Disgraced lobbyist pleads guilty to several charges

Disgraced former US lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to nearly six years in jail this week for conspiracy and fraud.

Abramoff had pleaded guilty to the charges, which relate to the purchase of a fleet of casino boats in 2000. In a separate case, he admitted to tax evasion, defrauding his clients and conspiring to bribe public officials.

An ongoing federal inquiry is said to be focusing on his dealings with up to 20 politicians in Congress.

The case has sent shockwaves through Washington's political establishment, raising fears that in reaction to its disclosures on Abramoff's activities as an anti-prohibitionist lobbier, politicians may vote for online gambling banning Bills currently in process.

The federal judge in Miami gave Abramoff a total of 70 months - five years and 10 months - in jail this week. Abramoff and his former business partner - Adam Kidan - were accused of faking a wire transfer of $23 million (GBP 13 million) to obtain loans for the purchase of the SunCruz casino.

The sentence was the minimum under his plea agreement in the case.

Kidan was also sentenced to 70 months in jail. Both were also ordered to pay $21.7 million (GBP 12.5 million) in restitution.

Abramoff said in court that the case was "incredibly painful" for him personally, but also for his family and his friends. "In the past few years I have begun the process of becoming a new man," he said.

Abramoff - along with Kidan - does not have to begin serving his sentences for another 90 days in order to be able to continue co-operating in the separate Washington case. In January 2006 Abramoff admitted to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe. A day later he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy in SunCruz case.

In his January disclosures, Abramoff pleaded guilty to defrauding the Native American tribes that were his clients, to tax evasion and to conspiring to bribe public officials.

The wide-ranging federal inquiry began in 2004 after reports that he and business partner Michael Scanlon had received some $45 million (GBP 26 million) from Native American tribes with casinos.

Abramoff was accused of exploiting the tribes to enrich himself and his friends, and offering politicians in both houses of Congress lavish meals, tickets to major sporting events and trips. He was a major fundraiser for Republican politicians, including the former house republican leader Tom Delay. Most have now deserted him and denied any wrongdoing.

No date has been set for sentencing in the second case, but his co-operation with investigators is likely to lead to a reduced jail term.

The speculation is over - Playtech is going for it

The speculation on when turnkey provider Playtech will launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and where it will be has been intense for several months, but this week it came to an end with the company's successful admission to the London AIM exchange and the start of dealing in its shares.

Company announcements said that dealings in its ordinary shares would commence at 8.00 am Tuesday 28 March, and gave the following performance highlights:

* The placing has raised approximately GBP 265.2 million gross through a placing of 103 142 466 ordinary shares (the 'Placing Shares') at 257 pence per ordinary share. The company has raised net proceeds of approximately GBP 31.8 million. The ordinary shares, subject to the placing, represent approximately 48 per cent of Playtech's total issued ordinary shares.

* The shares will trade under the ticker symbol PTEC.L.

* Collins Stewart acted as sole bookrunner, nominated advisor and joint broker. Seymour Pierce acted as joint broker.

* The placing values Playtech at approximately GBP 548 million, reflecting the total number of ordinary shares in issue of 213 333 333.

* The Placing Shares have been placed with a broad range of international institutional investors.

* In the two year period ended 31 December 2005, Playtech recorded a 268 percent increase in revenues to US$47.6 million. In the same period, post tax profit increased from approximately US$8.3 million in 2003 to US$35.6 million in 2005.

Roger Withers, who has over 30 years of experience in the leisure and gaming industries, has been appointed non-Executive Chairman with effect from Admission.

Commenting on the launch, Avigur Zmora, Chief Executive Officer of Playtech, said: "The outstanding interest in Playtech's shares from both US and UK investors is a clear endorsement of the company's offering, business model and prospects. We look forward to life as a plc and to continuing the growth of the business."

IPO launch makes public the men behind the Board table

Turnkey provider Playtech's launch this week puts flesh on some of the executive names associated with a company that has in the past been slow to communicate, especially with the player community in online gambling. The Board shows substantial depth in management expertise at both technical and administrative levels.

Chairman of the Board is Roger Withers (aged 63), Non-executive Chairman, who has over 30 years' experience in the leisure and gaming industries. In 1973, he joined Ladbrokes (Hilton) where he held a number of senior positions in the bookmaking, casino, lottery and gaming machine divisions. In 1986, he joined Bass where his roles included managing director of BMLS and Coral Racing and executive chairman of Bass Leisure South Africa. He retired from Bass in 1998. Roger currently has a number of other non-executive directorships, including Chairman of Arena Leisure plc and senior independent non-executive director of FireOne Plc.

Avigur Zmora (aged 32), Chief Executive Officer
This executive joined the Playtech Group in July 2002 and became the Group's Chief Executive Officer in February 2006. Prior to joining the Group, Avigur was chief financial officer of Teddy Sagy's New Age Ventures Limited, a Tel Aviv listed company that served as an incubator to several successful technology companies, including Playtech. Sagy remains the majority shareholder in Playtech. Prior to this, Avigur was controller and chief financial officer of Gateway 4 You Limited, a Tel Aviv listed company and a payment processing firm specialising in credit card fraud protection. Avigur qualified as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen after national service in the Israeli defence forces.

Thomas Hall (aged 38), Business Development Director
Tom is the Group's Business Development Director and former Chief Executive Officer, having been with the Group since 2002. Based in Asia, he has been primarily responsible for overseeing global customer growth and the development of customised software solutions for the Asian marketplace. From 1995 until he joined the Playtech Group in 2002, he was chief executive officer of TTR Strategic Holdings Limited ('TTR'), an Asia Pacific focused financial services group. Tom remains a non-executive director of NAV Limited, a financial services data processing subsidiary of TTR. Prior to that, he worked in Swiss private banking and private client financial services in the UK and Hong Kong. He also serves as non-executive chairman of the affiliate, Emphasis Services Limited, an Asian gaming consultancy and venture capital firm.

Moshe Barak (aged 37), Chief Financial Officer
Moshe joined the Playtech Group in December 2005 and was appointed Chief Financial Officer with effect from 1 March 2006 having previously been financial controller of ImageSat International N.V., a leading provider of satellite imagery services to worldwide customers. Prior to this, Moshe worked at Arthur Andersen in Israel where he qualified as a certified public accountant.

Rafael Ashkenazi (aged 31), Chief Operating Officer
Rafi joined the Playtech Group as Chief Operating Officer of the Playtech Group in January 2006. From 2001 until 2005, Rafi was VP of project & products for SQLink Group, an Israeli company and provider of end-to-end IT services specialising in on-site software consulting and services. Prior to this, Rafi worked for Hapoalim Bank, the largest bank in Israel, as a system analyst and developer.

Alan Jackson (aged 63), Non-executive Director
Alan has over 30 years' experience in the leisure industry. From 1973 to 1991, he occupied a number of positions at Whitbread, principally as managing director of Beefeater steakhouse and also the Whitbread restaurant division where he was responsible for the creation and development of the Beefeater, Travel Inn and TGI Friday brands. In 1991, he founded his own business which became Inn Business Group plc in 1995 and was subsequently acquired by Punch Taverns plc in 1999. He chaired Oriental Restaurant Group plc until its sale to Noble House in 2000 and has been chairman of The Restaurant Group plc since 2001. He is currently non-executive chairman of Charles Wells Limited and a non-executive director of De Vere Group plc and Regent Inns plc.

Omer Shvili (aged 28), Non-executive Director
Omer has been involved in the online gambling industry for several years, having co-founded iBetcha.com in 1999 and served as the company's president and chairman between 1999 and 2000. Omer was also a co-founder of BettingCorp Limited which was formed in 2000. Both iBetcha.com and BettingCorp developed proprietary online gaming platforms. In 2000, iBetcha.com was acquired by Uproar Inc., then a publicly traded company on NASDAQ which was subsequently acquired by Vivendi Universal. Between 2000 and 2002, Omer served as vice president responsible for business development within Vivendi Universal's Internet Games division in New York. In 2003, BettingCorp was acquired by OpenTV. Omer is also a co-founder and director of Skibo Partners Management Limited, a Cayman Islands' based investment management firm.

The surprise ommission from the list is undoubtedly Elad Cohen, for many years the public face of Playtech and its CEO. He seems to have dropped off the Playtech radar despite being a shareholder and deeply involved employee from the companys earliest years.

Online casino group Grand Prive penalised for underage culpability

The Grand Prive online casino group seems to have undergone a decline in recent times, manifested in a series of mistakes and bad management decisions that have attracted the condemnation of many in the player community.

This week the group reached something of a nadir when it was on the receiving end of a damning "rogue" listing at the respected and influential Casinomeister portal regarding an underage gambling incident that took place almost a year ago.

It is claimed that in the incident, a nineteen-year-old Nevadan registered at six of the nine gambling operations in the Grand Prive group, openly stating her age and Nevada domicile (see previous InfoPowa reports) This was in contravention of various and in parts conflicting T&Cs at the casino.

But, and this is at the centre of the resulting uproar, she was allowed to register, wager and play over a period of some three months, making deposits and withdrawals that at one time reached $5 000. And, astonishingly neither the casino's systems or management picked her up or requested ID until a particularly large win (the casino claims) flagged the account and the T&C contraventions. This resulted in the return of all deposits (and previously paid wins were not pursued) and a lockout that included the disqualification of the substantial winnings in her account.

Because the Grand Prive group bears the "Play It Safe" seal of eCommerce and Online Gaming, Regulation and Assurance, an international standards and regulation body overseeing some 66 top tier sites, the teenager's case was appealed to this body and the watchdog Casinomeister, both of which ruled that under no circumstances could payment be made to an underage player.

Unwilling to accept the denial of her winnings, the player then went to the Internet message boards, urged on by supportive players. A major and at times emotional debate developed on the fairness of her treatment and which underage laws were applicable in a cross-border business like online gaming. Inevitably, the casino's actions were viewed with suspicion, and accusations were made that it had played the underage card to avoid paying out a large sum. Critics of eCOGRA as usual seized the opportunity to launch discrediting attacks on the body.

Long story short, the player continued to pursue her claim, and the casino group refused to recognise it's validity or its own culpability in allowing the underage gambling to go on for so long. Issue deadlocked.

Suggestions made to the casino that would have enabled it to at least show that the allegations that it was cheating for corporate gain were false were spurned, but finally it was its apparent negligence in not earlier identifying the underage nature of the player that triggered a rogue listing.

In imposing this indictment, the Casinomeister pointed out that fairness is not the only issue here. It is also an online casino's accountability, responsibility, and their relationship with the online casino industry.

"The casino failed to do it's due diligence," Casinomeister owner Bryan Bailey writes. "They have all of the power within their means to prevent under age gambling. They relied solely on their terms and conditions, and in these times when underage gambling is such a hot topic - this is unacceptable."

Bailey goes on to emphasise that more proactive counter measures should be routine over and above relying on T&Cs that place the onus on the gambler to declare and police his or her activities, describing such sole reliance as "....a careless and irresponsible attitude to take. There is no excuse to have let this happen.

"The casino failed us - those [of us] who work in this industry - by not making a bold statement to this episode. I was trying to convince them that the only way to face this would be to take this player's winnings and donate them to either a charity of her choice, or to some other organisation - perhaps Gamblers Anonymous. This would have nullified the notion that this casino was being selective. Hopefully it would have made the player feel that her negative experience was transposed into something positive - feeding hungry kids, providing counseling to problem gamblers, giving the homeless a home.

"It would have saved a lot of anguish for the casino. And most importantly, it would have demonstrated to everyone that casinos will not profit from catering to underage gamblers. But in the casino's short-sightedness, they have chosen not to do this."

Voicing his frustration, Bailey says: "I feel that this casino group has let everyone in this industry down by just letting this be and not engaging themselves in this problem. And I question how many more players like this one are out there.

"I hope this serves as a wake up call to operators who are not doing their due diligence on protecting their players, their casino, and the online casino industry. Grand Prive Casino group, welcome to the rogues."

The venues affected by the rogue listing are as follows:

http://www.casinomeister.com/rogue/grandprive.html
Bella Vegas Online
Casino Grand Bay
Grand Bay Poker
Kasino Grand Bay
Lake Palace Casino
Jupiter Club Casino
Road House REELS Casino
Fortune Junction (Flash) Casino
Jackpot Wheel (Flash) Casino

Driving home the prevalence of attempts by teenagers to gamble online this week were a number of reports at the Camelblog. In one a young player won a tournament with a first prize of almost a million dollars...and this was not his first such truimph - at age 17 in 2004 he had won $300 000 that year alone! Readers of tournament success stories will recently have noticed how many "young guns" are appearing at the final tables and winning big money.

All of this underlines the imperative for every single online operator to revisit the underage and problem gambling counter measures he or she has deployed and seek ways to strengthen and improve same. Underage gamblers are a determined, often unscrupulous and tech-savvy breed and relying merely on the disqualification power of T&Cs if or when they are caught is hopelessly insufficient in today's international climate.

UK media angle is that online gaming is on a roll

The UK media have been reporting the first two days trading on the recently floated Playtech stock this week in London, concluding that the healthy performance was an indication that the investor interest in online gaming remains high.

The GBP 548 million AIM flotation of Playtech showed that investors on both sides of the Atlantic are for now disregarding the attempts in the USA to ban this form of entertainment over the Internet and commit cash to an industry which has been in existence for a little over ten years, currently generating annual revenues around $11 billion.

Reports reveal that the Playtech IPO was some five times oversubscribed when broker Collins Stewart offered stock to investors, the shares soon left the 257pence placing price miles behind. They touched 274 pence on hefty turnover of 37 million, business press reported.

Israeli entrepreneur and largest shareholder Teddy Sagi is about GBP 90 million richer this week after selling 25 percent of his shareholding in the float. He still retains a stake worth in excess of GBP 218 million.

Operator and politician in war of words

The online football pools site The Pool.com was sporting a bright pink "BANNED" notice across it's splash page this week, although entry was still possible. The probable cause was a row the operator has had with the Advertising Standards Authority and UK Secretary for Culture Tessa Jowell over advertising aimed at young people.

The Guardian Online reported that following criticism by Jowell, and a requirement by the ASA to pull it's adverts, Pool.com hit back by saying that 16- and 17-year-olds can bet legally on pools and if the minister does not like it she should change the law.

The Pool.com defended the pulled campaign, which was branded "utterly reprehensible" by Ms Jowell, saying that it "did not believe highlighting that 16- or 17-year-olds can bet legally is socially irresponsible".

"The law clearly states that people of 16 or 17 can bet on pools, as they can on the National Lottery and in fact purchase premium bonds," the company said in a statement. "If the secretary of state feels that the law is wrong she should take action to change it."

It also expressed "surprise" at the actions of Lord Borrie, the ASA chairman, who took the unusual step of personally ordering the ads to be withdrawn before an investigation was conducted.

The Pool.com said it was contacted by the ASA over concerns about its advertising and as a result "we immediately amended the ad to remove explicit references to the fact that 16-year-olds are legally able to take part in pool bets".

The ASA said it will also investigate whether the ads breached clauses in its code stating that advertising of gaming services should not encourage excessive gambling, exploit the young or immature or be prepared in a socially irresponsible manner.

The Pool.com said that it wanted to stay within the non-broadcast regulatory code of the ASA and cooperate with the investigation, but added that it does not "seek to promote gambling to those aged 16 or 17, nor does it seek to market irresponsibly".

The ad campaign, which has appeared in London freesheet Metro, a men's lifestyle magazine and as a promotional leaflet, features scantily clad women and lines such as "Why wait 'til 18? Bet at 16" and "Make lots of money when your friends join too".

Women and showbiz the themes for new programming

Celebrity poker play on the theme "Women's Poker" and "Showbiz Poker" will be aired on British TV in April, sponsored by 888.com through its Pacific Poker subsidiary.

The shows, on the Challenge television network will run every night, with "Women's Poker" starting at 10 p.m. for two weeks beginning on April 3. "Showbiz Poker" will air weekdays at 10:30 p.m. starting on April 17.

"Women's Poker" will feature celebrity poker enthusiasts, established poker pros, and home viewers as the contestants, while "Showbiz Poker" will be a celebrity-based tournament-style series awarding a prize pool of GBP 25 000.

Challenge TV exec Celia Taylor said that the number of women playing poker was increasing dramatically in a formerly male-dominated game: "We're always ahead of the game in poker programming and women are about to clean up in the male dominated poker world," she said.

Other poker shows and tournaments broadcast by Challenge TV include the World Poker Tour (WPT), Celebrity Poker Showdown, Ultimate Poker Challenge, and the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Annual profit more than doubles, and users now at 2.5 million

Neteller fans who watched its stellar performance last year but didn't buy shares in it were probably kicking themselves this week as the e-cash processor delivered outstanding annual numbers.

The publicly listed company said its annual profit more than doubled, fuelled by robust growth in the online gambling industry, and predicted further strong expansion in 2006.

Neteller reported its 2005 pretax profit came in at $97.8 million, up 114 percent from $ 45.8 million the previous year, while revenues jumped 108 percent to $172.1 million.

The Isle of Man-based company, now arguably the biggest supplier of money transfer services to internet gamblers, said its customer base had reached the 2.5 million threshold in the first quarter of 2006, and predicted further strong growth over the year as a whole.

CEO Ron Martin reported: "2006 promises to be another impressive year in the growth and expansion of Neteller."

However, the company did caution on one dark cloud on its horizon. With 95 percent of its revenues originating in the US, the proposed US legislation aimed at cracking down on the burgeoning internet gambling industry could "materially adversely" affect it, the report noted.

Earlier this month, draft legislation from Rep. James Leach designed to prevent online gambling companies from accepting payment via credit cards or electronic fund transfers came closer to becoming law after being approved by a Congressional committee.

Analysts have said the company also faces a fresh competitive threat from larger rival Paypal, which recently began offering payment transfers to online gamblers in Europe and the UK.

Neteller shares closed at 734 pence following the publication of the results, valuing the company at about GBP 883 million.

Most state attorney generals join plea to legislature to impose internet gaming ban

With the latest American political attempts to legislate against online gambling warming up, 49 of the 50 state Attorney Generals in the the USA have appealed to Congress to ban this form of online entertainment.

Allegedly motivated by concerns about gambling addiction and of too many college students turning from video games to Internet casinos for entertainment, state legislatures are considering ways to control the boom in online gambling say media reports from America.

With Internet gambling revenues quadrupling over the past five years to build a multi-billion dollar industry, the AGs seek to combat the proliferation of Internet gambling. Last week Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro joined with fellow attorneys general from across the nation in urging Congress to pass legislation to halt the games.

The legislation, submitted in different Senate and Congress proposals by Sen Jon Kyl and Representatives Leach and Goodlatte would prohibit using the Internet to operate online casinos and restrict the use of financial instruments by Americans. There has also been talk of forcing ISPs to block gambling sites, something which is widely seen as an attempt to censor the Internet and will therefore not sit well with many citizens. There are understood to be 130 sponsors signed up for the Leach Bill currently in the House.

The international and cross-border nature of the Internet raises serious enforcement problems for such legislation, because most online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks are based off-shore and not subject to US law. However, Americans comprise the majority of players, and American restrictions would not be welcome. Another contentious point is the selective nature of previous banning attempts, which have allowed exceptions for some Internet gaming types but not others. And finally there is the right of individual states to control events within their own borders rather than having Federal requirements imposed.

Petro and his fellow AGs argue that simply because the game is played online it does not erase the problems associated with gambling. They claim states must still address issues of game integrity, effective consumer dispute resolution procedures, access to gambling by minors, money laundering and other criminal activity, as well as compulsive gambling.

Proponents of online gambling point out that the major companies in the industry have repeatedly asked to be legalised, taxed and regulated in the USA.

Without federal action, the states will be left to clean up the problems online gaming creates, Petro said in a news release justifying the appeal for national prohibition.

Respected lawyer says the industry has "never been more vulnerable"

The adverse impact of the American political lobbying scandal is just one factor making this year's attempts by U.S. politicians to ban online gambling particularly dangerous, says prominent American lawyer Lawrence G. Walters in a story carried this week by IGN.

After eight years of seemingly-endless legislative proposals, committee debates, and defeats, news that United States lawmakers intended to propose yet another round of prohibitionist legislation piqued little interest among industry leaders in early 2006, says Walters.

"However, in this author's view, the online gambling industry has never been more vulnerable to adverse United States legislation than right now," he continues in an informed and balanced article that will persuade industry people that complacency is not a good idea at present. InfoPowa recommends this detailed article as essential reading.

Harvard researcher says severe addiction affects 1 percent of Americans, problem gamblers a further 2 percent

There may or may not be a connection between the annual attempts of some U.S. politicians to put an end to Internet gambling and the slew of media reports on problem gamblers that always seems to accompany it, but this week without understating the dangers of a lack of moderation a Harvard researcher put the incidence of gamblers vulnerable to addiction in perspective.

A Boston newspaper reported the view of Christine Riley, executive director of the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School.

In an article that posed the question: "So is the popularity of online gambling creating hordes of addicts too broke to cover their bets?" the South Bend Tribune quoted Riley as saying, "There's no empirical evidence to support an epidemic among anyone. Even with gambling more available than ever, exposure is not enough to create an addiction."

Riley goes on to say that the percentage of U.S. residents who develop severe gambling addiction is about 1 percent of the population. Another 2 percent are what she describes as "problem gamblers."

Research has shown that gambling problems are often paired with depression and/or substance abuse.

Now, what about the lottery, horse racing and fantasy sports exemptions?

The Washington-based publication The Hill carried an interesting article this week that examines the irony of a political situation in the USA where some politicians are being influenced to vote for proposed online gambling prohibition as a reaction to the Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Abramoff has been accused of working behind the scenes in past years to defeat anti-online gambling legislative attempts.

The Hill points out that the same Internet gambling legislation Abramoff fought so hard to defeat on behalf of a client that helped states conduct lotteries over the Internet now includes an exemption or "carve out" to protect those same lotteries!

Abramoff’s infamy and legal woes are currently driving anti-gambling legislation across Capitol Hill, even though one of the most prominent bills includes language that would protect his former client.

The piece reveals that two House bills, introduced separately by Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Jim Leach, seek to reinforce existing anti-gambling rules by updating telecommunications and financial-services laws to give enforcement agents more power to prosecute online gamblers who place bets on websites based outside the United States.

A previous version of Goodlatte’s bill was defeated on the suspension calendar in July 2000 after a last-minute push by Abramoff and his team to spread misinformation about the bill on behalf of his client at the time, eLottery, a Connecticut-based firm.

Abramoff is now out of the picture, but gambling interests remain powerful on Capitol Hill and the current crop of anti-gambling legislation reflects that sway. Versions of this legislation have passed the House twice and the Senate twice, but never in the same year. Both chambers now appear intent on bringing bills to the floor this year.

The Goodlatte and Leach bills, along with legislation introduced in previous years by Sen. Jon Kyl, attempt to crack down on the estimated $12 billion annual overseas gambling business, but none of those bills would regulate some closely related industries, in an attempt to avoid potential roadblocks.

In addition to the lottery exemption in Goodlatte’s bill, both pieces of legislation include language to protect fantasy sports from current anti-gambling laws, and the two bills also avoid a decades-long dispute between Congress and the Justice Department over the legality of interstate pari-mutuel betting on horse races.

The article in The Hill goes on to detail the historical steps that have previously been taken and defeated in attempts to kill off online gambling without upsetting influential interests who also make use of online wagering facilities.

Investment will be in future growth

One of the most player-respected online casinos and poker rooms on the Internet, 32 Red.com owned by the Trafalgar group has received a significant infusion of cash following a placement of almost 4 million ordinary shares ( 8 percent of its stock) with new institutional investors.

In a deal brokered by Numis Securities, the shares were valued at 140 pence each to raise GBP 5.3 million that has been earmarked for future expansion through marketing.

The placing involves the issue of 3 766 500 new ordinary shares - equivalent to approximately 8 percent of the company's existing ordinary share capital. It will widen 32 Red's shareholder base and increase liquidity. Proceeds will be used for the expansion of the the marketing programme, and the company continues to look at acquisition opportunities within the online gaming industry.

Commenting on the announcement, Ed Ware, 32Red's Chief Executive Officer, said: "It has been our intention since admission to AIM last September to widen the shareholder base and raise capital to invest in 32Red's future growth.

"We are delighted to have raised these funds, which will enable us to step up our focused marketing programme and enhance 32Red's profile and brand recognition. The additional capital will also give us increased resources to pursue strategic acquisitions that we feel would be complementary to 32Red's existing offering."

Fun and action combine 4 great new games to suit all tastes

Keeping their promise to players that King Neptune's will always be among the first with the latest in games, the Trident group has launched four new offerings this month at www.kingneptunescasino.com and www.tridentlounge.com.

Heading the list is the 5 reel, 25 payline video slot MOONSHINE with a “spirited” Hill Billy theme presented through hilarious cartoon graphics of exceptional quality. These front a highly entertaining and action-filled game with a generous measure of Wild, Scatter and Bonus Trigger Symbols and a unique player selection Free Spin feature.

The amusing graphics showcase Gun Totin’ Grandma rocking on the porch of her shack with a shed full of firewater in the backyard and a sheriff on her trail. These are all symbols players will want to see, because Grannie is the Wild, the Sheriff is the Scatter and those stone likker jars trigger some mighty interesting free spins - a great combination for thrills and reward.

Free spins are always a popular feature, and once activated the “pick until pop” selection screen in this game can reward players with up to 18 of these profit-makers with multipliers up to 4 x.

Betting the max, the potential returns are attractive – in the base game a jackpot of $20 000 is available, and that can grow to $80 000 with the right sort of luck on Free Spins.

DEUCES AND JOKER 100 PLAY POWER POKER is the latest in a series of six video poker games that offer this exciting, high speed style of gambling and expands the game to new levels of entertainment and reward. The 100 Play Power series is ideal for action-hungry gamblers who prefer to play up to 100 hands of video poker at a time with a wide choice of wagers.

This quality series is presented on the Viper platform, adding the very advanced attributes of this outstanding software to the major appeal of the games. In addition to autohold, the analyser tables give guidance on current odds and cover permutations to help make the right decision - a valuable player tool that enables faster and more accurate play. And players can set up personal "stop" budgets by win amount, lose amount or credit balance.

The new video slot ISIS links the magic and mystery of ancient Egypt with advanced state-of-the-art online gaming technology. This 5 reel, 25 payline game is enhanced for maximum excitement and entertainment with a wealth of features such as Wild and Scatter rewards, free spins and a gamble opportunity that enables the player to double or quadruple winnings by betting on colour and suit.

Jackpot wins of $25 000 are possible in the base game, boosted to $150 000 with good luck in the numerous reward features that will give the player hours of entertaining gameplay.

The ancient Egyptian theme is strongly carried by brightly coloured graphics featuring mysterious amulets, magic eyes and Coptic jars, but it’s the goddess Isis herself who is the centre of attraction, supported by high flying hawks. These two symbols carry the most rewards, with Isis the Wild trigger that doubles winning combinations and 3 or more hawks as the Scatter, initiating anything up to 30 free spins in which wins can be multiplied by 6 x and further free spins awarded.

The final game in the package will be popular with players who enjoy bonuses but prefer the uncomplicated basics of 3 reel, 1 payline slot action. FREE SPIRIT WHEEL OF WEALTH is carried on a brightly coloured wild mustang theme with fast action on a maximum $2 bet that can reap a $5 000 reward. Key to the riches is the Free Spirit symbol - get one of these and winnings can double, 2 and these are quadrupled…3 and the jackpot hits!

There are additional third reel thrills within this game, too. The bonus feature Wheel of Wealth is triggered whenever the Spin symbol lands on the third reel, allowing the player to spin for up to 1 000 coins if the bet is at the max of $2.

Group currently valued at GBP 92 million

The Leisure and Gaming betting group headed by Alistair Assheton has reported good 2005 results with net win up by 28 percent and a pretax profit of $13.2 million (GBP 7.6 million) Total net win was $80.9 million.

Assheton told Reuters the group had boosted online poker revenues "dramatically" since January 1, while casino revenues were up 26 percent and sports betting was up by 25 percent.

"This is a build-and-buy, so we're definitely looking to make acquisitions," he said. "Finding new products is key to us - products like bingo, skill-gaming and lottery," he added. "Most of our revenues come from North America and we're not uncomfortable there, but we'd like to find acquisitions in Europe, Asia or South America."

L&G has agreed a new $20 million bank facility with Barclays to use for acquisitions, he said.

With a new provider and network, Pokershare.com is back in business

Pokershare's tribulations with Excapsa are a thing of the past, with the profit participation site back online in a new partnership with the fast-growing Tain network, using poker software from the same company.

After four months analysing new softwares, PokerShare.com, the online poker room that shares its cash with its players, has launched a new site in Beta mode for now.

Tain is a Swedish company that 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 and the company has attracted big international companies like Parbet, Expekt, IndoBet, CBN and InniGame to its network, building up a creditable critical mass in only six months of operations.

Staffers at the ICE show in January told InfoPowa that the global player roster at that point included 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.

Getting back to Pokershare's resurrection, the company has amicably settled its disagreement with Excapsa Software and Game Theory (see earlier InfoPowa reports) and has launched the new software. For now, PokerShare is available in Beta mode exclusively for existing players.

Poker room manager, Max Wright said, “We’re excited to finally return to the market, we have a great new product which I’m sure will be a hit with all of our old players. I want to get as much feedback as possible before we open the doors to new players next month.”

When PokerShare.com launched in 2005, it challenged the status quo in the online poker industry by providing poker players with an unmatched value proposition in what was and still is a crowded market place. PokerShare.com offered players the chance to share their success simply by playing; hence its meteoritic rise in popularity and a player outcry when it was booted off the Excapsa network.

CEO Lucan Toh says that the company will remain true to it's profit share principles, and even has plas for an online casino variation branded Casinoshare.com in the not-too-distant future.

“PokerShare was the first poker site in the world to offer its players the opportunity to share in its success,” said Toh. “We’re extremely proud of this and very excited about welcoming back our loyal customers on the Tain poker network. We’re looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Tain.”

The Poker Share Trust has the ultimate benefit of 40 percent ownership of PokerShare.com. It receives cash every month which it returns to the players through its unique Share Point Loyalty Programme. If PokerShare.com floats on the stock exchange or is bought by another company, players will receive cash based on the number of Share Points they have.

PokerShare.com is operated by Playit Ownit Limited and licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission through its parent company, GamShare Limited. Both GamShare Limited and Playit Ownit Limited are based in Gibraltar.

Slotland adds to its mobile inventory

ollowing on the success of its first two real-money slot machine games for the mobile phone platform, Slotland.com has launched another mobile slot machine. The "Golden 8" has long been a favourite at the popular slot machine website and now makes its debut on their new WAP gambling site for mobile phones and PDAs.

“We haven’t had a big jackpot winner on a mobile device yet,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “But all the mobile games are tied into the same progressive jackpots as our web games, so it’s bound to happen one day. Don’t be surprised if someone in the queue in front of you starts kissing their mobile phone in excitement someday – they may have just won $150,000!”

The Golden 8 mobile features a bonus round triggered by spinning Blue Diamonds. Bonus round bets are taken from the previous spin so a common strategy is to maximise bets when you’ve collected five diamonds and are waiting for the sixth to trigger the free bonus round.

While many of Slotland.com’s regular online players occasionally play their favourite slots on their phone, the pioneering mobile entertainment provider is finding the mobile games appeal to quite a different kind of player.

“Traditional online slots and casino players are older than most mobile entertainment consumers. They may not even have a mobile phone yet, and if they do they probably just use it for phone calls,” says Slotland.com’s Mobile Games Marketing Manager, Martin Smith. “Younger adults, on the other hand, are more apt to look at their phones as a tool – a small portable computer that can be used for a variety of entertainment. They may have never spun a slot machine before, but when it’s on their phone it’s something new to try.”

Slotland.com now features three unique games in its mobile suite and eight different slot machines plus video poker on the web site. Every six weeks or so, a new mobile game is added.

Per capita spending on gambling almost twice that of the States

The Israeli business publication Globes reports that Israelis spend NIS 10 billion a year on gambling, according to a survey conducted by Credit Information Association.

Israeli gamblers have overtaken their European and US counterparts in expenditure per capita on legal gambling activities.

Europeans spend an average of $135 a year and Americans spend an average of $250. Israelis spend an average $440 a year.

Out of the NIS 10 billion spent on gambling, NIS 3.5 billion is spent on the lotto regular lottery draw and Toto sports betting tickets. A further NIS 1.5 billion is accounted for by legal bets placed through the Internet and cellular networks. Israelis spend NIS 5 billion a year on illegal gambling activities in Israel and overseas.

The typical legitimate gambler is 40-60 years old, lives in the city has an average income and regularly buys lotto regular lottery draw tickets, Toto sports betting tickets, TDB Hish Gad (scratch card) lottery cards and Chance lottery draw tickets. 30 percent of regular Toto, Lotto and Hish Gad players are people aged 16-35.

Forthcoming attraction "Deal" features an old pro and a bright college student

Still popular film star Burt Reynolds has been signed to star with Bret Harrison in a new poker movie "Deal" for writer-director Gil Cates Jr.

The movie revolves around an ex-gambler who teaches a hot-shot college student how to "play the player" vs. just the cards. But after the two have a bitter falling out, they find themselves competing head to head in the World Poker Tour championships.

Shooting begins April 3rd in New Orleans. Shannon Elizabeth and Charles Durning will also star with real-life poker players Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandari and Vince Van Patton also making appearances.

Boss Media the logical partner

A deal reported by InfoPowa earlier this year between Swedish Games Corp. and software developer Boss Media has come to fruition this week with the imminent launch of the first government-owned online poker site.

The site was developed by Boss Media and is to be launched on March 30. In the wake of this successful project, it is widely expected that more government gaming companies will follow in Svenska Spel’s footsteps and launch their own sites in the near future.

In total, there are about 140 World Lottery Association (WLA) government-owned licensed gaming companies and Svenska Spel is a pioneer among WLA operators in online gaming.

Johan Berg, President of Boss Media, said: "There are more companies in the starting blocks and they are well aware of our role in the development of this poker site and how important it is that the system supplier is the right one."

Svenska Spel received approval from the government to be the first Swedish gaming company in November 2005 and preparatory work was undertaken at full speed to create a world-class poker site in terms of entertainment and gaming responsibility.

Johan Berg continued: "Responsible gaming is a critical factor for the government-owned licensed gaming companies. Our solution is clearly more advanced that what is available on the market today because it creates greater security for the end-users as well as for the gaming company since they gain increased control of the gaming operations."

April scheduled for first broadcasts

Jonny Texas Productions has announced it will launch its new poker network from studios in Birmingham, UK this April. The network will air on Sky TV Channel 187 for two hours every weekday evening and will feature shows from the UK and European poker scene, including news, tournaments, live updates, and interviews with major poker players and celebrities.

The Jonny Texas enterprise incorporates a successful online poker room, currently attracting up to 6 500 players from around the world and a merchandising company which suppies branded poker products.

Announcing the new show, the poker star owner says: "The launch of a television network dedicated entirely to poker is the next logical step in the development of the business. The timing of the programming is ideal for people returning from an evening out, and the content is aimed at poker and gaming enthusiasts as well as to a general audience."

Inaugural Party Casino World Blackjack Champs prizepool topped $250 000

38-year-old Tucker Keeling from Oklahoma has won the inaugural $250,000 PartyCasino.com World Blackjack Championship on board the PartyPoker.com Million V in the Caribbean.

Tucker went home with a bank account $113 000 richer, and stunned reporters when he revealed that in 2001 he had been given between 2 and 5 years to live after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

"I suppose I've beaten the odds in more ways than one," said Tucker. "I've been beating the odds for five years and I'm especially delighted to win because my illness meant I had to quit work some time ago. Even going into the last hand I didn't think I was going to win but I hit 20, which proved to be enough. In the semi- finals, I only won by $25 after betting all my chips and catching BlackJack. It was one hell of a ride."

The champ qualified for the tournament online through a raffle on PartyPoker.com.

A PartyCasino.com spokesman said, "Tucker's story is inspirational. There couldn't have been a better winner."

UK bingo ambience captured online

British newcomer in the bingo site provider stakes, BingoTek has announced its second licensee this week following an agreement with RAL Interactive Limited, operators of Cyberslotz Bingo.

The deal is to provide an online game specifically designed to replicate the atmosphere of the traditional UK bingo club experience. Realistic graphics and UK-specific chat sounds give the game an authentic UK bingo hall quality. UK bingo uses 90 numbers and has rules uniquely different to the 75 number US version where cards are sold as ‘tickets’ and ‘books’ are sold to a series of games known as a ‘session’.

Brian Morgan, Managing Director of RAL Interactive, said: “We are constantly looking at new gaming options to offer our customers and the addition of bingo complements our existing portfolio of games perfectly. BingoTek was the natural choice of partner to team up with, given their track record of success, enthusiasm for product innovation and flexibility in customising their system to suit our requirements.”

One of the BingoTek founders and chief consultants, Graeme Levin, former founder and operator of the successful gaming portal Gambling.com commented: ”We are very excited about this new deal and are confident players will have a most enjoyable experience more in line with what they would experience in a real UK bingo hall.”

BingoTek’s first licensee, Bingodrome, has proved extremely successful. The popular site has consolidated its position as the best bingo game online by picking up one of the online bingo industry’s most prestigious awards, the ‘Best Bingo Overall’ award from BingoAwards.com for January and February 2006.

BingoTek is a privately owned holding company located in the British Virginia Isles. Cyberslotz is owned and operated by the UK gambling group Talarius plc and was launched four years ago. Under the QuickSilver brand, Talarius operates adult gaming centres and is the market leader in this sector in the UK.

U.S. attempts to ban online gambling invariably contain exceptions for horse racing - here's why

With the online gambling prohibition season well advanced in Washington, InfoPowa was intrigued by the exceptions, or carve outs as these are known for horse racing in the proposed banning bills submitted by American politicians.

One alert gambler on the forums spotted a site that illustrates very well just how big this chunk of Internet wagering is and we commend readers to take a look at the TVG.com site, where gamblers will find everything they need to gamble "from the comfort of their own homes."

No allegations of money laundering, terrorist funding, underage dangers here! The hypocracy of legal parimutual wagering when attempts are being made to prohibit other gaming styles using the same media is immediately obvious.

We quote direct from the site:

Why should you open a TVG account?
Here's why!
Over 60 of America's best tracks
Watch the action on TVG Network
Enjoy coverage from a trusted on-air team
Wager online, by phone or via your Dish iTV remote
Live multi-track streaming video of races online
Free handicapping info and TVG on-air experts' picks
No deposit fees

By Mail:
19545 N.W. Von Neumann Drive, Suite 210
Beaverton, OR, 97006

TVG, the interactive horseracing network

Available in over 18 million homes nationwide, TVG Network is the leading sports television network that combines the excitement of live horseracing from premier U.S. racetracks and the convenience of in-home, account wagering. In addition to live horseracing, TVG Network features commentary, interviews, in-depth race analysis, handicapping and wagering tutorials, and originally produced programming for racing’s major events. Viewers in certain areas can wager interactively on the races via telephone, the Internet or Interactive Television by establishing a wagering account online at www.TVG.com or by telephone at 1-888-PLAY TVG.

TVG, a subsidiary of Gemstar – TV Guide International, Inc., has exclusive agreements for television and interactive wagering with the following racetracks: Aqueduct, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Calder, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Emerald Downs, Fair Grounds, Fairplex Park, Hollywood Park, Hoosier Park, Keeneland, Los Alamitos, Oak Tree at Santa Anita, Prairie Meadows, Ruidoso Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Saratoga Race Course, Turf Paradise, Turfway Park and Zia Park.

Another site offering similar facilities including international wagering is Xpressbet.com, which is affiliated with HRTV on cable television and will take bets on both the telephone and the internet.

'Nuff said....or perhaps not enough said!

Nevada Gaming Commission says wireless gaming is OK - on land casino premises

The Nevada Gaming Commission has approved rules that will permit casinos to offer wireless handheld gambling devices to people who want to gamble away from the casino floor but on land casino premises.

The 5-0 unanimous vote means that the devices will now be tested in various Vegas casinos and in the commission's technology lab over the next three to six months. Once the testing is complete, makers of wireless gambling devices can seek approval of their products for use in a casino's public areas, such as restaurants or the pool area.

Several casino industry executives said after the public hearing that gamblers could start using the devices in Las Vegas by the end of the year.

David Loflin, president and chief executive officer of Diamond I Inc., a Baton Rouge, La., company that has developed a handheld wireless gambling system and been prominent in promoting the concept in Nevada, said the state's legalisation of such devices created a market for his firm. "It's definitely the beginning of a new era," he said.

The devices, ranging in size from a handheld video-game player to a slate or tablet PC, can be programmed for individual games of blackjack, poker, roulette and even slots.

Last summer, Nevada became the first state to legalise the devices for use inside casino hotels. State gambling regulators have been crafting rules governing how they would work ever since.

Last month, Atlantic City operators asked New Jersey legislators to hold a hearing on allowing similar devices inside casinos there. A five-member Senate committee in Trenton will decide in the coming months whether to introduce legislation on the issue.

Yesterday, after the Nevada commission hearing, an executive with Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. called the prospect of the wireless devices "exciting." "We're always interested in a new technology that will increase the entertainment value for our customers and create value for our shareholders," said Virginia McDowell, chief information officer for Trump, which operates three casinos in Atlantic City.

To gamble using the mobile devices in Nevada, a visitor would need to show identification to obtain one from the casino, then deposit money into an electronic account. Under the law, signed by Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn in June, a wireless blackjack player could gamble in public areas, such as the casino's bars, restaurants, pool area and convention hall. The devices could not be used in hotel rooms or other private areas.

A key point of contention in Nevada has been how to prevent minors and problem gamblers from using the devices. In the review of devices by the commission's technology lab, regulators will examine whether to require measures such as biometric fingerprinting and wagering limits.

Cantor G&W, an affiliate of New York-based Cantor Fitzgerald L.P. that wants to provide wireless devices, has proposed adding biometric fingerprint readers. If the print does not match that of the person authorized to use the device, it will not work. The device could also allow a player to set a daily wagering limit and shut off automatically when the limit is reached.

Those who track the gambling industry said yesterday's commission vote was a significant win for U.S. casino companies that have been trying to enter the lucrative, but currently illegal, world of online gambling. Wireless devices, they say, may provide another avenue to capture some of the explosive growth in electronic gambling. U.S. gamblers accounted for two-thirds of the $10.9 billion generated by the online-gambling industry last year, according to Christiansen Capital Advisers, which tracks the Internet gambling business.

More than 70 countries allow Internet gambling in some form, including France, Germany and Britain. But a combination of state and federal laws - notably the Wire Act of 1961 - prohibits U.S. companies from taking bets online.

"This is good for gaming in the U.S.," said Martin D. Owens Jr., a California lawyer specializing in Internet gambling law. "A small step to catch up with the rest of the world."

Now PGIC joins the fray

The race to have handheld equipment approved for use on Nevada land casino premises was joined by another competitor this week - Progressive Gaming International Corporation.

The company says that the wireless edition of its Rapid Bet Live sports wagering product is expected to be submitted to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB)for approval within the next three months. On March 23, 2006, the NGCB approved the use of wireless gaming devices in Nevada, the first state in the nation to allow mobile, wireless gaming in public areas in casinos.

PGIC joins companies like Diamond I Inc and Cantor G&W vying for position in a new market for handhelds brought about by the Nevada Gaming Commission's recent approval for the use of these on land casino premises.

The Commission has approved rules that will permit casinos to offer wireless handheld gambling devices to people who want to gamble away from the casino floor but on land casino premises.

The NGC has approved rules for the new gambling media and will now practically test the concept in various Vegas casinos and in the commission's technology lab over the next three to six months. Once the testing is complete, makers of wireless gambling devices such as those identified above can seek approval of their products for use in a casino's public areas.

Several casino industry executives have opined that gamblers could start using the devices in Las Vegas by the end of the year.

The devices, ranging in size from a handheld video-game player to a slate or tablet PC, can be programmed for individual games of blackjack, poker, roulette and even slots.

Last summer, Nevada became the first state to legalise the devices for use inside casino hotels. State gambling regulators have been crafting rules governing how they would work ever since.

Last month, Atlantic City operators asked New Jersey legislators to hold a hearing on allowing similar devices inside casinos there. A five-member Senate committee in Trenton will decide in the coming months whether to introduce legislation on the issue.

Progressive Gaming's executive vice president and CTO Thomas Galanty says that the company made important investments in technology and people last year with the objective of securing a share of the Nevada handheld business: "In particular the acquisition of VirtGame and the opening of a technology center in Southern California with the objective of being one of the first movers in the area of server-based wagering" were key moves, he said.

The company currently has Rapid Bet Live in a field trial in the sports book at the Palms Resort and Casino. During the first two and a half weeks of this 30 day regulatory field trial, Rapid Bet Live has been exceeding expectations with no functionality issues. The company has other gaming content that can be delivered through a central server based system that it expects to submit to various gaming regulatory agencies for approval throughout 2006 and 2007 that are expected to appeal to users of wireless devices within a casino.

Aspirational women the target

Look out for an upmarket bingo advertising campaign from the Littlewoods Bingo - St Minver partnership soon. Created and orchestrated by UK ad agency TBG, the campaign will target "aspirational women" through a "Bingo Chic" concept.

The campaign will launch across gaming and casino portal and networks, says Simon Mansell, managing director of TBG London: “The Littlewoodsbingo.com selling line is ‘the name you can trust’ and the fact that it is joining an established stable of online and offline brands under the Littlewoods gaming umbrella should give us a head start.”

Gary Speakman, chief executive officer of Sportech PLC, owners of Littlewoods Gaming, said: “The aim is to be the leading online bingo business in the market. By leveraging the Littlewoods brand, we aim to broaden the company's reach into the market and establish LittlewoodsBingo.com as a leading UK bingo website.”

Littlewoods Bingo launched in January this year and is a subsidiary of Littlewoods Gaming, itself owned by the UK public betting group Sportech plc. The branding respect and cross marketing opportunities through Littlewoods Gaming, which has over 1.7 million players, are significant and provide a wide portfolio of Littlewoods branded gaming and betting opportunities, including football pools, spot the ball, bingo, lucky numbers, lottery scratchcard games, fixed odds betting, casino and poker play.

Littlewoods Bingo is a white label site created and operated by Gary Shaw's Gibraltar-licensed St Minver group and powered by the Canadian Parlay Entertainment software. Other companies using St Minver's white label facilities include Virgin Gaming, Yahoo, Wanadoo, Sportingbet, zoo, Poker Heaven and recently the Russian based Rambler Media group.

The new website aims to tap into a bingo player base of considerable potential. Littlewoods expects the online bingo market to grow significantly over the next few years and the site includes strong community features.

Marketing hassles and poor response from UK Gambling Commission blamed

Recent guidance notices from the new UK Gambling Commission have brought about the cancellation of a major poker tournament scheduled for 9 - 16 June....and the organisers are not happy about it.

Scheduled to take place at the famed Old Trafford grounds in England, and hyped as the biggest poker festival in Europe the project allowed for online qualifiers and was supported by important sites such as Paddy Poker and Bowmans.

$10,500 prize package contents included 7 nights in a Manchester hotel, a tour of the stadium, gala dinner, generous travel expenses, zero-rake cash games, and entry into five poker tournaments.

Announcing the cancellation, the organisers of the Rivercard Poker Festival said that recent guidelines from the UK Gambling Commission meant they could no longer promote or run the event after restrictions on advertising were re-emphasised. The Gambling Commission issued a Guidance Notice on Section 42 of the 1968 Gaming Act, with would not allow marketing for the UK-based poker festival.

Rivercard ended the notification with an apology to players, and a rather provocative if non-specific barb aimed at the Commission: “This, together with a lack of co-operation from the Gambling Commission on the matter has today led to the difficult decision to cancel this event."

Could the Scheinbergs be looking toward London after all?

PokerStars.com was at the centre of intense speculation (see earlier InfoPowa reports) in January of this year when the world's second largest online poker company hired a leading London broker, NM Rothschild to guide it in deciding whether to continue as is, sell or launch an IPO. Amid rumours of behind the scenes buying offers, the topic then went quiet, only to re-surface this week with further talk of a London listing.

The Israeli Scheinberg family own 75 percent of PokerStars, with employees holding the rest but there was no response to media enquiries about the renewed interest in a listing.

Analysts discussing the issue speculate that a listing could raise between US$2.5 billion and US$3 billion, valuing PokerStars right up there with Party Gaming, 888.com and other top of the totem pole companies. PokerStars is reported to generate profits of around US$200 million a year and is certainly in the big money leagure when it comes to tournaments and promotions involving millions of dollars..

London listings have continued to enjoy popularity this year after an exciting 2005. Excapsa had a successful debut recently, there are reports of Full Tilt Poker talking to brokers and financiers and the Playtech IPO has been predicted for late March - April by many. On the downside, the current attempts to ban online gambling in the States could introduce a dampening effect, although European executives have expressed doubts that such a ban will be passed in the face of the millions of Americans who regularly play online and the continued growth of the business, which last year enjoyed revenues of at least $10.9 billion and shows little sign of slowing down.

Publication details why it thinks online gambling may be a bubble that could burst

Taking a rather dim view of online poker this week, the UK publication The Motley Fool gives reasons for its pessimism on the multi-billion dollar industry.

Star Performers Can't Fail

When star performers in a sector reckon they are too big to fail then it may be time to worry. For instance, what can be more damaging for a business than to face losing access to its biggest market? Yet key players in the online poker arena that include 888.com and PartyGaming have brushed aside the threat of a damaging US bill aimed at stamping out Internet gambling. The bill, which has been cleared by the House Financial Services Committee, will prohibit gaming sites from accepting credit card, cheques and any form of electronic fund transfer. Online gaming bulls think the bill is unenforceable but the legislation could put the US out of bounds to online poker and gaming sites.

Crazy Valuations

When a company such as Fairground Gaming can raise GBP 4 million based on a business plan that involves buying up other players in the market then investors should perhaps take note. Fairground Gaming is currently valued at GBP 25 million, yet it neither generates a profit nor derives any revenue. Its sole purpose is to identify opportunities for consolidation in the smaller end of the fragmented online gaming sector.

Built-to-flip

One of the best ways to make money in a bubble market is to set up a business and sell it quickly. Take CheekyMoon, an offbeat online gaming company which was only formed in August 2005 by Lord Beaverbrook. It also counts David Baddiel of Baddiel and Skinner fame as one of its main shareholders. After less than a year since its formation, CheekyMoon has been sold to Pine Ventures, which in turn plans to float the business onto the market next month.

Poker Pro Jesse Jones to take the world of tournament poker into the major leagues

Press releases from a New York public relations agency this week heralded the arrival of a new U.S. poker oversight body headed by pro player Jesse Jones.

The release announces the launch of World Poker Association (WPA), which "....joins the MLB, NFL, FIFA, NHL and PGA as the sports world’s latest and most needed governing body. Launched today, the official oversight body is elevating tournament poker to its rightful place among globally recognized sports."

The new, non-profit body aims to unite the poker community under one banner, and is the only membership-based association for tournament poker that is not directly affiliated with any for-profit poker entity.

Understanding the concerns and needs of both individuals and organisations within the industry, the WPA announcement says that it will reconcile tournament issues among all entities to establish uniform standards.

The organisation has already attracted top names in the international poker community to its membership roster including: Joe Beevers of the Hendon Mob, poker philanthropist Barry Greenstein, Casey Kastle, Kenna “Cowboy” James, “Kill Phil” Author Blair Rodman and world-renowned Tournament Director, Matt.Savage.

“The WPA is designed to become the ‘PGA of Poker,’” said founder Jesse Jones. “Professional standards will position the WPA and tournament poker among the other great professional sports organisations of the world. We invite all members of the poker community to join us in the creation of the World Poker Association.”

Jones says that as the governing body of tournament poker, the WPA will establish member-based committees that will incorporate a “One Voice, One Vote” policy for all tournament poker entities. Members will address the critical issues impacting tournament poker including a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct, uniform tournament rules and rankings, and players’ rights and benefits. The WPA will also form relationships with media enterprises, incorporate international associations, support governmental and regional issues as they impact tournament poker, and contribute to worthy charity causes.

"The formation of the WPA is one of the most important steps in lifting our game to a truly professional status,” said Joe Hachem, 2005 World Series of Poker Champion. “I truly urge all of you, involved in the world of poker, from around the world to join and help grow our great profession."

Those interested in applying for membership or obtaining more information can go to www.wpapoker.com.

Professional Poker Player Jesse Jones is well-known and respected throughout the international poker community, and approaches the sport with the attitude and aptitude one expects from a pro athlete. As a three-time throat cancer survivor he is no stranger to adversity and is dedicating all the time and effort needed to thrust poker into the spotlight of the sporting world.

“It is my dream that one day tournament poker will command the respect, participation and sponsorship that other sports have attained,” said Jones. “With player and industry support, I know tournament poker will find its rightful home in the major leagues.”

A penalty to make your eyes water...

The techie publication WHIR reported the greatest penalty yet imposed on a spammer this week in an article that should deliver a salutary warning to all those who bombard Internet users with unwanted emails, and the companies that support this irritating practice.

The story reports on Jumpstart Technologies, which has agreed in a consent decree to pay a $900 000 civil penalty for violating the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, in the largest penalty yet for illegal spam.

And a further cautionary to spammers is that the Federal Trade Commission says it is increasing fines for Internet marketers -adult and mainstream - now that the Can-Spam Act has been in effect for several years.

The FTC says that it is charging companies that violate Can-Spam with aggressive fines. Jumpstart was fined for its FreeFlixTix promotion, which provided direct marketing opportunities to online advertising partners by collecting marketing data to sell to third parties.

The San Francisco-based Jumpstart, owned by Greg Tseng, operates numerous companies, including Bonus Bonez, Harding Innovations, Infinity Brands and Launchpad Services, as well as such sites as CrushLink.com and SomeoneLikesYou.com.

The FTC alleged that Jumpstart offered free movie tickets to email recipients in exchange for the names and email addresses of five or more of their friends. It then sent them commercial emails with the consumer's email address in the "from" line and personal "subject lines" like "Hey," "Happy Valentine's Day," "Happy New Year," "Movie time. Let's go," or "Invite."

Investment described as a chance "to capture the fast growing Chinese e-sports market."

Swedish online casino and poker turnkey provider Boss Media moved this week to extend its influence and opportunities in the Chinese e-sports market.

The company announced that it has acquired 20 percent of the Hong Kong based e-sports provider Bele Ltd. Bele is an established company delivering online e-sport services to gamers in China.

"This is a unique opportunity for Boss Media to invest in Bele who is in pole position to capture the fast growing Chinese e-sports market, said Johan Berg, CEO of Boss Media AB. "This [deal] will build our experience and knowledge for the future about one of the worlds biggest consumer markets, but even more importantly, [it is] a way for us to establish invaluable contacts in China."

Bele holds the exclusive E-Sport World Cup license (ESWC) for China, globally the most recognised E-Sport brand. There are today approximately 50 countries that participate in qualifications to the event. Bele will be organising and running qualification events in 28 major Chinese cities.

"Through the commitment of Boss Media we now we have all the necessary experience to operate a gaming service that will have millions of subscribers" says Krister Nilsson, Chairman of Bele Ltd.

The main distribution channel for Bele's online tournament platform will be a selection of the +150 000 Internet cafes in China. The game servers, in the internet cafes, are connected to a central server that manages ranking, tournaments, loyalty schemes and subscription fees.

"If and when the Chinese market de-regulates, access to Bele's infrastructure will enable our customers to quickly tap in to the Chinese market", says Markus Holm, CFO at Boss Media AB.

E-Sport is one of the world's fastest growing gaming disciplines. It mainly includes the gaming genres: strategy, shooting, racing and sports games like FIFA World Cup, Counter-Strike, Battlefield etc.

$45 million Brooklyn operation closed down

Chinatown and Gambino operators were allegedly among a $45 million sportsbetting ring closed down by the New York authorities this week reports the New York Daily News.

Brooklyn authorities said that with the March Madness betting reaching a peak, a number of Brooklyn premises were raided in a bust, dubbed Kings Flush 2006 March Madness that netted $300,000 in cash and scores of computers at call centers.

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes reported that: "Seven of the men arrested early Saturday are suspected of being soldiers in the Chinese Fukanese [Ed. note: we kid you not - this is their name!] street gang. Three more have ties to the Gambino crime family."

The investigation, led by detectives in Hynes' office, began in November 2005 and zeroed in on several wirerooms in Brooklyn, Queens and lower Manhattan, where the defendants allegedly took bets phoned in prior to major pro and college sports events.

The 11 locations, mostly low-rent apartments in residential neighborhoods, typically consisted of phone banks, computers and two or three people taking the calls, investigators said.

In an interesting sequel to the raid, New York newspapers quoted District Attorney Hynes and the heads of New York State's five off-track betting agencies in a call for legalised sports gambling.

"Money gambled illegally on sporting events is the funding that fuels the business of organised crime," Hynes said. "If sports betting were legal, that money could go toward funding education, health care and fighting terrorism."

No fools in Paradise Poker's major tournament starting this weekend

Sportingbet's major challenger for the online poker business and its rewards, Paradise Poker.com is set to launch a series of major tournaments this Saturday (April 1st)

The series has a serious twist for those used to playing in online tournament series on the web. The final table of the main event of the Paradise Masters will happen live, and in person, in the Bahamas.

Beginning on Saturday, April 1st with a $500 Freeze out No Limit Hold Em tournament, the Masters series has over $4 million in prize guarantees, and this tournament sets the pace with a guaranteed prize pool of $300,000.

The culmination of this series of events is the $1 000 000 guaranteed Main Event, which plays on Sunday, April 9th with a $1,000 buy in. The action will take place on Paradise Poker until the final table is reached, and once the final table is established, the chip counts will freeze, and the final table players will re-convene in May in the Bahamas for the final confrontation live before spectators and TV cameras.

The winner of the main event will also receive a $12 000 WSOP Paradise Poker prize package.

The full schedule for the Paradise Masters looks like this:

April 1 - $500 NL Hold Em
April 2 - $200 NL Hold Em (rebuys)
April 3 - $300 NL Hold Em (shorthanded)
April 4 - $300 Pot Limit Hold Em
April 5 - $200 Pot Limit Omaha
April 6 - $300 Limit Hold Em
April 7 - $500 NL Hold Em
April 8 - $200 NL Hold Em (rebuys)
April 9 - $1,000 NL Hold Em (Main Event)

As might be expected, Paradise has an extensive choice of satellites, allowing players to get into all these events for very low buy in rates.

Online gambling exec's murder to be subject of a "48 Hours" program

The murder of bright young online gambling exec Adam Anhang (32) is to be the subject of a CBS "48 Hours" TV investigation following claims by father Abraham that there may be "conflicts of interest" surrounding the case.

Anhang, a former financial executive with the Ho gambling group and more recently CEO of the Casino Web Cam "live over the Internet" gambling licensor was brutally stabbed to death last September in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the time of his death he has ownership interests in the Martineau Bay Resort eight miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico.

Jonathan Roman Rivera (22) a bar employee was arrested on suspicion of murder in Anhang's slaying and formerly worked at the Pink Skirt, a restaurant and bar owned by Anhang's Puerto Rican wife.

Witnesses shown photos of Roman identified him as the man who attacked Anhang and his wife as they walked to their car from the Pink Skirt on Sept. 23, said Lt. Eddie Hernandez, the head of San Juan’s homicide unit. However, Anhang's father, Abraham, has voiced his concern over what he calls "conflicts of interest" in the case, which he has not detailed.

THQ Wireless presents a game with the Sopranos

Mobile game developers THQ Wireless.com has come up with a topical and fun new mobile poker game based on the population television gangster series the Sopranos. The new game is available to Cingular Wireless users from this week.

In a press release the company sets the scene by asking: "Do you miss the good old days, when poker was associated with private back rooms, seedy characters, and dark alleys? Well, for those of you who do, THQ Wireless is offering you a trip down memory lane with its new The Sopranos Poker game. Poker fans can now play 5-card draw against characters from the hit HBO gangster series like Silvio, Paulie, and, of course, Tony Soprano himself."

The setting for the poker play is the infamous back room of the Bada Bing! strip club, which Sopranos fans will recognize from the TV show. Unique features of the game allow for players to wager more than just their chips, as gold chains and watches can be thrown into the pot to raise the stakes. The Sopranos Poker also allows players to sneak a peek at other player's cards.

Plenty publicity but no site

The whereabouts of a new online gambling slots site had our reporters scratching their heads this week as they surfed the 'Net looking for a company that appears to be all publicity and no presence.

Press releases boosting a new site called Slots24.com promised over 20 themed slots on Flash technology, instant-play proprietary software, with bonuses and player promotions galore and multi-currency gambling, but there was no sign of these offerings on the Internet.

The games on offer include 3 reel, 5 reel and video slot variations, says casino manager Bev Samson in the release. And affiliates will find the new operation to their liking, she continues because they can embed the entire casino in their websites, giving players the choice to play from any affiliate site or the official Slots24.com site, whichever comes first.

Either something has gone wrong in a technical sense, or the marketing guys have jumped the gun on this one!

Appointed Director of Operations

Online casino and sportsbook group BetUs.com has appointed industry exec Kevin King as Director of Operations. King has been CEO of the BetRoyal group for the past two years.

With typical hype, BetUS president George Gutierrez says in a statement: "On the tail of a year that has resulted in greater than 200 percent growth, BetUS.com is continuing to acquire some of the most formidable talent in the online gaming industry.

"With the recent opening of a new Vancouver marketing office, and the recruitment of what is widely considered the best Sportsbook branding and marketing staff in the industry today, BetUS.com is poised to deliver an industry leading brand new look and feel to their business this fall.

"The senior management team is getting a new look as well as BetUS.com has just announced the hiring of Kevin King as its new Director of Operations.

“Kevin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to BetUS.com. He’s proven himself to be an industry leader and his expertise and commitment to quality will help propel BetUS.com to the top of the online gaming world.”

Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Foreman says: “It’s a very exciting time here at BetUS.com. We’ve brought on a first-class marketing team and I’m confident that with Kevin on board, our levels of service will be the benchmark that our competitors strive to match.”

King served as BetRoyal.com CEO for more than two years.

Now Molnick is going after the big names

Mel Molnick, the aggressive patent holder for the "live over the Internet" concept where live casino gambling is streamed over the Internet to players, has given notice that he intends to litigate against some of the biggest names in European online gambling following the approval of his European patent in January of this year.

Home Gambling Network, Inc. of Nevada and Molnick have filed patent infringement lawsuits against the following companies :

* Sportingbet plc

* Hilton Group plc / Ladbrokes

* Cherryforetragen AB / Net Entertainment/ Betsson

* World Gaming plc

* VO Group of Costa Rica

* Betinternet.com plc

Interestingly, the announcement lists Casino Web Cam as part of Betinternet, implying that this company formerly operated by the late Adam Anhang and a sub-licensor of "Live over the Internet" technology casinos is now part of the Isle of Man public company.

The announcement notes that the European Patent Office has approved Molnick's patent for live gaming events with electronic fund transfers for remote players. Following this, Molnick is presently registering the patent in all EPO countries and member territories, as now enforceable throughout the world.

Molnick's HGN already has a U.S. patent (U.S. 5,800,268) that he has successfully used to take on major online gambling operators like Dr. Ho and CWC.

A company spokesman said: "Mr. Molnick anticipates filing numerous patent infringement lawsuits throughout Europe and the EPO territories for all those infringing upon his patent since November 17, 1999 (the date of publication). The patent pertains to a business method for remote wagering on live games and events utilising electronic transactions, and provides its assignee with full provisional patent protection.

"Specifically, via remote wagering, consumers can place bets from anywhere in the world without having to go to an actual wagering entity such as a casino, race track, sports book, or off-track betting parlor. Location-free wagering such as this is delivered to consumers via the Internet, satellite and cable television, and wireless technologies. Live games and events include casino-style games, pari-mutuel wagering, lotteries, sports betting, bingo, keno, and more. Electronic financial transactions are executed by credit card, debit card, smart card, as well as e-cash and any other electronic funds transfer."

Mel Molnick is President of i2corp and Home Gambling Network. He created the HGN patent (U.S. 5,800,268), and co-founded HGN with his daughter in 1995.

HGN was formed specifically to market and license the original U.S. Patent 5,800,268, which was granted in September 1998. Prior to becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of i2corp in February of 2000 HGN was the force behind the movement to introduce operators and players alike to live remote wagering.

Austrian plaintiff alleges that over-the-Internet gambling system has been misused

Turnkey provider Playtech and three other foreign companies this week faced patent litigation from an Austrian company on what appeared to be a claim involving live-over-the-internet gambling systems, although full details are still emerging.

The Israeli business press reported that the Austrian company Lubar and its CEO, Yaakov Rafaeli of Rishon LeZion, have filed a lawsuit with the Tel Aviv District Court against Playtech Cyprus Ltd. for patent infringement relating to its "....system and method for remote online gambling at actual casinos."

Lubar has named three other defendants, all foreign companies operating online gambling sites, including Empire Online Ltd., controlled by CEO Noam Lanir.

The claim is unfortunate timing for Playtech, which is currently on the run-up to a London listing believed to be scheduled for the end of this (March) month and its majority shareholder, Israeli entrepeneur Teddy Sagi.

According to papers filed by the claimant, before the development of the Lubar system and method of online gambling at actual casinos, gambling was carried out at virtual gambling sites, with the results calculated by the website’s computers. The claimant says its invention was the first to make possible online gambling at an actual casino, where the operator was a real person, and where the results of the game were determined by where the roulette ball fell.

Although this has yet to confirmed, from this description the patent sounds like a "live over the Internet" videostreaming technology similar to that used by Casino Web Cam and the subject of heated legal clashes in the past.

The claimants allege that they have parallel patents in the US and Australia, that they were applying for patents in European and other countries, and intend to enforce their patent rights worldwide.

No statement of defense from any of the accused companies has yet been filed, and InfoPowa's request for a comment went unanswered by Playtech.

That's "Online Gambling Myths and Facts" with rebuttals of US banning claims

Attracting attention this week was a professional looking British site at www.onlinemythsandfacts.com, which boasts contact addresses for one Jools Moore at the London PR firm Leap Consultants.

The site is well furnished with information and corrections on the Leach and Goodlatte attempts to ban online gambling which are currently the centre of attention as the US legislative machine grinds into gear once again. There are detailed reference works and links, informed articles by academics and others on the legal situation in the States, a draft letter that US visitors can send to their representative protesting the ban, and even a list of representatives to whom this can be sent.

It is unknown who is behind the site: InfoPowa contacted Moore on an email address listed on the site but to no response had been received as we went to press, although it is the weekend.

However, there is a detailed Mission Statement and Objectives, which goes like this:

OGMF Mission Statement

To promote accurate and credible information about the online gambling industry and offer a thoughtful voice in support of regulated online gambling.

OGMF Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the OGMF web site are:

To collect, organize, publish, and make available credible information that furthers OGMF’s mission.

To encourage remote gambling operators within the betting and gaming industry and to act collectively to represent the interests of legitimate and licensed remote gambling operators.

To encourage high standards of integrity within the remote betting and gaming industry, for the benefit of both the public, remote gaming operators, and jurisdictions that regulate such operators.

To encourage social responsibility within the betting and gaming industry, including the support of initiatives to help those who have gambling problems.

We found one section particularly interesting, where the claims being made by some American politicians in support of a ban are detailed and argued. Among the subjects dealt with:

* Money Laundering

* Gambling Addiction

* Underage Gambling

* Existence of Online Gambling in the United States

* Consumer Protection

* Placing Bets Online Today

* Regulation of Online Gambling

* Betting on Sports

* Federal Government on Gambling

* States on Gambling

* International Trade Obligations for Gambling Services

PurePoker and Futurebet still dithering

Going into it's seventh week, the PurePoker.com closure that left players unpaid with their monies frozen in locked accounts continues to drag on. Incredibly, there has still not been any official written communication from software provider Futurebet to the many irate players, telling them what has happened and how their cash is going to be safeguarded.

Futurebet is clearly still in control of operations, because accounts are being switched on and off with often bewildering frequency.

Earlier reports are that the previous owners, who still hold the domain had closed the site and disappeared. Presumably Futurebet has some idea of who and where they are, and has a lien on the deposit customarily made by operators for services such as e-cash processing. Two weeks ago a character identified only as *Pino* started approaching players and trying to bargain their claims down with brusque "take it or leave it" offers. It later transpired that, although this person is operating with Futurebet's cooperation he does not have ownership of the site, and is primarily interested in getting hold of the player database for his other internet gambling interests.

Despite earlier promises that "the players will be looked after" Futurebet remains publicly silent on how it intends to do that amd as time marches on this company's eputionbcomes increasingly vulnerable. Under the circumstances, players need to be extremely cautious around PurePoker.

Definitely not a Winner....

A serious row is brewing over Winner.com and its stable-mate Casino 4 Aces.com, operated by Israelis who were formerly with Club Dice. Earlier this month players received an email arbitrarily telling them that due to an unspecified software glitch the casino had been disadvantaged in an undisclosed manner and was accordingly re-setting everyone's accounts to their initial deposits.

Clearly this disadvantages any winners, and there was an immediate outcry. Exacerbating the issue is the fact that the gambling software is identified only as "proprietary" which implies no back-up and no known track record of independent testing or certification.

The operators point out that in terms of their T&C's any software dysfunction renders all winnings void. This is a common T&C but one that is rarely used in the industry because the suggestion that a software is unreliable is enough to send most online players elsewhere. The operators of this casino need to keep this front-of-mind before implementing a unilateral decision that might have a short term benefit but a long term penalty.

A wiser solution, and one that will cement a reputation for integrity despite trying circumstances would be to pay winners in full and return deposits to losers.

Email running wild

Players opening up their email this week were stunned and amazed to find that they were receiving the same promotional email as many times as once every 3 minutes. It wasn't an over-enthusiastic casino promo backroom staffer, though - a technical screw-up resulted in the Palace Group spewing out thousands of duplicate emails from the recently taken over Mummy's Gold Casino. Many players blocked the email on their filters to stop the inundation, and Palace techies were quick on the fix. Some players (but not others?) were given $10 bonuses for the inconvenience.

Silence not Golden in streaker infringement

The Kahnawake licensing jurisdiction is not handling the Golden Palace Olympic streaker issue well, and continued to maintain a stubborn silence and lack of transparency this week despite requests for information from several media and portal owners. Long story short, Golden Palace Casino signed an agreement with Kahnawake that it would not again disrupt international sporting events with it's guerilla marketing "streaker" tactics. At the recent Winter Olympics it broke this agreement, and industry people are curious to see how effective Kahnawake is in doing something about it.

Experienced manager recruited from the Middle East

The dynamics of change among top management at 888.com continued this week with the appointment of a highly experienced executive to head up the gambling group's audit, remuneration, regulatory and compliance, and nominations committees.

John Anderson , the CEO of the group announced that Amos Pickel has been appointed non-executive director with responsibility for these key operations.

Currently the chief executive of Red Sea Hotels, Pickel has extensive business experience that will add significant strength to the board of 888 in an industry poised to experience rapid changes in the next two to three years, Anderson remarked. "We must have the best team available to exploit this.

Party Gaming announces replacement for CEO Segal

The speculation over the past weeks (see previous InfoPowa reports) has been on the money: PartyGaming named Mitchell Garber as its new chief executive today (Wednesday), recruiting the legal expert in online gaming who also had helped build a major payment-processing business.

The world's biggest online gaming group said Garber, who most recently helped to float and manage payment-processing firm FireOne, would start his new role on April 19. Segal is due to vacate the hot seat on June 1.

His appointment comes three weeks after Gibraltar-based PartyGaming said Chief Executive Richard Segal was leaving.

Garber will receive a salary of $1 million (GBP 570 000) a year and a $6 million payment to cover relocation costs from Canada to Gibraltar and the purchase of share options in FireOne and its parent, Optimal Group.

He will receive 7 million share options in his first year and a further 20 million options across years two, three and four, linked to PartyGaming's performance.

If he is to qualify for the full 20 million options, PartyGaming will have to outperform the FTSE 100 index by 10 percent and other online gaming companies including rivals Sportingbet and 888 by 10 percent.

No new shares will be issued to cover the options, which will come from an existing fund set up at flotation.

A qualified attorney, Garber (41) developed the first gaming law practice in Canada while at Montreal-based law firm Lazarus, Charbonneau, Attorneys and also advised governments on legislative and regulatory frameworks for the industry.

He helped to build Optimal Payments, a subsidiary of the Optimal Group, into a $5 billion payment-processing business in less than two years, PartyGaming said in a statement.

FireOne, which provides payment processing services for the online gaming industry, said on March 7 that Garber had resigned to pursue other opportunities in the sector.

PartyGaming, founded in 1997, owns and operates PartyPoker, the world's largest online poker room, as well as EmpirePoker, MultiPoker, IntertopsPoker and PokerNOW. It has recently pioneered the "one stop gambling" concept of a major integrated site offering a diversity of gambling types such as casino and poker gaming all accessed from one player account.

10 hand Texas Hold Em on your mobile

Blackberry addicts now have yet another facility on this remarkable mobile communications system - 10 hand Texas Hold Em poker.

MGN Technologies trading as Mobile Gaming Now has developed the new gaming software for the Blackberry 8700 Series Cellphone and the release of "Gold Mobile -- Texas Holdem," introduces a range of new entertainment possibilities on hand held devices.

The BlackBerry 8700c is the first handset available in Research in Motion's new range of Intel-based smartphones. The 8700c is available exclusively on the Cingular network in the U.S. and the 8700r is available exclusively on the Rogers network in Canada. The 8700 is a quad-band GSM/GPRS world phone that should work in most places on the planet.

Enhancing the entertainment value of the new game is the QVGA color LCD screen, which is new and improved at 320x240 pixels, and the speed of operation - the 8700 is described as the fastest Blackberry yet.

Affiliate convention pulls the big names

It seems that the affiliate marketing industry's latest convention in Amsterdam has attracted some of the top names in online casino executive levels as speakers, judging by a recent press release from organiser Marc Lesnick.

Microgaming CEO Roger Raatgever, Avigur Zmora (CEO of Playtech) and Peter Marcus (Director of Marketing at Cryptologic) will speak at CAC 2006 Amsterdam, detailing the latest gaming developments in the field of software and new threats and opportunities affiliates may expect to see in the months ahead.

The talks prepared by these senior executives are expected to pull in a record attendance, and a live video feed to an additional venue has been arranged to take the overflow.

The session to look for at the two day confe rence is April 10 from 1:30PM to 3:00 PM in the St. John's Room II at the Krasnapolsky.

Fast-growing mahjong company signs up with Dr. Ho

The name Dynasty Gaming Inc. is appearing in online casino gambling news outlets with increasing frequency following a series of lucrative deals involving its signature mahjong skill gaming product.

This week the company announced the signing of a Letter of Intent with the Macau-based Ho Group to form Ho Majiang, a new Asian-based company that will hold a license for Dynasty's Mahjong software in China and will create and promote game playing opportunities exclusively in that country through the use of prepaid cards.

The announcement reveals that Ho Majiang will be quickly converted into a public company with local shareholders and a listing on the Hang Seng Exchange in Hong Kong. The objective of the listing is to raise the capital needed to fund new business activity. Dynasty will have a significant equity stake in Ho Majiang, which will earn revenue from the sale of special prepaid cards and other venues that enable Mahjong play.

"Formalising this intent with the Ho Group represents a major step in realizing our China strategy", said Albert Barbusci, Dynasty's Chief Executive. "The Ho Group, led by the highly venerated Dr. Stanley Ho, is widely acknowledged as the world's largest gaming organisation. By virtue of its extensive business and cultural roots throughout much of Asia, the Ho Group has broad and credible standing in China.

"The formation of the Ho Majiang public company, which will be controlled by the Ho Group and partnered with local Chinese investors, will create an enterprise armed with Dynasty's intellectual property for use in non-wager play through the use of prepaid cards and other venues. This development ensures that Dynasty will be both an owner and an active participant in satisfying the appetite of the largest universe of Mahjong players in the world."

Commenting from Ho Group headquarters in Macau, Dr. Stanley Ho said, "We are enthusiastic about the future of Ho Majiang which will propagate a game of skill unique in the world. Majiang is not just an official national sport in China, it is a cultural treasure. We expect this announcement to mark the beginning of a series of contributions the Ho family and its companies look forward to making in sport, as well as cultural and social development in China."

Angela Ho will be President of Ho Majiang and said: "Our plans include the creation of an operating company in which Ho Majiang will partner with a leading Chinese group. This operating company will administer all facets of the Mahjong prepaid card operations.

"The extent of this activity and its revenue potential is impossible to estimate but the fact that Mahjong is played by over 500 million people in China causes our family and Dynasty's leadership to believe that it will be considerable. We have every confidence in the future of Ho Majiang."

Raison d'etre for going public says CEO

Toronto based and London listed Excapsa is looking to buy an online casino software developer and operator, Chief Executive Jim Ryan has announced.

The company, which runs an up and coming poker network that includes well known sites like Ultimate Poker, raised GBP 56 million ($97.87 million) by floating on London's junior AIM index last month, the latest in a string of major gaming flotations, including PartyGaming, 888 and Empire Online.

"That was the whole reason for us going public - to put ourselves in the position of a longterm player, as opposed to somebody who would perhaps be an ideal acquisition candidate," Ryan told the Reuters news service.

"Today we're a pure poker play... so the opportunity for us is to bring casino-style games and games of skill into the equation," he added. "What we're looking at right now would be [to acquire] casino software developer-operators... to have the Excapsa network be more of a one-stop shop."

In a wide ranging interview, Ryan who was at one time the CFO of turnkey provider Cryptologic revealed that his company will soon launch wireless poker games over mobile phones and would branch out into blackjack this year.

In the fourth quarter, Excapsa's number of active players increased to 242,000 from 138,000 a year earlier, while average daily revenues rose 86 percent to $303,000 (GBP 173,000).

"Our plan is to ... supplement our gaming network with new products in 2006 and beyond with a view to realising the cross selling opportunities that exist with the networks real money customer database of over 317,000," the company said later in a statement.

Excapsa said it would launch blackjack for poker players to play while waiting for their turn at the table by the end of the second quarter, followed by multi-player blackjack tournaments by the end of the third quarter.

Ryan said Excapsa's poker over mobile phones had been partly limited by connectivity issues in the UK.

"You wouldn't be playing it on the train," he said. "But it's ideal for a wait in an airport or somewhere where you're stationary."

For the full-year 2005, pro-forma revenue jumped 93 percent to $87.6 million, with net income more than doubling to $23.3 million.

Provider clinches solid distribution deals

All-skill poker provider ThwartPoker Inc., is busy this week with the launch of a PC downloadable version of the game, ThwartPoker's All-Skill Poker Tour, featuring the award-winning No Limit Hold'em Blitz and 6 Card Battle stud - poker games that award prizes and cash tied to gameplay.

Concurrently, the company has announced major distribution deals with Big Fish Games and Oberon Media.

ThwartPoker claims it made gaming history in 2004 when it introduced Hold'em Poker+ for Prizes on Infospace Mobile with patented technology that redefined poker by replacing chance with skill. ThwartPoker's mobile game was rated the number 1 mobile game by Infospace in 2005, and received an IGN Wireless Editors' Choice Award. Millions of mobile multiplayer tournament plays took place in 2005 the company says.

"It's an exciting time for ThwartPoker as we have forged distribution deals with some of the leading names in game distribution, while simultaneously releasing the much-anticipated PC version of our game," said Daniel Pfeiffer, co-founder of ThwartPoker. "We're finding that the concept of a strategy-based poker game is appealing to a lot of people - those new to poker as well as traditional poker enthusiasts."

Thwart says the PC version has all the excitement and groundbreaking features of the mobile game, but can now be downloaded and played on the desktop. While preserving the scoring rules, betting and bluffing aspects of traditional poker, the game has players select their own cards rather than being dealt them randomly by the house. Players pick from an open deck of cards and must strategise to achieve a winning hand, including blocking, or "thwarting," competitors. ThwartPoker's sophisticated artificial intelligence technology and innovative gameplay (U.S. patent 6,679,777, others pending) enables virtual opponents to judiciously select cards and bet and bluff with human-like subtlety.

Site features the most widely paid card game in India

Readers of InfoPowa will recall previous reports on TeenPatti.com, which offers traditional Indian Teen Patti games, as well as Texas Holdem and Omaha powered by Yatahay software. The company has joined Yatahay's TruePoker Network for increased player liquidity, bringing with it Teen Patti - the most widely played card game in India.

Allied with the phenomenal growth in the worldwide popularity of poker, this combination is set to be a success, say company spokesmen.

Not much was known about Yatahay as a turnkey poker provider, but the announcement includes some details. Yatahay offers a turnkey poker product, available in two-three weeks from agreement. The company's operating arm provides all operational services including gaming, administration and financial processing, allowing its licensees to focus on marketing and/or raising capital. The company's 3D TruePoker software has been running real money online poker games continually since March, 2001.

This proven TruePoker 3D software is also available for one-off marketing campaigns or contests, with the company providing its 3D poker software for both real money gaming and promotional purposes.

WSOP action through the Pennsylvania Lottery

The Pennsylvania Lottery will award five separate trips to the World Series of Poker Tournament this year in a $100,000 Hold 'Em Poker second-chance drawing Monday, April 10.

The five contestants selected will each receive a seat at a World Series of Poker tournament event, saving themselves the $10,000 buy-in, round-trip airfare for two, six-night/seven-day hotel accommodations at a first-class hotel selected by the Lottery, paid federal withholding taxes and $1,000 in spending money.

Winners may also elect to take the $20,000 cash value of the prize package. Winners under age 21 will automatically receive the cash prize. Pennsylvania Lottery players must be 18 or older.

Full details on how to enter are available from the Lottery, and entries must be received by April 7, 2006.

The Pennsylvania Lottery's $100,000 Hold 'Em Poker instant ticket game remains on sale. There still are five $100,000 top prizes, four $50,000 prizes, and 13 World Series of Poker tournament prize packages remaining in the game.

4th Annual World Poker Classic dates released

Excitement and hype are building toward this year's World Poker Tour grand finale, which will be hosted at the Bellagio Hotel Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Bellagio’s 2006 4th Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic kicks off April 5th with two-day no-limit hold’em tournaments, including a seniors event and “a last chance to qualify” super satellite. On April 18th, the $25,000 championship will begin, with final table filming on April 24th.

One-table qualifiers will run day and night, throughout the course of the each scheduled event, for the next day’s tournament.

“Bellagio is excited to host the WPT World Championship for the fourth consecutive year as the grand finale of the 5 Star World Poker Classic,” said Doug Dalton, Director of Poker Operations at Bellagio. “The number of participants increases every tournament and the prize pools continue to set new highs.”

Tuan Le will return to defend last year’s WPT Championship title, which included a bracelet, the trophy, a silver platter and, of course, the money. Le outlasted a field of 452 players to reach the exciting up and down final table. Le, who was severely short-stacked, rebounded to survive blinds, bluffs and fate and won $2,856,150. Second place finisher, Paul Maxfield, took home nearly $1.7 million.

This season, the WPT qualified over a dozen champions, including Grand Prix de Paris winner, Roland De Wolfe. Other slotted participants include Mirage Poker Showdown winner, Gavin Smith; Legends champion, Alex Kahaner; Borgata Poker Open’s Al Ardebili; Ultimatebet’s Aruba winner, Freddie Deeb; Foxwood’s, Nick Schulman; Bellagio Five Diamond’s Rehne Pedersen; PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure winner, Steve Paul-Ambrose; Gold Strike’s, Scotty “The Prince” Nguyen; L.A. Poker Classic’s, Alan Goehring; Borgata’s, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi; Bay 101’s Nam Le; and this years WPC and Foxwood’s champions, to be announced.

"Devilfish" Ulliot goes online

The name Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliot is known to most poker enthusiasts as a great British player who has won millions in a brief poker playing career that started in 2003. This week he signalled his intention to make millions more with the launch of his own online poker room, Devilfish Poker.com.

Powered by the Canadian Excapsa company and a member of that growing network, the new site is the seventh licensee to be signed up alongside the likes of Ultimate Bet. Excapsa recently enjoyed a successful listing on the London Exchange.

Jim Ryan, chief executive of Excapsa, said: “Excapsa is developing its business internationally with a premier UK poker professional. The fact that ‘the Devilfish,’ perhaps the best-known poker player outside North America, has selected our poker network is a testament to the quality of our software.”

Ulliot has become a favourite with spectators due to his distinctive look and nickname, and he remains one of the best known and well-respected (and maybe feared!) professional players on the poker circuit today. The site is like the player - no-nonsense but with all the essentials including player aids and a range of fave poker games starting with Texas Hold Em.

If the standard playing area does not suit individual players, they can do their own thing through an on-site easy to use program called PokerEnvironments, choosing to play "in" Aruba, London, Las Vegas, in the desert or even underwater. An interesting novelty.

Visiting the site provided an answer to a question InfoPowa has often asked: "What is a devilfish?" The informative site tells us that this is a Chinese culinary delicacy that'll kill you if it's not properly prepared. An appropriate corollary to the man who owns it!

Expansion into the Far East currently under way

Industry observers talking to Real Time Gaming staffers at recent events have been wondering at the sudden rise in business travel to Singapore, and this week the answer became clear - the turnkey provider from Atlanta in the USA is expanding into the Far East after launching RTG Asia.

The new software development company will be based and staffed in Singapore, and highlights RTG’s focus on the growing Asian market.

Daniel Schultz, chief executive and chair of RTG Asia, says: “The truth is, to become a serious player in the Asian market you have to immerse yourself entirely.” The company has done that by forming RTG Asia - a joint venture between two Asia-based companies: the Vickers Financial Group, with a 25 percent stake, and a publicly traded regional technology firm that has not yet been identified.

Dr Finian Tan, chairman of Vickers Financial Group, said: “The principals in Vickers have in the past had good experiences in investing in the gaming industry. As a result, we like the space – especially given the consumer boom across Asia in the offline sector as witnessed by Macau's successes and Singapore's moves to enter the industry.

“All indications point to the online sector following suit. Yet there is no clear leader at the moment in Asia, and RTG looks set to be the prime mover."

Online gambling group comments on new UK credit card charges

British online gambling group Getminted.com says the recent news (see earlier InfoPowa reports) that London-based banks Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Eggs’ plans to begin treating consumer transactions on gaming sites as cash advances, rather than as purchases of traditional goods and services is blatant profiteering.

In an announcement following the banks' decision Get Minted said that the effect is that consumers will have to pay interest on the deposits immediately and will also have to pay a cash advance fee in addition to the fees levied on the site operators themselves.

Bank fees are levied on internet site owners when customers deposit and then withdraw winnings. Gaming operators currently cover these charges for their customers both on incoming and outgoing money.

Getminted.com director Simon Collins commented: "How can this new triple pricing strategy be justified? We cover transaction costs for deposits and withdrawals and now our customers will have to pay a further surcharge – I can see gamers moving to more forward thinking card providers as a result."

Geoff Read Finance Director for Getminted remarked: "This profiteering by credit card providers is discriminating against honest gamers choosing to deposit funds for goods and services. The question is where will this end as many online sites across sectors now provide 'wallet-type' facilities for consumers to deposit funds before purchasing goods or services. Consumers should be careful in the card provider they choose."

Getminted.com will review the market and put together a section on its site as well as e-mail communication to advise customers as to where they can obtain the best credit deals for online payments to its sites. To date UK gambling customers have traditionally used the standard VISA and Mastercard brands from companies like Egg and RBS and a significant chunk of business could be moved into other card types as a result.

Getminted will start a programme of customer updates to ensure they don't get customer complaints when they experience possible bill shock when dealing with us through those companies planning to impose fat cat charges. "We will make it clear as day, in exactly the same way as EasyJet do on their web sites," commented Read.

There could be poker fireworks in the next Texas State legislature

A new lobby group wants to make Texas hold 'em poker legal in Texas.

Mike Lavigne, treasurer of the newly formed Texas Poker PAC, said the growing popularity of games like Texas hold 'em, fueled by televised tournaments, has spawned a cottage industry of underground games that warrants state regulation. By licensing and legalising venues for such games, he added, the state could reap much-needed revenue.

"What we envision is that poker games could be run along the same lines that the state uses for charitable bingo," Lavigne said. "Poker is a multibillion-dollar industry in this country, and it is downright silly that Texans can't benefit from that. Texas charities are losing out on millions of dollars because of our antiquated laws."

Lavigne said his organisation is laying the groundwork to push for legalised poker during next month's special legislative session to rewrite the state's school finance laws. If the task cannot be accomplished during the month-long special session, he said, the group will try again during the 140-day regular session that will begin in January.

There will be opposition; Suzii Paynter, a lobbyist for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said that gambling forces are again trying to mesmerise lawmakers with the prospect of easy money. "To say that poker games are going to pay for public schools or any of the state's other needs is a stretch," Paynter said. "What it will do is create another gambling industry in our state that will run amok. That goes well beyond a harmless game of entertainment."

Lavigne said that any poker legislation would contain funding for programs that combat gambling addiction and related problems.

Texas law prohibits commercial establishments such as bars and restaurants from hosting card games where players risk money or something else of value for the chance to win a prize, according to the attorney general's office.

Several states allow some sort of legal poker at casinos and other venues, but laws vary widely, Lavigne said. Texas does not allow casino gaming.

The state comptroller's office has no estimates on how much tax money could be raised from legal poker, but Lavigne said industry experts have put the figure at as high as $500 million annually.

Gambling initiatives have historically faced a struggle in the Texas Legislature. Lawmakers in the 1970s and much of the '80s stoutly resisted efforts to create a state lottery or allow pari-mutuel wagering at horse and dog tracks. But faced with looming budget shortfalls, the Legislature gave ground on both fronts and allowed voters to decide whether they would accept state-authorised gambling.

Voters gave the go-ahead for horse race wagering in 1987 and authorised the lottery four years later.

Well-funded lobbying efforts to allow casino-style slot machines were blunted in 2003, even when the state was facing a $9.9 billion budget hole, and again in 2004 and 2005 when lawmakers were trying to craft a plan to end the state's reliance on local school property taxes to pay for public schools.

Lavigne said that given the proliferation of underground card tournaments, unregulated Internet gambling and competition from neighboring states, it no longer makes sense to keep Texas out of the game.

Profits up, and poker a major contributor

Amid the apprehension in some quarters as the annual "let's ban Internet gambling" season started in Washington, 888 released very positive results this week, and opined that banning legislation was unlikely to succeed.

Chief exec John Anderson hailed the company’s 2005 results as “cracking", commenting that he was “....definitely pleased” with the results and the success of the group's marketing efforts.

He has reason to be delighted; for the year ending 31 December 2005, 888 reported healthy pre-tax profits of US$50 million (GBP 28.5 million) compared with US$43 million in the year before.

Online poker played a significant role in producing the good news with the success of 888's Pacific Poker site, with Net Gambling Revenue for poker rising 179 percent to $109.8 million. This figure is due in part to the 2.3 million newly registered poker member accounts that were opened.

Anderson commented on the company's performance, saying, "We have announced record results today. We continue to grow whilst keeping our costs under control. Our company is more diversified both in products and geographically and we are in prime position to benefit from the industry consolidation that is inevitable... I am extremely proud of our brand and management, which will be key to our continued success."

Net gaming revenues rose 52 percent to US$271 million from US$177.9 million in 2004, with growth accelerating especially over the second half of the year. The dip in last week's share price occasioned by news of the Leach Bill HR 4411 passing the Financial Services Committee in the States proved to be temporary, with a fast recovery and even a slight increase.

Anderson is confident that the attempts to ban will fail. The company is "vigilant" and active in the lobbying arena, and he feels that as far as legislation is concerned, the political moves will ultimately end in regulation rather than prohibition. He said: “As far as legislation is concerned, I think it will end in regulation. I will not take bets from Americans on sportsbooks; as far as I am concerned, that is illegal.”

Addressing regulation of the industry, Anderson said regulators were generally looking beyond merely granting licences and were focusing more on compliance and codes of conduct within the industry. The UK was leading the way by embracing the online sector in the 2005 Gambling Act - a move that 888 believes will create a "domino" effect throughout Europe.

The acquisition of a sportsbook is the next priority for Anderson, as his company moves into the second year of public trading. “I am looking for a non-US sportsbook. I haven’t found one yet, but I am looking. As well as that, of course I am continually looking around, as I should be, for other things.”

888 gained 5.3 million new registered member accounts in 2005, (compared with 4.7 million in 2004) of which 1.8 million were real-money member accounts (2004: 1.2 million).

Anderson said: “Poker is still expanding as an industry, so we are not necessarily taking away market share from elsewhere. There are still new players to be signed up.”

Latest US banning attempts have the islanders riled

Antigua and Barbuda’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) delegation in Geneva ahead of this month's meeting of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) let fly at the latest American attempts to ban Internet gambling, the consequences of which could impact the islanders' economy.

The US is expected to give a possible indication at the meeting of how it intends to comply with the DSB's recommendations on the internet-gaming dispute between the two countries.

In a nutshell, the USA has defended it's right to ban some forms of Internet gambling but not others (ie horseracing betting) by saying it has a moral objection to online gambling. But this would seem at odds with the exceptions to its morality, and the situation has undoubtedly been highlighted by recent renewed banning moves by US politicians where "carve outs" continue to feature. The last WTO ruling was that the Americans would have to bring their exceptions into line if the morality argument was to prevail.

“It would seem to my government that this meeting would be a good opportunity for the US to inform the WTO membership exactly how it intends to comply fully with the various recommendations of the DSB,” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Dr Errol Cort.

“Clearly it is a case of now or later. And by later I am referring to the ruling of the WTO-appointed Arbitrator who, in response to the US request for “a reasonable period of time” to implement the recommendation, awarded a period of 11 months and 2 weeks from 20 April 2005. This period expires on 3 April 2006,” he reminded officials.

Turnkey provider joins UK trade association

The turnkey online casino and poker provider Playtech has joined the British trade association the Remote Gambling Association (RGA).

The company's membership comes soon after its acquisition of a Certificate of Prior Approval from Alderney, the third largest Channel Island, and its successful migration of the Rank Group's Hard Rock Casino, licensed in Alderney.

To qualify for membership, software providers must be licensed directly or supply their product to at least one remote gambling operator who is licensed and operational in the European Economic Area (EEA), Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

The RGA, which was founded in July of 2005 following the merger between the Association of Remote Gambling Operators (ARGO) and the Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association (IGGBA), is an organisation that represents and works for the benefit and service of remote gambling operators in the areas in which their members have an interest.

Aside from representing members' interests to national governments and public bodies, the RGA also works to encourage high standards of probity and integrity within the betting and gaming industry, both for the benefit of its members and the public in general.

A Playtech spokesman said: "We are extremely pleased with our new membership in the RGA. Their work is invaluable to the gaming industry, and we feel that they can represent our interests to regulatory authorities."

If sportsbetting is approved, can online casino regulation be far behind?

The Prague Post reports that Czechs who want to wager on the soccer World Cup in Germany this June might be able to do so via the Internet if the Finance Ministry's plans go ahead.

The Finance Ministry wants to regulate and legalise Internet sports betting for the first time, using rules that "...should be worked out by mid-2006 at the latest," says spokesman Jaroslav Ružek.

The country currently does not allow any form of gambling online. This includes online casinos, which feature poker, blackjack and roulette, and online sports books. Czechs wanting to wager have traditionally turned to land casinos, Herna bars and betting shops.

Analysts say the reason for the change in official thinking is simple: The government wants to cash in on tax revenue during what is arguably the world's largest sporting event, the World Cup.

Unfortunately the ministry is not going the whole hog. Its new regulations would still prohibit online casinos and could ban foreign online gaming companies from having Czech customers.

Gambling industry officials say that the new regulations will block foreign companies from operating in the country, but the ministry has only said it will not make online casinos legal. The ministry originally banned Czech companies from creating online casinos in an effort to guard against underage gambling and because such sites were "not transparent."

But in recent years, the country has seen an infusion of foreign companies answering demand for such sites. At least eight foreign online casino companies have Web pages written in Czech, according to the Finance Ministry. Some of the companies have even advertised inside the Czech Republic.

"The interest of foreign companies in the Czech market is understandable," an analyst says. "We have roughly 100 000 players here."

Czechs spend roughly 12 billion Kc ($504 million) on gambling annually, and the Finance Ministry estimates that 1.8 billion Kc of it went to foreign on-line casinos in 2005.

Licensed gambling companies in the country are against the presence of foreign e-gambling companies because Web sites located abroad do not have to follow the same rules. To take any bet, companies are required by law to get a Finance Ministry permit, pay taxes and be open to state monitoring — rules with which no foreign Internet gambling company complies.

"Anything offering any difference is better than what the situation looks like today," says Zdenek Zikmund, spokesman for Sazka, the country's largest gambling company. "We consider the activities of foreign e-gaming companies in the Czech Republic illegal."

Some analysts say the Finance Ministry could be on the way to a general legalisation of online gambling in the Czech Republic, although not immediately.

Czech rules that apply to online casinos still fall under a general gambling law of 1990.

Mobile gambling the next target

The Isle of Man based betting group Betinternet.com plc has appointed Damon Waddington FCCA to its senior management team as Financial Controller.

A qualified chartered accountant since 1996, Waddington moved to the Isle of Man from London in 1997 and was previously Financial Controller with MeesPierson Intertrust, Isle of Man, a subsidiary of Fortis bank.

Garry Knowles, Managing Director of betinternet.com said: "I am delighted that Damon has joined Betinternet.com as our Financial Controller. With his wealth of financial experience, I expect him to be a key player in supporting the future development of both our sportsbook and parimutuel operations.”

GameAccount heads-up game to feature tournament play, too

One of the leading skill gaming providers, the UK's GameAccount group has officially launched their “3-Card Poker” product after extensive development (see previous InfoPowa reports) The production version of the game is a unique person-to-person (P2P) skill-based adaptation of an evergreen casino game.

3 Card Poker has been integrated into the GameAccount Network, making it available to millions of registered players right across the inte rnational casino, sportsbook and poker sites that are members.

This skill-based version of 3-Card Poker empowers players to engage in ‘Heads-Up!’ play against online opponents, never directly against the ‘House’. Starting with an imaginary chip stack of $10,000, the objective is to build a larger chip stack than opponents with the exact same sequence of cards dealt to both players and the automated, in-game dealer. This represents a challenging opportunity for new and veteran players of 3-Card Poker to demonstrate their own skilled ‘edge’ against competitors.

Instant-action cash knockout tournaments catering to both the casual gamer and the seasoned player are included in the launch timetable, and participating players can double their money, instantly, by entering with entry fees as low as US$2.00 or as high as US$900.00.

Dermot Smurfit, Marketing Director at GameAccount says: “3-Card Poker represents a compelling opportunity for sportsbook, casino and poker operators to generate incremental revenues from existing customers and re-activate lapsed customers with an exciting and instantly recognisable skill-based gaming opportunity. Like our successful existing P2P Blackjack product, we’re very excited about the potential for this to be skill-gaming’s latest killer application for eGaming operators.”

Smurfit reminded operators that skill gaming was a legitimate way around legislative bans and a fast route to brand-building: “Skill Gaming solutions allow eGaming operators to build their brand and reputation within key jurisdictions unencumbered by the legal or regulatory considerations applicable to traditional gaming products,” he said.

GameAccount offers single-wallet skill gaming software and network facilities, powering major online partners such as Victor Chandler, Sportingbet, Betcorp, Fortune Lounge, Paddypower.com, Sky Bet (BSkyB), FHM.com, Maxim and Wanadoo.

The company's financial services platform supports full multi-lingual white-label solutions with real-time exchange rates for the international nature of Internet clientele. Multi-player games include Gin Rummy, Pool and Backgammon.

45 Ongame finalists will fly to Spain

Newly acquired by the Austrian public company Bet and Win, the Ongame Network has wasted no time in launching The Ongame Network Poker Classic, a tournament with a record-breaking guaranteed prize pool of $5 million and at least $1 million for the final winner.

Whilst the prize pool is dwarfed by events such as the WSOP (this year's prize pool will be $70 million) Ongame claims that it will be the largest-ever guaranteed prize for an event that starts online. The Ongame Classic is an exclusive event where the players can only enter through qualifying rounds held on Ongame Network operators' websites.

The new tournament will start as an online event and then pause when there are 45 players left. Those 45 will then receive airplane tickets to Barcelona, Spain, for the live final to battle it out on the green felt face to face - continuing with the same chip stacks they had when the online tournament paused.

The grand final will take place in the prestigious Casino de Barcelona during the weekend of September 30th - October 1st, 2006.

Ongame Network's operators are working together to host this innovative event for all their players. It will be a distinctive event that cuts through the clutter of mid-level poker tournaments offered by other individual poker sites.

Ongame says it is investing a significant and unprecedented amount in the event, and the players will see the benefit, because travel and hotel expenses will not be taken from the prize pool or players' pockets. For the equivalent entry fee of $5000+200, the top 45 players will receive both their tournament buy-in and a $5000 travel package.

Sit & Go and scheduled tournament-based qualifiers start on Monday, March 27th. Players can proceed through various levels which start at $1.

Patrick Selin, President of Ongame, said: "We are truly excited to be launching this Poker Classic tournament which we believe marks a milestone in the development of online poker. The guaranteed size of the prize pool available makes it an opportunity no true online poker fan can miss - and I'm sure beginners will be tempted to try their luck too."

No pop-ups or flashing lights at Youxi.cn

Following detailed research and development (see previous InfoPowa reports) the Dutch Spill Group has announced the launch of its new online gaming platform youxi.cn. The China based site offers all the most popular online games but claims to differ from other gaming portals in that it is free from disturbances like pop ups or moving banners.

"Many Chinese websites are tiring for the eyes, consisting of moving banners, blinking names of games and information overload," says Marc van der Chijs, CEO, Spill Group Asia. "We want Youxi.cn to be different. The design of the portal allows for a relaxing, pleasurable online gaming experience."

If you're wondering where the brand name originated, Youxi is the Chinese word for game or gaming, and the new online portal features a wide variety of games including action and adventure, MMORG's (massive multiplayer online role-playing games), skill, racing and card games.

The top 5 most played games of each category are listed on the home page, with all the rest is only one click away. Youxi.cn is free – and because the site is published in simplified Chinese, the whole of mainland China can play.

Spill Group Asia plans to launch several more websites in the coming months, both for online and mobile gaming.

Extensive mainstream media coverage flows from Costa Rican debacle

Riding the "unstoppable wave of poker popularity". Every day, 1.8 million players - more than 70 percent from the United States - throw their chips into the virtual pots of the Internet

An article in Newsweek highlights the intense investor interest in online gaming in general and poker in particular this week

The article reports that due to extensive media coverage, especially on television of celebrity and professional poker tournaments, poker is now the third most-watched televised sport on cable TV - subservient only to car racing and football.

Business in the roughly 300 major virtual poker halls of the Net is booming, says the author and in late June, five-year-old PartyGaming, based on the tiny European peninsula of Gibraltar, was among the first to take a crucial step for any ambitious dot-com: it went public on the London Stock Exchange, where its stock has since shot up 40 percent.

Newsweek says that other poker dot-coms are now lining up to follow suit and big American investment funds are throwing in their chips and investing. Only the U.S. casino giants are left on the sidelines, banned from the action because of one remarkable fact: despite its success, online poker is technically illegal in America, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Still, as Web poker booms, the Feds aren't doing much to stifle the party. "Everybody is comfortable that the U.S. government is not going to take any enforcement action," says Las Vegas lawyer Anthony Cabot.

The article goes on to explain the tax, legal and operational intricacies of offshore operations vis-a-vis the United States that enable companies with mainly American players to "...ride the seemingly unstoppable wave of poker popularity. Every day, 1.8 million players—more than 70 percent from the United States—throw their chips into the virtual pots of the Internet, according to tracking firm PokerPulse.com."

Research firm Christiansen Capital Advisors says online-poker revenues have grown from $82.7 million in 2001 to $2.4 billion today - and projects the amount to double once again by 2005.

The PartyGaming IPO in June offered a peek into the fortunes being amassed by the online poker start-ups. Its prospectus revealed that the company's profits more than tripled to $349 million in the last year, and it had virtually no debt. While concern over legal issues initially drove the IPO price down, the offering was three times oversubscribed, despite being off-limits to U.S. investors.

"This isn't like the dot-com opportunities of the past," says Nigel Parson, a research analyst at Williams de Broe in London. "This spews out cash like you've never seen."

The popularity and success of online poker hasn't changed any minds in Washington. The federal government argues that Internet gambling violates three federal antigambling laws, including the 1961 Wire Act. A Justice Department official, who was able to speak frankly with NEWSWEEK on condition his name not be used, noted that while Internet gambling is against U.S. law, prosecutors have greater priorities, such as combating terrorism and drugs. "We give what resources we can to it, but it's hard to keep up with," he says.

Newsweek says that his sort of approach "...makes playing or hosting poker games on the Web a little like going a few miles over the highway speed limit. It's technically illegal, but everyone does it and you probably won't get in trouble."

Illustrating the popularity of online poker playing, the article points out that at the last World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, nearly two thirds of the 5,619 players qualified in online competitions. Executives of the offshore poker sites, many of whom were in town for the tournament, seemed untroubled by any potential penalties for their illicit vocation.

Online poker ads have returned to magazines, TV and the Internet, even though the Justice Department *asked* media companies in 2003 to stop taking them. The poker dot-coms have devised a simple workaround: they advertise their "educational" dot-net sites (such as PartyPoker.net), where players use imaginary money, then leave it to their customers to find the real wagering. This year, two offshore poker sites, Full Tilt Poker and UltimateBet, have even used their dot-net affiliates to sponsor entire shows on Fox Sports.

Even Wall Street can't stand being left out of this high-stakes game. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are reportedly working on the forthcoming IPO in England of Betfair, which helps gamblers place wagers against each other on everything from sports to politics (Betfair does not currently take wagers from U.S. citizens). Big investment funds are also snapping up shares of the Web gambling companies. Fidelity, Goldman Sachs and Blue Ridge Capital—all American firms—are three of the top five institutional investors in the U.K.-based sports-wagering site Sportingbet.com, which trades on the London exchange.

IPO is imminent

The flotation of online casino software developer, Playtech, has been more than five times covered at a price of around GBP 2.6 a share according to sources close to the flotation.

Playtech’s IPO seeks to raise GBP 175 million, giving the company a market value in excess of GBP 550 million, and dealing looks set to start around March 27.

U.S. business losses in the billions

With the March Madness betting season in full swing in the USA, a nationally respected workplace consultant, John Challenger, of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, calculates the cost of March Madness-related lost productivity in U.S. workplaces in the billions.

This year, Challenger predicts it will be worse than ever, thanks to a CBS decision to offer free online viewing of tournament games involving teams from outside those local markets. The restriction on online viewing of local teams is designed to encourage viewers from the Kansas City area, for example, to watch the Kansas Jayhawks on television.

Challenger estimates a whopping wage and productivity loss to employers as high as $3.8 billion over the 19-day tournament.

A survey last year by Vault Inc. indicated that six in 10 employees have participated in an office betting pool, with the NCAA tournament accounting for more than a third of those activities.

Challenger’s March Madness cost estimate drew from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ current average hourly wage for U.S. workers of about $18. Using a Gallup Poll finding that 41 percent of Americans are college basketball fans, he applied that to the number of working Americans (142.8 million) and then factored in a relatively scant 13.5 minutes that the average fan spent on the ESPN.com college basketball Web site during the 2005 NCAA tournament.

“The reality is that they will likely spend much more time online during the workday keeping track of games and managing their brackets,” Challenger said.

BETonSports, a publicly traded online wagering company, said March is the biggest online gambling month of the year.

Last year, between $2.5 billion and $3 billion was bet through Internet sports books alone during March Madness, and the company expects the total to be 20 percent higher this year

Over a million dollars to be poured into player sponsorships

When Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey and other pro poker stars sit down at a World Series of Poker table this year, it's likely they'll be facing at least one member of Team Bodog. The online gaming giant announced this week that it will be qualifying more than 700 players for the WSOP this summer.

"We were extremely pleased with how Team Bodog fared at last year's World Series of Poker," says Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of Bodog.com. "With the explosion in the popularity of poker and with so many more people exposed to the great game, we anticipate this year's series to be one of the most entertaining yet."

Last year, Bodog.com guaranteed its online poker players over 70 seats at the WSOP, a Las Vegas-based series of tournaments held over the course of six weeks. This year, Bodog.com will be qualifying over 10 times that amount of players for preliminary and main WSOP events. Bodog.com players who qualify for the Main Event this year will be accorded a prize package that includes a US $10,000 tournament buy-in, US $2,500 in travel expenses, access to the WSOP VIP Lounge and US $1,000 worth of Bodog gear.

There are a number of ways for tournament hopefuls to qualify for the WSOP. Players can compete through the Sit&Go Stages tournaments. For as little as a $1.10 (or 75 poker points) players can wín their way to the next stage all the way to a seat in the WSOP. Along with the Stages tournaments, players can compete in a host of weekly single table and multi-table qualifier tournaments for their tickets to the WSOP.

"Online poker has served as a learning platform for many players who have now started to take part in poker tournaments in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and elsewhere," Ayre says of the synergistic relationship between online and land-based poker. "The online poker rooms are less intimidating for many new players and serve as a stepping stone for their move to land-based poker rooms."

With aggressive tournament schedules and an array of bonus programs, Bodog.com Poker offers US $2.5 million in guarantees each month, including a weekly US $100,000 tournament.

300 million hands milestone reached

Absolute Poker, arguably the fourth largest online poker website in the world, announced today that it has passed the 300 million mark for the number of poker hands dealt on their website since the company’s inception in 2003. The company also released a number of technology updates aimed at improving the performance of the site and giving players more ways to customise their experience on the site with table ‘skins’.

“We’re one of the fastest growing poker sites on the web today,” said Mike Edwards, marketing manager for Absolute Poker. “We’re pretty passionate about ensuring our players have the best possible experience when they’re playing online at AbsolutePoker.com so we’ve recently given them the option to easily customise their tables and we’ve also made some back-end technical improvements.”

Players can now either create their own table skins or download from over 100 ready-to-go table skins from Absolute Poker’s website. The ready to-go-skins fall into the following categories:

* Felt, carpet and seat variations: you decide what style the poker room is by choosing from a variety of modern or traditional tables, chairs or carpet.

* Teams, schools and associations: celebrate your alma mater, surround yourself with US Army or Navy regalia or pick your favorite sports team logo to highlight during your game.

* Landscapes: picture yourself playing in the Sahara desert, underwater or in the forest – a variety of exciting landscapes to choose from.

* Themed tables: you choose the theme or style and we‘ll fill in the details. Want to play poker on the moon? How about choosing an adventurer or pirate theme from over 75 different options.

Those players who want to do their own thing have also been catered for. They can make their own customised table skins using their own designs or photographs, helped by technical guidelines on the site.

Once players have chosen the look that they want, they can change their table skins with a simple click of their mouse. Upon entering the online poker room, players need only right-click with their mouse to choose whether to download a new skin, select from a list of stored skins or manage the ones they already have saved.

The company started operations in Costa Rica in 2003 and uses proprietary software featuring many multi-player games including: Texas Holdem, Omaha High, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

The quintessential 007 wheels are partnering with a major poker site

Aston Martin, a famous British marque associated by many with the Bond secret agent film series, has joined with Poker Stars.com in a sponsorship deal that has continuing possibilities in the future.

Both of the team's Aston Martin DBR9 racing cars will carry a special PokerStars.com livery when they start the 54th annual Sebring endurance race this month, the first competition of the 2006 American Le Mans Series. The world-renowned motor race, to be held at the Sebring International Raceway in Florida, will last an exhilarating 12 hours.

"We are delighted to be working with PokerStars.com," said James Turner, Commercial Director of Aston Martin Racing. "The Sebring race marks the start of an exciting relationship between our two organisations and one which has a great deal of potential for growth. Like Aston Martin Racing, PokerStars is a strong, innovative brand with a worldwide presence and there look to be many opportunities for us to work together in the future."

Founded in 2001, PokerStars is an industry leader in online poker, with almost five million registered players worldwide. Like Aston Martin Racing, PokerStars is based in the United Kingdom.

Dan Goldman, PokerStars Vice President of Marketing, said, "Aston Martin Racing is a company with instant name recognition and worldwide appeal. PokerStars' association with Aston Martin Racing marks a bold new direction for our company as we strive for ways to combine the excitement and popularity of poker with high-performance motor racing led by the world's most exclusive sports car company.'

To date, PokerStars has dealt over five billion hands and run more than 20 million poker tournaments, awarding well over $4 billion in prize money.

Treasures at sea - 22-year-old takes home the money

The luxury cruiseship MS Westerdam has been the scene of high excitement this week as 528 top poker players competed on the high seas in the Party Poker Millions.

With a $10 000 buy-in and a wide selection of sponsored players who had battled through online qualifying tourneys it was a tough field to beat, with almost a hundred players making it into the money.

Among those seated at the final table was ace player Kenna James, but he was not to prevail this time around. James Schneider, a 22-year-old student at the University of Minnesota beat him down to second place, in the process taking down several other prominent names in the game, including the previous champ Michael Gracz.

For Schneider it was the pinnacle of a hard-fought campaign, and the rewards for his skill, perseverance and luck reflected that - the student took a whopping $700 000 away from the table.

Big-name bookies to tackle ban through the RGA

The Financial Times reports that some of the most powerful betting companies in Europe are set to take on the Italian government in a legal assault that could claim many millions of pounds sterling in damages.

Ladbrokes, William Hill, Betfair and Coral Eurobet are all believed to be among companies that have been blacklisted by the recent arbitrary Italian decree that Internet Service Providers block on line gambling sites.

The Remote Gambling Association, a UK industry trade body, will launch legal action against the legislation through its lawyer SG Berwin in the administrative court of Lazio, the department for Rome.

"This legislation breaches our treaty rights," said RGA chief Clive Hawkswood, who claimed Italy was also in breach of European Commission rules by not notifying the EC of its action.

Antiguan representatives fuming over new US legislative attempts to ban online gambling

Last week's meeting in Geneva of the World Trade Organisation disputes panel did not bring forth any indications from the USA that it was moving to comply with the WTO ruling, despite the closeness of the last day by which the ruling was supposed to be implemented.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the WTO, Dr. John W. Ashe, lashed out at the Americans, pointing out that two new banning proposals currently before the US Congress exacerbated the situation.

A ruling by the WTO Appellate Body in April 2005 upheld one of Antigua and Barbuda's complaints over US prohibitions, which prevented US banks and major internet search engines from doing business with gambling firms on the island. The WTO has given the US until April, 2006, to implement its ruling.

Dr Ashe said that the US statement provided little in the way of useful information as to when and how the United States would come into compliance with the WTO's recommendations and rulings.

Continued Dr Ashe: "With an implementation deadline approaching on 3 April 2006, less than three weeks from now, we might be forgiven, Sir, for having some anxiety at a complete lack of information from the United States on this most important matter facing the small and delicate economy of Antigua and Barbuda.

"We had perhaps naively expected that the United States would wish to engage with our government on devising an equitable solution to our dispute that would take into account the benefits accorded Antigua under the recommendations and rulings, but also reasonably and comprehensively address the concerns raised by the United States during the course of the dispute as its justification for prohibiting the provision of services from Antigua to American consumers. To our great disappointment, and in spite of our numerous attempts on our part, the United States has shown absolutely no interest in engaging with us in this regard.

"The official silence from Washington on this matter that is deeply troubling. What is equally troubling is what has actually been happening in the United States since we won our hard-fought and costly dispute. Legislation has indeed been introduced in the United States Congress addressing the difficult topic of remote and Internet gambling. In fact, two bills have been introduced separately in the Congress which are substantively quite similar. This legislation, one bill entitled the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2005" and another entitled the "Internet Gambling Prohibition Act," is the only legislation introduced into the Congress since the determination of the "reasonable period of time" in our case.

"Unfortunately, each proposal is about as directly contrary to the recommendations and rulings of the [WTO] Disputes Settlement Board as could possibly be imagined. Not only do these bills do nothing to provide Antiguan operators with any access whatsoever to the vast American gambling market, but in fact each would further entrench the anti-GATS nature of United States gambling law by expressly exempting from its application domestic Internet gambling on horse racing, Internet gambling conducted by Native American tribes and, most significant of all, Internet gambling that occurs entirely within the border of a particular state. We have maintained all along that the American prohibition was really based upon the cross-border nature of the services rather than any true "evils" associated with "remote" gambling-and this pending legislation emphatically confirms we were correct."

Dr Ashe goes on to criticise the withdrawal of Western Union money transfer facilities from his country, and the contemptuous attitude to his country's challenge to the USA by the United States Trade Representative.

"It is with great concern that we learn that the United States Trade Representative has used our weakness as an express reason why gaming and other interests in the United States should not be concerned about our victory at the WTO," said Dr Ashe. "As reported on a website of an interest group in the United States, the USTR assured the participants at a conference held late last year that "as they see it, the most Antigua can do is to levy tariffs on US imports equal to the 'damage' done by the US failure to comply with the WTO ruling. Antigua is a tiny economy and imports little from the US. Imposing additional duties would simply make American goods more expensive there. Further, at the same meeting, USTR representatives were quoted as saying that "if the WTO does not agree [with American compliance efforts], the issue will likely be litigated for at least another year."

"We believe that the time has come for the United States to demonstrate whether it is willing to be a responsible stakeholder in the WTO-whether the WTO agreements are to work for all of us, equally, or whether the WTO is indeed a "one-way street" for the large economies to further enrich themselves at the expense of lesser ones. It is one thing to play by the rules on a purely literal basis, and quite another to play by the rules in order to attain the objectives the rules were designed to achieve."

The tiny Caribbean jurisdiction, where several online gaming firms are based, had argued that by seeking to legally prevent US citizens from accessing online gambling services such as those offered by many companies in Antigua and Barbuda, the government of the United States was contradicting service sector commitments that it made when the WTO was formed in 1995.

Scottish IT company software bought by global betting exchange

The major online betting exchange group, Betfair has acquired its own mobile betting software in a deal with the Scots IT company Rapid Mobile this week.

Branded Mobet, the software is claimed to be advanced mobile technology. It will be rebranded to provide a mobile betting platform to complement Betfair's online service.

The Edinburgh-based firm recently appointed IT expert Pat Chapman-Pincher as its new chairman. Chapman-Pincher has been a well-known figure in the IT, media and telecom industries for more than 30 years in both CEO and non- executive roles. Her appointment comes as Rapid Mobile looks to develop new products in mobile technology.

Mobet was developed as part of a joint programme run by Betfair product manager Tom Johnson, who revealed that Betfair has always intended to offer its own mobile betting solution, but having considered all available options, believed the best route was to approach Rapid Mobile in a focused development.

The purchase includes the intellectual property rights and source code for the Mobet application but Betfair has retained Rapid Mobile to provide support as well as professional services for planned enhancements.

Mobet was launched in 2004 and has provided Betfair customers all around the world with secure, subscription-based access to the betting exchange. “I’m very pleased to confirm that we have taken millions of pounds worth of bets for Betfair and not had one second of downtime,” said Richard Marshall, technical director at Rapid Mobile.

Iain Maddox, Rapid Mobile’s managing director, said: “This product passed all the tests in terms of usability, functionality, speed, scalability, security, robustness and mass distribution.”

New study shows that it's a great American passtime!

Florida-based Burstek Internet consultants has presented an eye-opening study of Americans at work, showing that productivity losses are commonplace due to goofing off on the Internet.

The company's 2005 Internet Usage Study examines results from the Internet activity reported for 10,688 employees in 2005, and highlights activity related to the three major enterprise security threat groups: legal liability, security risk and lost productivity.

"The Internet has a revolutionary impact on global business, and it is hard to imagine a firm that has not been affected," said David Smith, COO of Burstek. "Unfortunately, along with the benefits come many side effects that have the potential to dramatically erode productivity and pose many other dangers to the enterprise and to employees, themselves. That is why it is so vital to carefully monitor employee Internet use. This study confirms that uncontrolled employee Internet use is a very serious threat to compliance, security and productivity."

Highlights from the study include:

78.1 percent of all users accessed the Internet while at work for personal use and entertainment (resulting in over 20 percent of all pages viewed, viewing time and bandwidth costs);

72.34 percent of all personal use represented employee productivity-draining visits to Web sites, including those for shopping, entertainment, personal e-mail, sports, chat rooms, job searches and game playing;

19.42 percent of all personal use represented Web sites that posed a security threat to the network, including spyware, file sharing and malicious code; and

8.23 percent of all personal use represented Web sites that posed legal liability risks, including pornography, hacking, gambling and hate speech.

Government agencies had the highest incidence of employees accessing sites containing spyware and malicious code (nearly 23 percent);

The complete 2005 Internet Usage Study provides additional statistics and analysis of internet use by industry, as well as breaking out the individual risk categories. It identifies the top sites visited for categories such as online chat, shopping, sports, Web-mail and more. The full report with results and analysis of the study is available online at Burstek.com.

Dutch electronics company unveils new technology

Online gambling could literally take on a whole new feel if technology unveiled this week at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California comes to fruition.

The world famous Philips Electronics company this week used the conference as its platform to announce that it has signed up developers to support its new amBX Technology, designed to provide "...a full sensory surround experience for gamers." Philips spokesmen said the group plans to formally roll out amBX in May 2006.

Computer and console gamers looking for a full sensory experience have, thus far, largely been limited to surround sound audio and tactile feedback peripherals. Philips plans to go far beyond that with amBX by providing a framework to support light, colour, sound, heat and even airflow during gameplay - thus creating what the company describes as an “Ambient Intelligent” environment.

amBX combines a scripting language, software engine and architecture, according to Philips. The company plans to produce a range of amBX-enabled peripherals, and purportedly has signed up other manufacturers as well.

amBX has practical applications beyond just games, though - Philips also hopes to see the technology used in music products, home entertainment systems, even in Web browsers.

Party Poker Million won by university student

Proving once again that the youth movement is on the march in poker, a quiet 22-year-old college student from Minneapolis became the youngest winner in the five-year history of the prestigious PartyPoker.com Million this week, claiming the $1 million first prize in a display of poker playing that impressed even hardened professionals.

James Schneider truimphed from an initial field of 528 players, almost 100 of whom ended up in the money aboard the luxury cruiseliner MS Westerdam, where the final events were held.

Wearing mirrored sunglasses and a back-to-front baseball cap Schneider outplayed seasoned veterans like Kenna James and Scott Buller, who commented that despite his age, Schneider "...played tough and deserved to win."

Buller mustered out third with a cool $500,000 prize as a consolation, bringing his total PartyPoker.com Million winnings to nearly $600,000. Kenna James, of Las Vegas, claimed the largest paycheck of his career with a second place $700,000.

Two PartyPoker.com online players Drew Chitiea, a corporate pilot and flight instructor from Centennial, CO, and Richard Joel, a retired businessman, from Atlanta, joined in the fun, happy to take home $300,000 and $225,000 respectively. The sixth competitor was Devon Miller, an up-and-coming 21-year-old pro from Los Angeles with a reputation for being a Limit Hold'em specialist. He was the first to exit and collected $175,000.

Schneider could only say that he was "shell-shocked" at his victory, but he certainly didn't show his anxiety under the spotlight. Asked what he was thinking behind his stoic poker face, he admitted: "oh God, oh God, oh God!"

Currently at the University of Minnesota studying journalism, he is planning to graduate in fall 2006, and has paid for his education through his poker winnings. He began playing in home games four years ago, and graduated to his hometown card room, Canterbury Park at 18, the legal age in Minnesota.

In 2003, he began playing online with PartyPoker.com. The PartyPoker.com Million is only his second high stakes tournament. Wisely, he hopes to put some of his PartyPoker.com winnings into investments, after building up his bankroll a bit and tucking some away for day-to-day expenses.

Schneider wasn't sure he would make it past the first three hands on the second day of the tournament, when he ended day one with a small stack of 5,500 chips. "I had two dreams that night," he said, "one that I would bust out and the other one that I would build back up to 150,000 chips. That second dream was pretty close. But I sure didn't have a dream that foresaw a million dollars!"

WSOP and glory the first prize

British students have snapped up all 300 places in the upcoming Student Poker Championships, reports a spokesman for organiser UK Student Poker.com.

The buy-in for the tournament is GBP 30, giving the young guns a crack at glory and the World Series of Poker this year through a first prize sponsored package that will take the winner to the heart of this year's action, where a prize pool of $70 million is confidently being anticipated.

Given the recent wins in several major tournaments by young college student players in America, and continued television coverage of big games and hugely rewarding tournaments it is not surprising that UK students are getting into the poker scene in large numbers.

This year the Student Poker Championship has filled all 300 seats, up from the 259 total participants last year. No-Limit Texas Hold 'em is the game of choice at the poker event, which is slated to take place on the 1st and 2nd of April.

Former Israeli dentist will shortly be appointed a director

According to reports in the British business media this week, one of the major multi-millionaire shareholders in 888.com will soon be appointed to the board of directors.

Former Israeli dentist Aharon Shaked founded 888 Holdings Plc. in 1997 together with his brother Avi and members of the Ben-Yitzhak family. The Shaked brothers retain shares worth GBP 311 million despite cashing GBP 103 million when the firm floated on the London Stock Exchange last year.

The reports said that 888 Holdings is considered the world's third largest Internet gaming group and is owner of online poker room Pacific Poker, and massive online casinos Casino On Net and Reef Casino.

Fifty-five percent of its revenue is said to be generated by online gamers in the United States.

This year's winner could walk away with $3.5 million

Competitive poker players from many countries are already gearing up and qualifying for this year's World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championships, scheduled for April 18 to 24 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

With a buy-in of $25 000, and plenty of generous sponsors prepared to pay it for the top names, WPT management is predicting a prize pool in the range $12 - $15 million this year, giving the final winner a potential $3.5 million in prize money.

Professionals such as Phil 'The Unabomber' Laak and Antonio 'The Magician' Esfandiari, are reported to be on the player roll and the top 100 players in the event will all make the money.

Steve Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises said, “The $25,000 buy-in insures that these players are among the world's best. However, what's fun is that this championship is still an open event and anyone with the heart, the courage and the skills can find themselves at the final table, cashing in for millions of dollars.”

Ambitious players who don't have the cash to buy in will find plenty of satellite tournaments at more than 49 land-based and online casinos, many with small buy-ins.

FUNTech on the acquisition trail once again

Lorne Abony and his management team at Canadian public company FUNTech certainly don't let the grass grow under their feet when it comes to acquisitions, and this week released the news that they had clinched a $23 million deal to take over a major competitor, WorldWinner.com

Using the SkillJam Technologies subsidiary, CEO Abony says he acquired its rival in order to strengthen positioning in the highly competitive and fast-growing casual skill gaming gaming market.

WorldWinner awards millions of dollars in prizes every month and an average of 350 000 games are played on WorldWinner daily producing yearly revenue of $10.67 million for the 12 months ending December 31, 2005. In January 2006, WorldWinner reported 14 million registered players.

In the short term WorldWinner's products will continue under the established brand but there will inevitably be some level of integration with the SkillJam property.

Abony said, “The acquisition of WorldWinner is a significant strategic achievement for FUN Technologies. WorldWinner was until now our largest competitor and by consolidating the two businesses we will achieve significant operating efficiencies, leverage and synergies.”

Stephen Killeen, the President and CEO of WorldWinner commented, “We are proud to be a part of this merger with FUN Technologies. The consolidation of the two organizations will result in a global skill-gaming powerhouse.”

Nine games open for business on UK bookie site

Some weeks back InfoPowa reported the signing of an agreement by which soft games producer Dynamite Idea would provide a suite of innovative games for the Stan James website, and this has now come to fruition with the launch, in conjunction with Finsoft of nine new games.

The new additions are part of Dynamite Idea's premier suite of games and include: Triple Chance Hi-Lo, Squares, Aces High, Bingo Keno, Fruit Frenzy, Spin win, Roll'em, Fortune36, and Goldrush Extreme.

Goldrush Extreme in particular is a new concept from Dynamite Idea. This unique new slot machine, featuring six sets of slot reels all in one game, allows the player to select which reels to play on, one, two, four, or all six. With each spin, all reels spin but only active reels pay out. With up to x100 payout on each reel, and up to six chances at the jackpot, players can use all six reels.

Higher credit card processing rates ahead

River City Group's Interactive Gaming News has some bad news for Brit gamblers this week - London-based banks Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Egg have revealed plans to begin treating consumer transactions that are used to pay for gambling services as cash advances, rather than as purchases of traditional goods and services.

In doing so, the banks will subject gambling transactions to higher interest rates. The policy changes from two of England's most prominent credit banks are likely an indicator of things to come across the entire credit and banking industry.

Gambling transactions will be classified as cash advances because when customers fund online gambling accounts, all they are doing is using their lines of credit to access cash, albeit in the form of virtual chips. The new policy recognizes such transactions as similar to the withdrawal of money from a cash machine and, therefore, subjects them to the same higher rates.

"The step that has been taken by RBS is part of a move taking place across the credit card industry to examine the type of transactions people are making on their accounts," stated a spokesperson for RBS's Mint brand. "The gambling transactions are to be treated as 'advances,' as this is felt to be a more accurate means of reflecting that a gambling transaction is effectively a cash equivalent exchange."

At the moment, Mint applies the same 14.9 percent interest rate to gambling transactions as it does to traditional purchases, but after May 1, gambling transaction will incur a 17.9 percent interest rate. Mint customers will also incur the cash advance interest rate on the purchases of food and drink in casinos.

Internet bank Egg will institute its new policy on April 1. In addition to applying its 20.9 percent cash advance rate to gambling transactions, Egg will also charge a 2.5 percent fee. Its standard rate for traditional purchases is 15.9 percent.

"The recent explosive growth of online gambling and gambling in casinos has meant that consumers now demand different ways of funding this type of leisure activity," stated a spokesperson for Egg, which is part of Prudential. "As such, many credit card providers now allow consumers to use their cards to advance them cash for gambling, typically in the form of chips or 'virtual' chips. Our decision to levy a fee on such transactions is simply bringing gambling into line with traditional forms of cash advances, such as obtaining money from an ATM machine, or the purchase of foreign currency, travelers' checks or postal orders."

According to The Times of London, banking industry insiders expect the application of cash advance rates to gambling transactions to be common practice by the end of they year.

Online payment solutions companies such as NETeller, FireOne and Citadel already process a large number of online gambling transactions for British customers and could inherit even more business if credit card customers are unwilling to accept the increased credit card rates.

Legal situation unclear

UBA Technology Inc. has entered into agreements with undisclosed clients to deliver proprietary kiosk-based, peer-to-peer betting exchange platforms for installation in stand-alone, self-operating kiosks, within traditional land-based casinos in select locations throughout the United States.

The announcement this week said that UBA has completed and delivered a fully functional operating system for which the host casinos have the ability to provide real time sports betting on a kiosk-based system. The interested parties are excited about its up-coming launch into selected casinos looking to break into this lucrative venue.

Kiosks will provide casinos an opportunity to increase their sports betting volume by strategically placing the kiosks in high traffic, well-travelled casino areas. These betting systems have the potential to include wireless devices, allowing casino gamblers to place bets from their hotel rooms, hotel restaurants and bars, and even poolside.

With 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. This software would give online operators the ability to generate additional revenues from their current casino and poker clientele.

Cato Institute voices objection again to online gambling banning legislation

The civil liberties Cato Institute has again published anti-ban material in response to U.S. attempts to introduce online gambling banning legislation.

The Institute was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane. It is a non-profit public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. and named for Cato's Letters, a series of libertarian pamphlets that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution.

In it's latest article, Cato reports that online gambling is already alleged to be illegal in the United States by the authorities, with most proprietors of gaming sites incorporated overseas. Yet Internet wagering has still become a $12 billion industry.

The report goes on to point out that history has shown that prohibiting private, consensual behavior has never made that behaviour go away, and vice laws are difficult to enforce. Police have to use informers and undercover work and sometimes need to break the very laws they're trying to enforce.

Consequently, America's various attempts at prohibiting *sinful* behavior have instead bred corruption, organised crime, black markets and significant erosion of American civil liberties.

The article gives three chief reasons why Congress' latest vice crusade is misguided:

* Feds are not the baby-sitter for Americans

What citizens do with their own money on their own time ought to be their own business. The idea that government is somehow obligated, or even authorised, to protect American gamblers from their vices and "bad" habits simply isn't compatible with a free society.

If five poker enthusiasts want to voluntarily play online, and if a private company wants to provide the technology for that to happen in exchange for a fee, why do members of Congress feel obligated to prevent that from happening?

Like many bad laws, gambling prohibition is often justified in defense of "the children." But for a minor to wager online, he'd need a credit card or access to a bank account. It isn't as if children are easy prey for gambling sites.

* It's naked hypocrisy

Last month, police in Fairfax, Va., conducted a SWAT raid on Sal Culosi Jr., an optometrist suspected of running a sports gambling pool with some friends. As the SWAT team surrounded him, one officer's gun discharged, struck Culosi in the chest and killed him. In the fiscal year before the raid that killed Culosi, Virginia spent about $20 million marketing and promoting its state lottery - just another form of gambling.

The scene is similar in other states. Charity and barroom poker games, for example, are being shut down by police departments across the country. Meanwhile, state lotteries are cashing in on the poker craze with Texas Hold'em-style scratch-off games.

Congress isn't immune from the double standard. The new anti-gambling bill sponsored by Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte contains a gaping loophole that lets state lotteries continue to sell their tickets online. And just as Goodlatte, Arizona Sen. John Kyl and others in Congress have been earnestly lecturing us on why we need our politicians to protect us from our own peccadilloes, 28 states were cashing in on the hyped $365 million Powerball jackpot.

Which makes all these efforts to ban private gambling sound more like a protection racket than good government.

* It won't work

As noted, despite prohibitions against Internet gambling, it's still a billion-dollar industry. Prohibitionists have argued that a law preventing credit-card companies from allowing their services to be used in conjunction with gaming sites will prove to be the death knell for online wagering.

Hardly. In fact, several state attorneys general already have gone after the credit companies and online payment services like PayPal, threatening them with Patriot Act charges for doing business with gaming sites. Consequently, third-party vendors such as Neteller, also located offshore, have sprung up to facilitate transactions between gamers and gaming sites.

Congress can keep passing laws. But so long as there is demand, innovators will continue to use technology to find ways around them.

On CNBC three weeks ago, Goodlatte pointed out that because gambling companies themselves are offshore, they aren't subject to U.S. laws and regulations. But that's an argument against his own bill. Goodlatte's bill won't stop Internet gaming. Instead, it will not only keep gaming companies offshore, it will facilitate the rise of offshore financing services, too.

That means U.S. consumers will be more susceptible to fraud and will have no legal recourse when a shady offshore outfit bilks them out of their money. Not to mention that offshore, black-market outfits present prime funding opportunities for organized crime and international terrorism.

The article concludes that a more sensible policy would be to legalise online gambling and let credible gaming companies do business within the reach of U.S. law. The good ones are already begging to be regulated and understand that legitimately setting up shop in the United States will give them an advantage over their competitors. Consumers will be more likely to place bets on sites governed by U.S. laws and subject to U.S. courts.

Unfortunately, Congress seems more interested in pushing a moral agenda than taking a realistic approach to a habit that is as old as human nature.

Sample of over 30 000 shows that 78 percent are against prohibition

The Online Gambling Myths and Facts.com site (see earlier InfoPowa bulletin) reports that a recent high-sample survey by a research firm has shown that the prohibition of online gambling in the USA is not a popular concept.

American voters were asked what they really think about online gambling and the federal government’s most recent efforts to ban it. A scientific poll of over 30,000 likely voters conducted in March 2006 established that Americans overwhelmingly do not want the federal government enacting laws that restrict a recreational activity such as online gambling.

Almost 80 percent of Americans are opposed to the pending bills in Congress to ban online gambling. The poll was conducted by Zogby International, a public opinion company. Zogby conducted interviews of 30,054 likely voters from March 1, 2006 through March 14, 2006 and state that the margin of error in their statistical analysis is +/- 0.6 percentage points.

The poll established that more than three-fourths of likely voters (78 percent) do not think it is appropriate for the federal government to restrict what adults do on the Internet in the privacy of their own homes.

The poll reaffirms that Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of preserving their freedom to engage in acceptable recreational and entertainment activities from the privacy of their own home. The will of American voters is absolutely and unmistakably clear in the area of how and when an adult American should be able to engage in private recreational activities such as online gambling, says the report.

Pessimists point to declining poker TV viewer stats

The doomsayers were at it again this week, opining that too much television coverage was making poker programs less popular and impacting the continued growth of the game.

Quoting Nielsen Media Research numbers, the New York Post postulated that poker's downward spiral has already begun.

The audience for Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" has fallen to an average of 134,000 viewers this year from a high of 364,000 viewers in 2003, the publication revealed.

ESPN's "Poker" has lost 193,000 viewers in the two years it been on the air, with the Travel Channel's marquee "World Series of Poker" seeing its average audience drop to 464,000 this year from a peak of 583,000 in 2004.

"When too many people jump on the bandwagon, it reduces the value of the programming and diminishes the game's buzz," Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp Ltd. is quoted as saying. "Poker does have some life left in it, but at some point it is going to have to be recast in a new light so it doesn't become old news."

Club World group launches new online casino operations

There's a new face, or faces in the industry this week as Club World Casinos Group launches 3 online casinos designed to cater for the increasing demands of the specific geographic markets. The company formerly used Chartwell Technology software, according to reliable sources.

ClubUSAcasino.com has been launched as an online casino for players from the USA and other country’s worldwide who wish to play in US dollars, and ClubEUROcasino.com is designed to meet the demand of the increasing number of European players who wish to purchase chips and play in Euros. United Kingdom gamblers will find pound sterling action at ClubUKcasino.com.

All the casinos in the Club World Casinos Group are now powered by Real Time Gaming software, with more than 80 state-of-the-art Internet casino games. The software is independently tested by Technical Systems Testing (TST).

Matchplay signup bonuses are available subject to certain conditions, and second and third deposits are also eligible for special bonuses. There is a VIP comp system in place together with fast withdrawals and a wide choice of deposit methods including all major credit cards and many alternative methods such as Neteller, Moneybookers and Click2Pay.

The Casinos are licensed and regulated by the Curacao Internet Gaming Association.

Betcorp augments its Australian listing with a London IPO

Shares in online gaming company Betcorp Ltd jumped nearly 8 percent this week as the provider of Internet sports betting and online poker and casino games became the latest gambling group to float on the London AIM.

Betcorp is already listed in Australia but spokesmen said it was coming to the UK partly because its shares were undervalued Downunder compared with some of their London-listed competitors.

Betcorp is a broadly based online gaming group offering customers worldwide a comprehensive range of betting and gaming products including sports betting, casino games, poker and skill games, all using a shared purse facility. The Group's betting, IT and marketing operations are based in Antigua, West Indies and Toronto, Canada and the company holds a gaming license in Antigua and a bookmaker's license in the UK.

Sports betting is offered to customers around the world via a number of websites, including BetWWTS.com, CyberSportsBook.com, BetBet.com and WagerOnSports.com.

Betcorp customers are also offered a wide variety of casino games with a traditional Vegas style 'Betcasino' brand supplemented by the 'Thunderbolt' brand, emphasising speed of play. Casino players share a similar customer profile to sportsbook customers and a third casino, Lucky Lady, is due to be launched soon, to appeal to this mainly male client base.

Poker is the group's fastest growing online game. Launched in September 2004, Betcorp's brand Betholdem.com has grown to be one of the top five members of Microgaming's Prima Poker network. Cross-selling represents an additional major opportunity in this area as there is a high propensity for poker players to cross over to other products - in 2005, 48 percent of the Group's poker customers also placed a bet in the sportsbook.

Betcorp has also introduced to all of its sports websites a suite of skill games developed by UK operator GameAccount, specifically targeting the recreational sports bettor. These include backgammon and gin rummy which have already proved an effective marketing tool, particularly in North America where they are subject to fewer advertising restrictions than sports, casino or poker.

Betcorp's strategy is to build on its expertise and established presence as a "one-stop shop" for customers to participate in a wide range of online gaming activities. Shared purse technology will enable revenues to be increased through cross-selling, further reinforcing the attractions of the multi-product model. While sports betting is currently the Group's largest business, increases in casino and poker revenues mean that management's current expectation is that sports betting will account for approximately half of the Group's total gross revenue in 2006 (2005: 64 percent).

The group currently reports financial results in US dollars, as the majority of its revenues are derived in this currency. For calendar year 2005, Betcorp achieved gross revenues of US$29.4 million on betting turnover of US$825.0 million and a profit after depreciation, interest and taxation of US$4.3 million.

By midday Friday, the stock was up 7.9 percent, giving it a market value of over GBP 53 million ($93 million).

Brokerage KBC Peel Hunt is acting as nominated adviser and broker to the company.

Heavy fine for owner who facilitated online gambling

Chen Kim Veng (58) found himself in trouble with the law this week when Brunei police raided his cyber cafe in Kuala Bealit following a tip-off from an informer.

It was a costly affair for him - the owner of the PHMS Cyber Cafe was fined $2,000 or two months' jail after he pleaded guilty before the Bandar Magistrate's Court to using his business premises as a gaming outlet. More seriously, his 19 sets of computers were forfeited to the State.

Police searched the cafe premises and uncovered information suggesting that the owner offered play on computer games for gambling purposes such as Roulette, Jackpot and Black Jack in addition more conventional internet cafe services.

Members of the public could easily access these gaming facilities by depositing a minimum betting amount at the cashier to start gaming at their designated computers.

Winners would then collect their cash prizes at the cashier upon completing a game, prosecutor Hijh Anifa explained to the court. Cash amounting to $596, which was confirmed to be proceeds from gaming services, and 19 sets of computers used at the place for gaming were forfeited to the state.

Carve outs and manouevring again feature in Leach, Goodlatte proposals

When Senator Jon Kyl launched his latest attempt to ban online gambling in the USA, industry observers waited for the other shoe to fall in the shape of Rep Jim Leach's latest attempt to do the same thing in the House of Representatives. It had been reported that the staffs of the two politicians had earlier been in contact on the different Bills in order to smooth out any conflicts.

This week the suspense came to an end when the U.S. House Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (HR 4411) was presented and passed on a voice vote by the 70 member Committee on Financial Services. The Bill is now referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Leach is quoted in media reports as saying: "H.R. 4411 will create strong tools to help federal and state governments enforce existing gambling prohibitions. Unlike in brick-and-mortar casinos in the United States where legal protections for bettors exist and where there are some compensatory social benefit in jobs and tax revenues, Internet gambling sites principally yield only liabilities to Americans."

Observers point out that by banning instead of regulating, politicians are denying Internet gambling the opportunity to be regulated and taxed in company with like land-based establishments.

Predictably, the proposal contains carve outs, principally for the powerful horse racing industry, where it allows simulcasts across state lines as well as account wagering via phone lines or the Internet in states in which it is legal. Fantasy sports are also listed as an exception in this bill. That will not make easier the U.S. position in the WTO dispute with Antigua, where it depends on a moral objection to gambling, belied by condoning other forms of gambling over the Internet.

Importantly, this proposal seeks to make it an offence to place bets on online poker sites and any other online wager made or received in a place where such bet is illegal under federal or state law.

The committee approval of this bill follows bipartisan legislation, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, introduced into the House in February by Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte and Democrat Rick Boucher, that would outlaw Internet gambling, but again allow for an exception for horse racing betting.

It would also set a maximum prison sentence of five years, up from two years, for a violation of this act. The legislation allows states to continue to regulate gambling within their borders, carefully avoiding another confrontation in this area.

As InfoPowa went to press this week opposition to the Leach Bill was growing. together with pleas by prominent online figures who are urging that the $12 billion Internet gaming business be regulated.

"No matter what bill Congress passes, nothing will stop online gaming," said eCOGRA independent director and former New Jersey gaming regulator Frank Catania in an interview. "There are 70 jurisdictions around the world operating legally and nothing is going to stop them from taking bets."

Catania, former assistant attorney general and director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, said the answer is to regulate online gaming in much the same way that non-Internet gambling has been regulated, adding that the online gaming industry could be regulated relatively easily to protect U.S. citizens. He revealed that some states have already expressed an interest in regulating the industry.

One online gambling company executive, David Carruthers, echoed many opponents of the proposed legislation. "Trying to shut down a multibillion-dollar industry with consumer demand that includes an estimated 8 million Americans annually is an empty legislative effort," Carruthers, CEO of BetOnSports, wrote in the Los Angeles Times (see InfoPowa report in this edition).

"…This law shouldn't be applied to Internet betting. No case law or statute clearly defines where Internet bets are taking place. BetOnSports, for example, is based in Costa Rica. Our customers can place bets from anywhere that has an Internet connection. In part because of this ambiguity, no one has been prosecuted for online betting under the law."

But shares prices suffer from legislation blues

The CEO of major gambling group 888.com, John Anderson says he is confident that the current attempts by U.S. politicians to ban Internet gambling will fail.

Answering questions from the Reuters news agency, Anderson said that the Leach Bill, which seeks to curtail the use of financial instruments in online gambling and passed through the House Financial Services Committee earlier this week, was doomed to fail.

Nevertheless, jittery investors reacted to the news which caused a decline of some 5 percent in online gaming shares on Thursday after similar falls the day before.

Anderson told Reuters: "We feel confident it won't get through the next stages, and we'll be okay."

Ironically, the decline came as the group announced a 16 percent increase in annual profits and a slight reduction in its U.S. exposure.

Profit before tax rose to $50.2 million in 2005 from $43.1 million in 2004, and the company said current trading was in line with expectations.

Shares in sector leader PartyGaming were also affected, falling by 5.4 percent, while the second-biggest online gaming group, Sportingbet, fell 3.9 percent.

With about 8.5 million regular players in the U.S. and numerous routes for them to make payments, the bill would be difficult to enforce in the unlikely event it got through, analysts opined.

888 said it diversified away from the United States in 2005, reducing the share of revenues it gets from the U.S. to 55 percent from 58 percent in 2004.

"To rely on one country too much is not good, and without reducing volumes, I'd like to get the percentage we're taking from the U.S. down to 20 to 30 percent as soon as we can," said Anderson.

By making it illegal to accept payments from people who live where federal or state law prohibits wagering, the legislation would affect offshore gambling Web sites used by many Americans to place bets.

The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration.

888's Casino players increased 28 percent to 4.1 million in 2005, while poker players more than doubled to 1.5 million.

Group gaming revenues were up 52 percent in 2005 to $271 million.

Media reports and blonde Americans do not probable cause make

The ongoing disclosures on the Costa Rican police raid at Bodog chief Calvin Ayre's pad continue to make for amusing reading at Gambling 911, which appears to have an exclusive inside track on the story.

Although the authorities have yet to comment, it is believed that the raid was carried out in the belief that illegal gambling was taking place at the Ayre mansion, when this was not in fact the case.

Between 60 and 100 cops searched the premises and questioned the numerous guests, who were attending an end of shoot party for Ayre's upcoming TV show.

Keeping the story rolling along, the latest tidbits at 911 entertained readers by claiming that the search warrant carried by police on the raid was granted on somewhat tenuous grounds. These included reading media reports (including 911) and "....investigating the premises and seeing models, many of them blonde, entering the compound, as well as many persons with American characteristics."

911 also claims that a drug dog was brought onto the scene and headed for the maid's underwear drawer, which yielded nothing but thongs. There's a couplet in there somewhere!

Police are also alleged to have made the most of the buffet laid out for the party, whilst three officers stripped down and took a dip in the swimming pool (it later transpired this was to search a cave feature)

One officer is alleged to have walked into the same glass wall on three seperate occasions, whilst other armed police entered Ayre's walk-in closet and confiscated valueless itineraries pertaining to people attending the party. Officers asked models in skin tight outfits if they had guns.

Confusion appears to have been rampant, according to the 911 report. Police inside the compound ordered everyone out...but police on the front lawn and street ordered everyone back inside. Some of the officers were overheard in Spanish saying they had no idea why they were there.

A deck of cards was finally brandished as evidence of illegal gambling until it was pointed out that nearly every home has a deck of cards. Actors playing the part of guards in the TV show were arrested for "failing to maintain guard permits."

Gambling 911 concludes it's report with this: "When all was said and done, the officers confiscated two computers and one legally licensed pistol. The investigation concluded with no charges filed."

Ayre is due to meet with Costa Rican authorities this week to discuss the incident, and there will in all probability be more entertaining reading following that confrontation.

STOP PRESS:

As we went to press this week the war of words between Ayre and the Costa Rican authorities was definitely warming up with a statement from both the security minister and the Judicial Investigating Organisation denying that police and agents acted unprofessionally during the Ayre raid.

Rogelio Ramos, the security minister categorically rejected allegations made by Ayre and said the raid was conducted according to the book. He characterised published comments earlier in the week by Ayre as an insult to the country, and said he had spoken to the officials involved in the raid to verify the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Judicial Investigating Organisation, which is a judicial department and not part of the security ministry, also issued a statement, saying that the raid was under the supervision of a criminal court judge at all times and that the incidents cited by Ayre did not happen. In addition, three fiscales or prosecutors were present, together with Fuerza Pública officers and Policía de Migración, the statement said.

"The judicial police always has acted with professionalism, respect for the law and the rights of persons," the statement said.

The Judicial Investigating Organisation also challenged Ayre to produce videos he said were taken of the activities of the police.

As far as is known, no indictments have yet taken place.

Abramoff lobbying scandal fall-out could be a factor

Leading on from the Leach Bill update, a special report from the Stanford Washington Research Group is germaine to the issue. Having completed studies of the situation, this body summarises it's findings as follows:

* House Judiciary passage of Internet Gambling bill moves focus to House Judiciary Committee, which is considering a separate measure that would amend the Wire Act to outlaw online betting.

* It sees House Judiciary acting in several weeks, with full House passing a combined bill in late spring.

* Action today is sufficient for Stanford to raise odds of this [banning] legislation passing this year to 60 percent as lawmakers appear willing to resolve the banking industry’s biggest worries.

The report reveals that Leach's measure was changed to give the Federal Reserve a role in drafting the rules that banks and thrifts will have to follow. This change largely pacified banking groups.

Attention now turns to the House Judiciary Committee where Rep. Bob Goodlatte has a similar bill pending. His measure, HR 4777, would amend the Wire Act to make it illegal to gamble online. The banking industry does not support the Goodlatte bill as it would give the Justice Department the role of ensuring bank compliance.

Stanford Research believes that Goodlatte will modify his bill to satisfy the industry’s concerns. One solution would be to provide joint authority with the banking agencies. Many other options would achieve the same result of putting enforcement more in the hands of bank regulators and less in the hands of the Justice Department.

Rep. Leach says that he sees Goodlatte’s bill as complimentary to his measure, implying that there is no need to combine the bills before they get to the House floor.

Leach prescribes steps to stop Internet gambling. Goodlatte amends the Wire Act to clarify that using the web to gamble is illegal.

House Judiciary has not yet scheduled a mark-up of the Goodlatte bill. Stanford expects it either the week of March 27 or the week of April 3. That would clear the way for the full House to act after the Easter recess, which concludes April 24.

Stanford comments that given the smooth passage of the Leach bill, there is reason to feel optimistic that it will be enacted. The desire to overcome the Abramoff scandal – the disgraced lobbyist is credited with killing an earlier version – is strong. At the same time, the banking industry’s worries are being addressed.

Given these factors, Stanford has increasing its odds for enactment to 60 percent. However, the company cautions that there are real risks here. It is never easy to get a bill out of the Senate, even if it is attached as an amendment to another bill.

Attempt to sneak Bill in as an amendment to Lobbying Reform fails, but the Senator is not giving up

The 2006 online gambling banning season in the US Senate is off to a shaky start, with the first of Senator Jon Kyl's attempts blocked due to the urgency of more important matters and its irrelevancy to a Bill to which Kyl sought to attach his proposals.

Kyl attempted to attach his banning Bill to legislation seeking to reform US lobbying legislation, but that Bill was delayed by more important business on US port control. The sponsors of the Lobbying Reform Act were also adamant that any attachments that were not germaine to their Bill would not be accepted.

Kyl is now reportedly attempting to attach his legislation S.AMDT.2953-Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 to Senator Trent Lott's pending bill S.2349-Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006. This bill is still pending, and the status of Kyl's proposed amendment remains as submitted (to be printed in the Congressional Record as full text of his proposed amendment).

The situation with Senator Kyl's latest attempt to ban online gambling remained unclear as we went to press this week, although there is speculation that he will make another attempt to fast track his prohibition proposal by attaching it to another convenient Bill.

Replaced by Richard Kilsby

There were more moves at the top at publicly listed online gambling group 888.com this week.

Marie Stevens, non-executive chairman for 888, has resigned with immediate effect, and is to be replaced by non-executive director Richard Kilsby.

Announcing the changes, CEO John Anderson said: “I would like to thank Marie for the wise counsel she provided to 888 during her tenure as chairman and wish her well for the future. Richard Kilsby has been an excellent non-executive director and I am confident that his considerable experience will be of ongoing benefit to the entire group.”

Anderson did not reveal the reason for Stevens's departure.

Revenues to be shared

Popular mobile technology provider Phantom Fiber clinched a deal with multi-media games developer Kiron this week for the suply of games in return for a revenue sharing arrangement.

The five-year licence agreement with Kiron Interactive includes provision for both partners to share in the revenue generated from mobile players.

Kiron Interactive is best known for Turfmaster, an online racing product which allows individuals to buy, train and race virtual horses. Clients include Ladbrokes, ukbetting, Independent News and Media, Cashcade and the UK-based At The Races TV channel.

Jeff Halloran, chief executive and president for Phantom Fiber said: “With the recent surge in virtual horseracing on the internet, a mobile extension was the next logical growth in this product offering. The management experience and talent at Kiron in delivering the necessary level of complexity in a comprehensive framework will certainly make them a leader in the industry and we are extremely excited to be a part of that.”

Portal synergy

Not a casino, but a portal features in this regular section this week. Bryan Bailey's Casinomeister portal has some clout as a venue for online players with problems.

Part of the site's success in this area is the composition of its forum membership, which includes some 80 casino and poker room company representatives, many of them managers representing over 250 different brands who monitor the site on a regular basis. The brands are some of the biggest and most successful on the Internet, perhaps because they support the idea of balanced and informed interaction with the playing community. Players with a problem are regularly invited to contact the representatives registered on the site, and almost on a daily basis misunderstandings and disputes are dealt with, obviating the need for bitter and public squabbling. It is an accepted truth that the vast majority of online gaming disputes can be resolved in a fast and fair manner by establishing dialogue with a manager.

Bailey says that the participation of these casino reps makes his forum one of the most productive in the industry, and one can see the logic behind this sort of player - casino interaction. In addition to picking up a lot of information from the many expert players and industry observers who frequent Casinomeister, poker room and casino managers can assess the opinions of its considerable membership (Bailey reports a substantial increase in membership with over 400 new members joining over the past few weeks) One of the biggest advantages is that it is a disciplined forum, encouraging informed and balanced exchanges rather than ranting and abuse.

For all of these reasons, InfoPowa believes that genuine casino representation through this, and for that matter other fora makes a lot of sense.

eCOGRA is not thrilled...

The owners of MPThrill.com, a portal featuring mainly Playtech-powered online venues could soon be facing legal action by using an eCOGRA "Play It Safe" seal without the imprimatur of the organisation, and suggesting that certain casinos are audited by the international PricewaterhouseCoopers group when they are not. Perhaps those concerned seek to profit by this deception, which occurred recently in the case of the Magic Gold Casino, too. The opposite is more likely, as both eCOGRA and PwC have let it be known that they are not prepared to tolerate the misuse of their brands by companies that have not passed the stringent inspection, probity and monitoring requirements.

This sort of deception does nothing for the integrity of MPThrill or the casinos it carries. From a recent press release, it would appear that MPThrill is heavily involved in a new portal, too - CasinoWorld Online Casinos.

PurePoker issue continues

Several weeks on, and the PurePoker aggrieved players are still in limbo with no direct communication from software provider Futurebet. PurePoker abruptly closed some weeks back, leaving players with cash frozen in their accounts. There was no communication, just a sign on the closed site advising that the closure was temporary and for technical reasons. Arousing deep suspicion, reports came in that immediately prior to the closure payouts had slowed down dramatically, with harassed support personnel promising players that they would be paid but there may be delays.

Emails to PurePoker were initially ignored, and players became really agitated when a stranger started calling them up, identifying himself as the *new* owner of PurePoker and trying to bargain their owed monies down by presenting "take it or leave it" offers.

Finally, Futurebet responded, with Arnold Lal and Ron Katz of the management team, and eventually the CEO Joe LaCascia assuring enquirers that all players would be looked after and that efforts to bargain monies down were not part of the plan. In fairness to Futurebet, that seemed to put the brakes on the "new owner's* activities.

However, nothing has happened since, and players remain out of contact and stressed about the possibility of losing in some cases thousands of dollars.

More transparency needed from Kahnawake on Golden Palace guerilla marketing

Just about everyone involved in online gambling even for a brief period will have had the curious and rather juvenile marketing antics of the Golden Palace casino group thrust under their noses from time to time. The company's "look at me" tactics have included paying ridiculous prices for oddments of questionable value, naming unfortunate babies and sending logo-emblazoned streakers to disrupt other people's sporting events, and are generally regarded with a degree of amusement but as something that has probably long passed it's sell-by date.

However, when it comes to disrupting something as important and respected as an Olympic Games event, public opinion generally turns to shocked disapproval, and that has happened over two Olympic incidents, thanks to the unprincipled and self-interested nature of this form of publicity.

The first time it happened, several years back, there was a major outcry, and the Kahnawake licensing jurisdiction under which Golden Palace falls took disciplinary action. It required the company to pay an unspecified 'fine' to an undisclosed charity, and sign an undertaking not to do it again. Many thought this light slap on the wrist was inadequate, but it was presented as a fait accompli and that was that.

This year, however, Golden Palace did it again in two incidents at the Winter Olympics in Italy. This was widely seen as a figurative "up yours" gesture to the Olympics, the industry and Kahnawake, and observers waited to see what the licensing jurisdiction would do about this flagrant disregard of the "no more shenanigans" undertaking GP had signed. But nothing happened. With player criticism mounting, one portalmaster emailed the Kahnawake authorities to query what action would be taken. After four emails and two weeks, he finally received the brusque response that it was being handled "...internally."

The lack of commitment and transparency that this sort of blow off suggests is just not right. As the portalmaster concerned commented in a public condemnation this week: "Are we owed an explanation on how they handle Golden Palace's blatant in-your-face thumbing of the nose response to "Golden Palace will not use, promote, encourage or fund this type of ‘marketing’ ever again"? This sort of response does not say much for the policing efforts of the Kahnawake Gaming Commission."

Ed. Note: The portal master was me - Casinomeister's Newsletter ~ 16 March 2006

Gambling Federation blacklisted

Getting blacklisted at a highly respected site like Mike Shackleford's The Wizard of Odds is a serious indictment likely to cause commercial damage, but that is what the entire Gambling Federation group has managed to achieve as a result of a ruling on a dispute that goes back to July last year.

Shackleford had been mediating for a player, ChrisB who had deposited in quick succession at 10 different Gambling Federation casinos, playing aggressively and busting out on many deposits, but hitting on two and ending up with some Euro 8,302 (around $10 000) in winnings.

The rewards were disqualified, with two reasons given, one after the other: First, the player had multiple accounts. This was subsequently disproved. The player had only one account per casino as required in the T&Cs. Second, that he was guilty of a nebulous "scheme" which was contrary to the rules of the casino. This turned out to consist of high stakes wagering, with bonuses, going for a big hit or a bust - but none of these playing styles are barred in the T&Cs.

Finally, the trump card of the questionable casino was played :

"The Casino management reserves the right to withhold any funds if it suspects any foul play or manipulation with the Casino. It is recognised and agreed to by the Player that, in the case of any discrepancy whatsoever, management's decision on all matters will be final."

No need to give specifics or produce a shred of evidence - just an arbitrary disqualification and return of deposits. Shackleford says that as the final decision was made by GFED, the entire group must take the consequences.

He found that the player obeyed the T&Cs to the letter. Those T&Cs, which are drawn up by the operator may have prohibited him from opening more than one account at one casino.....but did not prohibit him from depositing and claiming bonuses at 10 different casinos in the GFED group at the time this took place.

GFED has been in hot water before. In February 2005 players claimed that downloads from GFED casinos included malware (short for malicious software) that blocked access to some competing sites. CEO Fabiano Fogli claimed it was because those sites had misappropriated GFED's client database and spammed its customers. After they were caught GFED departed the IGC and apologised, stating their actions were based on "emotive judgement" and "not justified."

The Wizard has listed the following GFED casinos as part of his ban.

www.selectivecasino.com
www.videopokergrand.com
www.videopokerclassic.com
www.k2casino.com
www.grandslots.com
www.majorslots.com
www.spinninslots.com
www.sizzlingslots.com
www.casinofreedom.com
www.maximuscasino.com
www.commodorepoker.com
www.casinoitalia.net
www.casino.at
www.pinkladycasino.com
www.slotsexpress.com
www.jeuxdecesar.com
www.luckygatecasino.com
www.winnersonlinecasino.com
www.blackjackclub.com
www.pureslots.com
www.onlinecasinofever.com
www.goldencairocasino.com
www.monaconights.com
www.videopokersaloon.com
www.casino-hawaiiantropic.com
www.casinopokerlasvegas.com
www.maximuspoker.com
www.mr-casino.com
www.royalcitycasino.com

Ed. note: Lest we forget, they are rogued here as well. More here

And GamArena is the partner chosen by Sweden's largest newspaper

European online skill games network GamArena has a new distribution agreement, this time with Sweden's largest newspaper Aftonbladet.

In terms of the deal, GamArena will work with Aftonbladet to introduce online skill games to an audience of more than 8 million monthly visitors.

Aftonbladet has the largest circulation in Sweden and its associated website tops the charts in terms of online traffic and usage. Aftonbladet will become a part of the GamArena online network when the white-label site in development by the two companies is launched this summer, enabling visitors to Aftonbladet’s website to play a wide range of next generation skill games within a fully branded Aftonbladet environment.

Andrew Pegler, Managing Director of GamArena AB, said: “We are extremely excited to be working with such a premium media brand as Aftonbladet. They have demonstrated numerous times before that they innovate in the online space and provide their readers with high quality content.”

Johan Åsén, business developer of Aftonbladet New Media, added, “Games will become an important piece of our online offering and skill games provide enormous entertainment to players.”

Caribbean champ gets to select the next venue - and makes a cold and calculating choice

InterPoker's Extreme Poker championship 30 feet beneath the waves in the Caribbean attracted a great deal of media and player attention through it's innovative nature, and this year the online poker site has an equally intriguing venue.

Just months after winning the Caribbean competition, Finnish poker pro Juha Helppi was given the option to select the venue for the next Extreme event. Opting for "home field advantage," Juha is taking the tournament to his own backyard in the arctic ice fields of Finland at the world's largest snow castle in Kemi on March 29.

Deep inside the massive ice edifice, three online qualifiers will take on poker pros Rob Varkonyi, Juha Helppi and Pete "The Beat" Giordano, as they shuffle up and deal in one of the harshest climates the arctic has to offer.

"By opening up the tournament to Internet qualifiers, we are giving online players a chance to make poker history, as well as the celebrity status of achieving the title 'Extreme Poker Champion,'" said InterPoker spokesperson Peter Marcus. "While Juha undoubtedly has the home field advantage in this tournament, there is always the possibility that a competitive and talented US professionals or one of our InterPoker online qualifiers will take his title."

Constructed in December 2005, the Snow Castle is made up of approximately 60,000 cubic feet of snow and ice, and maintains a constant internal temperature well below freezing. Enormous snow towers, intricate ice sculptures and a spacious (and extremely chilled) dining hall are trademark elements of the newly raised world landmark.

"The snow castle is very beautiful and very cold -- just like the city where I grew up. I will be right at home in the castle, and aim to take advantage of home field advantage in every way possible," said Helppi.

In addition to battling the frigid temperatures, players will encounter new rules in the arctic tournament that will make play more challenging. For example, when a player takes a major hit in his or her chip stack, they will be given the option of buying back their chips in exchange for an article of clothing, such as their coat or shirt. Players leave the competition when they run out of chips (and all non-essential clothing), or are forced to leave after succumbing to the cold. Medical personnel will be present at all times to monitor the health of all participants.

"Poker is an endurance sport and we have just made it harder, no one can doubt that playing poker in subzero temperatures, with very little light, requires the utmost concentration, patience and mental stamina," said Marcus.

A U.S. utility company with Swedish interests to supply 3-D poker?

Very cryptic information surrounding the future plans of a Costa Rican online casino company called Arctic Star had industry observers playing the guessing game this week.

Artic Star announced that it was to be powered by DQE AB and 3D Internet Games AB out of Sweden, but unearthing more information on these companies only deepened the mystery. DQE is a subsidiary of the US electric light utilities company Duquesne Light Company, which is a "leader in the transmission and distribution of electric energy, offering superior customer service and reliability to more than half a million customers in southwestern Pennsylvania."

Clearly a new entrant into the online gambling software field, the company has previously supplied 3-D Poker and Blackjack software to online poker site Vegas007.com, and has now clinched a new deal with Arctic Star, which is a Costa Rican entity that has yet to appear on the Internet but has plans to do so soon.

William Forsman, managing director of Arctic Star, said: “We are optimistic on our decision to work with DQE. Through our channels we have access to active poker players, most in northern Sweden. We think 3D will become the standard for the world’s poker sites over the coming years.”

Betting exchange poker operation is offering an unlimited number of sponsored seats for WSOP 06

Betfair Poker, UK betting exchange Betfair’s poker site, is offering an unlimited number of seats for this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Ben Fried, head of poker at Betfair, said: “We expect to spend over US$1 million sending players to the WSOP. With offers like the Threedom Pass, we have added value to the proposition.”

The Threedom Pass sponsorship will be worth US$45,000 at the WSOP and will give members of Team Betfair Poker the possibility of returning to poker tournaments for three years if they make the final table in Vegas this year.

Personalities launch new site

British gambling group Gala Coral Eurobet has entered the online bingo sector in a big way with the launch of Gala Bingo.co.uk, its new online bingo site.

The new venue has considerable cross-marketing potential - the group has 172 land-based bingo clubs, 5 million bingo members and 1.2 million casino members across the UK.

Dominic Harrison, group trading director at Gala, said: “Our venture into online gaming is an exciting and, in many ways, a natural ‘next step’ in providing an outstanding bingo player experience.”

Former UK pop singer Kym Marsh and former model and wife of UK comedian Vic Reeves will appear on the site for a weekly chat with members, with more sponsorship deals to be announced soon.

Major European media group to receive white label sites

Canadian bingo software specialists Parlay Entertainment stands to benefit from a deal signed this week by sub-licensor, The Gaming Network.

One of Europe’s largest media groups, Emap, publisher of more than 150 consumer magazines as well as radio stations and TV channels, has finalised an agreement that will see Parlay provide white-label bingo sites for some of Emap’s leading brands, specifically targeting female audiences through outlets such as New Woman, Magic FM, Top Santé and Mother and Baby.

Simon Beeson, managing director of The Gaming Network, said: “Emap’s move into internet bingo validates our position that egaming is becoming an important channel for media and retail brands in the UK.”

Magic FM will be the first to launch a bingo site. The radio station attracts over 1 million daily listeners and is London’s second-most popular radio station. Magic FM listeners fit a similar profile to the new breed of online bingo players, which Emap is keen to highlight.

Paul Voss, group licensing director at the company, said: “This white-label solution is a perfect product for us. It is a defined niche, and we have identified specific brands.”

Voss also hinted that Emap may be launching additional gaming products across its other brands, which include UK men’s magazine market leader FHM.

According to the BBC, the UK has 3 million regular bingo players, around 70 percent of whom are women. Bingo payouts have risen since the advent of e-gaming, and as an example, Bingo.co.uk now offers a GBP 1 million prize.

Changes are up for consultation until June 2

Landmark new rules governing ‘fair play’ in British gambling have been drafted by the UK Gambling Commission and published this week as part of the consultation process, which calls for suggestions and submissions before June 2 this year.

The Commission’s ‘License Conditions and Codes of Practice’ document focuses on the tripartite aims of keeping crime out of gambling, ensuing fairness and openness in the industry, and protecting the vulnerable and the young.

The new rules include the online gambling industry, which for the first time will be brought under the Commission’s jurisdiction.

Poppy Turner, spokesperson for the Gambling Commission, said: “These new rules will enable us to offer consumers and online gambling fans the chance to know what they are getting. There would be big incentives for online companies to move to the UK as well, as by registering and being accountable, they would be allowed to advertise in the UK. And the Gambling Commission would be able to offer certain guarantees which would attract customers."

“Gamblers will have the opportunity to access safer sites, with the knowledge that the business has come within the realms of a regulatory framework. It offers reassurance, as well as big incentives,” Turner added.

New rules would include compulsory licences, assurances that problem gamblers would be dealt with through staff training, and information about responsible gambling.

Measures to combat underage gamblers by accessing sites through random credit card checks, and the display of a relevant complaints procedure by operators licensing in Britain will also be required.

Peter Dean, chairman of the Gambling Commission, said: “Combating problem gambling is particularly important to us: this is the first time the Commission has had the power to do something about it, and we intend to use that power to maximum effect.

"We have the power to fine or revoke the licences of those who fail to do so, and to prosecute illegal gambling. We won’t hesitate to use these powers if need be.”

The Gambling Act comes fully into force in September 2007. Tessa Jowell, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Gambling is not an industry like any other. What can be a harmless pastime for one person can be a life-destroying addiction for another.”

The Gambling Commission's responsibilities include oversight of online gambling, and the safeguarding of online players who, must be made aware of how much time and money they are spending gambling.

Alastair Ross, a Strathclyde University psychologist specialising in gambling, said: "These regulations are going to be most tested on the internet, where you don't have a restriction of hours and you don't have staff policing it. It's a younger, middle-class problem. You can do it at work, and it's not a weekend, social pursuit. It's constant." The code suggests that online operators should make spot checks on credit cards to verify people's age, though Dr Ross suggested that some teenagers could circumvent these.

Arguably the top executive job in the business will be vacant shortly

Speculation on the successor to Party Gaming chief Richard Segal intensified this week with the news that Fire One executive chairman Mitchell Garber had resigned from the company to “pursue opportunities within the internet gaming sector”.

Segal recently announced his intention to depart Party Gaming in the coming months (see previous InfoPowa reports) rather than move his family to the group headquarters in Gibraltar, and company sources indicated that a replacement would be brought in from outside the group.

FireOne is a payment processing group with Internet expertise.

Garber's resignation came as a surprise following the publication of the group’s maiden full-year results since it floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) last year, highlighting profits of US$16 million (GBP 9.2 million).

FireOne provides online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks with a system to transfer funds, processing internet gaming transactions through the use of credit and debit cards, electronic debit and through FirePay, a stored-value, electronic wallet.

The company said Garber was leaving to “pursue opportunities within the internet gaming sector”.

Benjamin Dalfen, previously chief operating officer at the company, has been appointed as chief executive, while Leon Garfinkle takes up the non-executive chairman role.

Commenting on Garber’s departure, Dalfen said: “We are all are disappointed to see Mitch leave, however, we respect his desire to take on new challenges.”

Illegal operation handled 50 000 calls in a seven month period

Associated Press reports what appears to have been a sting operation by federal authorities that resulted in three family members being indicted this week in he Greenbelt U.S. District Court for allegedly running a gambling business out of Montgomery County.

Herbert Meyers (60) of Potomac, his 69-year-old brother-in-law Robert Levine of Montgomery Village and Levine's 45-year-old son, Steven Levine of Montgomery Village, were all charged with conducting an illegal gambling business and conspiracy. Robert Levine and Meyers were also indicted for money laundering.

Meyers' brother, Howard Meyers, was indicted last month on gambling charges.

Federal prosecutors said that between March 2001 and January 2004, the three took bets on football games, basketball games and other sports. They advertised by word of mouth and pamphlets, establishing a toll-free number that took in more than 50,000 calls in a seven month period between 2002 and 2003.

More online betting than traditional business gambling

"It is time for the U.S. government to face the facts: The issue is not whether it is possible to stop online gambling; the issue is how to regulate a business that not only exists but is growing."

Looking on the brighter side amidst all the legislative action in the States this week was an op ed piece by David Carruthers of Bet On Sports which appeared in the widely read and respected LA Times. He concluded that it is time for the U.S. government to face the facts: The issue is not whether it is possible to stop online gambling; the issue is how to regulate a business that not only exists but is growing.

Commenting that if some members of Congress get their way, Americans won't be able to place bets online, the article describes current moves by the likes of Reps. Leach and Goodlatte, and Sen. Jon Kyl to put an end to online gambling, and comments:

"But trying to shut down a multibillion-dollar industry with consumer demand that includes an estimated 8 million Americans annually is an empty legislative effort. Instead of outlawing it, Congress should regulate it.

"Online gambling is now a $12-billion-a-year industry. Americans anted up more than $500 million to bet on this year's Super Bowl online, an increase of more than 12 percent from last year and more than five times the amount wagered through Nevada casinos. Overall, Americans wagered nearly $6 billion online in 2005, compared to about $1.5 billion in 2001."

The story points out that the Wire Act was originally aimed at organised crime and sought to prevent gambling businesses from operating by phone in states where it was otherwise illegal to gamble. This law, therefore, shouldn't be applied to Internet betting. "Besides, no case law or statute clearly defines where Internet bets are actually taking place," says the author. "BetOnSports, for example, is based in Costa Rica. Our customers can place bets from anywhere that has an Internet connection. In part because of this ambiguity, no one has been prosecuted for online betting under the law."

Carruthers writes: "Enforcing this outdated law, or passing new legislation, would be foolish at best and a violation of privacy and individual freedom at worst. Politicians who seek to prohibit online wagering in order to prevent underage gambling, excessive gambling and corruption could address these goals more effectively through regulation.

"It may surprise our critics to know that we share their concern about gambling abuse. In fact, we have been seeking support from governments to devise systematic ways to protect vulnerable populations. What this industry needs is regulation, not to be pushed even further into the shadows, where organised crime and less reputable people can carve out a niche for themselves."

Carruthers goes on to describe how online gambling venues fight the problems of underage and problem gambling, and how regulation rather than prohibition could strengthen that fight and at the same time deliver corporate governance surveillance and tax benefits.

He draws attention to the more progressive approach to Internet gambling taken by the British government and recommends this as a model for the U.S as regards licensing and regulating online gambling, the establishment of a national gambling commission to protect consumers, restrict the access of minors and prevent money-laundering and other criminal activity.

The article concludes that it is time for the U.S. government to face the facts: The issue is not whether it is possible to stop online gambling; the issue is how to regulate a business that not only exists but is growing.

"We have begun the process by working to create an independent advisory council to establish operating standards acceptable to everyone. Not only would regulation strengthen companies that wish to operate responsibly, but legalising our companies could also bring in billions of dollars in tax revenue. That's one gamble that would generate benefits for all Americans."

Hard Rock Casino change to new software suggests Playtech is approved by Channel Island licencing authority

Rank group company Hard Rock Casino.com recently changed from Wagerworks to Playtech software, raising the interesting question of whether Playtech has passed the stringent software requirements of the Alderney authorities who license Hard Rock and its sister Blue Square.

Asked about this, company spokesman Steven Humphries told InfoPowa: "I can confirm that Hard Rock Casino has changed software provider from WagerWorks to Playtech. This is the only change to Hard Rock Casino and we are still licensed and regulated by the Alderney Gaming Control Commission."

This would seem to imply that Playtech software has been found acceptable and compliant by Alderney, and Humphries subsequently confirmed this in answer to a further question: "You are correct about the implication regarding Playtech and Alderney. We have had to go through the entire regulation and licensing process with Alderney again, in order to ensure that the AGCC is comfortable with the Playtech software."

Humphries says that Blue Square will be remaining on the Wagerworks platform.

Victory in 6 consecutive tourneys leads to a noble payout

A nineteen year old Swedish player has won Noble Poker’s $100,000 Fort Knox Sit N’Go Jackpot promotion, truimphing in 6 consecutive final tables of six players each in a series of tourneys leading to the main prize of $100 000.

Identified only by his *handle* Soderlind, the player signed up through the portal Pokerlistings.com for the online tournaments.

Soderlind’s win marks the first occasion a player has been awarded the $100,000 grand prize since the new Sit N’Go tournament launched last fall. Other Sit N’Go Jackpot tournaments hosted at Noble Poker include the Rio and Maui Progressive Jackpot events which boast minimum prizes of $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.

C$250 000 purse goes to 23-year-old

The inaugural Canadian Open Poker Championship, held at the Stampede Casino in Calgary last weekend was won by 23-year-old rookie player James Lopushinsky, who left the final table with the grand prize of C$250 000.

Second place, and C$125 000 went to Karim Chatur, also of Calgary

Former poker player Kelly Kellner organised the heads-up, No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em format event, along with management at the Calgary Stampede Casino. The prizes are believed to be the largest guaranteed payouts ever offered for a Canadian poker tourney.

Speaking to InfoPowa before the event, Kellner said he wanted to do something different from the current poker tournaments being played and shown on TV in North America.

"It's two players at the table. One guy goes on, one comes out," said Kellner, the CEO of HeadsUp Entertainment. "I love playing heads-up - most poker players do. It is the ultimate challenge of your ability. When you're there and it's just you and I, if I can read you and I can bluff you, that makes me a great poker player. It gives players an opportunity to shine and it's something that hasn't been done in Canada."

Also competing in the championship was Brad Booth, a local poker celebrity who first took Lopushinsky under his wing and taught the championship winner the intricacies of the game. Lopushinsky worked for Booth as a dealer at his gaming facility and has a relatively short history as a poker player.

A total of 64 players competed in the event, entering by paying a fee of $5,000 or through qualifying events and satellite tournaments, where entry fees started at $60.

Mobile gambling the next target

Betting brand The Winner Channel is to expand into the mobile phones sector and the Internet following its initial successful run on digital cable TV.

The channel, owned by iTV firm Two Way TV and gaming technology company Zone4Play, offers a range of ‘instant win’ games including roulette, slots, hi-lo, keno, dice and Zone4Play's unique new fixed-odds poker game called Face Up Hold ‘em (see earlier InfoPowa reports).

Players will be able to use a single e-wallet account across all three platforms at all times.

Winner Channel players can win jackpots of up to GBP 500 000, and mobile players get GBP5 worth of free bets when they sign up for the new service.

Regular players can sign up to a loyalty programme where they accumulate points which can be exchanged for cash, prizes and other rewards.

Guy Templer, Two Way TV’s commercial director, said: “Over the next couple of months we will be announcing a series of distribution deals with leading media brand owners to distribute our games. There will also be a series of games based on major TV programmes.”

The Winner Channel was first launched on the NTL and Telewest broadband cable platforms last year. Affiliates of The Winner Channel have included Flextech TV and its channels Challenge TV and Bravo, and Channel 4.

Major public betting company launches new tourneys

Eurobet Poker.com is putting up WSOP sponsorships worth a total of $30 000, offering customers the chance to win one of three seats at the ‘World Series of Poker Circuit’ event at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas in May, which has an estimated $3,000,000 prize pool.

The WSOP Circuit is a series of 13 major poker events in the US, leading up to the $70,000,000 WSOP 2006 Main Event in July, and attracts the biggest names in world poker.

Eurobet Poker is giving away a VIP package to the winner of each Grand Final, including seats at the WSOP Circuit event (worth $10,000 each), flights and hotel in Vegas for two, and $1,000 of spending money.

To enter, players need to be Eurobet customers and be able to play in their online poker room – either downloading the software or via the Java instant-play version (for Mac users).

There are 3 ways of making each of the three Grand Finals:

* A weekly ‘freeroll’ (free-to-enter tournament) with the top 5 places going direct to the final

* One of the many daily paid-for satellites starting at just $1

* Through a buy-in to the Grand Final direct for $108

Satellites are running now, with Grand Finals (where a VIP package is won) scehduled for Sunday 19th March, and 2nd and 16th April.

This year's GIGSE delegates have a new way to get in touch

The River City Group organisers of the Global Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo (GIGSE) have come up with a new way for delegates to get in touch and network this year.

Text2Meet is River City's proprietary SMS messaging system that will allow industry folk attending the big event to communicate with fellow GIGSE delegates via text messages.

Those who want to use this convenient system will opt-in and provide their mobile phone numbers at registration - either online or onsite, by checking the "Text2Meet" box. They will then become a part of this useful networking feature.

GIGSE runs from May 16 to 18 at the Palais des Congres in Montreal this year.

Monopolistic actions in restricting adverts and gambling services to be challenged

The International Herald Tribune reports that six European Union countries face legal action later this month by the European Commission for maintaining bans on gambling while permitting their citizens to wager in their national lotteries.

The European Union's internal market commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, is quoted as saying he wants to take action against Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Holland and Hungary for restricting the advertising and promotion of gambling services as well as on the gambling services themselves. "We should proceed against all these countries," McCreevy told the newspaper.

Commenting that national governments have become addicted to the revenue that their national lotteries bring in, the Tribune says that as Europeans spend more on lottery tickets, governments find it harder to finance public spending through orthodox means like taxation. To protect their gambling monopolies, the governments in question turn to frustrating efforts to create a more level playing field for competition in the gambling and lottery business.

The European Commission has tried several times to break down what amount to monopolies on gambling that are held by national lotteries but its efforts have been thwarted by the member states.

Most recently, the commission tried to include gambling in its controversial and wide-ranging services directive, but members of the European Parliament threw out the clause on gambling.

"The official reason for opposing other forms of gambling is out of social concern, but the real reason they want to restrict other gambling outlets is because they don't want to lose the contributions to state coffers they get from their national lotteries," said Torbjorn Ihre, head of public affairs at the Brussels- based European Betting Association.

The Swedish lottery generates about Euro 2.7 billion, or $3.2 billion, in annual revenue, according to Ihre, who is Swedish.

"A fifth of that is profit, and most of it goes into the state budget," he said. In Hungary, where per capita income is lower, the state lottery is expected to generate Euro 52 million this year, 20 percent more than last year, according to the European Lotteries and Toto Association Web site.

Governments claim that by limiting betting to national lotteries - or totos, as they are sometimes called - they can control gambling abuse by minors and by money launderers, Ihre said.

But that argument may not help the six countries facing legal action if they end up in court. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has ruled that social concern is a legitimate reason for countries to ban gambling, but not when they have a national lottery.

Still, given the sensitivity of the issue, McCreevy sounded uncertain of the outcome of any confrontation over gambling. "Let's get to court," he said. "If we are ruled against, then so be it, but let's get on with it."

Extensive mainstream media coverage flows from Costa Rican debacle

The weekend happenings at Calvin Ayre's upmarket Costa Rican mansion, where "busloads" of police staged a raid on grounds of suspected illegal gambling early one evening have received widespread mainstream media coverage and considerable Internet exposure, giving fresh impetus to speculation that there may have been a hidden publicity motive.

It would seem that very little was achieved by the raid, although the local constabulary have yet to comment on the contents of a laptop which they confiscated. Ayre was not arrested, and the 100 or so party-goers moved to another location.

Ayre, the billionaire head of the Bodog gambling and media entertainment group was throwing the party to mark the end of filming of his upcoming TV reality program, and the police evidently were under the impression that real and illegal poker play was going on.

The newspaper AM Costa Rica was quick to point out that Ayre is skilled and practised at creating and exploiting publicity opportunities through his Bodog.com organisation, and pointed out that some who have followed his gambits wonder if the raid is not exactly what his poker championship reality television show needed.

The week before the raid, Ayre was the cover focus of the annual Forbes "Worlds Richest People" edition, and in an interview he rather cheekily thumbed his nose at the authorities in the U.S. from whence comes much of his gambling action, challenging them to "catch me if you can" with typical Ayre sound bite-conscious insouciance.

The online tabloid style Gambling911, long a supporter of Bodog and a historical collaborator in Ayre's "Cole Turner" Indiana Jones-esque publicity drive has also given the raid, and Ayre's new TV show, ongoing major coverage and hype.

Whatever the motive, this apparently failed raid has scored an inordinate amount of publicity, and if that was the goal it has succeeded admirably.

Instructions on how to kill the goose that lays golden eggs.

At least some Costa Rican financial experts are unhappy with a new tax plan proposed by the government, according to local media AM Costa Rica.

Referring to the small country's dependence on gambling taxation and employment, one writer summed up his objections with the following succinct condemnation under the heading "How to kill the goose that lays golden eggs."

Step 1: Restrict the inflow of capital by taxing it 10 percent upon arrival in Costa Rica.

Step 2: Make bringing money into Costa Rica as difficult as possible.

Step 3: Tax the money heavily once it is here.

19-year-old Georgia U student beats all in Monte Carlo competition

Another major poker tourney - the European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monaco held over the weekend - has been won by a "young gun" player.

The Associated Press reports that a 19-year-old freshman from the University of Georgia was the only American remaining as play began on the final day of the Poker Stars European Poker Tour's Grand Final.

American political science student Jeff Williams won the big event after beating off competition from a total of 298 players - including scores of world-class poker professionals and three World Champions - Team Pokerstars' members Joe Hachem (2005) and Greg Raymer (2004) as well as 2001 champion Carlos Mortensen.

Williams won Euro 900,000 ($1,078,000) after a gripping final table. He paid just $41 to reach the Euro 10,000 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold'em Grand Final, after he qualified for the event on PokerStars.com. His dramatic win was watched by his parents David and Cindi - a total surprise to their son - who made the trip across the Atlantic after following his progress on the PokerStars blog.

The five-day Euro 10,000 No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament - the biggest ever held in Europe - generated a prize pool of nearly Euro 3,000,000 ($3,552,000).

The EPT is Europe's richest poker tour - with tournaments televised for broadcast throughout the world. Season 2 featured events in Barcelona, London, Baden, Dublin, Copenhagen, Deauville and the Monte Carlo Grand Final - with a total of 2,009 players generating an overall prize pool of Euro 9,824,000.

The dramatic final stages of the tournament on Saturday, March 11 ended with Jeff in a heads-up showdown against Arshad Hussain, from the UK. Arshad had spent nothing to reach Monte Carlo after winning a Frequent Player Point tournament on PokerStars and took home Euro 492 000 for his second place.

Jeff said: "Arshad and I have played each other a lot in heads-up tournaments on PokerStars and Arshad normally wins. So I was pretty nervous but by then I had a big chip lead which makes a difference. This whole event has been just amazing. To reach the final table and then find myself sitting next to Marcel Luske, one of my poker heroes, was incredible. I am still taking the whole thing in. I can't really believe it. "

The 3rd and 4th place finishers in the event were also PokerStars qualifers. Aleksander Strandli, from Oslo, Norway won Euro 251 000 and Marc Karam, from Ottawa, Canada, won Euro 195 000.

The EPT Grand Final was held over five days (March 7-11) at the glamorous new Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. Among the top poker professionals competing were last year's EPT Grand Final winner Rob Hollink, French singer Patrick Bruel, Irish star Andy Black and Swedish champion Martin de Knijff. Team PokerStars was also represented by Aussie Millions winner Lee Nelson, French WPT Ladies Champion Isabelle Mercier and Italy's Luca Pagano.

The Grand Final also attracted record numbers of media to the French Riviera, with more than 80 TV, press and online media from around the world attending - four times the number who came last year. It was also the first tournament to be covered live by a national newspaper - the Times Online.

Northern breakthrough for Pokerzone's flagship

Scandinavian poker fans with access to the Viasat Channel "Quiz Nation" can look forward to Pokerzone's popular "Poker Night Live" every night from 11pm to 4 am following a recent agreement that will see the show beamed into over 6 million homes.

Poker Night Live claims that it is the first programme to integrate live internet action with television output, where expert presenters and guests commentate as viewers play live on the channel from the comfort of their own homes via the internet.

The show has grown in popularity since pokerzone’s launch in April and the reach is now in the region of 200 000 unique viewers a week nationwide. The show features a variety of cash games, single table tournaments and the recently launched multi-table tournaments with over 100 people playing simultaneously.

Pokerzone has moved into Scandinavian, European and Canadian markets in an attempt to meet public demand to improve poker skills.

Managing Director Jim Sibcy says, “these are very exciting times for Pokerzone and the move into Scandinavia is an obvious progression for us. We hope to see the same success for Poker Night Live in Europe as we have had in the UK and I am certain we will.”

Creative Director Sam Orams said that the Scandinavian version of the show will be using Scandinavian presenters in order to create a programme that really involves the audience.

Poker has arrived when mainstream US commerce gets involved

Poker's prominent position as a source of entertainment and a test of skill in the States was reinforced recently by a sponsorship move from mainstream corporate America.

Exxon-Mobil is offering its customers the chance to win a seat to the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas this summer through the "Mobil Delvac-World Series of Poker Promotion."

The lucky winner of the grand prize will get a free trip to Las Vegas and a complimentary seat at the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in late July. The $12,000 prize package includes airfare, accommodation, and the $10,000 entry fee.

Commencing early April, the promotion will run until June 15, 2006. Players qualify by purchasing specially marked one-gallon bottles of Mobil Delvac 1300 Super with an attached mail-in sweepstakes entry form. The specially marked bottles will be available at participating Exxon-Mobil lubricants distributors and lubricants installers and retailers.

"Our 'Mobil Delvac-World Series Poker Promotion' enables us to reward our loyal customers and provide them with an opportunity they might not otherwise have: the chance to take on many of the world's best card players and a shot to play for millions of dollars," said Jamie Roberson, commercial vehicle lubricants advisor, Exxon-Mobil Lubricants & Specialties.

In addition to the WSOP prize package, ExxonMobil will be offering a number of poker-themed prizes.

Con men are after your credit card and banking details

Several new phishing strategies surfaced this week, serving once again to remind Internet users to be alert and cautious with their private information, especially as regards financial instruments.

In the first, a California man was arrested for allegedly attempting to steal the personal information of about 30 000 people through a forged phishing email targetting eBay users.

Anti-virus firm Sophos reported that 21-year-old Ali Shekafroush, a Riverside Community College student was arrested after a 14-month investigation by the department's high-tech task force.

Shekafroush allegedly sent some 30 000 emails that claimed to be from eBay but re-directed users to another Web site. The bogus site would then ask users to submit their personal information. Sophos says phishing scams extend well beyond banking sites, with PayPal and eBay being among the most popular guises for phishing attacks.

In another incident, a Web server owned by a state-operated Chinese bank was being used by hackers to host phishing sites targeting American banks and financial institutions, according to a report by Internet research group Netcraft.

Phishing emails sent this month targeted customers of Chase Bank and eBay, directing the gullible to sites hosted on IP addresses assigned to The China Construction Bank Shanghai Branch, in what Netcraft says is the first instance it has seen of one bank's infrastructure being used to attack another institution.

The Chase scam duped its victims by offering a chance to earn $20 by filling out a user survey asking them to submit bank information so that the $20 can be deposited to the proper account. The survey also requests its victim's user PIN number, card verification number, mother's maiden name and Social Security number and password. The data is then relayed to a free form processing service on a server in India.

The third, and deeply concerning scam involves phone calls in which the caller clearly knows a great deal about the victim already, and uses this to try and get the victim to give up PIN or three digit identity numbers on the rear of his or her credit card.

The fraudster calls and identifies himself as a member of Security Investigations at either Visa or Mastercard - he even supplies badge and control numbers that sound official. He appears to already have the issuing bank and card number (possibly from a skim merchant or illegal sale) and tells the victim that his or her card has been flagged for an unusual purchasing pattern. By asking questions that show he already has the victim's personal information he attempts to extract from the victim critical information like the numbers on the rear of the credit card.

Readers are warned that under no circumstances should they divulge this sort of information, even to plausible sounding callers.

Casino Dinero has full Money-Casino facilities

The Curacao licensed Futurebet licensee Money-Casino.com has followed up on its February 2006 revamp with a new Spanish language version branded Casino Dinero.

A company spokesman said that the mission of Casino Dinero is to provide the Spanish speaking player with a fully localised and user-friendly gaming experience. All the elements featured on Money Casino and every stage of the process of play are now available in Spanish, including the website, registration, and all the 45 no-download games featured on the software.

Like Money-Casino, the site links to English and Hebrew language versions, offers a wide range of payment options and takes deposits in GBP, Euro and Dollars.

A feature of Casino Dinero is that the site provides essential information for Spanish-speaking new players who are taking their first steps online, including games guides, banking details, instructions on getting started, software usage, privacy policy, and conditions of use.

It should be noted, however that Futurebet is presently under something of a cloud following the change of ownership at PurePoker.com, which has left players with cash frozen in their accounts aggrieved at the lack of communication regarding the back-up that Futurebet should be prepared to give them. Although Futurebet's CEO has indicated to watchdogs that his company will look after the players, there has been no firm commitment or notification to players yet.

Dynasty Gaming to supply Mahjong Mania to online casino group

Fresh from signing up Ladbrokes for the same Mahjong Mania game, Dynasty Gaming has inked a deal with Golden Palace online casino group for the same product.

Dynasty claims the product is a first-to-market aggregate player, cash-wager version of Mahjong.

The contract, through Dynasty's Mahjong Systems Limited subsidiary, covers the installation and payment of royalties for the company's Mahjong Mania gaming software. Mahjong is a game of Chinese origins, acknowledged as the world's most widely played game.

Dynasty Chief Executive, Albert Barbusci said, "We are delighted to have entered into an agreement with Golden Palace. This agreement, coupled with the recent signing of Ladbrokes, illustrates the increasing demand for a cash-wager version of Mahjong."

Richard Rowe, Chief Executive of Golden Palace Limited commented that his company was pleased to add an online version of cash-wager Mahjong, already the most widely played game in the world. "It is our intention to have the game installed and ready for play within the next three months," he revealed.

More industry consolidation

The Costa Rican based BetCRIS sportsbook has announced the acquisition of two online gambling properties, TC Bets and FunTimeBingo.

A spokesman said that the acquisitions are part of the group strategy to offer a range of gamestyles and activities to online players in one of the world’s fastest growing industries.

“The acquisitions are part of a larger vision to build a unique online gaming community,” said BetCRIS.com CEO Mickey Richardson. “We’re broadening our client base at a time when market share is imperative. This is just the start of many great things to come.”

TC Bets’ predominant service is horse racing and its acquisition will enable BetCRIS to more effectively cross promote their services while increasing their client base. FunTimeBingo will broaden the BetCris service offering and will be integrated with the group during Summer 2006.

Antigua the host for IMF teach-in for regulators

Regional regulators of casinos and internet gaming operations are gathering in Antigua and Barbuda this week for a training workshop on combating money laundering.

The one-week workshop is being presented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in collaboration with the Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening (FIRST) Initiative, and the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP).

According to Director of Gaming in the Financial Services Regulatory Commission, Kay McDonald, the workshop is intended to be highly interactive by providing a forum to review new international standards applicable to casinos and internet gaming entities and their regulators.

McDonald revealed that the event will also examine the principal vulnerabilities and money laundering risks in the sector.

New Jersey judge hands down "guilty" ruling

Readers may recall back in October last year a case being heard in Morristown, New Jersey before Judge Salem Vincent Ahto in which local businessman Nicholas Drakos (49) was accused of promoting gambling through his website International Net Casino.com and other peripheral offences.

This week the Judge handed down his final decision, convicting Drakos and sentencing him to 90 days on a manual labour program and three years' probation for promoting gambling through a Web site he hosted to attract wagers on college and professional sports.

Drakos had tried unsuccessfully in October to have the charges dismissed on grounds that he couldn't have committed a crime because New Jersey has no laws that expressly ban betting over the Internet.

Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Smith countered by suggesting that under state law, a person is guilty of promoting gambling when he or she knowingly engages in conduct that "...materially aids any form of gambling activity." And amendments to New Jersey's constitution have legalised certain types of gambling in New Jersey and prohibited the Legislature from authorising other forms of gambling "...unless the specific kind, restrictions and control ... are approved by public referendum," she contended.

The state constitution, Ahto noted, cites approved forms of gambling that include casinos, state-run lotteries and certain types of raffles and bingo games that benefit civic and specified organisations. Internet gambling is not a sanctioned activity under current state law, he found.

The judge accepted the prosecution argument that Internet gambling is illegal even though the state Legislature has not specifically banned it, and that led to Drakos changing his plea to guilty earlier this year. This week's proceedings were therefore for sentencing.

Judge Ahto said he would not be unduly harsh on Drakos, since many people innocently believe that gambling is lawful and Drakos was not stealthy about the Web site he hosted.

"I don't think Mr. Drakos was trying to hide what he was doing. It's not like this was a clandestine operation," Ahto said. He added that he had wished a higher court in New Jersey had an opportunity to review the legitimacy of Internet gambling per se, but so far it has not. This was now unlikely to occur, because Drakos' lawyers did not appeal Ahto's trial court finding in October.

The judge sentenced Drakos to the eight days he already served in the Morris County jail after his arrest and imposed 90 days on the Sheriff's Labor Assistance Program, a work-in-lieu-of-jail program. Drakos also must serve three years' probation and pay about $1,330 in fines.

During the trial, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office had contended that Drakos was the host of a gambling Web site that featured his picture and phone numbers for customer assistance. When police became aware of the Web site, they claimed that the site was "...the functional equivalent of a wire room, or a location where bettors could call or log on to and place bets." The site also had connections outside the United States.

An undercover officer contacted Drakos to set up an online betting account and they met in person in January 2004. During their meeting, the officer discussed establishing an online account as well as Drakos'"affiliate program," which was a commission incentive for bettors to recruit other bettors.

"He was so open with what he did," defense lawyer Gerard Hanlon said. "It is not a crime that offends the sense of morality."

Search engine company is targeting 50 000 regular gamblers

The premiere issue of Gambling.com Magazine debuts this month (see previous InfoPowa report) as a full-colour lifestyle glossy publication, and the only independent VIP magazine written for online high-rollers.

The target audience is apparently the 50,000 most active Platinum Members of the long-established Gambling.com website.

With an intended eventual readership of over 100 000, editor Michael Caselli says, “With high production values, the new magazine is a careful blend of entertainment, strategy and cutting edge design, along with a degree of synergy with content from the website. This is very much a ‘coffee-table style’ magazine which we believe will have a very long shelf life.”

Gambling.com magazine is an international publication focused on Internet gambling and the excitement and glitz one associates with the jet set lifestyle of high rollers in Las Vegas. The maiden issue features one of the ultimate jet setters – Virgin group's Richard Branson, who tells the magazine why he needs to live life on the edge, why he wears a goatee and the biggest gamble he’s ever taken.

Other features include an inside look at FIFTY, London’s most exclusive adult playground; an interview with Jennifer Harman, the world’s greatest high stakes female poker player; Andy Bloch on how he broke the bank with the MIT blackjack team and America’s leading handicapper, Jim Feist, on March Madness.

Newbold Publishing Ltd is the joint venture behind The Gambling.com Magazine – a partnership between Newbold Enterprises and Lyceum Publishing. Newbold and the Gambling.com site is owned by Gaming Corporation plc.

Online gambling's would-be nemesis about to make his first move for 2006

U.S. media were watching Sen. Jon Kyl and his first move for 2006 in yet another attempt to ban online gambling this week.

Speculation was rife that the wily senator who has repeatedly tried to kill this form of entertainment may try to add his latest banning proposal to lobbying reform legislation on the Senate floor.

The Senator has used the recent Abramoff lobbying scandal as leverage for his banning quest over the past few months.

Kyl confirmed that he may offer an online wagering ban amendment this week. When asked if the industry may have become too large and powerful to be banned, he is quoted as saying: "That is a concern."

Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas has joined Kyl in pushing for an Internet gambling ban. "Basically, the way the Internet has functioned is that it's really opened a lot of communities -- a lot of people to gambling that otherwise they couldn't do," Pryor said.

One of the reasons Kyl and other lawmakers are renewing efforts to ban Internet gambling is the fall of Jack Abramoff, a once-powerful lobbyist who pleaded guilty in January to three felonies in a fraud and bribery case. Abramoff, who is cooperating in a federal investigation of corruption in Congress, has been accused of killing a House bill in 2000 by Rep. Bob Goodlatte that would have banned online wagering.

Abramoff collaborated with an aide to then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay to defeat the proposed ban because it would have put one of his clients out of business, according to the Washington Post. Ironically, DeLay is one of 118 co-sponsors of Goodlatte's bill this year - a 180 degree turnaround.

Goodlatte has re-introduced his anti-online gambling Bill this year, saying Abramoff had been responsible for "widespread disinformation" about the 2000 measure.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has said he will not decide how he will vote on the Kyl-Pryor amendment until he has had a chance to review it.

"In the past, Senator Reid has opposed Internet gambling because he has not been convinced it can be regulated by the same strict standards as casinos in Nevada," a spokesman for the Senator said.

STOP PRESS:

As we went to press the news was emerging from the USA that the Kyl Bill will not surface this week.

There were indications mid-week that Sen. Jon Kyl was about to attach his latest attempt to ban online gambling as an amendment to the new Lobbying Reform Act (S2349) However, a proposed amendment aimed at preventing a United Arab Emirates company from managing several key US ports put the Lobbying Reform proposal on the back burner until next week.

Kyl may now take another run at attachment to the Lobbying Reform legislation when it is re-introduced, but this is unlikely to be a popular move, as bipartisan managers led by Senator Frist have let it be known that they will not tolerate any amendments that are not germaine to the important Lobbying Reform proposal.

This could curtail any chance of Senator Kyl introducing his bill in the Senate as far as attaching it to this particular vehicle is concerned, but as InfoPowa has pointed out before, this politician is highly experienced and adroit at manipulating the legislative system to his advantage.

Influential and widely read newspaper provides a great opportunity to voice an opinion

The influential and widely read Wall Street Journal has perhaps unwittingly provided online players with a great opportunity to express their feelings about a U.S. Internet gambling ban this week.

The publication carried a story on the latest attempts to prohibit Internet gambling, and supported it with a simple Yes / No voting option to the question "Should Internet gambling be banned?" here:

http://discussions.wsj.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=wsjvoices&nav=messages&msg=3828

As at going to press the vote was strongly against any banning, and could give pause for thought to any politician thinking about throwing his or her weight behind the Kyl or Goodlatte banning proposals.

Voting on the site as we went to press was Yes: 1143 (18 percent) and No: 5276 (82 percent)

Poker Room.com's inaugural tournament generates interest and publicity

Poker Room.com's inaugural "Become a Poker Pro" tournament in the Bahamas generated plenty of excitement and reportage last Sunday, when Jim Davenport took the title after an eciting tussle with Bill Pero, who led for much of the final clash.

The tournament was held aboard Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas cruise ship as part of an entire weekend dedicated to some of PokerRoom.com's top online players.

A resident of Newport Beach, Calif., Davenport called Pero's all-in bet with A-Q after the flop came A-J-7 to win the tournament's final hand. Pero held Q-7 and was drawing dead after another ace fell on the turn.

Davenport, a USC graduate who recently accepted a job as an analyst for an investment bank claimed a prize package valued at $250,000 and will be sponsored by PokerRoom.com for the next 12 months. His winnings include $60,000 in cash, plus buy-ins and travel costs for 12 tournaments, including the Main Event of the 2006 World Series of Poker.

Players who earned a spot in major land-based tournaments through PokerRoom.com online satellite tournaments over the last two years were invited to play in the inaugural "Become a Poker Pro" tournament.

Sixty-nine players started the tournament online, vying for a chance to play at the final table. Players who made the final table carried their chip stack from the online portion of the tournament into the live portion of the tournament.

While Pero missed out on the first place prize, he will be joining Davenport in Las Vegas this summer, winning a spot in the Main Event of the WSOP with his second place finish.

And where is Freddi Robinson going for his software....?

InfoPowa readers will remember a recent bulletin in which we reported on the premature sale four years ago of Playtech stock by Israeli businessmen which denied them the subsequent rewards of successful Playtech growth.

One of those businessmen was Freddi Robinson, whose company Miloumor was a shareholder in Playtech’s controlling shareholder, NAV New Age Investments Ltd back then. Robinson, like the controlling shareholders in Shrem Fudim Kelner & Co., and Gibor Sport Holdings Ltd. controlling shareholders Eitan Eldar and Roi Gil, did not believe in Teddy Sagi’s Internet venture.

Robinson sold his 5 percent stake in NAV to Sagi for what in retrospect was the paltry sum of NIS 3.9 million. Had Robinson believed in the potential of online gambling he would indirectly own $30 million worth of shares in Playtech today.

The Israeli business publication Globes reports that much water has flowed under the bridge since then, and Playtech, which develops software for operating and managing online websites, is due to complete its IPO at an expected company value of $900-980 million on the London Stock Exchange in two weeks.

Playtech shareholders, led by Sagi, are expected to sell $240 million worth of shares, with another $60 million going to the company. NAV, controlled by Sagi, owns 68% of Playtech, which means that he can expect to make $160-165 million from the IPO.

These events, and other profitable online gaming ventures in recent times, have possibly prompted Robinson into a new online gambling venture. The Israeli businessman is currently a shareholder in the Loutraki Casino in Greece, considered one of Miloumor’s most successful investments.

This week, Miloumor subsidiary, Miloumor Trade and Communication Ltd. announced that it has signed an memorandum of understanding withthe largely unknown turnkey firm PlayAlyOver, a software company registered in Limossol, Cyprus, under which the two companies would set up a company to operate a gambling website using the Internet and wireless.

Miloumor Trade said the new company would operate in a number of target countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The gambling websites, or the cellular applications to be developed, will be based on software developed by the Cypriot company.

After Australia, is global betting exchange looking at African possibilities?

Betfair's top PR man, Richard Rumbelow gave some hints on Betfair's next strategic expansion move this week when he told South African reporters that the group, fresh from its success in securing Australian licensing was now applying for a South African license.

Rumbelow said his company aimed to establish a locally licensed black empowerment company, and had started investigating SA as an investment destination almost 18 months ago.

He described the local gaming market as having been bursting at the seams over the past couple of years, as the country’s consumers benefit from the lowest interest rates seen in more than 25 years and buoyant economic conditions.

Rumbelow said SA was an important jurisdiction for the group because of its close cultural links with Europe and Australia.

Without divulging figures, he said the group was looking at making a multimillion rand investment in SA, and had already earmarked a potential empowerment partner.

“From our point of view, black empowerment is not a challenge, and it can be used to unlock some initiatives we want to do,” he said.

Rumbelow said the group was still in talks with the National Gambling Board on policy for interactive gaming.

The board’s report on the regulation of interactive gambling, released last November (see previous InfoPowa reports), said its research suggested that it was possible to create a regulatory environment in the country that would attract reputable South African companies to locate their interactive gaming operations in the country.

“Once the industry begins to emerge, the possibility exists that one or more leading interactive gaming operators might choose to locate some or all of their operations here,” the report states.

Rumbelow said sports betting in SA was entirely focused on horse-racing, which was not found elsewhere in the world. He said horse racing was an established product but in need of internationalisation.

Red alert on PurePoker.com InfoPowa recently issued a caution on Futurebet licensee Pure Poker.com, a site which went offline for some days without warning and a Support that told owed players that this was merely a technical glitch and that they would be paid.

This week things took a definite turn for the worse with an individual who did not identify himself calling owed players and offering settlements of as low as 10 percent of the owed amounts on a "take it or leave it" basis.

He told players that the previous owners, whom he did not identify, had gone bankrupt and disappeared owing players tens of thousands of dollars, and that Futurebet was not going to do anything about it.

This hearkens back to the worst of the Wild West days of the industry, when shady operators were pretty much a law unto themselves. Many thought those days were gone as these underfunded and unprincipled operators were squeezed out.

Apparently not so, at least in Pure Poker.com's case.

This is disgraceful and downright dishonest, and Futurebet will be expected to step up and safeguard the interests of the players in the same manner as is done by established software companies like Cryptologic, Microgaming and RTG.

Futurebet has been contacted, and executives at the company have said that players will be looked after, but that it took a while to coordinate the effort with Purepoker's new owners.

Ed. note: Read more here http://www.casinomeister.com/rogue/futurebet.html

Latest Bluff magazine describes the Andy Beal phenomenon

The popular poker magazine, Bluff carries an interesting report on what was probably one of the most expensive poker games of all time in its current issue.

In what is considered the largest head-to-head poker game ever, self-made billionaire banker Andy Beal matched $20 million against a rotating cast made up of the best high-stakes poker players in the world, including Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, Todd Brunson, and Ted Forrest.

Throughout last (February) month, Beal played many of the world’s best poker players in head-to-head games of Texas hold’em, for stakes of $30,000-$60,000 and $50,000-$100,000 at Wynn Las Vegas, the magazine reports.

Average pot size per hand was over $300,000 with the largest pot at $1.9 million. To play in a game of such astronomical stakes, twenty of the world’s best poker players had to combine bankrolls. They played three series of matches in February where each side started with at least $10 million on the table, with millions more in reserve. Wins and losses ran as high as $10 million in a single day, and one session featured two $8 million swings.

Claiming the game as the latest (and largest) installment of the richest poker game of all time, Bluff says that it started in 2001 when Beal, the publicity-shy owner of one of the most profitable banks in Texas, whose other hobbies have included theoretical mathematics and astrophysics, became interested in poker. On six occasions between 2001 and 2004, he played “heads up” – one-on-one – against members of the group of high-stakes pros who took turns opposing him.

Although the professionals won in most of those matches, Beal developed into a world-class high-stakes heads-up hold‘em player, who once won $5.5 million in five days and on another occasion won $12 million in one day!

Publication paid fine to DoJ to pre-empt sales problems

Sports911 carried an interesting sequel report this week on the $7 million *settlement* that US publication The Sporting News paid earlier this year after it stopped taking advertisements from online gambling companies as a consequence of Department of Justice intimidatory letters.

Sources close to 911 have apparently informed publisher Chris Costigan that there was never a federal case against the Sporting News.

"What transpired is that the owner was concerned about the potential liability that its past may have on the sale price of Sporting News," stated the source, who wished to remain anonymous.

"So the Sporting News went to the DoJ and asked them what it would take to remove this potential liability from their books. They asked how much. The settlement that was reached was not a result of the DOJ pursuing the publishing group, instead it was simply some pre-sale manoeuvering."

In the wake of the settlement the Casino City First Amendment challenge to the DoJ was discontinued. That action sought a declaratory judgement on the actions taken by authorities in warning US media that accepting online gambling advertisement might be illegal.

As National Problem Gambling Awareness Week begins in the U.S., Bet On Sports reaffirms its commitment to addressing the issues of underage and problem gambling.

The major US facing and publicly listed Bet On Sports group, which includes online casino, sportsbetting and poker interests on a variety of technological platforms has issued a statement to coincide with the start of National Problem Gambling Awareness Week in the US.

In the statement, the company says that it uses a variety of technological platforms to ensure that its customers are protected and underage and problem gamblers are detected. In addition to using industry-leading security and fraud-protection software that monitors lost or stolen credit card numbers and histories of high charge-backs, the group has a trained call-centre staff equipped to assess and evaluate individual customer activity and needs. These personnel are trained to respond to unusual playing and payment patterns that often correspond to underage and problem gambling.

When a customer's behaviour is flagged, call-center staff will follow-up by personally calling the customer. Through these personalised calls, staff can assess and respond to suspicious behavior, help ward against underage gambling and provide assistance to customers in need. Call-centre personnel can also shut down or apply cool-down periods to customer accounts when and if necessary. Educational information and links to support groups can be accessed via the company's many branded websites.

"Most people don't know that we share their concerns about problem gambling," said Kevin Smith, Director of Communications at Bet On Sports plc.

"National Problem Gambling Awareness Week is an appropriate time to highlight our commitment to provide a safe environment for customers and to ensure that there are effective controls to prevent underage and problem gambling."

And a familiar name surfaces again....

The founder and ex-owner of one of the first online gambling portals, Gambling.com appears to be involved in a bingo deal between the British Virgin Isles registered company Bingotek.com and top turnkey provider Microgaming.

Graeme Levin's BingoTek has partnered with Microgaming to deliver premium online bingo games to a network of licensees. BingoTek offers unique bingo solutions allowing operators high levels of flexibility within the rapidly evolving online bingo market.

Included in the company's range of licensing features are advanced Flash gaming and business management technology, seamless website integration, affiliate program management, extensive market testing, with pay-to-play and free-play online bingo game options that include 75-ball US bingo and 90-ball UK bingo products.

Bingotek's online bingo games are geared to provide ease-of-use bingo for players, and services include 24-7 chat management and support, a selection of chat features and sounds, a regular newsletter and consistent e-marketing as well as a host of chat games, promotions and side games.

Graeme Levin, one of the BingoTek founders and a consultant, says: “We are very excited to be working with Microgaming and are confident that we can assist them to deliver continued innovation in this area.”

BingoTek’s first licensee, Bingodrome, has proved successful, and was recently awarded the player-voted ‘Best Bingo Overall’ award from BingoAwards.com for January and February 2006.

Microgaming Chief Executive Roger Raatgever said, “Our mission is to provide the most effective software and management systems for our operators so they can run the fairest, most reliable and most profitable online action. We believe that the addition of Bingotek to our product offering meets every element in our mission and demonstrates Microgaming’s ability to explore new boundaries for our operators in global online gaming.”

Riverbelle winner will get intensive poker coaching

One of veteran online casino Riverbelle's major promotions this year is running tourneys aimed at sending one lucky guy, or girl to the next World Series of Poker competition in Vegas, and the generous sponsorship for the winner includes an intensive coaching course on the finer points of the game.

The final contest to determine the River Belle player who will go to the WSOP takes place on May 20, and all of Riverbelle’s players will be able to enter the qualifying tournaments, with buy-ins from as low as $1.

The lucky winner will then have two months to practice before travelling to Las Vegas in July. Included in the winner’s package will be up to 60 nights of accommodation, round trip tickets for the player and their guest, plus $3,500 in spending money.

"This is an opportunity to live and breath poker for two months," said Tim Johnson, Chairman of Carmen Media Group, owners of Riverbelle. "This promotion is available to every River Belle player. I wish everyone the best of luck as always, but in this case luck will only get your foot in the door. The rest is up to your skill and passion for poker."

New Jersey Assemblyman launches Bill to control anonymity of posts

Late last year there was news of a federal US attempt to control discourtesy and abuse on the Internet (see previous InfoPowa reports) and this year we have seen Rep. Bob Goodlatte launch his latest attempt to ban online gambling that includes proposals to censor at ISP level.

Readers might be forgiven for assuming that American politicians seem to have developed an (unhealthy) interest in reducing the freedom of the Internet, and the latest attack on this global communications medium is not reassuring.

New Jersey Assemblyman Peter J. Biondi has submitted a Bill that would make certain operators of interactive computer services and Internet Service Providers liable to persons injured by false or defamatory messages posted on public forum websites, and have an adverse effect on the choice of anonymity by posters.

In what could become a privacy and database nightmare for internet operators, the bill proposes to force websites to police their users and real time messages.

Here's an example from the New Jersey politician's proposal:

"The operator of any interactive computer service or an Internet service provider shall establish, maintain and enforce a policy to require any information content provider who posts written messages on a public forum website either to be identified by a legal name and address, or to register a legal name and address with the operator of the interactive computer service or the Internet service provider through which the information content provider gains access to the interactive computer service or Internet, as appropriate.

"An operator of an interactive computer service or an Internet service provider shall establish and maintain reasonable procedures to enable any person to request and obtain disclosure of the legal name and address of an information content provider who posts false or defamatory information about the person on a public forum website."

Readers can find full details on this further attempt to tamper with the Internet at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A1500/1327_I1.HTM

Marketing veteran joins US facing gambling group

The management at Bet On Sports has appointed experienced marketer Kathryn Kozak to a senior executive position at the gambling group, with the responsibility of heading a team to brand and cross promote the growing products at of the group, including online poker, internet casinos, and virtual sportsbooks.

Kozak, who was recently the Director of Marketing at Full Tilt Poker, will have the title Brand Director. She has held several senior posts in her business career to date, and was the founder and President of Eclipsicom Media Inc., which was established in 2001 to address the need for localisation and marketing in the Internet gaming industry.

From 1999 to 2001 Kozak was the Vice President of Business Development at Wiremix Media Inc.; a successful advertising and marketing agency specialising in online gaming and e-commerce.

Prior to that, she worked at Starnet Communications (now WorldGaming plc) where she was in charge of international marketing. Central to her position was the negotiation of endorsement deals with celebrities such as Larry Holmes, Fuzzy Zoeller and Rodney Dangerfield.

William Griffiths, Director of Marketing at Bet On Sports, says: “Ms. Kozak brings us depth and experience through her understanding of online gaming, especially in areas of brand management, marketing and advertising. Her knowledge of the entertainment business, coupled with her keen sense for solid business opportunities are a welcome asset to our team and we look forward to her input into our growth.”

Talinn is a swinging town, they say...

The charming 15th century Baltic coastal town of Talinn (population 400 000) is proving to be something of a magnet for European gambling groups and poker competitions, it seems.

Major upcoming tournaments planned for this Spring are:

March 24-26 2006 : William Hill Baltic Open

William Hill has announced its first Baltic Open, to be held in the beautiful city of Tallinn, Estonia between 24th-26th March 2006.

The main event will have a prize pool estimated to be around Euro 240 000, to which William Hill Poker will be adding Euro 25 000, and the tourney counts as a ranking event toward the European Poker Rankings.

Online satellites will guarantee at least 20 packages, each winning a Euro 2 200 seat and Euro 1,000 expenses.

Then, on May 19-21 2006 : the Ladbrokes Tallinn Challenge 2006

Ladbrokes Tallinn Challenge 2006 will be played on the 19th- 21st of May. After the success of the previous Tallinn Challenge in December, Ladbrokes has decided to go bigger, better and Nordic this time. The prize pool is $300 000 based on maximum participants of 150.

The venue will again be the Reval Park Hotel and Casino and Ladbrokes has added a $36 000 seat sponsorship that will take the winner to the Ladbrokes Poker Million Final.

The Tallinn Challenge package players receive for winning the weekly Monday final includes a $2 000 freeze out tournament buy-in, two nights accommodation for two, entertainment, breakfast and dinner buffet. In addition to the main event a wide range of cash games and side-tournaments will be offered. The maximum number of entries to the main event is 150.

How did a city like Talinn, which is smaller than Fresno, Calif., and was once in a former Soviet backwater explode into a hot spot whose "Hedonist Guide" companions include the likes of Madrid and Miami?

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Estonia's integration into the European Union in 2004 have done much to open the nation of 1.4 million to the West. Budget airline flights connecting Tallinn with Western European capitals have played a role in this, too.

Just 50 miles across the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki, Tallinn gets plenty of action and cash from the more than half-million Finns who visit every year - frequently on multiple daily "booze cruises" to exploit Tallinn's significantly cheaper alcohol.

The coastal town is reputed to have many beautiful women, and motivated pleasure-seekers can smoke Cuban cigars at La Casa del Habano; watch rugby over a pint at Scotland Yard; sip cocktails in the Scandi-chic interiors of R.I.F.F; boogie at the huge Club Hollywood or elite Club Prive and lose their shirts at Ballys Casino!

10 000 new players signed up in first year

The Irish betting group Paddy Poker says that its entry to the online poker market has paid off, signing up nearly 10,000 gaming customers in the past year.

According to the bookmaker, nearly 10 percent of its total online customer base use the site solely for casino games and it is making a solid contribution to group profits.

Gross win from Paddy Power’s gaming book increased to Euro 17 million from Euro 6 million in 2004. The sports book, which has been up and running for some years has gross win of Euro 26 million.

The shift from traditional fixed odds betting is growing at Paddy Power. Around a quarter of all turnover on its website is generated from “betting in running” on sporting events and this is set to continue. In Britain, GBP 4.3 million was earned from the company’s 172 fixed-odds betting terminals in its 45 British betting shops.

More online betting than traditional business gambling

The parent company for online sportsbook and casino brands Blue Square and Hard Rock, the British public company Rank, released unexciting 2005 year-end results this week.

Blue Square reported a small loss despite considerable sports betting and other revenues from Rank's Hard Rock chain of cafes and hotel and online sports and gaming websites.

Although Blue Square’s gross revenues for the year were at GBP 22.5 million higher than the GBP 20.8 million recorded in 2004, its operating profits fellby a million to GBP 1.7 million. Mike Smith, chief executive of Rank, said: “Blue Square reported a small loss despite considerable gains in volume from online gaming, which for the first time exceeded sports betting in terms of total stakes.”

Rank Group results overall saw revenues up 2.9 percent to GBP 810 million, but group operating profits down almost ten million at GBP127 and a net loss for the year of GBP 208 million as a consequence.

The leadership of Rank will change next (March) month when Ian Burke succeeds Mike Smith as group chief executive. Bill Shannon will join the board as non-executive director in early April and John Sunderland and Oliver Stocken will retire from the board at the Rank annual general meeting in late April.

Now you can find a mate, too!

No-one can accuse the Party Poker marketers of lacking imagination, and their latest initiative explores the possibilities of poker players finding dates as well!

Party Poker.com and Lavalife (an online dating agency) are teaming up to present a free 11-week long No Limit Texas Hold'Em tournament series that offers single poker players a chance to meet new people while playing cards online.

Once registered, players are given a tournament date where they can compete for prizes and spend time chatting with potential dates. The theme of the tournament is "Play on Thursday. Have a date on Saturday."

The tournaments begin Thursday, March 23 at 9:30 p.m. and will run at the same time each subsequent Thursday for 11 weeks. Players who finish in the top 20 of a Thursday night qualifier will be invited to participate in the final tournament on June 9th.

The 220-player final tournament offers players a chance to win $25,000 worth of prizes, including an all expenses paid vacation for two to the Club Med Turkoise in the Turks & Caicos Islands, a 50-inch plasma screen TV, an X-BOX 360, iPODs, and gift certificates to various leading online vendors.

"We have already experienced plenty of interest in this with hundreds of players signing up for the tournament well before the first qualifier," PartyPoker.com spokesperson Warren Lush said. "It is not necessary that a participant must be single although the idea is targeted at singles. Whoever wins they will receive a vacation for two to take whoever they want."

Blossoming romance between two Party Poker members apparently provided the inspiration for the current marketing initiative after two of their online players, 27-year old attorney Gary Suffir and 27-year old Las Vegas artist Jackie Johnson, decided to get married after a courtship that began at a PartyPoker.com Omaha table and resulted in the two marrying at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.

Latest Forbes list shows an abundance of billionaires

Forbes Magazine's annual list of the rich and famous is always an interesting read, and the current list includes names that will be familiar to online gamblers.

20 years ago, the Forbes list named some 140 billionaires. This year the list is a record 793, up 102 from last year.

They’re worth a combined $2.6 trillion, up 18 percent since last March. Their average net worth: $3.3 billion. Strong stock markets around the world (the U.S. being the notable exception) contributed to this surge in wealth.

Not in the Top Ten (see below) but certainly featuring are two online gambling moguls who have found a new way to make money. Forbes highlights PartyGaming, the company that operates the popular PartyPoker site and went public in London last June, turning three of its founders into billionaires overnight. Among the three is American Ruth Parasol, the list’s only new self-made woman.

Forbes also mentions Canadian playboy Calvin Ayre who went down to Costa Rica a decade ago and began taking bets over the Internet at Bodog. Most of his revenue comes from the U.S., where online sports gaming is illegal. Now he too is a billionaire, and one, at least so far, beyond the extraterritorial reach of the U.S. law enforcement and tax authorities.

India is home to 10 new billionaires, more than any other country besides the U.S. Notable newcomers include Kushal Pal Singh, India’s biggest real estate developer; Tulsi Tanti, a former textile trader whose alternative energy company owns Asia’s largest wind farm and Vijay Mallya, the liquor tycoon behind Kingfisher beer.

China now has eight billionaires, four times as many as last year. Solar power mogul Zhengrong Shi joins the list at $2.2 billion.

Russia, whose RTS stock exchange was up 108 percent, benefited from strong gains in commodities prices. The surge swelled the fortunes of its 33 billionaires, including seven newcomers who join the list. Russians are worth $173 billion this year, $82 billion more than last year.

TOP TEN

• William Gates
• Warren Buffett
• Carlos Slim Helu
• Ingvar Kamprad
• Lakshmi Mittal
• Paul Allen
• Bernard Arnault
• Prince Alwaleed
• Kenneth Thomson
• Li Ka-shing (no pun, honest!)

The U.S. is home to 44 new billionaires and commands nearly half of the fortunes on the roster. Bill Gates retains his title as the world’s richest person for the twelfth straight year, proving that while it’s getting easier to make a billion, the same can’t be said for making $50 billion.

In second place is his good friend and bridge partner Warren Buffett. The Sage of Omaha is worth $42 billion this year, $2 billion less than last.

Other notables in the Top 20 include number 7, Bernard Arnault, the pope of fashion who runs LVMH and oversees its high-end brands including Louis Vuittton and Dom Perignon; and Roman Abramovich, the 39-year-old Russian oil baron who liquidated his biggest asset last year for $13 billion.

Seventy-eight women make the list, 10 more than last year, though only six are self-made including the Queen of All Media, Oprah Winfrey, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Ebay’s Meg Whitman.

Hind Hariri, daughter of slain Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, who is eight months younger than Germany’s Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis, is, at 22, the list’s youngest member.

Twelve people return to the list including Hiroshi Mikitani, founder of Japanese Internet shopping mall Rakuten.

Forget the rivalries - let's all work together, says Nank

Brian Nank, the chairman of the affiliate standards body iGAMI.org (International Gaming Affiliate Marketing Initiative) is taking on a monumental task - an attempt to bring a diverse range of online gambling marketing affiliate organisations under one roof for the improvement of the industry.

The affiliate sub-industry has always been susceptible to rivalries and highly independent approaches to professional and ethical situations, and Nank is encouraging his fellow affiliates to get past that in the interests of a more consistent and cohesive approach to problems facing the industry.

His first move is to openly petition delegates from several of the top affiliate communities using acronyms like GPWA, CAP, APCW and PAW. "It is our sincere hope that each of these groups will designate individuals to represent them and serve on the iGAMI Advisory Board where they will be involved in shaping the future of our industry. It is iGAMI’s view that bringing representatives of each group together in one assembly will provide us with a greater ability to cooperate on issues of immediate interest to the entire industry," says Nank.

"Integrating a delegate system into the iGAMI Advisory Board will preserve the autonomy of each group while allowing us to collaborate as an industry when the need arises. It will permit us to achieve both organizational and group goals effectively and efficiently for the betterment of everyone involved," Nank concludes, urging affiliate leaders to contact him with any questions.

The International Gaming Affiliate Marketing Initiative - iGAMI.org, is a non-profit organization with a Code of Conduct designed to provide guidance and protection to all affiliates and marketers promoting online gaming.

Irish bookie says biggest contribution came from online operations in 2005

For the first time, online operations made the biggest contribution to betting group Paddy Power's bottom line last year in a show of disappointing 12 month results.

Pre-tax profit for the period was down 2.5 percent on last year to Euro 31.3 million on revenues that increased just over 18 percent to Euro1.37 billion. Online operations accounted for 56 percent, contributing Euro 577 million, while online operating profits grew strongly by 92 percent to Euro 21 million.

The shift towards online action accelerated in 2005, said a company spokesman, was in part due to last year’s launch of its poker product. Online active customers now number 73 661, up from 2004's total of 46 703 with the biggest growth in the gaming only membership which surged from 2 338 to 11 227, well ahead of sportsbook-only clients.

CEO Patrick Kennedy said the group has European expansion plans for 2006, but was taking a more cautious approach to the US market: “There is an obvious temptation to take a brand such as ours to places such as New York and Chicago. But we need to manage our growth and the legal situation there remains a grey area,” he said.

Kennedy emphasised that the group's online business continued to grow impressively and was a more important part of the overall proposition, adding: “The growth in the past few years in our non-retail (online) channel has been truly impressive. In addition to our sportsbook offering through both telephone and internet channels, we have successfully introduced casino products, gaming products and poker.”

He blamed the fall in profits to a bad run of results and structural change in the company’s home market.

The company appointed Jack Massey as finance director. Massey is an experienced executive who was formerly with technology investment group ITG Europe as chief operating officer, and will take up his new responsibilities in April.

Upbeat man at the top says there is "plenty of growth" left in the market

32Red, the online casino and poker firm owned by Trafalgar reported positive business results this week, showing increases in pre-tax profits and revenues flowing from a customer base that is mainly resident in Britain and Ireland

Chief executive Ed Ware commented that there was plenty of growth left in these key markets, which delivered 82 percent of business. The rest of 32 Red's action came from players in Scandinavian countries and the United States.

The company's pre-tax profits rose to GBP 1.3 million, up GBP 200 000 on the previous year. Turnover rose from GBP 1.97million to GBP 3.48 million and total active players increased more than 100 percent to 17 587, with new players rising to 14,451.

Ware said that most player came from the United company and Ireland, and there remains good potential for further growth: “In the UK there remains plenty to go for," he said. "PartyPoker and 888.com have been acting as icebreakers and we are going in after them and picking up customers.”

The company was looking at opportunities to enter the sports-betting market, Ware revealed, with all options being considered from white-label deals to possible acquisitions.

“The highest-rated company in the sector is Sportingbet because it has the entire portfolio of products. We have casino and poker, and clearly we would be interested in adding a sportsbook," he said.

The 32 Red CEO referred to last September's damaging Party Gaming pessimism on poker, saying that this had affected investor sentiment on the industry following 32Red's IPO that month.

“While what happened last September was painful, the fact that PartyGaming has bounced back and come back stronger has given the City of London more confidence in the market,” he said.

Highlights from the 32 Red report included:

* Gaming revenues up 67 percent to GBP 9.77 million

* Casino revenues up 57 percent to GBP 8.94 million

* Poker revenues up 339 percent to GBP 830 000

* Profit before interest and tax up 82 percent to GBP 2.04 million

* Basic earnings per share up 16 percent to 2.76 pence

* Total active players increased by 102 percent to 17 587

* Total new players recruited rose by 91 percent to 14 451

* Annual yield per casino player of GBP 843

* Cost per acquisition of real money players of GBP 147

* Japanese language 32Red casino launched

* Investment in new data centre

* Voted Best Casino 2005 by Casinomeister for third consecutive year

Return to Top

FRENCH CASINO CHOOSES MOBILE PARTNER
10 March 2006

Probability Games will supply a white label solution for mobile operations

White label provider to use Phantom's technology in new mobile ventures

The US wireless platform technology specialist Phantom Fiber has announced a five year exclusive m-gaming agreement with Betoptions, a white label provider for online sportsbooks.

A statement from Phantom reported that: “The business terms of our agreement with Betoptions are based on a user fee revenue model generated through mobile application usage in addition to service maintenance fees."

Betoptions developed and launched its first licensee WagerPlayer in May 2002, and clients include the Mansion group, Sports Acumen and Bowmans International.

Jeff Halloran, president and chief executive of Phantom Fiber, said: “Betoptions has proved itself by delivering an advanced gaming platform called Wagerplayer which currently powers many of the leading brands in the sports and horse racing segments of the global gaming industry, with benchmarks of 10,000 bets per minutes using an advanced risk management system with real-time alerts.”

The agreement comes into effect immediately.

22 March is the big day

The formation and planning of a new British sportsbetting newspaper branded "The Sportsman" has been the subject of previous InfoPowa reports through 2005, and this ambitious project is now heading for the reality of a commercial launch on March 22.

Company spokesmen say that the new title is the first national newspaper launch in the UK for 20 years, and hopes to benefit from the large increase in betting turnover in the country over the past half decade.

The Sportsman will offer in-depth reports, results, inside information and betting advice to a targeted audience of sports and betting enthusiasts.

Publishing editor, Charlie Methven says that the growth of sportsbetting has created a real need for information and knowledge among gamblers: "We feel strongly that our team of more than 120 staff can deliver a service that has never been on offer before," he said.

Spokesmen revealed that the new publication has received "enormous" support from advertisers and commercial partners.

However, m.d. Max Aitken reiterated that the paper was not in direct competition with the Trinity Mirror-owned Racing Post, the only other daily sportsbetting-targeted publication in the UK.

“Inevitably, people will see the Racing Post as our nearest rival but in reality they provide a publication that is essentially aimed at the racing industry rather than the wider sporting public,” he said.

Ted Forrest takes the title and $500 000....

After a gruelling 63 matches spread over 3 days at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, poker pro Ted Forrest has walked away with the $500 000 prize money and the championship title in the Second Annual National Heads Up Poker Championship

The championship was finally decided by a best two of three series between the two survivors who made it to the final - Ted Forrest and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson.

Both players started with 640 000 chips, playing until one emerged as clear winner - this year Ted Forrest. His opponent did not leave empty handed, however, taking home a healthy $250 000 runner up prize for the second year running.

The most famous names in the game played and were eliminated during the three day event, which will be broadcast on NBC as a ten hour package of poker that begins on April 16th and ends in late May. Last year NBC repeated broadcasts on their cable outlet CNBC as well, so there will be many opportunities to see the entirety of the tournament and the exciting action that took place between the top players in the game.

Excapsa software "tuning" goes awry

Poker players on the UltimateBet site were getting increasingly riled this week as technical hassles plagued their entertainment and locked up their cash.

Complaints were cropping up all over the Internet of what is claimed was a botched (Excapsa) software upgrade that crashed the site for over 24 hours, and came back online with decreased functionality in the cashier interface.

Players report sit and go events crashing as soon as the first player is knocked out and many players complain that they have money missing from their accounts. Others have been waiting ridiculous amounts of time for cashouts or have been unable to access the cashier at all. And exacerbating the problems, players were ignored when trying to email and communicate their woes to the site management - in some cases for several days.

UltimateBet has recently put the following notice on its home page:

"On March 1st, we performed a major upgrade of the UltimateBet platform.

"Over the last few days we have encountered some site performance issues as we continue to tune the system. We are working hard to resolve all of these issues and thank you for your patience as we finish this upgrade.

"There will be a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks at UltimateBet including some incredible promotions so please hang in there.

"Thank you for your patience.

"UltimateBet"

Regrettably, this does not answer the concerns of players who are trying to communicate with UltimateBet on specific problems involving funds.

UltimateBet was frowned upon for its involvement in the demise of Pokershare (see earlier InfoPowa reports) and this latest escapade will not enhance the site's reputation with the playing community.

This is a text book case of bad communications, quite apart from the technical embarrassment of an *upgrade* that takes the site down!

Integrated ad agency BLAC gets GBP 2.5 million marketing contract

Betfair, the online betting exchange group that was in the news last week following a sale of stock to the Japanese investment bank Softbank, has hired integrated agency BLAC to handle its GBP 2.5 million marketing business.

The agency's task will be to raise Betfair's profile beyond its core horseracing focus and into football, golf and other sports via sponsorship, viral marketing and below-the-line activity.

Betfair is the official sponsor of Channel 4's Ashes cricket coverage and sees sponsorship of big sports events as a key way to attract customers. All marketing efforts will use the strapline "Life's unfair, but you can betfair" which was originated by BLAC. The Channel 4 exercise is a trialling initiative on the effectivity of publicised sponsorship.

Betfair uses several direct marketing agencies on a project and retained basis, but BLAC will handle most of its future marketing, including press and direct.

TV for UK poker enthusiasts

Pokerzone Sky Channel 843 has released its poker entertainment schedules for April, with some interesting fare for the UK fans of the game:

Pro Month starts Monday 3rd April 2pm to 4pm GMT with:

Face Up Poker

At 8pm GMT:

Going All In - Texas Hold'Em secrets taught by champions will be screened, with Gus Hansen talking through the ultimate winning poker strategies and tactics. This embraces everything from when is it good to bet and how much right through to the best position at the poker table. And Phil 'Unabomber' Laak gives advice on how to be a winning player and keep cool at the table. How much money you need to start and how to turn pro. Other experts with tips are Andy Black and Antonio 'The Magician' Esfandiari.

On Easter Sunday 16th April at 8pm GMT:

Ladbrokes Poker Cruise

Every Wednesday 8pm GMT:

Poker Bowl Specials

Wed 5th – The Sporting Odds Peoples' Poker Challenge

Wed 12th – The Sporting Odds Peoples' Poker Challenge Reloaded

Wed 19th – The Poker Player Open Title

Wed 26th – Women’s Tournament Texas Hold ‘Em Championship

Every Night 10pm GMT:

Poker Night Live, which provides award winning analysis of online poker, where players can have their game critiqued by a panel of leading poker experts. Hone your skills and improve your understanding of what makes profitable play.

Every Thursday 9.30pm GMT

Poker News. Keep your finger on the poker pulse with this brand new weekly round up of international poker news featuring reports from the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and the U.S.

Audited figures show that this London show remains a must-attend

The organisers of London's International Casino Exhibition (ICE) have published January's attendance figures, showcasing once again the popularity of this show.

Clarion ATE reports that ICE 2006 continued to draw exhibitors and people in the business from all over the world, with new attendance records set:

* Attendance records continue upwards: 9,799 visitors – a new record

* 102 jurisdictions represented, two making London debut

* Netherlands top slot, then Austria, Germany, USA and Spain

* 59 territories increase presence; 39 set new national record

* Asia, Far East, North America and Europe/CIS biggest growth regions

ICE 2006 was the biggest on record, according to figures released by show organisers. A total of 9,799 casino industry professionals attended the exhibition, an 8.8 per cent increase on the previous best – 9,008, which was set last year. 2006 represented the sixth consecutive year of growth for ICE and the tenth annual increase for the b2b casino event since 1995.

The number of international and UK-based visitors both grew, with the non-UK contingent up 12.7 per cent to 5,762, equating to 58.8 per cent of the total. UK visitor numbers rose more modestly by 4.8 per cent to 4,020.

Underlining its status as the most international b2b casino event in the calendar, ICE/ICEi 2006 attracted 102 jurisdictions with Vietnam and British Indian Ocean Territories making their first appearances at the London show. The total number of territories represented at ICE since 1995 now stands at 159.

The 187 exhibitors from 33 countries who support the event all reported good commercial interaction, with the biggest growth areas Asia (+35.3%), South-East Asia (+33.9%), North America (+21.3%) and Europe/CIS (+13.3%).

Next year’s ICE/ICEi will take place at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, UK on 23th–25th January 2007.

Sunny Barcelona for EIG 2006

ATE has confirmed that the next European Interactive Gaming conference (EIG) is returning to beautiful Barcelona.

EiG 2006 is going to be held at the Centre Convencions Internacional (CCIB) Rambla Prim, 1-17 08019 Barcelona - a modern venue readers can check out at www.ccib.es

The conference and exhibition will take place on the 11th - 13th October 2006.

After a hugely successful event last November, which saw over 800 i-Gaming industry execs come together for three days of seminars, an exhibition and networking, EIG 2006 is set to be even bigger and better, and there is already strong interest according to the organisers.

Registration, venue and hotel information will be available at www.eigexpo.com shortly.

Bingo games to be added shortly

More detail can now be added to the earlier InfoPowa report on Party Gaming's bold new fully integrated gambling site, leading a new trend in Internet gambling site structure and operation.

Using a "one account" and single registration system across the site, which already offers poker and casino gaming to the group's massive player database, Party Gaming seeks to make the playing experience more enjoyable and convenient for its clientele, and the plan is to add bingo to the mix within the next few weeks.

The new shared purse will be called PartyAccount. New site features will include quicker access to tables, easier navigation and improvements to the prize structure of Party tournaments. Further upgrades will be introduced, including new games probably by mid-2006.

PartyGaming CEO Richard Segal, says: “We can now look to cross-sell a variety of games across our expanding customer base. We plan to enhance the Party-branded platform with more games and features later in the year, including the launch of multi-currency and multi-lingual versions of our products.”

But Segal goes out on a high note, with excellent results

Surprise news for the industry mid-week is that Party Gaming CEO Richard Segal is to step down on June 1, with moves already afoot to recruit a new chief executive, probably from outside the billion dollar group.

"The search process has been commenced. It's important that we get the right person, not the first person that comes along although we don't think it's going to be an internal candidate," finance director Martin Weigold said.

The news that Segal (42) was to leave almost eclipsed the solid financial results that Party Gaming announced at the same time.

The company reported its first annual results since the IPO, and says it is aiming to sign up more customers from outside the U.S., where online gambling's legal status remains confused. Customer retention rates are falling as more casual players come on line and competition increases.

Net income at PartyGaming was $293.2 million for the year through December. Sales jumped 63 percent to $977.7 million and PartyGaming signed up a phenomenal 900 000 new customers in the year and added a further 92 838 players in January 2006.

The company will pay a dividend of 5.25 cents a share for 2005, the statement shows. It aims to increase the annual dividend by 10 to 15 percent, Segal said in a telephone interview.

Explaining the background to Segal's decision to move on, Party Gaming chairman Michael Jackson said that the company has an increased need for "quick decision-making.'' He said Segal is the only PartyGaming executive not presently located in Gibraltar.

Segal, who joined Party Gaming in late 2004 and 10 months later led it into a London IPO worth billions, said that he was not prepared to relocate to Gibraltar for family reasons: "I'm putting my family first,'' he said. "What we've achieved in one year I don't think most businesses achieve in a decade, and that needs rapid decisions."

He gave no inkling of his future intentions, but the shares worth GBP 10.7 million ($18.7 million) he reportedly sold in the IPO does not make another post an urgent imperative. He will also leave with shares worth about GBP 10 million at current stock prices, but leaves behind a further GBP 20 million's worth in options. Segal is married and has two children, and has been commuting weekly from London to Gibraltar since June 2005.

On the business front, PartyGaming has revealed that it is interested in buying a sports betting company to add to its online gaming operations, Segal said. He said the company would only consider buying such a business outside the U.S. due to the confused legal situation pertaining there.

The proportion of PartyGaming's revenue coming from U.S. players dropped 5 percent to 84 percent in 2005, the company said. In January 2006, 39 percent of new poker players came from outside the U.S.

PartyGaming will offer its site in 15 different languages by the end of the year, Segal said. The company is introducing multilingual online offerings and a multicurrency payment system near the end of the year to attract more international gamblers to the site.

Rumours discounted by Sportingbet CEO

Reuters reported that Sportingbet CEO Nigel Payne has denied persistent rumours that he contemplates leaving the giant gambling group.

Payne told the news service that he was committed to his job as chief executive of Sportingbet after the group's shares were hit by rumours he might replace the outgoing chief executive of rival PartyGaming.

Analysts said Payne's track record at Britain's second-biggest online gaming group would make him the obvious choice to replace PartyGaming's Richard Segal, who recently announced his departure from Party Gaming "for family reasons" connected with his declining to move to Gibraltar.

Payne told Reuters: "I am firmly locked into Sportingbet, and I have no desire to move elsewhere."

Big video slots, multi-hand blackjack and a brand new video poker in February games

There’s a distinctly exotic Eastern feel to Trident group's new games for February, currently available at King Neptune's Casino (www.kingneptunescasino) and due for launch on Trident Lounge in the future.

First and foremost there's a 5 reel, 9 payline video slot branded KATHMANDU with a faraway places feel captured by stunning graphics of distant mountain temples, giant bells, superbly detailed prayer wheels and pagodas. The quality of the digital sound effects in this brand new game enhances the theme and the overall playing experience.

Kathmandu is a feature-rich, Australian style video slot with the emphasis on excitement through innovative features like the introduction of up to 5x mystery multipliers, two Wild opportunities to win within the Free Spins rewards, and a Gamble feature that enables the player to take a chance on doubling or even quadrupling wins. And all this is in addition to Wild, Scatter and Free Spin general play rewards…and free spins within the Free Spins!

Wagers of up to 20 coins per payline from as little as 0.01 cent up to 0.25 cents are possible, and on a maximum bet of $45 lucky players can achieve rewards right up to the $30 000 jackpot in the base game. That can be boosted as high as $150 000 by maximum rewards from the opportunities generated by the novel Free Spin features.

There are three ways to win – through the base game, reel bonuses and Wheel of Wealth – in Microgaming’s second February release, a big, bold and exciting new video slot that has Wild and Scatter rewards, a multiplier advantage and 2 generous bonus features.

WHEEL OF WEALTH is a compelling game on the big 5 reel, 25 payline model, enhanced by a slew of thrilling features such as extra rewards through Scatters, Wilds, Multipliers … and two very special bonuses through reel and Wheel of Wealth opportunities.

The upmarket lifestyle theme of Wheel of Wealth has been achieved through first class graphics depicting exec jets, luxury sports cars, sparkling diamonds and plenty of the “gold and the green” - bullion and bank notes.

MULTIHAND VEGAS DOWNTOWN BLACKJACK is the fourth and latest in a series of eight multi-hand BJ gamestyles presented by Microgaming and delivering the fast and thrilling action that players have come to expect from this genre.

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 this multi-hand version a player can bet on up to 5 hands at a time on an American hole card game played with two standard decks of 52 playing cards that are shuffled before each game.

The last game in the February games package is a brand new variation of video poker titled ALL ACES VIDEO POKER. With lean and clean graphics and up to 99.92 percent pay tables this up-to-the-minute version of an extremely popular game is set to deliver plenty of action.

Adding to the excitement and keen reward possibilities in All Aces VP is a ‘double-your-money” Gamble feature through which the player can wager and possibly double winnings. The new game is played with one hand of cards drawn from a single 52 card deck, and operates on the revolutionary Viper platform, giving players access to a full range of player assists and guides, together with statistical analysis and recording tools and full autoplay capability.

Banning action described as "without due process"

The storm over the Italian government's action-by-decree forcing ISPs to block 684 Internet gambling sites continued into the weekend.

The UK's Remote Gaming Association (RGA) attacked the Italian government's unilateral action as being in clear violation of Italian and European law.

And at a press conference in Milan, the major international betting exchange group Betfair strongly attacked the measures, saying that the legislation introduced by the Italians was passed "without due process" as it was not notified to the European Commission before a decision was taken to implement the new restrictions which came into force on February 24.

Mark Davies, managing director of Betfair’s international lobbying arm, said: “We are giving consideration to what legal action we will need to take to protect our current position so that we can continue to offer our services to the hundreds of thousands of Italians that might legitimately want to use them.

“Under the new legislation, Italian consumers will no longer benefit from the competitive prices offered by Betfair and other online gambling service providers in Europe.

"The reduced competition will ultimately reduce the value Italian punters get, leaving them at the mercy of the existing monopolist AAMS. The new law not only restricts our ability to offer services but our fundamental right of commercial free speech. Censorship for the benefit of a local monopoly is a disgrace; it is the technological equivalent of book burning.”

Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the RGA, said: “All remote gambling operators in the RGA are licensed for gambling purposes within the European Economic Area. They adhere to high standards of regulation and social responsibility. There is no legitimate reason why they should not be allowed to provide their services to Italian residents.

“The implementation of these restrictions on ISPs is a clear breach of European law, in particular the freedom of establishment and freedom to provide cross-border services that are set out in Articles 43 and 49 of the EC Treaty and which have subsequently been upheld by the European Court of Justice.

“Our members are presently considering what legal action to take and we have already raised our concerns with the European Commission. The Italian authorities should be in no doubt that the industry will fight hard to stop this protectionist and unfair law.”

Libertarian body attacks moves to curtail freedom of the Internet

The Washington-based Cato Institute, a non-profit public policy research foundation protective of American freedoms, launched a critical attack on US legislators for trying to ban Internet gambling this week.

In an erudite article titled Whatever Happened to Leaving the Internet Unregulated? by Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. and Adam Thierer the libertarian body critically examined the attempted inroads into the freedom of the Internet by governments and other bodies in recent times, including a section on Internet gambling.

The Institute is named for Cato's Letters, a series of libertarian pamphlets that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution.

The article argues that government interference is not warranted or desireable and decries the nanny state mentality of legislators seeking to ban the entertainment on tenuous grounds, with enforcement by means that may not be morally acceptable or capable of effective enforcement.

"Banks and Internet Service Providers would be drafted into the role of snooper, sifting all financial transactions. And not surprisingly, credit card companies don't want to be held responsible for assuring that companies for which they process card services are not involved in gambling operations," the authors write.

In another passage, the article states: "Another rationale for gambling restrictions is to target, not the gamblers, but shady dealers who run phony, fraudulent operations - or to protect people from gambling addiction. This is paternalism: consumers should screen any gambling operations with which they transact, and avoid fly-by-night operators. Beyond that, most people realize that gambling is a pastime in which the house usually wins. While gambling is a problem for some who have trouble controlling themselves, others enjoy the challenge or just think it's fun, and are able to contain their addictive impulses.

"What constitutes "gambling" is often in the eye of the legislator. Fantasy sports get a limited exemption in proposed legislation, as do horseracing and jai alai. And investing in stocks can be a "gamble" in the sense that "the opportunity to win is predominantly subject to chance" -- as proposed legislation defines gambling. Yet the anti-gambling proposals exempt "any over-the-counter derivative instrument," though these clearly are not for the squeamish."

Commenting that it is not the job of politicians to hector constituents about morality or finances, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) summed up the matter. "The overriding freedom issue [with respect to gambling] is whether or not government should be involved in trying to improve personal behavior by an authoritarian approach by the use of law. This really falls into the category of legislating morality. I don't happen to like gambling, and I think it is rather dumb, to tell you the truth, but in a free society, people should have the right to do dumb things."

The piece ends on an ominous note: "Once we travel down the road of regulating behavior on the Internet, there's basically no limit to government's ability to regulate voluntary speech and interaction and to substitute its moral vision for those of individuals."

With raids everywhere, Chinese media take the pledge

Chinese authorities have been active over the past year to say the least, launching raids on Internet cafes and the like in efforts to halt online gambling in a country with a rich tradition of gambling.

The enthusiasm of the authorities seems to have rubbed off on China's Internet media and content providers, who have pledged to protect cyberspace from gambling and other "unhealthy content" through self-regulation and legal measures recently.

According to Xinhua, the call to "take the pledge" was made at a regular meeting held by the Internet News Service Work Committee under the Internet Society of China (ISC) in Haikou, capital of China's southernmost island province of Hainan.

"In 2005 alone, we received 127,010 complaints from the public, including 8.15 percent about gambling frauds," said Li Jiaming of the ISC.

Li said since his centre was established on June 10, 2004, it has received 240,000 complaints from the public regarding gambling and other "unhealthy Internet content".

The work committee passed several self-regulation agreements in 2005, pledging to improve the conduct of Internet Industry Participants and promote and ensure the sound development of the Internet industry in line with the law.

China, with 111 million Internet users, is the world's second largest Internet market only after the United States. However, a report released by the government said earlier this month that each of its e-mail subscribers receives an average of 16.8 pieces of junk e-mails per week, which are 60 percent of the total e-mails they receive.

Enforcing the pledge is not likely to be popular, as several at the meeting commented - strong public reactions indicate that the campaign of "...purifying the Internet will be tough and arduous."

The ISC has decided on the establishment of a five-member expert group to help set up a legal system and conduct "public ethics education" on the Internet.

Latest research results show that there's still good growth ahead

A new study by Harris Interactive and eMarketer is in the same ballpark as other reputable estimates when it puts worldwide online gambling revenues at $10.9 billion in 2005, up from $8.5 billion in 2004.

Paradoxically, the majority of U.S. and British adult respondents say they’ve never spent money at an online casino, reports Harris Interactive. According to the research firm, 95 percent of U.S. adults who are online say they’ve never spent money playing at an online casino, 94 percent say they’ve never spent money on online poker, and 97 percent say they’ve never bet on sports online.

While online gambling is legal in Great Britain, similar numbers of British adult respondents say they haven’t put money on sports games (91 percent). Another 94 percent say they haven’t played at an online casino and 95 percent say they haven’t bet on an online poker game.

If only a small percentage of this demographic can be accessed successfully, it makes for a huge and as yet untapped potential online gaming market.

Perhaps due to the confusing U.S. legal status of Internet casino and poker gambling, online adults are divided over whether it should be banned or not, opines the study. 34 percent say they would support a ban, 32 percent say they would oppose it, and 34 percent are undecided. This is at odds with a survey last year by Scooop, which reported that 67 percent of US adults were against a ban.

In the US, eMarketer said surveys show divergent results on who gambles online.

One report indicated as many as 15 percent of all US Internet users visited gambling or sweepstakes sites at least once a month. But Harris Interactive surveys suggested some 95 percent of US residents never spent money at online casinos or other betting sites.

"One suspects that if online gambling were legal in the US, online users would have been less hesitant to admit to gambling online, and the poll numbers would be considerably higher," the eMarketer report said.

Asked if online gambling should remain illegal in the US, users were roughly divided, with 53 percent saying it should remain banned and 47 percent favouring legalisation.

But it's been a tough year for bookies

Gambling group William Hill published its 2005 results this week, showing a 5 percent rise in annual profit mainly due to the performance of online poker operations and fixed odds betting terminals bolstering less attractive sports betting returns.

Company spokesmen said that sports results favoured the gamblers rather than the bookmakers in 2005, while horse-racing margins suffered continuing pressure.

"This adverse trend was largely offset by particularly strong performances in the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and (online) poker businesses," said Chief Executive David Harding.

He dismissed rumours that the group was considering a tie-up with leisure conglomerate Rank Plc. "There are no talks ongoing at the moment with anybody," he said.

Profit on ordinary activities before exceptional items and finance charges was GBP 246 million in 2005, up 5 percent from last year on turnover that rose 29.7 percent to GBP 10.75 billion. .

The Stanley betting shop chain bought by Will Hill last year contributed GBP 16 million, although continuing operations saw a modest decline. Annual synergies from the deal will exceed its earlier estimate of GBP 13 million and could reach over GBP 20 million in the medium term.

Small share price movements valued the group at around GBP 2.2 billion this week, and investors will be pleased to learn that the stock has still risen by around 9 percent this year.

Winnings from over-the-counter betting, excluding the contribution from the new Stanley shops, fell 7 percent, but this was offset by a 33.5 percent increase in winnings from electronic gaming machines in the shops.

The Stanley betting shop chain bought by Will Hill last year contributed GBP 16 million, although continuing operations saw a modest decline. Annual synergies from the deal will exceed its earlier estimate of GBP 13 million and could reach over GBP 20 million in the medium term.

Small share price movements valued the group at around GBP 2.2 billion this week, and investors will be pleased to learn that the stock has still risen by around 9 percent this year.

But these acts need cleaning up

The RTG-powered King Solomons online casino group, which includes the King Solomans, Geisha Lounge and Grand Aces casinos with affiliates mustered through Wager Junction has announced the acquisition of Tony Friedman's Windows Casino Group, whose portfolio includes the Windows Casino and online casinos such as Gold Key, Portofino and Magic Oasis.

No details of the consideration paid for the new acquisitions were given.

The move will need to be accompanied with some spring cleaning if the player community is to regard the enlarged group as credible; there have been numerous incidents involving these casinos and the supporting e-gaming commission, and rogue status has been given on some watchdog sites.

Among recent sins has been the display of the eCOGRA seal by Magic Gold Casino when this operation had not even applied for the initial inspections. Recent rumours have also suggested that payout percentages certification may be outsourced to the OPA, which does not enjoy wide professional acceptance.

First established in 1998, King Solomons will now place all the products of the new conglomerate under the same management policies and standards as the rest of the group. According to marketing manager Keren Fuchs King Solomans group now owns and operates 10 different online casino brands alongside several online Bingo and multiplayer poker brands.

Women's nights and hunks at home from Betfair Poker

Betfair Poker has been targeting the female poker demographic in a recent promotional initiative.

The company says that in 2004, there were 201 entrants at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Ladies Event, and this number tripled by the 2005 tournament. This is therefore a logical development area and a seat at this year's WSOP will be going to the 'Betfair Poker Goddess'; the winner of a live event that will be the climax of the card room's Ladies Night campaign.

Every Tuesday night is ladies night, where new players can learn the basics and take part in women-only tournaments.

Women now account for 10 percent of the players at Betfair Poker, up from 2004 when this figure was only 7 percent.

Betfair has also come up with an innovative hunk at home project, which will be sending a male model to host women's poker nights for five female poker players. In this promo, five female players get a night of Texas Hold 'Em in their own homes with a hunky male host on hand to assist. The five winners will be able to invite nine of their girlfriends over to share in the fun packed events.

Betfair Poker's hunk will show up at the winners' homes fully equipped with poker chips, table, canapés and wine ready to host the games and the evening.

1st April the effective date on major deal

Affiliates of the Money Mechanic group, which handles Microgaming-powered casinos like Piggs Peak, Mummy's Gold, Jackpots In A Flash and Poker333 in the Leisure Group stable were told this week that these operations had been acquired by The Palace group. Operations in the Palace portfolio include Ruby Fortune, Spin Palace Poker and Spin Palace.

No financial numbers were revealed, but the integration will apparently take place on the 1st of April 2006. All Money Mechanic brands will be integrated into Wager Share (the affiliate program for Palace) along with the appropriate marketing tools. Affiliates will be able to see their live stats on Wager Share from the 1st of April.

The Money Mechanic tracking tags will continue to work with the Wager Share system. Affiliates will have until the 1st of July 2006 to update their tags to the Wager Share system. For affiliates that are already affiliated with Wager Share, those accounts have been mapped together and all players delivered under Money Mechanic will appear on Wager Share Accounts. Accounts will be created for Affiliates who are new to Wager Share.

Money Mechanic will make their final payment to affiliates for March revenue generated.

Wager Share has assured all concerned that it will not allow any revenues to be lost.

This time the Winter Olympics is the target

Online casino group Golden Palace is notorious for silly, tasteless and entirely self-interested publicity stunts, ranging from saddling babies with its brand name to disrupting the running of the bulls in Pamplona, and interrupting the Athens Olympics to paying ridiculous eBay prices for tatty bits of toast.

This week they were at it again, but they may have overstepped the boundary lines laid down by the company's licensing jurisdiction, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission after their last invasion of the Olympics in 2004.

The target this time was the bronze medal finals for the curling event at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. The U.S. and Great Britain were set to battle it out in an event that even IOC President Jacques Rogge attended.

During the fifth end break, a half naked, overweight and rather seedy looking individual with "Golden Palace" body-painted on his chest did a contrived streak and was removed from the venue. It didn't end there, however because another rather chubby individual wearing a Golden Palace emblazoned T-shirt also interrupted the closing ceremonies with scant regard for the gravity of the moment.

It's all become a bit old hat, but this company keeps plugging away at it, showing little real creative imagination. The question on everyone's lips now, however is what will the KGC do about this flagrant disregard of previous disciplinary rulings?

These arose from a similar incident which took place at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Golden Palace was fined an undisclosed amount (see previous InfoPowa reports and http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission) following numerous complaints to the KGC about the incident. The Commission distanced itself from this type of conduct and after investigating the incident made a ruling that:

1. Golden Palace will not use, promote, encourage or fund this type of ‘marketing’ ever again, and

2. Given the seriousness of the incident and the negative effect it has had on the community’s reputation, Golden Palace will make a substantial donation to Kahnawake organizations to be identified by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.

Barely two years on, Golden Palace is blatantly flouting these findings and its agreement to eschew this type of behaviour going forward.

Softbank deal could see up to 23 percent of betting exchange group change hands

Making headlines in the industry business press this week is the news that Betfair's parent company and principle shareholder, Sporting Exchange Limited has signed a deal with the Japanese investment bank Softbank Corporation that could see a large chunk of the company change hands.

Initial reports on the agreement say that up to 23 percent of the British online gambling group Sporting Exchange Limited could be involved.

A spokesman for Sporting Exchange, parent company of the Betfair online exchange betting service, would not say how much the deal was worth, but promised more detail soon. However, the Financial Times newspaper said Softbank is to pay GBP 13 a share, valuing the British company at around GBP 1.5 billion.

In its latest business initiative, UK-based Betfair began operations in Australia earlier this month to fight for a share of Australia's A$2.5 billion betting market in a 50-50 joint venture with James Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd.

Betfair is a global internet betting exchange which allows gamblers to bet against each other. It makes money by taking a commission on each bet.

Spokesmen for Sporting Exchange said the firm's directors had signed an agreement to sell between 15 percent and 20 percent of its shares to Softbank. The deal, expected to be completed around April 3, would give Softbank a further 3 percent of Sporting Exchange's primary shares.

"Softbank is the ideal strategic partner for Betfair's ambitious expansion plans," a spokesman for Betfair in London said.

Late last year, Betfair ruled out a London IPO following media speculation which UK newspapers said could value the British group at up to GBP 1 billion.

Softbank has a broad portfolio of internet, finance and publishing businesses. Earlier this month, it posted a group operating profit of Yen 23.5 billion for October-December, compared with a loss of Yen 7.5 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Masayoshi Son, SoftBank's president and chief executive, has been dubbed Japan's Bill Gates and his high-tech company has invested aggressively in online, media and telecoms ventures, ranging from financial services to broadband infrastructure and publishing. It owns Japan Telecom and is Yahoo's partner in Japan.

Even at the minimum stake of 18 per cent, SoftBank would become Betfair's biggest shareholder, overtaking founders Andrew Black and Edward Wray, who have agreed to sell down part of their respective 15 percent holdings.

Six Nations tribe considering online gambling jurisdictional possibilities

Another of Canada's First Nation tribes is considering opening up an internet gambling licensing and hosting service, according to reports this week in the Ontario press.

The Hamilton Spectator reports that Six Nations Chief David General is considering the business possibilities of such a move, but feels that his people will first have to decide whether Internet gaming is a safe bet for Canada's most populous native reserve.

Chief David and his elected council believe that a referendum is the best way to assess the will of the people on the contentious issue, which has been under debate for some three years.

Such a vote will probably be held within the year and would mean contacting all eligible voters among the 22 000 band members, only about half of whom live on the reserve. The others are scattered over Canada and the United States and in military units overseas.

Supporters of the Internet plan claim it has the potential to create high-tech jobs on the reserve and bring in about $3 million a year in licensing fees for the band council. As far as the legality was concerned, they argue the reserve is a "sovereign nation" within Canada and not subject to Canadian laws.

And they point to the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal that allows Internet gaming - the only jurisdiction in Canada that does - and could act as a model for Six Nations, saying that the national and provincial Canadian authorities have never tried to close it down.

Pure intentions.....

Futurebet- licensed card room Pure Poker.com unexpectedly went off-line this week, allegedly for "temporary" but unspecified reasons according to a brusque statement on what is left of the site. Alarmingly, players claim that this was done without communicating with them in advance, and several are now deeply concerned about monies they had tied up in their accounts. Arnold Lal, the director of client relations at Futurebet's Vancouver offices made the following statement when approached:

"The site is "temporarily" down due to financial restructuring by Pure Poker. We are working closely with them in order to rectify the situation and come to a quick resolution regarding their player concerns. If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me." Contact numbers include 604-909-3317

That "financial restructuring" phrase will send a chill down the backs of experienced players, because in the past it has been used as a euphemism for 'broke' by online gambling operations in dire straits.

This has been pointed out to Futurebet, together with a request for details of arrangements for looking after the owed players in the event that this restructuring does not pan out. InfoPowa has also suggested to them that it might be a good idea to communicate with their player base and let them know what's happening as developments occur.

In the meantime, online gamblers have no option but to stop playing at this venue, although in the absence of contact addresses for the people who actually own Pure Poker it may be a good idea to contact Futurebet and ask them to log an objection to the lack of public information on this closure.

With the WTO dispute in the wings, this could be controversial

Maryland Jockey Club CEO Joe DeFrancis has been tapped for what could be a controversial appointment - head of electronic operations of the Jockey Club parent company Magna Entertainment.

Controversial, because this division will oversee all of Magna's interactive betting channels through a new uber-company called PariMax...and the fact that whilst the USA ostensibly objects to online gambling on moral grounds and seeks to ban it in its World Trade Organisation Internet dispute with Antigua, this could be seen as more hypocracy. Horse racing carve-outs have been highlighted in the WTO's latest rulings, with which the US must comply by April 3.

Parimax includes XpressBet, a phone and online betting service; HRTV, a horse-racing television channel; MagnaBet, which offers online betting in several countries; and RaceONTV, which broadcasts live races from Magna tracks. It also includes Magna's 30 percent stake in Hunt Valley-based betting systems company AmTote International.

And a million dollar tourney to celebrate

One of the top online poker sites reached a milestone last week when Poker Stars.com recorded for the first time a total of 100 000 players online simultaneously at its site.

Poker Stars spokesmen gave the event some historical perspective by revealing that less than three years ago, the company broke the 10,000-player mark for the first time. Now, ten times as many players and games are going around the clock and around the world.

Another interesting fact from the spokesmen: The world’s largest land-based casino has 243 poker tables. On a typical weekday evening, Poker Stars.com has up to forty times as many games on the go.

“I started playing online at PokerStars back in 2001,” said Joe Hachem, the reigning World Series of Poker champion.

“Back then, I recognised many of the opponents I regularly played against. Now, each time I log on at PokerStars.com, it’s like walking into the world’s largest sports stadium. There might be 100,000 people there. Players are logged in from countries all around the world. It’s amazing. I don’t think anyone could have possibly foreseen how popular poker would become.”

To celebrate the event, PokerStars.com is introducing an unprecedented tournament guarantee. Beginning February 27, all Sunday afternoon no-limit hold’em tournaments – with buys-ins of either $215 or $530 – will pay out at least $1,000,000 in prize money to the top finishers. PokerStars also offers a quarterly tournament with a $1050 buy-in.

The new million-dollar tournaments will be accessible to all poker players, regardless of their bankroll size. While many players buy-in directly, not all entrants will pay the full fee to enter. Every day, PokerStars offers many different kinds of satellites to the big weekly events, with buy-ins starting at $3. Other satellite qualifiers cost nothing more than frequent player points acquired from playing regularly at the site.

Weekly tournaments organised by the company have been setting new records recently. And spokesmen claim that one week ago the $215 buy-in Sunday afternoon no-limit hold’em tournament attracted a whopping 5,326 players – nearly equal to the record-setting number of the main event at last year’s World Series of Poker.

During the month of January, a total of $140 000 000 was awarded to players in all tournament prize pools combined for the month, an extraordinary figure likely to be eclipsed soon, say spokesmen.

Bet24.com accesses the action with 7 million global players

The giant Swedish online poker network Ongame has added newcomer Bet24.com to its card room membership.

Bet24.com has licensed the Ongame poker software, enabling its customers to play poker online against more than 7 million players already connected to Ongame Network.

A spokesman for Bet24.com said the move means it will be able to offer its customers bigger and better tournaments, improved software functionality and greater player liquidity, reflected in fuller poker tables around the clock. Ongame Network’s current partners include major venues like Poker Room.com and Coral Eurobet.

Bet24.com is a sports betting, casino and poker site focusing on the Nordic market and owned by Nordic Betting Ltd., whose majority shareholder is the Swedish media group Modern Times Group AB.

“We are looking forward to becoming part of the Ongame Network and to offer our customers high activity around the clock, big tournaments and a lot of other new poker features. Together with a new, fresher site layout we are sure that our co-operation with Ongame will enable us to grow our poker business tremendously,” added Holger Kristiansen, CEO of Nordic Betting Ltd.

Poker Room.com teams with universities in Student Poker Tour

British university students over the age of 18 years, many of whom are already skilled poker players, will have their own targeted competitive arena soon following Poker Room overtures to universities across Britain aimed at launching the first UK nationwide Student Poker Tour.

The country's biggest university towns will be playing host to PokerRoom.com this month as it seeks to discover the best student Texas Hold 'Em player. The tour began in Liverpool on 20 February and will encompass Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham and London, before terminating in Bristol on 3 March.

Thousands of students will play the first round of the tour at their local student hangout and pick up expert tips from PokerRoom.com; the online tournament will take place the following day, with the winner from each university proceeding to the final.

The top 10 online poker players will then meet at a final table on PokerRoom.com on 11 March to battle it out for the star prize, a brand new GBP 15,000 sports car.

PokerRoom.com's chief executive Patrick Selin says, "With the launch of the Student Poker Tour, we are taking the exciting world of poker directly to a growing audience and developing a relationship with a previously untapped market. We aim to show students that anybody can be a great Texas Hold 'Em player given the tools and the know-how."

Poker on your cellphone from Costa Rica

World Poker Live, an online poker room will soon be releasing mobile phone based software beamed from San Jose, Costa Rica.

Unlike many online poker rooms, which are "skins" of larger online poker rooms, WPL has created its own proprietary software from scratch, and as such, players can expect a new, unique gaming experience. "We're very excited to finally be launching and believe we can definitely provide a competitive service," says WPL executive Joshua Jones.

World Poker Live features fast, easy to use, and visually stimulating software which includes a unique optional split screen view. Unlike many of the other online poker rooms, World Poker Live.com will not be offering huge bonuses and affiliate arrangements, but what they claim is the lowest rake in the industry.

"We decided from the get go, that we wanted to create something different. Instead of offering all of these confusing bonuses and rake backs, and spammy affiliate programs, we wanted to simply offer the user a low, low rake to begin with, so more of the money they win stays right in their bankroll where it belongs" commented Jones.

The site will be offering some interesting and fun promotions for their registered users, including the Big Fat Loser bonus paid weekly to the player that loses the most real money, Panama Casino Vacations and soon their own Panamania tourney. Worldpokerlive.com will also be offering special Ring Game and Sit and Go tables with Zero and No Rake during March.

Global Interactive's SportXction chosen

Global Interactive Gaming (GIG has signed up Ladbrokes as its latest user of the now tried and tested SportXction play-by-play betting system.

The Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc. subsidiary announced this week that it had signed an agreement with Ladbrokes eGaming Ltd. to supply the cutting edge system, which offers integrated play-by-play betting throughout the course of a sporting event. The betting markets will be offered initially on the Internet, with deployment across mobile phone and interactive television being evaluated.

This is a non-exclusive agreement, which will provide GIG with a share of the wagering revenue. The markets will be offered in multiple languages, and wagers will be accepted in multiple currencies.

The agreement is for an initial 18-month term from launch and covers most of the sports GIG currently has available, including football, cricket, golf, tennis, rugby, basketball, American football, snooker and darts.

New games, too...

The Australian licensed online casino site Lasseters.com is looking good after a revamp and new games, and has announced a new games policy that will see releases on a regular basis in future.

The new look site has a more luxurious feel, highlighting the casino’s goal to provide a "superior customer experience." The recently improved site navigation remains untouched, so regular patrons will have no difficulty finding their favourite games.

The Aussies have also announced a fresh approach to releasing new games. From now onwards Lasseters will be launching two new and exclusive slot games every month, adding to the range of innovative slots in its gaming inventory.

Casino spokesmen say that the most recent offering, Holly Divine, which was released for Valentine’s Day, has quickly become a player fave, with player numbers doubling that of other games. Other recent releases include Year of the Dog, Lap of Luxury, Outback Adventure and Halloween Horrors, all of which are noiw fully operational.

Complementing the new look and the new games is a new and rather generous bonus policy, starting with a 100 percent sign up bonus maxed at $100 for new players registering with the casino, and on the next four deposits.

$280 927 progressive jackpot won...and Millionaires's Club potential now over a million

Intercasino's payouts department was busy again this week following a major win by CathyT, a progressives player who hit the big one with a $280 927 and some change win on Video Keno Progressive. The win is one of the biggest so far in 2006.

“I never thought I would be the one to win a jackpot like this, but not long after I signed up with InterCasino I picked the lucky numbers that changed by life,” said Cathy.

Powered by Cryptologic software, Video Keno is an online version of the exciting number-guessing game made famous in Las Vegas lounges. It is made even more exciting by the prospect of winning some truly spectacular jackpots at any given moment.

Intercasino staff are bracing themselves for another instant millionaire soon, too - the current Millionaire’s Club Progressive Slot jackpot has once again climbed above the crucial million-dollar mark. Winning payouts are in a single cash payment through ECash Direct, which has processed more than $11 billion in uncompromised electronic transactions for InterCasino’s customers in more than 240 countries since 1996.

Two thousand year old Chinese game debuts online

Ladbrokes Games.com has given impetus to its recent boast that it would be looking at Eastern markets by launching multi-player Mah-Jong, a four player tile game which originated in the Far East over two thousand years ago and has steadily grown in popularity all around the world.

The launch of the game is the first in a series of game additions to the Ladbrokes site in the coming months. To play the game, each player is dealt 13 tiles from a set of 136, the goal being for the first player to make a winning hand by matching sets of tiles before the other three players.

Mahjong tiles are divided into 108 common tiles and 28 honour tiles. Common tiles are split into three suits (Bamboo, Characters and Circles) numbered one to nine and these are duplicated four times. The honour tiles are split into winds (North, South, East and West) and dragons (Green, Red and White) and again these are duplicated four times.

To make a winning hand in Mah-Jong, players have to put the tiles in sets of three: either three identical tiles (Pong) three in a row from the same suit (Chow) or a set of four identical tiles (Kong), but they must always finish on a pair. Play continues until a player makes and reveals a winning hand or if the game ends in a draw. Due to the similarities in rules, Mah-Jong has been likened to Rummy.

The ‘lobby’ section on Ladbrokesgames.com, enables players to see how long they have to wait to play a game of Mah-Jong by showing them how many players are seated and waiting for a table to become free. As well as notification in the lobby, once a player commits to a table, the subsequent ‘waiting’ screen keeps them updated as more players join the table. This encourages players to wait until the full complement of entrants has arrived before starting to play.

Ladbrokes is currently offering Mah-Jong on both its English and Chinese language sites.

But not in the US of A....

Players in the UK and Europe will be welcoming a familiar face back this year following some sterling work by betting exchange group Betfair.

For several years PayPal was the e-cash system of choice for many gamblers, particularly in the USA until the combination of federal enforcement activity and a takeover by eBay precluded the e-processor from taking online gambling financial action in the States. Neteller filled the vacuum and is now one of the industry's most successful financial companies.

Betfair has now announced that it has made arrangements for its European customers to make payments using PayPal. The arrangement will enable Betfair users living in the UK and the other European Union countries to use PayPal to make secure and simple payments to each other. The PayPal service will be fully integrated with the account management section of the Betfair site so its customers will be able to pay in and withdraw funds from their Betfair account in real time.

By using PayPal to settle their peer-to-peer transactions, Betfair customers can use a variety of funding sources including credit and debit cards, their existing PayPal balance and, in the UK and Germany, transfers from their bank accounts. Betfair customers will also be able to withdraw winnings directly into their PayPal accounts.

Betfair currently handles twice as many credit and debit card activities as any other European website and expects these transaction numbers to increase further thanks to the new agreement. At peak times Betfair matches up to 12,000 bets a minute and records 5 million transactions a day.

Geoff Iddison, Chief Executive of PayPal UK, said: “Betfair is a popular, highly regarded, regulated and reputable online gaming site. By having PayPal available to Betfair’s customers, PayPal will enable European users to pay and receive funds safely and securely, without sharing any financial information from simply an email address.”

PayPal, 100 percent owned by eBay, is a global online payment company that enables anyone with an e-mail address to make payments online, whether personal or business, within a secure online environment.

The company was set up in the US in December 1998 and acquired by eBay in 2002. It reports that it has over 10 million accounts in the UK, more than 100 million accounts worldwide and can be used to make online payments in 55 markets around the world.

PayPal prohibits the use of its service for gambling activities by anyone located in the United States.

"Systems are secure and reliable," says Nevada Gaming Commission

It seems to be taking an age from legislation to implementation, but the much anticipated use of hand held gambling communication devices whilst on land casino and resort properties came a step closer this week with a key Nevada Gaming Commission finding.

In a preliminary step required before adopting the actual mobile gambling regulations, the gambling regulators determined on a unanimous vote that the gambling systems are secure and reliable, and can be set up to ensure minors are excluded and the devices can be restricted to authorized casino areas.

The hand-held, wireless gambling devices are designed to expand the areas in casinos where gamblers can place bets - even to buffet lines or poolside loungers.

Adoption of the rules for the devices is expected at the commission's March 23 meeting in Las Vegas. One application from a manufacturer, Diamond Systems is already on file, although the process leading up to market availability of the devices is expected to take several more months.

"This is one of the final steps of the procedure that will let casino licensees use these devices if they choose," Bill Bible, head of the Nevada Resort Association, said following the vote. A law approved last year by legislators made Nevada the first U.S. state to approve the use of the wireless, handheld gambling devices at its hotel-casinos.

Many industry observers have interpreted the development as a "foot in the door" move by major land casino companies who would like to eventually offer Internet-based gambling.

Mansion group in the running for prestige deal

Despite a less than successful soccer season and the imminent loss of Vodafone as a sponsor, Manchester United remains one of the great British soccer clubs, attracting the attention of online gaming companies keen to take up sponsorship.

Recent media reports have positioned United below Real Madrid when it comes to money-pulling power, but the historic English club remains one of the giants on the European football scene, too.

The News of the World reported this week that the Gibraltar-based but Indonesian-owned Mansion online gambling group could be the next high profile advertiser if a shirt sponsorship deal goes through. Apparently Mansion has put a GBP 60 million over four years offer on the table and stand a good chance of reeling the prestigious club in with it.

The newspaper quotes an insider source at Manchester United as saying that: "Mansion are the front runners. Their offer is a fantastic one and officials here believe the deal should be signed, sealed and delivered before the end of March."

Internet poker firm Mansion's GBP 15 million a year offer beats Chelsea FC's GBP 50 million five year deal with the Korean electronic giant Samsung. And it is also a million pounds more than the current world record GBP 14 million a year BenQ Mobile pay Real Madrid.

The News of the World article reports that Bryan Glazer, scion of United's owner Malcolm Glazer, helped set up the deal with Mansion, and that it does not include any naming rights for Old Trafford, Manchester United's soccer stadium.

Mansion has recently been active in TV promotion in the United States, where the company recently signed the biggest-ever televised poker deal with American TV giants Fox Sports Network.

In a state that bans online gambling, media and law enforcement are asking questions

CBS 4 reporters from Denver, Colorado were stirring the pot with law enforcement officials over advertising in the State by online casino group Golden Palace this month.

Journalist Rick Sallinger found that despite online gambling's illegal status in Colorado, Golden Palace adverts were being shown at the Pepsi Center and on television. The law in Colorado says it's illegal to place online bets from the state and advertising it would *likely* violate consumer protection laws, according to a press release issued by the attorney general last year.

Sallinger showed state Attorney General John Suthers the advertisements, who is quoted as saying: "I think we need to contact the owners of the Pepsi Center and indicate that online betting through GoldenPalace.com is illegal. Internet gaming, despite the fact that it takes place with such incredible volume, is illegal in Colorado and virtually every other state."

The state of Colorado has previously put other broadcasters on notice. In 2001, the attorney general's office sent a letter to several radio stations stating: "Accepting and airing these advertisements in furtherance of illegal activity could in fact constitute violations of Colorado and federal law."

Kroenke Sports, the owners of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, issued a statement saying, "We have been assured that GoldenPalace.com does not engage in sports betting and, like many other media outlets in Colorado, have entered into these advertising agreements believing them to be legitimate."

Pepsi Center plays it safe

Further developments have taken place in Colorado, where a journalist reported on Golden Palace online casino advertising at the Pepsi Center and on television in the state recently (see previous InfoPowa report)

The owners of the stadium, Kroenke Sports have decided to temporarily halt the Golden Palace advertising of internet gambling Web sites at sporting events.

State Attorney General John Suthers told CBS4's Rick Sallinger that it's not just online gambling that is against the law. "If someone promotes, aids or abets an illegal activity, they can be responsible for that," Suthers said.

Besides ads for online gaming in the arena, there are commercials aired on the Altitude network during sporting events.

Kroenke initially issued a statement saying: "We have been assured that goldenpalace.com does not engage in sports betting and like many other media outlets in Colorado, we have entered into these advertising agreements believing them to be legitimate."

Kroenke Sports officials said they want to meet with Suthers for advice before making their next move.

Billion dollar companies growing

The Observer newspaper took a bullish look at the online gambling space this weekend in a report that examined some of the big British names in the business, and how these are faring.

Predictably, Party Poker was highlighted as a profitable and successful business with major shareholders who have earned billions from the company's successful IPO last year and its subsequent activities.

Less high profile but nevertheless making "hundreds of millions of pounds" are the private equity backers and executives running Coral Eurobet and Gala Casinos, whilst the major Bet and Win acquisition deal on Ongame, and the GBP 250 millions it made for the Swedish founders is also flagged.

To those we would add other highly successful and well run groups like 888.com and Sportingbet, both definitely in the big league. And the forthcoming IPO of turnkey provider Playtech, which looks set to make mega-millions for its mainly Israeli principal shareholders.

Much of the article focuses on that highly respected British gambling group Ladbrokes, which becomes a standalone under that famous brand this week after parent Hilton Hotels UK sold off the UK hotels to it's US namesake for GBP 3.3 billion recently.

Now under the leadership of Chris Bell, the group allegedly rejected a massive GBP 3.7 billion offer from London venture capital firm CVC earlier this month (see previous InfoPowa reports). More offers could well be in prospect.

The Observer points out that with worldwide interest in sports soaring, it's spring time for the industry, and Internet-based technology is bringing more new markets within range. New machines - principally fixed-odds betting terminals - have increased revenue while British government legislation has relaxed strict gambling laws.

Interesting history surrounding major deals covered by the article includes the series of sales centring on Coral Eurobet.

The Observer reports that this firm is Britain's third largest bookie and that it has undergone three changes of ownership. From GBP 378 million six years ago it is now valued at GBP 2.1 billion after bingo and casino firm Gala swooped on it last year.

The combined group is expected to float within 18 months with a price tag over GBP 4 billion. Eight years ago, Gala, then a pure bingo firm, was bought out of Bass for just GBP 279 million. Along the way, fortunes have been made, principally for Gala chairman John Kelly, who engineered the firm's growth.

Virtual horse racing developer makes changes at the top

Sungold Internation Holdings, a developer of virtual horse racing, media and other software has informed shareholders of top management changes this week.

T. Keith Blackwell assumes the duties of Chief Executive Officer. Formerly the firm's Chief Financial Officer, he is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University. At the same time Paul T. Coulter who was Vice-President Administration is assuming the position of Corporate Secretary.

Concurrently with these moves Larry Simpson, President and CEO of Sungold's subsidiary Horsepower Broadcasting Network (HBN) International Ltd. has announced that Les Rankin and Murray Marshall have both accepted positions as Directors on subsidiary Horsepower's board.

Rankin has a distinguished background in the horse racing industry with more than 25 years ownership in breeding and racing operations as well as having strong business relationships with race track owners and managers in Oklahoma and New Mexico. Additionally he has worked as a lobbyist on multiple legislative matters in Washington, D.C. and as an advisor on health matters for Florida State Senator Rod Smith, a current candidate for Governor for the State of Florida.

Murray Marshall is President and CEO of four Ontario based wineries and is also Chairman of the VQA Canada. His business experience, which extends back over the past 19 years, includes Joseph Seagram & Sons, Andres Wines, the T.G. Bright Company and Colio Estate Wines. Murray has also been a successful owner and breeder of Standardbreds in his native Ontario, and has been a partner in several Thoroughbred racing stables as well.

Sungold's head office address is changing, too. The company is moving to Toronto from its old address in Vancouver.

Party Poker and Poker Stars make fraud an expensive business for crooks

Online poker fraudsters, and the consequences of this dishonest conduct at major online poker venues was one of the top discussion subjects this week following spectacular detective work and the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In one case, the $200 buy-in, $500 000 Guaranteed Tournament held by market leader Party Poker was the target. This event is supported by the huge player base of the Internet's biggest online poker site and draws thousands of players. In this case, the packed tables were finally (apparently) conquered by a hitherto unknown player using the handle ABlackCar, who won $140 000.

ABlackcar's new-found wealth did not last long, however and his fate is a cautionary lesson for any and all would-be fraudsters who seek to cheat and lie their way to riches through poker sites and the honest players who frequent same.

Through some astute detective and technology work, Party Poker exposed the fact that ABlackcar was the fraudulent multiple account of one of the Internet's top online poker players who uses the handle JJ Prodigy.

Party Poker's reaction was decisive and immediate, stripping the first prize from ABlackcar and awarding it instead to the next placed player, with a consequent unexpected "bump up" for all other winners.

'JJProdigy' defended himself on the poker forums, notably 2 Plus 2 where this incident became a major talking point, initially stating that the second account was for his grandmother to play on! When she worked her way deep into the tournament, said 'JJProdigy' he took over for her and let people know at the tables that he was playing the account.

Unfortunately for JJ, the truth will out, and the true story involving his play as ABlackcar surfaced.

'JJ' confessed to the deception and then admitted to knowingly setting up the second account at the end of 2005 and to playing both accounts throughout the tournament. More alarmingly, however - JJ went on to allege that many players he knows do the same thing and that many online sites have no idea that it is happening.

PartyPoker's T&Cs are specific regarding fraudulent play, and the management is to be congratulated for taking such a strong stand on this issue. The penalties for fraudulent play are stiff but appropriate to ensure honesty and safety for other players - confiscation of any winnings and the immediate cancellation of all accounts involved.

Those penalties were immediately applied to JJ.

On the positive side, another leading Internet site, PokerStars.com was alerted by the incident and started its own internal investigation, found impropriety, and closed another well padded JJProdigy account on their platform.

Also paying the penalty of confiscation of substantial winnings (believed well over $100 000) was another young Party Poker gambler, one of whose handles was Zee Justin. This was apparently a high stakes player who created multiple new accounts. In subsequent posting exchanges on 2 Plus 2, in what has become known as "The Mother of All Threads" he claimed that he knew that what he was doing was unethical. ZJ was found to be playing 6 buy-ins in a large multi table tournament and he admitted to doing it, saying that he knew of others who play 10 buy-ins in a single tournament.

His tribulations did not stop there, either - Party Poker is reported to have also shut down his affiliate account.

Sources say that other large operators alerted by the scam have redoubled their vigilance and are methodically analysing their poker action in an ongoing search for any other crooks.

JJ Prodigy and Zee Justin are reported to be just two of the many young men who have taken so successfully to the world of online poker. They are clearly persons of skill and talent, although their intelligence and integrity has to be questioned for pulling this sort of stunt. And they may find it extremely difficult henceforth to be continue with their apparently lucrative online poker careers, as there are very few people who like or trust fraudsters. That will make this a very expensive lesson.

By way of reassurance to pokerheads, the chances of actual collusion in a poker tournament with hundreds of tables is small.

No doubt other fraudsters will be publicised when caught, and that will serve as an ongoing deterrent to any player contemplating dishonest tactics in online poker. In the meantime, for those who are still considering this sort of scam - be aware that the operators are wideawake, and the consequences are severe.

Fun and profit at Skill Extreme

Skill Extreme.com, a new skill gaming site on the SkillPlay platform developed by season5gaming was pre-registering gamers online this week after it entered the final beta testing phase earlier in the month. The site expects to go fully operational in the near future.

The platform will include a line up of classic and traditional games (Ship Battle, Ro Sham Bo and Chess) and several new and "riveting" games (ACROmania and Octoneuro) to challenge, excite and reward gamers. Most games will feature regular free-roll and money tournaments, alongside the single player progressive games which will be generating large cash pools for prizes.

Skill Extreme offers players a refreshing change from the multitude of conventional online gambling and browser based gaming sites now available on the Internet. Skill games are games where the outcome of a game is determined by the individual skill of each player. Unlike casino games (or other games of chance), gamblers never play against the house, and the odds of winning are directly related to the level of skill of the player in that game.

Skill Extreme's gaming technology provides an intuitive way for players to climb the ranks. In doing so, players gain "XP", or Experience Points, which are earned every time a player wins a game, plays in a progressive or places in the top ranks of a tournament.

Skill Extreme will hold tournaments and have special game rooms where only players within a specific XP level range can play, thereby providing players with an opportunity to play against people within their own skill level.

Season5Gaming was chosen as the platform for its fully integrated services, scaleability and schedule of upcoming games. Both companies guarantee that there will be no freeware or spyware in their offerings, and that a secure environment for gamers to play is a priority.

Six big slots from turnkey provider

The new 5 reel, 20 payline video slots announced by Real Time Gaming at the International Casino Exhibition in London late last month have arrived at major licensees of the software developer.

All of the new slots are 5 reel, 20 pay-line video slots with Wild and Scatter symbols, Bonus Feature and Random Jackpot that can be won on any spin. The games are branded Rain Dance, Mister Money, Red Sands, Tiger Treasure, Vikings Voyage and Sunken Treasure.

All of the games, except Viking's Voyage, offer large 40 000 coins maximum jackpot. Viking's Voyage offers 5 000 coins max win per spin and 10 free games bonus feature that is activated if three or more scattered Longboats appearing left to right on the screen.

The games are developed by Real Time Gaming and provide fast game play, bright graphics and a range of winning combinations and ways to win on every spin.

The flagship of the new offerings is Mister Money, with private jets, exclusive resort getaways, exotic cars and beautiful women - such is the life of the newest generation of billionaires - young, confident and very, very rich. Find red and white diamonds and choose from bags of cold hard cash to unlock free spins and free games..

Red Sands is themed on a walkabout in the Red Sands of the Australian Outback, with playful kangaroos and dreamtime moonscapes to trigger free spins, hopefully leading to a sizeable progressive jackpot.

RTG has some 40 licensee online casinos.

3D player-to-player launches latest version

We're not familiar with the poker software developer Yatahay Ltd., but it announced this week that it now offers skins of its 3D TruePoker software for white label additions to its poker network.

A company spokesperson says that savvy investors who want to cash in on the world of 3D player-to-player online poker for real money should be studying the 18 – 24 year old market as an important demographic (a fact borne out by recent independent surveys - see earlier InfoPowa reports.)

Apparently Yatahay’s 3D TruePoker software has been running real money online poker games continually since March 2001 and consists of a turnkey poker product, available within two to three weeks time from signing the agreement. Investors/marketers can concentrate on their expertise, marketing their brand to the growing 18+ year old poker public, while Yatahay's operating arm provides everything else, from running the games, policing play, prizes and paying players.

The company is licensed in Antigua and Barbuda in the West Indies

Internet legal eagle has a go at Goodlatte

Patrick O’Brien, an internet gaming expert at US law firm Greenberg Traurig lashed out at "lying" US politicians this week, calling for online operators to group together to combat “lying” US politicians following the introduction to Congress last week of yet another attempt to ban Internet gambling.

The bipartisan Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was reintroduced by Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Rick Boucher with the intention of increasing the penalty for what the bill terms illegal gambling from two to five years in jail and creating difficult financial conditions to cripple the industry.

In statements accompanying the reintroduction of the bill, its promoters suggested legislation was needed help stem the “explosive growth” of internet gambling. Goodlatte said: “For too long our children have been placed in harm’s way as online gambling has been permitted to flourish into a $12 billion industry.”

Rep. Boucher said online gambling operations “...often serve as a prime vehicle for money laundering and other criminal enterprises.”

In response to these allegations, O’Brien said: “These politicians are lying when they talk about online gambling and money-laundering and people being driven to bankruptcy.” The online industry has to speak out on such emotive issues, he said.

“You need more rhetoric in return. The operators do need a concerted effort. They need to work with individual states. I don’t believe regulation will happen at a Federal level.”

Susan Breen, partner and head of the betting and gaming department at UK-based law firm Mishcon de Reya, agreed that more needed to be done. “Maybe it needs to be a bit more upfront,” she said.

“These guys, like Goodlatte, Kyl and Leach, are just not going to give up. But the question is, will someone collapse on the other side of the argument. Will they buckle and let something in?”

Sebastian Sinclair, from US-based gambling consultancy firm Christiansen Capital Advisors, said that while the industry would be impacted by the passage of any legislation, any Act would fail in its ultimate aim. “US citizens will keep right on gambling online if they want to,” he concluded.

Murdoch scion speaks on the power of TV as a gambling medium

James Murdoch, the recently appointed chief executive of PBL and the UK satellite TV company BSkyB, told bookmakers in London this week that TV and gambling was destined to be a powerful synergistic force in the future.

Murdoch was a guest speaker at a Bookies Banquet organised by Orbis and told an appreciative audience that his group had been “surprised” by the positive response to its Sky Vegas Live channel. “Even though the audience is only between 2,000 and 10,000, the evidence is that interactive TV and gambling will be a very powerful force in the future,” he said.

Launched last year, the Sky Vegas Channel features virtual racing and keno programming, but md Nick Rust opined that the combination of interactive television and gaming was both powerful and only just starting to impinge on the consciousness of businessmen and players alike.

“It won’t be long before you see a properly interactive poker channel,” Rust predicted. “In the last week of February, for instance, there were 11 channels in the UK featuring poker content, but they were all showing it in pretty much the same way.” This could change rapidly with UK regulations now under consultation, and interactive television could change the way many people gamble, he said.

But gambling revenues contribute to Ontario government coffers

The Canadian publication Canoe reported this week that a politician in the Ontario legislature, Liberal MPP Jeff Leal has introduced a Bill that seeks to ban Internet gambling advertisements in the province.

Warning flags against Internet gambling by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health were mentioned in the debate, although less emphasis was placed on the fact that traditional gambling venues in the province make a substantial contribution to the provincial government coffers.

Motives behind the Bill may not be entirely altruistic. Competition from Internet gaming, such as online poker, is cutting into the market share of Ontario's more traditional (and permitted) gambling outlets, Public Infrastructure Minister David Caplan said. "It is a real factor in the Ontario gaming scene," he said.

A 2000 poll, cited in the Addiction and Mental Health study, found 5.3 percent of Ontario adults had participated in online gambling.

Step by step guide to poker for newbies

The "How to....for Dummies" series of self-teaching books has more admirers than critics across the broad range of skills and subjects that this entertaining and valuable genre has addressed, from operating a computer to building houses. So the global popularity of poker perhaps made it inevitable that the latest title is Poker for Dummies.

Written by poker expert and writer Lou Krieger and lawyer and poker buff Richard Harroch, the new publication is reported to be ideal for newbies, with step-by-step instruction on "....how to get, bluff, and play your way to the top, from seven-card stud and high-low splits to Omaha and Texas Hold'em."

Whether you're looking for an edge in a friendly weekly game or aiming for the championship in a local poker tournament, the fun and friendly guide shows you how to play and how to win, covering poker rules, popular games, how to be poker-faced, reading opponents, tournament play and how to succeed in VP and online poker games.

Priced at $16.99 it's a fun read with valuable information.

Players and shopkeepers held

Early reports just in indicate that Japanese police in Kyoto, Japan yesterday (Thursday) raided a "casino cafe" and took two players and two staff members into custody. A further arrest is expected soon.

Little is known at this stage about the raids, which were reported in the local press or what charges are to be laid, and thus far the authorities have not released any information.

Sources in Japan say that this Internet kiosk equipped style of Internet casino cafes is on the increase. Most seem to use the Big Joy casino brand and gaming facilities, which is allegedly powered by the Playtech company and licensed in the Phillipines.

In a magazine article some months ago, the venue raided was featured with the comment that operations of this nature can generate up to 50 million yen in average profits every month.

Cafe staff apparently told players not to worry about legality since the server was located outside Japan. Japan's Ministry of Justice commented that this was the first case of an offshore online gambling bust in Japan in a brief comment.

Thus far there are no indications as to whether a court case or a fine is planned, or what the charges will be.

Getting down to domain business

Name Intelligence and the Domain Roundtable Executive Committee is organising the second conference on domain matters between April 19th - 21st in Bellevue, Washington.

The 2nd Annual Domain Roundtable Conference aims to provide delegates with useful information ranging from the very technical aspects of domain ownership to policy and governmental issues. It's not cheap, even the early bird registration which lasts until mid-April will cost $1395 but the organisers promise it will be worth every cent, and have published an appetiser:

Highlights of the conference include:

* Protecting Your Brand Online
Discuss common types of brand misuse and fraud, case studies on high profile brands that have been impacted, and review techniques and practices for protecting valuable brands.

* Extreme Revenue
Join a panel of noted domain industry portfolio holders who are making more than $30,000 per month on their domain traffic as they discuss their successes.

* Keynote Event featuring Vint Cerf
Google Chief Internet Evangelist will elaborate on the framework of the domain name market while identifying the challenges of expanding the top-level domain space.

* Keynote Event featuring Marc Ostrofsky
IREIT.com president discusses his experience observing the trends of value of domain names at the very early stages of the industry.

Readers can find full information regarding any aspect of the conference, by emailing april2006@domainroundtable.com, or visit https://www.domainroundtable.com/registration to secure your spot.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa