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01/31/2007 gambling news:
VIP Scoops Record Online Casino Win on 32nd Visit
What are the chances? On her 32nd visit to 32Red online casino, an Australasian VIP member has collected a whopping £1,000,641 ($1,987,698) on a £2.25 bet after the five King Cashalot symbols slotted into place.
CEO and founder of 32Red Ed Ware was delighted by the news of the jackpot win, which will be on record as one of the biggest in history.
He said, “Everyone at 32Red is delighted at the good fortune bestowed upon one of our players. For this to be one of the biggest ever wins online is just amazing. Add to that it is the 32nd time she has played at 32Red, you have to say that 32 really is a lucky number for her.”
The lucky player said of her win, “I still can't believe it. I don't think it has sunk in. I'm numb. I remember almost in slow motion how the kings dropped into place and the jackpot window appeared. I'm still finding it difficult to believe that such good fortune could happen to me. Thank you 32Red.”
King Cashalot is just one of over twenty progressive jackpots available at 32Red, all of which are part of the Microgaming Progressive Jackpot Network - the largest online progressive jackpot offering on the Internet.
Gambling Legalities are Cause for Debate
Clarion ATE, producers of the popular European Gambling Briefing (EGB) conference, yesterday launched a pioneering online blog, Gambling Law Debate, offering players and industry professionals a one-stop-shop to access up-to-date information on current regulatory issues relating to the gambling industry.
The new blog provides an online network for legal professionals, lobbyists, media companies, and regulators to deliberate over all the key developments in online gambling legislation.
The blogsite is intended to significantly enhance the reach and weight of the discussions that take place at the 3rd annual EGB conference, a senior-level two day briefing that addresses a wide range of issues relating to gambling regulation across Europe and beyond.
Clarion ATE will use the site to ask for opinions, articles and comments to help form the basis of debates that will take place in Brussels on 8th & 9th May. Lawyers, lobbyists and regulators have already been invited to contribute.
US Not Playing Fair Says EU Commissioner
US limits on online gambling may be challenged by the European Union, according one of its top financial regulators.
The introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has resulted in several British online gambling firms being forced out of the US market, leaving members of the EU casting a dubious eye over the American government’s motives for introducing the Act.
'In my view it is probably a restrictive practice and we might take it up in another fora,' EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told the European Parliament.
McCreevy went on to suggest that the US was safeguarding its own gambling industry by preventing foreign companies from entering the online betting sector. 'It's not my intention to bring forward a harmonised piece of legislation on gambling in the European Union,' McCreevy added.
The EU trade commissioner later told reporters that the US rules were a 'prima facie' case of protectionism and that the World Trade Organisation was a possible forum for tackling them.
McCreevy has previously launched legal actions against several EU countries in an attempt to deal with obstacles to foreign competition.
Online Casino to go Far East in Business Deal
According to reports over the weekend in the Business section of the Sunday Times, bookmaker Ladbrokes has formed a joint business enterprise with Megainfo, a Hong Kong-based technology company.
The article reports that the Ladbrokes main interest in the deal was to develop products for the Chinese betting market. The company is said to have invested around £320,000 for a 49 percent stake in the business, which is to be rebranded Asia Gaming Technologies.
Taipei based Megainfo Holdings Ltd develops and distributes digital image-processing management software, with operational centres in Macau and China.
Skilful Online Casino Lures Eastern Bloc
Eastern European online gamblers are flocking to sites such as gameaccount.com to fatten their wallets by playing ‘skill games’ such as backgammon and gin rummy.
The company is the UK and Ireland's largest skill gaming site, and has seen a recent upsurge in players from Eastern bloc countries such as Latvia, Turkey, Serbia, Romania and Russia who are looking to capitalise on the multiplayer game challenges offered by comparatively affluent Europeans. 'Skill games' differ from the popular casino, sports and bingo sites in that a person's skill and mental strength, rather than chance, is a key factor in a player’s winning chances.
Sergejs D. is a 44-year-old gin rummy player from Riga, Latvia who has honed the classic card game to win upwards of €26,000 (£17,000) since mid-2004, in a country where the average wage is around £3,500 per year.
“I came across non-gambling sites a while back, deposited €15 and after some trial and error, started beating more and more opponents. I read up on strategies and would even memorise and practise gin rummy hands when I wasn't online. It's now become my full-time profession.”
Online Casino Qualifier Wins PartyGammon Million
33-year-old German Andreas Maertens is celebrating after winning the inaugural PartyGammon.com Million at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas at the weekend taking home the title and a cool $600,400.
Maertens beat Dane Lasse Hiorth Madsen 23-22 in a nail-biting final. Both players qualified online at www.PartyGammon.com in a field that contained no fewer than 10 former World champions.
The total prize pool exceeded the guaranteed $1 million and hit over $1.2 million. Maertens qualified online for $440, while Madsen reached the tournament from a $35 online satellite.
“We saw the huge rise of the Internet qualifier in poker and, remarkably, at the very first attempt we have seen online qualifiers compete and beat the world’s best players at backgammon. Like poker, the entrance of the online aces promises to change the game of backgammon forever” a PartyGammon.com spokesman said.
“This tournament has taken backgammon to a new level and taken a previously unknown community into the mainstream.”
Maertens, from Bielefeld, Germany, has form in both backgammon and poker, winning the German Backgammon Open in 1996 and regularly playing on the poker circuit. He was blown away by his win, “It doesn’t get much better than this. How am I going to top this? I certainly didn’t count myself as the best player here.”
PartyGammon.com is a popular member of PartyGaming Plc’s growing suite of online games that includes PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyBets.com, Gamebookers.com and EmpirePoker.com.
UK to Restrict Online Casino Advertising
Online gambling companies based outside Europe and Gibraltar will have to apply to the government if they want to advertise their products in the UK when the activity is legalised on September 1.
Tessa Jowell, British Culture Secretary said a ban on websites run by companies with poor regulation would protect online gamblers from crime and exploitation.
The announcement was made as the government-appointed Casino Advisory Panel prepares to announce today its recommendation for the siting of the UK's first super-casino.
Ms Jowell is to lay out the timetable and procedure for the government to respond to the recommendation, leading to a vote of MPs.
The legalisation of online gambling and deregulation of casinos are part of a series of measures voted through under the 2005 Gambling Act that updates gambling laws. The Gambling Act relaxes advertising rules for UK bookmakers and casino operators, but gaming websites based outside the European Economic Area and Gibraltar and wishing to advertise will have to prove their licensing regimes protect children, deter crime and ensure gambling is fair.
Now Ms Jowell has instructed officials to set in motion procedures that would force companies to contribute a levy to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust to help problem gamblers.
John Greenway, Conservative MP and chairman of the Trust, said, 'The main problem is that we are dependent on people making a voluntary contribution. There is some concern (from online gambling companies) about the costs of implementing the Gambling Act.'
Online Casino is Cool For Cats
Online casino Cool Cat has introduced a unique new player bonus. Dubbed the “1000% Bonus Explosion”, players get free money to play for their bonus percentage up to 1000 percent on their first deposit.
Cool Cat is well known for some monster-sized bonuses and this new 1000 percent bonus promotion looks set to top previous offers.
On registering, players have 5 days to play a variety of slot games to win up to 1000 percent Sign Up Bonus on their first deposit. Every dollar won is equal to a 1 percent Sign Up Bonus, with 1000 percent as their maximum bonus match percentage. For example, a 500 percent closing balance equals a 500 percent match percentage.
For players not wanting to participate in this promo, there are many other bonuses to choose from, like the 275 percent new player bonus, or a whole series of special bonuses for American players - 'America Best' promo.
Cool Cat Casino is powered by the RTG platform, and has just released three brand new 'Real Series' video slots with bonus features, free spins and side jackpots that can be won at any time.
Microgaming Announces New Games
Market leading software provider Microgaming has announced new additions to its arsenal including slots, a blackjack and a poker game.
Prime Property is a brand new 5 reel, 40 pay-line video slot game. It offers something that its inventors claim is unique and special in this genre - the Property Pages symbol awards a bonus even before the bonus round has begun. If players are fortunate enough to find 3, 4 or 5 of these bonus scatters they can kick start the bonus game with a boost from a pre-awarded Free Spins and accompanying multipliers.
Additional to this is Magic Spell, which offers a 5 reel, 25 pay-line slot. With a maximum bet of $250, it also offers a whole range of betting options.
Blackjack fans are not left out. The new MULTI-HAND GOLD SERIES, with 5 variations of the popular single hand blackjack game style, boasts cutting edge technology, newly-designed animation, digital sound and imaginative player views.
Neteller Founders to Dispute All Charges
Neteller founders, John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence, are set to fight the charges laid against them when they appear in court on February 14.
The pair, who are currently out on bail, face a series of charges in relation to the allegations under US law of conspiracy to transfer funds with the intent to promote illegal gambling.
The lawyer for John Lefebvre has said, “He's going to be contesting everything we know about the charges right now.” With regard to the line of attack taken by the authorities, he added, “I think they want to stress the point that they are serious about enforcing gaming laws.”
In relation to the issue about Neteller plc not being a US corporation nor based there, the lawyer said, “I don't know why they (the US authorities) are bothering with this now, or why at all. It's not clear that this is a liable area of law enforcement.”
Online Casino Giant Offers Neteller Alternative
Online casino and sportsbetting giant Bodog.com is to offer players in the US some welcome respite from the recent problems plaguing online gambling deposits.
Bodog.com has taken the lead in many new developments in the online gambling industry, and the introduction of NuCharge, an advanced and secure method to make deposits, is no exception.
Through NuCharge, an efficient way of making a credit card deposit into an electronic wallet, players can deposit money securely at Bodog.com’s sportsbook, casino and poker cashier.
System users can simply buy prepaid long distance phone time from NuCharge in $100, $200 or $300 batches, which can be instantly substituted for an equal amount in eCash at Bodog.com.
NuCharge issues each customer with a PIN and control number. Players can access the NuCharge registration service via the Bodog.com cashier.
UIGEA Comes Under Fire
The introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, aimed at restricting online gambling in the US, has received fierce opposition from both poker players and those who help addicted gamblers.
Poker players are incensed because the consequences of the law could ultimately drive the industry underground, creating a situation similar to that of the 1920’s alcohol prohibition.
“It has unintended consequences, just like the unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition – the speakeasies (a group of illegal drinking dens in the 1920’s),” said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance.
Gambling addiction experts are equally unhappy because they say the law doesn’t go far enough and will not halt the growth of the multibillion-dollar online gambling industry.
“It will make it a little bit less convenient for casual gamblers,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. “But heavy gamblers and certainly problem gamblers … can easily find ways around the law.”
The UIGEA was quietly passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush late last year. It makes it a federal crime for US banks and credit card companies to process payments for Internet bets.
Last of the Free Spins at Online Casino
Online gaming portal and news service, Online Gambling Insider, has announced that players have until January 30 to take advantage of its exclusive free slots spins offer at All Jackpots Online Casino.
The promotion is only available though links at online-gambling-insider.com and is restricted to the Isis video slot game. Players can claim the 60 free spins by visiting the casino and downloading the All Jackpots Viper software.
Once players have registered as a real money player and made a note of their account number they’ll have a minimum 15-minute wait before being able to access the Isis video slot via the games lobby.
The winnings from free spins will then be transferred to a bonus account, and wagering terms will apply. Jackpots Casino, part of prominent gambling group Jackpot Factory, has four casinos and a poker room powered by the Microgaming platform.
US Confirms Loss in Online Casino Trade Case
The US has suffered a new setback in a four-year-old legal battle with Antigua and Barbuda over US restrictions on online gambling.
At issue is an April 2005 World Trade Organization ruling against US prohibitions on online horse race betting. Since then, the US Congress has passed additional legislation to ban online gambling and online poker over the Internet.
Gretchen Hamel, a spokesman for the US Trade Representative's office, confirmed press reports that a WTO panel “did not agree with the United States that we had taken the necessary steps to comply with that ruling.”
The Bush administration supports free trade but its conservative allies in Congress pushed through a bill late last year to ban most forms of Internet gambling.
It remains to be seen where the bill now stands after the WTO’s ruling.
Ladbrokes Launches Viking Invasion
Gambling group Ladbrokes has made a bid to buy Scandinavian online gaming firm, Sponsio, which has a presence in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
The British bookmaker already had a partnership deal with the company but said the £36 million purchase would bolster its position in the region.
Spending on gambling per capita in the Nordic area is among the highest in Europe and evidently the betting firm has highlighted the region as ripe for expansion.
Elsewhere in Europe, Ladbrokes is starting an alliance with Spanish slot machine firm Cirsa Slot, whose machines are found in bars and arcades, whilst in December they gained licences to operate betting outlets in Italy.
Since new laws effectively made online gaming illegal in the US, gambling firms have been looking to snap up other sections of the internet betting market which explains the increased action in the market across Europe.
Online Casino Profits in the Red
32Red PLC posted a 47 percent rise in full-year revenue but reiterated its December warning of full-year combined operating results falling 'significantly' below current market forecasts on poor trading at Bet Direct.
The online casino, poker and sportsbetting operator said its full-year revenue rose to £14.36 million, including £3.45 million from the Bet Direct business acquired in June 2006.
32Red said total active customers rose to 84,595 from 17,597 in 2005 and new customers rose to 42,866 from 14,451 in 2005. Bet Direct, however saw a fall in active customers to 46,139 and new customers to 11,115 since acquisition.
The company was recently voted ‘Best Online Casino’ by Casinomeister for 2006 despite its December warning.
Online Casino Favours Spurs For UEFA Cup
Following their bye into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup following Feyenoord’s expulsion, Tottenham Hotspur have been made the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy.
Online casino and bookmaker William Hill has cut odds on the London side from 6/1 to 9/2, with last year’s winners Sevilla next at 5s with Werder Bremen, Benfica and Newcastle in the chasing pack.
On the domestic front, William Hill is offering 9/2 that the maximum possible ten Premiership clubs will reach the last 16 of the FA Cup. Odds offer 2/7 that 7-9 will get through, 5/1 that 4-6 will do so and 200/1 that just three will make it through. You can get 12/1 that any non-Premiership side will make the FA Cup Final.
Carling Cup finalists Chelsea are still firm favourites for the Cup. The Blues are 15/8 with Man Utd 3s and Arsenal 4s.
In the Carling Cup, Arsenal are now 2/5 odds on to reach the Carling Cup after their comeback heroics against Tottenham on Wednesday night. Chelsea are 4/6 favourites to win the Cup with the bookmaker who make Arsenal 13/8 and Spurs 7/1.
Casino Billionaire Wants Peace
Avi Shaked, an Israeli online casino entrepreneur, has offered to donate $100 million to the Palestinian community in help to solve the conflict in the Middle East. This money is supposed to boost the Palestinian economy and bring the leaders of the two s
If the Palestine Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh agrees to start peace negotiations with Israeli minister Ehud Olmert, Shaked has promised to donate this huge sum. But he doesn't stop there. If the two sides come up with a plan that would bring peace to the region Shaked has promised to add another $900 million to the donation. Shaked thinks that if the Palestinian economy could be brought up to Israeli standards, there is a grater chance to come up with an agreement to put an end to this long going conflict.
Shaked is the major shareholder of the online casino 888 which is one of the world's largest web-based casinos. However, both sides have rejected this offer even though the Palestinian leader is on a tour in the Middle East trying to raise money for his government.
NETeller Bosses Could Face Jail
Two co-founders of the lucrative online gambling payment system NETeller will face a preliminary hearing in New York on February 14 to decide whether they will face formal charges.
Both John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence were released on respective $5 million bail settlements last week, and are not permitted to travel outside the United States. They are also looking at the harsh reality of a maximum 20-year prison sentence if convicted of all three charges, the most serious of which is money laundering.
Just after last weeks arrests came news that the US Department of Justice has sent subpoenas to around 15 investment banks across Europe and the United States, requesting an array of information as part of an investigation into gambling companies that reportedly include PartyGaming and NETeller, according to banking sources.
France Says Non to Online Casinos
French authorities appear to be following the lead of their American counterparts with the announcement that a top online poker room is facing a ban on advertising.
According to UK Poker News, French club, Le Salon des Ambassadeurs, has banned all images from one of the Internet's best-known poker rooms, Pokerstars.
It appears the French are also are stepping up the offensive on online poker and online gambling in general. In September 2006 executives of sports betting site BWIN were arrested in the South of France under a version of the American Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
In another move that may be symptomatic of the ‘war’ on online gambling, the European Poker Tour (EPT) announced earlier this month that the popular Deauville portion of the tour was to be cancelled.
The tournament was scrapped at short notice, even though the EPT events in Deauville in 2005 and 2006 were well received.
Online Casino Spins a New Tune
Spin3 the popular wireless casino system from Microgaming has launched GameWire MultiLink, an integrated package for its award-winning wireless casino system, GameWire.
iGaming sites can use the updated software to give their customers full access to Spin3’s collection of award winning mobile casino games, while protecting sensitive information such as player data and payment transactions.
Companies that haven’t previously been linked with the Microgaming network can now look to the GameWire mobile casino system to boost the scope of their services and generate increased revenue.
Matti Zinder, CEO of Spin3 explained, “GameWire MultiLink gives operators the ability to add our advanced mobile gambling suite to their offerings without the need to disclose, expose or link to their clients’ sensitive and confidential information.”
“The huge potential of the mobile gambling market can now be accessed by any eGaming operator through GameWire MultiLink, which is part of Spin3’s commitment to providing a complete, effective and legally compliant wireless gaming system to our clients,” he added.
Online Casino is 32Red Hot
32Red has kept up its pole position status after again being awarded ‘Best Online Casino’ by Casinomeister in 2006, making this an unprecedented fourth consecutive defence of the coveted prize, after first securing the title in 2003.
CEO and founder of 32Red, Ed Ware, said of the win, “To win this top accolade for the fourth year in succession is a truly amazing feat. This award is a testament to the hard work put in by all the staff here at 32Red. Our goal is to make the player experience at 32Red Online Casino the best you can possibly get and as we now go into 2007, it is now our challenge to continue to do so.”
The founders of 32Red also had another cause for celebration with the news its sister casino, Dash Casino, also won a prestigious Casinomeister award in the same year. Launched in summer 2006 Dash Casino quickly became grew to become a favourite amongst discerning players.
World’s Largest Online Gambling Study Published
The first comprehensive picture of the 'average' online gambler has emerged from a huge new research project involving nearly 11,000 players from 96 countries.
The eCOGRA commissioned ‘eCOGRA Global Online Gambler Survey’, which was undertaken by the Betting and International Gaming Research Units at Nottingham Trent University, is the largest study to date into player behaviour and attitudes to the industry.
One of the most surprising findings to emerge is that although playing for money was an important part of the entertainment value, overall, players saw online gambling as more of a hobby than an enterprise to consciously improve their financial situation.
Among the findings, it was found that the average online poker player is likely to be male, aged 26-35, and averaging visits to more than six different poker sites in the preceding three months.
The average online casino player on the other hand is interestingly more likely to be female and be slightly older, in the 46-55 age bracket, and again having visited more than six casino sites in the three months preceding the survey.
Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA commented in a press release, “These findings are a salutary reminder about the vast majority of players who enjoy this form of entertainment responsibly.”
Mr Beveridge continued, “This report provides invaluable information that will shape our approach for the next year as we continue to provide players with a ‘Gold Standard’ level of protection.”
Online Casino Ads Googled
Casino advertisements on the giant search engine Google could be a thing of the past following a decision by Google HQ currently being reported in marketing media.
The reason behind the decision is reportedly that Google and its rival Yahoo! have allegedly been warned off by the US Justice Department authorities for promoting gambling indirectly to an underage audience through advertising pop-ups.
The voluntary decision applies only to the United States in the case of Yahoo!, where Justice officials have been exercising a major crackdown on all aspects of Internet gambling. However, it is understood that Google plans to extend the ban globally.
The news follows hot on the heels of reports that the US Justice Department is to order banks in the UK to hand over information concerning their dealings with several online poker sites. It seems apparent that the Department of Justice is targeting online sites that trade their stock publicly on the London Stock Exchange, such as PartyGaming and 888 Holdings.
Playtech Secures Move Into Land-Based Market
International software designer and developer Playtech has announced that its fully owned land-based subsidiary, Videobet, has entered into a long-term licensing contract with leading Mexican casino operator, Entretenimiento De Mexico, (EMex).
Under the terms of the three-year contract, EMex will add Videobet’s revolutionary server based gaming product to its existing and future gaming estates. In addition, EMex will be leveraging its land-based presence and the cross selling opportunities offered through other Playtech group products by offering online casino and mobile gaming to the entire Latin American market – a first for a Mexican casino group.
EMex is the single largest video-slot casino operator in the Mexican market with 12 gaming halls, in excess of 4,000 machines and 180,000 registered players.
Videobet successfully launched its product, which features a suite of 45 games, in August 2006.
“This deal is the first significant step for our land-based offering, opening up a whole new market whilst complimenting and further strengthening our existing portfolio” said Avigur Zmora, CEO of Playtech. “This product provides a great opportunity for land based casino operators to diversify their offering and increase customer loyalty by cross selling to online and mobile products.”
Odds on a Pair of Oscar Queens at Online Casino
This year’s Academy Award nominations have been announced, and immediately online casino and bookmaker William Hill has made Helen Mirren a 1/12 favourite to win the Best Actress award - the shortest odds they have ever offered at this early stage.
The British actress, who wowed critics and audiences alike in ‘The Queen’, will be up against more home-grown talent in the form of Judi Dench and Kate Winslet for the top acting award. Meryl Streep for ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ comes in at 10/1.
'The Queen' is also an 8/1 favourite to win Best Film. British helmer Stephen Frears is 9/1 to pick up Best Director, whist Martin Scorsese is a 1/3 odds-on shot to win in that category for 'The Departed'.
Elsewhere Forest Whitaker is a firm 1/4 favourite in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in ‘The Last King of Scotland’.
With so much British talent involved, Hills expects a record turnover in the betting market. One punter stands to win a cool £3,400 should Peter O’Toole triumph in the Best Actor category for ‘Venus’, having placed a £100 bet last year that O’Toole would win an Oscar.
Orbis and Parlay Join Forces
Orbis, one of the world’s leading providers of interactive gaming and betting solutions, has announced it has signed an agreement to provide games content to leading Internet bingo solutions developer and licensor, Parlay Entertainment.
Under this partnership, Orbis OpenBet Casino and Fixed Odds Games designs and concepts will be integrated into Parlay’s existing back office system. Parlay will gain access to Orbis’ portfolio of over 50 technically advanced non-download Flash games including classic casino games, popular fixed odds concepts and play-on-demand games such as Lucky Star.
David Loveday, Managing Director, Orbis said “We are very pleased to welcome Parlay as a new partner. This partnership once again highlights the diversity and flexibility of our product portfolio and further reflects the move in the industry towards a more open approach.”
Orbis OpenBet presents seven distinct but compatible software modules that include Sportsbook, Casino, Rake Games, Fixed Odds Games, Exchange, Retail and Marketing. It enables operators to allow customers to bet and play across multiple products and platforms in a wide variety of languages and currencies, whilst offering a unique ‘One Account, One Wallet’ solution.
Peter Trinz, Senior Vice President, Parlay Entertainment added, “We know that online bingo players love variety. That’s why the Orbis portfolio of games is such a natural fit. The real winners will be the players, since they will see more choice than ever before when playing at Parlay-powered bingo sites.”
Online Casino Shares Dip Following US Bank Probe
Shares in online gambling sites including PartyGaming and 888.com fell yesterday, following the news that the US Department of Justice is stepping up its investigation into the industry.
The latest probe is demanding information from some of the world's biggest investment banks which reportedly include HSBC, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort as part of an inspection of several online gaming sites.
The Justice Department has reportedly issued subpoenas to at least four Wall Street investment banks that had underwritten the initial public offerings of some of the most high-profile online gambling sites that operate overseas.
While online gaming sites such as PartyGaming and 888 Holdings operate from a Gibraltar base and have floated on the London Stock Exchange, companies that conduct business with them and have large bases in the US have come under fire by regulators in Washington.
PartyGaming’s shares dropped by approximately 6.5 percent while rival Sportingbet was down by 6 percent and 888.com lost around 3.5 percent.
PlayboyGaming Launches New Poker Site
Online gaming site PlayboyGaming.com has announced the launch of its new poker room that will not only give online players the chance to win cash prizes, but also the opportunity to open up the doors to the playboy mansion using the sites alternative tender: Bunny Money.
Players can trade in the Bunny Money, won via their game play, at the PlayboyGaming.com Rewards Club and indulge in prizes including exclusive VIP trips to the Playboy Club in Las Vegas, lunch with Playmates and exclusive invites to Hugh Hefner's famous Playboy Mansion parties.
Lee Knott, spokesperson for PlayboyGaming.com, said, “We're delighted to deliver the unique Playboy brand to an online gaming audience. Not only will players experience a quality poker offering, but they will also have the opportunity to win once-in-a-lifetime, priceless experiences that no other online gaming site can offer.”
“We will also be launching casino software within the next couple of months making PlayboyGaming.com the premier destination for all gamers,” he added.
PlayboyGaming.com is offering a $100 sign up bonus with a monthly reward of $50.
Online Casino Laws Get The OK From The UK
A survey conducted by online poker room, pkr.com, and YouGov has revealed that there is little public resistance to government plans to license and regulate online gambling as part of the new Gambling Act which comes into force in September.
The results from the survey, part of a Poker UK 2007 report issued by pkr.com, saw 63 percent of 4,630 respondents supporting Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell’s policy to regulate the online gambling industry from within the UK.
The introduction of the new laws even received backing from non-gamblers with over 50 percent agreeing with government plans and only 14 percent disagreeing with the new proposals. The survey also highlighted that licensing and regulation plays a small role in players’ choice of online gaming sites. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed, 63 percent, believe that it is crucial for an online gambling site to have a licence, while only 5 percent see licensing as ‘not important at all.’
The British public also put in a vote of confidence for the future of UK casino industry with 70 percent saying they would trust a poker room or casino that is overseen and licenced in the UK.
Swedish Online Poker Player Wins Copenhagen EPT
Magnus Petersson, a 29-year-old financial advisor from Stockholm, beat off stiff competition from some of the world’s finest poker players to win more than four million Danish Kroner (approximately €537,000) at this years European Poker Tour tournament in Copenhagen.
Petersson won his seat for the competition in a $475 PokerStars online satellite tournament giving him a chance to step up from his most significant win to date, $30,000 as 438th position in last year’s World Series of Poker.
With just three players left, Petersson was the small stack. However, he made an amazing turnaround by winning a huge pot with a 7-2 off-suit, statistically the worst hand in poker. “That really turned things around for me. It completely changed my table image. It’s been an incredibly tough tournament, with no weak players,” reflected Petersson.
Petersson was one of 400 players who entered the high profile, four-day event, creating a total prize fund of over 13 million Danish Kroner (approximately €1,744,000).
CAP Euro Gets the Party Started
With just days to go until CAP (Casino Affiliate Programmes) Euro, the finishing touches are being added to the social side of the event with several days of parties organised during the conference.
The parties begin tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd January with the Breaking The ICE event at the Albannach in Trafalgar Square, London, set to coincide with the International Casino Exhibition at Earls Court. This will be a ticket only event and tickets can be purchased on www.icei-exhibition.com.
Now in its 6th year in a venue capable of holding up to 1,000 party-goers, Wednesday’s Fire and ICE party promises a hedonistic night of entertainment. Invites can be found at iGaming Business stand 5235 ICEi, or by keeping an eye out for the lovely ladies of Lyceum.
The Royal Exchange hosts the Gnuf launch party on Friday 26th, which will double up as the opening party for the CAP Euro. By day an exclusive shopping centre, the Royal Exchange will be home to what the organisers call “a party this industry has never before seen”. Needless to say, RSVPs will be essential.
The Bodog.com-sponsored Saturday event takes place at Café de Paris in Piccadilly Circus. The party starts at 7pm and runs through till 10pm when the club opens and guests move to a reserved area to party the rest of the night away.
Capping the week’s festivities off, The Sunday Session moves things down a gear when delegates can relax in the comfort of an English pub.
Big Brother’s Shilpa Favourite After Big Bother
Indian actress Shilpa Shetty is an odds-on favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother after she won the phone vote against fellow housemate Jade Goody on Friday.
The Bollywood beauty, 31, is as short as 8/13 with Sporting Odds with little better to be found on the betting exchanges. Jermaine Jackson has moved into 2nd place in the running at 8/1 closely followed by A-Team actor Dirk Benedict at 9s. Model Danielle Lloyd is hot favourite to be evicted next.
8.8 million people watched as former Big Brother winner Goody was evicted from the house after a controversial week in which alleged racism and bullying was directed at Shetty from some of the other housemates. Questions were asked in the House of Commons over Channel 4’s handling of the affair and there were riots in India at the actress’s treatment.
Following Goody's eviction bookmakers William Hill slashed the odds for Channel 4 axing the current Celebrity Big Brother series to 50-1.
Such is her increased profile since entering the CBB house, Shilpa is set to be invited to present the Asian Poker Classic in Goa in March.
Mobile Casino Users In A Spin
Spin3, one of the leading wireless casino system providers, has announced a new service option for its clients – SpinSupport™ - optional 24/7 multi-lingual service centre, with dedicated chat, email, phone and SMS support.
This service will utilise a unique feature – the Call Back button, exclusive to Spin3 mobile casinos, which allows players to receive an immediate call back from a service representative within minutes.
Erez Figlash, CEO of BrightMark, a full-service contact centre solutions company commented, “Spin3’s SpinSupport through BrightMark, will assure mobile gambling operators of rapid service response via our experienced and dedicated call-centre team.”
SpinSupport services through BrightMark will include a 24-hour dedicated customer support set-up, email and web-based chat support, and international toll-free calls.
Visitors at ICEi at Earl’s Court in London can experience Spin3‘s mobile casino games and SpinSupport from 23–25 January 2007.
Tain Poker Sites To Switch
A host of online card rooms will migrate from the Tain Poker Network to the iPoker/Playtech Network next month.
Among those making the move include Expekt.com, Gutshotgaming.com and Pokerducks.com.
Tain has been supplying software to the gambling industry from its base in Stockholm since 1999. Playtech is the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming software supplier.
The migration is a result of a merger in October of last year between the Tain Poker Network and the Tribeca Tables Network. In November Playtech acquired Tribeca Tables Europe Ltd with the intention of merging the Tribeca operators to the iPoker/Playtech Network. Therefore current Tain Poker operators will migrate directly to the iPoker/Playtech Network.
Online Casino Ups The Ante With New Range
VIP.com Casino has announced the expansion of its online casino with a barrage of new games and features.
14 of the downloadable games have been given new looks and designs. Classics including Baccarat, Blackjack and Caribbean Hold'em Poker have all been given the 5-star treatment.
VIP has also added three brand new slots to their wildly popular Real-Series video slots collection. Crystal Waters, Enchanted Garden and Treasure Chamber will all include 1-20 paylines and a random jackpot that can be won on any play, at any time.
Additionally, VIP.com Casino has added a whopping 10 new Flash games including slots such as Derby Dollars, Mister Money and Red Sands. Also just added are five different types of Flash Video Poker, some of which are multi-hand, including Bonus Deuces Wild, Double Bonus Poker and Joker Poker.
These games were formerly only available in download, but are now available in Flash as well in order to accommodate those casino players that prefer the instant-play games.
Big Brother’s Shilpa to be Offered Asian Poker Role
The Asian Poker Classic, sponsored by MaharajahClub.com, is set to capitalise on Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty’s success on the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother (CBB), by inviting the actress and reality TV star to present the Asian Poker Classic, taking place in Goa, March 1-5 2007.
Bollywood actress Shetty, who was already a huge star of Indian cinema, has shot to fame throughout the world thanks to her high profile role on Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother programme, which is currently creating headlines and heated debate around the world.
Her appearance on the show has alerted organisers of the Asian Poker Classic who see Shetty as the perfect candidate to host what will be the biggest poker tournament ever to have been staged in India, and which is set to attract an international audience to Goa in early March.
Director of Events at APC, Minaxshi Shah, explained, “We don’t yet know how much longer she’ll be in the Big Brother house but she’s already become the star of the series. We’ll be contacting her as soon as she comes out to ask if she’ll be involved in the Asian Poker Classic.”
Sachin Pawa, CEO of tournament sponsors Maharajah Gaming, added, “Shilpa has the perfect poker face along with strength under pressure, grace and class. She is already hugely popular in India and now has a strong following in the UK. She would be the ideal ambassador for the Asian Poker Classic.”
The 31-year-old actress goes head-to-head tonight (Friday) in an eviction battle with nemesis Jade Goody, with the film star odds-on favourite to win the public vote and stay in.
NETeller Cuts Ties with US
Just days after NETeller founders Stephen Lawrence and John LeFebvre were arrested and charged with money laundering, the company at the forefront of online payment solutions for the gaming industry has stopped allowing US players to use its services to transfer money to and from Internet gambling sites.
NETeller, a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange, deals with more than $7 billion in financial transactions each year, according to the company's interim report for 2006 with seventy-five percent of the company's revenue coming from the United States.
On Wednesday Citadel Commerce, another e-wallet operated by Entertainment Systems Inc (ESI), mirrored NETeller’s move with the announcement that it too was to withdraw its services from the US market.
Online gaming sites, such as Full Tilt Poker, who are still operating in the US, are trying to minimise any long-term impact that might be caused by NETeller's exit. “NETeller's decision has no impact on our business here at Full Tilt Poker, and we remain committed to our US players,” the Full Tilt website read on Thursday morning.
News is also breaking that co-founder Steven Lawrence, the remaining detainee from Monday’s arrests, has been released on a $5 million bail into the custody of the FBI. John LeFebvre was granted a $5 million bail release on Wednesday.
Online Casino Operator Appoints New CEO
St Minver, Europe’s largest online games network operator, yesterday announced the appointment of former Excapsa software president Jim Ryan as its new CEO.
Ryan, who brings his extensive experience from the AIM listed software developer and licensor of online gaming applications, replaces Gary Shaw, who will continue to head up the company as Executive Chairman.
The decision may have been swayed by Ryan’s key leadership role in effecting Excapsa’s initial public offer on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Within 2 years the company enjoyed an annual revenue run rate of $120 million and a bottom line profit of $32 million.
“As we enter the next phase of growth for the business, I am personally delighted that St Minver has attracted an individual with Jim’s calibre and experience to the organisation. His proven track record and understanding of the online gaming market will help guide the business and ensure that we deliver on the full potential of the company,” said Shaw.
Online Casino Group Soldiers on in US
The Jackpot Factory Group has vowed to continue with business as usual in 39 US states in spite of NETeller and Citadel’s speedy withdrawal from the US market.
In a statement issued yesterday, the company emphasised that US players will still be welcome at any one of the numerous casinos under its stewardship, and that they will continue to receive a ‘professional service’.
Players can continue to enjoy access to sites including All Slots Casino, All Jackpots Casino, First Web Casino, Wild Jack Casino, and The VIP Lounge Casino using a variety of payments methods from Click2Pay to Instadebit.
NetPlay TV Acquires Chariot’s Internet Lottery
NetPlay TV has announced the purchase of the world's first online-only lottery. The company’s acquisition of the charity lottery, owned by Chariot plc, will include a database consisting of over 280,000 lottery players.
Under the ‘Monday’ brand the site currently brings in approximately £50,000 of ticket sales per week, and Netplay’s takeover is the first move into offering further interactive games and eventually an interactive TV lottery game show based around the brand.
The game is set to go on air by mid February, until then it can still be accessed at www.playmonday.com and continue to be operated by Chariot. Commenting on the deal, Martin Higginson, Chairman and CEO of NetPlay TV, said, “This acquisition further enhances our position in the interactive TV gaming arena. Our mission over the coming year is to build a substantial interactive TV gaming company – this is just the first step in what we believe is a very exciting road ahead.”
Derek Kelly to Appeal Gutshot Ruling
After a dramatic week which has seen him tried, convicted but also to a degree, endorsed by the British legal system, the Gutshot Club’s Derek Kelly has come out fighting in declaring his intention to appeal against the guilty verdict delivered to him by a Clerkenwell court on Tuesday.
Following some careful consideration, Mr Kelly has pinpointed that the main focus of his appeal will contest the descriptive values of skill and chance, citing that legislators specify that poker is not included in such values contained within the 1968 Gaming Act.
The move follows a verdict that on the surface appeared to signal a defeat for the Gutshot club, yet it now appears to be more of a double edged sword, as Mr Kelly explained that in legal terms, the proceedings heralded a huge leap forward for the game of poker. “The judge said on the record that he absolutely concurred that poker was a game of equal chance which is a huge step forward because that hadn’t really been decided in law prior to this.”
This latest news will have found many a welcome ear, especially within the gambling industry as the new Gambling Act, set for inception in September, actually legalises cash gambling on equal chance games including poker, without the need for a licence from the Gambling Commission or local authority.
So Derek Kelly’s gloves are very much off as he continues his passionate fight for what he truly believes in.
Kelly closed matters with this single, defiant declaration: “The Gutshot remains open.”
NETeller Co-Founder Released on Bail
John Lefebvre, one of the two co-founders of NETeller who were apprehended on Monday, has been released on personal-recognisance bail for $5 million. The 55-year-old appeared in front of a magistrates’ court on Wednesday morning, and agreed that the terms of his bail must include the confiscation of his passport, limited supervision, and the requirement to remain within the central district of his native California.
Lefebvre’s fellow NETeller co-founder Stephen Lawrence, arrested on the same charges simultaneously on the other side of the United States, appeared in court on Tuesday. It has not been revealed whether he has been offered or posted bail. Regardless, both men are scheduled to appear in the Southern District of New York Court later in eight days’ time, a journey for which Lefebvre is permitted to exclude from the travelling restrictions of his bail.
Both men face charges relating to money laundering, taking billions of dollars of Internet gambling proceeds in their operation of the e-wallet service.
After the arrests on Monday, NETeller suspended its ‘Instacash option’ – the popular payment method allowing online gamblers to access and transfer funds online, without first revealing details on their financial standings. It has also suspended instant credit card transactions for deposits indefinitely.
Online Casino in Apple iPhone Giveaway
One of the world’s leading online gaming and lifestyle websites, Purple Lounge, has announced that it is to giveaway the recently announced Apple iPhone before it reaches European stores.
The iPhone, unveiled last week at MacWorld San Francisco, is expected to be the must-have accessory of 2007. The device combines a mobile phone with a widescreen iPod, as well as incorporating breakthrough Internet applications for lightweight browsing, email, maps and other services on the go.
Purple Lounge, reaffirming its ability to consistently offer the exclusive seasonal must-haves, will have an as-yet undisclosed number of devices on offer in a prize draw in May. With Apple still keeping its cards close to its chest regarding a European release date, the promotional department at Purple Lounge are estimating they will have ‘a few’ to give away.
To be eligible to enter candidates must be registered users of Purple Lounge who have played more than 10,000 raked hands over the competition period (February through to May). Full terms and conditions may be found on the company’s website.
Britain Hooked on Online Casinos
As reported on Tuesday, English businesses are loosing a considerable amount of manpower to their employees’ online gambling habits. Now, a new report has given a wider context to the rise of Britain’s rising online casino addictions, revealing the considerable amount of time players spend online compared with players in other countries.
The study, conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings, revealed that users spend a startling average of over 10 hours per month using 888 Poker; PokerStars users are more moderate, spending just over 6 hours; whilst the figures are relatively surprising for Party Poker – whose users will gamble for 3 hours and 43 minutes a month.
With the widespread availability of broadband increasing its overall popularity, the review investigated a variety of online applications, and focused on their ‘addictiveness’ by examining their spread of usage. Putting poker figures into context, the average use of the most popular online application, MSN Messenger, amounts to just 3 and a half hours over the course of the month.
Bet2Go is Good2Go Following Impressive Growth
Bet2Go, the leading mobile phone sports betting service, has officially introduced itself to the iGaming world on the back of some impressive results in terms of company growth, which has seen it quickly become the UK’s leading mobile odds comparison and sports betting application.
The interface allows players to get the latest real time information, odds and betting opportunities from 6 of the UK’s best known bookmakers; Ladbrokes, Sporting Odds, Total Bet, Paddy Power, Victor Chandler and Blue Square, direct to their mobile-phones, with the ability to place instant bets at the same time.
The service is user friendly with an easy to navigate user interface, specifically designed for mobile phones. It is available via WAP, web or as a downloadable Java application and users only need to take up free registration once before placing bets with any one of the listed bookmakers.
As an added bonus, users of the free application won’t be hit with premium rate SMS charges, subscription fees or other hidden costs apart from normal mobile operator data charges.
Bet2Go has a rapidly growing, registered customer base of over 20,000, with the average customer staking about £20-£30 per use for an average of 25 bets per month.
Online Casino Champions to go Continental
Leading online poker site, Everest Poker, has announced plans to hold a series of tournaments to send players to the upcoming Austrian Open.
The series of satellite tournaments will see players compete for a space in the seventh Austrian Open, at the Casino Bregenz in Bregenz, Austria on March 3-4, 2007. 'The Austrian Open has become a popular event in the world of poker and we're eager to send some of our best players,' said Jonathan May, Everest Poker Property Manager.
Satellites with a buy-in of $11 + 1 are held on a daily basis alongside rebuys of $3 +30. Players can also enter by using an Everest Poker Bronze Token Freeroll. The weekly, direct entry tournaments take place on Mondays with a $100 + 9 buy-in, with the winners of each of the five tournaments securing a seat at the Austrian Open.
May added, “This is a great event and we're looking forward to seeing our players there. With a €2,000 main event prize, the Austrian Open is sure to bring out the best in our players.”
Gaming Industry Called to Account Over Online Addiction
Leading doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) have highlighted the need for gambling addicts to receive better NHS treatment, urging the gaming industry to pay £10 million a year to fund it.
The BMA claimed the growth in online gambling has led to a marked rise in addiction, and also warned the imminent relaxation in gambling laws could add significantly to the growing number of addicts - particularly among female and teenage players.
The BMA''s Dr Vivienne Nathanson said that gambling addiction is low on the priority list for the NHS, trailing well behind drugs and alcohol. “There are insufficient treatment facilities available. Problems can include anxiety, depression, guilt and suicidal thoughts,” she explained.
“The BMA is calling on the gaming industry to pay at least £10 million per annum to fund research, prevention and intervention programmes.”
Studies have shown that there are a minimum of 300,000 problem gamblers in the UK. Experts predict that the number of gambling addicts may soar after the introduction of the Gambling Act in September, which gives the green light to the building of a host of new casinos.
Online Casino Announces January Giveaways
Pokerlistings.com, one of the industry’s largest online poker guides, has announced the best freeroll tournament listings for the remainder of January, with prizes of $10,000 and $12,500 still up for grabs.
World Poker Tour LA ends January with a bang with its $30,000 LA Poker Classic freeroll on January 28, comprising two $12,500 packages. Both World Poker Tour (WPT) prize packages include the $10,000 buy-in for the main event plus spending money.
Players finishing in the top two places will earn themselves a winter retreat at the ‘Poker Capital of the World’, the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, which boasts the largest poker room on earth.
The freeroll is open to all PokerListings.com players who have earned 600 player points between October 20, 2006 and January 20, 2007.
Other great offers for PokerListings.com players, with 250 player points earned between December 20, 2006 and January 20, 2007, include a $10,000 pure cash freeroll that goes live on January 27.
InterXgaming Revamps Online Casino
Online gaming site InterXgaming has recently launched enhanced versions of its entire brand portfolio consisting of an online casino, online poker room and online sportsbook.
Changes include the introduction of new games, new site features and an improved overall online experience for all users. This will include the introduction of new multi-play video poker games in a classic Vegas style featuring a new double-profit bonus option. Players can also choose from 1, 11 or 51 hand player options.
The online casino became an industry first when it introduced the first auto play slot machine, which is reported to improve winning odds in favour of the player.
InterXgaming will host an exclusive forum Freeroll challenge on January 27 to mark the start of 2007.
Police Detain NETeller Founders
The online gambling industry has been shaken once again after news emerged late last night that the founders of NETeller, John Lefebvre and Steve Lawrence, have been detained in the US.
It is believed but not confirmed, that the two men have been detained but have as yet had no charges filed against them. The company, based in the Isle of Man, calls itself the ‘world’s largest independent money transfer business’ and last year took revenues of around $172 million.
Point-Spreads.com reports that Lefebvre is likely to have been apprehended at his wife’s residence in Southern California, and Lawrence is believed to have been taken from a residence in New York. Both men were founders of the company who worked within it at least up until November 2005, with Lawrence acting as Chairman of NETeller up until October 2005.
Online Casino Admits Spurs Failure
Mansion Poker has admitted that its four-year £34 million sponsorship deal with English Premiership football club Tottenham Hotspur has failed. In reaction to this, the online casino, endorsed by Sports911.com, has since undertaken aggressive promotions for the company, reportedly to counteract the financial burden.
As reported on Online Casino News earlier this month, Mansion Poker has been offering $100,000 a day in its online poker tournaments in an attempt to revive interest in the firm.
Rumours have since circulated that the company will be shutting down its Gibraltar based online service, but these have been disregarded by the firm as ‘unsubstantiated’, although the company is directing a shift of strategy. Mansion is believed to be concentrating on a joint venture with Les Ambassadeurs, a UK land-based casino also owned by Putera Sampoerna.
Downsizing personnel towards the end of the last year gives further reason to believe Mansion Poker is continually struggling to make an impression on the market. But while the company appears to admit its attempt to enter the English Premier League sponsorship world was a mistake failing to bring in sufficient new custom – it fervently denies any rumours suggesting the website may significantly down-grade or shut down entirely.
Mobile Gaming to Hit $16 Billion by 2011
Studies into the mobile gaming market conducted by Juniper Research predicts considerable growth in all forms of gambling on portable devices over the next four years.
Despite severe legal restrictions on mobile gambling in the USA, the global market remains strong and expected to rise from the current gross value of $1.35 billion to $16.6 billion by 2011.
Juniper Research published a report last June, but have since revised the forecasts in light of the tightening of legal barriers with regard to online gambling in the United States. The newly released figures reflect the bleak prospects for the US market and are considerably lower – yet still suggest that there is significant potential for mobile gambling portals where the law allows.
While Europe is currently the largest market for mobile gambling, the research forecasts the Asia Pacific market to overtake in 2008. With the demise of American contribution, by 2011 it is expected that these two markets will represent 80 percent of all bets by value placed globally.
Online Casino Gambling Costing UK Companies
A new survey, commissioned by consultancy firm Morse, claims that online gambling while at work is costing English firms more than £300m every year in lost productivity.
The research reveals that 30 percent had used an online casino, bought a lottery ticket or made a bet while on office time – or new someone who had. The survey suggested that such employees would accumulate 13 hours gambling on the Internet over a year.
According to the firm conducting the study, such quick bets amass to a substantial dent in company productivity. The rise in popularity of online casinos and other internet gambling outlets, matched with unmonitored Internet provided at the majority of workplaces, is blamed for tempting employees with less than a fully sustained focus in the office.
The survey, which quizzed 664 office workers nationwide, showed that 38 percent of men admitted to online gambling at work, compared with 21 percent of women. Regional spread was also revealed: 35 percent of those in Northern England were making bets on company time, compared with 29 percent in the South and 27 percent, the least, in the Midlands.
Bookies All Set for Mourinho Exit
Bookmakers William Hill has slashed the odds of Chelsea’s self confessed ‘chosen one’ Jose Mourinho leaving his role at the beginning of next season.
The online and offline betting company has changed the odds of the Chelsea manager leaving from 9/4 to 7/4. The move comes after evasive comments about his future, following his team's draw against Wycombe in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi Final.
'Mourinho's ego is such that even if Chelsea win all four trophies he might decide on a whim to leave and punters have latched on to his negative comments about his Chelsea future,' said William Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.
Chelsea are the 4/6 favourites to win the Carling Cup with Arsenal offered at 12/5;
Tottenham 4/1; Wycombe are the 33/1 outsiders.
Other prominent betting odds include the chances of Mourinho being Chelsea Manager on first day of 2007/08 Premiership season, which are currently set at 2/5 Yes and 7/4 No.
Everest Online Casino Announces Festive Winners
Premier online casino, Everest casino, has announced the ten lucky winners of its 12 Days of Christmas programme.
For 12 days in December, players at the online casino received deposit bonuses as well as prizes including a 80GB iPod video, a Playstation 3 games console, a Sonic Impact Video-55 sound system, a Sony digital camera as well as $5,000 cash prize, which went the way of a Swedish player.
“We wanted to give something back to our players this past holiday season,” said Eduardo Santos, the property manager for Everest Casino. “This was the perfect way to do it - we picked prizes everybody would want.”
The prizes were given away in tournaments that focused on select online video slot machines and video poker games. Everest Casino also offered deposit bonuses of up to 300 percent of the original deposit amount, on selected days.
Football Coach Lands Betfair Sponsorship Deal
A skilled online poker player from Copenhagen has won a $20,000 sponsorship package in Betfair Poker's Iron Man challenge.
Frank Sorensen, a 31-year-old player who drives a school bus and coaches his local football team, will represent Betfair Poker at tournaments worldwide after winning the site’s Iron Man challenge.
The challenge was part of Betfair Poker's '12 Plays of Christmas' - a hunt for the site's highest-level tournament player. The criteria for selecting this player was based on their consistency of performance in daily $15,000 and $10,000 guaranteed tournaments.
'I didn't realise how well I was doing until a friend saw my name on the leader board,' said Sorensen.
'I love coaching the football team but this maybe the time to hang up the bus keys and concentrate on my poker.'
Sorensen will join Betfair’s established group of poker professionals at live events around the world.
Online Casino Makes Itself Understood
Titan Poker has announced the latest language to be added to its poker software programmes.
Norwegian is to join a long list of foreign languages that the software can be translated into. These include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Turkish and Swedish.
This brings the leading poker site up to a total of nine languages including English.
New players are can select their preferred language when downloading the Titan Poker programme and can play poker with international opponents, with the added bonus of viewing menus and other information in their native language.
Titan Poker also provides multi-lingual support services, including email responses and online chat support. The move follows a huge increase in the number of Norwegian speaking players that have begun to fill Titan Poker's popular tournament and ring game tables.
Sail Aboard the Online Casino for Free
The online casino English Harbour is steaming ahead with more of its free roll tournaments this month, when each week, players can battle it out for cash prizes of up to $5,000 without dishing out a single penny.
The casino nominates a new game each week for a free roll, with the 5 reel Wheel of Chance game being the current tournament game until the end of play today (January 15). Players can collect their $500 free credits by visiting the tournaments section from the main lobby, from where free entry to the event can be gained.
Visitors to the site can also enter an unlimited amount of tournaments. As soon as you ‘Enter’ each game your tournament bankroll will be added to your account and you can start playing.
The cash prizes are awarded on a leader board basis, based on top wagering amounts:
The top prizes each week are $1,000, $500 and $250 and the rest of the prize pool is divided amongst the remaining 100 winners.
Pinnacle Sports Exits US Market
PinnacleSports.com, previously believed to be working around the recent Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and continuing to accept wagers from US clients, yesterday withdrew its business from the US market with immediate effect.
Despite the decision being voluntary it is unclear quite why Pinnacle Sports made the sudden move – pulling from the US is certain to see a substantial injury to their growth. The company will be continuing to offer their same service to its international customers, believing that their share of the European market was significant enough that their American gamblers were no longer necessary. It is believed that 40 percent of the company’s business is based in Europe and Asia.
In the statement issued by the company, European managing director Steve Cook said, “The board have taken a considerable amount of time to weigh up all of the options and sought a great deal of legal and market advice. We had agonised over the decision for several weeks, but sadly we have no alternative. We have concluded that it is the best way forward for the company.”
Pinnacle Sports is by no means the last of online gambling sites to go: a number of online casinos and poker rooms, such as PokerStars and Absolute Poker, are continuing to face the US market.
Net Entertainment Releases Online Casino Platform
Net Entertainment yesterday released a new gambling platform for established or upcoming online casinos. Comprising of a wide range of games the customisable software is backed with a powerful management system.
The system, CasinoModule™, has been designed to incorporate itself into existing website infrastructure, and runs fully with the gaming service's brand.
The roulette, which is to replace the existing version of the game, has been constructed with great care – indeed Net Entertainment hopes to have perfected the movement of ball and wheel such that it is as accurate a reflection on the physical world as possible. In order to further enhance the realistic nature of the game, new sounds have generated that are synchronised with the ball's movement.
As well as roulette, the platform incorporates many other gaming options including slots, scratch tickets and a mini-slot. “I have seen no other online roulette which even comes close to what we now can offer” claimed Johan Ohman, CEO of Net Entertainment. More information on CasinoModule can be found at casinomodule.com, as well as on provider Net Entertainment’s website netent.com.
Canadian Becomes Moneymaker Millionaire
After five months of online qualifying rounds, PokerStars’ first Moneymaker Millionaire tournament came to an end with Quillian Nagel, of Canada, taking home the grand prize worth over a million dollars.
The event concluded at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas' Paradise Island on Tuesday. Nagel, whose winnings included an Aston Martin DB9, outplayed 830,000 other competitors in what was the world's largest free online poker tournament, hosted by PokerStars.com.
The final part of the tournament took place as a live three-table grand finale with the top 27 players of the qualifying online games. After 16 hours the 27 had whittled down to a heads-up between Nagel and Jerry Watterson of Florida, both positioned with fairly equal stacks. But inevitably there was only one winner.
'This is a life changing experience that I will never forget,' Nagel said after collecting his winnings. 'PokerStars and Chris Moneymaker have been an inspiration and catalyst for everyday poker players all over the world, reminding us that we too can overcome incredible odds and win the big one.'
Nagel plans to pay off his student loans then to buy his wife a new Toyota Prius and digital camera. A photo gallery of all the action can be found on pokerstarsblog.com.
Slotland.com Launches Striking New Game
Slotland.com, the pioneering online casino that brought us mobile slot games as early as 2005, has added the video poker game “Striking 7s” to its mobile gaming repertoire. The game, which has a unique doubling feature, has already proved to be a hit with the online gaming community on its introduction earlier this year.
After a win, Striking 7s players are offered the option to “Double or Collect”. If they choose to try and double their winnings, another five cards are dealt and the player has one chance to pick the hidden high card.
“We've made substantial improvements since we first launched or mobile platform,” said Slotland.com Mobile Marketing Manager, Martin Smith. “We now have two mobile slot machines and two mobile video poker games, and we now support over a thousand different mobile devices, including the Blackberry, which only a really small number of other mobile gaming platform providers support.”
The mobile games are tied to Slotland.com’s Progressive Jackpot, which is famous for being frequently hit for well over $100K.
BetonSports Casts Legal Shadow on Lord Glentoran
Irish Shadow Minister Lord Glentoran could be first in the line of fire as the case of the now defunct online gambling site BetonSports is dragged through the courts.
A key prosecutor overseeing the online gambling case, that has seen a recent wave of media attention, has reportedly asked a judge to consider the arrest of directors for their ‘wilful disregard’ of the court's proceedings.
The peer of the House of Lords is also on the board of directors at BetonSports, and has been critised by former customers of the site for doing little to assist their compensation claims, although representatives from the online gaming operator have issued variety of compensation dates to customers.
Prosecutor Michael Fagan’s attack comes after the company’s former attorney Jeffrey Demerath told US District Judge Carol Jackson in St. Louis that his clients had instructed him not to appear to answer charges against the firm.
“[BetonSports decision] suggests that corporate management is neither in a coma nor dead but, instead, contemptuous and defiant,'' said Fagan.
Gaming Giant secures acquisition of Online Casino
The Canadian gambling software developer CryptoLogic has confirmed that it is to acquire the brand and assets of Scandinavian online poker room Parbet.com for around €9 million.
The company confirmed that it will purchase the poker brand and its related assets and reportedly go on to license Parbet assets, poker software, payment processing and multi-lingual customer support services to a private Maltese online gaming company which will take over operation of Parbet.com.
The sale will include rights to the Parbet brand name, associated domain names such as Parbet.com, customer lists, databases and players’ cash in deposits.
As part of the agreement, CryptoLogic's subsidiary, WagerLogic, will pay €9 million for the brand and assets, with the potential to add amounts up to €4million, dependent on the enhanced performance of the company’s assets over the next six months.
Parbet’s current performance is said to generate approximately $7 million in revenue annually.
CryptoLogic said it expects the licensing arrangement to add approximately $2 million to its 2007 earnings.
The company handover is set to complete by January 15.
Hands Up if You’re a Poker Celebrity
The World’s First Celebrity online Poker Room has confirmed that the 500 millionth hand has been dealt this week.
The site already began celebrating the milestone at hand number 498,000,000, where the winning player trumped a win of $250 while the games other players received $25 each.
The winning Poker Player of hand number 500,000,000 received a cash prize of $1,000, as the high profile poker room set its sights on achieving 1 billion hands in the not too distant future.
CelebPoker is home to a plethora of online poker bonuses including an offer of a 300 percent deposit bonus of up to $500. The company has also announced that it will continue to organise its successful VIP Freeroll tournaments, the first of which will take place on February 1 with a new $5,000 VIP Freeroll, as well as special tournaments that will offer celebrity prizes such as an F1 Ferrari helmet signed by Michael Schumacher.
Games Ahoy at Online Casino
Online casino group English Harbour has launched two new games developed by Vegas Technologies. Appealing to players across the igaming world, the group has added a Five Card Mulligan game and a basketball-themed video slot to its current online selection.
The new player packages include a game of Money Shot, a 20 Pay-line, 5-Reel Slot game based on the rules of basketball, whilst poker fans can also indulge in a variation of the game known as Five Card Mulligan, where players are pitted against the dealer using a 52-card deck, with the Joker cards removed. The winning hand is the highest versus that of the dealer.
Visitors to the site can also benefit from bonus games, the opportunity for free spins and the ability to increase their winning streak by playing as many as 20 pay-lines simultaneously.
English Harbour Casino is also offering new customers matchplay signup bonuses up to a maximum amount of $275.
Monte Carlo or Bust at Online Casino
Online casino Get21.com is to offer its Blackjack players the chance to win a weekend for two in Monte Carlo when their special prize tournament begins on February 1.
Players can enter into the tournament for free - without making a deposit – and can qualify daily to earn a position in the final games, which will be taking place on the website on March 15. The winner of the Grand Prize will be able to swap the online experience for the real thing at the notorious casinos in the playground of the rich and famous.
Get21.com is a leading provider of online multiplayer Blackjack and offers its software as a free download, meaning that players could potentially scoop the prize without investing a penny.
Tournament runners up will not leave empty handed, with an Apple iPod being awarded to the player in second place, and a PlayStation to the player in third.
PokerRoom.com Responds to High Profile Complaint
A high profile complaint involving OnGame’s PokerRoom.com and its Christmas Day tournament has finally led to a management response.
The row broke out when players were disappointed to discover they were not playing for the $19,000 they had initially expected. Despite all promotional information regarding the tournament competition detailing the prize of a $2,000 HDTV, a glitch in the gaming software on the day of the tournament presented the information differently; apparently offering a $19,000 cash bonus.
The website has paid back the players affected and “taken the necessary steps to prevent a situation like this from happening in the future” according to founder Oskar Hornell, who has openly apologised for the situation.
The poker room received a barrage of negative feedback, formal complaints and sparked a huge uproar of internet debate. But for many the dispute remains unresolved. Mr. Hornell’s failure to honour the error and appropriately offer the mistaken prize is expected to lose a substantial, although relatively non-threatening, amount of custom.
San Diego Set to Charge at Online Casino
Online sportsbook and casino PinnacleSports.com yesterday revealed its updated odds for those competing in the upcoming Super Bowl XLI, AFC and NFC Championships.
The San Diego Chargers remain the odds-on favourite to win the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl at 5/2 odds, followed by the Baltimore Ravens at 4/1.
Favourites in the NFC are the Chicago Bears – listed at 9/2 to win their first championship since ‘The Super Bowl Shuffle’ 21 years ago. New Orleans’ Saints are hoping to provide the feel-good story of the season, at 9/1 to bring the championship back to the Hurricane ravaged streets of their hometown.
Finally, it appears that top seed in the AFC Championship is a close call, according to PinnacleSports.com – listing the Chargers at 7/4 over the Ravens at 9/4. The Super Bowl XLI is to take place in Miami on February 4.
Full odds can be found at PinnacleSports.com.
Odds To Win Super Bowl XLI
San Diego Chargers 5/2
Baltimore Ravens 4/1
Chicago Bears 9/2
Odds To Win AFC Championship
San Diego Chargers 7/4
Baltimore Ravens 9/4
Indianapolis Colts 9/2
Odds To Win NFC Championship
Chicago Bears 1/1
New Orleans Saints 5/2
Philadelphia Eagles 4/1
Online Casino Survey Promises Industry Revelations
A report initiated by Nottingham Trent University promises to be the largest ever online gambling survey commissioned by eCOGRA, and is expected to reveal some surprising results. The findings of the survey are expected to be revealed at the upcoming ICE exhibition on January 23.
The survey quizzed over 10,000 participants from all over the globe, and due to its scale it hopes to represent the clearest interpretation of the online gambling industry from the point of view of the players themselves. Named ‘The Global Online Gambler Report’ it is expected to focus on areas such as player protection, preferences, various gambling portals and their value, favourite games and particularly responsible gambling.
eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge said this week, 'Early indications are that there will be some surprises in the report. We think it will be very revealing for both industry insiders and a wider public.'
Aided by the Las Vegas based University of Nevada, the gambling research team at Nottingham Trent believe their study is employing the leading minds in the field of gambling, both in business and psychology. Draft versions of the review indicate that some surprising results can be expected, providing a valuable insight into the world of online casino gambling.
Fire & Ice to Dazzle iGaming World
The who’s who of igaming, will be able to discuss the latest in technological advances over a glass of champagne in the plush surroundings of London’s Paper & Glass club, 9 Glasshouse Street on Wednesday January 24th.
Attended by event sponsors including software provider Cryptologic and games developer NextGen Gaming, the 1,000-capacity venue will be a true testament to the swinging atmosphere of Studio54 with digitally enhanced imagery from the original club, decorative lighting effects and specially selected graphics developed by the events platinum sponsors, listed above, making it the must-attend event in the igaming social calendar.
The event will also be attended Pokerzone who will join the party to film a news feature which will include interviews with some of the top industry names.
Jodie Thind of Lyceum Media said, “Looking back over the last six years, it’s incredible to think how significant Fire & Ice has become as part of the iGaming calendar. With the support of our sponsors Fire & Ice is a yearly event that is here to stay and can only get bigger.”
The party throws open it doors at 8pm.
BSkyB’s Online Casino Group Takeover Imminent
BSkyB is closing in on the purchase of 365 Media Group, owner of online gambling and sports websites, with almost 60 per cent of 365’s shareholders giving their approval for the deal.
Initially, just 30 per cent of shareholders supported the deal, which saw BSkyB offering 68p a share for the company last month and equated to a £96 million cash offer. 365 Media Group owns and operates gambling websites such as online casino clubonthepark.com and totalbetcasino.co.uk. If the sale were to be agreed BSkyB would gain access to 365’s extensive network and to a web audience of over nine million users per month; an average of 60,000 extra betting and gaming customers.
The deal would significantly increase BSkyB’s market share within the online entertainment sector.
An acceptance of the offer has been given an extended deadline of January 19th.
Spending Cap Earmarked for Internet Gambling
A Scottish MP has called for credit card companies to place a limit on the amount that online players can spend on Internet gambling.
Mike Weir, the Scottish National Party (SNP) MP for Angus, called for a limit to be set at £1,000 a week, and also called sites to limit players to using one credit card each.
The plea comes after a spate of cases where players, suspected to have a gambling addiction have spent thousands of pounds using other people’s cards. APACS, which represents the card industry, and Partygaming, say there are significant problems with the idea and see the solution in treating the player’s addiction at their source.
The average online gambler in the UK is in debt to the tune of £25,000, while the gambling industry already pays £3 million a year into a trust to deal with the issue of problem gambling.
Online Casino Gets Mobile
Zero36, a games developer at the forefront of mobile gambling solutions, has announced the launch of its new mobile casino in conjunction with industry renowned online casino Spin Palace under the Zero36 brand.
The new Zero36 mobile casino platform allows mobile network carriers and casino operators to bolster their profits by offering players a variety of mobile gaming options including games such as Blackjack, European Roulette, Video-Poker, various three and five reeled Slot-Machines, Scratch-Card and two additional progressive-jackpot games, all utilising Microgaming’s Jackpot Network system.
“Through Zero36 we now have exposure to the rapidly growing mobile-gaming sector, with a partner who is focused exclusively on mobile gaming,” said Evan Hoff, Chief Executive of Fairground Gaming Holdings plc, the owner of Spin Palace.
The mobile gaming sector has seen a steady increase in recent years with analyst house Juniper Research predicting that the industry will grow from nearly $2 billion in revenue in 2006, to greater than $23 billion in 2011.
Online Casino Unveils Poker Marathon
Kicking off this week, leading online casino and poker room, 888.com, and the Internet’s respected online poker authority, PokerNews.com, are to team up to host the marathon poker tournament, PokerProForAYear (pokerproforayear.com) - a year of tournaments that will end with one lucky player securing the fantasy prize of an all-inclusive sponsorship to four of the poker world’s largest tournaments in 2008.
With PokerProForAYear, 888.com’s Pacific Poker has created a year-long tournament exclusively for players from PokerNews.com. Through a series of six two-month leagues, ten skilled players will gamble their way to the elite PokerProForAYear Final.
These players will be whisked away in true VIP style to a secret location where they’ll compete for the sponsorship and the first-ever title of PokerProForAYear. The Grand Prize winner can expect to walk away with the year-long sponsorship while the runner up will also be sponsored in one global offline event in 2008.
Ladbrokes Applies for Spanish Licence
UK based gambling operator Ladbrokes PLC, announced today that it has entered into a joint venture with Spanish company Cirsa Slot Corp, to develop a sports betting business for the Spanish market.
The venture will apply for the new betting licenses being offered in Madrid, where a decree was passed in December to regulate dedicated betting shops, betting kiosks — bars, arcades and bingo halls — and remote betting (telephone and Internet) for the first time.
Ladbrokes, which has recently applied for similar licences in Italy, confirmed that applications for the licenses, which initially last five years but are renewable, will be submitted to the Madrid regional government when requested, most likely by mid-January.
Christopher Bell, Chief Executive of Ladbrokes plc commented, 'This represents another major step forward in our international aspirations. In December we opened our first shops in Italy and successfully tendered for new licences. Now we have formed a JV with a market leader in Spain that gives us access to a network of thousands of potential site operators.”
The joint venture will also seek to acquire betting licenses in other areas of Spain also considering regulation. The Spanish gambling market was worth around €29 billion ($37.7 billion) last year, Ladbrokes said.
Cirsa Slot accounts for 9 percent of the Spanish slot machine market, servicing over 15,000 food and beverage outlets with gaming areas and 90 arcades. The company is a division of Cirsa Corp.
Online Gambling Targeted by Turkish Legislation
According to a Turkish newspaper, new restrictions are to be vigorously introduced by Turkish authorities against 'indecent broadcasting and online gambling.'
The new amendment to the existing censorship laws, Article 301 of the Penal Code, will see the Information Technology Security Agency, censor and block offending websites in the hope of contravening offending websites that are 'denigrating Turkishness, the republic, the institutions and organs of the state.'
The Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak reports that where people have up until now enjoyed the freedom of expression on the Internet, they will now face considerable censorship. As well as targeting online gambling, the bill is being drawn up to combat child abuse and indecent broadcasting and legal action is expected to be taken against site owners imminently, after substantial investigation and monitoring by the IT Security Agency. Turkish Internet Service Providers are to comply with the Agency and serve court orders.
Those responsible for websites with content breaching the new legislation will face punishment that could comprise of sentences between six months and three years in prison.
Progressive Jackpots Luring Online Casino Traffic
The record for the largest progressive jackpot was recently overthrown when an English online casino racked up a $5 million top prize. It appears that as more and more players are enticed into large jackpot games, so the size of the pot increases further and the effect snowballs exponentially.
It is now being acknowledged by online casinos that these enormous progressive jackpots are becoming the biggest enticement for new players, and consequently many are employing a new wave of marketing tools to reflect these changes.
A recent survey analysing the factors drawing a player to certain online casinos, suggested that the most luring dynamic was solely the jackpot size. But while these jackpots grow and grow – it only takes one player to sweep the lot; since the size of the pot changes rapidly it's near impossible to discover where the biggest progressive jackpots can be found online.
Turbo Boost for Online Poker Players
Everest Poker has announced that it plans to continue its popular 'Turbo Lunch' tournaments in the New Year. The poker games are arranged so that players in Asia and Europe can enjoy a fast-paced game of Texas Hold 'em during their lunch breaks and have proved a favourite among regular online gamblers.
The blinds are raised every 4 minutes in the games, ensuring “exciting action that still leaves players time to eat their lunch,” according to Jonathon May, programme manager for Everest Poker.
The poker room hosts the tournaments every weekday at 04:00 and 13:00 (GMT) and are open to all members of the site with a buy in of $5 or 1,250 of their 'Summit Points' granted by their rewards programme.
Everest Poker is known for recognising the many non-English speaking poker enthusiasts around the world and supplies its software in 11 languages with customer support in 15 languages. Tournament schedules are available as RSS and XML feeds.
Online Casino Clears the Language Barrier
Despite the fact that 99 per cent of online gaming is played in the English language, Crazylinks casino believes this can be changed and is to rollout its new seamless global offering in 16 international languages as of today.
The website's software can be downloaded in any language pack with all players using the same central service, allowing Koreans, Italians, Dutch and Danish to all sit around the same poker or roulette table. For now their games are available in French, German, Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Danish, and Greek as well as English.
The English online casino has free and real-money gameplay options and is currently offering to match new members' first deposit in full up to $100. The site also offers budding internet marketers the chance to run their own online casino and earn commission on sales.
Everest’s Online Poker Avalanche
Everest Poker, one of the industry’s leading online poker operators, has announced the launch of Avalanche; its biggest ever online poker tournament boasting a prize pool of $1 million.
The tournament will span a nine month period and features a three-round structure that allows players of all levels of ability to join in. Round 1 satellites are designed for players looking for little up-front risk, with buy-ins at $3+.30 or $11+1. Following this, the round 2 satellites are better suited for players that are more confident in their ability and wish to save time, with a buy-in of $56+5.
Everest is also offering two options for those with larger bankrolls with a $530+30 buy-in into the monthly round 3 satellites plus the chance to buy-in to the Online Avalanche finale for $5,000+300.
The ten finalists from Avalanche will win a trip to a secret location to pit their wits at the live final table on September 17, 2007 for a share of the $1 million prize pool.
European Poker Tour Announces Polish Leg
The European Poker Tour (EPT), sponsored by PokerStars.com, has announced that a new event in Warsaw, Poland, has been added to the schedule for Season 3.
The inaugural Warsaw EPT, scheduled to take place on 14-17 March 2007, will have a maximum capacity of 300 players and a 15,000 Zloty buy-in (approximately €3,900), with the no limit Texas Hold’em tournament taking place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
EPT chief executive John Duthie explained, “An EPT tournament in Poland will help raise the game’s profile in Eastern Europe, and we have secured a world class venue to host the event in Warsaw. This tournament is not going to be televised, but I see this as an exciting first step for the tour.”
The EPT is Europe’s richest poker tour with over €7 million paid out in prize money so far in Season 3, with more than 500 players winning EPT seats via PokerStars.com.
The Remaining events of EPT Season 3 include the EPT Scandinavian Open, Copenhagen, Denmark (17-20 January), EPT French Open, Deauville, France (20-24 February), EPT Dortmund, Germany (8-11 March), EPT Warsaw, Poland (14-17 March), and the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, Monaco (28 March - 1 April).
Australia 500/1 to Hit Another Century
The opening batsmen of the Australian cricket team have become accustomed to hitting centuries against their English counterparts, but William Hill has made them 500/1 to achieve a century of a different kind; to hold on to the Ashes urn for the next 100 years.
At present that doesn’t seem too outlandish a possibility, as England slumped to a humiliating 5-0 whitewash with a 10 wicket defeat in the final test in Sydney. William Hill has already quoted England at 14/1 to lose the next Ashes Series by the same 5-0 score line, following the trend of punters taking advantage of the 6/1 offered pre-series on a whitewash this time around.
However, the stand-out bet must surely be the 500/1 against England ever winning back the Ashes over the course of the next 100 years.
William Hill spokesperson Graham Sharpe explained, “England have been so abject in defending the Ashes which took them so long to acquire that we are now betting that they won't hold them again in this century - and are offering 500/1 about them failing to regain them until 2100 at the earliest.”
In all some £5 million was gambled on the Ashes Series which was down on the 2005 series, “partly because of the time difference for English punters and partly because the writing was on the wall literally from the very first ball of the series,” added Sharpe.
Online Casino Games Under the Weather
The Weather Lottery PLC has said that it has signed a partnership agreement with Profitable Play NV to add a raft of new online games to its website and that it is to receive 50 percent of net gaming revenue generated through the site.
The company confirmed that it will add Instant Win Games, Bingo Games, Casino Games, Scratch card Games and Pull Tab Games to its website TheWeatherLottery.com, with the official launch expected in the first week of February 2007.
Weather Lottery chief executive Keith Milhench explained, 'Our website has approximately 2.6 million web requests on an annual basis. We intend to utilise the web traffic and turn the web traffic into an additional source of income.'
The Weather Lottery plc is also active in helping sports clubs, schools, charities and societies to raise funds for special projects and general development by providing all of the service provision to run a lottery every day.
Members of the Lottery get five chances to win up to £10,000 for just £1 per week, in turn helping their club, school or charity raise much needed funds.
HSBC Ups Ante for Online Gamblers
Online gamblers using an HSBC credit card will soon feel the full force of the bank’s planned increase in card fees across all online and telephone gambling, bringing it in line with its financial service competitors.
From 1 February, HSBC customers will be charged the cash advance rate rather than the normal purchase rate, meaning that they will immediately pay interest at between 21.9 percent and 27.8 percent instead of between 15.9 percent and 22.9 percent.
However, customers will not be charged a one-off fee, which is applied to other cash transactions such as buying foreign currency.
'This is one of a number of changes we have made to our credit card offering recently to bring us in line with the competition,' an HSBC spokeswoman said.
There is currently no uniform policy on charging for gambling across the UK credit card industry, with providers such as Barclaycard and Lloyds charging such spending at their lower purchase rates, whilst MBNA (Bank of America) and RBS/NatWest and Egg charge at the cash advance rate.
In 2004, the US bank Citibank decided to stop processing any internet gambling payments by UK holders of its credit cards.
MANSION’s Poker Tournament sees First Winner
Online poker operator MANSION.COM has burst into the New Year in good form as the first of its month long series of ‘$100K A DAY’ Guaranteed Poker Tournaments kicked off in the early hours of this morning.
The tournament began at 03:00GMT this morning, attracting 498 players and delivered an impressive $52,690 prize pool overlay. MANSION member ‘kuj0’ was the inaugural $100K A Day event winner, parlaying a $100 investment into an impressive $24,000 payday for his efforts up against the modest field, pocketing the winner’s cheque in less than five hours of online play.
“The response to the first of our $100,000 Guaranteed Tournaments has been fantastic, but those that participate early stand to benefit the most from the offer,” said MANSION Communications Manager, Kathryn Farrell. “We expect the momentum will build and tournament numbers to swell throughout January, as more players recognise that there is real value to be found at MANSION Poker.”
54 players shared in the $100,000 prize pool, with second placed player rkuok receiving $15,000, third placed dlperrio $10,800, with fourth and fifth place sharing nearly $14,000 between them.
Players can enter the $100,000 Guaranteed daily events at MANSION, through a direct buy-in for US$100, or via the low limit buy-in satellites. More details can be found at MANSION.COM.
Captain Cooks Up Online Casino Millionaire
The Sir Cashalot progressive slots jackpot at Captain Cook's online casino has made a millionaire of an as yet unnamed player, who has been given the best possible start to the year by winning $1,745,475.
The player becomes the tenth millionaire created by the Microgaming progressive network, which has paid out a record $220 million since its launch, and recently launched the Mega Moolah progressive, where the jackpot is currently sitting at $1.1million.
Roger Raatgever, CEO Microgaming commented, “We are delighted that the Microgaming Progressive Jackpot Network has kicked the New Year off in style for one lucky player and in the process created our tenth millionaire.'
As of yet there is no information on the identity or location of the lucky winner or what his (or her) plans for the major windfall might be.
Online Casino Launches Jackpot Tracker
Online casino players have been given some welcome news this week as online gambling portal Online-Casinos.com released a new tool allowing players to track the progressive jackpots from hundreds of online casinos.
The free of charge Progressive Jackpot Tracker will allow players to locate the biggest progressive jackpots as well as being able to research the biggest payouts, current jackpots, hit histories, averages and record breaking wins.
The facility, which was engineered and designed by Online-Casinos.com webmaster Jan Balslev and his team of programmers, lists in real-time the progressive jackpots of the eight major online casino software providers, including Microgaming, Cryptologic, and Playtech amongst others.
'Using this brand new facility, visitors can view and compare all their favourite progressive slot machines, Caribbean poker, blackjack and lots of other great games on a dedicated and easily navigable section,' says webmaster Balslev. “This is a free service for visitors to the Online-Casinos.com website, augmenting the online casino reviews, casino game rules and strategy advice, gambling news and directory sections which we offer.”
The tracker categorises results into Top Ten Slot Machines; Recent Hits; Top 5 Twenty Cents or Less; Top 5 Jackpots $1 or less and Top 5 Jackpots $5 or less.
Skybook.com in Humdinger Preferences
TheRx.com, one of the Internet's busiest online gambling forums has announced a new NFL playoff contest to all of its members in association with popular online sports book, Skybook.com, to give bettors a shot at winning a brand new 2007 Hummer H3.
The free NFL playoff contest, which begins on January 7 and runs until the end of the 2007 NFL post-season (including Super Bowl), will see participants try to correctly answer all six propositions in each of two games per week, with the first contestant to correctly select all 12 propositions winning the brand new Hummer H3.
'TheRx.com provides us with direct access to an aggressive community of sports and gambling enthusiasts,' explained Keith Anderson, General Manager of Skybook. 'It is our pleasure to give back to this community that supports us as a company and an industry.'
Each week throughout the 2006 NFL season, Skybook has given away an LCD television to one lucky member of TheRx, adding to the thousands in cash prize giveaways throughout the year. However this new promotion has taken even TheRx.com General Manager, Rick Allec, by surprise.
'We were blown away when we heard about this contest,' said Rick Allec, General Manager of TheRx.com. 'This is easily the biggest prize ever awarded on our forum.'
Online Slots Survey Reveals Regional Preferences
A recent player survey at Slotland.com has revealed that whilst online slot machine players may have regional preferences, they also have universal favourites.
The survey suggests that whilst some games are more popular in America and others in Europe or Asia or Australia, one in particular is a favourite with players around the world. “Lucky Stars” has emerged as Slotland.com’s most popular mobile game with its worldwide customers, of which about a third play on both their computer and their mobile phone.
And while analysts may not always know why people choose one game over another, there are a few things that can be quantified. For example it seems that the “Booster”, a three-wheel, single-payline slot machine where you can “boost” your bet, is more popular with American players than in Britain where “fruit machine” players seem to prefer more classic slot machines like the “Golden 8”, a 9-wheel 8-payline slot machine that features the largest slot wheels ever on the Internet. Additionally, despite the fact there are slot machines in every Pachinko parlour in Japan, and a growing number in the casinos of Macau, Asian players still tend to play video poker more than slots.
Neteller is another global preference. Although Slotland.com offers other banking options, players everywhere use Neteller more than the others, especially now that the Neteller Card enables almost instant withdrawals at ATMs around the world.
Online Poker Player Wins Mansion Hand
The $250,000 Added Value tournament at online poker room MANSION has been won by online player Dipthrong, who emerged from a field of over 200 to walk away with the $28,000 first prize.
The $30,000 Added Value final attracted a field of 242 entrants in the $300+$20 buy-in tournament with $30,000 in cash added directly to the prize pool, courtesy of MANSION. The No-Limit Texas Hold'em event finished earlier this morning at 07:34 GMT after 4 hours and 32 minutes of play with a total prize pool of $102,600 up for grabs.
When it came down to heads up, a total of 27 hands were fought out before Dipthrong finally triumphed over fellow finalist newfoundglry.
The added value tournament series marks the first of a string of poker promotions on MANSION designed to demonstrate its commitment to premium player value, larger prize pools and higher profile action every day.
The online poker room is also offering daily $100,000 Guaranteed Poker Tournaments from January 3rd at 03:00GMT.
Online Casino Powers up for Australian Open
Just a few days into the New Year and already the first Grand Slam Tennis tournament of 2007 is staring us very squarely in the face with a familiar figure sitting atop the list of potential winners at online casino and sportsbook PaddyPower.com
Whilst Roger Federer has struggled to find the right formula on the clay of Roland Garros, he has been completely dominant on the lawns of Wimbledon and the hard courts of Melbourne and Flushing Meadows, as he looks to gain his 10th Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open, which starts on 15 January.
Federer casts a huge shadow over the sport at present, as last season’s form (92 wins from 97 matches) will testify, and he enters the tournament as a 2-5 favourite to retain his title with PaddyPower.com. Behind him comes the emerging talent of French Open champion Rafael Nadal at 13-2, with Andy Roddick at 10-1 and Marat Safin out at 20-1.
Those pining for a long awaited British winner have their best bet with the new British number 1 Andy Murray who is out at 50-1 to win his first major tournament. Fallen hero Tim Henman is a distant 200-1 whilst Greg Rusedski is at 750-1.
Online Poker Offers Playboy Bash
The Online Poker Tour has announced its plans for 2007 which will include a New Year Bash in which it is working with its sponsors to give away four trips to the Playboy Mansion and five trips to the Ultimate Poker Challenge.
Last year, eight Online Poker Tour players won trips to the Playboy Mansion, with two winning trips to a celebrity poker tournament where the likes of Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Ried, Don Cheadle, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, plus poker pro’s such as Daniel Negreanu, Hoyt Corkins, Ted Forrest, and Gavin Smith were in attendance.
For the second party, the Online Poker Tour purchased a VIP table for a purpose charity event, which saw six of its members win free trips out to California to party at the Playboy Mansion. The trips included air travel
01/31/2007 gambling news:
VIP Scoops Record Online Casino Win on 32nd Visit
What are the chances? On her 32nd visit to 32Red online casino, an Australasian VIP member has collected a whopping £1,000,641 ($1,987,698) on a £2.25 bet after the five King Cashalot symbols slotted into place.
CEO and founder of 32Red Ed Ware was delighted by the news of the jackpot win, which will be on record as one of the biggest in history.
He said, “Everyone at 32Red is delighted at the good fortune bestowed upon one of our players. For this to be one of the biggest ever wins online is just amazing. Add to that it is the 32nd time she has played at 32Red, you have to say that 32 really is a lucky number for her.”
The lucky player said of her win, “I still can't believe it. I don't think it has sunk in. I'm numb. I remember almost in slow motion how the kings dropped into place and the jackpot window appeared. I'm still finding it difficult to believe that such good fortune could happen to me. Thank you 32Red.”
King Cashalot is just one of over twenty progressive jackpots available at 32Red, all of which are part of the Microgaming Progressive Jackpot Network - the largest online progressive jackpot offering on the Internet.
Gambling Legalities are Cause for Debate
Clarion ATE, producers of the popular European Gambling Briefing (EGB) conference, yesterday launched a pioneering online blog, Gambling Law Debate, offering players and industry professionals a one-stop-shop to access up-to-date information on current regulatory issues relating to the gambling industry.
The new blog provides an online network for legal professionals, lobbyists, media companies, and regulators to deliberate over all the key developments in online gambling legislation.
The blogsite is intended to significantly enhance the reach and weight of the discussions that take place at the 3rd annual EGB conference, a senior-level two day briefing that addresses a wide range of issues relating to gambling regulation across Europe and beyond.
Clarion ATE will use the site to ask for opinions, articles and comments to help form the basis of debates that will take place in Brussels on 8th & 9th May. Lawyers, lobbyists and regulators have already been invited to contribute.
US Not Playing Fair Says EU Commissioner
US limits on online gambling may be challenged by the European Union, according one of its top financial regulators.
The introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has resulted in several British online gambling firms being forced out of the US market, leaving members of the EU casting a dubious eye over the American government’s motives for introducing the Act.
'In my view it is probably a restrictive practice and we might take it up in another fora,' EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told the European Parliament.
McCreevy went on to suggest that the US was safeguarding its own gambling industry by preventing foreign companies from entering the online betting sector. 'It's not my intention to bring forward a harmonised piece of legislation on gambling in the European Union,' McCreevy added.
The EU trade commissioner later told reporters that the US rules were a 'prima facie' case of protectionism and that the World Trade Organisation was a possible forum for tackling them.
McCreevy has previously launched legal actions against several EU countries in an attempt to deal with obstacles to foreign competition.
Online Casino to go Far East in Business Deal
According to reports over the weekend in the Business section of the Sunday Times, bookmaker Ladbrokes has formed a joint business enterprise with Megainfo, a Hong Kong-based technology company.
The article reports that the Ladbrokes main interest in the deal was to develop products for the Chinese betting market. The company is said to have invested around £320,000 for a 49 percent stake in the business, which is to be rebranded Asia Gaming Technologies.
Taipei based Megainfo Holdings Ltd develops and distributes digital image-processing management software, with operational centres in Macau and China.
Skilful Online Casino Lures Eastern Bloc
Eastern European online gamblers are flocking to sites such as gameaccount.com to fatten their wallets by playing ‘skill games’ such as backgammon and gin rummy.The company is the UK and Ireland's largest skill gaming site, and has seen a recent upsurge in players from Eastern bloc countries such as Latvia, Turkey, Serbia, Romania and Russia who are looking to capitalise on the multiplayer game challenges offered by comparatively affluent Europeans. 'Skill games' differ from the popular casino, sports and bingo sites in that a person's skill and mental strength, rather than chance, is a key factor in a player’s winning chances.
Sergejs D. is a 44-year-old gin rummy player from Riga, Latvia who has honed the classic card game to win upwards of €26,000 (£17,000) since mid-2004, in a country where the average wage is around £3,500 per year.
“I came across non-gambling sites a while back, deposited €15 and after some trial and error, started beating more and more opponents. I read up on strategies and would even memorise and practise gin rummy hands when I wasn't online. It's now become my full-time profession.”
Online Casino Qualifier Wins PartyGammon Million
33-year-old German Andreas Maertens is celebrating after winning the inaugural PartyGammon.com Million at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas at the weekend taking home the title and a cool $600,400. Maertens beat Dane Lasse Hiorth Madsen 23-22 in a nail-biting final. Both players qualified online at www.PartyGammon.com in a field that contained no fewer than 10 former World champions.
The total prize pool exceeded the guaranteed $1 million and hit over $1.2 million. Maertens qualified online for $440, while Madsen reached the tournament from a $35 online satellite.
“We saw the huge rise of the Internet qualifier in poker and, remarkably, at the very first attempt we have seen online qualifiers compete and beat the world’s best players at backgammon. Like poker, the entrance of the online aces promises to change the game of backgammon forever” a PartyGammon.com spokesman said.
“This tournament has taken backgammon to a new level and taken a previously unknown community into the mainstream.”
Maertens, from Bielefeld, Germany, has form in both backgammon and poker, winning the German Backgammon Open in 1996 and regularly playing on the poker circuit. He was blown away by his win, “It doesn’t get much better than this. How am I going to top this? I certainly didn’t count myself as the best player here.”
PartyGammon.com is a popular member of PartyGaming Plc’s growing suite of online games that includes PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyBets.com, Gamebookers.com and EmpirePoker.com.
UK to Restrict Online Casino Advertising
Online gambling companies based outside Europe and Gibraltar will have to apply to the government if they want to advertise their products in the UK when the activity is legalised on September 1.
Tessa Jowell, British Culture Secretary said a ban on websites run by companies with poor regulation would protect online gamblers from crime and exploitation.
The announcement was made as the government-appointed Casino Advisory Panel prepares to announce today its recommendation for the siting of the UK's first super-casino.
Ms Jowell is to lay out the timetable and procedure for the government to respond to the recommendation, leading to a vote of MPs.
The legalisation of online gambling and deregulation of casinos are part of a series of measures voted through under the 2005 Gambling Act that updates gambling laws. The Gambling Act relaxes advertising rules for UK bookmakers and casino operators, but gaming websites based outside the European Economic Area and Gibraltar and wishing to advertise will have to prove their licensing regimes protect children, deter crime and ensure gambling is fair.
Now Ms Jowell has instructed officials to set in motion procedures that would force companies to contribute a levy to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust to help problem gamblers.
John Greenway, Conservative MP and chairman of the Trust, said, 'The main problem is that we are dependent on people making a voluntary contribution. There is some concern (from online gambling companies) about the costs of implementing the Gambling Act.'
Online Casino is Cool For Cats
Online casino Cool Cat has introduced a unique new player bonus. Dubbed the “1000% Bonus Explosion”, players get free money to play for their bonus percentage up to 1000 percent on their first deposit.
Cool Cat is well known for some monster-sized bonuses and this new 1000 percent bonus promotion looks set to top previous offers.
On registering, players have 5 days to play a variety of slot games to win up to 1000 percent Sign Up Bonus on their first deposit. Every dollar won is equal to a 1 percent Sign Up Bonus, with 1000 percent as their maximum bonus match percentage. For example, a 500 percent closing balance equals a 500 percent match percentage.
For players not wanting to participate in this promo, there are many other bonuses to choose from, like the 275 percent new player bonus, or a whole series of special bonuses for American players - 'America Best' promo.
Cool Cat Casino is powered by the RTG platform, and has just released three brand new 'Real Series' video slots with bonus features, free spins and side jackpots that can be won at any time.
Microgaming Announces New Games
Market leading software provider Microgaming has announced new additions to its arsenal including slots, a blackjack and a poker game.
Prime Property is a brand new 5 reel, 40 pay-line video slot game. It offers something that its inventors claim is unique and special in this genre - the Property Pages symbol awards a bonus even before the bonus round has begun. If players are fortunate enough to find 3, 4 or 5 of these bonus scatters they can kick start the bonus game with a boost from a pre-awarded Free Spins and accompanying multipliers.
Additional to this is Magic Spell, which offers a 5 reel, 25 pay-line slot. With a maximum bet of $250, it also offers a whole range of betting options.
Blackjack fans are not left out. The new MULTI-HAND GOLD SERIES, with 5 variations of the popular single hand blackjack game style, boasts cutting edge technology, newly-designed animation, digital sound and imaginative player views.
Neteller Founders to Dispute All Charges
Neteller founders, John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence, are set to fight the charges laid against them when they appear in court on February 14. The pair, who are currently out on bail, face a series of charges in relation to the allegations under US law of conspiracy to transfer funds with the intent to promote illegal gambling.
The lawyer for John Lefebvre has said, “He's going to be contesting everything we know about the charges right now.” With regard to the line of attack taken by the authorities, he added, “I think they want to stress the point that they are serious about enforcing gaming laws.”
In relation to the issue about Neteller plc not being a US corporation nor based there, the lawyer said, “I don't know why they (the US authorities) are bothering with this now, or why at all. It's not clear that this is a liable area of law enforcement.”
Online Casino Giant Offers Neteller Alternative
Online casino and sportsbetting giant Bodog.com is to offer players in the US some welcome respite from the recent problems plaguing online gambling deposits.
Bodog.com has taken the lead in many new developments in the online gambling industry, and the introduction of NuCharge, an advanced and secure method to make deposits, is no exception.
Through NuCharge, an efficient way of making a credit card deposit into an electronic wallet, players can deposit money securely at Bodog.com’s sportsbook, casino and poker cashier.
System users can simply buy prepaid long distance phone time from NuCharge in $100, $200 or $300 batches, which can be instantly substituted for an equal amount in eCash at Bodog.com.
NuCharge issues each customer with a PIN and control number. Players can access the NuCharge registration service via the Bodog.com cashier.
UIGEA Comes Under Fire
The introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, aimed at restricting online gambling in the US, has received fierce opposition from both poker players and those who help addicted gamblers.
Poker players are incensed because the consequences of the law could ultimately drive the industry underground, creating a situation similar to that of the 1920’s alcohol prohibition.
“It has unintended consequences, just like the unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition – the speakeasies (a group of illegal drinking dens in the 1920’s),” said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance.
Gambling addiction experts are equally unhappy because they say the law doesn’t go far enough and will not halt the growth of the multibillion-dollar online gambling industry.
“It will make it a little bit less convenient for casual gamblers,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. “But heavy gamblers and certainly problem gamblers … can easily find ways around the law.”
The UIGEA was quietly passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush late last year. It makes it a federal crime for US banks and credit card companies to process payments for Internet bets.
Last of the Free Spins at Online Casino
Online gaming portal and news service, Online Gambling Insider, has announced that players have until January 30 to take advantage of its exclusive free slots spins offer at All Jackpots Online Casino.
The promotion is only available though links at online-gambling-insider.com and is restricted to the Isis video slot game. Players can claim the 60 free spins by visiting the casino and downloading the All Jackpots Viper software.
Once players have registered as a real money player and made a note of their account number they’ll have a minimum 15-minute wait before being able to access the Isis video slot via the games lobby.
The winnings from free spins will then be transferred to a bonus account, and wagering terms will apply. Jackpots Casino, part of prominent gambling group Jackpot Factory, has four casinos and a poker room powered by the Microgaming platform.
US Confirms Loss in Online Casino Trade Case
The US has suffered a new setback in a four-year-old legal battle with Antigua and Barbuda over US restrictions on online gambling. At issue is an April 2005 World Trade Organization ruling against US prohibitions on online horse race betting. Since then, the US Congress has passed additional legislation to ban online gambling and online poker over the Internet.
Gretchen Hamel, a spokesman for the US Trade Representative's office, confirmed press reports that a WTO panel “did not agree with the United States that we had taken the necessary steps to comply with that ruling.”
The Bush administration supports free trade but its conservative allies in Congress pushed through a bill late last year to ban most forms of Internet gambling.
It remains to be seen where the bill now stands after the WTO’s ruling.
Ladbrokes Launches Viking Invasion
Gambling group Ladbrokes has made a bid to buy Scandinavian online gaming firm, Sponsio, which has a presence in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The British bookmaker already had a partnership deal with the company but said the £36 million purchase would bolster its position in the region.
Spending on gambling per capita in the Nordic area is among the highest in Europe and evidently the betting firm has highlighted the region as ripe for expansion.
Elsewhere in Europe, Ladbrokes is starting an alliance with Spanish slot machine firm Cirsa Slot, whose machines are found in bars and arcades, whilst in December they gained licences to operate betting outlets in Italy.
Since new laws effectively made online gaming illegal in the US, gambling firms have been looking to snap up other sections of the internet betting market which explains the increased action in the market across Europe.
Online Casino Profits in the Red
32Red PLC posted a 47 percent rise in full-year revenue but reiterated its December warning of full-year combined operating results falling 'significantly' below current market forecasts on poor trading at Bet Direct.
The online casino, poker and sportsbetting operator said its full-year revenue rose to £14.36 million, including £3.45 million from the Bet Direct business acquired in June 2006.
32Red said total active customers rose to 84,595 from 17,597 in 2005 and new customers rose to 42,866 from 14,451 in 2005. Bet Direct, however saw a fall in active customers to 46,139 and new customers to 11,115 since acquisition.
The company was recently voted ‘Best Online Casino’ by Casinomeister for 2006 despite its December warning.
Online Casino Favours Spurs For UEFA Cup
Following their bye into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup following Feyenoord’s expulsion, Tottenham Hotspur have been made the bookies’ favourite to lift the trophy.
Online casino and bookmaker William Hill has cut odds on the London side from 6/1 to 9/2, with last year’s winners Sevilla next at 5s with Werder Bremen, Benfica and Newcastle in the chasing pack.
On the domestic front, William Hill is offering 9/2 that the maximum possible ten Premiership clubs will reach the last 16 of the FA Cup. Odds offer 2/7 that 7-9 will get through, 5/1 that 4-6 will do so and 200/1 that just three will make it through. You can get 12/1 that any non-Premiership side will make the FA Cup Final.
Carling Cup finalists Chelsea are still firm favourites for the Cup. The Blues are 15/8 with Man Utd 3s and Arsenal 4s.
In the Carling Cup, Arsenal are now 2/5 odds on to reach the Carling Cup after their comeback heroics against Tottenham on Wednesday night. Chelsea are 4/6 favourites to win the Cup with the bookmaker who make Arsenal 13/8 and Spurs 7/1.
Casino Billionaire Wants Peace
Avi Shaked, an Israeli online casino entrepreneur, has offered to donate $100 million to the Palestinian community in help to solve the conflict in the Middle East. This money is supposed to boost the Palestinian economy and bring the leaders of the two s If the Palestine Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh agrees to start peace negotiations with Israeli minister Ehud Olmert, Shaked has promised to donate this huge sum. But he doesn't stop there. If the two sides come up with a plan that would bring peace to the region Shaked has promised to add another $900 million to the donation. Shaked thinks that if the Palestinian economy could be brought up to Israeli standards, there is a grater chance to come up with an agreement to put an end to this long going conflict.
Shaked is the major shareholder of the online casino 888 which is one of the world's largest web-based casinos. However, both sides have rejected this offer even though the Palestinian leader is on a tour in the Middle East trying to raise money for his government.
NETeller Bosses Could Face Jail
Two co-founders of the lucrative online gambling payment system NETeller will face a preliminary hearing in New York on February 14 to decide whether they will face formal charges.Both John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence were released on respective $5 million bail settlements last week, and are not permitted to travel outside the United States. They are also looking at the harsh reality of a maximum 20-year prison sentence if convicted of all three charges, the most serious of which is money laundering.
Just after last weeks arrests came news that the US Department of Justice has sent subpoenas to around 15 investment banks across Europe and the United States, requesting an array of information as part of an investigation into gambling companies that reportedly include PartyGaming and NETeller, according to banking sources.
France Says Non to Online Casinos
French authorities appear to be following the lead of their American counterparts with the announcement that a top online poker room is facing a ban on advertising. According to UK Poker News, French club, Le Salon des Ambassadeurs, has banned all images from one of the Internet's best-known poker rooms, Pokerstars.
It appears the French are also are stepping up the offensive on online poker and online gambling in general. In September 2006 executives of sports betting site BWIN were arrested in the South of France under a version of the American Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
In another move that may be symptomatic of the ‘war’ on online gambling, the European Poker Tour (EPT) announced earlier this month that the popular Deauville portion of the tour was to be cancelled.
The tournament was scrapped at short notice, even though the EPT events in Deauville in 2005 and 2006 were well received.
Online Casino Spins a New Tune
Spin3 the popular wireless casino system from Microgaming has launched GameWire MultiLink, an integrated package for its award-winning wireless casino system, GameWire.iGaming sites can use the updated software to give their customers full access to Spin3’s collection of award winning mobile casino games, while protecting sensitive information such as player data and payment transactions.
Companies that haven’t previously been linked with the Microgaming network can now look to the GameWire mobile casino system to boost the scope of their services and generate increased revenue.
Matti Zinder, CEO of Spin3 explained, “GameWire MultiLink gives operators the ability to add our advanced mobile gambling suite to their offerings without the need to disclose, expose or link to their clients’ sensitive and confidential information.”
“The huge potential of the mobile gambling market can now be accessed by any eGaming operator through GameWire MultiLink, which is part of Spin3’s commitment to providing a complete, effective and legally compliant wireless gaming system to our clients,” he added.
Online Casino is 32Red Hot
32Red has kept up its pole position status after again being awarded ‘Best Online Casino’ by Casinomeister in 2006, making this an unprecedented fourth consecutive defence of the coveted prize, after first securing the title in 2003.
CEO and founder of 32Red, Ed Ware, said of the win, “To win this top accolade for the fourth year in succession is a truly amazing feat. This award is a testament to the hard work put in by all the staff here at 32Red. Our goal is to make the player experience at 32Red Online Casino the best you can possibly get and as we now go into 2007, it is now our challenge to continue to do so.”
The founders of 32Red also had another cause for celebration with the news its sister casino, Dash Casino, also won a prestigious Casinomeister award in the same year. Launched in summer 2006 Dash Casino quickly became grew to become a favourite amongst discerning players.
World’s Largest Online Gambling Study Published
The first comprehensive picture of the 'average' online gambler has emerged from a huge new research project involving nearly 11,000 players from 96 countries. The eCOGRA commissioned ‘eCOGRA Global Online Gambler Survey’, which was undertaken by the Betting and International Gaming Research Units at Nottingham Trent University, is the largest study to date into player behaviour and attitudes to the industry.
One of the most surprising findings to emerge is that although playing for money was an important part of the entertainment value, overall, players saw online gambling as more of a hobby than an enterprise to consciously improve their financial situation.
Among the findings, it was found that the average online poker player is likely to be male, aged 26-35, and averaging visits to more than six different poker sites in the preceding three months.
The average online casino player on the other hand is interestingly more likely to be female and be slightly older, in the 46-55 age bracket, and again having visited more than six casino sites in the three months preceding the survey.
Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA commented in a press release, “These findings are a salutary reminder about the vast majority of players who enjoy this form of entertainment responsibly.”
Mr Beveridge continued, “This report provides invaluable information that will shape our approach for the next year as we continue to provide players with a ‘Gold Standard’ level of protection.”
Online Casino Ads Googled
Casino advertisements on the giant search engine Google could be a thing of the past following a decision by Google HQ currently being reported in marketing media. The reason behind the decision is reportedly that Google and its rival Yahoo! have allegedly been warned off by the US Justice Department authorities for promoting gambling indirectly to an underage audience through advertising pop-ups.
The voluntary decision applies only to the United States in the case of Yahoo!, where Justice officials have been exercising a major crackdown on all aspects of Internet gambling. However, it is understood that Google plans to extend the ban globally.
The news follows hot on the heels of reports that the US Justice Department is to order banks in the UK to hand over information concerning their dealings with several online poker sites. It seems apparent that the Department of Justice is targeting online sites that trade their stock publicly on the London Stock Exchange, such as PartyGaming and 888 Holdings.
Playtech Secures Move Into Land-Based Market
International software designer and developer Playtech has announced that its fully owned land-based subsidiary, Videobet, has entered into a long-term licensing contract with leading Mexican casino operator, Entretenimiento De Mexico, (EMex). Under the terms of the three-year contract, EMex will add Videobet’s revolutionary server based gaming product to its existing and future gaming estates. In addition, EMex will be leveraging its land-based presence and the cross selling opportunities offered through other Playtech group products by offering online casino and mobile gaming to the entire Latin American market – a first for a Mexican casino group.
EMex is the single largest video-slot casino operator in the Mexican market with 12 gaming halls, in excess of 4,000 machines and 180,000 registered players.
Videobet successfully launched its product, which features a suite of 45 games, in August 2006.
“This deal is the first significant step for our land-based offering, opening up a whole new market whilst complimenting and further strengthening our existing portfolio” said Avigur Zmora, CEO of Playtech. “This product provides a great opportunity for land based casino operators to diversify their offering and increase customer loyalty by cross selling to online and mobile products.”
Odds on a Pair of Oscar Queens at Online Casino
This year’s Academy Award nominations have been announced, and immediately online casino and bookmaker William Hill has made Helen Mirren a 1/12 favourite to win the Best Actress award - the shortest odds they have ever offered at this early stage.
The British actress, who wowed critics and audiences alike in ‘The Queen’, will be up against more home-grown talent in the form of Judi Dench and Kate Winslet for the top acting award. Meryl Streep for ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ comes in at 10/1.
'The Queen' is also an 8/1 favourite to win Best Film. British helmer Stephen Frears is 9/1 to pick up Best Director, whist Martin Scorsese is a 1/3 odds-on shot to win in that category for 'The Departed'.
Elsewhere Forest Whitaker is a firm 1/4 favourite in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in ‘The Last King of Scotland’.
With so much British talent involved, Hills expects a record turnover in the betting market. One punter stands to win a cool £3,400 should Peter O’Toole triumph in the Best Actor category for ‘Venus’, having placed a £100 bet last year that O’Toole would win an Oscar.
Orbis and Parlay Join Forces
Orbis, one of the world’s leading providers of interactive gaming and betting solutions, has announced it has signed an agreement to provide games content to leading Internet bingo solutions developer and licensor, Parlay Entertainment.
Under this partnership, Orbis OpenBet Casino and Fixed Odds Games designs and concepts will be integrated into Parlay’s existing back office system. Parlay will gain access to Orbis’ portfolio of over 50 technically advanced non-download Flash games including classic casino games, popular fixed odds concepts and play-on-demand games such as Lucky Star.
David Loveday, Managing Director, Orbis said “We are very pleased to welcome Parlay as a new partner. This partnership once again highlights the diversity and flexibility of our product portfolio and further reflects the move in the industry towards a more open approach.”
Orbis OpenBet presents seven distinct but compatible software modules that include Sportsbook, Casino, Rake Games, Fixed Odds Games, Exchange, Retail and Marketing. It enables operators to allow customers to bet and play across multiple products and platforms in a wide variety of languages and currencies, whilst offering a unique ‘One Account, One Wallet’ solution.
Peter Trinz, Senior Vice President, Parlay Entertainment added, “We know that online bingo players love variety. That’s why the Orbis portfolio of games is such a natural fit. The real winners will be the players, since they will see more choice than ever before when playing at Parlay-powered bingo sites.”
Online Casino Shares Dip Following US Bank Probe
Shares in online gambling sites including PartyGaming and 888.com fell yesterday, following the news that the US Department of Justice is stepping up its investigation into the industry.The latest probe is demanding information from some of the world's biggest investment banks which reportedly include HSBC, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort as part of an inspection of several online gaming sites.
The Justice Department has reportedly issued subpoenas to at least four Wall Street investment banks that had underwritten the initial public offerings of some of the most high-profile online gambling sites that operate overseas.
While online gaming sites such as PartyGaming and 888 Holdings operate from a Gibraltar base and have floated on the London Stock Exchange, companies that conduct business with them and have large bases in the US have come under fire by regulators in Washington.
PartyGaming’s shares dropped by approximately 6.5 percent while rival Sportingbet was down by 6 percent and 888.com lost around 3.5 percent.
PlayboyGaming Launches New Poker Site
Online gaming site PlayboyGaming.com has announced the launch of its new poker room that will not only give online players the chance to win cash prizes, but also the opportunity to open up the doors to the playboy mansion using the sites alternative tender: Bunny Money.Players can trade in the Bunny Money, won via their game play, at the PlayboyGaming.com Rewards Club and indulge in prizes including exclusive VIP trips to the Playboy Club in Las Vegas, lunch with Playmates and exclusive invites to Hugh Hefner's famous Playboy Mansion parties.
Lee Knott, spokesperson for PlayboyGaming.com, said, “We're delighted to deliver the unique Playboy brand to an online gaming audience. Not only will players experience a quality poker offering, but they will also have the opportunity to win once-in-a-lifetime, priceless experiences that no other online gaming site can offer.”
“We will also be launching casino software within the next couple of months making PlayboyGaming.com the premier destination for all gamers,” he added.
PlayboyGaming.com is offering a $100 sign up bonus with a monthly reward of $50.
Online Casino Laws Get The OK From The UK
A survey conducted by online poker room, pkr.com, and YouGov has revealed that there is little public resistance to government plans to license and regulate online gambling as part of the new Gambling Act which comes into force in September.
The results from the survey, part of a Poker UK 2007 report issued by pkr.com, saw 63 percent of 4,630 respondents supporting Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell’s policy to regulate the online gambling industry from within the UK.
The introduction of the new laws even received backing from non-gamblers with over 50 percent agreeing with government plans and only 14 percent disagreeing with the new proposals. The survey also highlighted that licensing and regulation plays a small role in players’ choice of online gaming sites. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed, 63 percent, believe that it is crucial for an online gambling site to have a licence, while only 5 percent see licensing as ‘not important at all.’
The British public also put in a vote of confidence for the future of UK casino industry with 70 percent saying they would trust a poker room or casino that is overseen and licenced in the UK.
Swedish Online Poker Player Wins Copenhagen EPT
Magnus Petersson, a 29-year-old financial advisor from Stockholm, beat off stiff competition from some of the world’s finest poker players to win more than four million Danish Kroner (approximately €537,000) at this years European Poker Tour tournament in Copenhagen.Petersson won his seat for the competition in a $475 PokerStars online satellite tournament giving him a chance to step up from his most significant win to date, $30,000 as 438th position in last year’s World Series of Poker.
With just three players left, Petersson was the small stack. However, he made an amazing turnaround by winning a huge pot with a 7-2 off-suit, statistically the worst hand in poker. “That really turned things around for me. It completely changed my table image. It’s been an incredibly tough tournament, with no weak players,” reflected Petersson.
Petersson was one of 400 players who entered the high profile, four-day event, creating a total prize fund of over 13 million Danish Kroner (approximately €1,744,000).
CAP Euro Gets the Party Started
With just days to go until CAP (Casino Affiliate Programmes) Euro, the finishing touches are being added to the social side of the event with several days of parties organised during the conference. The parties begin tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd January with the Breaking The ICE event at the Albannach in Trafalgar Square, London, set to coincide with the International Casino Exhibition at Earls Court. This will be a ticket only event and tickets can be purchased on www.icei-exhibition.com.
Now in its 6th year in a venue capable of holding up to 1,000 party-goers, Wednesday’s Fire and ICE party promises a hedonistic night of entertainment. Invites can be found at iGaming Business stand 5235 ICEi, or by keeping an eye out for the lovely ladies of Lyceum.
The Royal Exchange hosts the Gnuf launch party on Friday 26th, which will double up as the opening party for the CAP Euro. By day an exclusive shopping centre, the Royal Exchange will be home to what the organisers call “a party this industry has never before seen”. Needless to say, RSVPs will be essential.
The Bodog.com-sponsored Saturday event takes place at Café de Paris in Piccadilly Circus. The party starts at 7pm and runs through till 10pm when the club opens and guests move to a reserved area to party the rest of the night away.
Capping the week’s festivities off, The Sunday Session moves things down a gear when delegates can relax in the comfort of an English pub.
Big Brother’s Shilpa Favourite After Big Bother
Indian actress Shilpa Shetty is an odds-on favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother after she won the phone vote against fellow housemate Jade Goody on Friday.The Bollywood beauty, 31, is as short as 8/13 with Sporting Odds with little better to be found on the betting exchanges. Jermaine Jackson has moved into 2nd place in the running at 8/1 closely followed by A-Team actor Dirk Benedict at 9s. Model Danielle Lloyd is hot favourite to be evicted next.
8.8 million people watched as former Big Brother winner Goody was evicted from the house after a controversial week in which alleged racism and bullying was directed at Shetty from some of the other housemates. Questions were asked in the House of Commons over Channel 4’s handling of the affair and there were riots in India at the actress’s treatment.
Following Goody's eviction bookmakers William Hill slashed the odds for Channel 4 axing the current Celebrity Big Brother series to 50-1.
Such is her increased profile since entering the CBB house, Shilpa is set to be invited to present the Asian Poker Classic in Goa in March.
Mobile Casino Users In A Spin
Spin3, one of the leading wireless casino system providers, has announced a new service option for its clients – SpinSupport™ - optional 24/7 multi-lingual service centre, with dedicated chat, email, phone and SMS support. This service will utilise a unique feature – the Call Back button, exclusive to Spin3 mobile casinos, which allows players to receive an immediate call back from a service representative within minutes.
Erez Figlash, CEO of BrightMark, a full-service contact centre solutions company commented, “Spin3’s SpinSupport through BrightMark, will assure mobile gambling operators of rapid service response via our experienced and dedicated call-centre team.”
SpinSupport services through BrightMark will include a 24-hour dedicated customer support set-up, email and web-based chat support, and international toll-free calls.
Visitors at ICEi at Earl’s Court in London can experience Spin3‘s mobile casino games and SpinSupport from 23–25 January 2007.
Tain Poker Sites To Switch
A host of online card rooms will migrate from the Tain Poker Network to the iPoker/Playtech Network next month. Among those making the move include Expekt.com, Gutshotgaming.com and Pokerducks.com.
Tain has been supplying software to the gambling industry from its base in Stockholm since 1999. Playtech is the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming software supplier.
The migration is a result of a merger in October of last year between the Tain Poker Network and the Tribeca Tables Network. In November Playtech acquired Tribeca Tables Europe Ltd with the intention of merging the Tribeca operators to the iPoker/Playtech Network. Therefore current Tain Poker operators will migrate directly to the iPoker/Playtech Network.
Online Casino Ups The Ante With New Range
VIP.com Casino has announced the expansion of its online casino with a barrage of new games and features.14 of the downloadable games have been given new looks and designs. Classics including Baccarat, Blackjack and Caribbean Hold'em Poker have all been given the 5-star treatment.
VIP has also added three brand new slots to their wildly popular Real-Series video slots collection. Crystal Waters, Enchanted Garden and Treasure Chamber will all include 1-20 paylines and a random jackpot that can be won on any play, at any time.
Additionally, VIP.com Casino has added a whopping 10 new Flash games including slots such as Derby Dollars, Mister Money and Red Sands. Also just added are five different types of Flash Video Poker, some of which are multi-hand, including Bonus Deuces Wild, Double Bonus Poker and Joker Poker.
These games were formerly only available in download, but are now available in Flash as well in order to accommodate those casino players that prefer the instant-play games.
Big Brother’s Shilpa to be Offered Asian Poker Role
The Asian Poker Classic, sponsored by MaharajahClub.com, is set to capitalise on Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty’s success on the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother (CBB), by inviting the actress and reality TV star to present the Asian Poker Classic, taking place in Goa, March 1-5 2007.
Bollywood actress Shetty, who was already a huge star of Indian cinema, has shot to fame throughout the world thanks to her high profile role on Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother programme, which is currently creating headlines and heated debate around the world.
Her appearance on the show has alerted organisers of the Asian Poker Classic who see Shetty as the perfect candidate to host what will be the biggest poker tournament ever to have been staged in India, and which is set to attract an international audience to Goa in early March.
Director of Events at APC, Minaxshi Shah, explained, “We don’t yet know how much longer she’ll be in the Big Brother house but she’s already become the star of the series. We’ll be contacting her as soon as she comes out to ask if she’ll be involved in the Asian Poker Classic.”
Sachin Pawa, CEO of tournament sponsors Maharajah Gaming, added, “Shilpa has the perfect poker face along with strength under pressure, grace and class. She is already hugely popular in India and now has a strong following in the UK. She would be the ideal ambassador for the Asian Poker Classic.”
The 31-year-old actress goes head-to-head tonight (Friday) in an eviction battle with nemesis Jade Goody, with the film star odds-on favourite to win the public vote and stay in.
NETeller Cuts Ties with US
Just days after NETeller founders Stephen Lawrence and John LeFebvre were arrested and charged with money laundering, the company at the forefront of online payment solutions for the gaming industry has stopped allowing US players to use its services to transfer money to and from Internet gambling sites. NETeller, a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange, deals with more than $7 billion in financial transactions each year, according to the company's interim report for 2006 with seventy-five percent of the company's revenue coming from the United States.
On Wednesday Citadel Commerce, another e-wallet operated by Entertainment Systems Inc (ESI), mirrored NETeller’s move with the announcement that it too was to withdraw its services from the US market.
Online gaming sites, such as Full Tilt Poker, who are still operating in the US, are trying to minimise any long-term impact that might be caused by NETeller's exit. “NETeller's decision has no impact on our business here at Full Tilt Poker, and we remain committed to our US players,” the Full Tilt website read on Thursday morning.
News is also breaking that co-founder Steven Lawrence, the remaining detainee from Monday’s arrests, has been released on a $5 million bail into the custody of the FBI. John LeFebvre was granted a $5 million bail release on Wednesday.
Online Casino Operator Appoints New CEO
St Minver, Europe’s largest online games network operator, yesterday announced the appointment of former Excapsa software president Jim Ryan as its new CEO.
Ryan, who brings his extensive experience from the AIM listed software developer and licensor of online gaming applications, replaces Gary Shaw, who will continue to head up the company as Executive Chairman.
The decision may have been swayed by Ryan’s key leadership role in effecting Excapsa’s initial public offer on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Within 2 years the company enjoyed an annual revenue run rate of $120 million and a bottom line profit of $32 million.
“As we enter the next phase of growth for the business, I am personally delighted that St Minver has attracted an individual with Jim’s calibre and experience to the organisation. His proven track record and understanding of the online gaming market will help guide the business and ensure that we deliver on the full potential of the company,” said Shaw.
Online Casino Group Soldiers on in US
The Jackpot Factory Group has vowed to continue with business as usual in 39 US states in spite of NETeller and Citadel’s speedy withdrawal from the US market.In a statement issued yesterday, the company emphasised that US players will still be welcome at any one of the numerous casinos under its stewardship, and that they will continue to receive a ‘professional service’.
Players can continue to enjoy access to sites including All Slots Casino, All Jackpots Casino, First Web Casino, Wild Jack Casino, and The VIP Lounge Casino using a variety of payments methods from Click2Pay to Instadebit.
NetPlay TV Acquires Chariot’s Internet Lottery
NetPlay TV has announced the purchase of the world's first online-only lottery. The company’s acquisition of the charity lottery, owned by Chariot plc, will include a database consisting of over 280,000 lottery players.
Under the ‘Monday’ brand the site currently brings in approximately £50,000 of ticket sales per week, and Netplay’s takeover is the first move into offering further interactive games and eventually an interactive TV lottery game show based around the brand.
The game is set to go on air by mid February, until then it can still be accessed at www.playmonday.com and continue to be operated by Chariot. Commenting on the deal, Martin Higginson, Chairman and CEO of NetPlay TV, said, “This acquisition further enhances our position in the interactive TV gaming arena. Our mission over the coming year is to build a substantial interactive TV gaming company – this is just the first step in what we believe is a very exciting road ahead.”
Derek Kelly to Appeal Gutshot Ruling
After a dramatic week which has seen him tried, convicted but also to a degree, endorsed by the British legal system, the Gutshot Club’s Derek Kelly has come out fighting in declaring his intention to appeal against the guilty verdict delivered to him by a Clerkenwell court on Tuesday. Following some careful consideration, Mr Kelly has pinpointed that the main focus of his appeal will contest the descriptive values of skill and chance, citing that legislators specify that poker is not included in such values contained within the 1968 Gaming Act.
The move follows a verdict that on the surface appeared to signal a defeat for the Gutshot club, yet it now appears to be more of a double edged sword, as Mr Kelly explained that in legal terms, the proceedings heralded a huge leap forward for the game of poker. “The judge said on the record that he absolutely concurred that poker was a game of equal chance which is a huge step forward because that hadn’t really been decided in law prior to this.”
This latest news will have found many a welcome ear, especially within the gambling industry as the new Gambling Act, set for inception in September, actually legalises cash gambling on equal chance games including poker, without the need for a licence from the Gambling Commission or local authority.
So Derek Kelly’s gloves are very much off as he continues his passionate fight for what he truly believes in.
Kelly closed matters with this single, defiant declaration: “The Gutshot remains open.”
NETeller Co-Founder Released on Bail
John Lefebvre, one of the two co-founders of NETeller who were apprehended on Monday, has been released on personal-recognisance bail for $5 million. The 55-year-old appeared in front of a magistrates’ court on Wednesday morning, and agreed that the terms of his bail must include the confiscation of his passport, limited supervision, and the requirement to remain within the central district of his native California.Lefebvre’s fellow NETeller co-founder Stephen Lawrence, arrested on the same charges simultaneously on the other side of the United States, appeared in court on Tuesday. It has not been revealed whether he has been offered or posted bail. Regardless, both men are scheduled to appear in the Southern District of New York Court later in eight days’ time, a journey for which Lefebvre is permitted to exclude from the travelling restrictions of his bail.
Both men face charges relating to money laundering, taking billions of dollars of Internet gambling proceeds in their operation of the e-wallet service.
After the arrests on Monday, NETeller suspended its ‘Instacash option’ – the popular payment method allowing online gamblers to access and transfer funds online, without first revealing details on their financial standings. It has also suspended instant credit card transactions for deposits indefinitely.
Online Casino in Apple iPhone Giveaway
One of the world’s leading online gaming and lifestyle websites, Purple Lounge, has announced that it is to giveaway the recently announced Apple iPhone before it reaches European stores.The iPhone, unveiled last week at MacWorld San Francisco, is expected to be the must-have accessory of 2007. The device combines a mobile phone with a widescreen iPod, as well as incorporating breakthrough Internet applications for lightweight browsing, email, maps and other services on the go.
Purple Lounge, reaffirming its ability to consistently offer the exclusive seasonal must-haves, will have an as-yet undisclosed number of devices on offer in a prize draw in May. With Apple still keeping its cards close to its chest regarding a European release date, the promotional department at Purple Lounge are estimating they will have ‘a few’ to give away.
To be eligible to enter candidates must be registered users of Purple Lounge who have played more than 10,000 raked hands over the competition period (February through to May). Full terms and conditions may be found on the company’s website.
Britain Hooked on Online Casinos
As reported on Tuesday, English businesses are loosing a considerable amount of manpower to their employees’ online gambling habits. Now, a new report has given a wider context to the rise of Britain’s rising online casino addictions, revealing the considerable amount of time players spend online compared with players in other countries.
The study, conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings, revealed that users spend a startling average of over 10 hours per month using 888 Poker; PokerStars users are more moderate, spending just over 6 hours; whilst the figures are relatively surprising for Party Poker – whose users will gamble for 3 hours and 43 minutes a month.
With the widespread availability of broadband increasing its overall popularity, the review investigated a variety of online applications, and focused on their ‘addictiveness’ by examining their spread of usage. Putting poker figures into context, the average use of the most popular online application, MSN Messenger, amounts to just 3 and a half hours over the course of the month.
Bet2Go is Good2Go Following Impressive Growth
Bet2Go, the leading mobile phone sports betting service, has officially introduced itself to the iGaming world on the back of some impressive results in terms of company growth, which has seen it quickly become the UK’s leading mobile odds comparison and sports betting application. The interface allows players to get the latest real time information, odds and betting opportunities from 6 of the UK’s best known bookmakers; Ladbrokes, Sporting Odds, Total Bet, Paddy Power, Victor Chandler and Blue Square, direct to their mobile-phones, with the ability to place instant bets at the same time.
The service is user friendly with an easy to navigate user interface, specifically designed for mobile phones. It is available via WAP, web or as a downloadable Java application and users only need to take up free registration once before placing bets with any one of the listed bookmakers.
As an added bonus, users of the free application won’t be hit with premium rate SMS charges, subscription fees or other hidden costs apart from normal mobile operator data charges.
Bet2Go has a rapidly growing, registered customer base of over 20,000, with the average customer staking about £20-£30 per use for an average of 25 bets per month.
Online Casino Champions to go Continental
Leading online poker site, Everest Poker, has announced plans to hold a series of tournaments to send players to the upcoming Austrian Open.The series of satellite tournaments will see players compete for a space in the seventh Austrian Open, at the Casino Bregenz in Bregenz, Austria on March 3-4, 2007. 'The Austrian Open has become a popular event in the world of poker and we're eager to send some of our best players,' said Jonathan May, Everest Poker Property Manager.
Satellites with a buy-in of $11 + 1 are held on a daily basis alongside rebuys of $3 +30. Players can also enter by using an Everest Poker Bronze Token Freeroll. The weekly, direct entry tournaments take place on Mondays with a $100 + 9 buy-in, with the winners of each of the five tournaments securing a seat at the Austrian Open.
May added, “This is a great event and we're looking forward to seeing our players there. With a €2,000 main event prize, the Austrian Open is sure to bring out the best in our players.”
Gaming Industry Called to Account Over Online Addiction
Leading doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) have highlighted the need for gambling addicts to receive better NHS treatment, urging the gaming industry to pay £10 million a year to fund it.The BMA claimed the growth in online gambling has led to a marked rise in addiction, and also warned the imminent relaxation in gambling laws could add significantly to the growing number of addicts - particularly among female and teenage players.
The BMA''s Dr Vivienne Nathanson said that gambling addiction is low on the priority list for the NHS, trailing well behind drugs and alcohol. “There are insufficient treatment facilities available. Problems can include anxiety, depression, guilt and suicidal thoughts,” she explained.
“The BMA is calling on the gaming industry to pay at least £10 million per annum to fund research, prevention and intervention programmes.”
Studies have shown that there are a minimum of 300,000 problem gamblers in the UK. Experts predict that the number of gambling addicts may soar after the introduction of the Gambling Act in September, which gives the green light to the building of a host of new casinos.
Online Casino Announces January Giveaways
Pokerlistings.com, one of the industry’s largest online poker guides, has announced the best freeroll tournament listings for the remainder of January, with prizes of $10,000 and $12,500 still up for grabs.World Poker Tour LA ends January with a bang with its $30,000 LA Poker Classic freeroll on January 28, comprising two $12,500 packages. Both World Poker Tour (WPT) prize packages include the $10,000 buy-in for the main event plus spending money.
Players finishing in the top two places will earn themselves a winter retreat at the ‘Poker Capital of the World’, the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, which boasts the largest poker room on earth.
The freeroll is open to all PokerListings.com players who have earned 600 player points between October 20, 2006 and January 20, 2007.
Other great offers for PokerListings.com players, with 250 player points earned between December 20, 2006 and January 20, 2007, include a $10,000 pure cash freeroll that goes live on January 27.
InterXgaming Revamps Online Casino
Online gaming site InterXgaming has recently launched enhanced versions of its entire brand portfolio consisting of an online casino, online poker room and online sportsbook.Changes include the introduction of new games, new site features and an improved overall online experience for all users. This will include the introduction of new multi-play video poker games in a classic Vegas style featuring a new double-profit bonus option. Players can also choose from 1, 11 or 51 hand player options.
The online casino became an industry first when it introduced the first auto play slot machine, which is reported to improve winning odds in favour of the player.
InterXgaming will host an exclusive forum Freeroll challenge on January 27 to mark the start of 2007.
Police Detain NETeller Founders
The online gambling industry has been shaken once again after news emerged late last night that the founders of NETeller, John Lefebvre and Steve Lawrence, have been detained in the US. It is believed but not confirmed, that the two men have been detained but have as yet had no charges filed against them. The company, based in the Isle of Man, calls itself the ‘world’s largest independent money transfer business’ and last year took revenues of around $172 million.
Point-Spreads.com reports that Lefebvre is likely to have been apprehended at his wife’s residence in Southern California, and Lawrence is believed to have been taken from a residence in New York. Both men were founders of the company who worked within it at least up until November 2005, with Lawrence acting as Chairman of NETeller up until October 2005.
Online Casino Admits Spurs Failure
Mansion Poker has admitted that its four-year £34 million sponsorship deal with English Premiership football club Tottenham Hotspur has failed. In reaction to this, the online casino, endorsed by Sports911.com, has since undertaken aggressive promotions for the company, reportedly to counteract the financial burden.As reported on Online Casino News earlier this month, Mansion Poker has been offering $100,000 a day in its online poker tournaments in an attempt to revive interest in the firm.
Rumours have since circulated that the company will be shutting down its Gibraltar based online service, but these have been disregarded by the firm as ‘unsubstantiated’, although the company is directing a shift of strategy. Mansion is believed to be concentrating on a joint venture with Les Ambassadeurs, a UK land-based casino also owned by Putera Sampoerna.
Downsizing personnel towards the end of the last year gives further reason to believe Mansion Poker is continually struggling to make an impression on the market. But while the company appears to admit its attempt to enter the English Premier League sponsorship world was a mistake failing to bring in sufficient new custom – it fervently denies any rumours suggesting the website may significantly down-grade or shut down entirely.
Mobile Gaming to Hit $16 Billion by 2011
Studies into the mobile gaming market conducted by Juniper Research predicts considerable growth in all forms of gambling on portable devices over the next four years.Despite severe legal restrictions on mobile gambling in the USA, the global market remains strong and expected to rise from the current gross value of $1.35 billion to $16.6 billion by 2011.
Juniper Research published a report last June, but have since revised the forecasts in light of the tightening of legal barriers with regard to online gambling in the United States. The newly released figures reflect the bleak prospects for the US market and are considerably lower – yet still suggest that there is significant potential for mobile gambling portals where the law allows.
While Europe is currently the largest market for mobile gambling, the research forecasts the Asia Pacific market to overtake in 2008. With the demise of American contribution, by 2011 it is expected that these two markets will represent 80 percent of all bets by value placed globally.
Online Casino Gambling Costing UK Companies
A new survey, commissioned by consultancy firm Morse, claims that online gambling while at work is costing English firms more than £300m every year in lost productivity.The research reveals that 30 percent had used an online casino, bought a lottery ticket or made a bet while on office time – or new someone who had. The survey suggested that such employees would accumulate 13 hours gambling on the Internet over a year.
According to the firm conducting the study, such quick bets amass to a substantial dent in company productivity. The rise in popularity of online casinos and other internet gambling outlets, matched with unmonitored Internet provided at the majority of workplaces, is blamed for tempting employees with less than a fully sustained focus in the office.
The survey, which quizzed 664 office workers nationwide, showed that 38 percent of men admitted to online gambling at work, compared with 21 percent of women. Regional spread was also revealed: 35 percent of those in Northern England were making bets on company time, compared with 29 percent in the South and 27 percent, the least, in the Midlands.
Bookies All Set for Mourinho Exit
Bookmakers William Hill has slashed the odds of Chelsea’s self confessed ‘chosen one’ Jose Mourinho leaving his role at the beginning of next season. The online and offline betting company has changed the odds of the Chelsea manager leaving from 9/4 to 7/4. The move comes after evasive comments about his future, following his team's draw against Wycombe in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi Final.
'Mourinho's ego is such that even if Chelsea win all four trophies he might decide on a whim to leave and punters have latched on to his negative comments about his Chelsea future,' said William Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.
Chelsea are the 4/6 favourites to win the Carling Cup with Arsenal offered at 12/5;
Tottenham 4/1; Wycombe are the 33/1 outsiders.
Other prominent betting odds include the chances of Mourinho being Chelsea Manager on first day of 2007/08 Premiership season, which are currently set at 2/5 Yes and 7/4 No.
Everest Online Casino Announces Festive Winners
Premier online casino, Everest casino, has announced the ten lucky winners of its 12 Days of Christmas programme.For 12 days in December, players at the online casino received deposit bonuses as well as prizes including a 80GB iPod video, a Playstation 3 games console, a Sonic Impact Video-55 sound system, a Sony digital camera as well as $5,000 cash prize, which went the way of a Swedish player.
“We wanted to give something back to our players this past holiday season,” said Eduardo Santos, the property manager for Everest Casino. “This was the perfect way to do it - we picked prizes everybody would want.”
The prizes were given away in tournaments that focused on select online video slot machines and video poker games. Everest Casino also offered deposit bonuses of up to 300 percent of the original deposit amount, on selected days.
Football Coach Lands Betfair Sponsorship Deal
A skilled online poker player from Copenhagen has won a $20,000 sponsorship package in Betfair Poker's Iron Man challenge.Frank Sorensen, a 31-year-old player who drives a school bus and coaches his local football team, will represent Betfair Poker at tournaments worldwide after winning the site’s Iron Man challenge.
The challenge was part of Betfair Poker's '12 Plays of Christmas' - a hunt for the site's highest-level tournament player. The criteria for selecting this player was based on their consistency of performance in daily $15,000 and $10,000 guaranteed tournaments.
'I didn't realise how well I was doing until a friend saw my name on the leader board,' said Sorensen.
'I love coaching the football team but this maybe the time to hang up the bus keys and concentrate on my poker.'
Sorensen will join Betfair’s established group of poker professionals at live events around the world.
Online Casino Makes Itself Understood
Titan Poker has announced the latest language to be added to its poker software programmes.Norwegian is to join a long list of foreign languages that the software can be translated into. These include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Turkish and Swedish.
This brings the leading poker site up to a total of nine languages including English.
New players are can select their preferred language when downloading the Titan Poker programme and can play poker with international opponents, with the added bonus of viewing menus and other information in their native language.
Titan Poker also provides multi-lingual support services, including email responses and online chat support. The move follows a huge increase in the number of Norwegian speaking players that have begun to fill Titan Poker's popular tournament and ring game tables.
Sail Aboard the Online Casino for Free
The online casino English Harbour is steaming ahead with more of its free roll tournaments this month, when each week, players can battle it out for cash prizes of up to $5,000 without dishing out a single penny.The casino nominates a new game each week for a free roll, with the 5 reel Wheel of Chance game being the current tournament game until the end of play today (January 15). Players can collect their $500 free credits by visiting the tournaments section from the main lobby, from where free entry to the event can be gained.
Visitors to the site can also enter an unlimited amount of tournaments. As soon as you ‘Enter’ each game your tournament bankroll will be added to your account and you can start playing.
The cash prizes are awarded on a leader board basis, based on top wagering amounts:
The top prizes each week are $1,000, $500 and $250 and the rest of the prize pool is divided amongst the remaining 100 winners.
Pinnacle Sports Exits US Market
PinnacleSports.com, previously believed to be working around the recent Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and continuing to accept wagers from US clients, yesterday withdrew its business from the US market with immediate effect.
Despite the decision being voluntary it is unclear quite why Pinnacle Sports made the sudden move – pulling from the US is certain to see a substantial injury to their growth. The company will be continuing to offer their same service to its international customers, believing that their share of the European market was significant enough that their American gamblers were no longer necessary. It is believed that 40 percent of the company’s business is based in Europe and Asia.
In the statement issued by the company, European managing director Steve Cook said, “The board have taken a considerable amount of time to weigh up all of the options and sought a great deal of legal and market advice. We had agonised over the decision for several weeks, but sadly we have no alternative. We have concluded that it is the best way forward for the company.”
Pinnacle Sports is by no means the last of online gambling sites to go: a number of online casinos and poker rooms, such as PokerStars and Absolute Poker, are continuing to face the US market.
Net Entertainment Releases Online Casino Platform
Net Entertainment yesterday released a new gambling platform for established or upcoming online casinos. Comprising of a wide range of games the customisable software is backed with a powerful management system.The system, CasinoModule™, has been designed to incorporate itself into existing website infrastructure, and runs fully with the gaming service's brand.
The roulette, which is to replace the existing version of the game, has been constructed with great care – indeed Net Entertainment hopes to have perfected the movement of ball and wheel such that it is as accurate a reflection on the physical world as possible. In order to further enhance the realistic nature of the game, new sounds have generated that are synchronised with the ball's movement.
As well as roulette, the platform incorporates many other gaming options including slots, scratch tickets and a mini-slot. “I have seen no other online roulette which even comes close to what we now can offer” claimed Johan Ohman, CEO of Net Entertainment. More information on CasinoModule can be found at casinomodule.com, as well as on provider Net Entertainment’s website netent.com.
Canadian Becomes Moneymaker Millionaire
After five months of online qualifying rounds, PokerStars’ first Moneymaker Millionaire tournament came to an end with Quillian Nagel, of Canada, taking home the grand prize worth over a million dollars.The event concluded at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas' Paradise Island on Tuesday. Nagel, whose winnings included an Aston Martin DB9, outplayed 830,000 other competitors in what was the world's largest free online poker tournament, hosted by PokerStars.com.
The final part of the tournament took place as a live three-table grand finale with the top 27 players of the qualifying online games. After 16 hours the 27 had whittled down to a heads-up between Nagel and Jerry Watterson of Florida, both positioned with fairly equal stacks. But inevitably there was only one winner.
'This is a life changing experience that I will never forget,' Nagel said after collecting his winnings. 'PokerStars and Chris Moneymaker have been an inspiration and catalyst for everyday poker players all over the world, reminding us that we too can overcome incredible odds and win the big one.'
Nagel plans to pay off his student loans then to buy his wife a new Toyota Prius and digital camera. A photo gallery of all the action can be found on pokerstarsblog.com.
Slotland.com Launches Striking New Game
Slotland.com, the pioneering online casino that brought us mobile slot games as early as 2005, has added the video poker game “Striking 7s” to its mobile gaming repertoire. The game, which has a unique doubling feature, has already proved to be a hit with the online gaming community on its introduction earlier this year. After a win, Striking 7s players are offered the option to “Double or Collect”. If they choose to try and double their winnings, another five cards are dealt and the player has one chance to pick the hidden high card.
“We've made substantial improvements since we first launched or mobile platform,” said Slotland.com Mobile Marketing Manager, Martin Smith. “We now have two mobile slot machines and two mobile video poker games, and we now support over a thousand different mobile devices, including the Blackberry, which only a really small number of other mobile gaming platform providers support.”
The mobile games are tied to Slotland.com’s Progressive Jackpot, which is famous for being frequently hit for well over $100K.
BetonSports Casts Legal Shadow on Lord Glentoran
Irish Shadow Minister Lord Glentoran could be first in the line of fire as the case of the now defunct online gambling site BetonSports is dragged through the courts.A key prosecutor overseeing the online gambling case, that has seen a recent wave of media attention, has reportedly asked a judge to consider the arrest of directors for their ‘wilful disregard’ of the court's proceedings.
The peer of the House of Lords is also on the board of directors at BetonSports, and has been critised by former customers of the site for doing little to assist their compensation claims, although representatives from the online gaming operator have issued variety of compensation dates to customers.
Prosecutor Michael Fagan’s attack comes after the company’s former attorney Jeffrey Demerath told US District Judge Carol Jackson in St. Louis that his clients had instructed him not to appear to answer charges against the firm.
“[BetonSports decision] suggests that corporate management is neither in a coma nor dead but, instead, contemptuous and defiant,'' said Fagan.
Gaming Giant secures acquisition of Online Casino
The Canadian gambling software developer CryptoLogic has confirmed that it is to acquire the brand and assets of Scandinavian online poker room Parbet.com for around €9 million.The company confirmed that it will purchase the poker brand and its related assets and reportedly go on to license Parbet assets, poker software, payment processing and multi-lingual customer support services to a private Maltese online gaming company which will take over operation of Parbet.com.
The sale will include rights to the Parbet brand name, associated domain names such as Parbet.com, customer lists, databases and players’ cash in deposits.
As part of the agreement, CryptoLogic's subsidiary, WagerLogic, will pay €9 million for the brand and assets, with the potential to add amounts up to €4million, dependent on the enhanced performance of the company’s assets over the next six months.
Parbet’s current performance is said to generate approximately $7 million in revenue annually.
CryptoLogic said it expects the licensing arrangement to add approximately $2 million to its 2007 earnings.
The company handover is set to complete by January 15.
Hands Up if You’re a Poker Celebrity
The World’s First Celebrity online Poker Room has confirmed that the 500 millionth hand has been dealt this week.The site already began celebrating the milestone at hand number 498,000,000, where the winning player trumped a win of $250 while the games other players received $25 each.
The winning Poker Player of hand number 500,000,000 received a cash prize of $1,000, as the high profile poker room set its sights on achieving 1 billion hands in the not too distant future.
CelebPoker is home to a plethora of online poker bonuses including an offer of a 300 percent deposit bonus of up to $500. The company has also announced that it will continue to organise its successful VIP Freeroll tournaments, the first of which will take place on February 1 with a new $5,000 VIP Freeroll, as well as special tournaments that will offer celebrity prizes such as an F1 Ferrari helmet signed by Michael Schumacher.
Games Ahoy at Online Casino
Online casino group English Harbour has launched two new games developed by Vegas Technologies. Appealing to players across the igaming world, the group has added a Five Card Mulligan game and a basketball-themed video slot to its current online selection.
The new player packages include a game of Money Shot, a 20 Pay-line, 5-Reel Slot game based on the rules of basketball, whilst poker fans can also indulge in a variation of the game known as Five Card Mulligan, where players are pitted against the dealer using a 52-card deck, with the Joker cards removed. The winning hand is the highest versus that of the dealer.
Visitors to the site can also benefit from bonus games, the opportunity for free spins and the ability to increase their winning streak by playing as many as 20 pay-lines simultaneously.
English Harbour Casino is also offering new customers matchplay signup bonuses up to a maximum amount of $275.
Monte Carlo or Bust at Online Casino
Online casino Get21.com is to offer its Blackjack players the chance to win a weekend for two in Monte Carlo when their special prize tournament begins on February 1. Players can enter into the tournament for free - without making a deposit – and can qualify daily to earn a position in the final games, which will be taking place on the website on March 15. The winner of the Grand Prize will be able to swap the online experience for the real thing at the notorious casinos in the playground of the rich and famous.
Get21.com is a leading provider of online multiplayer Blackjack and offers its software as a free download, meaning that players could potentially scoop the prize without investing a penny.
Tournament runners up will not leave empty handed, with an Apple iPod being awarded to the player in second place, and a PlayStation to the player in third.
PokerRoom.com Responds to High Profile Complaint
A high profile complaint involving OnGame’s PokerRoom.com and its Christmas Day tournament has finally led to a management response.The row broke out when players were disappointed to discover they were not playing for the $19,000 they had initially expected. Despite all promotional information regarding the tournament competition detailing the prize of a $2,000 HDTV, a glitch in the gaming software on the day of the tournament presented the information differently; apparently offering a $19,000 cash bonus.
The website has paid back the players affected and “taken the necessary steps to prevent a situation like this from happening in the future” according to founder Oskar Hornell, who has openly apologised for the situation.
The poker room received a barrage of negative feedback, formal complaints and sparked a huge uproar of internet debate. But for many the dispute remains unresolved. Mr. Hornell’s failure to honour the error and appropriately offer the mistaken prize is expected to lose a substantial, although relatively non-threatening, amount of custom.
San Diego Set to Charge at Online Casino
Online sportsbook and casino PinnacleSports.com yesterday revealed its updated odds for those competing in the upcoming Super Bowl XLI, AFC and NFC Championships.
The San Diego Chargers remain the odds-on favourite to win the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl at 5/2 odds, followed by the Baltimore Ravens at 4/1.
Favourites in the NFC are the Chicago Bears – listed at 9/2 to win their first championship since ‘The Super Bowl Shuffle’ 21 years ago. New Orleans’ Saints are hoping to provide the feel-good story of the season, at 9/1 to bring the championship back to the Hurricane ravaged streets of their hometown.
Finally, it appears that top seed in the AFC Championship is a close call, according to PinnacleSports.com – listing the Chargers at 7/4 over the Ravens at 9/4. The Super Bowl XLI is to take place in Miami on February 4.
Full odds can be found at PinnacleSports.com.
Odds To Win Super Bowl XLI
San Diego Chargers 5/2
Baltimore Ravens 4/1
Chicago Bears 9/2
Odds To Win AFC Championship
San Diego Chargers 7/4
Baltimore Ravens 9/4
Indianapolis Colts 9/2
Odds To Win NFC Championship
Chicago Bears 1/1
New Orleans Saints 5/2
Philadelphia Eagles 4/1
Online Casino Survey Promises Industry Revelations
A report initiated by Nottingham Trent University promises to be the largest ever online gambling survey commissioned by eCOGRA, and is expected to reveal some surprising results. The findings of the survey are expected to be revealed at the upcoming ICE exhibition on January 23.The survey quizzed over 10,000 participants from all over the globe, and due to its scale it hopes to represent the clearest interpretation of the online gambling industry from the point of view of the players themselves. Named ‘The Global Online Gambler Report’ it is expected to focus on areas such as player protection, preferences, various gambling portals and their value, favourite games and particularly responsible gambling.
eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge said this week, 'Early indications are that there will be some surprises in the report. We think it will be very revealing for both industry insiders and a wider public.'
Aided by the Las Vegas based University of Nevada, the gambling research team at Nottingham Trent believe their study is employing the leading minds in the field of gambling, both in business and psychology. Draft versions of the review indicate that some surprising results can be expected, providing a valuable insight into the world of online casino gambling.
Fire & Ice to Dazzle iGaming World
The who’s who of igaming, will be able to discuss the latest in technological advances over a glass of champagne in the plush surroundings of London’s Paper & Glass club, 9 Glasshouse Street on Wednesday January 24th.Attended by event sponsors including software provider Cryptologic and games developer NextGen Gaming, the 1,000-capacity venue will be a true testament to the swinging atmosphere of Studio54 with digitally enhanced imagery from the original club, decorative lighting effects and specially selected graphics developed by the events platinum sponsors, listed above, making it the must-attend event in the igaming social calendar.
The event will also be attended Pokerzone who will join the party to film a news feature which will include interviews with some of the top industry names.
Jodie Thind of Lyceum Media said, “Looking back over the last six years, it’s incredible to think how significant Fire & Ice has become as part of the iGaming calendar. With the support of our sponsors Fire & Ice is a yearly event that is here to stay and can only get bigger.”
The party throws open it doors at 8pm.
BSkyB’s Online Casino Group Takeover Imminent
BSkyB is closing in on the purchase of 365 Media Group, owner of online gambling and sports websites, with almost 60 per cent of 365’s shareholders giving their approval for the deal.Initially, just 30 per cent of shareholders supported the deal, which saw BSkyB offering 68p a share for the company last month and equated to a £96 million cash offer. 365 Media Group owns and operates gambling websites such as online casino clubonthepark.com and totalbetcasino.co.uk. If the sale were to be agreed BSkyB would gain access to 365’s extensive network and to a web audience of over nine million users per month; an average of 60,000 extra betting and gaming customers.
The deal would significantly increase BSkyB’s market share within the online entertainment sector.
An acceptance of the offer has been given an extended deadline of January 19th.
Spending Cap Earmarked for Internet Gambling
A Scottish MP has called for credit card companies to place a limit on the amount that online players can spend on Internet gambling.Mike Weir, the Scottish National Party (SNP) MP for Angus, called for a limit to be set at £1,000 a week, and also called sites to limit players to using one credit card each.
The plea comes after a spate of cases where players, suspected to have a gambling addiction have spent thousands of pounds using other people’s cards. APACS, which represents the card industry, and Partygaming, say there are significant problems with the idea and see the solution in treating the player’s addiction at their source.
The average online gambler in the UK is in debt to the tune of £25,000, while the gambling industry already pays £3 million a year into a trust to deal with the issue of problem gambling.
Online Casino Gets Mobile
Zero36, a games developer at the forefront of mobile gambling solutions, has announced the launch of its new mobile casino in conjunction with industry renowned online casino Spin Palace under the Zero36 brand.The new Zero36 mobile casino platform allows mobile network carriers and casino operators to bolster their profits by offering players a variety of mobile gaming options including games such as Blackjack, European Roulette, Video-Poker, various three and five reeled Slot-Machines, Scratch-Card and two additional progressive-jackpot games, all utilising Microgaming’s Jackpot Network system.
“Through Zero36 we now have exposure to the rapidly growing mobile-gaming sector, with a partner who is focused exclusively on mobile gaming,” said Evan Hoff, Chief Executive of Fairground Gaming Holdings plc, the owner of Spin Palace.
The mobile gaming sector has seen a steady increase in recent years with analyst house Juniper Research predicting that the industry will grow from nearly $2 billion in revenue in 2006, to greater than $23 billion in 2011.
Online Casino Unveils Poker Marathon
Kicking off this week, leading online casino and poker room, 888.com, and the Internet’s respected online poker authority, PokerNews.com, are to team up to host the marathon poker tournament, PokerProForAYear (pokerproforayear.com) - a year of tournaments that will end with one lucky player securing the fantasy prize of an all-inclusive sponsorship to four of the poker world’s largest tournaments in 2008.
With PokerProForAYear, 888.com’s Pacific Poker has created a year-long tournament exclusively for players from PokerNews.com. Through a series of six two-month leagues, ten skilled players will gamble their way to the elite PokerProForAYear Final.
These players will be whisked away in true VIP style to a secret location where they’ll compete for the sponsorship and the first-ever title of PokerProForAYear. The Grand Prize winner can expect to walk away with the year-long sponsorship while the runner up will also be sponsored in one global offline event in 2008.
Ladbrokes Applies for Spanish Licence
UK based gambling operator Ladbrokes PLC, announced today that it has entered into a joint venture with Spanish company Cirsa Slot Corp, to develop a sports betting business for the Spanish market.The venture will apply for the new betting licenses being offered in Madrid, where a decree was passed in December to regulate dedicated betting shops, betting kiosks — bars, arcades and bingo halls — and remote betting (telephone and Internet) for the first time.
Ladbrokes, which has recently applied for similar licences in Italy, confirmed that applications for the licenses, which initially last five years but are renewable, will be submitted to the Madrid regional government when requested, most likely by mid-January.
Christopher Bell, Chief Executive of Ladbrokes plc commented, 'This represents another major step forward in our international aspirations. In December we opened our first shops in Italy and successfully tendered for new licences. Now we have formed a JV with a market leader in Spain that gives us access to a network of thousands of potential site operators.”
The joint venture will also seek to acquire betting licenses in other areas of Spain also considering regulation. The Spanish gambling market was worth around €29 billion ($37.7 billion) last year, Ladbrokes said.
Cirsa Slot accounts for 9 percent of the Spanish slot machine market, servicing over 15,000 food and beverage outlets with gaming areas and 90 arcades. The company is a division of Cirsa Corp.
Online Gambling Targeted by Turkish Legislation
According to a Turkish newspaper, new restrictions are to be vigorously introduced by Turkish authorities against 'indecent broadcasting and online gambling.'The new amendment to the existing censorship laws, Article 301 of the Penal Code, will see the Information Technology Security Agency, censor and block offending websites in the hope of contravening offending websites that are 'denigrating Turkishness, the republic, the institutions and organs of the state.'
The Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak reports that where people have up until now enjoyed the freedom of expression on the Internet, they will now face considerable censorship. As well as targeting online gambling, the bill is being drawn up to combat child abuse and indecent broadcasting and legal action is expected to be taken against site owners imminently, after substantial investigation and monitoring by the IT Security Agency. Turkish Internet Service Providers are to comply with the Agency and serve court orders.
Those responsible for websites with content breaching the new legislation will face punishment that could comprise of sentences between six months and three years in prison.
Progressive Jackpots Luring Online Casino Traffic
The record for the largest progressive jackpot was recently overthrown when an English online casino racked up a $5 million top prize. It appears that as more and more players are enticed into large jackpot games, so the size of the pot increases further and the effect snowballs exponentially.It is now being acknowledged by online casinos that these enormous progressive jackpots are becoming the biggest enticement for new players, and consequently many are employing a new wave of marketing tools to reflect these changes.
A recent survey analysing the factors drawing a player to certain online casinos, suggested that the most luring dynamic was solely the jackpot size. But while these jackpots grow and grow – it only takes one player to sweep the lot; since the size of the pot changes rapidly it's near impossible to discover where the biggest progressive jackpots can be found online.
Turbo Boost for Online Poker Players
Everest Poker has announced that it plans to continue its popular 'Turbo Lunch' tournaments in the New Year. The poker games are arranged so that players in Asia and Europe can enjoy a fast-paced game of Texas Hold 'em during their lunch breaks and have proved a favourite among regular online gamblers.The blinds are raised every 4 minutes in the games, ensuring “exciting action that still leaves players time to eat their lunch,” according to Jonathon May, programme manager for Everest Poker.
The poker room hosts the tournaments every weekday at 04:00 and 13:00 (GMT) and are open to all members of the site with a buy in of $5 or 1,250 of their 'Summit Points' granted by their rewards programme.
Everest Poker is known for recognising the many non-English speaking poker enthusiasts around the world and supplies its software in 11 languages with customer support in 15 languages. Tournament schedules are available as RSS and XML feeds.
Online Casino Clears the Language Barrier
Despite the fact that 99 per cent of online gaming is played in the English language, Crazylinks casino believes this can be changed and is to rollout its new seamless global offering in 16 international languages as of today.The website's software can be downloaded in any language pack with all players using the same central service, allowing Koreans, Italians, Dutch and Danish to all sit around the same poker or roulette table. For now their games are available in French, German, Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Danish, and Greek as well as English.
The English online casino has free and real-money gameplay options and is currently offering to match new members' first deposit in full up to $100. The site also offers budding internet marketers the chance to run their own online casino and earn commission on sales.
Everest’s Online Poker Avalanche
Everest Poker, one of the industry’s leading online poker operators, has announced the launch of Avalanche; its biggest ever online poker tournament boasting a prize pool of $1 million.The tournament will span a nine month period and features a three-round structure that allows players of all levels of ability to join in. Round 1 satellites are designed for players looking for little up-front risk, with buy-ins at $3+.30 or $11+1. Following this, the round 2 satellites are better suited for players that are more confident in their ability and wish to save time, with a buy-in of $56+5.
Everest is also offering two options for those with larger bankrolls with a $530+30 buy-in into the monthly round 3 satellites plus the chance to buy-in to the Online Avalanche finale for $5,000+300.
The ten finalists from Avalanche will win a trip to a secret location to pit their wits at the live final table on September 17, 2007 for a share of the $1 million prize pool.
European Poker Tour Announces Polish Leg
The European Poker Tour (EPT), sponsored by PokerStars.com, has announced that a new event in Warsaw, Poland, has been added to the schedule for Season 3.
The inaugural Warsaw EPT, scheduled to take place on 14-17 March 2007, will have a maximum capacity of 300 players and a 15,000 Zloty buy-in (approximately €3,900), with the no limit Texas Hold’em tournament taking place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
EPT chief executive John Duthie explained, “An EPT tournament in Poland will help raise the game’s profile in Eastern Europe, and we have secured a world class venue to host the event in Warsaw. This tournament is not going to be televised, but I see this as an exciting first step for the tour.”
The EPT is Europe’s richest poker tour with over €7 million paid out in prize money so far in Season 3, with more than 500 players winning EPT seats via PokerStars.com.
The Remaining events of EPT Season 3 include the EPT Scandinavian Open, Copenhagen, Denmark (17-20 January), EPT French Open, Deauville, France (20-24 February), EPT Dortmund, Germany (8-11 March), EPT Warsaw, Poland (14-17 March), and the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, Monaco (28 March - 1 April).
Australia 500/1 to Hit Another Century
The opening batsmen of the Australian cricket team have become accustomed to hitting centuries against their English counterparts, but William Hill has made them 500/1 to achieve a century of a different kind; to hold on to the Ashes urn for the next 100 years.
At present that doesn’t seem too outlandish a possibility, as England slumped to a humiliating 5-0 whitewash with a 10 wicket defeat in the final test in Sydney. William Hill has already quoted England at 14/1 to lose the next Ashes Series by the same 5-0 score line, following the trend of punters taking advantage of the 6/1 offered pre-series on a whitewash this time around.
However, the stand-out bet must surely be the 500/1 against England ever winning back the Ashes over the course of the next 100 years.
William Hill spokesperson Graham Sharpe explained, “England have been so abject in defending the Ashes which took them so long to acquire that we are now betting that they won't hold them again in this century - and are offering 500/1 about them failing to regain them until 2100 at the earliest.”
In all some £5 million was gambled on the Ashes Series which was down on the 2005 series, “partly because of the time difference for English punters and partly because the writing was on the wall literally from the very first ball of the series,” added Sharpe.
Online Casino Games Under the Weather
The Weather Lottery PLC has said that it has signed a partnership agreement with Profitable Play NV to add a raft of new online games to its website and that it is to receive 50 percent of net gaming revenue generated through the site.
The company confirmed that it will add Instant Win Games, Bingo Games, Casino Games, Scratch card Games and Pull Tab Games to its website TheWeatherLottery.com, with the official launch expected in the first week of February 2007.
Weather Lottery chief executive Keith Milhench explained, 'Our website has approximately 2.6 million web requests on an annual basis. We intend to utilise the web traffic and turn the web traffic into an additional source of income.'
The Weather Lottery plc is also active in helping sports clubs, schools, charities and societies to raise funds for special projects and general development by providing all of the service provision to run a lottery every day.
Members of the Lottery get five chances to win up to £10,000 for just £1 per week, in turn helping their club, school or charity raise much needed funds.
HSBC Ups Ante for Online Gamblers
Online gamblers using an HSBC credit card will soon feel the full force of the bank’s planned increase in card fees across all online and telephone gambling, bringing it in line with its financial service competitors.From 1 February, HSBC customers will be charged the cash advance rate rather than the normal purchase rate, meaning that they will immediately pay interest at between 21.9 percent and 27.8 percent instead of between 15.9 percent and 22.9 percent.
However, customers will not be charged a one-off fee, which is applied to other cash transactions such as buying foreign currency.
'This is one of a number of changes we have made to our credit card offering recently to bring us in line with the competition,' an HSBC spokeswoman said.
There is currently no uniform policy on charging for gambling across the UK credit card industry, with providers such as Barclaycard and Lloyds charging such spending at their lower purchase rates, whilst MBNA (Bank of America) and RBS/NatWest and Egg charge at the cash advance rate.
In 2004, the US bank Citibank decided to stop processing any internet gambling payments by UK holders of its credit cards.
MANSION’s Poker Tournament sees First Winner
Online poker operator MANSION.COM has burst into the New Year in good form as the first of its month long series of ‘$100K A DAY’ Guaranteed Poker Tournaments kicked off in the early hours of this morning.The tournament began at 03:00GMT this morning, attracting 498 players and delivered an impressive $52,690 prize pool overlay. MANSION member ‘kuj0’ was the inaugural $100K A Day event winner, parlaying a $100 investment into an impressive $24,000 payday for his efforts up against the modest field, pocketing the winner’s cheque in less than five hours of online play.
“The response to the first of our $100,000 Guaranteed Tournaments has been fantastic, but those that participate early stand to benefit the most from the offer,” said MANSION Communications Manager, Kathryn Farrell. “We expect the momentum will build and tournament numbers to swell throughout January, as more players recognise that there is real value to be found at MANSION Poker.”
54 players shared in the $100,000 prize pool, with second placed player rkuok receiving $15,000, third placed dlperrio $10,800, with fourth and fifth place sharing nearly $14,000 between them.
Players can enter the $100,000 Guaranteed daily events at MANSION, through a direct buy-in for US$100, or via the low limit buy-in satellites. More details can be found at MANSION.COM.
Captain Cooks Up Online Casino Millionaire
The Sir Cashalot progressive slots jackpot at Captain Cook's online casino has made a millionaire of an as yet unnamed player, who has been given the best possible start to the year by winning $1,745,475.The player becomes the tenth millionaire created by the Microgaming progressive network, which has paid out a record $220 million since its launch, and recently launched the Mega Moolah progressive, where the jackpot is currently sitting at $1.1million.
Roger Raatgever, CEO Microgaming commented, “We are delighted that the Microgaming Progressive Jackpot Network has kicked the New Year off in style for one lucky player and in the process created our tenth millionaire.'
As of yet there is no information on the identity or location of the lucky winner or what his (or her) plans for the major windfall might be.
Online Casino Launches Jackpot Tracker
Online casino players have been given some welcome news this week as online gambling portal Online-Casinos.com released a new tool allowing players to track the progressive jackpots from hundreds of online casinos.The free of charge Progressive Jackpot Tracker will allow players to locate the biggest progressive jackpots as well as being able to research the biggest payouts, current jackpots, hit histories, averages and record breaking wins.
The facility, which was engineered and designed by Online-Casinos.com webmaster Jan Balslev and his team of programmers, lists in real-time the progressive jackpots of the eight major online casino software providers, including Microgaming, Cryptologic, and Playtech amongst others.
'Using this brand new facility, visitors can view and compare all their favourite progressive slot machines, Caribbean poker, blackjack and lots of other great games on a dedicated and easily navigable section,' says webmaster Balslev. “This is a free service for visitors to the Online-Casinos.com website, augmenting the online casino reviews, casino game rules and strategy advice, gambling news and directory sections which we offer.”
The tracker categorises results into Top Ten Slot Machines; Recent Hits; Top 5 Twenty Cents or Less; Top 5 Jackpots $1 or less and Top 5 Jackpots $5 or less.
Skybook.com in Humdinger Preferences
TheRx.com, one of the Internet's busiest online gambling forums has announced a new NFL playoff contest to all of its members in association with popular online sports book, Skybook.com, to give bettors a shot at winning a brand new 2007 Hummer H3.
The free NFL playoff contest, which begins on January 7 and runs until the end of the 2007 NFL post-season (including Super Bowl), will see participants try to correctly answer all six propositions in each of two games per week, with the first contestant to correctly select all 12 propositions winning the brand new Hummer H3.
'TheRx.com provides us with direct access to an aggressive community of sports and gambling enthusiasts,' explained Keith Anderson, General Manager of Skybook. 'It is our pleasure to give back to this community that supports us as a company and an industry.'
Each week throughout the 2006 NFL season, Skybook has given away an LCD television to one lucky member of TheRx, adding to the thousands in cash prize giveaways throughout the year. However this new promotion has taken even TheRx.com General Manager, Rick Allec, by surprise.
'We were blown away when we heard about this contest,' said Rick Allec, General Manager of TheRx.com. 'This is easily the biggest prize ever awarded on our forum.'
Online Slots Survey Reveals Regional Preferences
A recent player survey at Slotland.com has revealed that whilst online slot machine players may have regional preferences, they also have universal favourites. The survey suggests that whilst some games are more popular in America and others in Europe or Asia or Australia, one in particular is a favourite with players around the world. “Lucky Stars” has emerged as Slotland.com’s most popular mobile game with its worldwide customers, of which about a third play on both their computer and their mobile phone.
And while analysts may not always know why people choose one game over another, there are a few things that can be quantified. For example it seems that the “Booster”, a three-wheel, single-payline slot machine where you can “boost” your bet, is more popular with American players than in Britain where “fruit machine” players seem to prefer more classic slot machines like the “Golden 8”, a 9-wheel 8-payline slot machine that features the largest slot wheels ever on the Internet. Additionally, despite the fact there are slot machines in every Pachinko parlour in Japan, and a growing number in the casinos of Macau, Asian players still tend to play video poker more than slots.
Neteller is another global preference. Although Slotland.com offers other banking options, players everywhere use Neteller more than the others, especially now that the Neteller Card enables almost instant withdrawals at ATMs around the world.
Online Poker Player Wins Mansion Hand
The $250,000 Added Value tournament at online poker room MANSION has been won by online player Dipthrong, who emerged from a field of over 200 to walk away with the $28,000 first prize.The $30,000 Added Value final attracted a field of 242 entrants in the $300+$20 buy-in tournament with $30,000 in cash added directly to the prize pool, courtesy of MANSION. The No-Limit Texas Hold'em event finished earlier this morning at 07:34 GMT after 4 hours and 32 minutes of play with a total prize pool of $102,600 up for grabs.
When it came down to heads up, a total of 27 hands were fought out before Dipthrong finally triumphed over fellow finalist newfoundglry.
The added value tournament series marks the first of a string of poker promotions on MANSION designed to demonstrate its commitment to premium player value, larger prize pools and higher profile action every day.
The online poker room is also offering daily $100,000 Guaranteed Poker Tournaments from January 3rd at 03:00GMT.
Online Casino Powers up for Australian Open
Just a few days into the New Year and already the first Grand Slam Tennis tournament of 2007 is staring us very squarely in the face with a familiar figure sitting atop the list of potential winners at online casino and sportsbook PaddyPower.com
Whilst Roger Federer has struggled to find the right formula on the clay of Roland Garros, he has been completely dominant on the lawns of Wimbledon and the hard courts of Melbourne and Flushing Meadows, as he looks to gain his 10th Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open, which starts on 15 January.
Federer casts a huge shadow over the sport at present, as last season’s form (92 wins from 97 matches) will testify, and he enters the tournament as a 2-5 favourite to retain his title with PaddyPower.com. Behind him comes the emerging talent of French Open champion Rafael Nadal at 13-2, with Andy Roddick at 10-1 and Marat Safin out at 20-1.
Those pining for a long awaited British winner have their best bet with the new British number 1 Andy Murray who is out at 50-1 to win his first major tournament. Fallen hero Tim Henman is a distant 200-1 whilst Greg Rusedski is at 750-1.
Online Poker Offers Playboy Bash
The Online Poker Tour has announced its plans for 2007 which will include a New Year Bash in which it is working with its sponsors to give away four trips to the Playboy Mansion and five trips to the Ultimate Poker Challenge.
Last year, eight Online Poker Tour players won trips to the Playboy Mansion, with two winning trips to a celebrity poker tournament where the likes of Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Ried, Don Cheadle, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, plus poker pro’s such as Daniel Negreanu, Hoyt Corkins, Ted Forrest, and Gavin Smith were in attendance.
For the second party, the Online Poker Tour purchased a VIP table for a purpose charity event, which saw six of its members win free trips out to California to party at the Playboy Mansion. The trips included air travel