On Day One, InfoPowa's Brian Cullingworth visits the big names in Interactive Gaming

In the Interactive Gaming section of the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) in London, 186 exhibitors from 33 countries underline the truly global nature of Internet gaming. International companies outnumber British companies by two to one this year, with 32 new exhibitors from 18 countries on show.

The path to the interactive gaming section lies through the heart of the land casino industry's showcase for the latest products and games - a colourful feast of new games and technology with stunning graphics.

Not just casino games, either - Sega and other big players on the world entertainment stage are there with large high definition flat TV screens to capture every ear-blasting sound and gory action in a range of driving violence and shoot 'em ups of various types. It seemed that hundreds of *shooters* were all blasting away with sub-machine guns, knocking down everything from soldiers to risen from the dead, staggering zombies!

Not far away teams of perspiring but fit youngsters were demonstrating new footpad games in a choreographed but strangely robotic demonstration of human and machine coordination - the idea being to *dance* steps screened on a TV panel in intricate patterns, with the winners being those with least mis-steps. It is amazing how fast those kids can move!

But we were not there for the scantily clad hostesses, the land casino stuff or the general entertainment, so we headed for ICEi and the best that the online gaming industry has to offer for 2006.

One disappointing absence struck us immediately - the veteran turnkey provider Cryptologic, normally an impressive presenter, although the company is a joint sponsor for a major industry function later this week.

Nevertheless, this absence is especially noticeable among the other top names, so we started with Sweden's Net Entertainment on a big, cleanly designed exhibition stand with attentive staff.

Sebastian Johansson showed off some of the impressive no-download games that Net Entertainment has recently launched including Casino Hold Em, an auto play slot called Gold Rush, 5 hand Multiplayer Blackjack and 10 hand Jacks or Better VP.

The company is working on a new Bingo product together with a Pirate themed slot with 2 bonus rounds, with a launch expected before the end of February. Mobile gaming is still on the agenda with a three game offering, but player take-up has been disappointing (a view we heard heard expressed on several occasions) despite the intense publicity this gaming genre has enjoyed recently.

Boss Media manager Magnus Falk was next on our list, and pretty pleased with the rapid growth in his company's online poker offering. Last November Omaha and Omaha Hi Lo were introduced to the six language, multi currency poker network operated by this veteran online company from Sweden, which is now reporting 30 000 global poker players per 24 hours, with up to 7 000 online simultaneously over peak periods.

The development of a special poker product for the giant Svenska Spel deal is on track, a new bingo product is going well and operator interest in the Boss poker package is high. Despite rumour to the contrary, Boss remains committed to the online casino sector and in the coming months plans new games and improved gaming features such as bonus rounds and free spins.

Back end functionality is to be improved, especially in regard to player communication and promotions handling.

"Online casino gambling software is still very much a core business with us, and over the next year we expect to launch up to 20 new games," Falk told us.

The company continues to develop mobile gaming in partnership with a UK company, and has 3 licensees in this area, one of which is William Hill. The Boss suite for this application is 10 games, but the market has not matured and growth has been slower than hoped for.

Ongame's Henning Olsen told us that the company's acquisition by Bet and Win has had little impact on a strong production program. A new version of the company's outstanding poker software is planned for the near future. The 14 site network continues to grow rapidly and now claims 7 million players, 20 000 of whom play simultaneously in certain timeframes.

Ongame has 2 games available for mobile gambling, but again has found take-up to be less than exciting. On the casino front, players can look forward to a series of new games in a program of continuous improvement. "We're always planning new and exciting ways to play," said Olsen.

Over at Chartwell Technology, Director of Sales Mike Marandino was demonstrating the new 32 Card Poker, and said that players can expect some good new products by April - probably no-download poker and a network-style Bingo game to meet increased demand for this genre. A new *soft game* branded Spoof is planned, together with a highly entertaining 20 line slot.

The takeover of the MicroPower poker software company last year has gone smoothly, with good products flowing and the launch of a network branded Poker Nexus which is growing steadily. Look out for multiple games-on-screen which many poker players have demanded.

Chartwell Technology has come in from some flak from the player community recently regarding its *hands off* approach to player-licensee disputes, and this is being addressed by the company through its major sixteen site "middle man" group Elite Club Management, currently operating a wide range of services from Curacao but about to move to a new complex in Singapore.

Elite Club is now tasked with dealing with player complaints at its 16 licensees, and Marandino anticipates that through Elite's immediate involvement and close communication with Chartwell disputes will be dealt with fast and fairly.

"No player will be disadvantaged in the unlikely event of any licensee going under," he said.

Chartwell's new game releases output is to be stepped up to as high as 24 games a year in both download and no-download format, and the company is happy with its penetration into the important European market segment.

Using the International Casino Exhibition to good effect, Orbis-Openbet launched a new turnkey online casino product featuring a number of innovative features, the results of a recent merger with NT Media.

NT Media's founder and now creative director at Orbis, Nik Robinson said that 18 months work lay behind the new product, which offers 27 no-download games of impressive quality.

Robinson said that he planned to augment the casino product with two additional and unique games every month going forward, and that a no-download poker product suitable for multiplayer network play was envisaged this year.

"The big advantage of this product is its flexibility. Openbet Casino can be integrated into any sportsbook, mobile or poker site, including its single account and multiplayer - multilingual capability," he said. "We expect great things from it and from the online poker product we are developing."

Openbet Casino comes in English, Middle Eastern and Chinese language variations at present, and has a fully comprehensive back-end functionality. The games include all the casino faves, together with progressives and player on dealer poker variations.

Orbis’ pioneering OpenBet software platform has been chosen by several big names in interactive gaming, including Ladbrokes, Sky Bet, Blue Square, Victor Chandler, Macau-SLOT, Samvo Entertainment and Paddy Power.

Canadian Bingo specialist Parlay Entertainment is planning 2 to 3 new games a quarter for its bingo and casino clients, said Peter Trinz, commenting that the bingo player base was growing quickly in key markets. Parlay currently powers some 35 sites and new offerings will include slots.

The company is pleased with the recent partnership with Microsoft that launched UK bingo facilities for MSN Bingo using the Bingos.co.uk platform.

With 80 download and 40 plus no-download games in the inventory, Playtech is very active in development, sales director Iris Toledano told us. The new mobile suite of 5 games will be ready before midyear, and the company will be launching at least 1 new game a month in download and then no-download format.

The 25 game New Generation suite with autoplay has been very well received and is generating solid operator interest. On the poker front, major infrastructural improvements to the iPoker network architecture took place a few months back, giving the network a capacity of up to 50 000 players simultaneously.

Playtech is responding to Asian player demand with live dealer games streamed from studio facilities in Manila.

Answering questions regarding the inauspicious start of the Playtech player disputes channel, Toledano said that increased focus had been given to this facility and that licensees were now required to respond to her mediation queries within 48 hours. "My objective is to be in a position to resolve player enquiries within 72 hours, or at the very least give the player an update in that timeframe if further enquiry is necessary." she said, claiming that complaints had decreased.

Steve Moseley, client services manager for the Atlanta-based Real Time Gaming turnkey provider has had a busy year with little respite ahead. "I seem to be almost living aboard aircraft flying all over the world," he told us. With some major new clients like Leisure and Gaming's VIP group coming on board it's not hard to understand why. 30 clients and 80 sites are keeping RTG busy, and the company is hiring new game developers to keep pace with demand for more games to be added to the inventory of over 100.

Look out for 6 new slots (including some big Aussie style formats) a stunning Caribbean Hold Em poker game, Bonus Bingo and more (up to 10 games) by April and a slew of new Flash offerings.

Patents have been applied for on a concept to offer casino games to poker players, and 2 mobile sites are running in partnership with Phantom Fiber although this sector has yet to meet expectations.

The large and well presented Microgaming stand was InfoPowa's final stop on Day One, where Marketing Managers John Wheatley and John Docherty gave a summary of new developments.

The company will continue to release four (or more) new games every month as this has been well received by the player community (and seemingly followed by other providers!)

A new product tentatively branded Casino In Poker is nearing completion in answer to demand from energetic poker players who apparently like to have selected casino game choices accessible from their screens.

Prima continues to power ahead as a major global poker network and has some ambitious tournament and promotional plans in the year ahead following the amicable conclusion of the 2 year Hendon Mob partnership. Monte Carlo Millions will continue.

The full ICE roster boasts 311 exhibitors from 30 countries, and with 157 exhibitors drawn from outside the UK this is the first time that international representation has surpassed that of domestic exhibitors. A record 69 companies are making their first appearance.

InfoPowa will be talking to more exhibitors on Day Two.

It may be chilly out, but casino exhibition is hot stuff

According to the news channels, temperatures in London reached nine year lows this week, but that didn't stop the crowds arriving in droves, packing this huge Earls Court exhibition facility and creating a real buzz.

Two European licensing jurisdictions are prominent in the Interactive section of the display with well presented and well manned sites: Isle of Man and Malta.

Mario Galeo, the head of Malta's Lottery and Gaming Authority (LGA) which licenses 104 gaming operations from its Mediterranean base has been active in networking with many of the international visitors at the show. A friendly and gregarious man, he says the LGA is determined to maintain high standards of player protection.

The LGA recently took up a player complaint involving one of its licensees and conducted an investigation which ceased when the complainant withdrew the allegations after reaching a private settlement with the gaming company involved.

Throughout the incident, and in sharp contrast to many lesser jurisdictions the Maltese proved to be responsive, augering well for the future.

The Avantia and Bell Med services and hosting companies from the island were also active.

Isle of Man representatives were pretty busy too, selling their attractive tax and services advantages to encourage more gaming companies to license on the island. With its more practical regulations, which have lifted the ban on US gamblers at its licensees, there was clearly a lot of interest in their well presented exhibition stand.

New kid on the online casino block is Cantor Gaming, scion of the major New York brokerage Fitzgerald Cantor (although not operating from that country for obvious reasons!)

Cantor became active in September last year, offering white label turnkey casinos to the market powered by the Australian GET software. The download games suite is on large flatscreen display showcasing some very attractive graphics and smooth play on the 18 download games currently available, which cover most of the casino faves.

Cantor casinos will have to meet the Alderney licensing requirements.

Payments Manager Marcus Ford who is based in London told us that there was a high level of interest, although to date there had been no sign-ups. Cantor is working on a mobile offering that it expects to release in the near future, and the company is assessing various poker and network providers with whom it could partner.

TAIN is a name we're likely to be hearing more about in the months ahead. The Swedish company did a Bodog-style deal with poker software developer MicroPower before it was acquired by Chartwell Technology, and has used this source code to introduce its own unique modifications and improvements. There are 6 gamestyles.

The Australian head of betting, "AJ" Thompson told us that by attracting big international companies like Parbet, Expekt, IndoBet, CBN and InniGame among others TAIN has managed to build up a creditable critical mass in only three months of operations. The global player roster now includes over 300 000 individuals, and numbers simultaneously on-network swing between 3 900 and 9 000. TAIN has a Malta based Support which it is growing, and 12 major licensees.

It's always nice to see an old veteran coming back strong after a rocky patch, and World Gaming is certainly producing solid results lately under its dynamic CEO Daniel Moran.

Having acquired one of its major licensees, Sportbetting recently, there are now 13 companies using the WG proprietary platform which offers sportsbook (the core of their business) racebetting (a strong performer) and 19 download / no-download casino games. WG offers poker in a partnership deal with Boss Media and its network. With 3 million accounts and income last year likely to exceed 2004 levels of $ 6 billion it looks as if the company is headed for a bright future.

WG is "looking at" mobile gambling but feels it still has a way to go in terms of real commercial viability, director of Marketing Paul Botelho told us....but there is likely to be some additions to the games selection soon.

River City Group are as always very active at this major international event, with Sue Schneider and her organising team well prepared for three major conferences around the world, so make a note of the following:

20 - 21 February PCIG in Macau

16 - 18 May GIGSE in Montreal

27 - 28 June World Poker Congress in Stckholm, Sweden.

The latter will be the first major land and internet combined poker event.

Finnish company EGET (European Game and Entertainment Technology) seems to be attracting crowds, and Teija Rasanen, the marketing manager says they have been busy. Their casino software package has 20 no-download games with more on the way - mainly slots for the 5 licensees. A horseracing product in collaboration with the State racing monopoly is doing well and the sportsbook product has one licensee at present. The business is mainly Scandinavian, but EGET has developed mobile capability which it is partnering with the UK company Stream Group.

The Apex network operated by Tribeca Tables seems to have accumulated many licensees and players thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign and Murray Chisholm says the proprietary software which offers 5 games is about to be augmented by a new 7 card stud game, along with improved functionality and player tools. With 70 000 and some active players and simultaneous sessions often exceeding 10 000 players online through over 350 skins working for 9 major licensees, business is booming.

Tribeca are particularly happy with the fact that many of their major clients have signed long-term 5 year agreements with them.

InfoPowa reported on the Australian run but Costa Rican based live over the Internet gambling company Vuetec over two years back, and this company is still going strong with 2 casinos on its books and 3 more likely to join soon. Vuetec's "Distance Gambling" streams live gambling from land casinos in CR, and online casinos can buy this feed for use on Internet sites.

Gambling Federation is tucked away on a small and not very attractive stand which did not appear to be genrating too much action when we visited.

Tonight the networking will continue in the more relaxed ambience of a major party hosted by Lyceum Media, Cryptologic, New Generation and Bodog. Invitees are promised belly dancers and comic book heroes, decadent Middle Eastern delights, a Vodka Luge, and Heroes and Villains themes on three floors.

The event will also see the launch of the new European edition of Bluff Poker Magazine and a new bi-monthly title from the Gambling.com search engine and portal people, Gaming Corporation.

Impressions of the successful 2006 I.C.E. show

It may be the final day of the International Casino Exhibition at Earl's Court in London, but there is no slackening in activity or the large number of visitors, although it has to be said that following the "Fire and Ice" party last evening there were some late starters and decidedly bleary eyes!

The efficient organisation, particularly of the Interactive section of this massive exhibition is worthy of a special note. Karen Cooke of ATE and her team have been unfailingly helpful and courteous despite the considerable pressure of thousands of visitors and demands from exhibitors and the media.

The exhibitor roll was substantially bigger this year, with most of the top names in the business well represented. It is clear from their displays and conversation that online gaming is a dynamic, growing and high tech business which is using cutting edge technologies in processing and presentation in an extremely effective way.

The trend toward more games, more frequently is very noticeable among the major providers, creating an ever bigger choice of innovative games for the customer.

Also good for the customer is the growing recognition that in such an intensely competitive industry, efficient customer relations and support is often the main difference between competing companies - get it right or lose business.

Consolidation is predicted by almost everyone, and there is intense interest in mergers and acquisition opportunities, and in the likely 2006 crop of major IPOs - this is an industry that is maturing fast, and very large companies are becoming the order of the day.

It's an industry that is (certainly at the top end) concerned with more player-sensitive policies and a definite move toward consistent third party standards and regulation as a means of protecting the international player community and distinguishing the good from the not-so-good.

Another encouraging sign is that those providers who have traditionally and mistakenly taken the outdated position on casino-player disputes that a "hands off" policy is acceptable or wise in today's industry are reconsidering their policies.

Standards bodies and regulators like eCOGRA, Kahnawake, Alderney, Gibraltar and Malta have recognised that this is borderless business where consistency of regulation and enforcement can be better achieved by cooperation, and it is encouraging to see that this conversation is ongoing among the leading jurisdictions, priavte standards bodies and trade associations such as the RGA. This is leading to valuable collaboration and solid contribution to important new regulatory regimes such as the UK Gaming Commission.

Better standards of practice and respectability will likely have a beneficial effect among US politicans, although all bets are open as to what may happen in that country with it's often confusing approach to Internet gambling.

From a player point of view this is good news because the objective is better protection, but it also means better and more responsive channels through which players can pursue complaints.

Mobile gambling seems to have disappointed most industry people. As one observer put it: "Despite tons of hype, this has been disappointing in a business sense." There is a recognition that it is early days yet, and that it is important to be prepared and in this space, however.

Online poker is still going like a train despite pessimistic predictions in September last year that have been disproved by subsequent company results. The activity in promotional effort and technical development continues unabated and shows no signs of "running out of steam"

I.C.E. has always been a great networking opportunity as well as the ideal cross-over showcase for Interactive gaming, and 2006 was no exception. Just about everybody who is anybody in the business has been in London this week and benefited from the experience.

Brit politicians worried about criminal infiltration

British politicians and gambling authorities have announced that they plan to host the first international summit on online gaming this year focused on the need to protect children and the industry's potential for criminal infiltration by rogue operators.

The UK Financial Times reports that last year the country became the only industrialised major nation to introduce a regulatory framework for the online gambling industry. It did so through the passage of the Gambling Act in the knowledge that counterparts in the USA continue to oppose the legalisation of online gaming.

The objective now is to ensure that agreed measures are in place to stop children from using online gambling sites and to prevent the possibility of money laundering.

Tessa Jowell, culture minister, said: "This is a global problem and requires a global solution, which is why this summit is important." Jowell's advisers were recently in a clash with the new head of the UK Gaming Commission, Peter Dean over the stringency of its future regulations and oversight of the industry.

The online gambling industry is growing rapidly, with revenues in 2004 of $9.3 billion (GBP 5.25 billion), according to research by Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Global Betting and GamingConsultants, which estimate that this will double by 2008.

Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have privately welcomed the summit following soundings from the British government. Online gambling jurisdictions such as Malta, Costa Rica and Antigua will also be invited.

But it remains unclear whether the US will send representatives. The legality of online gambling is uncertain in the US, even though it is the industry's largest single Internet gambling market, generating at least half of all revenues.

Successive attempts to ban internet betting in the US have failed, in spite of the efforts of Jon Kyl, a Republican senator, who has tried to introduce legislation outlawing the industry.

However, the Department of Justice continues to claim that the provision of online gaming to US residents is a violation of US federal law.

Further details on the summit will be reported as soon as the information is made public.

Fair Gaming Advocate’s report for 2005 details player disputes

The Fair Gaming Advocate for the international standards body eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) has reported on player disputes with "Play It Safe" seal operations for the year 2005.

In her preamble to the report, FGA official Tex Rees remarks that the level of complaints remains remarkably low at seal venues and a minute percentage of the total volume of business involved.

The 66 major online casinos and poker rooms that hold the seal attract the majority of online casino business, making for billions of transactions every month.

Over 95 percent of disputes were dealt with in less than 48 hours, a general benchmark for the industry that remains unmatched by either individual webmaster 'watchdogs' or comparable channels instituted by other industry organisations, and one achieved due to the rapid cooperation of seal venue managements, says Rees.

In the current report, the Advocate reports that a total of 439 complaints had been received during 2005, although 103 of these were in respect of non-eCOGRA sites where players do not fall under eCOGRA protection. eCOGRA mediates only in cases where it has authority over the behaviour of the operation concerned.

Of the remaining 336 complaints, 114 were lodged over the past three months, an indication of the heightened profile of the player protection organisation, general increased levels of business and generous support of eCOGRA from leading online gambling portals.

"Of the 336 disputes that we received, 10 percent turned out to be valid complaints demanding redress," says Rees. " 70 percent of these were made up of bonus and cash-in issues, almost entirely to do with Terms and Conditions or Support errors."

Rees added that in the cases where the seal venue was at fault the issues were immediately redressed to the benefit of the player, and follow-up action suggested that remedial measures were introduced to avoid recurrences.

“My experience with the seal operators has been an extremely positive one throughout the year,” Rees reports. “The exceptionally low ratio of complaints to total business handled attests to the efficacy of the eCOGRA standards, and to the consistency in which these are being applied by the operators. Responses to my investigations have at all times been prompt, cooperative and in all ways compliant with the requirements of eCOGRA, making for the safe gambling for the playing community embodied in our “Play It Safe” seal”

Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA commented: "The independent directors are pleased with the continued low level of complaints, which is largely due to the conscientious application of our standards. It is to the credit of "Play It Safe" seal managements that this trend continues. Since FGA operations commenced in April 2004, there have been a total of only 690 complaints, a miniscule percentage of the vast volumes of business handled over that time by some of the largest online groups in the business."

It's been a long and at times dirty fight, but Betfair is now legal in Aussie.

The issue of Betfair's Tasmanian licence to operate dominated the Australian media early this week as reports indicated that the first internet betting exchange will be open for business in the country next month.

The Tasmanian Gaming Commission has issued a licence with betting exchange endorsement to Betfair Pty Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between the UK-based gambling exchange and the Packer family's Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL).

The announcement follows amendments to the Tasmanian Gaming Control Act 1993 in November after some seriously intense political and interest group infighting.

Betfair co-founder Edward Wray said the licence heralded the beginning of a new era for Australian gamblers. "It is a great day for the punter, who will have more choice, better value and more control over the punting process than ever before," he said.

Betfair expects to start operating on February 7.

James Packer, executive chairman of PBL, said the licence was a significant step forward for the wagering industry. "We believe that punters will appreciate having access to an exciting new 21st century product and that racing and sport throughout the country will also benefit," he said.

Betfair will pay Aus$ 5 million to the government's coffers within the next 90 days. Director of Corporate Affairs Andrew Twaits says the news is a great relief. "It's wonderful news, it's news we've been waiting for about two and a half years; it's the culmination of a lot of hard work thorough investigation of Betfair's systems and processes by the Tasmanian Government and various departments and we're obviously delighted."

$3.4 million in 2005 tourney earnings alone

Bluff Magazine has named Phil Ivey the 2005 Bluff Magazine Poker Player of the Year. The accolade is based on the accumulation of points in the popular Bluff/ESPN Power Ranking for poker players.

"Phil has emerged as one of the best players of this generation. His focused play and success at the table have earned him Bluff's Player of the Year," said Eddy Kleid, co-President of the publication, which has a circulation in excess of 250 000 copies in the USA and Europe.

Ivey is considered by pros and fans alike as one of the best professional poker players in the world. His unparalleled success at the tables in 2005 has earned him both wealth and respect.

His accomplishments include: Over $3.4 million in tournament earnings; 7 final tables; a World Series of Poker bracelet in $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha; a top 25 finish in the WSOP Main Event and back to back wins worth $1.6 million at the 2005 Prima Poker Monte Carlo Millions and the Full Tilt Poker Invitational.

Despite these significant achievements, Ivey still considers himself a regular and accessible guy who can be seen at the Bellagio in Las Vegas playing in some of the biggest cash games in the world.

"I'm honored to win the Player of the Year award and to be recognized by such a great media outlet as Bluff Magazine," said Ivey.

Musical chairs, or should we say "casinos"?

Further to our earlier InfoPowa report on the sudden demise of Gala Bingo, we now have a little more detail on the happenings at this group.

It appears that Gala operated two online casinos:

Gala Casino.co.uk powered by St Minver, and

Gala International.com by Boss Media.

The accounts at galacasino.co.uk were transferred to St Minver-powered VIP Casino Club.co.uk recently.

It now appears that the Boss Media-powered Gala International.com casino is to close down on February 8, according to emails received by several regular players.

On the website there is an advisory telling the world at large that a brand new online casino will be launched by Gala, using an unspecified gambling software that will provide over 60 casino games, monthly GBP 25 bonuses, competitions and "huge progressive jackpots."

Gala was left without an operational bingo website last week after it terminated its contract with provider St Minver.

A notice on the Galabingo site notified players the site was “going through a major upgrade” and a new site would not be launched until February.

The notice continues: “This is a significant development which has meant we have parted company with St Minver, our former bingo partner. As such we regret you are unable to play bingo with us until next month, and ask for your patience and understanding until then.” Industry insiders suggested the move has come about since Gala acquired Coral Eurobet, which has its own bingo site and software.

New customer activity grows

Casino operator Gaming VC enjoyed better business during December 2005, registering a 17.1 percent increase in its new customer activity - up from the 11.3 percent increase from October to November.

New registrations in December 2005 rose to 4,270 compared with 3,645 in November 2005, of which 2,012 were new depositing customers.

Steve Barlow, chief executive of Gaming VC, commented on the increase: “In November [2005] we committed to a 2 percent month-by-month growth rate and these numbers indicate we are exceeding that.”

The growth is probably the result of a strategic marketing programme launched in the second half of 2005 following disappointing results in the first. The company claims to hold the market lead position in Germany and Austria, where the majority of its customers are located.

A new slogan for 888.com

888.com's advertising agency has been busy with a new campaign for 2006 that identifies the giant Gibraltar licensed group as The Home of Online Gambling.

The campaign will go live in the British Isles this (January) month and will initially be flighted in outdoor and print media before being rolled out across other advertising venues.

888.com spokesmen said the new look reflects the “personality of the brand” and is a departure from more traditional online gaming campaigns.

Extensive research carried out by Millward Brown lies behind the creative, which is designed to have the 888.com brand stand clear of the older Casino On Net and Pacific Poker brands of the Cassava Enterprises group.

Drawing attention to the change, 888.com has launched a 1 year partnership with UK men’s magazine title "Loaded". The campaign begins in the February issue with a co-branded Las Vegas advertorial and the launch of the exclusive "Loaded 888.com Casino and Poker Room."

Loaded will carry a free DVD covermount carrying the 888.com software for readers to download and play in February.

Ohio teacher's disbelief when $40 bet made her a millionaire

More details are now available from the BelleRock group on the $ 1 216 556, 76 Sir Cashalot progressive win at Lucky Nugget casino recently (see earlier InfoPowa report)

Heidi B., a teacher from Ohio, met Lady Luck at one of BelleRock Entertainment's online casinos. Her fortunes changed forever on Saturday 14 January when she won the $1 216 556.76 King Cashalot progressive jackpot whilst playing at Lucky Nugget Online Casino.

"I've been keeping an eye on the King Cashalot total, but had only wagered $40.50 when it happened," said Heidi. "I couldn't believe I had actually won - it is still hard to believe! I've won smaller amounts during the 4 years that I have been playing online, but not even in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'll be able to call myself a millionaire! "

Players at Belle Rock Entertainment's casinos have been celebrating major wins over the past year with more than $ 10 million paid out in progressive jackpots alone between January 2005 and January 2006.

"We are delighted to welcome Heidi to the ranks of the many other millionaires who have found fortune at our casinos," said Tim Johnson, chairman of Carmen Media, the owners of Belle Rock Entertainment.

The best....and worst of online gaming

Casinomeister portal owner Bryan Bailey has announced his 2005 picks for the best and the worst in online gaming.

The 26 categories in the awards, which readers can access at http://www.casinomeister.com/bestworst2005.html make for an interesting retrospective look at 2005 and a reminder of some of the shenanigans that players and operators had to put up with.

The report is balanced with positive awards for top sites such as Best Casino (32 Red.com) Best Casino group (Trident's King Neptunes, Trident Lounge, Vegas USA and Trident Poker) Best Casino Manager (Emily Hanson at iNetBet) and Best Software Provider (Microgaming)

The downside shines a none-too-flattering spotlight on groups like Windows, Fortune Lounge, Chartwell Technology, iGlobalMedia, Gambling Federation and Captain Cooks for everything from unrestrained spamming to including malware in their downloads.

It's a good read!

Independent rulings will be binding on Intercasino group casinos

Bryan Bailey's role in mediating problems for players on a free of charge basis as part of his Casinomeister services has been formalised by the well established Intercasino group this week.

A notice just up on all Intercasino sites announces the following:

"To further increase the protection and enhance the playing experience for all players The InterCasino Group has unveiled a unique programme in conjunction with top industry watchdog ‘Casinomeister.com’, that offers a completely Independent Arbitration Service.

"This service is a groundbreaking step by The InterCasino Group to further cement their solid programme of player protection and offer all players unrivalled customer service.

"In the unlikely event of a complaint, InterCasino players must follow a few simple rules before they can approach Casinomeister.com for an independent decision.

"The issue must first be discussed with the InterCasino Support Team and Casino Manager. If this process results in an unsatisfactory response for the player, the player can then approach Casinomeister.com for an independent decision.

"Players must contact Casinomeister.com using the application below. A response will be returned within 7 days. "Players that approach Casinomeister.com understand that all Casinomeister.com decisions are completely independent and final.

"Casinomeister.com has the ability to offer, if deemed justified, a resolution or financial compensation to a player who has followed the above procedures."

The arrangement is a welcome and transparent step forward in player dispute resolution which should speed up the passage of any disputes at both casino management and arbitrator level.

It will be watched with interest by other reputable online casino operators who are player-sensitive.

A top award and 4 new games to start the year

Trident group staff and players had plenty to celebrate this week with the news that the group had won the prestigious Casinomeister Award for Best Online Casino Group in 2005, the second occasion on which this accolade has been achieved. And boosting the buoyant mood was the arrival of four brand new games.

The Casinomeister citation states unequivocally that: "Trident Group takes this award hands down. This casino group has the best run casinos in the business. The customer service shines above their peers, and up and beyond this - this group has one of the most experienced managers in the business.

The citation continues: "Each one of these casinos are solid examples of how a casino should be run. They are creative and innovative with their loyalty programs - and one of the first casino groups that have come up with the "loyalty bonus coupon". Players are in excellent hands when they are playing at Trident Group casinos."

The Award covers operations at King Neptunes Casino, Trident Lounge, Vegas USA and Trident Poker.

Four new games are currently online at King Neptune's Casino (www.kingneptunescasino.com) and Trident Lounge Casino (www.tridentloungecasino.com) starting the New Year with a players' choice of innovative online games featuring a major video slot, the latest in the 100 Power Play Poker series, a new Multihand Blackjack offering and a simple but festive 3 reel slot.

Flagship of the new releases is a richly featured video slot called HARVEY'S which has a foodie theme guaranteed to whet the gambler's appetite, and not just for winning. This brand new 25 payline, 5 reel slot comes with Wild and Scatter rewards, a double or quadruple your money Gamble game-within-a-game and an exciting new style of Freespin with random and automatic rewards ranging from 6 times winnings to a huge 30 times. The game is also the first to incorporate a hidden mystery multiplier to intensify the thrills of surprise wins as high as x 25.

The graphics in this game deserve a special mention for high quality and the effective food theme. Harveys is an up-market dining and gaming experience with icons based on mouthwatering dishes that range from escargot and lobster to Creme Brule and blueberry pie.

Trident Group's multihand blackjack series of games has clearly struck a chord with blackjack players who like plenty of action, and the third in the series - MULTIHAND BONUS BLACKJACK - is as fast and exciting as its predecessors. The game is a multi-hand variant of a traditionally single-hand game, and will appeal to the many gamblers who like to play multiple hands of blackjack simultaneously - in the multi-hand version a player can bet on up to 5 hands at a time.

There are bonus payouts within the game for which the player can qualify by placing a bonus side bet. The bonus payouts are determined by the hand combination of the first two cards dealt.

rident is also launching a carnival-themed slot with a strong festive feel to it - MARDI GRAS is here! This is a straightforward, easy to use 3 reel, 1 payline slot on which players can wager anything from 25 cents to $5, and up to 3 coins at a time with a very generous jackpot in mind - 4000 coins or $20 000 .

Revelers in elaborate Venetian carnivale masks populate the theme, with intricate and fine graphics creating a great atmosphere, and play that is as smooth as a gondola sliding through the streets of Venice. This is traditional slot playing at its best.

Wrapping up this month's new releases is the latest in the 100 Poker Play series. Deuces Wild 100 Power Play video poker offers all the bigtime speed and thrills Trident players have come to expect from these outstanding games. This is the third of six game styles, which expands the game to new levels of entertainment and hopefully reward by empowering action-hungry gamblers to play up to 100 hands of video poker at a time with a wide choice of wagers.

36 players left....and world champ Hatchem is out

Australian press reports have be en following the progress of the Aussie Millions poker tournaments, currently being fought at the Crown Casino In Melbourne.

On day 4, 36 players were battling toward the final table with more than $660,000 separating the lowest trailing contestant from US chip leader Kenna James, who resumed play with $700,500.

The players are competing for a share of more than $US4 million ($A5.32 million) in the main event prize pool and the $US1 million ($A1.33 million) championship title.

Just over 50 percent of the remaining field are Australians, minus reigning WSOP poker champion Joe Hachem, who bowed out on day 2 in position number 56.

The field numbered 418 ambitious players at the start, each worth a buy-in of $10 500 to play in the No Limit Texas Hold 'Em competition and the endurance to play up to 10 hours a day

Fox Sports Net has been packaging the highlights for a 10-week television series to be beamed into 81 million homes in the US from March.

Poker in Australia is growing at an impressive pace, with some estimates that two million people or more play in some form. In the US, there are 88 million people who play Texas Holdem including TV, film, music and sporting celebrities who add glamour to the game.

Only 5 per cent of the world's players make a substantial living from the game. There is at least one million-dollar event each month somewhere in the world - in Europe, the US, South America or in the Asia-Pacific region. Travelling 12 months of the year can cost a player between $300,000 and $500,000 in entry fees and expenses.

STOP PRESS:

As we went to press this week, the news from the Aussie Millions was that further big names names had left the tables defeated, leaving just 7 players going after the big million dollar prize and the status that goes with it. Among those knocked out of the tournament were Michael Gracz, Kathy Liebert and Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari. The multinational final table is now composed of two Aussies, a Canadian, a Kiwi, and three Americans. Expert observers were slating the biggest surprise as the performance of 20-year-old U.S. college dropout Shannon Shorr. With the third biggest chip stack he appeared to have a good shot at becoming the Aussie Millions champ.

Six figure chargeback has dislocated payments

Posters on fora across the Internet have for several weeks been asking anxious questions about rumours that the white label provider Be The Dealer.com company is experiencing financial difficulties.

The rumours were reinforced by some players reporting long delays in payouts, and this week a Be The Dealer manager reassured players that the company was in good health but working its way through processor difficulties occasioned by a large six figure chargeback. The reassurance was backed by payments to several players who had been complaining.

The following is the full content of the BTD manager's statement:

"BeTheDealer has acknowledged that it has experienced some delayed payments to players in recent weeks.

"This has been the result of a very significant chargeback, which has been contested by the company. The chargeback challenge has resulted in a major six figure sum being temporarily held by one of our payment processors, in line with normal processing guidelines.

"BeTheDealer has replaced the processor with alternative processing solutions. This has led to some disruption and manual processing during the changeover period.

"The core business remains successful and the situation has now been resolved. The payment backlog will have been completely eliminated by next week and all future payments will be processed promptly. The company has introduced backup processing solutions to eliminate the possibility of a recurrence.

"BeTheDealer is expanding its operations and currently recruiting an additional 16 staff to enhance its product offering and support.

"The company apologises to all players who have been affected by delays and thanks them for the patience and continued support."

That support could well wane if there is a recurrence of slowpays, and BTD will be under a player microscope for the immediate future.

Odds On's new face launches three new games

In-house software provider Vegas Technology (see October InfoPowa reports) has launched its new games on the English Harbour group casinos, which were taken over by Leisure and Gaming plc late last year.

The release consists of 3 new Bonus Slot Games: Wheel of Chance, Monte Magic, and Cash Grab. The new Bonus Slot Games are exclusive to English Harbour Gaming Ventures group and available at Superslots.com and English Harbour.com

"We recognized the popularity of bonus slot games in the land based casino and wanted to bring that level of excitement to English Harbour," a spokesperson for English Harbour said.

"We selected themes slot players would be accustomed to playing with Wheel of Chance and pushed the bonus game in new directions with Monte Magic. The end result is a collection of interactive bonus slot games that we feel are currently unmatched on the market today."

Each of the new slot games are 3 reel bonus slots, and the spokesman revealed that a further 5 video slots were planned in the coming months, together with a new collection of table games to complement the addition of Vegas Strip Blackjack.

The Wheel of Chance bonus is based loosely on the popular Wheel of Fortune slot game found in most land based casinos.

Monte Magic is a card based bonus game where the player selects 3 cards from a collection of 12 having various prizing. The 3 selected prizes are then shuffled "3 Card Monte" style and the player selects their final prize.

Cash Grab allow for the selection of 1 of 12 bags of cash. The resulting prize can be collected or traded.

When the new Vegas Technology brand was launched in October last year English Harbour spokesmen claimed it presented a smaller, faster download, autoplay, simplified navigation, innovative 3-D lobby and unparalleled sound on a selection of over 70 games. The casino group introduced new slot games Cash Grab and Flaming 7's and promised further releases at that time.

Mobile Gaming Now enters the mobile gaming sector

MGN Technologies, trading as Mobile Gaming Now will not be familiar to many in the industry, but this new arrival has big ambitions in the mobile gaming software sector.

MGN is an online and mobile gaming software developer focused on the casino gaming market. The company operates its own gaming sites in addition to licensing its gaming platform to strategic partners, which it has not yet identified in its publicity.

To take advantage of the online and mobile gaming market, MGN is positioning itself as a new and sophisticated gaming portal for the casino player.

Mark Jensen, MGN's President and CEO said: "With millions of people visiting land-based and Internet casinos, we're the new place to go to get traditional online and mobile games.

"Our services will promote a player community that's entertaining and rewarding. We're unique because we feature three distinct levels of game play. We offer free games, games for prizes and gambling. People can risk it, play casually or simply play for fun. We also offer integrated play for the online gamer or the mobile player."

Mobile Gaming Now says its initial game product is MGN Limit Texas Holdem', which comprises all the basic aspects of an online Texas Holdem. MGN's Texas Holdem' is provided in three versions to accommodate the various "generations" of mobile platforms that deliver different levels of speed and capability.

The company claims it is also developing casino games to provide the complete casino experience. Black Jack, Roulette, Craps, Poker, Baccarat and Slots will be available in three gaming formats: Play-For-Free, Play-For-Prizes and Play-For-Money. In addition, MGN licenses their gaming platform complete with games to qualified operators.

Based in Kirkland, Washington, the company operates its own gaming sites and licenses its gaming platform to strategic partners.

Russian techno-crooks launch DDoS blackmail

Most readers will be familiar with the ingenious marketing innovation that made 21 year old British business studies student Alex Tew a huge amount of money in a short space of time...but there have been bumps in the road to riches this week it appears.

The Financial Times reported that the FBI is assisting in investigating the hijacking of milliondollarhomepage.com - the website that earned US$1million (GBP 566,000) for its British creator - by hackers who demanded a ransom to restore the site.

The Times reports that Tew was sent an emailed demand for $50,000 by a hacker who is believed to be Russian. When he refused, the website crashed. The email read: "Hello u website is under us atack to stop the DDoS send us 50000$."

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a common way to block internet users accessing a site, thus crashing it by flooding the website with traffic, often from "zombie" computers under the hackers' illegal control. Several gambling websites, as well as companies such as Microsoft, Ebay, Yahoo and CNN have been victims of such attacks.

Mr Tew initially thought the blackmail was a hoax and took little notice. However InfoRelay,the internet server of milliondollarhomepage.com, later told Tew that the website was experiencing very high traffic and there was a risk that it could break down.

Later still, as Tew sold the final 1000 pixels on his site for $38,100 on Ebay, reaching his goal of earning $1mllion, the hackers intensified their attack and hijacked the website.

The website was soon back online after InfoRelay upgraded the security system.

Second new poker room launch this week from Full House Entertainment

Full House Entertainment, the turnkey poker software provider has had a busy week, launching Touchstone Poker.com (see earlier InfoPowa reports) and now a new site for international model Cindy Margolis branded Cindys Poker.com.

Developed in partnership with Mercury Sports N.V. out of Curacao, the new venue promises an extensive range of poker-based games to suit all abilities and tastes, including ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’, ‘Omaha Hi/Lo’ and ‘7 Card Stud’.

The site features the sultry Ms. Margolis and is workmanlike but not especially exciting. It does, however have 24/7 fully contactable Support and a wide range of financial options such as Neteller, Instadebit, Click2Pay, 900Pay, Firepay and ECO.

The software provides advanced encryption, player tracking and anti-collusion protection that guarantees a safe and totally secure gaming environment, and the management is currently offering a 50 percent signup maxed at $200.

To mark the launch, Margolis is offering a trip for two to Los Angeles to join her and her celebrity friends at a special VIP celebration.

Top providers crank out new offerings

Reports coming in suggest that gambling software providers Real Time Gaming and Boss Media are starting to compete with the now established Microgaming policy of cranking out four new games every month.

This week InfoPowa was pointed to what look like new slots in a recent iteration of the Boss Media software available on the Sun Casinos group casinos Sunset, Metro and Jackpot Palace.

And there are also reports of at least six brand new slots from RTG at venues like Vegas Lucky, Geisha Lounge and King Solomans - and a feature called autospin has been noted.

There has been little fanfare for the new offerings, but with the important International Casino Exhibition taking place in London next week, any new offerings will almost certainly be on show.

RTG's top sales manager, Daniel Schultz has already announced that the interactive section of ICE will be used for the introduction of new features within the RealTime suite, from a new back-end interface to new platform integration opportunities and entirely new game offerings.

Or is this just another Sunny Group PR stunt...

A rather fulsome press release from Casino Fortine.com, a member of the Sunny group of casinos started doing the rounds this week but had editors scratching their heads.

Referring to something noone seems able to find called the Online Gaming Hall of Fame, the release said that Casino Fortune is "excited" to announce its induction, claiming that this is the first of an annual announcement by the Online Gaming Hall of Fame to honor trendsetters, ground breakers and visionaries in the online gaming industry.

Casino Fortune's President Dennis Rose is quoted as saying: "We are thrilled that the Online Gaming Hall of Fame has recognized us in this way."

Much of the rest is marketingspeak, ending rather breathlessly with: "This is one of the most thrilling days of my life. To be rewarded with this honor is incredibly thrilling and makes our huge efforts so worthwhile"

Casino Fortune's PR people have been known to come up with some pretty creative material in the past.

Editor's note: at press time it was revealed that the "Online Gaming Hall of Fame" is registered by the Sunny Group http://www.onghof.com/index.asp.

Lucky Nugget the lucky spot for online gambling's latest millions winner

The $ 1 216 557 jackpot on the King Cash-A-Lot slot progressive was won at Lucky Nugget Casino.com by player Heidi B on 14 Jan 2006, according to the casino site.

Full details are not yet to hand, but on past performance these very large Microgaming progressives are paid out fast and in one complete payment, accompanied by free financial advice.

Lucky Nugget Casino is a member of the well established Belle Rock Entertainment group of online casinos and poker rooms, owned by Gibraltar-based Carmen Media.

Look for this casino's advertising at the next World Snooker Championships...and there will be TV coverage, too.

This year's World Snooker Championships...and the next four after that will be sponsored by the huge online casino 888.com in a multi-million Euro deal unveiled this week.

The event will carry 888.com’s name after the previous sponsor, Embassy’s involvement ended last year due to the enforcement of new regulations regarding tobacco advertising.

Rodney Walker, chairman of World Snooker said: “This is a very exciting and important day for snooker. The World Championship is our premier event, and it is also one of the highlights of the entire sporting year.”

Walker added, “We have secured the future of the World Championship at the Crucible, the traditional home of snooker; we have signed a five-year agreement with BBC TV to ensure that the World Championship and the other main snooker tournaments remain on television, and now we are able to reveal this new multi-million pound sponsorship.”

John Anderson, 888's Chief Executive said snooker has tremendous opportunities. "I am personally delighted and it's an amazing opportunity to get into something big. We're looking forward to developing a beneficial and successful relationship,” he said.

Matthewson out, Pottinger in

Effective February 1 this year, Sportech has appointed Piers Pottinger as its non-executive chairman. He replaces David Mathewson who has resigned his position as non-executive chairman with effect from 31 January 2006.

Pottinger has been the company’s non-executive deputy chairman since November last year, and is highly experienced with the media, gaming and horseracing industries.

Finance director Gary Speakman also moves up the Sportech totem pole with his appointment to Chief Operating Officer, a new post. He will retain his financial portfolio until a replacement has been appointed.

Additional cash from major shareholder

Isle of Man-based and licensed bookmaker Betinternet has cash in the bank for a number of what it calls "major strategic initiatives" following a further GBP 1.6 million investment from major shareholder Brunbrae Ltd.

The company’s new sportsbook platform, developed in partnership with Florida-based IGW, is “....on target to be functioning” ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup, and the new software will be Curacao licensed, empowering it to target the US market with a comprehensive sports, casino and games offering.

Bet On Sports CEO Carruthers leads

The high profile CEO of sports and casino group Bet On Sports.com, David Carruthers is believed to be the main mover behind a new initiative to form a non-aligned group that will be tasked with examining regulation of the online gaming industry

Carruthers wants to include as participants industry leaders, academics, social service agencies, members of the public and experts in mental health, technology and law enforcement.

The independent Advisory Council is to deal directly with concerns surrounding the social, economic and public aspects impacting the regulation of the online gambling industry in the United States.

Carruthers wants to ensure that council members will represent all sides of the issue from law enforcement to parenting groups and will address head-on the importance of creating a dialogue on and devising solutions to many of the issues facing the internet gambling industry in this country.

The Bet On Sports executive has been active in previous initiatives that addressed the confused regulatory issue in the USA.

The Advisory Council will be facilitated by neutrals affiliated with CPR – The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution - pioneers and leaders in the area of dispute resolution. CPR is a membership-based, non-profit alliance of global corporations, law firms, scholars and public institutions dedicated to the principles of conflict prevention and solution through alternative dispute resolutions.

“In asking CPR to assist in establishing the Council, I thought it was important to have an impartial dispute resolution institute facilitate the framework for discussion and identify highly prestigious neutrals to mediate,” said Carruthers. “This reflects the interest of our industry to be responsible and respected contributors to this dialogue.”

“CPR has often served as an independent and impartial facilitator to discuss and resolve issues of broad public concern. We are enthusiastic about working with Mr. Carruthers and a diverse group of thinkers and leaders to address the many questions and concerns surrounding the advent of internet-based gambling,” said Thomas Stipanowich, President & CEO of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution.

Carruthers believes the online gaming industry is at a pivotal time. He says that online gambling is a global multibillion-dollar industry and that fifty percent of the industry’s revenues come from within U.S. borders. As the business continues to grow and thrive, he feels that regulation and taxation is the solution to the ongoing debate about online gambling. A commitment to ethics and transparency is intrinsic to the BETonSPORTS plc business strategy, and Carruthers vows that he is committed to setting a high standard for online gambling operators that can, in turn, reshape America’s attitudes toward the industry.

The Internet's biggest client base to get a "blackjack hub"

The gambling enthusiasts among the millions of America Online users will be interested in an announcement from the giant service provider this week - it is to create a blackjack site for AOL.com.

AOL has partnered with the Game Show Network LLC on the venture, the latest addition in AOL's growing number of casino games.

The new "blackjack hub" is expected to launch in April 2006 and offer free playing of blackjack, tips from the pros, and, during GSN's World Series of Blackjack TV show in June, exclusive behind-the-scenes video.

In addition to the blackjack TV show, GSN is making its online and interactive TV games, such as Lingo and Ballbreakers, available on AOL Games.

"Casino games such as blackjack and poker have become wildly popular among mainstream audiences and that trend is reflected on AOL Games," Ralph Rivera, vice president and general manager of AOL Games, said in a statement.

AOL recently partnered with Harrah's Entertainment to create an AOL.com World Series of Poker site featuring free poker games. The World Series of Poker is Harrah's premiere poker event.

AOL also recently launched AOL Vegas, a site dedicated to casino games, travel planning and original programming related to the gambling mecca.

Touchstone Poker enters the fray

Full House Entertainment NV, the turnkey poker software and site provider has made a professional if somewhat bland job of presenting Touchstone Poker.com which launched this week in the competitive online poker sector.

Operated by Curacao-licensed Global Fortune NV, the new poker room offers access to a wide selection of ‘play for fun’ or ‘play for real’ poker games such as No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha Hi/Lo and 7 or 5 Card Stud, with no limit, pot limit and limit betting on a site that has 24/7 fully contactable Support and a wide range of financial options such as Neteller, Instadebit, Click2Pay, 900Pay, Firepay and ECO.

Management at the site is under the control of Wyatt Davison, who oversees a range of signup bonuses (matchplay maxed at $200) and tourneys designed to attract both experienced and newbie poker players.

With security a major priority, TouchStone Poker’s software provides sophisticated encryption, player tracking and anti-collusion protection that guarantees a safe and totally secure gaming environment.

Major technology innovations in new mobile poker product

The Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. partnership with Steve Lipscomb's World Poker Tour will bear fruit this spring when the mobile version of World Poker Tour will be available for play on Play Station handsets.

WPT announced this week that the USA launch includes real-life professional poker stars and venues featured in the popular World Poker Tour television series with enhanced A.I. players, customizable characters and online capabilities compatible with PlayStation 2 consoles.

Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts and involved in the project says: "By partnering with the trusted World Poker Tour brand, we are bringing both gamers and poker fans alike the most realistic poker experience available. And now that World Poker Tour will be available on the PSP, gamers can enjoy the game wherever they go."

World Poker Tour for PSP allows gamers to take a seat at the world's most prestigious poker tournaments and make their mark in the virtual poker arena. The game will feature the virtual equivalents of real pros such as Antonio "the Magician" Esfandiari, Erick Lindgren, Evelyn Ng, Lyle Berman, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi and Phil "Unabomber" Laak.

Online connectivity is a major part of playing World Poker Tour on the PSP. Gamers will have the ability to connect wirelessly with other PSP systems or online to compete against players across the country on both the PSP and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

New enhancements to World Poker Tour for PSP include a completely new and innovative artificial intelligence system that allows gamers to challenge more than 1,200 different characters, all with their own unique playing styles and behaviors. Gamers who are able to bump up their career earnings can unlock custom clothes, accessories, and invitational events found only in the PSP version. Players can also create more than 4,000 custom variations of poker, and choose to play against computer opponents or take their custom poker game online to battle for poker supremacy.

World Poker Tour is currently available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Nintendo Game Boy Advance.

Investor information

The investment possibilities in the online gaming industry is the thrust of Gaming Investor 2006 : Seizing jackpot returns in the emergent gaming industry, an ATE organised conference scheduled for Wednesday 10th May 2006

Gaming Investor 2006 is the premiere pan-European conference for senior executives in venture capital firms, investment banks, stockbrokers, other financial institutions and gaming operators across all platforms.

It comprehensively covers essential topics designed to help delegates better understand the dynamics and opportunities for super returns in financing the gaming industry.

The organisers promise a jam packed day of interactive, lively and informative panel debates from first rate speakers in the finance and gaming sectors....and the inevitable networking.

More information will be available over the next fortnight at www.ateonline.co.uk/conferences.

Bodog.com Marketing conference at the Wynn in Las Vegas

Marketers love the razzmatazz and networking of the Bodog marketing conferences, so diarise this year's event, which is scheduled for July 23 to 25 at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Readers can register now to get the Early-bird Rate at http://www.bodogconference.com/register.html

The conference will focus on providing marketers with the knowledge necessary to get new customers, keep current clients engaged, and grow online businesses to full potential.

"Electric" debate on WTO

The International Gaming Conference & Expo (IGCE), slated to take place April 9 -11 in San Jose, Costa Rica, has announced that it will feature, among an already extensive and comprehensive program and roster of speakers, what has been billed as "an electric debate" on the impact of the World Trade Organisation Ruling on Cross-Border Gaming involving Antigua and the U.S.

Complete details and information are now available at IGConference.com

The Sports Network, which is organising this event called upon Mark Mendel, the lead attorney for Antigua in the case against the U.S. before the W.T.O., and renowned gaming law expert I. Nelson Rose, Professor of Law at Whittier Law School to debate and discuss what the ruling really means for the industry.

Licensing jurisdictions will also be under the spotlight as the legitimacy of offshore and online gaming debate continues and legal minds grapple with the diversity and the "complete lack of a standard, a guideline."

This conference has major sponsors in BetCRIS, Scientific Games and WSEX. It will gather together gaming attorneys, investors, analysts, legislators, regulators, marketing firms, advertisers, sportsbook operators, payment processors, as well as technology specialists to examine all aspects of the online gambling milieu.

Rumours of a GBP 3 billion bid

Following the Hilton UK sell-off of its hotel holdings, clearing the way for subsidiary Ladbrokes to expand significantly as a free-standing gambling group there has been intense City speculation in London as to possible attempts to buy the company.

Three operations were originally flagged as potential suitors by industry analysts - CVC Capital Partners, BC Partners and Blackstone.

Although no formal approaches to Hilton/Ladbrokes have yet been made, rumour suggests that Blackstone is losing interest but that the other two private equity firms are set to compete.

This weekend it was reported by the Sunday Times that CVC Capital Partners has strengthened its hand ahead of a potential GBP 3 billion bid, and has hired investment bank Greenhill to provide advice on how to structure an offer. It has also begun discussions with banks about putting together a debt package.

If CVC does make a formal approach, it is thought to be keen to retain Chris Bell, Ladbrokes’ chief executive, who is one of the betting industry’s most highly regarded operators.

Regardless of whether CVC succeeds in taking Ladbrokes private, 2006 is expected to be a frantic year for corporate activity in Britain’s leisure industry.

Rank Group, the gaming and casinos firm, is among the largest companies expected to be taken over, with William Hill, the bookmaker likely to revive attempts to pursue a GBP 4 billion merger. Analysts also expect the online gaming sector, which last year created dozens of paper millionaires, to produce a flurry of deals.

Bluff Magazine launches first Bluff Magazine Annual Reader's Choice Awards

Bluff Magazine publisher Eric Morris, who developed the idea of Readers Choice Awards for the online gaming industry during his tenure as the top man at Gambling Online Magazine has extended the concept to the poker sector.

Starting this week, Bluff will begin taking online voting for the first ever Bluff Magazine’s Annual Readers Choice Awards, with categories for 2006 including : Most Entertaining Player to Watch, Best All-Around Online Poker Room, Best Online Customer Service, Best Live Poker Tournaments and Best Poker Commentary.

Online voting commences Thursday January 12th and will close on June 1st. The results will be revealed in Bluff Magazine’s World Series of Poker preview issue that hits newsstands on July 20th.

The concept of readers voting independently for the top awards has already proved popular at GOM, where tens of thousands of people interested in the industry voted every year, generating significant interest in the winners. Companies honoured in the awards used their achievements to good effect in subsequent marketing and publicity efforts.

Readers and poker fans worldwide can participate in shaping the awards by visiting www.bluffmagazine.com/readersChoice/. There's a chance to win something for yourself, too - Bluff Magazine will be randomly giving away an IPod Nano to five voters.

“Bluff Magazine is giving its readers influence and a voice in shaping the future of poker," says Morris. “Never before have poker players been able to vote in “The best of the best,” in over 20 different poker categories and these awards will be a true testament to the companies who receive various accolades."

ITV and Sportech kill TV gambling channel project "by mutual consent"

Four years into its seven year term, ITV's interactive betting and gaming contract with betting group Sportech has been terminated "by mutual consent" leaving the TV broadcaster without gaming services.

The deal with Sportech was due to run for another three years but it was announced this week that it had been ended with immediate effect. By ending the contract early, Sportech will have to pay ITV an estimated GBP 14 million over the last three years of the contract, but has managed to avoid total repayments of GBP 22 million.

Sportech, the operator of Littlewoods betting pools, signed the seven-year deal with ITV in March 2002 to capitalise on the growth of interactive betting. However, since the deal was made, Sportech has lost money every year including an expected operating loss of GBP 4 million due to low revenues in 2005.

Analysts say the service failed to take off as gamblers looked to the internet for a wider variety of services offered by the likes of Sportingbet and Partygaming, the poker site.

British business press reports indicate that Sportech has been taking heavy losses on the contract, and it is understood that the company blamed lack of promotion of the service by ITV for very low use of the interactive services. Expressing a contrary view, ITV staffers said that Sportech's services, which used the Littlewoods brand, were simply not attractive enough.

A spokeswoman for ITV said: "Littlewoods' Gaming products did not capture the imagination of our mass-market audiences. We will be looking for another provider."

The Sportech services provided a betting facility for viewers to place wagers on the outcome of competitive hit shows such as I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and X Factor. It also provided sports betting for ITV viewers and a number of interactive games where prizes could be won.

Ian Penrose, who took over as Sportech's chief executive in October last year, said that the ITV contract would have landed his company with a loss of up to GBP 30 million over the next three years, in payments to the broadcaster and operating losses.

Sportech's services available on the BSkyB satellite platform and the attheraces horse racing channel are understood to be far greater than the returns achieved with ITV. Company spokesmen said that Sportech will continue to participate in the interactive betting market and have new launches in the pipeline for early in 2006.

Gamesville channel to get skill games

Skill gaming provider FUN Technologies, through its wholly owned subsidiary SkillJam, has inked an agreement with Lycos to create and provide it with a white label casual gaming platform.

SkillJam will develop, operate and support the pay-for-play platform for Lycos Games and adapt it for the high profile portal Lycos gaming channel gamesville.com. The site is due to go live in first quarter 2006 and will feature traditional tournament-style games and advanced community features including avatars, leader boards and private gaming leagues.

Lorne Abony, chief executive of FUN Technologies, said: “This is the first ‘360-degree’ solution for skill-based casual gaming. For the first time, users will be able to play the game of their choice on a free, pay-for-play, subscription or download basis-all via a ‘one-wallet’ system. This deal marks our third agreement with a major portal, and is a true testament to our continued success in the casual gaming sector.”

Brian Kalinowski, chief operating officer for Lycos, added that the games would allow Lycos to offer its millions of users a complete integrated gaming solution with Lycos Games.

Changes at the top and a flurry of interest for IQ Ludorum

It's not a name you hear that often these days, and it has seen its fair share of financial troubles in the past but this week software provider IQ Ludorum came into sharp focus again with changes in top management and ambitious new plans for an offshore data centre.

Mike Muscato, chairman of the US payment processor group Symmetrex has been appointed chairman at IQ-L. SymCapital, an associate of Muscato's company holds an 85 percent stake in IQ-L.

The company has announced ambitious plans to set up an Antiguan data centre through which it will support the e-gaming industry, and is currently looking over several potential acquisitions. The Antigua and Barbuda licensing jurisdiction is home to a number of online gaming companies.

Ex-PwC man joins the board, and there's a new CEO, too

The new year started with some new faces in the Paddy Power boardroom this week as Patrick Kennedy took over as CEO following the retirement of John O'Reilly at the end of 2005, and the retired head of the Pricewaterhouse Coopers insolvency department, Tom Grace took his place at the table as a non-executive director.

Grace was a partner at PwC and brings 34 years of business experience to the Board. Fintan Drury, chairman of Paddy Power said that Grace brings a wealth of experience and practical business savvy to the group.

Glu Mobile deal to produce mobile poker

2006 could see the launch of some interesting new WSOP-branded mobile poker gaming following a deal between U.S. mobile entertainment company Glu Mobile and Harrahs (owner of the World Series of Poker brand)

The deal is believed to include a range of WSOP-branded mobile products that includes games, graphics, ringtones and other applications, all scheduled for roll-out over the coming year.

"Harrah's and the World Series of Poker are two of the biggest brands in the entertainment industry," says Greg Ballard, president and CEO of Glu Mobile in announcing the agreement.

"The ever-increasing popularity of poker and the emerging consumer excitement of multiplayer mobile games combine to make this a timely and powerful alliance."

This is not the first time that Harrah's has agreed to the use of its WSOP brand. The alliance with Glu Mobile is just one of the many major licensing deals Harrah's has signed in the past year. In 2005, Harrah's entered partnerships with America Online and Activision, both of which are now using the WSOP brand name for online poker gaming and console gaming, respectively.

Winneronline launches exciting new content

The top portal Winneronline.com, a subsidiary of turnkey provider Cryptologic has launched some exciting new skill games content at its http://winneronline.skilljam.com/front/front.asp site in partnership with major provider Skilljam.

WinnerOnline Cash Games offer nearly 100 exciting games, including favorites like Bejeweled2, PoolJam, Zuma, Solitaire and Collapse. The games are backed by fully contactable 24/7 Support on a professional and aesthetically appealing new website.

The portal is energetically promoting the new facilities, and players around the world are invited to select the games and compete for fun, cash or prizes. There are plenty of free “practice” tournaments as well as fee-based cash prize tournaments on offer.

Players who want to play for cash (skill games are regarded as legal in the USA) can fund their accounts through Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Paypal.

The features-rich site includes a community service for members with facilities such as special tournaments, leader boards and forums to increase communication between players and build up a community spirit among the thousands of players who are expected to sign up. Safety precautions include fully encrypted security, fair gaming measures and a sophisticated 'fraudulent gaming' activity detection system.

An interesting mini poll

The Casinomeister forum probably hosts as good a representative mix of gambling posters found anywhere, with casino and poker players and even a few bingo enthusiasts among affiliates, marketers, journalists and operators, many of whom are also players.

So a spontaneous mini-poll set up by the players on the site and asking "How much do you deposit per casino per visit on average?" was always going to be interesting and informative.

Most players (46.94 percent) chose the 50 - 100 (dollars or pounds sterling) level, with the 0 - 50 band next at (24.49 percent) In the 100 - 500 area 12.24 percent registered, dipping down to 2.04 percent for 500 to 1 000, and then rising to 8.16 percent for 1 000 plus and the rest.

You can check out the thread here: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/online-casinos/10717-how-much-do-you-deposit-a-casino.html

Slooooow pay

The Chance group of casinos (Grand Banks, Black Widow and Sterlinghouse casinos, all powered by Playtech have appeared in Casino Cautions several times in years past for slow-pay tactics. The surprising thing is that this group continues to attract enough players to stay in business despite its notoriety as a venue where bonus players especially are made to beg and wait for payment for months.

This week there were more complaints about this group, illustrating that the Support personnel are seemingly unembarrassed by the delays, telling complainants openly that there was "a three month backlog!" If you do not have the patience of a saint, this venue is unlikely to appeal to you.

Bye bye bingo

Gala Bingo has apparently (and precipitously) withdrawn its online Bingo operation according to Internet events unfolding this week. The move has left players furious at the sudden disappearance of the service which was allegedly operated by the St. Minver gaming company. Initial reports suggest that individual emails were not sent out informing players in advance.

The website notification does not mince words: “If you have previously registered with Gala Bingo, your account has been operated by St Minver Limited. Please contact them at support@bingoresponse.com... This is a significant development which has meant that we have parted company with St Minver, our former Bingo partner. As such we regret that you are unable to play Bingo with us until next month, and ask for your patience and understanding until then.”

The UK’s leading bingo portal, OnlineBingo.co.uk, reacted by reportedly cancelling its promotion of Gala Bingo and has provided alternative bingo venues for players. Affiliates of Gala Bingo are currently searching for answers that have thus far not been forthcoming from either Gala or St. Minver concerning login areas, earnings and statistics.

Legal threats overcome slow-pay "technical difficulties"

Front Room Casino.com should be treated with caution until such time as the management communicate with the many players who are experiencing bonus-related problems with this relative newcomer.

During the recent holiday season the casino was offering a GBP 100 bonus to "any player" that made a GBP 100 deposit and played it through 10 times. Over three weeks on, players who took the offer and met the T&Cs have still not been paid, and in many cases the management has simply stopped responding to email enquiries.

More fortunate players have managed to get a response, but it was not encouraging: it uses "technical difficulties" as a reason for the delayed payments, but when threatened with legal action by several UK players payments miraculously appeared in Neteller accounts!

Unfortunately, this happens to be an operation powered by Chartwell Technology (see below) so there can be little expectation of assistance from that quarter.

Chartwell in the dog box

It has been common knowledge in the industry for some time that turnkey provider Chartwell Technology (based in Calgary, Canada with sales offices in London, England and big ambitions in Europe) has a conscious "hands off" policy when it comes to any dispute between players and its casino licensees.

The management has itself outlined this policy in both personal discussions and in writing as:

"Unlike many other software suppliers Chartwell Technology is strictly a software development company and only license the use our products for a variety of online applications. We do not participate in any aspect of the daily operations of our customers business, which includes hosting, customer support, database and money management."

That may have washed in the early days, but players expect more responsibility and help today.

After a number of complaints in recent weeks, the Casinomeister portal has cautioned its members about the dangers implicit in such a policy, publishing a list of Chartwell licensees and saying: "I am a firm believer that the software provider has an obligation to the player if their licensees go down the tubes. Chartwell provides gaming software to a number of casinos, but they refuse to get involved with player disputes or issues of non-payment.

"....their licensees are not immune to incompetent management, sub-standard customer support, cryptic terms and conditions, and bankruptcies. It boggles my mind to think that the software provider will put these casinos into operation, but won't do a thing to protect the player.

"Attitudes like this are archaic and useless to this industry. I am amazed that anyone in this business still subscribes to this train of thought. I guess they will leave it up to the licensing jurisdictions to take care of any screwed over players. But licensing jurisdictions are normally set up for tax purposes for the licensee - they rarely provide player protection."

Players who ignore the cautionary and find themselves in trouble should not seek help from the portalmaster - having issued the advisory, he will not fight their corner.

http://www.casinomeister.com/rogue/chartwell_gaming_software.html

Skill games for Gamestar portal

Getting 2006 off to a solid start this week, skill games provider GameAccount inked a partnership deal with Sky Bet, a division of British Sky Broadcasting Limited (BSkyB), to provide skill gaming services for the Sky Gamestar portal.

One of the world's leading broadcasters, with an impressive betting and gaming pedigree, Sky has chosen GameAccount to support its expansion into P2P games.

The deal means that Sky can offer customers legal skill games online such as Multiplayer Pool, Hi-Lo Solitaire, Mah Jong and the unique P2P Tournament Blackjack format, exclusively supplied by GameAccount.

GameAccount's global, custom branded, white label and fully integrated back-end solutions have been supplied to a growing number of sportsbook, casino and poker operators. As one of the only suppliers of an integrated P2P network linking players from around the globe, the company offers multi-currency and multi-lingual options, backed by international support and a single e-wallet accessibility.

“Sky is continually looking to enhance the range of services that we can offer customers’ says Ian Shepherd, Managing Director of Sky Interactive.

“Clients are consistently amazed at how fast and smooth the integration process is,” says GameAccount’s Chief Executive, John Jones.

Sky Bet joins a long list of betting providers who have chosen the Game Account skill games service, including SportingBet, Paddy Power, UKbetting, Gamebookers, Betwwts, BetCRIS and Cybersportsbook.

UBA Technology markets betting exchange software

UBA Technology Inc., is marketing its betting exchange software licensing business model, and has entered into initial negotiations to install its proprietary software in stand-alone self operating kiosks to traditional land-based casinos.

The company featured recently in an article in the Wall Street Journal titled, "System Would Let Gamblers Bet and Bet and Bet on Game" by Peter Sanders, in which the author explains that current advancements in wireless technology and engineered software solutions will enable sports bettors to bet on every play in a particular game, not just the outcome of that game.

UBA notes that this form of business is not limited to typical North American sporting events such as football, baseball and basketball; betting is now possible on the outcome of poker tournaments, such as the famous "World Series of Poker" that are televised globally. Any international live event with a consumer gaming interest is now a target market for betting exchange-style wagering.

There is no middleman or "house" that sets odds, the consumer decides the odds he is comfortable with and the amount, if an opposing consumer takes his bet, UBA's software controls and tracks the rest of the transaction for the site operator.

UBA's technology is compatible with interactive enabled television sets, P2P kiosks, mobile phones and the internet. In Nevada land based casinos are installing the kiosks in high traffic areas in an attempt to increase sports bets and the variety of bets during specific sporting events.

With the advent of high speed broadband and wireless services now available on a global basis UBA is well positioned to market its betting exchange platform to qualified online operators utilising the internet, the emerging kiosk betting sites in land based casinos and ultimately through to the hand-held wireless device offering 24 hour betting service to gamblers world-wide.

igot-everything...

The iGot group (igotcasino.com, igotpoker.com, igotskills.com and igotsports.com) seem to be running an efficient and well integrated operation on professionally executed and cleverly linked sites. The group is using the popular Tribeca Tables poker software, with Digital Gaming Systems software powering up the casino and sportsbook side. It's an interesting exposition on the current trend for tightly integrated but diverse styles of gaming "under one roof," offering visitors plenty of entertainment through one e-wallet system. Director of Operations Kyle Gabriel is the accessible and informative man in charge, reporting direct to iGot Gaming Group company president Brad Mitchell. Firepay, Neteller and Instacash are all available, and the Costa Rica-based 24/7 Support is easily contactable and responsive. Licensing is through Antigua.

Free poker

River Belle's rather cool new free online poker play site, Riverbelle.info is supporting its arrival by sponsoring the telecast of the world's most elegant poker tournament, Monte Carlo Millions 2005 on Fox Sports Network (FSN).

Phil Ivey won the big bucks annual competition earlier this year, and his outstanding poker skills will be on display when the first FSN telecast flights at 9:30 pm EST on Saturday, January 14th 2006.

The series culminates with the showdown at the final table on March 18th 2006. The show will chronicle the action of 120 of the top professional, celebrity and online players competing for the largest prize pool in European history, $3 million, and a first prize of $1 million.

UK consultants will recommend Chartwell flash technology to their customers

And in a follow-on, the Brits beat Ireland's best...

This week saw the entertaining finale of the Boyle Poker.com Irish Poker Championships in Dublin, with a surprise win by Kieran Walsh, a young poker player from Cork, who walked away with Euro 150,000.

It was no mean feat, considering the quality line-up of professional poker players included The Hendon Mob, Andy Black and Roy “The Boy” Brindley with the first three prizes of Euros 150,000, 70,000 and 30,000 going to local lads from Cork and Dublin.

Barney Boatman, the only pro who made it to the final table, walked away with fourth prize and Euro 18,000.

The championships began in September with regional heats and finals nationwide. Over 3 000 people took part making it Ireland’s biggest ever poker tournament. Andy Black said, “It was a brilliantly run tournament, which was clearly as a result of all the effort Boylesports have put in over the past few months. All their hard work has paid off.”

After the main tournament, a Heads Up international *test* was played between England and Ireland. The Hendon Mob who represented England, convincingly defeated their Irish rivals Andy Black and Padraig Parkinson.

Paul Magee, spokesperson for Boylepoker.com was delighted with the weekend. “It was a fantastic weekend of poker with some of Ireland and the world’s best poker players competing. The event has been successful and is now the biggest poker tournament in Ireland and one of the biggest in Europe. We are already looking forward to next year”.

Veteran online casino launches a poker room

It's taken a while for Riverbelle, one of the most successful and established online casinos in the business to enter the poker sector, but owners Belle Roc