Issue #183
weekly
Dear Reader,
I hope this week has been a nice one. And if it hasn't been so hot, fear not. There is a lot of stuff in this newsletter to take your mind off of your tedious job, or your over bearing know-it-all boss (what is his trip anyway?), or your constantly complaining spouse, your whiny kids, your slob of a roommate, or your jealous cell mate. Whatever the case may be, put some time aside -- forget about the real world, and read on...
Comfortingly yours,
Bryan
In this issue:
1. What's New at Casinomeister
2. Casinos You Ought to Join
3. This week's humor
4. Forum Highlights
5. DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF SERVICE UPDATE Raids continue... now portal sites affected
Can't read this newsletter? Click here (or copy and paste this into your browser): http://www.casinomeister.com/newsletter.html#skip for the cool online version.
After making this comment, an operator from one of the "good" RTG casinos wrote to me, debating my statement of "Do not gamble at casinos "licensed" in Costa Rica." I'd like to share with you some of this exchange since I think both of us made some good points.
Now, just because we have a "license in Costa Rica" does not mean that we are not a legitimate casino. I know that RTG is working on proper licensing facilities and some of the operators have requested that RTG gets more involved in the operation. So I believe it is up to the players to choose where they want to play as it is unconstitutional to say, and I quote: "Do not gamble at casinos "licensed" in Costa Rica." You are helping the players which is great and I agree to that but you don't tell the casinos don't take players that are Asian or Arabic? I like your forum, and respect your opinion a lot due to your experience in the online casino market, but give some of the "Costa Rica Licensed" casinos the benefit of the doubt as there are some of them that are above board and are doing their best to put the player's enjoyment first. I mean there might be other operators from other software vendors that might have done the same as Hampton. What would have said then?
Thanks for your time. I would like to open this for discussion with you as I would like to get a better understanding on your views of RTG casinos.
The problem with being "licensed" in Costa Rica, is that there is no gaming license offered from there. Sure there are some legitimate casinos running their operations out of Costa Rica, but not many. If a player has a problem with a casino based in Costa Rica, there is nothing anyone will do about it there. Where is the contact person? Where is the authority?
I have been very critical about casinos who choose to license themselves in Costa Rica, because it is nothing to boast about. I have rarely ever had to contact a licensing agency outside the Caribbean or Central America concerning player complaints. If I gave you a list of the casinos that have ripped players off that were located in Costa Rica, it would make your head spin.
Well what's the problem with being licensed in Costa Rica? Well besides the license agency being a non-entity (they don't even have a website), most of the casinos that choose this license can't afford the alternatives. Many of the jurisdictions that provide real gaming licenses conduct background checks of the license holders and of the chief employees. Take Malta for instance. It's an affordable license - €7500 per year - and a member of the EU (in April 2004). They conduct extensive background checks and the have a relatively high profile. I don't see that happening in Costa Rica. And I believe to be licensed in CR costs about only about $2000.
So there is a trickle-down effect; many of these casinos don't have the financial backing to afford a real license - and many of these operators couldn't pass a background check as well I'm afraid.
I know this may sound unfair, but I also am aware that there are a number of well funded, good honest casinos and Sportsbooks that operate out of Costa Rica. But, there are literally hundreds of unresolved complaints that have stemmed from Costa Rican based casinos. If there was a proper licensing authority there, this wouldn't be so.
I hope to see this all change. I know that RTG is aware of this problem, and they are looking at solutions as well. And on the other hand, a lot of people don't care. It's just that I do.
Thanks for the prompt reply. I agree that there is no proper licensing in place in CR. However, it is not that all operators are not willing to go the extra mile(and cash) to get the license, but also the investors of the newly started casino that wants to see that the company is in good hands before spending loads of money. Yes I know that it sounds bad, but I respect these people for doing this. All I am saying is that their are legitimate casinos in CR, and these should be rather pointed out and mentioned in forums instead of taking down the lot because of a bunch of bad apples.
I know that you feel strongly about the license issue. I respect that you care about it as I do too cause I am trying to change the face of gaming as a whole. This is a business and the business that is run the best will come out tops and this is what we strive for. And we are a CR casino, but we are looking for a legitimate license due to the controversy that is going on with RTG casinos and their licenses.
Again, it's the money thing. He figures, what good is a license? It doesn't matter.
Well, I look at it this way. I've been living in Germany for a little over four years. I didn't realize that after being here for six months, my California drivers' licensed was invalid to drive on German roads. I had no idea this was a problem until about a year ago when it dawned on me that if I were to be involved in an accident, or if I got stopped by the Polizei, I'd be screwed. I never worried about this since I'm a good driver, and I've been driving for twenty some odd years with only two tickets and no accidents. I can drive.
But I decided that I needed to get a real license to protect myself. I had to study the German driving laws and take the hands-on classes, and there was A LOT I did not know. There were crucial driving laws I had no idea about, and certain responsibilities that drivers have here that do not apply in other countries. Getting a German drivers' license made me a far better driver.
I feel getting a license - a real license to operate an online casino from a jurisdiction that has a solid foundation in its business ethics and practices, speaks for itself - and that the operators who seek licenses from these jurisdictions become better operators and make this a safer gaming environment for everyone.
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3. This week's humor
One night, a father overheard his son saying his prayers, "God bless Mommy, Daddy, and Grammy. Goodbye Grampa." The father thought this was strange, but soon forgot about it. The next day, the Grandfather died. About a month or so later, the father again overheard his son's prayers, "God bless Mommy and Daddy. Goodbye Grammy." The next day, the Grandmother died. The father began to worry about the situation.
Two weeks later, the father again heard his son praying, "God bless Mommy. Goodbye Daddy." This alone nearly gave the father a heart attack. The next morning, without saying anything, he got up early and went to work. He stayed in his office all day. Finally, after midnight, he went home. He was still alive! He crawled into bed with his wife and apologized. "I'm sorry honey, I had a really bad day." "You had a bad day?" his wife yelled. "The mailman dropped dead on the porch this morning!"
ha ha ha!
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19 March 2004
Raids continue... now portal sites affected
Extortionate DDoS activity continued this week with many sites being hit following demands for protection monies up to $50 000. The positive news is that most seemed to shake off the raids before serious losses were incurred.
And in a new twist, three prominent Got2bet portals, Sports 911, The Prescription and Major Wager were all temporarily rendered hors de combat over the weekend but bounced back after active assistance from technical, telecommunications and ISP experts. The attacks in these cases seemed to come out of Calgary, Canada and are being vigorously chased down by Interpol and the RCMP.
Elsewhere, and as usual most sites that had been targeted preferred not to publicly disclose their identities although they successfully fought back and reported the assaults to the authorities. But it is known that the raiders have targeted a wide range of online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks. The large Canbet organisation was rumoured to have been one of them but this was not confirmed as we went to press.
Interactive Gaming News carried a quality article in three parts on the phenomenon, advising that companies like Paddy Power, Coral and Blue Square were among those targeted.
Blue Square's finance director Ross Ivers said the approach is more complex than just "hacking." "This is not hacking - there has been no attempt to steal data," he said. "It's blocking and it's akin to putting 400 people inside a betting shop to block anyone else coming in."
Over the next two weeks of March Madness betting, this criminal activity can be expected to escalate and most companies are taking added technical and other precautions.
One company, BetonUSA expects to take in something like $30 million in wagers, whilst even conservative observers are predicting betting revenues of over $80 million in this key sports period that seems to ignite even the everyday gambling world too.
CNBC estimates that in the USA commerce will take a $1.5 billion productivity hit over the next two weeks as a result of workers being distracted by gambling's mad season!
Return to TopComplaints? Kudos? Please let me know.
Peace
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Bryan Bailey Webmeister Casinomeister |  |