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Archive for April, 2010

South Africa Trying to Regulate Gambling

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

The topic of online gambling is a big one in the world today. Almost every country is now debating over whether or not online gambling is the way to go in terms of finding additional tax-revenue options. The recession was difficult on communities all over the world and gambling is one of few ways legislators see to build up the millions needed to overcome the deficits. One country that is having problems implementing rules is South Africa. Back in 2008 the country passed a range of laws that were meant to help regulate online casino gambling activity. Much like the US-passed bill called the UIGEA, the South African laws for the most part failed.

The failure of the South African implementation of rules regarding gambling wasn’t due to the same reasons the UIGEA failed for the US. The US saw failure because gamers who were unable to wager online in the US quickly opted for casinos that were offshore. This of course meant they also were channeling millions of dollars into the other countries and the US was losing the money. Now that the US legislators realize the potential money that could come in from legalizing online gambling, they are quickly working to rewrite the laws.

South Africa for the most part had rules that could have worked but the government showed a true reluctance to implement them. Again the problem was that people who wanted to gamble moved to offshore companies that were able to handle their gaming needs. Again- the result was the same. South Africa, like the US, lost millions of dollars in revenue. Now the country is trying to rectify the problem. A few weeks ago the National Gambling Review Commission did a survey that proved how denying the implementation of standing laws regarding gambling is increasing the number of illegal gambling activity in the country. Their solution is to allow ten casino operators to request licensing and start up their own online companies to handle gambling. It is the beginning of a bigger implementation process and is said to help usher in more and more companies throughout the coming years.

Slots and Technology Combine for Great Gaming Fun

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

The world of gambling is changing quickly. The great news in the industry is that technology is allowing operators to come up with a wide range of new products for online gamers. When it comes to slots, the change is a ticket system that is now dictating how games take credits and how they pay out. It seems like everyone involved—operators and players—are embracing the change. It does offer a much more convenient method of gaming. Instead of having to carry coins from one game to another, players are now able to utilize the ticket system.

Another change in the world of slots gaming is the creation of video slots. These are enabling slot gamers to add more paylines to the machines. That means that where at one time only one payline was available, now there are multiples. Some games even include as many at fifty paylines at once. Of course you have to activate the lines by entering the proper amount but it makes a greater chance for a win. The best thing to do is to decide what your bankroll is and then divide it out by the amount of gaming time you have. For example, if you have three hours and $300, you want to use $100 per hour. The best thing to do is find lower-wager games and then stick with them rather than the higher slots games that require more money to operate.

Another change in the world of slots gaming is that progressives are taking over a lot of gambling markets. The progressives are games that are linked together and that means that the payout potential is much higher than singular games. That is why you can go to a progressive game and watch the ticker grow higher and higher in value quickly. If the network of games are connected over a vast area you can see the payout jump to the hundreds of thousands relatively quickly. Gamers are showing that these are a favorite in the market and operators are coming up with new progressive slots over and over to capitalize on their popularity. If you are looking for gaming fun, test out slots and see how many changes in the market have pushed the machines to heightened levels of fun and payout.

The 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Championship

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

If you are a fan of tournaments, no doubt you heard about the recent 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Championship of last month. It was a $128,000 guaranteed tournament that had a $1,000 buy-in. The added fun bit to this tournament was that poker superstar Annie Duke had a bounty of sorts on her. For anyone who was able to take her down, they followed up their poker career with a $200,000 guaranteed tournament a week later. This tournament was just one more example of how much fun gaming can be and how much operators work to bring new ideas to the market.
This poker tournament was one of the best examples of what is happening in the world of tournament play today. Online developers are working overtime to bring in new customers and keep them returning. The biggest advantage of online gaming today is that it is in the midst of a great evolution. The world of online gaming as a whole is highly competitive. That means that operators are consistently pitted up against one another to create the best promotions and specials that benefit their gamers. Those benefits include great games, high-pay tournaments, VIP bonuses, first-time deposit bonuses and other promotions that help you to walk away with even more money and merchandise.
The recent 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Championship is just one example of how big gaming is becoming. A few short years ago poker was nowhere near how popular it is now. If you look at the WSOP for example, you can easily see how much growth it has experienced throughout the last decade. The tournament began with just a handful of players participating mostly for the love of the game. Now, the game pays out millions of dollars to the winners and has hundreds of satellite tournaments to enjoy as it leads up to the actual WSOP. The tournament now has million-dollar corporate sponsors who vie for inclusion in the promotional floor space. It’s a testament to how far gambling has come as a hobby in the world. Be sure to keep an eye out for more tournaments to enter the market and offer the same outstanding payout potential and gaming fun as the 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Championship.

The Online Market Continues to Develop- Part 2

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

The US issue of online gambling is not solely a concern of the states. The UK is also involved in the issue. Legislators there are concerned and watching closely how the US handles the issue. They wonder how any change in online gambling will affect them. One change is that if the US does approve online gambling that inevitably means that there will be more casinos entering the market. For example, Harrah’s announced recently that it is already creating an online bingo website for out-of-the-US players to participate in. The value here is that if it is successful and the US finally approves online gambling it won’t take much for the company to open its own doors to US-based gamblers.

The UK is the largest portal for online gambling sites right now. They have struggled a bit with debts as well as scams, and yet many residents of the UK are benefiting from the online casinos. One change that will be markedly clear if the USA opens their doors is that there will be more online casinos out there. Just last week Harrah’s announced a Bingo site for international players. They are clearly anticipating the law changes for the USA, and have moved to capture the international market. Harrah’s is not the only entity excited about the US opening its online gambling doors. The state of Nevada is excited about the prospect. They too are waiting for US law to change and ready to bring money into the state. The recession was particularly difficult on Nevada and the city of Las Vegas. If laws change legislators are hoping that the additional money will help turn the city around to what it used to be pre-recession. Since the recession, the state suffered greatly. In fact, recent studies have shown that the foreclosure rate is 60% within the state. It suffered one of the biggest hits in terms if industry and that was mostly due to the fact that gambling is its main industry. Once people began losing their jobs, they quickly stopped gambling and have yet to begin again.

Good things are expected to come in 2010 and beyond. With the US on the brink of legalizing and regulating online gambling, it is surely a time for all operators to watch the developments. The US will provide a completely new market for companies to share. This means millions of more dollars may be channeled into the industry of online gambling.

The Online Market Continues to Develop- Part 1

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

The US is in the midst of making critical changes in gambling law. Since the UIGEA, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, of 2006 the topic of online gambling has been a focus of legislators. Prior to the recession states were struggling with their deficits and so was the federal government. Once the recession happened, it ravished the budgets and made them even more difficult to manage. Governments everywhere were left with few options to overcome huge deficits. The only thing they could do to manage was to cut funding on important programs like education, expansion and public works programs. It was hard to function with the huge cutbacks needed, but like other small businesses, the governments involved needed to make serious cuts to maneuver through the recession.

Now that the recession is over, many states are looking to legalizing and regulating online gambling. In the US movements towards legalization is on hold until legislators are trying to come up with adequate laws. The UIGEA is the closest the US has come to bringing a viable law to the market and it has proven to be a failure over the past four years. It was meant to stop internet gambling but all it really did was stop people from gambling online with US-based companies. That meant that they were channeling millions of dollars out of the US and into offshore casinos. There was a time when that wasn’t that big an issue. The states throughout the country always struggled financially with deficits. Then something changed—the recession. Once the recession happened it strained an already struggling budget across the country. Now that it is over, states are left with ravished finances. This is why legislators all over are revisiting the issue of online gambling. They are hoping to create legislation that would allow them to bring in millions in tax-revenue dollars. There are few other options when it comes to bringing in millions and gambling, if regulated properly, can be a viable option to shoring up state and federal coffers. It benefits almost every state to look in to bills and laws that would open the door for online gambling and its use to bring in additional revenue.

Part two coming next.

Ladbrokes Still Offering Great Promotions

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

If the past is any indication you can expect great things from Ladbrokes. Of course if you have played online gambling games, you have most likely heard of the company. Ladbrokes has been around for a long time and brought some of the best games to the market. Recently the company hosted a special called the Wicked Weekend Bonus and it came along with a 400 pound prize to be won. This bonus centered around the Avalon slots game and this is one of the newest games to enter the market. To get in on the event, all players at the casino had to do is to have a “real money” account and then play during the promotional period. Once you started playing, then your name was entered into a prize drawing. At the end, there was one draw and that was the all-time winner.

Though the promotion sounds small, in the end it wasn’t. In fact, over 200 winners were selected at random to win prizes of 20 pounds. This means that players who got lucky ended up winning back their entry fee into the tournament. That’s great news and though it meant a lot of players earned nothing, they still had a great gaming session at no cost to their bankrolls. The game Avalon was chosen because it is a newer game in the world of online gambling but it also is simple to play. It is a 5-reel game that has twenty paylines. Of course it revolves around the medieval times where there were knights, swords, armor and other symbols reminiscent of that era. This game offers a huge jackpot of 15,000 pounds and that’s an outstanding possibility for a slots game. If you love playing slots, this may be the perfect game for you.

Of course Ladbrokes is a casino that comes along with a long history of success in the market. It is always a good idea to know what you are getting into when picking a casino online and this one has a great reputation. It has been around for a long time and that means it has had time to get its business model together and build up a good customer base. Test out the casino for yourself when it comes up with another promotion. You won’t be disappointed at all it has to offer.

Mobile Gaming on the Rise

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

If you love online gaming you are going to love the new technologies available in the market. First there were land-based casinos. This is where it all started and many worked to bring the most outstanding games and bonuses to customers. Then, online developers started taking notes. They visited land-based casinos and began researching what games worked, and what games didn’t. They used casinos as a way to do free market research. Once they had an idea of what people wanted, they put together some online games that brought the market to a new level.

If you do a simple search online today you will find hundreds of online casinos where you can play games ranging from slots to poker and backgammon to roulette. The process is simple and you can be up and running with a new account in minutes. Online gaming was slow at the beginning but soon the internet took over in terms of retail. Once people got used to logging onto their computers for everyday purchases, it was only a matter of time for them to move into wanting to play their favorite online games online too. Developers were more than ready to meet that need and soon were ready to handle the new customer base.

Now that online gaming is so popular there is yet another progression. This time casino developers are making moves to create more mobile gaming options for players. With the advancements of Smart Phones and the iPhone, it is a natural change to allow people to download applications and specials to use while on the go. Spin Palace is one casino that is updating their game roster with some new MicroGaming-developed games. Of course MicroGaming is a leader in game development so anytime you hear that they are hosting new games, you should expect the best. A new slots game that was just introduced was Avalon. This is a game with a medieval theme to it. It has some of the best graphics capabilities you will find available today. The game has 3-reels but a unique payline to go along with it. If you are in the market for a new and outstanding mobile game, give this one a try.

Bodog Continues to Set the Bar for Online Gaming

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

For anyone wanting to have a lot of fun during gaming, Bodog is one of the companies that offers great new games consistently. For anyone who has ever been bored with gaming, this may be the answer. Bodog is one of those casinos that has been around for a while and has a good business model. The company is a leader in the industry because they know how to bring the freshest games to the market for their customers. The company is owned by Morris Mohawk Gaming Group and just announced that they will be introducing new games on a monthly basis.

Introducing new games is the norm, but normally it happens when a casino first comes into the market. Once the casino is established, it normally doesn’t introduce new games except for special occasions and events. Bodog is not following this method of promotion though. Bodog released 20 new games earlier this year and those games are varied enough that every online gamer should be able to find his or her own favorite. Plus the company has its sights set on expansion in coming years so this is a great example of what they are going to be doing to further their cause. This roster of new games spans from everything from slots games to video poker. Some names that are coming into the market are Mystic Slots, Totem Quest, Summer Dream, China Mega Wild and Party Night. Each game is a great game in its own right.

What makes this a great release package is the variety of games you can choose from. Regardless of what your favorite theme or payout is, you can find it in this new roster of games. Expect more online casinos to bring about new gaming specials over the upcoming years. The US is working to legalize and regulate online gambling and that means that the market is going to become even more competitive. It’s a great time to get into gambling at virtual casinos and expect more and more specials and bonuses to go along with your gaming. Not only will you find new games, but you should also be able to take advantage of the start-up bonuses, VIP bonuses and other specials.

PKR Offers Avatar Gaming Fun

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

PKR is an integral part of the London Loose Cannon Club. The website is a unique and 3D website for all avid poker players to enjoy. The fun thing about this casino is that it mirrors the “real” land-based casino feel with avatars and full poker tables for participants to enjoy. This website is an example of where the market of online gambling is going. A few short years ago you could log into an online casino and enjoy gaming much like you would enjoy playing Solitaire on your home computer. It was a two-dimensional play that would ensue. No—it wasn’t fancy, but it still offered some good gaming. In today’s online world things are moving quickly though. Thanks to technology the market is moving quickly in the right direction. For anyone who was disappointed by the lack of development, things are changing quickly.

PKR is one of those websites that is capitalizing on the outstanding capabilities of technology. Avatars made the first impression with this website. You can see your avatar play for your at a “real” table. You can watch yourself gambling. In the past the PKR website has offered many live events in former years and now a new one is being offered. This year the company is having a London-based event although the actual tournament will be online so everyone can participate. Players can watch themselves on the TV screen and on the online world via the avatar. You will be able to compete against live players and that makes the game unique and fun. In the main event you can walk away with $500 and there are additional events that offer another $150 in prize money.

In addition to the tournaments offered, the PKR online casino also is offering regulars a special bonus. Throughout the tournament play, regular members can still get in on small games that offer great payouts too. The entry fee to their tournaments is moderate and should fit into anyone’s bankroll and budget. If you are looking for an additional place to play online and want something different, check out PKR’s website. The events are premiere but the look is what sets this casino apart from others.

UK Trying to Manage Online Illegal Activity

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

The UK is making waves in the world of online gambling. Because the market overall is very new to the area, legislators are trying to work out rules that protect gamblers from the start. A new website called GamblingIn.co.uk is being put together to help thwart scams in the online world of wagering. One argument that has been made over the years of online gambling growth is that legalizing gambling will only bring more opportunities for money laundering, fraud, addiction and crime. This new initiative by the UK is hoping to stop that, or at minimum cut down on the amount of illegal activity coming into the member-states of the EU, or European Union.

This website belonging in the UK, presses casinos to offer gamblers what they want in terms of an online casino. The website offers a comprehensive listing of reputable and trustworthy casinos for playing poker, bingo, table games, and taking sports bets. The website’s operators have done research on the most damaging activities some scam websites have. Things like identity theft, non-payouts, and overcharging customers are all top level concerns of the UK and in turn, of the GamblingIn.co.uk website. It is trying to provide a full list of gambling options where players can log in and enjoy safe gambling. Many casinos today are registered in Gibraltar due to the lower taxes. It is one of the most cost-efficient areas in the world of gambling and blowing up as a center of online casinos. The biggest advantage is that the country is building workable laws to bring in more companies focused on gambling.

The biggest problem coming is the country has to eliminate problems by doing research on what has worked so far and what hasn’t. There are prototype countries that can be used and watched. There are a wide range of online companies that are toying with various online rules. Due to the newness of the market, it is still a great time to write rules and test them to see if they work. More and more countries are being instrumental in the changes and development of the market of online gambling. It is an interesting time to watch the market as it evolves.