By Casinomom | 5th March 2012 | Online Casino News
Many are saying the landscape of online casinos is looking to change throughout 2012. A number of countries have taken proactive steps to enable players to enjoy online casinos in a transparent, safe environment. To ensure this occurs, these countries are starting to develop new regulations and laws in how all operations for the poker website are to be carried out.
In the last year, several European nations brought up the fact that there needs to be more independent legislation in regards to online poker. However, there were different motives coming from different countries. A few European nations wanted to enable offshore poker website operators to provide games to players in the nation, while other nations were looking to restrict the playing of real money games to only residents living within the nation’s borders.
For instance, Kahnawake Gaming Commission, an online poker authority, recently changed some of their standards in an effort to further protect the players. This commission now provides the opportunity for players to go for self-exclusion. By doing this, individuals who have gambling problems are able to inform the commission about their requirements.
In other stories, some of the online poker websites have partnered with a number of financial service firms in an effort to establish a new system to guarantee that the funds of all players are protected. The financial service is in charge of monitoring if the poker websites have the sufficient funds necessary to repay players with real money accounts. According to many sources, more and more poker websites are going to be adopting this new system. A move like this clearly relays a message that many online poker websites are taking further steps to ensuring their dedication to protection their players all the time.
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By Casinomom | 19th December 2011 | Casino News
Phil Hellmuth, 47, an eleven-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, recently went back home to Madison, Wisconsin to host the second annual Hellmuth’s Hold’em – a charity event he does with Agrace HospiceCare.
Starting December 17, the proceeds from the tournament (as well as a silent auction as a raffle raffle), are going to the Agrace HospiceCare, a non-profit organization devoted to providing physical, spiritual, and emotional care to patients as well as their families dealing with life-shortening medical conditions throughout southern Wisconsin.
Two big prizes at the charity event this year include a 2012 World Series of Poker event seat and a Zimbrick Honda CR-V LX two year lease. Everyone is excited about signing up for this charity event.
There will be a lot of big name professional poker players also on hand on this event to provide a bit of extra support. These people include Annette Obrestad, Tony “D1rtyR1v3r” Nardi, Dewey Weum, and Eric “Basebaldy” Baldwin. Also at the event will be a number of local celebrities who will be moving from table to table and socializing with all the participants at the charity Texas Hold’em game.
Last year, a number of big name people came to participate in the game, including former New York Giants member Derek Engles, Casey FitzRandolph, an Olympic gold medalist in speedskating, Jerry Kelly, a professional golfer, as well as Mark Johnson, member of the 1980 Olympic ice hockey team.
240 people played last year and just about $140,000 was raised for the charity. Hellmuth is definitely looking to beat those numbers this year. So far, the organizers of the event are anticipating over 400 players for this year’s event.
The two day event is going to be located at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Town Center
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By Casinomom | 8th December 2011 | Casino Game Updates
The Remote Gambling Association and the European Gaming and Betting Association have recently filed a formal complaint with the European Commission. This was done in regards to a recent online gaming law created in Greece. The complaints address a variety of non-European Union complaint issues, especially in regards to brand new market entries. Both organizations have pushed the request that the European Commission quickly and efficiently handle this matter.
The European Commission, as the ‘guardian’ of free trade and treaties within the European Union, has jurisdiction over trade concerns between the different member countries. While Greece is opting to open the online gambling market, they are being extremely protectionist by not allowing outside online gambling companies into their borders.
This has not gone without criticism from the European Commission, but other than that, not much has been done to solve this dispute. When Greece decided to open up their market to online gambling, they entered in a draft that discussed a law that would place unjustified restrictions, making the industry very anti-competitive. This is extremely unfair as it places a huge burden on brand new operators. Licenses would need to be made permanent with physical buildings in the country and operators could only use banking establishments within the country. Many are arguing real evidence that supports Greece’s imposed restrictions does not exist.
Greece also created a tax regime that brings up numerous concerns for the Remote Gambling Association and the European Gaming and Betting Association. The Greek Organization of Football Prognostics, a public company that exclusively manages and operates all sports betting and numerical lottery in Greece, have been given their licensing rights already, providing them with an opportunity to continue monopolizing the entire gaming industry in the country, or at least until 2030. Furthermore, the Greek Organization of Football Prognostics does not pay any taxes and any new online gaming licenses will have to pay up 30 percent.
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By Casinomom | 27th October 2011 | Casino Game Updates
With the end of October upon us, it can only mean one thing, Halloween, the night of ghosts and ghouls, is quickly approaching. And if you are going to be frightened, it might as well be by a good looking witch offering you the opportunity to win money. Well, this is the point of view of Playtech, who have recently released a new online slots game “Halloween Fortune,” now available at Casino.com.
Halloween Fortune is a five-reel, 20-payline online slots game that features a number of popular-culture Halloween symbols, including black cats, witches, pumpkins, potions, skulls, a crow, and even a cauldron with bubbling green brew inside. Some of these symbols lend themselves to the wild symbol, the scatter symbol, and the bonus symbol.
The wild symbol for this game is the pumpkin. It can be substituted for any symbol on an active payline, aside from the bonus and scatter symbols, in order to make a winning combination. If a player gets two or more of the wild symbol on one active payline, the wild symbol is paid out rather than the regular symbol win.
The scatter symbol is the Halloween Fortune logo. If a minimum of three scatter symbols show up anywhere on the slots’ reels, there is a payout given to the player.
One of the best features of this game is the bonus round. If the bonus symbol, the cauldron, pops up anywhere on the five reels, the Witches’ Brew Bonus is triggered. At the start, players choose between three good looking witches to win a certain number of free games (3, 4, 5, 7, 10, or 20). Then, the player is given the choice of six potions and must pick one to win a multiplier for the free games (2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10).
So if you find yourself looking to pass time between handing out candy, or maybe the evil spirits bring a bit of luck, mark Halloween this year with this all new Halloween-themed online slots game filled with great, colorful graphics, fun sounds, and spooky characters!
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By Casinomom | 26th October 2011 | Casino News
India offers visitors a lot to see, including timeless traditions, beautiful scenery, and amazing culture. Now India provides the opportunity for visitors to try their hand gambling at some of the magnificent world-class casinos in the area. Here is a description of some of the top casinos!
The Holiday Inn Goa Resort is located along 25 acres of beautiful beach front property and offers 170 rooms. The casino is called the Hacienda De Oro, which means “House of Gold.” It has a fun, eclectic Mexican-inspired ambiance and provides 150 different slot machines as well as a number of table games, including roulette and blackjack.
The Goldfinger Casino is located by the Cidade de Goa, a beachside resort that was designed after Portuguese hill hamlets. This casino is open for play 24 hours a day and offers visitors a real high-class gaming facility with more than 35 different slot machines, blackjack and roulette tables, as well as horse racing gambling options.
Right by the Ramada Caravela Beach Resort are two great casinos for high rollers. There is the MS Caravela, which is a deluxe casino cruise ship. Docking right off the coast of Panjim, this is the first high-limit gaming casino in India. It accommodates approximately 300 people along the 215 foot long ship. The ship is open every day and has a number of table games and slot machines. The other casino is the Goa Nugget. Known for its style and luxury, there are a number of gaming rooms with poker, roulette and blackjack tables open.
One last hotel and adjacent casino is the Majorda Beach Resort. Located along the white sandy beaches of India, it offers opulence to all who stay. Treasures Casino is located within the resort and allows visitors to gamble with a bit of flair. It offers a number of table games including different poker games, blackjack and baccarat, and it houses around 15 slot machines.
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By Casinomom | 3rd October 2011 | Online Casino News
The city of Milan, Italy is no longer only famous for their fashion, but also as the destination for 2011’s iGaming Congress and Expo. The event is moving from their previous location, Copenhagen, Denmark, for a much warmer climate. This will be the tenth annual iGaming Congress and Expo event and is one of the most well known and popular events for the international online gaming community. This year, the iGaming Congress and Expo will take place between the 20 and 22 of September at the Milan Convention Center.
With this change in venue, it can be assumed that the international gaming community is now placing more importance on Italy as an emerging center for online casino gaming. As such, over the next few months, it will be quite interesting to watch and see the influence Italy will be able to exert throughout all European markets in terms of the online casino industry. The iGaming Congress and Expo looks to bring together decision makers, the media, online casino operators and other entrants involved in the growth of the online casino industry.
Some of the topics that will be addressed at the iGaming Congress and Expo include European e-gaming laws, using social media as a viable marketing tool in which to increase product offerings, the combination of online gambling with sports and the media, how to create maximum appeal for online gaming, how to combat e-gaming cybercrime and data leakage, information on how brands can maintain their edge in the market, and information about how Italy is becoming a heavyweight regulator in the European online casino gaming industry.
The iGaming Congress and Expo is one of the must-go to events of the year for operators and affiliates. While it does not prove interest to the average online casino gambler, much of the information discussed will somehow affect all online casino gamblers.
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By Casinomom | 16th August 2011 | Online Casino News
With the success of online marketing, many online casinos are taking it to the next level and looking into a Groupon-like website where men and women can get coupon vouchers to use to gamble at different online casino websites. GambleGang.com is the first foray for the electric online gaming industry. Launched by Starlight Networks LLC it is the first online group buying service that is solely dedicated to the online gaming industry.
This website follows the guidelines of other coupon-based websites. It is being hailed as a novel ideal for all gambling enthusiasts. The founder of GambleGang.com stated that the online group discount networks proved that this model really does work. GambleGang.com is elated to finally be bringing this concept to online casinos and offering online gamblers amazing discounts and deals so they can save an extra few dollars.
Like Groupon, the deal is dependent upon a specific number of people participating in the deal to make it a viable option. It is very simple to sign up on the website and enables online gamblers to take direct advantage of all the coupon deals available. For instance, Red Flush Casino is providing a coupon for a special group signup bonus. Any player who receives this coupon through GambleGang.com will receive a 200 percent matched deposit bonus in conjunction with their initial deposit. This doubles the normal initial deposit bonus of 100 percent.
Now, the internet is able to supply avid online gamblers with a number of deals. The only thing to remember is that the overall purchasing power of a group is needed for the coupons to become viable. Currently, GambleGang.com is working alongside a number of betting operators, including online casino websites, online poker websites, and online betting websites to not only offer better deals to their customers, but also increase the online advertising of these websites as well.
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By Casinomom | 18th July 2011 | Casino Game Updates
These days it is hard to find someone walking around that does not have a smart phone with them that they are constantly using, not just for phone calls but also for mobile applications, or mobile apps. As the online casino sector has noted, mobile gambling is starting to become huge in the industry as smart phones and tablets become more accessible to the public and more popular. The call for for mobile based entertainment is continuing to grow and online casinos are meeting with website development companies to create mobile online gambling apps or creating a mobile based online gambling websites.
According to Rank Group, Europe’s leading gaming and leisure business, the year 2011 has seen a significant increase in the growth of the mobile gambling sector. Rank Group noted that in the first six months of 2011, more than 70,000 mobile customers downloaded Rank Group’s mobile betting application to their smart phone or tablet. Throughout the remainder of the year, the company is highly anticipating the continued growth of mobile users interested in gambling via their smart phone.
In 2011 alone, mobile gambling revenues increased by more than 25 percent. Currently, there are approximately 300,000 present members of the online gaming communities provided by Rank Group. Rank Group continues to expect a number of online players will make the change to mobile gambling soon.
Aside from Rank Group, a number of other online casino development companies are looking into the increased benefit of creating mobile platforms for their casino games. Currently both iPhone and Android smart phone devices have a few titles available. However, those in both the mobile website and mobile application development industry and the online casino gambling industry say that this will change as the need for entertainment via mobile phones and tablets continue to rise.
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By Casinomom | 3rd July 2011 | Casino News
After six months of renovations, the Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas is going to reopen. The operators of the casino are putting in the effort to ensure the casino has a valued edge over its competition. Renovations include a new sitting area, new slot machines, new carpeting, and new ceilings.
The total cost of renovation the Plaza Hotel and Casino is around $35 million and began in November of last year and will finally reopen to the public sometime in August. Tony Stano, the CEO and President of Play LV, the operators of the casino said that even though they are introducing more modern renovations to the hotel and casino, a lot of the classic charm that has existed since the Plaza opened its doors more than four decades ago will still be around, including the historic, original chandeliers.
Santos stated that the remodeling project comes at a positive turning point for the downtown area of Las Vegas. With new entertainment venues and businesses opening up, he believes that they are in a much better position to take complete advantage of the post-recession mindset that is much more value oriented. Santo is excited to start livening up downtown Las Vegas once more.
In just a few short weeks the Plaza Hotel and Casino will announce the various restaurants coming into the place, along with a nightclub and a show. The new Plaza will also have 800 jobs available, including management and entry-level positions. This is more than double the total amount of employees prior to renovations. Those employees who were let go prior to the remodeling job will have their job to return to when the doors reopen. To get employees, the Plaza is going to host a job fair for two weeks. Possible applicants are requested to go to the Plaza’s website and click on the “careers” tab to submit their application as well as schedule an interview.
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By Casinomom | 11th April 2011 | Casino News
All monies that were gambled through the popular television show X Factor has been voided by the U.K regulators. After a recent investigation, the UK gambling commission found three TV employees were taking advantage of information disseminated only to them on the telephone voting patterns. They abused this knowledge to place bets on the popular TV show The X Factor. The three workers who work for Virgin Media had access to company data such as the number of votes per contestant which were made by customers. Using this information they would place bets up to more than £16,000 pounds on who they knew for nearly a fact who will be leaving the show.
Nick Tofiluk, regulation director of the UK Gambling Commission has stated that this has been the first time he has had to use his power to cancel these bets under the 2005 Gambling act. In addition he said that there has been “no evidence that the integrity of the public voting or the TV shows involved were compromised”.
Tofiluk assures that all measures have been made in order that none of the people involved profit from the wagers which were placed in an unfair manner. The Gambling Commission has contacted Virgin Media and is making sure they take precautions measures to avoid such an incident happening again.
None of this investigation could have taken place if it wasn’t thanks to the alertness of Betfair, who notified The Commission last October and November after noticing suspicious actions made by the three Virgin Media workers.
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