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Welcome to Bet Sages Gambling News Section, featuring the latest breaking
gambling industry news courtesy of InfoPowa News. This is your one stop source for
all and any of the latest developments concerning leisure based wagering
activities on the internet.
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| 24TH NOVEMBER 2006 : HEADLINES |
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TheRXCasinos the first in a series of specialised portals
One of online gambling's longest established portals, TheRX.com originally started by Ken Weitzner but sold to a highly successful Costa Rican operator some years ago embarked on a new portal strategy this week with the launch of the first in a series of specialised portal websites.
Branded TheRXCasinos.com and presented on a slick, professional looking site which is already carrying some impressive advertising the new portal has content that ranges from industry interviews (the inaugural issue carrying one with Alistair Assheton who has been in the thick of corporate moves arising from the UIGEA) to blogs, industry news and a legal column.
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Major games providers climbing in to land casino 'on-site wireless' opportunity
The major American land casino games provider Aristocrat Technologies Inc.has become the latest US company to sign an agreement allowing Cantor Gaming to use top games played in land casinos to be offered on wireless/mobile handsets for restricted use on the premises of large land casinos.
Kent Young, the global general manager for Aristocrat said, "We are excited to join efforts with Cantor to deliver our games to casinos and their customers through this new mobile medium."
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Webmasters subscribe to professional and ethical standards under new ownership
Watch out for a new professional identification kitemark soon on portals operated by members of the Gambling Portal Webmasters Association acquired recently by Michael Corfman of Casino City fame.
At the time Michael Corfman acquired the Gambling Portal Webmaster's Associaion (GPWA) he said: "I think of the gaming industry as a public garden. If we want people to visit so we can be successful, we have to get rid of the weeds. I believe communities like the GPWA can support the good industry players and expose the bad industry players if they have the right infrastructure in place. We will direct our energy, passion, and resources to build tools that will be of the greatest benefit to the GPWA community."
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Common e-wallet and compatibility with over 340 types of handset in new system
The Gibraltar based online gambling operator 888.com claims it is setting the standard, and raising the bar, on what experts are calling 'the next frontier of online gaming' casino games available on mobile phones. The company announced its entry to the mobile gaming sector this week, presumably using software developed by in-house company Random-Logic.
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UK-based cash processor going for GBP 100 million
Moneybookers, the UK-based ePayment provider, is up for sale with a price tag of GBP100 million, the UK business media reports.
The business, which has around 2.3 million account holders, is owned by German retail tycoon Otto Beisheim. In 1964, Beisheim founded Metro Cash & Carry, now the world's fifth-largest retailer.
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Players from 11 states will be banned
Playshare plc, the online casino and poker room group has announced that it will no longer accept business from US players in the following states, which have specific anti-online gambling restrictions:
Michigan
Illinois
Louisiana
Oregon
Washington
Wisconsin
Indiana
Nevada
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Even with major tourneys running contemporaneously, the attendance numbers were good
Full Tilt Poker's major Full Tilt Online Poker Series II tournament (see previous InfoPowa reports) must have impacted the promotions of other sites this past weekend, but attendances were still remarkably good for the regular competitions held by the major players who still accept American business.
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Once mighty Party Poker is only third in popularity this week
The once mighty Party Poker, haemorrhaging player liquidity as a result of reversing out of the U.S. market in the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, was edged out of the number 2 popularity position this week by a private company rival.
According to the PokerSiteScout.com, privately owned Full Tilt Poker.com which has remained engaged with the US player cracked the number 2 position with an average 3992 real cash players over the week, beating by 479 players the Party Poker average of 3513.
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A brief but bright history blighted by the UIGEA. Spin Palace group bought back by former owner for GBP 11 MILLION.
The shock news that Fairground Holdings is to terminate business as a result of having to abandon US-facing online gambling activities arrived as the week ended, a sad close to a brief but promising business future for the agglomerator.
In a public announcement Fairground reports that it is voluntarily winding up its affairs following the need to halt US-facing online gambling activities in the wake of the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
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Informal study indicates that US bar could negate up to 45 percent of the action on major progressive jackpot
A moderator on the Winneronline message board did some arithmetic this week to produce an interesting informal indication of the impact on progressive jackpots of barring U.S. players.
The popular progressive Millionaire's Club is provided across Cryptologic powered online casinos and currently stands at approximately $4.6 million. But Cryptologic was among the first of the online gambling companies to ban US players when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed in the USA recently, and the moderator measured the growth in the jackpot from that date to assess it's impact.
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Fort Knox s&g well named for this poker player
French poker player Remy Elkoubi, from Marseille, France, hit a Straight Flush that gave him a $100 000 jackpot prize at online poker room Titan Poker this week when he won six consecutive Fort Knox Jackpot Sit 'n' Go tournaments to qualify for the huge prize.
Elkoubi (who uses the 'handle' bennyking) had been playing at Titan Poker for less than a year when he hit the bigtime.
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Launch due in Spring 2007
Boss Media has announced that it has initiated the development of a web-based poker product. The new gaming client is being developed in Macromedia Flash. The fact that the client will be web-based means that players will be able to log onto Boss Media's partner-based poker network directly from the browser, without having to download software to their computer, which also means that availability will increase substantially. Delivery is scheduled for spring 2007.
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Holm moves to new duties
Boss Media AB has appointed Urban Enqvist as the company's new Chief Financial Officer. He will assume his new position on December 18 and will be a member of the company's Executive Management Group. Enqvist joins Boss Media from a position as Chief Financial Officer at Orrefors Kosta Boda AB.
Markus Holm, Executive Vice President/CFO of Boss Media, will pursue other duties within the company, the announcement says. He will be responsible for such activities as the development of Boss Media's gaming machines (IVT/Interactive Video Terminals) and payment solutions and for further development of Boss Media's indirect sales channels. He will continue to serve as Executive Vice President of the company.
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*Spiked* the best out of 2 449
Besting a starting field of almost 2 500 other hungry poker players is no mean feat, but that's what player *Spiked* achieved in the second Full Tilt Online Poker Series II (FTOPS) Main Event this week, defeating a field of 2449 No-Limit Hold'em players for a $224 634 first place paycheck.
The competition was fierce and prolonged, but once the last nine players reached the final table it was all over in an hour Full Tilt reports.
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But Dr Ho's online helpers won't say why
Players this week were noticing some changes around the DrHo888.com site, which sported a new "No Americans" notice, but was apparently destined for a total closedown, judging by confusing signals to individual players.
Some players were directed to a new site like this:
Quote: First of all, we would like to thank you for playing at DrHo888 casino.Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that DrHo888.com will be shut down within the next 24 hours. However, this shut down has no effect on your account information and balance. You can still come and play with our beautiful dealers at ho368.com.Unquote
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Montana will no longer handle the hassles
Players wondering where they could go to lodge disputes against Realtime Gaming licensees were this week given a name new to most. Instead of the Montana Overseas Disputes channel operating out of Panama City, a new master licensor titled Hastings International BV.com will soon be handling this vitally important function for the software provider.
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Most top online gambling execs were not present, but the industry was certainly a talking point.
The recent Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas saw a marked absence of online gaming companies and executives discouraged from travel to the USA by the recent passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, but the industry nevertheless generated an abundance of media comment.
Aside from the widely reported comments of top land gaming executives like Terri Lanni of MGM Mirage and Frank Fahrenkopf of the AGA who now favour a study of online gambling's impact in the USA, other personalities were giving their views on everything from the unorthodox manner in which the UIGEA was rammed through Congress to the likely efficacy in the enforcement of the legislation.
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Revamped site to offer poker on a brand new platform
There's a prominent notice on the stunning new Sportsbook.com website that this successful and long-established US-facing online casino, horse and sportsbetting operation is "no longer owned or endorsed by the Sportingbet plc group" - a sombre reminder that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act forced the respected British publicy listed Sportingbet to relinquish its Sportsbook subsidiary for a token $1 only weeks ago.
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Phenomenal good fortune has brought this online gambler a stunning Thanksgiving bonus
LeahA, a player at All Slots Casino.com in the Jackpot Factory group will long remember this week, when she was touched with more than her fair share of sheer good luck that helped her add a six figure winner's cheque to her bank balance.
Astonishment accompanied elation in this case, because LeahA achieved a unique big-money truimph on the popular Major Millions progressive slot - she hit back-to-back wins to take down two jackpots Tuesday night within 3 hours of each other for a life-changing total take of $682 822.30 in winnings, online casino officials confirmed.
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Looking for a festive season budget booster - King Cashalot may be ripe for the picking
Just in time for the expensive festive season comes news that the Microgaming Progressive Network high value video slot King Cashalot has topped the $1.1 million mark and continues to grow.
The future winner could become the tenth millionaire created through the network and the jackpot will take the amount paid out in winnings by the 70 casino progressive network to over $220 million in three years. All major prizes are paid in one cash transfer.
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If not, poker looks like a good bet....
In tune with the fast approaching festive season, the Lycos portals and search engine this week published its take on the top gift searches its facilities have handled, and judging by the results you won't go far wrong in getting poker-related presents for your near and dear ones.
The top 10 of the 50 most popular Internet search results for the week ending Nov. 18, 2006 looked like this:
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Popular online gambling site joins US player ban
Aces.com has announced that as of November 21, they will no longer acccept bets from U.S. players.
US players needn't dispair, however - Aces.com has made an arrangement with the now privately owned and well established Sportsbook.com to look after the online gambling needs of American players, and all accounts are being transferred across. As the announcement claims: "Everything's been set up and everything's the same."
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E-retailers, payment processors and online casinos leveraging geolocation to fight online fraud, and comply with new anti-gambling laws
The IP intelligence and geolocation expert firm Quova, Inc., teamed up this week with British ID verification company 192.com Business Services, to deploy the latest technology enabling clients to fight fraud and better comply with increasingly stringent international regulations.
Partnering with Quova will enable 192.com Business Services clients to geolocate online users at the country, state and city levels, identify their Internet routing and determine whether users are obscured by anonymisers or other proxy servers. Leveraging that information and Quova's database of known fraudulent IP addresses will help e-commerce and iGaming companies determine the level of risk in each transaction, whether the risk be online fraud or regulatory violations.
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Top ten online poker sites by player numbers
InfoPowa readers reacted positively to recent bulletins providing an insight into where poker players were going for their online gambling, and many requests have been received for a Top Ten assessment based on the same Pokersitescout.com statistics.
Readers should bear in mind that the following numbers present a snapshot of what's happening online on a given date, and this is a dynamic element that can fluctuate. It nevertheless gives a good indication of what is happening on the poker scene, and the Pokersitesscout staff are saluted for their ongoing efforts to accurately keep a daily tracking record.
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London the venue for $500 000 poker tournament final
Six amateur poker players have battled their way past thousands of online competitors to represent their countries at the ActionPoker.com $500 000 Poker Shoot-Out in London on December 1.
The finalists, some of whom have never previously played for high stakes in a live environment, represent a sweeping trend of online poker players who are making the transition from winning regularly at home to competing at major live tournaments.
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With renewed focus on Europe, this survey may come in handy
The Spanish online gambling market is poised to grow to a tempting Euro 4.2 billion by the year 2010, according to a new study released this week by the Munich-based MECN research company, putting the country high on the target list for marketers now excluded from the American market by recent legislation.
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Players have a week to withdraw funds
The Canberra-based online betting group Canbet has told its US players that it will not be taking US sports, poker or casino bets going forward, and US customers have until 30 November to place their final wagers and clear their accounts.
The ban applies to sports, casino and poker services offered by the group and Canbet has told players that its decision is a direct consequence of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act introduced recently into US law.
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It all turns on the phrase games, subject to chance
Any thoughts that skill gaming may circumvent the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act will probably be up for reconsideration following a decision this week by the UK skill games provider GameAccount to turn away from the US market.
GameAccount, arguably the worlds largest provider of person-to-person (P2P) skill games, and winner of the 2006 eGaming Review Award for Innovation, confirmed that it has complied with both the letter and spirit of the UIGEA signed into law on 13 October 2006.
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Young Royals will choose their charity
Gibraltar-based online casino and poker room operator 888.com is planning a unique charity based bid that will, if it materialises, give the group major publicity: getting the next generation of the royal family to play a hand of poker for charity.
Using the current hype on the latest James Bond movie Casino Royale as leverage, the marketers at 888.com are organising a real Casino Royal event.
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The UIGEA has increased the need for ID checks claims security firm
Recent legislation in the USA has forced European operators to focus on the quality and validity of their players, claims ID verification solutions company 192 Business Services.
With operators losing significant amounts of their player liquidity and some operations having to close down completely, the pressure on those remaining to ensure their new customers are valid has become even more important, a company statement argues. 192 feels that there had been a general shift to focus on ID-checking solutions by operators. Regulators in their respective jurisdictions have also been much more attentive to the issue.
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UK agency lands the contract for a new look
BetDirect, the online sportsbook acquired by 32Red.com earlier this year from Sportech for GBP 12 million will have a new look early next year.
Matt Booth, the marketing chief at 32 Red has awarded the task of revamping and rebranding the sportsbook to UK agency Pepper following a three way pitch for the business. Together we will be focusing on creating a distinctive brand that builds a long-lasting relationship with both existing and new customers, Booth commented.
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Did the UIGEA scare off online casino owners?
Grand Monaco online casino seemed to have everything going for it when it launched earlier this year - a great site, experienced management with sound financial backing and top tier gambling software, yet this week the news started filtering through that the operation has been sold for an undisclosed sum to the Playshare group, joining Pokershare and Casinoshare in the groups inventory.
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UK poker star is to donate half his big winnings to charity
Top UK poker pro and online poker room owner Tony Guoga took control of the final table on day three of the Betfair Asian Poker Tour in Singapore this week with a combination of sharp banter and aggressive play.
The supremely cool and confident pro saw off challenges from top pro Lee Nelson, Swede and overnight chip leader Samuel Lehtonen, and local player Joshua Ang, winning a fat $451 700 top prize and pledging half of it to Asian and Australian charities to be nominated by Betfair.
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Asian online gambling expert predicts this is the road ahead
Jason Chan, a gambling industry expert in Macau told Marketplace this week that he is confident that more Asian countries will choose the regulatory path for online gambling. Asians have always been big bettors, he told the publication, and he is certain that online casinos will take off in the region.
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Bellagio poker tournament director says online and land poker have a symbiotic relationship
The Las Vegas Sun writer Jeff Haney published an interesting article this week on the likely impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act on land poker activities. Haney asks whether the crackdown will chase online poker players away from their computers and into casino cardrooms, generating extra business for the brick-and-mortars? Or will the online players' poker fever fade as some major Internet cardrooms continue to deny service to Americans, and the federal legislation makes it more difficult for customers to deposit and withdraw funds?
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Those rumours were correct - here's one former Ongame network member that has gone to a new platform
Ongame Network's anouncment earlier this year that it would respect the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act by halting all US online poker action spawned a slew of rumours, including the assertion that sites that intended to continue serving the US customer would have to find a new home, and it was likely to be Dobrosoft.
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Frist's law likely to create more problems than it prevents
The UK publication The Register analysed the ponderously titled American anti-online gambling law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in an article this week, commenting that it has its teeth "in the wrong ass".
In an introduction heavily laden with sarcasm, the article remarks: "Now that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has been passed in the United States, those billions of dollars once spent on online gambling will now go to children's recreation centers, programs to care for the elderly, and humble decorations for Mother Theresa's grave. More importantly, those evil mega-casinos that have emerged offshore will finally be swept from the Earth, like Sodom and Gomorrah.
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Private plcement successfully closed.
The online gambling industry company best known for its provision of Mahjong Mania to a variety of sites, Dynasty Gaming Inc., has been successful in raising Cdn$5 million
In a brief announcement, Dynasty said it has completed its private placement, raising gross proceeds of C$5 million. The offering resulted in the sale of 10 million units of the company at a price of $0.50 per unit. The funds raised will be used to secure an 87.5 percent ownership stake for Dynasty in DNY Limited.
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GBP 137.2 million deal secures UK gambling group
Australia's Tattersalls lottery group and the Macquarie Bank has bought the Talarius group - operator of the UK Quicksilver chain of slot machine gaming centres and the Cyberslotz online gambling website - for a total consideration of GBP 137.2 million, the Australians announced this week.
Talarius owns almost 200 betting outlets with 9 500 gaming machines, and the Cyberslotz website.
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Webcam studio was opposite the copshop!
Thai police reported the arrest of 11 men today (Tuesday) in a mid-morning raid on a webcam studio broadcasting live-over-the-internet baccarat via the Internet.
Some 50 officers did not have far to go to make the bust - it took part in a building directly opposite the Crime Suppression Division head office. Among the 11 persons arrested were two foreigners, one from Hong Kong and the other from Malaysia - all were detained for allegedly operating betting on baccarat games via the Internet.
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Major poker site capitalises on the current Bond fever with an unusual offer
With the release of the latest James Bond movie, featuring a new 007 in Daniel Craig, interest in the theme is red hot, and online poker provider Poker Stars has moved to capitalise on the international hype.
The company is currently running daily satellites for a tournament that will see one lucky player drive off in the James Bond dream car - a horrendously expensive but markedly elegant Aston Martin DBS.
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Gaming regulator buoyed by US midterm elections - and some US politicians were ignorant of the WTO issue!
Patricia Campbell, writing in the Antigua Sun says that the island's top regulator for online gambling is hopeful that changes in the political composition of the US Senate and House of Representatives are the forerunner to a more favourable position on Internet gaming from US officials.
Director of Gaming Kaye McDonald has echoed hopes expressed by Ambassador Colin Murdoch (see previous InfoPowa report) that the new, Democrat dominated US legislature could be more favourably inclined towards the Internet gambling industry, when it begins to function in January.
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Three dimensional scrabble online could be for you...
FunTech subsidiary WorldWinner.com has launched the latest skill game from the group - a three dimensional cash Scrabble game titled Scrabble Cubes.
The 3D word game will also be available on FUNs partner sites, which include MSN and AOL games.
The new game is an online and licensed adaptation of Hasbros classic crossword game and is being promoted through a national advertising campaign. Early indications are that it is destined to become one of the most popular games on the WorldWinner site.
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A blast from the Detroit past - this new venue really rocks!
The sounds and big names of a past era in R&B music live again on a new online casino launched this week with WagerWorks gambling software and a music, entertainment and gaming theme.
Hitsville Casino.com has been on the books for some time as the brainchild of Detroit businessman Herbert J. Strather, who has enlisted the interest and help of legendary recording artists to provide a unique ambience. Among the Hitsville investors are The Four Tops, Otis Williams of The Temptations, The Miracles, The Joe Billingslea Contours, The Vandellas, Mary Wilson and others, all adding content to this new music, entertainment and gaming site.
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More mobile....
With over 35 senior industry executives as speakers, over 150 registered delegates, 12 hours dedicated to networking, 5 super panel sessions, 6 interactive roundtables, and a great exhibition taking shape, the 3rd Annual Mobile Gambling Summit, 22 - 23 January 2007 at the Royal Garden Hotel, London promises to kick start your mobile gambling portfolio for 2007!
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| PREVIOUS NEWS ARTICLES... |
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