This week Prague City announced major plans as they prepare to approve a complete slot machine ban! The City Council voted to approve a decree that bans all technical gambling games which includes slot machines that are in the Czech Republic’s capital city. This ban will take effect from 2024.

Ban on Slot Machines

This is big news for residents of the city who enjoy slots machines as the decree was given the green light by lawmakers. It will prohibit mechanical, electromechanical and electronic games which includes slot machines and video lottery terminals.
However, regardless of the news operators will still be able to run casino venues which offer live gaming services within 16 city districts across Prague as long as they permit this form of legal gambling.

A decree has been issued that slot machines will be banned in the city of Prague as of 2024.

This new decree is just the latest piece of legislation that has been introduced with an aim of clamping down on problem gambling in the region and in fact the Czech wider market too.
Prague councillor Hana Kordová Marvanová said "In Prague, we decided to follow the path of a blanket ban on slot machines throughout the city, because we set ourselves the goal of reducing the most dangerous forms of gambling, which include playing slot machines,”
“Statistics show that limiting the availability of gambling has a significant positive impact in the area of negative social phenomena, such as pathological gambling or non-payment.”

Previous Legislation

Back in 2007 a decree also set out the places and times where gambling was permitted in the city. This included 16 of the city’s 57 districts allowed to offer gambling, legally.
Since this was enforced the number of approved gambling locations in the city has actually plummeted from 1,422 to just 101 official casino establishments. Also falling in numbers was the number of gambling terminals reducing from 15,934 in January of 2010 to 3,995 as of August this year.
2016 also saw the Czech Republic’s Gambling Act set out a series of new measures which included a ban on the advertising of gambling and new taxes in the industry. Other cities outside of Prague have also implemented an outright ban on all forms of technical gambling.

Impacting Revenue

The new ban will naturally impact revenue in the city Kordová Marvanová said prohibition is expected to result in a CZK400m (£13.8­m/€­15.0­m/­$17.8m) drop in annual tax income for the city.

Tackling Problem Gambling

“We have promised all parts of the city that they do not have to worry about the loss of revenue from taxes on technical games, which they have so far used to finance public needs such as culture, education, sport or social affairs,”
Kordová Marvanová added “Therefore, together with the approval of the decree, the task of compensating the City Council for possible loss of income so that the financing needs of important public activities do not suffer was also approved.”
The new gambling exclusion register has also been launched which forms part of the wider effort in the country in order to tackle problem gambling and help protect those who are the most vulnerable from gambling related harm.
The register allows players to voluntarily self-exclude from all forms of gambling. It also allows authorities to place people on the register, such as those on welfare, those who are bankrupt and those who have received treatment for gambling addiction.

Locked at home in self-isolation after testing positive with coronavirus in the middle of March, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky spent 12 hours a day on the phone running his businesses. He still found time to scour around for new investments as markets around the world tumbled.
The owner of Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding AS, a $7.7 billion conglomerate with interests ranging from power plants to media, Kretinsky is coy about what he found, but insists there are promising assets worth a closer look. That’s a fitting approach for a man known for scooping up energy companies across Europe and investments in German wholesaler Metro AG and French retailer Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA.
“We see opportunities already now,” Kretinsky, who has since recovered from the virus, said in an emailed response to questions. “We are already investing as we simply believe that the current market is undervaluing certain very interesting and important companies.”
As the pandemic crushes businesses and industries with lockdowns and closures that sap revenue, east-European companies such as software and gaming enterprises and home-delivery retailers are emerging as the potential winners of the fast-changing economic environment. On the Warsaw stock exchange, game developer CD Projekt SA has become the most valuable company. Similarly, Croatia’s Infobip d.o.o. and Belgrade’s UiPath Inc. are looking at ways to expand even during the worst market downturn in decades.
“I think you will have some investors who will panic and it’s going to deter some investors, especially the myopic ones,” said Marian Bocek, the co-founder of London-registered asset manager IPM Group. “But the long-term investors see this as an opportunity. If you see it, this may be the biggest opportunity since the Internet boom of the 1990s.”
Kretinsky, 44, who began his investment career as a lawyer in a local private-equity group J&T two decades ago, is among a handful of central European billionaires whose wealth doesn’t originate in the privatization schemes of the 1990s. He did partner up, though, with Petr Kellner, the richest person in the European Union’s eastern wing, to start up his own firm about 11 years ago.
Since then, a debt-fueled acquisition spree turned EPH from a small Czech utility into one of the biggest power companies in central Europe and Kretinsky into a high-profile dealmaker who is now worth $1.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. EPH had revenue of 7 billion euros in 2018 and valued its assets in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Hungary and Poland at about 13.3 billion euros.
Kretinsky’s portfolio includes Prague’s premier soccer team, Sparta, and the publishing house of Czech most-read tabloid Blesk. Together with partners, he also owns minority stakes German media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE and French newspaper Le Monde.
Kretinsky says all his investments are naturally affected by the global pandemic, although to a varying degree. Among businesses doing well is e-commerce, which is flooded by millions of online orders after lockdowns shut non-essential shops.
On the other hand, he said media businesses are suffering more and the industry should be eligible for some form of the state support. The core energy assets have been impacted to a “lesser extent, given the essential nature of our services,” Kretinsky said.

Rational Voice

Even in retail, the effects of the crisis differ. Metro wasn’t hit in the first few weeks, but closures of hotels, restaurants and bars in France, Italy and Spain will be “very painful.” On the other hand, Casino seems to have been buoyed as it provides vital services to the French society, he said.
As businesses and governments hunker down across Europe, Kretinsky sees the role of corporate leaders to bring a rational voice to the public debate. Any crisis is a good opportunity for costs savings and optimizations, but a moderate approach should now prevail, according to Kretinsky.
“Those who will not react enough will lose all or a lot, but those who will over-react will lose as well, potentially a lot,” said the billionaire, who counts the 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes among his favorite authors.
The length of the shutdowns will determine the impact on businesses and economies, he said, adding that there is also a potential psychological risk as fear-driven consumer behavior could bring “deep structural changes.”
Efforts to deploy the right solutions are being complicated by wrong public perception of the coronavirus risks, Kretinsky said. And while the pandemic is a serious problem, he sees the numbers showing that it isn’t a life-or-death threat for standard population with no important underlying health problems.
“The fight or war against the coronavirus is hence not a war to safe mankind or millions,” he said. “This is a war to prevent avoidable deaths.”
By Lenka Ponikelska and James M Gomez — With assistance by Alexander Sazonov - Bloomberg

Previous LogsThe JobPart 1: Converting STATsPart 2: Converting Skills, Cyberware, and Items
Welcome back to the Eurotour, choombas.
In the third installment of this trainwreck conversion, I have one (1) present and one (1) review of Eurotour. But before we get started, let's go over the basics.
As a reminder:

• Remember that our goal is to run Eurotour with RED's Jumpstart rules, not retrofit the entirety of RED or upgrade 2020 (the full rules will handle that, ideally). This means making some sacrifices and playing fast and loose with the Rule of Law (but you Edgerunners ought to be used to that. ;)
• I've got my way of doing things as a Ref, and it works for me. That doesn't mean it'll jive with you easily or that everything I do will work for everyone. Take what works, tweak what doesn't, and discard the rest if you've gotta.
• I'm in uncharted Netspace here, so if you've got a better idea or catch something odd in the data, hash it out to me in the comments.
• Lastly, there will be MAJOR spoilers for Eurotour here.

And now, onto the show.

A Gift, For You

I did promise, and I shall deliver. The Tour Crew's converted stats, skills, cyber, and weapons can be found on this lovely PDF. Savvy eyed readers may notice that some characters lack a lot of their skills. The Tour Crew in Eurotour were designed as fully kitted characters for the Referee's benefit. Their backstories, secrets, vices, and hobbies are all on display via their sheets (Entropy's business mind, Clement's "early retirement" plan, Kessler's lack of education, etc.). The best part of the old sheets as a Ref is that you don't need their mechanics, just their information. Unless you're excessively meticulous, Jack Entropy isn't going to be rolling his Stock Market skill every hour on the hour. At worst, you need to know what happens if they get into a fight (which, for most of them, is not much). The PDF conversion of these stats will help with that, but they are barebones for a reason. Their gifts and talents can still be found in Eurotour, so go get a copy and start reading.
And when you're ready, read on to the review. I've got some choice words for this thing.

EUROTOUR - The Premise

In the off-chance you've missed all the headlines, vids, and ads for it, Jack Entropy's Total Entropy Tour is kicking off in Europe in 2021, taking the shining star of the music world from Liverpool, UK, to Copenhagen, Denmark. But not everyone is as hyped for the pyrotechnics he's bringing, with some governments and corporations fearful of the anti-corp sentiments of his songs and of the fervent fans that eagerly answer his calls for rebellion. And in the Dark Future of *checks notes* 2021, if you've got the money, murder is always an option.
Unfortunately for Entropy, one of his own crew is planning to kill him. And it's only a matter of time before they get their chance...
Eurotour is a short campaign that finds the PCs hired as roadies, stagehands, and bodyguards for Jack Entropy during his last tour in Europe. This star's going to burn out, but if the players pick up on the clues, maybe they can keep him alive. Or fail terribly.
These six adventures can be run without the additional dressing of the tour, and they can also act as intros to each locale for groups that enjoy a slower pace. With the tour, however, the party will also be given a bunch of clues that lead up to one last showdown 30,000 feet in the air.
While I plan on going deeper into each adventure as I run them through my RPG Conversion Machine^TM, today's post will take a quick look at each as part of Eurotour and as individual stories. Starting with...

The First Night - Paper Chase

And I do mean "The First Night," as not three hours after Entropy's first show in Liverpool, the PCs are asked to go find out where he's run off to. Turns out he can get into a lot of trouble in a few hours.
First, he and the techie Tinker (both at least a little high) ran off to a casino in Little Hong Kong to make a quick buck, but they got caught cheating the e-roulette.
Then Jack ditched Tinker to run off to a new night club while being chased by the Seven Feathers mafia. While there, he steals a BMW...
Which he immediately crashes. Stumbling from the wreckage, Jack interrupts a drug deal between two nomad groups, buys some Synthcoke (which he partakes of), and tries to hold up a pub, starting a bar brawl.
The party catches up to him as he's stumbling into a duel between the Galvanized Roses and the Dancing Demons, to which he "intervenes" by shooting one of the Demons. Cue a melee and the police showing up soon after, and you've got a four-way battle with one objective: get Entropy out of it in one piece.
This adventure is, to put it simply, bonkers. And it is by far my favorite from the whole book. From the get-go, the party is introduced to the diva antics of Entropy, the brutal world of Cyberpunk UK (Post-Brexit?), and a chain of events that tells a complete story while leaving some breadcrumbs for the party to follow. And it can also work as a solid one-off adventure in itself with little effort.

"Flush Johnny Silverhandle" - European Graffiti

Jack Entropy's antics in Liverpool pisses off a lot of people in the up-and-up, so the tour skips over the Channel to Brussels, Belgium, for the next leg of the tour. Though the Main Man is on "house arrest" by the rest of the crew, he asks the players to do something...unofficial for some extra pay.
The job is to find a French artist to paint an Entropy ad on the side of the unfinished New Age Office Building, one of the largest in Brussels. Sounds simple, but nothing is. The artist is hiding from Biotechnica after a different graffiti stunt, and the team's inquiry into his whereabouts falls on the ears of a Goldengirl who wants to get back together with her old flame. And what she wants, she's got the money and muscle to get.
If the party can get the artist out of there, then there's the other issue: getting into the building. That's right, gato, it's a heist! Well, no one is stealing anything, but it's still breaking and entering with extra steps! The party has to figure out how to infiltrate the building with the artist and his assistants, cover him while he's working, and get out. And there are the predictable complications that occur when getting out, but there's an added twist: Entropy (and his marketing director Clements) forbid the party from using lethal force to keep the heat off the crew.
Where Paper Chase was a Hangover-style runaround with a rather direct path, European Graffiti slows things down and lets the party take things at their own pace (within reason, as the first show in Brussels takes place in 24 hours). The hunt for the artist puts the party in familiar territory (another hunt for a person) but throws the massive curveball of the heist in the second half that will require a few Mission: Impossible musical cues and Neuromancer vibes. And the non-lethal requirement of the mission forces more trigger-happy parties to work outside their comfort zone. No one wants to get caught in a firefight without a gun.
Though European Graffiti isn't as tied to the characters and overarching plot of the Entropy Tour as Paper Chase, it's major job is to introduce Continental Europe's glitzy lifestyle and the strict crackdown on the Night City/Liverpool "Blood and Chrome" way of handling disputes. Players will have to choose between following the letter of the Law (which keeps the well-funded and -armed military police off of them) or settling things quicker with a three-round burst of lead that can lock a PC up for good.
When in Europe...

No Do-overs - Trapped Animal

While the adventures are a little light on conversations between the PCs and the Tour Crew, hopefully everyone's had a chance to really sit down and chat. Maybe a player really gets attached to Tammi-Lu, Entropy's girlfriend(?), and wants her to do better than that dick. Or perhaps a solo starts hanging out with Kessler, swapping war stories and sharing cigs in between shows.
Unfortunately for the latter, Kessler bites it in this one.
As the PCs arrive in Paris, Kessler accompanies the gang as security detail for Entropy, who proceeds to get himself infatuated with one Beatrice. As they agree to meet up for breakfast the next day (and possibly have a stint in the bathroom), Kessler tells the team that he and the lady used to work together and that if she's here, Jack's in trouble.
He's right, which he proves when he meets up with Beatrice in Jack's place and is sniped by an unknown assailant. The party is tasked with investigating Kessler's death, finding Beatrice, and putting a stop to the assassin before they strike again.
A murder mystery adventure! While not a difficult mission, this one is heavily centered on the Eurotour storyline and depends on getting the players to care (or at least know) the rest of the Tour Crew going in. A party that could care less about characters won't find their heartstrings tugged here. On the other hand, this mission could give the crew the motivation they need (and the clues required) to keep on the hunt for the other mystery (who's trying to kill Entropy?).

Explosive Finish - Menace in Venice

Two words: Bomb Plot.
Short version: one of the biggest corporations in Venice plans to blow up Jack Entropy and blame a rival corp for the act.
Long version: Ace, the head of security for the tour, brings the party to Venice's police headquarters to meet up with the head of Wortrac-Italy, who claims that their German rivals Seal GmbH are puppeting the local eco-terrorist and anti-tourist organization to assassinate Entropy for his anti-German rhetoric. In actuality, Wortac is the one pulling the strings, and Seal is trying to put a stop to it.
After the party dodges an attempt on their own lives, they once again go mystery-solving. Unlike Trapped Animal's clean-cut ending, this adventure--like Venice's winding canals--can go just about anywhere. One party might fight their way through the eco-terrorists Salvare Venezia, get the names of their members that infiltrated the construction crew, get the location of the bomb, and desperately race against time to cut the right wires. Another could figure out the Wortrac connection and attempt a net-run into the Corp's servers, leading them to the location of the solo running the assassination op. Or the party could persuade the general manager Jimenez to cancel the show and hunt for the bomb at the cost of a week's pay, only for the mystery assailant of the campaign to have more chances to cause a mishap for Entropy.
This one might be a headache to run (and to read), but it covers a lot more contingencies for the players' actions and provides the options for the players to end the story how they want to.
Well, I say "end the story," because I plan on ending Eurotour here when I run it. This is partly to time constraints, but it's also because the next two adventures... Well, let me show you.

SideQuest Central - Touring the Margin

Due to the sheer number of attempts at Entropy's life (and the general violence used in stopping said attempts), a bunch of cities drop out of the tour. Clements sends the party to Sweden in an attempt to set up a series of shows in the untapped ScandBloc countries, which could make up for all the lost revenue (and the general clean up from the party's messes).
When the party arrives, their contact turns up missing, kidnapped by a rival rock group. Following the trail, the group rescues the VIP, who then gets them in touch with two promoters. One is a kindly old lady who can set them up with a risky but potentially lucrative show that could be the best of Entropy's career. The other is a typical corp offering a typical deal for a typical rate.
If the party doesn't immediately jump onto the corp's safe bet, he tries to bribe one of the characters with 10,000 eb and the promise of more. If that fails, he takes the typical corp approach... and threatens to break some kneecaps. After a showdown later... that's it. That's the adventure in a nutshell.
Compared to the previous four adventures, Touring the Margin hopes to slow things down for the party, and it succeeds. If anything, this adventure works best as an opportunity for the party to explore some personal quests, talk to the Tour Crew, and explore a rather unique part of Europe. This would also be a perfect spot to ramp up the "mystery assailant" angle of the adventure. But it does feel more like a sidequest, much more so than European Graffiti did. The story is very straight forward, but there are plenty of points where the party is just kind of waiting for things to happen rather than being proactive.
While it matches the adventure's goals and style (the general plot is music business at its finest), the lack of extreme danger might be a good change of pace... or the party will be more than a little antsy to "get on with it."
They might be disappointed in what "it" is.

Seriously, Why? - Plundering Praha

The final stop in the Total Entropy Tour is Prague (also known as Praha), and not long after landing, the party figures out that things are not well in the state of the Czech Republic. Civil war is about to break out, and the team is "persuaded" to join a deadly heist for the Czech crown jewels. Why? Because reasons. Honestly, the PCs have no way to wiggle out of the job that's forced on them. Remember my note about wanting players to be proactive? This is not that. This "You do what the Ref tells you to do or die."
And the end result? Absolutely nothing of importance to the Tour, the Party, or the overall plot. The whole venture just... happens.
But it wouldn't be a rock tour without one last show, and stapled to the beginning and end of Plundering Praha is Jack Entropy's last gig. Unlike every other adventure, Plundering Praha gets really meticulous about introducing the many, many, many complications and mishaps occurring as the show rises to its crescendo. And just as Entropy hits the final act, the metaphorical sh*t hits the metaphorical fan. That civil war set dressing? It sets off, with planes, mercenaries, and warring factions paying more attention to each other than the stadium.
That doesn't stop the crew from making one last attempt to get to the airport and steal a jet out of there. Yes, we've hit the big finish, where the party and the Tour Crew must evade an invading military coup and get the hell out of Prague! That one solo who has been itching for a firefight finally gets their wish, and it is not an easy fight either.
Here's my problem with this ending, though. It, again, heavily relies on forcing the party into a situation where there's only one predetermined solution. It's the RPG equivalent of when the final boss is defeated via quick-time events. I'm not saying players wouldn't be down for it; really, I'm the one who's not down for it. I want my party to feel like they earned their victory, not that they were buckled into a roller coaster they couldn't leave.

What a Twist! - The Hidden Villain

I've been talking about the "mystery assailant," but there hasn't been any detail given on that.
That's because it isn't one assailant. There are six. Well, six options. In short, each one of these six wants to off Jack for personal, political, or business reasons, and they'll use the plane ride back to the States to do it. The party might just be collateral damage or, worse, accidental accomplices. At the beginning of the campaign, the Ref chooses the villain and then provides the set of clues during each individual adventure that will build up this mystery. So who are these devious devils, and what are their plans? More importantly, which ones are the best to choose from? I'll be ranking them in reverse order, starting with the worst of the lot.
The Worst: Tinker

"Aha! Tinker was actually one of Jack's exes!" Which one? "You've never heard of her!" And the players would suspect this because? "Uh...because they kiss a lot!" Why would Jack hire her anyway? "Because she actually biosculpted herself to look like Jean Gardner, a completely random individual! And with her intimate knowledge of Jack, she could re-seduce him, only to trigger the trap in his new cyberarm!" Wait... What?

Yeah, it makes as much sense as it sounds. It's a twist for the sake of a twist. Worse still, Tinker's "revenge" hinges on Jack's old associations with the 3000, an eco-terrorist group that Jack used to run with that no one even hears about until they show up for some two-bit sidequest roles in Plundering Praha. Then there are the connotations that the only major black character in the adventure turns out to be someone in a disguise. At best, the reveal is cliche and shocking for the sake of drama; at worst, someone had themselves biosculpted to look like a murdered black woman (and I really don't want to touch that).
2nd Worst: Tammi-Lu

"Alright, I've got this idea for the villain of Eurotour. basically there's this girl except she's got huge boobs. i mean some serious honkers. a real set of badonkers. packin some dobonhonkeros. massive dohoonkabhankoloos. big ol' tonhongerekoogers. what happens next?! Jack Entropy keeps runnin' off with other chicks with even bigger bonkhonagahoogs. humongous hungolomghononoloughongous. So she decides to kills him!"
...So the "jealous lover" angle?
"Yeah! And, get this, she gets one of the PCs to give her a good *cking and scares them into thinking she's prangent! Then she drugs them or something on the plan and get them to fight, idk"

Oh BOY is this one a can of worms. Like with Tinker, we again have the only prominent minority character (an Asian woman) being the villain. But this time, her motivation is "This woman is seriously mixed up, and has a real love/hate relationship with Jack" (Eurotour, pg. 84). Quite literally, the designers of Eurotour want you--the Ref--to throw Tammi-Lu at a player until they hook up, hit them with the pregnancy scare (along with lines about how Jack is abusing her and she only wants to be loved), and then have the two brawl in a drug-addled craze. Just... no.
Middle of the Road: Clements

"Alright, I've got this idea for the villain of Eurotour. basically--"
You did this one already.
"Hold on, hear me out. There's this girl--"
NO. We're not doing the jealous lover again.
"But it's not!" ...fine, what is it?
*"*Remember how Clements' whole deal is she wants an early retirement? Well, she's been seeing Jack more or less throw his career away, and she doesn't want to see his star crash and burn from one bad move. So, she decides to slip the Main Man and Tammi-Lu some poison in their cups."
And they don't suspect her because...?
"well first, because she put a forged suicide note in one of their hotel rooms just within Ace's sight when he calls the players to warn them!"
Alright, that's not half bad. She has a motive, and the method is pretty chill. Hey, I think this one is--
"And, get this, she gets one of the PCs to give her a good *cking and--"
--Nevermind.

This one was so close to being fantastic, and it probably still can be! The major problem is that the "clues" are... Clements dating one of the PCs. And paying them more? It doesn't make much of a mystery to solve. Rather, this "ending" is intended as a gut-punch to the player who decided to engage in romantic activities with the business lady. Also, has anyone else noticed that every female character in the Tour Crew is a possible villain?! Cause I have. I could see this one working with some tweaking of the clues (maybe have a player find the note and try to investigate it?), but as is the plot is the best of the "Honeypot Trio."
3rd Place: Jack Entropy

"What if... Jack was the killer! :0"
Hey, I could see that. Jack's been running on the Edge for a long time, and his self-destructiveness makes sense if his target was himself! Plus this would be an interesting look at mental illness and cyberpsychosis.
"Yeah, and he shoots Clements for trying to take him to therapy!" What?

So this one is number 3 because it fits. Jack has been the star of the show for the whole campaign, and the party's biggest threat to Jack Entropy... is Jack himself. He's already a sociopath who only uses people for his personal gain and could care less about others' feelings, so he's prone to cyberpsychosis (even going so far as to chrome up his arm in a vain-attempt at mimicking Johnny Silverhand). Tinker even admits that Jack's drugs from Paper Chase were supposed to help him self-medicate, but the boy needs therapy! But he's too proud so he... starts blasting? The ending here can fit (and fit really well to cap off the adventure), but it needs to be handled with tact and taste. Otherwise, it will crash and burn.
2nd Place: The Martial Law Authority (MLA)

"So you know how Jack made a mess in the UK?"
Yeah.
"So what if... they wanted to make a mess of him?"

This one is simple, and its simplicity is its greatest virtue. All through Eurotour, the party has to deal with MLA assassins and agents trying to stop Jack from singing his songs of rebellion (and his gun-running side gig) for good. Not only will the clues to this one be painfully obvious, but the setpiece ending is delicious. The plane's autopilot has been hacked and is sending the plane into a corkscrew straight into the ocean. You've got the stakes (everyone's lives) and the chance to turn a humble stewardess into an MLA agent. It's good, but my favorite is...
1st Place: The "Company"

Okay, so I really like Clements' plot, but I despise how her plot is introduced rather suddenly. So here me out for once, what if she's not the only one who wants an early retirement?
What was that old saying: "A dead artist can make a good living?"

Who better to want to take out the "anti-corp" Jack Entropy than his own corporation, Entropy Enterprises? They've also noticed Entropy's downward spiral and want to make his Total Entropy Tour the last. In short, they want Entropy to join the 27 Club like Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain, and they're going to make sure it happens. A latecomer to the tour, a "Mr. Anderson," has hidden a microwave bomb on the undercarriage of the wheelwell. Did I mention the plane was flying over the ocean? However the party manages to solve this one is up to them, and I am down to find out just how they do so.

Final Thoughts

I've got a lot of praise for this adventure, but I also feel like it drops the ball. A lot. The fact that three of the "villains" are the three major female NPCs is only the start to the rather "boy's club" approach to female character design here. The final adventure also doesn't quite fit with the rest of the tone of the tour. There is this lovely high-point with Menace in Venice that just doesn't come back until the Epilogue, and that's if you picked a decent "bad buy" and dropped the requisite hints.
I'll gladly give more thoughts on each adventure as I convert them over, but for now, I ask you, humble 'runner, to let me know what you think in the comments.
Until then, this is Masq, signing off.
​

The companies within the iGaming industry are growing very fast, especially the ones that lead the market from the technology side. Let’s exemplify by looking at, probably, the largest tech company in the iGaming sector - Playtech.
Founded by Israeli entrepreneur, Teddy Sagi, the company has increased its value more than two times in just last four years.
So what is Playtech and what does it do?
Playtech is a UK-based company that specialises in the software development. This is the company that powers up hundreds of online casinos. Lately, it has also been working closely with the leading offline UK operators to develop the most effective machines for the offline gambling and betting. Besides that, this year it has launched the world’s largest live casino studio in Riga, Latvia.
When looking at the financial, Playtech has achieved a revenue of over 700 million EUR in the year 2016. Its operating income was around 215 million EUR during the same year, and the net profit was marked at 194 million EUR. The last year’s profit is actually nearly equal to the company’s valuation during its IPO time.
Back in 2016, Playtech has flipped its IPO at the rate 270 GBP per share. The company’s stock has been quite heavily influenced by the legal updates, yet those have only resulted in the minor deteriorations. Company’s technologically-advanced core products and the premium clientele have contributed towards a steady and rapid growth.
Well, by now you may be wondering, how is this data useful?
The main thing about any sort of an early stage investment is to look into and idea. A potential investor has to determine the current state of the market, the future state of it, and identify how the company’s overall concept is going to fit in. Someone who invested in Playtech back in 2006 was, most probably, confident about the growth of the gambling industry and the need for superior technologies in it, and this person has seen Playtech as the company that can satisfy this demand.
Today, however, we are not encouraging you to invest in Playtech. We are going to tell you more about another great early stage investment that you can make.
Disruptor in the world of online poker
As seen at InsideTrade.co analysis of Cash Poker Pro, the company is aiming to raise some $30,000,000 by using 60,000,000 of its CASH tokens. These funds will be used towards the development, promotion, and improvement of what is believed to be the next generation of the online poker rooms.
Unlike online casinos, poker rooms are lacking the technological development. The whole niche is quite uncompetitive and is dominated by a single operator. However, Cash Poker Pro plans to change this rather quickly. Let’s see how it will do it and what its main competitive advantages are.
Cross-platform functionality
Most of the current gambling apps are designed for the Windows and MacOS operating systems. Lately though, many developers were releasing iOS and Android friendly gambling apps, yet those have not achieved much of the success. Needless to say, most of the apps tend to deliver a much different gaming experience on various operating systems, especially in the mobile segment. While this can be quite ok for the casinos (where one plays against the house), such practices are certainly deadly in the competitive games such as poker.
Cash Poker Pro tackles this problem by supporting all of the possible mobile operating systems in a very unique way. Instead of designing native apps, the company will make poker hands available through the most popular messenger applications - Telegram, Facebook messenger, WeChat, Whatsapp, and many more. This way the company will guarantee an equal and fair gaming experience, and will also gather a huge audience around its services from the day one.
Legal immunity
Online gambling laws have been getting harsher and harsher, especially in Europe. Even though more countries have opened up their borders to the gambling operators, the changes in the gambling laws and taxations (especially in Poland and Czech Republic) are making operating in such countries nearly impossible for the regulated entities. From the other perspective, unregulated poker rooms and casinos are going to be banned on many levels in the regulated markets, starting from the IP blocks by the Internet Service Providers and going as far as the block by the Credit Card companies and other payment processors. Needless to say that online poker is also not allowed worldwide and there are many countries where the operators simply do not have any coverage.
Due to decentralized technology, Cash Poker Pro will be able to offer its services in any possible geography with absolutely no risks of getting banned.
Lower operating costs
Licensing, banking, legal, and the actual costs of flipping an IPO are sky-high, especially in the iGaming industry. Cash Poker Pro solves this issue by eliminating most of the unneeded overheads and focusing on what truly matters - the best possible gaming experience and the industry low rakes.
Instead of partnering up with various payment processors, Cash Poker Pro connects the gambling balance directly to the user’s cryptocurrency wallet. This way a player gets an ability to instantly withdraw his gaming balance, while Cash Poker Pro does not incur any banking fees.
Most of the companies seek funding through an IPO or certain VC firms. Yet this is another field where Cash Poker Pro thinks outside the box - it goes for the Initial Coin Offering.
Cash Poker Pro ICO
The ICO has just started and the company expects to collect $30,000,000 for its further development. Early stage investors are rewarded with the bonuses of up to 3%, depending on the week of their investment. Besides that, large volume investors can get rewarded with a bonus of up to 15%. Click here to learn more about this ICO and see you can be a part of the next big thing in online poker.

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1. Asia-Pacific - Not allowed
2. Australia - As long as the Australia casino is a licensed. Operator registered with an appropriate Australian State. Or Territory and provides a valid license of Sports betting and Lotteries
3. Austria - As long as the Austria casinos licensed by the Austrian Ministry of Finance. According to all applicable regulations in Austria and, in the case of sports betting. Also provides valid sports betting permit number issued by the state government. In at least one State of Austria according to all applicable regulations in Austria.
4. Belgium - As long as the advertiser is a company registered in Belgium. And if the online gambling activity requires a license. the Belgium casino provides a valid license number. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games, Online gambling comparison sites. As long as no online gambling takes place on the aggregator site.
5. Brazil - As long as the Brazil casinos licensed by the Brazilian gambling authorities. Lotteries, Horse racing Sites that provide information. About or a comparison of other gambling services licensed in Brazil. But do not themselves provide gambling activities that must a license. These sites may provide links to gambling services. Not operated or controlled by the aggregator.
6. Bulgaria - As long as the Bulgaria casinos licensed by the Bulgarian gambling authorities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Slots games, Sports Betting.
7. Canada - As long as the Canada casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games.
8. China - Not allowed
9. Croatia - As long as the Croatia casinos licensed by the Croatian gambling authorities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Slots games, Slots games, Sports Betting. Sites that provide information about or a comparison of other gambling services. But do not themselves provide gambling activities that must a license. These sites may provide links to gambling services. Not operated or controlled by the aggregator.
10. Czechia - As long as the Czechia casinos licensed by the Czech gambling authorities. Online bingo, Lotteries, Slots games, Sports Betting
11. Denmark - As long as the Denmark casinos licensed by the Danish Gambling Authority. Location-based gambling, Slots games, Online betting, Sports betting, Fantasy sports contests. Slot machines, Gambling-related information, such as tips, odds and handicapping. Gambling-related promotional products, such as gambling-related vouchers. Deposit bonus codes, etc. Gambling-related tutoring and educational materials. Such as books and e-books.
12. Egypt - Not allowed
13. Estonia - Not allowed
14. Finland - As long as the Finland casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games.
15. France - As long as the France casinos registered with ARJEL (Autorité de Régulation des Jeux En Ligne). Provides a valid operating license number. Operates on a ".fr" domain and publishes a warning on the landing page. And also any image ads against excessive or pathological gaming. As well as a message referring to the help and information system as foreseen by the gambling laws. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games, Lotteries.
16. Germany - As long as the Germany casino is in possession of both a valid gambling operator license. Or an intermediary license. And advertisement permission, both issued by the competent German authorities. Sports betting, Horse racing betting, Lotteries.
17. Greece - As long as the Greece casinos authorized by the Greek authorities. Casino games, Bingo, Sports betting, Lotteries.
18. Hong Kong - As long as the Hong Kong casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Lotteries, Sports Betting.
19. Hungary - As long as the Hungary casinos registered. With the appropriate Hungarian Gambling Authority. Or the State Tax Authority and provides a valid license.
20. India - Not allowed
21. Indonesia - Not allowed
22. Republic of Ireland - As long as the Ireland casinos registered. As a bookmaker with the Revenue Commissioners and provides a valid license number. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games, Online gambling comparison sites. As long as no online gambling takes place on the aggregator site.
23. Israel - As long as the Israel casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games.
24. Italy - As long as the Italy casinos registered. With the AASA (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato). And provides a valid operating license number. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games.
25. Japan - As long as the Japan casinos licensed by state-run entities. Horse, Motorboat, Bicycle and Auto Racing.
26. Korea - As long as the Korean casinos licensed by state-run or state-licensed entities. Lotteries, Sports Betting.
27. Latvia - As long as the Latvia casinos licensed by state-run entities: Lotteries.
28. Lithuania - As long as the Lithuania casinos licensed. By the Lithuanian gambling authorities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Slots games, Sports Betting, Lotteries.
29. Malaysia - Not allowed
30. Mexico - As long as the Mexico casino is an operator registered with the Secretaria de Gobernacion. And provides a valid license number. Slots games (slot machines), Bingo, Lotteries, Sports Betting.
31. Morocco - Not allowed
32. The Netherlands - As long as the Netherlands casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports Betting.
33. New Zealand - As long as the New Zealand casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games.
34. Northern Ireland - Not allowed
35. Norway - As long as the Norway casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games
36. Peru - Not allowed
37. The Philippines - As long as the Philippines casinos licensed by state-run entities. Casino games, Lotteries.
38. Portugal - As long as the Portugal casinos licensed by the Portuguese authorities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games. Sites that provide information about other gambling services licensed in Portugal. But do not themselves provide gambling activities that must a license. They may provide links to gambling services. Not operated or controlled by the aggregator.
39. Romania - As long as the Romania casinos registered with the appropriate authority. And submits valid licensing. Casino games, Sports betting, Bingo, Lotteries. Sites that provide information about, or a comparison of other gambling services. But do not themselves provide gambling activities that must a license. They may provide links to gambling services. Not operated or controlled by the aggregator.
40. Russia - Not allowed
41. Serbia - As long as the Serbia casinos registered with the appropriate authority. And submits valid licensing. Casino games, Sports betting, Bingo, Lotteries. Sites that provide information about, or a comparison of other gambling services. But do not themselves provide gambling activities that must a license. They may provide links to gambling services. Not operated or controlled by the aggregator.
42. Singapore - Not allowed
43. Slovakia - As long as the Slovakia casinos licensed by the Slovakian authorities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Slots games, Sports Betting.
44. Slovenia - As long as the Slovenia casinos licensed by state-run entities: Lotteries.
45. South Africa - Italy, Austria or Great Britain registered casinos may target South Africa. But must apply online through the specific application form for each country.
46. Spain - As long as the Spain casinos registered with the Spanish gambling authority. And provides the relevant valid licenses. Casino games, Sports betting, Bingo, Raffles, Competitions or sweepstakes, Lotteries.
47. Sweden - As long as the Sweden casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Online gambling, Online Bingo, Sports betting, Slots games.
48. Switzerland - As long as the Switzerland casinos licensed by state-run entities. Sports betting, Lotteries
49. Taiwan - As long as the Taiwan casinos licensed by state-run entities: Lotteries.
50. Thailand - As long as the Thailand casinos licensed by state-run entities. Sports betting (horse racing only), Lotteries.
51. Turkey - As long as the Turkey casinos licensed by state-licensed entities. Lotteries, Sports Betting.
52. Ukrainian - As long as the Ukrainian casinos licensed by state-run entities: Lotteries.
53. United Arab Emirates - Not allowed
54. United Kingdom - As long as the United Kingdom casinos registered. With the Gambling Commission and provides a valid operating license number. Online bingo, Sports betting, Slots games, Lotteries. Sites that provide information about, or a comparison of other gambling services. But do not themselves provide gambling activities that must a license. They may provide links to gambling services. Not operated or controlled by the aggregator.
55. United States - As long as the USA online casinos licensed by state-run entities: Lotteries.
56. Vietnam - Not allowed

Source: https://www.toponlinebestcasinos.com/