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If you love the game of poker, then you are in for a treat in this coming month. First of all, remember that gambling, and poker namely, is expanding at record numbers there are millions of people now who enjoy working on their gaming skill. That is the thing about gambing at the poker table- it comes with a good dose of luck but there is an equally relevant part of strategy to the game. You have to practice the game and understand the nuances of what it has to offer to win. Just watch any professional table and you are going to see how strategically the gamers manage their hands and the other players. They don’t come to the table with this knowledge immediately– it is the result of years of practice and playing against different players. The best way to get good at poker is to do just that; practice in as many tournaments as possible.

If you are a poker fan, then there is good news for you in December of this year. You can now take part in the seventh annual High-Stakes Poker program held by America’s Game Show Network, GSN. The program is going to be videotaped from November the eighteenth to the twentieth in Las Vegas at the Golden Nuggert Hotel and Casino. This is going to be one of the biggest poker events of the year- or so it seems due to the buzz about it already. If you love poker gambling, then you should definitely get in on this. The GSN is a long time promoter of high profile games in the market. They are known for their premiere locating of top games that are the most fun and then bringing them to the gambling market. High Stakes Poker is always one of the biggest draws of the communities involved. Expect to have yet another premiere poker gaming series with this one. You most likely are going to love the gaming fun and watching the various professionals fighting it out for the big payout at the end. Any time you can watch poker gaming at its finest, you should take advantage of it. You never know what you are going to learn and this could be a great opportunity.

Bill Bible, director of the Nevada Resort Association that represents Strip Casinos said, “We have just finished the most difficult year in gaming history and in a period where some data points are positive and some negative.”  There are some increases in slots play in the city. Strip casinos report a gross income of $502.1 million throughout December 2009 which is a gain of 5.8% and the second straight month of increases for the market. Despite the good news for this past month, overall gaming is still down. In fact, it fell by 3.2% for the month. Bible said that he does not believe a quick turnaround is coming any time soon. He added, “The road ahead is a long hard one.” For 2009, statewide gaming revenue fell to $10.3 billion, a 10.4 % decrease from 2008. Frank Streshley, chief of tax and licensing, said “This is the fourth decline this decade, after never declining in a single calendar year.” The board started compiling figures statewide in 1955. But he said that the second half of 2009 was stronger than the first six months.

December gaming win in downtown Las Vegas fell 12.3 %, the 19th straight month of a decline. Gross win was down in North Las Vegas casinos by 25.1 % in December; 11.6 % in Laughlin for the 25th consecutive month; down 19.8 % on the Boulder Strip; lower in Mesquite by 7.5 % for the 11th straight month and off 13 % in the balance of Clark County. The board said the gross win in Baccarat on Strip Casinos reached $155.6 million, up 101.9 % from December 2008. Baccarat on the Strip now accounts for more than half of the win from card games. For the year, Baccarat on Strip casinos rose 26.6 % after a decline in 2008 of 15.9 %. Baccarat statewide accounts for 8-9 % of the total win. Bible said the big increase in Baccarat reflects the weak dollar. It’s a great bargain for foreign gamblers, he said.

Gross win on the Strip slot machines fell 2.9 % in December. But there were increases of 8.3 % in the take in the penny machines; 3.5 % on Megabucks; a 17.9 % gain on the $5 machines and a 2.3 % jump in play on the multi-denominational machines. Bible called slots the “bread and butter” of casinos. It’s been a year now that the Las Vegas area has reported a drop in gaming. The gaming board notes how difficult the recession was on the city. Only time will tell how quickly the market is going to be able to turn itself around.

December 7th is the day Arundel Mills mall will know whether or not they can open a slots casino. Mall officials and voters both approved the move via a referendum earlier this year. Though they have been vocal about their feelings on the casino, County Council members have not. They have for the most part been tight-lipped about the issue. That has brought a lot of problems for them because everyone wants to know what decisions may be made on the 7th.

Ron Dillon, councilman, has been the only official who has come out with support for the casino. And Jamie Benoit, also a councilman, has voice his opinion against it. Despite those two opinions, there has been little else divulged by the council and that is making things difficult to gauge.  The December 7th meeting will be held to face the issue, but much of the meeting is already scheduled for a revolving door of council members. Councilwoman Cathy Vitale will turn over the gavel to Councilman Ed Middlebrooks, who promised to call for a vote on this issue. Councilman Josh Cohen is resigning on December 6th as he moves to his new position as Annapolis Mayor. Trish Johnson is filling in for Ed Reilly because he left to fill a Senate Seat vacated by Senator Janet Greenip.

When the vote is called the question on everyone’s mind will be: Should the zoning laws change to allow Cordish Company to build the casino at Arundel Mills mall? Industry insiders are predicting that the city council will grant Cordish the license. There are various reasons the move could prove beneficial to the city. One is the added revenue that would be brought into the economy. Another is the job creation issue. The city is looking for creating a substantial number of jobs because of the overwhelming unemployment rate of the area. The recession took its toll on the community. December 7th is the date when the vote will take place and many parties are personally invested in the outcome. Only time will tell whether or not the community will benefit from a casino facility.

Is gambling a game of chance? Or is it a game of skill? What games fall into the ‘game of skill’ heading? If they do fall into a ‘game of skill’ heading, then are they exempt from gambling law?  These and many more questions were never delineated by the UIGEA. In fact, all it really did do was put the responsibility of watch dog onto the financial industry. It is this vagueness that caused people like Barney Frank and others to create amendments to the law. They are hoping that they can both legalize and regulate gambling to bring in much-needed billions of dollars in tax-revenue dollars.

It seems that Congress is heading towards a compromise in terms of the issue. The official announcement has not come yet, but it seems likely that the Treasury will extend the deadline of implementing the UIGEA another six months. iMega’s chairman Joe Brennan said, “It is really surprising we got this concession. It is very unusual for any department of the government to essentially forestall an act of Congress. This is a testament to the power of Congressman Frank. This has been his pet issue, because it is part of his core values for some time now.”

Many are excited about the deferment of the UIGEA because they believe it will give representatives enough time to adequately come up with a more relevant law regarding online gambling. That opens the door for legalizing and regulating online gambling and having access to the huge money involved.  As John Pappas, the executive director of the PPA, observed the following about the hearings: “We thought it would probably have to wait until January, so we’re pleasantly surprised to see this happen in December. I think Barney is sending a strong message to regulators and others that he’s serious about changing this law. He’s going to move forward with his plans to license and regulate this industry.”  It seems to be only a matter of time before online gambling is regulated and legalized. The billions of dollars that are being funneled out of the country in gambling dollars could be kept within the country. Of course there are decriers who still believe that it’s a bad move to legalize online gambling, but if the necessary precautions are monitored and taken, problems should be mitigated relatively quickly.

Everyone is worried about December 1^st and the UIGEA implementation that is planned. The UIGEA is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and it was set to go into motion on December 1^st. It targeted the banking institutions that may be used to fund or deposit money directly related to gambling. The UIGEA makes banks responsible for flagging and denying any transaction that is related to online wagering. Banks were not happy about that due to the added cost to them to create filters and a flagging system. If a transaction got past their security watch, they could be fined millions of dollars as a result.

People were also not happy because that meant that anyone in the US was not able to transact for gambling purposes using their financial institution. The result was people continued to direct funds to offshore gambling websites that accept US players. Politicians cited the problem with offshore gambling is that billions of dollars were being channeled out of the country and into other countries economies. As one politician put it, “The US is letting millions of dollars in funding slip through its fingers every day it does not legalize online gambling.”

Online operators were not happy either with the UIGEA ruling. It means that a whole market is not legally allowed to participate in the billion-dollar industry that is online gambling. US operators had to move their businesses to offshore areas like Gibraltar or Macau, where casino and gambling laws are much more operator-friendly. The taxes are manageable and they are set up via their infrastructure to handle online gambling as an industry. Many US online casino operators have left the country to do business as a result.

The hot topic for online gambling has been December 1^st and whether or not the UIGEA would be made law.  Barney Frank and a number of other Congressmen have requested that the UIGEA be pushed back one year before implementation.  They are hoping that within that time, a more adequate online gambling law can be instituted and brought into the market. A law that is both all-encompassing and thorough in its writings.  The main problem with the UIGEA is that when it was written, there were no real decisive laws on what “gambling” actually is defined as.

Part two coming next.

December 2009 will be lots of fun at the Resorts Casino Hotel and Boyz II Men will be headlining. The group is a blast from the past and first began their career back in 1992.  They originally formed in 1988 in Philadelphia and had a very clean-cut “retro nouveau” image. Their dance moves and choreography, along with their smooth rhythmic vocals, made them a popular rising boy-band in the industry. From 1992 through 1997 the band recorded five number one pop hits and 12 Top-10 R&B singles. They also sole more than 60 million records globally and earned numerous Grammy Awards for their work.

Boyz II Men signed to Motown Records in 1991, and released their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony. Cooleyhighharmony is considered a classic of 90s and developed the “hip-hop doo-wop” sound they were known for. It distinguished the group from others easily and not only was made up of catchy rhythms, but also spot-on harmonies. Their first album brought three crossover hits to the music world, including “Motown-Philly, “Uh Ahh” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.” They earned their first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

In 1992, Boyz II Men returned to the studio to record a new song, “End of the Road,” for the sound­track of the Eddie Murphy movie Boomerang . Released as a single, “End of the Road” became Boyz II Men’s all-time biggest hit. For the song they won a 1992 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocal. In 1994, Boyz II Men’s released its second album, simply titled II. The album topped the Billboard chart for five weeks, won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, and sold over 12 million copies thanks to its two Number One Pop singles, “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee,” both certified platinum. A third single, “Water Runs Dry,” went to No. 2 Pop and was certified gold. In 2007 the group worked with American Idol judge and noted musician and producer Randy Jackson.  They worked on some hits like Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” and Smokey Robinson’s “The Tracks of My Tears.”  Don’t miss the new performance by the group on December 5^th at the Resorts Casino Hotel’s Superstar Theater. Tickets are $35 to $45 and can be bought at the box office.

If you have been around the world of online gambling you’ve most likely hears of iNetBet Casino. It’s a casino that has become one of the best online casinos to find new exciting games and generous promotions to both existing and new customers. Online slots are growing in popularity with online players and iNetBet Casino is well aware of how to develop games into premiere gaming experiences. The website just came out with two new slots games for players to enjoy: Shopping Spree II and Triple Twister. Both are great games to enjoy and any slots player will have tons of fun with these.

In addition, this month iNetBet Casino is releasing a more modern version of Texas Hold ‘Em for their poker playing customers. The difference with this version of the popular poker game is that they have added a bonus feature. Of course all you need to do is beat the dealer’s hand with your combination, but this time you also can wager on the “Bonus Bet” to compare your final hand to the ones posted on the bonus pay table. If you don’t win the game, you can still win the bonus wager. It’s a great way to maximize your payout and to have an additional way of winning even if you don’t win the initial game.

This month the Casino has also introduced a number of bonuses from 25% to 50% of the amount that a player deposits. This casino has been around since 1999 and it’s received a wide range of awards since that time. Although it’s only been around for 10 years, the casino is known for its premiere gaming and outstanding promotions. It is the first RTG-powered casino accredited by Casinomeister, highly touted in the industry. iNetBet, has also received the Best Casino Manager Award two years running. Currently there are millions of players who participate safely and securely with the casino’s high-tech online protection.

iNetBet continuously improves its’ customers’ experience with top-notch gaming and user-friendly interface. The graphics are noteworthy and crisp. You should have no problem finding a game, or ten, you really enjoy at this website. It’s one of the best in the world of online gambling. The payouts at iNetBet are processed quickly, within 24 hours maximum, and downloads are fast as well. They also offer a variety of deposit methods, which means the site makes gaming easy and as trouble-free as possible for all.

One of iNetBet’s exciting features is its progressive jackpot, with its Casino Slot. Players can win these by hitting the right pay line. There are also great random jackpots for players to find and when the random jackpots occur, you can get them any time with any bet size. Slot players, too, are in luck because there are lots of different slot options for you. You can choose from multi-reel or multiline slots, five real series slots, and three reel slots there a classic. Some of the slot games let you play over 50 lines with just one spin! Without a doubt iNetBet has proven itself as a hart-hitter in the world of online casino gaming and will continue to develop itself into one of the best. Check back with the casino frequently and test out their games. You won’t be disappointed with this website.

Check out PokerStars.com for some poker fun! These website programmers are some of the best. First of all if you do go to PokerStars.com, you’ll be struck by their 100% new poker first deposit bonus of up to $600 + $2,500 Cash Freerolls. Get on this one quickly though—it only lasts until the end of this year.  The bonus code is “FIRST500K.” The additional cash freeroll bonus means that now through December 13^th the website is holding cash freerolls eight times a day! Cash in any of those freerolls and you can win a ticket to also play their $25,000 cash freeroll on December 13^th when the promotion ends.

On top of being a great place to play and a great resource for poker, PokerNews.com also gives the best PokerStars bonus codes and marketing codes around.  You have to use them when you sign in and they open the door for tons of extras. “FIRST500K” is the bonus code for your first deposit and then “POKERNEWS.COM” gets you access to some exclusive promotions. These include free cash tournaments, special league play and other great cash and packages rewards, including the EPT and WSOP. These promotions easily top off a payout of over $20,000 monthly!

The promotions at PokerStars.com are also great ones. The website sponsors some of the best players around and you can easily watch your favorite player as they win themselves to the top of the best poker tables around. You’ll find Daniel Negreanu, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and Greg Raymer, to name a few. The great thing about this website is that any level of poker player can find tons of fun here. If you’re a professional, there are plenty of games to keep you interested. On the other hand, if you are a new player, there are tons of lower-level tournaments to get your feet wet and get some confidence with.

One of the best things about the PokerStars.com website is that it’s tested by two independent agencies to ensure its safety and random trustworthiness. This means that it is playing fairly with its visitors.  Here are the biggest advantages:

• Poker Stars Frequent Players Points. Here you earn points as you play. It’s a great added bonus to win extra benefits while you have fun.
• Hand History. You can check back on all the hands played. This is particularly helpful to newer players who want to reference back to a game a review it as a study guide.
• Tournament History. Same as the Hand History, you can review older tournaments and see how the game evolved.
• Stats. You can read all stats easily on a board with percentages of all payouts, wins, losses and other information you may find handy.
• Preferred seating. You can play at the same seat at each table, depending on your personal preference.

Overall PokerStars.com is a great website to enjoy all things poker-related. If you are a new player or an avid one, check this website out for some of the best gaming online today.

Many online gamblers believe that December 1^st will be an important day in the history of gaming. That is the day that the US has set for UIGEA compliance. The UIGEA, Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, is scheduled to come into play and ban online gambling of all types. Not that it actually does outlaw gambling per se…in fact, it targets banking institutions. The UIGEA makes financial institutions responsible for flagging and denying any transactions that are directly correlating to online wagering.

Part of the criticism of the law, however, is that it does not define exactly what the term “gambling” entails. Because of this missing information, many people are getting around the UIGEA ruling by noting their games are games of skill, rather than games of chance. For example, poker can be learned and taught. That makes it a game of skill.  Since it does not rely solely on luck to dictate its outcome, it makes the argument that the game does not truly fall under the heading of “gambling.” So is it then a game that can be controlled by the UIGEA at all?

But to answer the question of what will happen to online gambling on December 1^st, the answer is not known. It all depends primarily on how worried banks are about being penalized for infringing on the law by the federal government. If they are worried, they will take steps to stop any transactions that are affiliated with online gambling. It’s important to understand though that online poker in itself is not illegal. But it’s the gaming transaction that can get you in trouble. If a transaction is flagged any money relating to it could be held in a limbo of sorts for any amount of time. It’s most likely that you will never see any earnings and could face legal issues as a result.

In the end online poker rooms are working hard to make transactions work as smoothly as they can. Though banking institutions are not allowed to handle gambling and wagering transactions there are a number of eWallet solutions. These are places that “hold” your money as a third-party. They aren’t banks. They merely hold your money so that you can do what you want with it. It isn’t quite that simple, but it is a way to fund and withdraw your money if you do decide to gamble online.