivers exceptional results. 

Don't let your competitors steal the spotlight. Get in touch with Media Man and watch your online presence soar!

Media Man Marketing CEO and Founder Greg Tingle sees success in SEO, storytelling and cormering niche markets such as casino news, casino games, casino innovational, mixed martial arts (MMA), pro wrestling (WWE, AEW etc), surf culture, online advertising agencies, MBS (Mind, Body and Spirit) and gaming, casinos and hotels).

Digital Marketing Agency 

20 Best Digital Marketing Agencies

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digitaluncovered.com › best-digital-marketing20 Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Sydneydigitaluncovered.com › best-digital-marketing CachedPerth SEO Studio. Perth SEO Studio one of Australia’s top digital marketing agencies is based in Sydney and specializes in helping businesses enhance their online presence and achieve higher rankings in organic search results. Wonderful Digital. Wonderful Digital is an award-winning digital marketing agency based in Sydney Australia. With their extensive range of services including SEO PPC social media marketing and website design they have established themselves as one of Australia’s best digital marketing agencies. Humaan. Humaan is a reputable digital marketing agency based in Sydney Australia. With a team of experienced professionals Humaan offers many services including website design and development SEO social media marketing and content creation. Due North. Due North is a renowned digital marketing agency based in Sydney Australia. Their extensive services encompass SEO PPC advertising social media management and content marketing.

Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Sydney | Digital Agency …

Explore the top digital marketing agencies in Sydney. Creative and b2b digital marketing companies offering branding web design UX design eCommerce SEO content marketing PPC email marketing online marketing and social media marketing services in Sydney.

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ™️ | Digital MarketingDone …

Ready to achieve real business growth with a comprehensive customised digital marketing strategy? Sydney Digital Marketing Agency works with business owners and marketing managers to accelerate revenue growth using Google Ads Social Media SEO Email Marketing and Marketing Automation.

Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Sydney 2023 | Semrush

TOP Professional Digital Marketing Companies in Sydney. List of TOP 26 Digital Marketing Agencies in Sydney. Discover the most skilled marketing agencies from our community to outsource your marketing to.

Top Digital Marketing Companies in Sydney – DesignRush

Readers and online entrepreneurs, that's the SEO News for the day. Tell them Media Man sent you.

Good web surfing and wrestling with the web across the The Internet Matrix Of Things.

By Media Man with some modest assist from A.I!  Bard, xAI, Bing et al. Man over machine!

Media Man Content Blog

Media Man Content Blog

Media’s $100b man says the ad market has room to grow - October 2023

Christian Juhl sits atop a $100 billion-a-year budget and is one of the world’s most powerful media executives.

As the global boss of GroupM, the biggest advertising buying group in the world, he oversees the combined spending power for thousands of brands, including Ford, Colgate-Palmolive, Google, Nestlé, Unilever, Mars and Coca-Cola.

GroupM uses that scale to buy media space and sell it back to its clients. Each year, according to the best independent estimates, GroupM spends almost $US64 billion ($101 billion) of its clients’ money on ads.

At that level, a media executive can talk in sweeping, market-wide statements. Wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, clear inflationary pressures, an unsteady future for commercial real estate, and higher interest rates will have tremendous impact on advertising and media markets. It just hasn’t been fully felt yet, Mr Juhl said.

Locally, the ad industry accounts for $53 billion, or 2.1 per cent of GDP, new research released on Friday found. GroupM predicted advertising revenue – how much the world’s advertisers spend – will grow 5.9 per cent in 2023 and 6 per cent in 2024.

“I certainly see all of those unknowns out there, that makes you careful about the future,” Mr Juhl said.

“But generally, I think it’s been a pretty resilient marketplace. We’ve still been able to provide growth for our clients during that time period. I’m still cautiously optimistic we can find ways of growth through this.”

Advertising is going through a resurgence, he said. Rolling lockdowns and forced isolation during COVID-19 drove huge adoption of digital channels. Meta burned billions of dollars on a metaverse then launched a Twitter clone called Threads, TikTok kept growing at breakneck speed, and Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ have all started adding advertising-subsidised tiers to their platforms.

“Advertising has always been a really important part of the economy. It was more surprising when you had [Netflix executives] Reed Hastings or Ted Sarandos saying, ‘We’ll never take advertising on Netflix’,” Mr Juhl said.

“How do you have such large valuable audiences and not open it up in a meaningful way to brands? [Now] there’s probably more inventory available than there’s been in a long time.”

The days of the massive, culture-defining 30- or 60-second ad spot are fading, Mr Juhl said, despite the drawcards of the Super Bowl and the Olympics. “But, largely, viewership on those has been on the decline for some time,” he said.

Likewise, the resurgence of advertising is happening while tech and media companies slash costs. That’s an inevitable correction, he said.

“There’s been so much stimulus put into the market, and there’s been so much growth post COVID, that there’s a natural time right now where I think a lot of companies are just [thinking], ‘Should we slow down?’ So I think that’s more of a natural cycle than sort of ‘Hey, let’s panic and run for the hills,’” Mr Juhl said.

“You have to look at that in the grand scheme of things. We’re still looking at a massive growth mountain over the last four years.”

The true impact of rapid interest rate rises is yet to be fully felt, he said. At some point, that will severely hit consumer spending. But Mr Juhl is upbeat about the future. Government interventions to rescue businesses like Silicon Valley Bank should give some confidence to the market.

“I wouldn’t underestimate governments changing positions quickly in face of all this uncertainty to provide security for those that have been over-extended,” he said. “What happened? They bailed them out. There’s reason to still be optimistic.”

UFC

KHAMZAT CHIMAEV: SMASH EVERYONE AND GET ALL THE BELTS

UFC Superstar Khamzat Chimaev’s Desire To Crush The Best In The World Continues As He Faces Former Welterweight Champion At UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2

Nothing was going to stop Khamzat Chimaev from fighting at UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2. After more than a year on the sidelines, “Borz” didn’t care who he faced or at what weight class – he just wants to fight, and he made that clear by accepting Kamaru Usman at middleweight after his bout with Paulo Costa fell through just over a week ago.

The 29-year-old superstar told reporters in Abu Dhabi at UFC 294 media day that the whole process of switching from fighting Costa to fighting Usman was a simple one.

“My manager called me to fight Usman and I said ‘OK, let’s go’,” Chimaev said. “For me, it doesn’t matter.”

When it became clear that Costa was going to have to pull out of their middleweight bout due to an infection in his elbow, Chimaev couldn’t help but feel desperate for a fight. He wrote a message to UFC CEO Dana White begging for a fight with anyone. Ranked, unranked, veteran, or newcomer.

“I wrote Dana White and I said, ‘Brother, give me someone, I need to fight,’” Chimaev recalled. “But then my manager called so I deleted the message.”

Once the fight was announced, many fans were thrilled to find out Chimaev was going to fight Usman in a matchup between the former welterweight champion and one of the division’s top contenders.

But Chimaev moved up to middleweight following a weight miss at UFC 279 and that’s how the fight with Costa came about. Now it’s Usman, and Chimaev is just as excited as the fans to finally showcase what he can do against “The Nigerian Nightmare”.

“Since day one when I get to the UFC, everyone spoke about Khamzat and Usman and our wrestling skills and our striking – all of these things. He’s an old version, I’m new. Like iPhones come out - he’s like iPhone 5 and I’m like iPhone Pro,” Chimaev joked. “If there is gold there, of course he’s going to cut the weight, but he couldn’t take the belt so that’s why he asked [to step in]. I’m Khamzat Chimaev. That’s why he comes up to fight to fight me. The guy comes for money, and the money fight is me.”

Chimaev knows that the public applauds Usman’s decision to step in, and while that’s well deserved, he also knows that coming in on short notice could potentially give Usman the ability to point to his lack of preparation if he were to lose.

“The guy comes just to make money,” Chimaev said. “Of course, he comes to win, everyone comes to the fight to win, but he has all the excuses.”

A win over Usman – and a dominant one like we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Chimaev – would certainly skyrocket him to the top of the list for title fights at both welterweight and middleweight.

Chimaev believes his UFC career is just getting started. He’s planning on being at the top for the next ten years.

He’s confident that he’ll end up facing Costa at some point and he also has his sights on fighting with Israel Adesanya, battling middleweight champion Sean Strickland, and competing with welterweight champion Leon Edwards.

And that’s exactly what Chimaev wants. He wants to face the best in the world and beat the best in the world in a way that no one has ever seen before. If he can do that, he isn’t concerned with how long it takes him to get to a title shot.

He knows that getting belts and records is inevitable.

“I want to fight the best guys. It’s not fun to watch if I’m going to smash somebody that nobody knows. It’s not going to make UFC any money,” Chimaev said. “I’m not after just the title; I’m after all the heads in the UFC. Smash somebody, make money and be happy.

“If I smash everyone, finish everyone, they have to give me all belts.”

UFC

Dana White Announces UFC 294 Co-Main Event

KAMARU USMAN TO FACE KHAMZAT CHIMAEV IN UFC 294 CO-MAIN EVENT

Former Welterweight Champion Replaces Paulo Costa At UFC 294; Faces Rising Star Chimaev

The UFC 294 card continued it evolution Wednesday when UFC CEO Dana White took to social media to announce a major change to the co-main event.

“You know what we’ve been dealing with this week. We just got the big fight done yesterday, the highly anticipated rematch in Abu Dhabi: Makhachev vs Volkanovski,” he said, referencing Tuesday evening’s announcement that Charles Oliveira was injured and would be replaced by the featherweight champion Volkanovski.

“Now you’ve been waiting for the co-main event. Costa’s hurt…we got it done. The No. 4 welterweight in the world, Khamzat Chimaev, is moving up to middleweight and he will face the No. 1 welterweight in the world: Kamaru Usman.”

Usman was one of the most dominant champions in UFC welterweight history before dropping the only two losses of his career back-to-back vs current champion Leon Edwards. He’ll look to build another run to the title, beginning on just 9 days notice vs Chimaev October 21.

Chimaev has become appointment viewing since joining the UFC roster in 2020. Undefeated in his 12 professional bout, with most of his wins coming within the first two rounds, his dynamic style remains a puzzle yet to be solved.

“No. 1 vs No. 4 at middleweight, Usman vs Chimaev,” White said excitedly. “I will see you in Abu Dhabi!”

UFC

CHARLES OLIVEIRA OUT, ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI IN AGAINST ISLAM MAKHACHEV AT UFC 294

Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski Replaces Injured Charles Oliveira For Lightweight Ttile Rematch Against Islam Makhachev

UFC CEO Dana White announced a change for the main event at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will step in against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev after Charles Oliveira was forced to pull out of their scheduled rematch. The main event between Makhachev and Volkanovski is a rematch of their epic duel from February at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, where Makhachev bested “The Great” via unanimous decision. 

The previous bout between Makhachev and Volkanovski was a back-and-forth affair in front of an electric Australian crowd, who were in full voice supporting their fellow countryman at UFC’s first event in Australia since October 2019. Makhachev successfully defended his title, but some believed Volkanovski did enough to earn double-champ status that night. After the fight, the two champions shared pleasantries, and Volkanovski started pining for a rematch – even saying he was keen to fight Makhachev in Abu Dhabi. 

A few months later, Volkanovski returned to the featherweight division to defend his 145-pound belt against interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at the end of International Fight Week at UFC 290. Makhachev, on the other hand, has not competed since their initial bout. Headlining UFC’s pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi for a second consecutive year, Makhachev hoped to also repeat his performance at UFC 280 when he submitted Oliveira in the second round to win the lightweight title his mentor and close friend Khabib Nurmagomedov once held. 

The disappointment for Oliveira, meanwhile, is understandably high. “Do Bronx” was adamant that he was too caught up in the intensity of the first fight with Makhachev, particularly after Oliveira was forced to vacate the title when he missed weight before knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in Arizona, and thusly underperformed.

Oliveira, never a stranger to bouncing back from adversity, showed he was still one of the best lightweights in the world when he ran through Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, snapping Dariush’s 8-fight win streak.

While one can assume the winner in Abu Dhabi will face Oliveira next, it does get a bit more complicated should Volkanovski win a second belt. That opens the door to a trilogy, a Volkanovski-Oliveira fight or even a situation involving Justin Gaethje, whom many believed earned a title shot with his epic knockout win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 for the BMF title. 

All that said, the Abu Dhabi fans are in for a treat with UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 on October 21.

(UFC)

UFC 294 Tale Of The Tape and Fight Card

TALE OF THE TAPE

Islam Makhachev

Age: 31

Record: 24-1

Height: 178cm

Reach: 179cm

Leg reach: 103cm

Alexander Volkanovski

Age: 35

Record: 26-2

Height: 168cm

Reach: 182cm

Leg reach: 91cm

THE BETTING ODDS?

Volkanovski is once again the underdog despite coming extremely close to pulling off an upset in his first fight against Makhachev.

Volkanovski to win — $3.10

Volkanovski win TKO/KO — $6.25

Volkanovski win via points/decision — $5.80

Volkanovski win via submission — $26

Makhachvev to win — $1.37

Makhachev win via TKO/KO — $6

Makhachev win via points/decision — $2.74

Makhachev win via submission — $4

Draw — $51

FULL UFC 294 CARD (ALL TIMES AEDT)

Main Card (from 5am AEDT)

Islam Makhachev (c) v Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC lightweight title

Kamaru Usman v Khamzat Chimaev — middleweight

Magomed Ankalaev v Johnny Walker — light heavyweight

Ikram Aliskerov v Warlley Alves — middleweight

Said Nurmagomedov v Muin Gafurov — bantamweight

Prelims (from 1am AEDT)

Tim Elliott v Muhammad Mokaev — flyweight

Mohammad Yahya v Trevor Peek — lightweight

Javid Basharat v Victor Henry — bantamweight

Abu Azaitar v Sedriques Dumas — middleweight

Mike Breeden v Anshul Jubli — lightweight

Nathaniel Wood v Muhammad Naimov — featherweight

Viktoriia Dudakova v Jinh Yu Frey — women’s strawweight

Shara Magomedov v Bruno Silva — middleweight

Media Man Content Blog: Media Man with Search News Media: SEO Unveils the Power of Content Marketing in Boosting SEO

Media Man Content Blog

Media Man with Search News Media: SEO Unveils the Power of Content Marketing in Boosting SEO

Greg Tingle, founder of Media Man Group

The Role of Content Marketing in SEO for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, Australia Businesses

Sydney, Australia / Media Man SEO

Media Man SEO is one of the leading search engine optimization companies in Sydney, Australia, providing top-line services to businesses seeking to improve their online presence. It's essential for Sydney businesses to have a robust online presence in today's tech-driven world, and Media Man SEO understands this better than most. 

They discovered this more than two decades ago while making the transition from blue collar into subscriber television, then into journalism, online journalism and online news, media and sports agent endeavors, and learning, teaching, promoting SEO along the way in a staged approach. 

While optimizing technical aspects is important, content marketing is critical for attracting organic traffic and boosting visibility. Media Man SEO is excited to highlight the crucial role of content marketing in enhancing SEO for businesses.

Marketing Company in Sydney, Australia

The Importance of Content Marketing for Businesses

Content marketing focuses on creating valuable and relevant content that engages the target audience, builds trust, and establishes authority. In the realm of SEO, content marketing helps search engines understand the value of a website, ultimately leading to improved rankings and increased visibility.

Understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing a website to enhance its visibility on search engine results pages. This includes various techniques such as keyword research, on-page, and technical optimization, with the ultimate goal of driving organic traffic and conversions.

How Content Marketing Supports SEO Efforts

Keyword Optimization

Creating high-quality, keyword-rich content enables businesses to target specific keywords that their audience is actively searching for.

Link Building

Informative and valuable content increases the likelihood of other websites referencing it, leading to increased visibility and authority in the eyes of search engines.

User Engagement

Engaging and informative content keeps users on a website for longer durations, reducing bounce rates and signaling to search engines that the website offers valuable information.

Content Creation in Sydney, Australia

Best Practices for Content Creation and Optimization

To maximize the benefits of content marketing in SEO, businesses should follow these best practices:

Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant keywords with high search volumes and low competition. Incorporate these keywords naturally into the content.

Focus on creating informative, engaging, and well-researched content that provides value to the target audience. Ensure the content is unique, original, and error-free.

Pay attention to meta tags, including the title tag and meta description, to provide a concise summary of the content and include relevant keywords.

Utilize heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure the content and make it more readable for both users and search engines. Include relevant keywords in the headings.

Incorporate internal links within the content to guide users to related pages on the website. Additionally, include relevant external links to reputable sources that support the content.

Local SEO Strategies for Sydney Businesses

For businesses targeting local customers, Media Man with Search News Media SEO offers specialized local SEO strategies. These strategies focus on optimizing websites to appear in local search results when users search for businesses or services in a specific location. Key components of local SEO include Google My Business, local citations, and localized content.

Marketing Company in Sydney, Australia

Choosing the Right Keywords for SEO

Selecting the right keywords is crucial for an effective SEO strategy. Businesses in Sydney can follow these steps:

Identify the target audience's needs, preferences, and search behavior.

Utilize keyword research tools, such as Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush, to identify relevant keywords with high search volumes and low competition.

Analyze competitors' websites and identify the keywords they are targeting.

Finding Reputable Search Engine Optimization Companies in Sydney, Australia

When outsourcing SEO efforts, businesses must partner with reputable and experienced search engine optimization companies in Sydney, Australia.  Media Man SEO stands out in the industry for its:

Extensive experience and expertise in search engine optimization

Transparent and ethical practices

Customized strategies tailored to each client's unique needs

For more information about Media Man SEO and its services, please visit www.mediamanint.com and www.mediaman.com.au

About Media Man SEO

Media Man SEO, one of the premier search engine optimization companies in Sydney, Australia, specializes in delivering exceptional services to businesses aiming to enhance their online presence. In today's technology-driven era, establishing a strong online presence is vital for Sydney-based enterprises, and Media Man SEO comprehends this requirement better than anyone else. While optimizing technical aspects is crucial, content marketing plays a pivotal role in attracting organic traffic and augmenting visibility. Media Man SEO is enthusiastic about highlighting the pivotal role of content marketing in advancing the search engine optimization game for businesses.

Niche Sectors include but not limited to:

Pop Culture and Streaming Entertainment

MMA/Mixed Martial Arts

Combat Sports

Pro Wrestling

Beach Lifestyle

Mind, Body and Sprit/Well-being

Gaming and Casinos

Coastal Properties and Coastal Lifestyle

Business Disruptors and Entrepreneurs

Media Man Content Blog: News

Media Man Content Blog

News

High Stakes: The ‘life-or-death’ battle over a company name

Two stars of Australia’s new economy – the similarly named share trading platform Stake and online cryptocurrency casino juggernaut stake.com – are locked in a life-or-death court battle over naming rights amid growing concerns the gambling outfit has major plans for its home country.

Stake the share platform launched legal action in the Federal Court in August seeking to enforce its trademarks and stop stake.com, a multibillion-dollar enterprise, from using that name for its business in Australia.

The fast-growing Sydney-based share trading platform, the third-largest broker in the country, alleges that the casino group stake.com has been breaking Australian consumer law and has misled consumers through the use of its brand in Australia and its marketing, including its sponsorship of the Alfa Romeo team and the sale of apparel.

Stake the share trading platform, which owns the URL stake.com.au, alleges stake.com’s use of the name in Australia has potentially led to consumers believing the two brands are related when they are not.

The share trading platform Stake, founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs Dan Silver and Matt Leibowitz, alleges there is a threat that more consumers could be misled if stake.com is allowed to continue with its plans to grow its business significantly in Australia under the brand name Stake.

The casino group, led by Melbourne-based twenty-somethings billionaires Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, is expected to seek to have the matter summarily dismissed.

A spokesperson for stake.com said: “We are aware of a frivolous claim lodged in the Federal Court by Stakeshop, which in part claims that our global Formula One team sponsorship impinges on their ability to sell trucker hats.”

“We are proud of the global stake.com brand. As a group, we abide by the laws of the countries in which we operate, and do not offer our stake.com platform to Australian customers. We believe the claim has no legal merit and will vigorously defend our rights.”

The court case has shed new light on stake.com’s expansion plans for Australia, where it remains blocked to Australian users.

Court documents reveal the casino group has sought to buy the stake.com.au website from the sharemarket trading platform business. According to the court documents, the casino group has also registered several Australian website domains for its Australian expansion and applied to register a slew of trademarks including Stake Australia, Stake Bet and Stake Casino.

The Federal Court action comes after years of simmering tensions between the two groups over the use of stake.com’s name in Australia.

Stake.com was established in 2017 but flew under the radar in Australia until late 2021, when this masthead revealed the local origins of the business that had grown to be one of world’s largest online casinos, processing hundreds of billions of bets on sports, virtual table games and online slot machines.

In early 2022, stake.com signed hip-hop megastar Drake as its lead ambassador. Later in 2022 it signed a multi-year deal to become lead jersey sponsor for English Premier League team Everton FC as well as its sponsorship of Alfa Romeo’s F1 team.

The significant increase in stake.com’s marketing and media presence was noticed at the share trading platform group that built its user base during the COVID-inspired boom in Gen Y and Gen Z investors, thanks in part to its ultra-low cost brokerage fee model, savvy marketing and the broadening into other financial services including a superannuation product.

A spokesman for Stake the share trading platform said that since the group was founded in Australia it had built a client base of more than 500,000 and more than $2.5 billion in assets under management.

“Over the past six years, we have established a trusted and culturally relevant Australian brand that reflects our dedication to meeting customer needs. It permeates all parts of our business, spanning products, content, internal culture, customer interactions and much more, making it our most valuable asset. We are committed to protecting the Stake brand and the high level of consumer trust associated with it,” the spokesman said.

“We are concerned by the threatened use of the Stake brand in Australia by stake.com in relation to gambling, casino and sports betting services, due to the potential for customer confusion and damage to our brand and reputation.”

Stake.com is not available in Australia but according to court documents, the group is already making arrangements for a major expansion in this country and is seeking a sports betting licence.

In October 2022, stake.com casino executive Brais Pena Sanchez contacted Stake share trading founder Silver on LinkedIn and arranged a video conference meeting where the pair discussed Stake the share platform selling its Australian URL, stake.com.au, to the Curacao-registered, Australian-operated casino group.

During those discussions, Sanchez – the casino group’s chief strategy officer – informed Silver that stake.com planned to launch in Australia under the name Stakebet, or similar, according to court documents. A deal never ensued and the website remains owned by the share trading platform.

Tensions flared again in early 2023 after stake.com the casino was announced as the new team sponsor for Formula 1 team Alfa Romeo, sparking a flurry of legal letters between the two groups ahead of the Melbourne race.

According to the court documents, the casino group’s lawyers assured the share trading Stake that it would not use its logo in conjunction with the Melbourne Grand Prix and did not intend to display the name on any vehicles or uniforms or as part of the Alfa Romeo team name.

However, the share trading Stake alleges that during the four days of the Grand Prix, Stake casino logos appeared on banners for official team merchandise, the team display and on signs at the event and in the race program.

In May, Stake.com was applying to register a large number of new trademarks for goods and services. This included Stake Australia, Stake Bookie, Stake Betting, Stake Gaming, Stake Esports, Stake Casino, Stake Sportsbook, Stake Bet, Stake Punt, Stake Sports, Stake Pokes and Stake Slots.

The casino group has also registered a series of Australian website names under the “.au” domain including stakebet.au; stakecasino.au, stakesports.au and playstake.au.

The case continues.

Crown to launch digital self-exclusion scheme for casinos - July 2023

People with gambling problems will be able to ban themselves from Crown casinos over the internet instead of having to do so in person, as part of a wider overhaul of the group’s approach to harm minimisation.

Crown Resorts’ new safer gambling program also includes the establishment of a dedicated gambling policy team, which will monitor customer playing behaviour and create interventions to better prevent gambling harm from occurring.

Crown boss Ciaran Carruthers joined the business last year following an overhaul of Crown’s management, after a series of bruising inquiries into the company. Carruthers, who has led other global casino groups including Wynn Macau, said the new leadership of Crown was committed to making gambling safer, even if it meant less turnover in its casinos.

“I have been in this business for 34 years and I can tell you – no one does this,” Carruthers said.

“It is critically important to me that when I look at the long-term viability of this business that people see our resorts as entertainment to enjoy safely.”

Under the changes, customers will be able to block themselves from entering a Crown casino through a new digital self-exclusion portal. Those who wanted to ban themselves from Crown venues were previously required to visit, in person, a designated responsible gambling centre run by the group.

The group has also moved to cashless gaming at Crown Melbourne and Crown Sydney – a condition of its temporary gaming licences in NSW and Victoria– as well as introducing $10 maximum bet limits on poker machines at Crown Perth. The technological overhaul required to facilitate the changes has so far cost the business $13 million.

Carruthers pointed to changes Crown has already made which go beyond government regulation, such as encouraging customers to take breaks every three hours, as an indicator of its commitment to shifting problem gambling patterns.

The group said it wanted to establish advisory panels to work with state regulators and community groups to improve gambling harm education and share its research.

Carruthers conceded some aspects of its new approach to harm minimisation, called Crown PlaySafe, would not be welcomed by heavy gamblers. But he argued the changes would make the casinos more appealing to the general public.

Crown’s new head of gambling policy research, Dr Jamie Wiebe, said the most critical shift in the groups gambling policy was a move away from harm minimisation to prevention.

“We want to prevent a problem from ever happening,” she said.

The new program was unveiled just weeks after the Federal Court determined Crown will pay one of the biggest penalties in Australian corporate history to the financial crimes watchdog, after past anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism failings in its Perth and Melbourne casinos.

The $450 million fine is about five per cent of Crown’s last listed market capitalisation before it was taken private by Blackstone Capital for $8.9 billion in May last year.

In 2019, an investigation by this masthead and 60 Minutes revealed Crown had been infiltrated by international criminal syndicates and money launderers.

Crown was forced to overhaul its board, management and procedures to satisfy the regulators, who approved a conditional licence for Crown to operate its Barangaroo casino in June 2022. The conditional licence is valid until the end of this year.

Carruthers said the integrated hospitality offerings at Crown meant the casino could afford to embrace the shift.

“I want people to enjoy the experience of our casinos whether they’re coming for dining, casino or retail. I’m fairly agnostic across which one of those experience or how many of those experiences you want to enjoy,” he said.

Reclusive Sydney gambling mogul emerges as kingmaker in South Africa - September 2023

Reclusive online gambling mogul Martin Moshal is playing an increasingly influential role in a push to oust the South African government.

Mr Moshal, who lives on the exclusive Sydney Harbour row of Camp Cove alongside shopping centre billionaire Steven Lowy, is not on many rich lists but has made a fortune from online casino technology.

Herman Mashaba is the leader of ActionSA, one of a handful of opposition parties Mr Moshal has backed in the lead up to the 2024 South African national election. Mr Mashaba, known for taking a tough line on immigration and endorsing hard labour for prisoners, is hoping the gambling tycoon will continue his support.

“I wish he won’t give up on us and help us democratically remove the [incumbent African National Congress] and bring about a peaceful transition... please help ActionSA,” Mr Mashaba said in an interview with The Australian Financial Review.

“I have been lucky to have known Martin long before I went into politics,” he added. “I approached him and he was willing to back me up because he knows me as a capitalist... Martin was one of the first to come to the party.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s social democratic African National Congress party is set to come under pressure next year amid South Africa’s dire economic troubles. A senior party official has warned the country could become a failed state.

Mr Moshal is the largest individual political donor in South Africa in the last two years. He has given 46.5 million rand ($3.8 million), according to electoral records analysed by My Vote Counts, a non-profit advocating for more transparency in politics.

“Given the amounts donated it has become clear to us he now has a large stake in our politics,” said Robyn Pasensie, a researcher at the organisation.

The size of Mr Moshal’s wealth is unknown. He is extremely private and only admitted to his ownership of online gambling giant Betway after UK journalists traced his ownership back to offshore trusts. Mr Moshal did not respond to a request for comment.

Aside from ActionSA, Mr Moshal has donated to the Democratic Alliance (DA), Build One South Africa and said he also intends to support the Inkatha Freedom Party. Mr Moshal is ActionSA’s biggest backer. The Australian Financial Review is not suggesting Mr Moshal supports the party’s policies.

“I’m not saying these parties are all perfect, but we shouldn’t let perfect be the enemy of good... They are all far better than the government we have today,” Mr Moshal told The Jewish Report earlier this year.

“Pirkei Avot was my late dad – John Moshal’s – favourite part of the Talmud within which Rabbi Tarfon is quoted as saying, ‘It’s not up to you to finish the task, but you aren’t free to avoid it’.”

Mr Moshal said he believed South Africa needed a new government and was on its way to becoming a failed state.

“[This is a] government that’s corrupt, cannot provide basic security and opportunity to its citizens... we need the change of government and leadership that these parties can provide.”

ActionSA is known for advocating for life sentences and hard labour for serious offenders and also wants to repeal the ANC’s Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy, a form of affirmative action introduced post-apartheid.

“Martin knows my views on racial policies and how dangerous they are,” said Mr Mashaba, who started off in business and was the founder of African hair care brand, Black Like Me.

ActionSA has also been vocal on immigration, views labelled as “xenophobic” by some critics and politicians.

“We recognise that South Africa was built... on the back of migrants,” said Mr Mashaba. “But they must come here legally... you break our laws, we will send you back to your country, the country where you came from.”

One of South Africa’s main economic problems is mismanagement and corruption inside the country’s electricity utility Eskom. The utility has been forced to implement rolling blackouts, which have further stymied economic growth.

“If Eskom cannot run on a commercial basis then it must die a natural death,” Mr Mashaba said, adding changes were needed to give other companies the opportunity to compete.

Mr Moshal’s Entrée Capital is one of Israel’s most active funds in the Israeli VC space. He is the beneficiary of a trust which is the largest individual shareholder in Super Group, which became the parent of Betway and online casino brand Spin after a 2022 listing. The group reported net gaming revenue of €1.3 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2022.

“Moshal is one of the least visible betting entrepreneurs in the world,” Guardian reporter Rob Davis wrote in his book Jackpot: How Gambling Conquered Britain.

“Moshal made much of his fortune from his home in Durban where he patented a series of technological solutions for the online gambling world and developed them via his company Microgaming. The company has since become one of the industry’s leading software players”

A philanthropist, he sits on the capital management advisory committee of Sydney’s Moriah College, alongside Steven Lowy and former Babcock & Brown chief executive Phil Green. He is also a life trustee of the Moriah Foundation and previously donated to Israel’s SpaceIL project attempting to land spacecraft on the moon.

SkyCity puts aside $45m for potential AUSTRAC penalty - August 2023

SkyCity Entertainment set aside $45 million for a penalty if it is convicted of breaches of anti-money laundering and counterterrorism laws.

The financial crimes watchdog, AUSTRAC, lodged proceedings against SkyCity in December over alleged serious and systemic non-compliance with the laws at its Adelaide casino.

SkyCity said on Monday it was difficult to determine the size and timing of the penalty, given the proceedings are in the early stages. But it decided to lodge a $45 million provision on the basis that each breach attracts a maximum civil penalty of between $18 million and $22.2 million.

“Estimating the potential exposure to penalties with any degree of accuracy at this stage of that ongoing process remains challenging, particularly given the outcome is highly dependent on a range of factors which are not yet known,” a statement said.

AUSTRAC has alleged “serious noncompliance” with anti-money laundering laws against SkyCity, claiming the company allowed 59 suspicious patrons to churn more than $4 billion in dirty cash through its Adelaide casino. The independent review is on hold because of the Federal Court action.

The company cut full-year earnings expectations at an investor day in May, with a slowdown in revenue from the international business and rising legal and compliance costs related to a crackdown on money laundering weighing on its bottom line. Analysts have provisioned about $50 million for the AUSTRAC fine, but there is no guarantee that will be enough.

In late May, SkyCity announced it would hire an independent expert to review its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism programs. It is still waiting for South Australia’s investigation into whether it should hold a casino licence to recommence.

“Judgements in civil penalty proceedings bought by AUSTRAC to date demonstrate that the Court’s determination of the appropriate penalty ... is very specific to the fact in each case and that the Court will have regard to a broad range of factors,” SkyCity said.

SkyCity’s provision announcement coincided with a $45.6 million write-down of the Adelaide casino licence, which was attributed to the value and timing of future discounted cash flows.

The company said the impairment and provision were non-cash and would not affect earnings for fiscal year 2023. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation remain in line with guidance of $NZ300 million ($276.6 million) to $NZ310 million.

SkyCity’s provision comes a month after the federal court agreed on rival casino operator Crown’s $450 million fine for breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws. The fine is being paid over a two-year period without interest.

Shares closed on Friday at $2.09.

Hotel room rates plummet for F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend - September 2023

Hotel room rates for Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend have fallen by nearly 60 percent in some cases since they were first posted last fall. But an industry expert says that does not necessarily mean interest in the event is failing to meet expectation.

When select Las Vegas resorts in November 2022 opened their booking schedules for race weekend, listed prices were as high as they have been seen in the city’s history. While still at higher than normal rates, a major decrease has occurred.

When a drop in booking pace occurs, it automatically triggers revenue management systems to suggest the lowering of room rates, according to Dr. Mehmet Erdem, professor of hotel operations and technology at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.

Pennsylvania online casinos cross $5 billion in lifetime revenue - September 2023

Business is booming in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State is the clear market leader when it comes to online casino revenue within the US. After August’s total of $171.9 million, Pennsylvania surpassed the $5 billion threshold for lifetime revenue.

Pennsylvania online casinos are constantly upgrading and adding new content, and customers are responding. It doesn’t appear the market will be slowing down anytime soon, either.

Pennsylvania has set the US online casino revenue record four times over the last 11 months, and almost did so again. August’s revenue total of $171.9 million came second to March’s figure of $181.5 million. It was the second-best month of all time for any state with legal online casinos.

Atlantic City: Five-year turnaround of Ocean Casino Resort among city’s greatest successes - September 2023

In the winter of 2019, if any New Jersey sportsbook had tried to offer odds on the Atlantic City casino hotel then known as Ocean Resort Casino making it through another summer, no gambler in their right mind would have taken the bet.

Fast forward to the end of summer 2023, and the property now called Ocean Casino Resort is one of the city’s best performers. In fact, an argument can be made that Ocean’s rise to the upper echelon of the Atlantic City casino market is the most remarkable turnaround of any gambling parlor in history.

From its failed origins as Revel Casino Hotel to its seemingly doomed trajectory in February 2019, the $2.4 billion casino at the north end of the AC Boardwalk felt almost cursed (if you believe in that kind of stuff). But, apparently, the gambling gods decided Ocean was deserving of a better fate.

Once shunned by casino operators, responsible gaming campaign turns 25

At a time when problem gambling matters were rarely mentioned in gaming company boardrooms, Harrah’s Entertainment decided the issue needed to be raised on casino floors.

But it wasn’t just rival corporate executives that looked askance at the idea of employees learning how to spot signs that a customer might have a gambling problem.

“Our own lawyers tried to block it,” recalled Jan Jones Blackhurst, who was then a Harrah’s senior vice president. With the support of company CEO Phil Satre, she led Harrah’s launch of the casino industry’s first responsible gaming initiative in the mid-1990s.

“We had employees that wanted to be educated on the subject. They wanted to be able to help,” said Jones Blackhurst, who completed two terms as Las Vegas mayor before joining Harrah’s. “Maybe because I came out of politics. You have a responsibility to your communities, your customers and your employees. We believed it was the right thing to do.”

Sportsbooks ratchet up targeted advertising at start of NFL season

Shortly after the NFL forged authorized gaming partnerships with a host of leading sportsbooks in the 2021 offseason, operators began flooding the airwaves with a series of humorous spots that featured celebrities hawking their products.

Caesars Sportsbook spent lavishly on an ad package starring the Manning Brothers and actor J.B. Smoove as the eponymous emperor. During Super Bowl LVII last February, Kevin Hart expressed his displeasure for “taking the under” in a DraftKings spot while standing mere feet from WWE wrestler The Undertaker. Another commercial from FanDuel featured a live field goal attempt by former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, one that drifted wide left of the upright at the last second.

Former lieutenant governor calls for Nevada Gaming Commission cyber briefing after MGM and Caesars hacks - September 2023

In light of cyberattacks on MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, former Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, now a Nevada Gaming Commission member, called for a briefing on the hacking incident to shed more light on what happened and how it can be prevented in the future.

The suggestion comes the same day the Massachusetts Gaming Commission met in executive session “to consider information related to an MGM cybersecurity issue.” It held a similar closed meeting on Monday.

After it returned to the public session on Thursday, the Commission entered into an executive session regarding security at MGM Springfield, according to the Commission agenda.

Krolicki made his comments at the end of Thursday’s five-hour meeting of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Since it was made during the public comment session, the commission could not take up the matter, but it’s likely the issue will return to the Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board at some point.

In the latest cyberattack that started being felt Sept. 10 and went into this week, hackers knocked slot machines out of commission and created havoc with ATMs and computer systems. MGM, which is reported by a Wall Street analyst to have lost between $4.2 million and $8.4 million a day with the hack, said its systems were operating normally across their properties nationwide as of Wednesday. Caesars reported it was hacked in late August and had customer information stolen but paid a $15 million ransom that avoided any shutdowns.

In December, the Commission approved cybersecurity regulations for the state’s gaming industry to protect operators’ information systems from attacks that could shutter casinos and compromise customer data. The rules went into effect Jan. 1. That approval came right after BetMGM reported that its customers’ personal information – including Social Security numbers – was obtained in an unauthorized manner and included information on their transactions.

In the regulations, casinos were required to do a risk assessment of their systems by the end of 2023 and take any necessary steps on an ongoing basis to ward off an attack. If any breach was successful that compromised player data, credit card information and other records, including that of employees, properties would be required to report it to gaming regulators within 72 hours.

“It would be important and enlightening given the recent events of the past week regarding cyber security and ransomware in particular at MGM and our friends at Caesars and look at how it impacts our world and regulatory responsibilities,” Krolicki said, later adding,  “I think at some point in time when there’s the energy and understanding of what just happened if we could get some kind of briefing of what transpired that’s appropriate for public record and perhaps policies going forward of how do we avoid these things and if they do happen whether the reporting schemes on whether it was immediately reported to the Gaming Control Board. There are a lot of questions and a lot of publicity. It’s a global story, and I just think it would behoove all of us to get a good handle on what just happened.”

The Nevada Gaming Control Board released a statement on Sept. 13 saying Gov. Joe Lombardo and the board “are monitoring the cybersecurity incident with MGM Resorts and are in communication with company executives. Additionally, the Nevada Gaming Control Board remains in communication with other law enforcement agencies.”

Casino consultant Brendan Bussmann, managing partner of B Global, which tracks gaming boards and commissions, said the Massachusetts hearing won’t be the last and expects states across the country to hold similar sessions wanting to hear from MGM executives.

“Nevada is the second regulator that I know has raised their hand on this after Massachusetts,” Bussmann said. “It should be about what happened and how it happened, which should be considered confidential information. This is going to be a question that every regulator for both commercial gaming and tribal gaming is going to be concerned about. Since we’re still trying to figure out what happened, then we can see what tools we need as an industry to beef up our efforts on cyber-related events.”

While everyone is focused today on MGM and Caesars, this is not the first cyber attack, Bussmann said.

“This can go back to the Las Vegas Sands attacks in 2014 from the Iranians and any other data breaches that happened between then and now,” Bussmann said. “I would expect every state at a minimum has MGM and Caesars in it to at least say what happened and what can we do regulatory to help this and what can we do with testing and what can we do IT and host of things.”

Bussmann said the regulators can’t be reactionary but instead should get evidence on how it happened and use the best resources outside of the casino industry, such as security firms, to do it right.

“There’s no one better suited to regulate Nevada on this issue than the Gaming Control Board in working with law enforcement partners across the country,” Bussmann said.