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Posts Tagged ‘UK’

UK Trying to Legalize Sports Betting

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

The question of whether or not to legalize sports betting is on the minds of legislators everywhere. Now it is India that is seeing the debates come to life. In fact, British Minister of Sports Hugh Robertson is committing to start advertising at the Commonwealth Games being held in New Delhi. He is requesting also that the issue be put on the agenda for an upcoming Commonwealth sports meeting that is also going to be held during the games. According to speculation so far the board of ministers agreed one-hundred percent that the country should begin allowing national sports federations into the country. Part of the holdup has been former problems with gambling and sports betting. Recently a cricket scandal was the most telling sign of how rules need to be changed in the market. The cricket scandal resulted in the suspension of three members of the team from Pakistan. This and scandals of the similar nature are what are pushing most legislators to want to legalize sports wagering. They believe that if there are positive regulations to follow, people will be more willing to work within those confines, rather than making up their own.
If Minister Robertson is allowed to start advertising sports betting and its legalization at the games, then this is going to be a huge promotional event for the country. Scheduled to be represented at the games are a huge number of countries—seventy-one to be exact. They are competing in over 250 events and the games are going to last long enough to give anyone a huge promotional opportunity. The Minister does not want to pass up the chance to start pushing for legalization, and also understands the benefits of bringing sports betting into the state. It could mean millions of tax revenue dollars for countries involved and that would be a surefire way to turn around depressed markets. There are few other options that currently offer the same dollar amount to legislators anywhere. If countries are swayed, this could be the perfect backdrop for sports betting and then full gambling to be brought to the communities involved. It may take some time, but gamblers are going to push the market to legalization and counties want to be ready to take advantage of it when it happens

UK Sets Standard for Online Gambling

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

The world of online gambling is growing quickly but not in the US. The states are not leading the market at all and it seems that the UK is setting the standard to which other online gambling industries are being weighed. If you want to see how a good online gambling model is created, all you need to do is study the UK gambling market. New studies are showing that it is so good that it is taking over in online activity in the UK with residents. In fact, it is even more popular than Facebook. A new study done by Nielsen Group showed that 3.2 million people were added to the already bloated online gambling industry this past year. That means it saw a 40% increase in activity since last year. Experts aren’t exactly floored by the growth though. They knew full well that the UK was hot on the heels of creating an online gambling initiative that would work well with the residents. It is great news for the country because of the huge revenue dollars it brings to them. Plus it also is steadily creating new jobs for people in the areas where casinos are being developed online. They need programmers and other office workers to support the huge growth of that market.

Other research done by Nielsen revealed that online poker and bingo are the main draws to the world of gambling. Women make up about 46% of gambling, which leaves about a 50/50 split between men and women who are logging in online to wager. No one was shocked at the study, but it does dictate where gaming companies are going to push in the future. They are going to continue to focus on the huge growth of poker online gambling in the market. And they also are going to keep on developing bingo. More and more companies are jumping on the bingo band wagon—they now know how lucrative the game can be. Expect the UK market to continue to grow and other markets to quickly follow. They are going to want to compete now that they know how much money is involved and that an adequate regulation can be achieved.

Playtech Ready to Make Its Move

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

In today’s market there are a lot of changes. Just think about the US for example…four years ago online gambling was banned via the UIGEA, or Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. That changed the face of gaming in the states and a lot of companies had to pull out. The US is a huge market though and that left a big hole in their revenue. Now, in 2010 legislators are looking to considerably change that law due to the huge tax revenue potential gambling has. It could be a matter of months before online gambling is legalized and most of the moves yet to be made are focusing on regulating it, and not banning it for very much longer.

Prior to the UIGEA of 2006 Playtech was a big player in the world of US gambling. It was one of the top companies and benefited greatly by the huge market and the US players who were looking for great gaming. The company had already created a great roster of games and was providing outstanding services to the US market. This is why it was such a big player and garnered so many customers. When the UIGEA became a reality, the company was pushed out of the market and was forced to leave the country until legislation changed. That time is well at hand and it seems that gambling online should be legalized in coming months. For this reason Playtech has already made moves to solidify its own name back into the US economy. The company did not spend their hiatus from US gambling unwisely. It was shoring up offerings for other countries and honing its own gaming. That means it is in the perfect position to reenter the US market with strength and a great group of games for people to enjoy. In particular Playtech was making a name for itself in the UK and that taught the company well how to bring the best games to the market. It is an exciting time for the US and gamers now that Playtech, among other gaming companies, most likely is going to be reentering the market shortly.

EU and UK Growth in Gambling

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

If you want to see tremendous online growth then look to the UK and the European gaming markets. Both locations are building huge casino operations and making extensive changes. They know how much money is at stake in the world of online gambling and they want in. The UK in particular has a roster of very competitive online companies who want to take hold of the gambling community. They are working hard to advertise and bring customers to their virtual doors. It isn’t just slots or poker that are taking hold—among the biggest hitters are the betting brands. They are seeing a lot of success in the world of gaming in the UK and Europe. In particular the World Cup recently brought in a record number of bets and people who wanted to wager on their favorites for the competition. Also, surprisingly bingo websites have made a big splash in the initial market as of late.

When it comes to making a good online casino, diversity deems to be key and operators are focusing on that. They know that to bring people in bonuses and specials are needed, but to keep them wagering takes a variety of games. They are focusing on offering a wider selection than ever for any gamer. In Europe, the EU is trying to regulate gaming and that is posing to be a problem due to the various laws already in place in various member states. A lot of them are also trying to thinly veil a monopoly of their gambling market. They want to protect it and keep money for their own governments. This is proving to be difficult though with the free trade laws, and having to answer to the EU for rules that are contradictory to it. Still, the UK and Europe are pushing ahead in their moves to bring in legalized online gambling. The money is proving to be too hard to pass up and legislators are confident that with some time and deliberations they can come up with workable regulations to bring legalized gambling into the areas with as few incidents as possible.

Betfair Moving in on UK Market

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

The UK is seeing its own hefty push towards online gambling these days. The fight is not unique though. All over the world there are heavy debates on the issue. Most legislators are swaying towards legalizing gambling because of the huge revenue potential attached if the issue is sorted out the right way. Now the UK is joining in on the fun. Betfair.com is an online gaming group looking to bring gambling into the UK and leaders are excited that the UK is known to have more lax rules regarding the pastime. Betfair.com and its officials just announced that they have a new advertising campaign that is set to start within the country soon. It is one of the most aggressive and complete advertising campaigns that online betting has seen and that is what is making news. Though other gambling companies have made the rounds within the country, they haven’t gone to the lengths that Betfair.com is planning.

Starting this coming week the advertising campaign will begin and run throughout the UK. It is scheduled to include television, radio, billboard and print programs. The major push will be to bring gambling into the country but also to spur new gamers to venture into the world of online gambling. There are millions of UK-based customers who go to land-based casinos, but the market of online gambling is still taking hold. Part of the power of this campaign is building on the expertise of Betfair.com. This of course is a website that has become premiere in the world of online gambling. It is known for creating great games that have good payouts. Plus, the amount of bets that it takes are consistently expanding and almost any event in the market is going to be translated into a betting game. You can log in and wager on hundreds of different scenarios in the world today. Expect to see the company come out with various other methods of advertising as the year progresses. They have already hinted towards using social media as a means of spreading the word of online gambling and how it is growing in the UK.

UK Working on Gambling Law for Protection

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

The UK is working on gambling law now and looking to bring a new line of gaming to the country. Though there are some who are in support of the move, there is still a big portion of the country that believes it is not the right move to legalize online gambling. They believe the biggest problem is a potential growth in addictions with not enough resources for addicts to find help for their problems. The schedule for introducing online casinos is a hefty one due to the amount of money available via tax revenue dollars. The country knows how lucrative gaming is and wants to move in on it quickly to help the financial state and the deficit. If it truly is to turn around after the recession, the UK has to come up with some ways to bring in the millions of dollars needed for full post-recession recovery. Gambling is one of the most viable options and one of the few options that could potentially provide the amount of funds needed to truly save the market.

Because of this, legislators are trying their best to legalize gambling, but they are listening to the opponent’s views. They know that statistically it is true that if they allow online gambling companies to start marketing to their customers, they inevitably are going to have a rise in addictions and problems. For this reason they are writing new rules to manage the issue from the start. One change is that gaming websites have to include a page for resources for troubled gamers. It has to point to local services and online resources where they can get help if they sense a problem with their own gaming, or the gaming of a loved one. Websites also have to post a customer’s total wagers on the screen so players can watch their progress. They need to know immediately just how much they have wagered and how much they have left in their bankroll. This is supposed to help potential problems be discouraged because gamers will know when to stop. There are more drastic changes coming too. Some include the formation of a self-exclusion list much like the one California has created. This is a list customers can opt into and casinos are forbidden from allowing them to log in or game. There are many other changes that are proposed for gaming companies to emply in an effort to protect gamers.

Play Now Casino Reopens after Problems

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Online casinos sometimes have problems. The casino world is huge and has been around for years. That means that it has worked out a lot of kinks. Now there is more of a growth period coming because of the popularity of online gambling. That means that online casino operators have to brace themselves for even more problems to work out. One was the recent problems of PlayNow.com. The website is run by the B.C. Lottery Corp and the company is now trying to solve problems. Back when the casino was first launched it initially was thought to be a blueprint company for how to manage a gambling website in British Columbia. Unfortunately there was a security problem with the software that caused the website to be immediately shut down just a few hours past its introduction to the market. That caused a big problem because of all the hopes that were set on the casino and its performance. It was hoped to be the first of many other casino gambling companies in the country and was set to show other gaming companies how to manage. In addition, legislators were taking notes to know what to do with future companies as they entered the market.

Once the company was shut down, the immediate problem was addressed. Players signed up but were turned away when they wanted to log back in and were met with a sign on the home page telling then the casino was halted. No further information was provided. It took a few weeks for the specific problem with software to be located and fixed. The software used was used by other casinos successfully, so it was difficult to diagnose. Once it was, the casino reopened. The casino announced that during its 34-day hiatus to fix the problem, it lost approximately $150,000 a day. That is a huge amount for the company to miss out on—especially at the beginning of their lifeline online. Fortunately now the company has fixed the security breech and you can log in if you are in the UK and play games. There are special features here like you can see how long you have been playing and the total amount of money you have bet at the casino on all the games.

The Rank Gambling Group is Having Problems

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

In the UK Rank Gambling Group is a large company. It has grown exponentially throughout the market and taken a huge share of the lucrative industry. There are a few companies in every gambling market in the world that are taking over as leaders. They are the companies that either have the best games and software or the best bonuses and promotions. Customers are selective and that means that they know full well what to look for when seeking out a new gambling entity. Though the world of gambling is growing, that doesn’t mean that every company involved is finding sure-fire success. Rank Gambling Group is huge, but the numbers aren’t showing as positively as once projected.

The Rank Gambling Group’s income reports for Q1 and Q2 combined are showing that profit is considerably down. In fact, it is down by 23% since the same time last year. Investors are raising their eyebrows wondering if the market and the global recession had as detrimental an effect on gambling as it did on the revenues of other industries. It was common in the post-recession economy to see businesses suffering and having problems with finances. Almost every interest had problems and now have to manage huge deficits. It seemed at first the gambling was going to be a slam dunk in terms of bringing in millions of dollars and millions of new customers. That isn’t what happened. Now that things in the industry are leveling off and the market is first recovering now, companies that were supposed to be successful are showing failures.

The numbers of Rank Gambling Group’s financial statements are showing some issues. Revenues aren’t that good—they are down considerably and now is not a good time to show weaknesses. The world of gambling is highly competitive and that means that most companies are just finding their financial footings in the market. The recession was hard on all businesses and first now most are figuring out how to manage their deficits and come away with a steady revenue. Though Rank Gambling Group suffered a setback, most executives within the company believe that it is just a matter of time before things turn around and the company regains its position as one of the top UK companies.

Simon B of the UK Wins Big on Slots

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

The biggest news in the world of casino gambling online is when a big payout is won. Let’s face it—who wouldn’t want to log into an online casino and walk away a winner of a life-changing amount of money. The latest winner was a player named “Simon B.” of the UK. Simon B lives in Staffordshire and logged in to play on Pharaoh’s Treasure. Anyone who has ever played the game, knows how much fun it can be. It has an Egyptian-theme and that makes for a lot of visual appeal for anyone who is a fan of that era. If you love King Tut, the pyramids, mummies and hieroglyphics then this may be the perfect game for you.

Simon B of the UK knows full well how much fun this game can be and he knows how the payout can come easily and quickly with this slots game. He was playing at the William Hill casino and hit the jackpot. As soon as he hit the winning combination, the player got to the “King Tut bonus round” within the game. He tested his own luck and instead of pulling out for a conservative gaming session, he decided to push his game further. It wasn’t until the player got to the Tutankhamen masks that he reached his full potential. He managed to walk away with a good amount in pounds. The great thing about the game was that he was able to start playing with just one pound at the beginning of his session.

The greatest thing about slot games is that if you get lucky, they can pay out big for a small investment. It may take some time to work your way up, but if you start getting the right combinations, wins can come quickly. The vast amount of wager requirements of games is what make slots so popular. For a small amount of money not only can you play a great game and enjoy the bonuses involved, you also won’t have to invest a lot of money into a win. If you manage to get lucky, you may be able to walk away with a considerable amount of money like Simon B.

The EU Fights for Regulation of Online Gambling

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

The European Union is fighting for the cause of online gambling. There are still a handful of small countries that are not regulating online gambling. The problem is that this opens the door to fraud and other illegal activities for companies to be bringing to the market. It threatens the safety of players worldwide too. Many players who aren’t as savvy may be wooed by companies offering outstanding deals and specials. Once they are drawn in and deposit their money, any number of them lose money or even worse, their identities. Without regulation, online gambling is a sure fire way of putting people in dangerous situations.

The EU, or European Union, is trying to coerce every member state into adopting the same rules it has come up with in terms of regulation when it comes to gambling. A recent report showed that over the next two years, there should be an overwhelming growth of 42% in the world of online gambling. That adds up to about $30 billion in additional revenue for the world to divvy up. With an already depressed financial state, few countries can pass up the millions of dollars in additional revenue they can bring in by regulating online gambling and land-based gambling properly. Accounting group KPMG advises countries on finances throughout the world and they recently release statements requesting that countries regulate the gambling market. It is their desire to make regulation of gambling—both online and at land-based locations—a priority in the world today.

KPMG realizes the value of increased taxation on gambling and how that is the key to bringing more money into the world economy. Many online casinos have been putting time into avoiding taxation increases. Unfortunately, as rules are shored up this may become increasingly impossible. For example, for a casino company to set up in the UK, it has to have the proper licensing. That license, of course, comes along with a licensing fee that needs to be renewed periodically. This is another way, in addition to taxation, countries benefit from regulation and increased gambling. Hopefully, other countries will take cues from the UK and begin with the same regulation process. It promises to bring in much-needed cash and protect citizens who want to partake in the hobby.