Online Casinos Dir
Home Online Casino Reviews Casino Bonus US Casinos UK Casinos Gaming Blog Contact

Archive for October, 2010

EC Introduces the EGBA To European Nations

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Many countries in Europe are writing their own gambling laws. They are just moving into the market, or new to it, and still trying to come up with rules and regulations that are going to work for them. The problem here though is that it is unchartered territory. Legislators know one thing—the market is highly lucrative if they get it to work the right way. It can be hard to come up with laws that work for a community—in particular when it is something that needs to happen quickly. For most European countries the longer it takes them to implement their own plans for gambling, the more time they are giving to other countries to usurp revenue from their residents. It is a timing game in a lot of ways. Just like the US made the mistake of foregoing millions of dollars, so other European countries don’t want to fall into the same problems. The US banned online gambling and instead of players stopping their wagers, they merely sought out offshore gambling companies and channeled millions of unrecoverable dollars to other countries. European states don’t want to allow the same thing to happen to them. This is why it is becoming a priority to come up with laws that work.
So far this is proving to be a problem though. Individual states are writing their own laws and it is proving to be more difficult than anticipated. Romania for example just put together its own gambling law but it is being pitted against the already existing EC, European Commission, laws. The EC came up with the European Gaming and Betting Association or EGBA. This organization is claiming that Romanian laws are not conducive to their own law and that is posing to be a problem for the small country. Namely the problem is with specific precepts they are trying to implement like:

• EU-licensed online casinos must be based in Romania
• No online pool wagering, but legalized internet gaming
• Censorship of all advertisements and marketing plans for EU-approved
companies

The EGBA is not supportive of these and other rules. They believe that it puts Romania in a position of creating a monopoly. Most likely the country i sgoing to have to changes things before their protocols are accepted with EU’s approval.

Party Poker Hands out Huge Win to 19-Year Old Man

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

The country of Poland has long been pining for gambling. Legislators have allowed the hobby in, but have had a difficult time with regulation. In fact, a few months ago there was a huge political scandal that pushed on the country—legislators were in the midst of the issues and were accused of taking bribes for the purpose of furthering gambling in the country. This caused a lot of problems and left a stain on the country’s foray into gambling. It hopefully won’t be long lasting though. The country now is hoping to erase the sullying activities on its record. It is doing this by changing its gambling model to expand what it can do and what products are available to the market.

There is good news for the gambling market in Poland—there was a big winner to promote. It was Marek Sisnowski of Krakow who walked away with a top prize from Party Poker’s website. He ended up winning an Aston martin DB9 coupe. This is a huge prize for anyone, but for Sisnowski—a 19 year old—it was especially exciting for him to win. Though he loved the prize, in the end he decided to opt for the cash instead of the car. This still was a huge win for the gaming market. It shows the country that players can still walk away with big wins—honestly and companies are going to pay out those big wins. Hopefully it will help to reinvigorate the gaming industry and change the negative perception some residents still have of gambling. of course the problems were a result of the political crookedness, but that still left some people wondering if there were any legal activities going on in the world of gambling and if they could still benefit from playing games. Party Poker’s operators were ecstatic at the win and are working hard to build more for the polish gaming community. They are hoping to work with gamblers to turn the market around and also to build confidence once again in the world of gaming. It may take some time, but this win was a great promotional asset to the company Party Poker and the industry.

Prima Network and Stravinci Join Together

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Prima Networks Ltd is an online casino firm. The company, like most other companies in the industry is pushing to extend its own reputation and business model to bigger and better ways of thinking. Prima Networks of course is a company that is also known as MicroGaming Poker Network. This is a huge player in the world of online gambling and showing no signs of slowing down. If you look at the average MicroGaming casino you are going to find a long list of games to enjoy—everything from slots gaming to video poker and roulette to blackjack. The casino isn’t just a specialist in poker gambling. One of the biggest markets it has is its premiere Texas Hold’em tournaments and five- and seven-card stud poker games. You can play at their casinos in ‘real time’ too with actual other players. It is a great way to push your own skill level to the next level by building strategy. Everyone who is a gambler is going to tell you that the best way to come up with a winning strategy in poker is to keep on playing against people of varying skill levels. It will cause you to keep on getting better as a player and in turn, winning more.

Now Prima Networks Ltd. Is teaming up with Stravinci, an Italian gambling company. The purpose of the joint venture is to allow Prima Networks access to the Italian gambling market. It is a huge market, but it is still forming in the world. In its nascent stages, it needs a few good gambling companies that can come in and offer it the best games around. This is where Prima Networks comes in. the company’s operators know that a new market means more money and they are quick to jump on any additional million dollar payouts they can get. This is also great news for Italy because it has long been a country that wants to move into the world of gambling full force but has lacked a direct portal to do so. This solves both problems and most likely is going to bring in the money the country needs in tax dollars and the money the casino wants.

Bodog Makes New Advertising Plans

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Bodog.com is a premiere gambling website that takes wagers on sports. The company has been a leader in the market for years now and proven how much it has to offer. If you want to wager on any major league game or event, then you need to look to Bodog.com for your needs. The company takes wagers in a variety of different forms—and this is what has made them so popular to the market. You can find a long list of betting possibilities here. Not only are you going to find sports betting possibilities here, but you also are going to find a long list of other wager possibilities. There are horse races, to name one. In this sector of the casino you can find a long list of races to wager on. Plus the casino also gives you history on all horses running – it is a better way to get the information you need to make the most viable gambling choices. On top of that there also is a casino here where you can play blackjack, baccarat, hold’em and stud poker. You can go to the casino for their premiere poker games, in fact. The company is pushing to become a leader in the poker market and trying to bring some of the top notch poker tournaments to the market via their website. Plus add to that the fact that if you do sign up at the casino you get a 20% bonus on whatever your deposit it, it’s a great casino with a lot to offer to any gamer.

The company has seen so much success in the past few years that now it is moving to sponsor big-name teams. This time it is worked out a sponsorship deal with the Edmonton Oilers ice hockey team. This is a big move for Bodog.com because of the marketing and advertising potential it brings. The Oilers are a popular team and the casino website now can capitalize on their overwhelmingly loyal fan base. This opens the door for a whole new customer base and that’s great news for Bodog.com. Wait and see how many new advertisements you are going to see in the world of sports wagering. It is a sign that business is changing to find a new respect for online casino gambling and treating it like any other billion-dollar business.

Gibraltar Taking the Lead with Online Gaming Licenses

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

If you know anything about the online gambling world and setting up casinos, then you know that Gibraltar is one of the premiere locations for gaming companies to set up shop. It is a location that has long been casino-friendly and had some of the lowest taxation tables for casinos to work with. Casinos are hard pressed to find the best locations for their licensing because of the costliness of the endeavor. Now Gibraltar is having problems though. It seems that a mayor of a city is looking for a full on investigation of the issues involved. He is questioning the policies and practices of Gibraltar when it comes to licensing online casinos. The mayor is arguing the information that companies provide for the sake of gaining licensing. Of course online casinos are big business. That means that they are the recipients of millions of dollars every month if they are successful. If the laws for licensing are minimal, that could cause problems with future accountability and regulatory notice.

According to other studies Gibraltar is a location where there seems to be a lack of tangible information on what the rules are to actually get licensed. The taxation laws are also sketchy. Part of the biggest issue was brought about by the mayor. He believes that if laws aren’t built to protect the state, it could open the door for future problems as more and more gambling companies move to Gibraltar for their licensing needs. And if taxation isn’t squared away either, it could also make more problems than solutions for the gaming communities. Gibraltar is growing to build a lot of its economy on gambling. If it does not come up with the proper rules and regulations for companies to follow—straight across the board—it could open the door for future problems as more companies come into the mix. It may take some time, but a formal investigation is well underway for the state to embark on. They need to find their right mix of profits and protocols that works for the companies involved, but also works for their individual needs as a country.

FBI Closes in on Illegal Hacking Activities

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

It is no secret that online gambling companies have to worry about security issues. If you are looking for a new online casino the number one concern you should have is whether or not they use top notch security and encryption. This is the number one thing that can protect not only your bank account, but your identity. When gambling, remember that you are going to be sharing personal information. You are going to have to provide your name, your funding account and your address- more than enough information for any good thief to do some serious damage to your life. Companies are working overtime to overcome the issues of online security. There are still hackers out there who want to find money the easy way and are going to use your account at an online gambling casino to do it.

The government is doing some fast acting though to thwart online gambling problems. In fact the FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, recently announced that they are pushing to catch cyber criminals who are accused of stealing over $70 million for different internet users and businesses. This was a few months ago that they made the announcement and now they are citing successful apprehension of the perpetrators. So far the bureau has caught up with twenty suspected in the crimes and are still looking adamantly for the additional estimated seventeen more criminals. Most of the members of this group have a past of web development, which is part of what made them so attuned to the online world and how to hack into casino websites. Their mode of operations was to create a “Trojan horse” program/virus that was able to link to personal and financial records of various online casinos. This allowed them to get to the user accounts of the same websites and thus steal their pertinent information. Of course there still is an up-side to the issue. Now that online casinos have seen their businesses hacked and their users put into danger, they are spending that much more time and money on shoring up their own security protocols for future gamers.

Casino Club Overcomes Former Payout Problems

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

One of the best things about the market today is hearing of the huge wins that people come up with. During the first years of online gambling, payouts were small. You could win a few dollars here and there. if you were particularly lucky and got in on a big tournament for say, New Year’s, you could walk away with a few hundred dollars. These were few and far between though and online operators were stingy with the payout schedules. Things have changed drastically over the years though. Now you can find payouts just as big online as you can find in a land based casino. It isn’t hard to see how much the market has grown because of the changes in jackpot wins. Online companies have the budgets too to push the limits of their payouts to heightened levels. If you want a consistent return of big dollars, going with an online casino can be the best way to get there.

Now it is Casino Club that is pushing the limits of what it hands out. Perhaps their goal of extending their payouts is from their past problems with payouts. It was back in 2008 when the company created a jackpot, but the player who won it was not given the payout. He eventually filed a lawsuit over the total EURO 167,500. He had a lot of problems though because the company was operating under Malta laws and according to those, a player’s winnings are actually unenforceable. Now things are changing though and Casino Club is hoping to move forward beyond the controversy. The company just came up with another jackpot for a new member. This time it was a player who goes by the name of “Gavin” who walked away with a EURO 235,000 win. He was paid out in less than two hours—this was a sign for the market. Casino Club’s operators were hoping to send the message that they are ready to deal with customers in an honest and reliable way when it comes to payouts. Hopefully this will help the company to rid itself of any negative press it has gained over the years regarding payouts and help them to move on.

Life of Sports and GR888 Team Up

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

The gambling market is at it again—more affiliations are being formed and they are proving to push the market to higher levels of success. It happens almost every month it seems that changes in the market are pushing it to better gambling opportunities for gamers everywhere. Now it is GR88 that is making moves to expand their business model. The company recently purchased “Life of Sports.” Life of Sports of course is an international university and college marketing company. The company has shown success in the market in recent years by honing in accurately on what young people like and what they spend their money on. It is marketing research like this that is going to help companies come up with better and better business. If they can find out who the viable customer base is made of, then they can create advertising and marketing plans that cater to their needs and preferences. This is one of the premiere goals of gambling companies everywhere. The market of gambling as a whole is fiercely competitive and that is making it difficult for companies not ready to handle the challenges, to survive.

The coupling of GR88 and Life of Sports is a natural one, according to the president of the latter. He stated that the companies both understand full well how to reach the young college-aged market. They know how important it is to custom make marketing plans for them and then capitalize on their specific needs. Plus this is a huge market. Marketers know that this is a target because these are the consumers of tomorrow, so if they can get an allegiance built now, it could profit them for years to come. It’s a lot like the credit card companies did a few years ago—they would set up booths at various sporting events or on campus functions to solicit young credit users. Of course it created a problem because young people were graduating from college with thousands of dollars in debt to deal with, but the credit card companies still were successful at it. GR88 and Life of Sports know how lucrative this market is and are pushing for gambling changes that could bring them in and substantially elevate their own numbers in terms of gambling revenues.

Social Networking and Gambling Combine in the Market

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

In the world of gambling things are changing quickly. Not only are games getting more and more sophisticated, but gamers are expecting more. Most gamers are seasoned these days, or at least have a good knowledge of how computers work. There is no longer a nascent internet user because most grade schools offer computer classes and do most of their maneuvering via a computer. Some students as young as seven and eight are given laptops to work on during their school days and to take home to work with. This is creating a new market that has a pre-programmed knowledge of what the internet is and how to use it. Once they get to the age of being able to use online casinos, there is minimal tutoring needed. They already are attuned to working with websites and finding what they want to wager. Now there is a new website called Yazino.com. It is a Dublin, Ireland based website that is offering premiere social networking, but also implementing a new gambling plan for players. Right now you can go to the website and pay free games.

In the next few months that is going to change though. Operators of Yazino.com have announced that they are hoping to offer full-wager games to the public within the next year. One goal is to thoroughly combine a premiere social networking website with a premiere online casino. They are hoping to be pioneers with the combination stating that though some social networking websites offer free gaming, none offer real money capabilities to the gaming public just yet. Yazino.com and its operators are hoping they can bring the first one of its kind to the market and then capitalize on the lucrative nature of wagering. Part of their goal is to merge the two sectors on online maneuvering together, offer tournaments and then educate the public on gambling. It is a hefty goal they have but thoroughly possible in today’s market. People want to wager—this is no secret—as millions of new gamers enter the market every year. It is making things all the more attractive for gaming companies and now social networking ones.

Russian Legislators Still Debating Gambling

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

There are still some issues going on with legalizing gambling. Countries are debating the issue and though many believe that gambling would considerably aid them, other countries are still holding back. Russia is proving to be one of those countries in limbo on the issue. In recent years legislators in Russia lifted their bans on gambling. It was thought to be a great move and a lucrative one for a country that is suffering financially just like the rest of the world. It’s no secret that gambling is a billion dollar business that has a long list of positive attributes for its location. Not only can it bring in millions of dollars to help fund various programs and help the market to regulate deficits, but it also brings a long list of job possibilities with it. That is exactly what Russians were hoping for with this new plan for gambling being brought in. Legislators are dragging their feet though. Though that ban on gambling has been lifted, the actual location where gambling is legal has yet to be determined.

Shambala is the name of the facility that is to offer gambling and it so far has cost 1.7 billion rubles to construct in Azov City. It is a gambling center that was supposed to bring in millions to the country. Unfortunately it hasn’t performed as much as it was supposed to. Experts wanted it to bring in millions per month but it is not as lucrative as hoped in development stages. Though there are problems with the land based gaming, online gambling isn’t the same. Over the years online gambling has proven to be very lucrative to the country. The internet companies are prolific and bringing in much needed rubbles. It may take time for the land based gambling market to level itself off though. It is proving to be a bigger task than anticipated in the past. Now it is a priority for the gambling market to be up in full force. It will take longer for legislators to find out what the problems are with land based gaming and in turn, how to overcome them.