BetFred Sportsbook says goodbye to Virginia

U.K.-based company BetFred Sports announced Monday they will be leaving Virginia’s online sports betting market later this month.

“As of October 21, 2024, Betfred will no longer be available for online sports wagering to players located in Virginia,” the company said in an email to customers. The company set Oct. 1 as the last date available for new account creation, deposits, and wagers for Virginia Betfred players.

“Please initiate a withdrawal of your funds, by your preferred method from the app or our website by 10 p.m., Oct. 21,” BetFred said in their email. “If you do not initiate a withdrawal by this time, all balances will be issued by check to the address we have for you on file, within 30 days.”

BetFred Sportsbook went live in the Old Dominion on Feb. 1, 2023, providing some unique betting opportunities. The company provided betting odds for football, basketball, hockey, tennis, soccer, and alternate sports such as bare-knuckle fighting and bull riding.

In August, a Virginia Lottery report stated BetFred held a 0.10% share of the online sports betting market in the state.  FanDuel leads Virginia sports betting with a 39.91% market share with DraftKings following at 27.44%.

Leaving U.S. Market Altogether

Earlier this month BetFred announced they plan to fully close service in Arizona by Nov. 4. The news follows shortly after the company exited the states of Colorado and Ohio.

In July, BetFred closed its retail sportsbook and online services in Maryland.

“This was not the first time this has happened in Maryland. I don’t think it’s gonna be the last time,” Maryland Lottery Director John Martin said during a monthly meeting.

CEO For a Year

BetFred USA’s current CEO has been on the job for only a year. A recognized online gaming industry leader, Kresimir Spajic was appointed BetFred USA CEO in September 2023.

Spajic has decades of experience in domestic and international online gaming. He has previously held various executive and principal consulting roles with Great Canadian Entertainment, Apollo Global Management, Hard Rock International, Rush Street Interactive, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, and Bwin. Spajic said he looked to build a sustainable business in the U.S., following his appointment.

The company entered the U.S. sports betting market in 2019 when Betfred USA was formed.

Even with the departure of several sportsbooks, Virginia’s sports betting is very much alive and well.

Continued Growth in Virginia Sports Wagering

Virginia will be left with 11 online and three retail sportsbooks once BetFred leaves later this month. Online sportsbooks currently activity in the Old Dominion include Bally Bet, bet365, BetFred, BetMGM, Betr Sportsbook, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics, FanDuel, and Hard Rock Bet.

Retail sportsbooks are located at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Caesars Virginia in Danville. There are no legal online casinos in Virginia.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Lottery released its latest report on sports wagering activity submitted by licensed operators for August.

Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, gamblers in Virginia wagered $416,689,217 on sports. That $416 million is 30.6% higher than last August. In return, winning bettors in Virginia won a total of $376,545,350 in August.

State law places a 15% tax on all sports betting activity. An estimated $5,241,930.27 in taxes was paid to the Commonwealth from sports betting in August.

New Phoenix Link slot game a follow-up to international hit Dragon Link

Aristocrat Gaming is turning up the heat with the release of the new Phoenix Link slot machine.

The company says the all-new slot game perfectly complements the company’s landmark player-favorite Dragon Link. The game brings new twists and turns that provide players with more features, entertainment, and ways to win.

Phoenix Link will premiere in the Aristocrat Gaming booth at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas next month. The game will first hit casino floors in North America.

“Phoenix Link and Dragon Link are the ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ to each other,” said Victor Duarte, executive vice president of Gaming Product for Aristocrat Gaming. “While they come from the same family, the Phoenix has its own, fiery personality that brings together game features we know players love, and some new ones we’re excited for them to discover. This game is brought to life in a way that only Aristocrat Gaming can, with industry-leading game design, mathematics, art, sound, and software functionality.”

Check out the latest sports betting picks by DCNewsroom.

Phoenix Link players will enjoy the game’s additional denominations, configurations, and jackpots on each of the launch game theme titles. All four games share two exciting features, the first is Hold & Spin, where classic Hold & Spin gameplay meets the chance for multiple bonus prizes or Major Jackpots on a single symbol. The second is the Phoenix Mystery feature, where all Phoenix symbols landed increment towards a counter with a chance to trigger a free Hold & Spin. The ultimate prize of a Grand progressive scales with higher denominations.

When it comes to exciting Free Games, two game themes feature twin spins for chances at great line wins and increased chances to win the Hold & Spin. Additionally, the remaining two game themes feature wild 2x multipliers for chances at dynamic line wins.

Navy awards contract for flight demonstration of Soviet-era Mi-2 helicopter

The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to the University of Iowa to acquire flight demonstrations of a vintage Soviet-era Mi-2 helicopter for their test pilot school. The Naval Air Warfare Center- Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at Patuxent River, Md., announced its intention to procure the flight training in August.

“The contractor shall provide up to 35 demonstration flight hours in an MI-2 aircraft to the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School (USNTPS) student and instructor pilots to support the QE exercise,” the Navy said in contract documents. The flights will begin Sept. 30 and run through Oct. 11. The flight demonstrations will take place at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School which will require the contractor to ferry the aircraft to NAS Patuxent River, Md.

The flight demonstrations will support the USNTPS and HX-21 student and instructor personnel of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Qualitative Evaluation Program. The Qualitative Evaluation (QE) Program institutionalized within the USNTPS is a major facet of the curriculum that provides a wide variety of aircraft with differing flying qualities and performance characteristics to the students.

The Mil Mi-2, also known as Hoplite, is a small, three-rotor blade Soviet-designed multi-purpose helicopter developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant in the early 1960s. Nearly 5,500 were made by the time production stopped in 1999. A few Hoplites remain in service today.

The Univeristy of Iowa's Operator Performance Lab operates two Mi-2 helicopters as flight-proven airborne testbeds for a variety of sensor and instrumentation packages, configurable for vertical lift flight test needs.

The total value of the Navy flight demonstration contract is $126,645.00, according to contract documents.

Iraq orders 12 Airbus helicopters

Airbus Helicopters has been awarded a contract for 12 H225M multi-role helicopters by the Republic of Iraq. The contract was signed in Baghdad by the Minister of Defence of Iraq Thabet al-Abbassi in the presence of the French Ambassador Patrick Durel.

These helicopters will be operated by the Iraqi Army Aviation command replacing older Mi-17s for a wider range of missions: counterterrorism, special operations, tactical troop transport, attack, ground fire support, MEDEVAC, and combat search and rescue.

Deliveries will start in 2025. Iraq already operates a fleet of Airbus helicopters from the H125, H135 and H145 families.

“We are very pleased to welcome a new member in the H225M family,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

“The H225M is a combat-proven platform used around the world by many operators, including the French Air Force, for combat search and rescue missions,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The H225M is unmatched in terms of range, payload and also mission systems.”

The H225M is now equipped with new avionics, an enhanced main gearbox, airborne communication systems and can be equipped with the HForce weapon system. The maximum takeoff weight has been increased by 160 kilograms to reach 11,160 kg. 

There are more than 350 H225s and H225Ms in service across the world, totaling more than 880,000 flight hours. Military customers include France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, Kuwait, Brazil, and Hungary.

US Army requests production of new helicopters

The Army Contracting Command - Redstone is seeking the complete production of the EC-145/BK117 D3 aircraft for the U.S. Army. The Army announced the request in a Sources Sought Synopsis document released Friday.

“This sources sought synopsis is being used to conduct market research and identify parties with the necessary industry technologies and resources,” the Army said.

The Light Helicopter Product Office (LHPdO) is designated as the product manager for the U.S. Army’s EC-145/BK117 D3 aircraft and would be the recipient/customer of the products sought in addition to possible procurements from other government agencies.

The H145 (formerly Eurocopter EC145) is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. Originally designated as the BK 117, the H145 is based upon the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 C1.

The U.S. Army selected the helicopter for its light utility helicopter program in 2006. It is also in Army service under the name UH-72A Lakota.

Twin-engine plane crash near Palmyra, Virginia

A twin-engine plane crashed near Palmyra, Va., on Sunday with at least one person reported dead, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The NTSB said on X they are investigating the crash of a Rockwell International Commander 690A (tail number N690BM) in Virginia.

The aircraft departed Manassas Regional Airport on Sunday and headed to Georgetown County Airport in South Carolina. Tracking data provided through the website FlightAware shows the aircraft reached its flight plan altitude of 20,000 feet before crashing.

Several news reports confirm at least one person is dead from the accident.

Multiple Fluvanna County fire companies and law enforcement agencies responded to the plane crash in the area of 264 Miles Jackson Road. Kents Store Volunteer Fire Company advised residents to avoid the area.

“If you live in the area affected by the plane crash (Courthouse Road, Oak Creek Road, Miles Jackson Road) and you locate a piece of the wreckage, contact the sheriff's office immediately and please do not disturb it,” the fire company said in a post on Facebook.

Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane was manufactured in 1975 and registered to Commander 690 BM LLC of Manassas, Va.

The accident remains under investigation.

NTSB: Engine trouble caused emergency landing on Virginia highway

The National Transportation Safety (NTSB) released a preliminary report recently detailing the emergency landing of a single-engine Cessna aircraft on a Virginia highway last month.

On Jan. 19, a single-engine Cessna 208B (tail number N1983X), performed an emergency landing soon after departing Washington Dulles International Airport.

Flight 246, operated by Southern Airways Express, from Washington Dulles International Airport to Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania departed from runway 30.

During the initial climb after takeoff, about 600 feet above ground level, the flight crew noticed that the standby power light in the cockpit illuminated. Shortly after that, a sudden, shattering noise and vibrations came from the engine area.

The pilot instructed the copilot to declare an emergency and initiate procedures to return to Washington Dulles. During the turnback, it became evident that the engine was unresponsive, and the airplane was rapidly losing altitude. The pilot decided to land the airplane on Highway 606, near the perimeter of Washington Dulles.

During the landing, the airplane touched down on the paved surface of the road and collided with a steel guardrail before coming to a stop. The flight crew secured the airplane, and the crew and passengers were met by first responders.

The aircraft was later disassembled and transported to a Southern Airways Express maintenance facility at Lancaster.

The NTSB continues to investigate the accident.