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Special Announcement ~ 9 January 2008 – MEISTER MAIL

Dear Reader,

Winter break is over – alas. But two meister announcements coming your way. Just scroll on down!

MEISTER MEETING LONDON!!!

ALL FORUM MEMBERS ARE WELCOME!! FREE BEER!!!

Yes, it’s a meeting of the mindless – open bar and jovial jocularities at The Atlas located conveniently near the Earl’s Court Convention Center (5 minute walk).

When: Tuesday 22 January 2008 6-8 PM
Where: The Atlas

There will be a password disseminated amongst Casinomeister members before the meeting to enable us to keep the riff raff out. We have standards y’know.

Come meet Max, Simmo!, Jetset, Kasino King, Grandmaster, Vinylweatherman, many many others….and…

THE MEISTER HIMSELF!!

Thanks to Club World Casinos for sponsoring the room and FREE BEER!!!!Not a member of our forum? Well now’s the time to join! Click here to get started.

EXCLUSIVE CASINOMEISTER PROMO!

Bet365 is delighted to join Casinomeister as an accredited casino, and to celebrate, bet365casino are holding a �1,000 Monthly Prize Draw for new customers from Casinomeister!

Each month, bet365 will be giving away �1,000 to Casinomeister members, with 20 prizes of �50 up for grabs.

To qualify simply join bet365casino HERE, and play on our Casinomeister Promo Fridays, and for every $365 you wager on those days, you will receive 1 ticket to our $1,000 Prize Draw for that month. All qualifying players will then be placed into the hat with 20 names drawn at random to win one of 20 prizes of $50 in free chips.

So join now, and don’t forget, on top of the Casinomeister Prize Draw, you can also get a great 100% Welcome Bonus to enjoy on over 80 great games. See you at bet365casino on Casinomeister Fridays!

Players must play Promotional at the casino on 2 of the promotional days in the month to qualify for the draw. Promotional days in January 2008 are Friday 11th, 18th and 25th. Winners will be emailed week commencing 28th January for January’s draw. Winners will be asked for permission to include their Casinomeister forum name in the list of winners to be published on the Casinomeister site
Terms and conditions apply. Check them out Bet365

Sorry – No US

Any questions, be sure to PM their rep here

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

Special Announcement ~ 16 January 2008

Dear Reader,

The Casinomeister 2007 Awards are here!!

Meister Awards 2007

Best Casino of 2007
Worst Casino of 2007
Best Casino Group
Worst Casino Group
Best New Casino of 2007
Worst Player Experience 2007
Worst Player Experience (runner-up)
Worst Blundering Screw Up 2007
Best Customer Service 2007
Worst Customer Service 2007
Casinomeister Milestone Award
Best Software Supplier Award
Worst Software Supplier Award
Sitting on One’s Hands Award
Sitting on One’s Hands Award II
Head in the Sand Award
Roll With the Punches Award 2007
Best Named Casino
Worst Named Casino
Stupidest Named Casino
Most Bizarre Press Release of 2007
Best Affiliate Program 2007
Most Annoying Affiliate Program 2007
Best Casino Manager of 2007
Worst Casino Manager of 2007
Biggest Disappointment of 2007
The Most Annoying Forum Member
The Stupidest Casino Trick
The Best Warning Robot of 2007
The Best Bier Award
The Evil Player Award

www.casinomeister.com/bestworst2007.php

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

18 January 2008

Dear Reader,

Getting ready for next week’s London trip. Lots goin’ on – scroll on down to find out what’s up in Casinomeisterland.

Speedily yours,

Bryan

In this issue:

Word From the Meister
Casinomeister Awardees
This week’s humor
KAHNAWAKE DISPLEASED WITH UK WHITELISTING EXCLUSION Mohawks mull action under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

WORD FROM THE MEISTER

SMOKE IS CLEARING…

My life has pretty much been on hold since Christmas break was over – the compilation of the Annual Casinomeister Awards have absorbed most of my waking moments. But yeah – they have been announced and are posted here. Congratulations are in order for 32Red, 3Dice Casino, Jackpot Factory, Club World Casino, Brightshare, and all those who have worked so hard to make the player environment a better place.

If you haven’t perused the awards yet – please do so since there are more than just praises – quite a number of entities received acknowledgement for their shortcomings: The Virtual Casino Group, RTG, Greedy/Ignorant Players, Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and stupidly named casinos.

Better yet, listen to our webcast where Vortran and I dish out the awards – join our jocular joviality here!

MEISTER MEETING – 22 JANUARY LONDON!

ALL FORUM MEMBERS ARE WELCOME!! FREE BEER!!!

Yes, it’s a meeting of the mindless – open bar and exchanges of humorous verbiage at The Atlas located conveniently near the Earl’s Court Convention Center (5 minute walk).

When: Tuesday 22 January 2008 6-8 PM
Where: The Atlas

Come meet Max, Simmo!, Jetset, Kasino King, Grandmaster, Vinylweatherman, many many others….and…

THE MEISTER HIMSELF!!

Thanks to Club World Casinos for sponsoring the room and FREE BEER!!!!Not a member of our forum? Well now’s the time to join! Click here to get started.

ATTENTION: THE PASSWORD WILL BE POSTED IN THE FORUM LATER TODAY!! No password? No drinkie!

SPECIAL CASINOMEISTER PROMO!!!

FOR CASINOMEISTER MEMBERS ONLY!! Bet365 has just come on board. – Casino Games – Poker & Sports!! 100% match bonus up to £100 FREE!!
Each month, bet365 will be giving away �1,000 to Casinomeister members, with 20 prizes of �50 up for grabs.

To qualify simply join bet365casino HERE, and play on our Casinomeister Promo Fridays, and for every �365 you wager on those days, you will receive 1 ticket to our �1,000 Prize Draw for that month. All qualifying players will then be placed into the hat with 20 names drawn at random to win one of 20 prizes of �50 in free chips.

So join now, and don’t forget, on top of the Casinomeister Prize Draw, you can also get a great 100% Welcome Bonus to enjoy on over 80 great games. See you at bet365casino on Casinomeister Fridays!

Players must play Promotional at the casino on 2 of the promotional days in the month to qualify for the draw. Promotional days in January 2008 are Friday 11th, 18th and 25th. Winners will be emailed week commencing 28th January for January’s draw. Winners will be asked for permission to include their Casinomeister forum name in the list of winners to be published on the Casinomeister site.
Terms and conditions apply. Check them out Bet365

Sorry – No US

Any questions, be sure to PM their rep here

Sorry – No US

SELECTED CASINOMEISTER AWARDEES

BEST CASINO 2007 – 32Red Casino – Solid as a rock – that’s the best way to describe 32Red Casino. They have won the Best Casino award more than any other online casino – ever. There are many really good casinos and a few top-of-the-line operations, but none have been able to pass 32Red up on their consistent strive for excellency; 32red is exceptional in every aspect. Find out what the all the fuss is about here: www.casinomeister.com/goto.php?c=32r

BEST CASINO GROUP 2007 – The Jackpot Factory proved that it has what it takes to be an outstanding casino group. Making a 180 degree turnaround from last year’s “Stupid Casino Tricks Award”, they licked their wounds, and proceeded to put this bad chapter behind them.

During this past year, players often expressed their relief and gratitude to the Jackpot Factory group; it had truly focused its energies on player satisfaction. This is admirable since it’s not often that a group can recover so quickly.

All Jackpots
All Slots Casino
First Web Casino
Wild Jack Casino

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD 2007 –Club World Casinos should give themselves “high fives” all around for their excellent customer service record this past year.

If a player had a question – it was answered promptly. If there was an issue or player grievance, it was taken care of quickly and fairly. Club World’s support can be reached via chat, toll free numbers in five languages, and of course standard email. They are based in the UK – so their knowledge and usage of the English language is pretty good. No pigeon English spoken here. www.casinomeister.com/goto.php?c=cwc

BEST AFFILIATE PROGRAM 2007 – Brightshare is an example of an excellent affiliate program backed by some of the best affiliate managers in the business who promote an excellent bunch of casinos – Jackpot Factory.

Lloyd Aptor, Brightshare’s program manager, is extremely dedicated to his work and the industry – and it shows. Friendly and helpful, he leads a top notch team of affiliate managers who cover everything from casino games to mobile gaming.

Webmeisters click here!

More casinos here …

And now for the humor……

POLITICAL SCIENCE & ECONOMICS FOR DUMMIES
(A.K.A. You�ll be milking this one for a while�)

DEMOCRAT

You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.

REPUBLICAN

You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST

You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative and tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST

You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE

You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE

You have two cows.
Under the new farm program,
the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other,
and then it pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself,
and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows.
You are surprised when one cow drops dead.
You spin an announcement to analysts stating that you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size
of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer,
give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
Yet you don�t know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You have some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over how many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION

You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don�t milk them, because you cannot touch
any creature�s private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production
but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION

You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

POLISH CORPORATION

You have two bulls.
Employees are regularly maimed and killed
attempting to milk them.

BELGIAN CORPORATION

You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he’s French, other times he’s Flemish.
The Flemish cow won’t share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow’s milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION

You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for neither.
Some people can’t figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best-looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION

You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegal.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders.

Ha ha ha!

KAHNAWAKE DISPLEASED WITH UK WHITELISTING EXCLUSION

Mohawks mull action under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

A strong reaction from the Mohawk Council of the Kahnawake was perhaps inevitable following its exclusion, along with Antigua, from the UK governments Department of Culture Media and Sport whitelist of online gambling companies welcome to advertise in Britain (see previous InfoPowa report)

For the Kahnawake Gaming Commission the exclusion was deeply disappointing, given the large number of online gambling companies hosted and licensed by the Canadian First Nation enclave close to Montreal. The possibility that at least some of these companies may choose a more UK friendly jurisdiction will no doubt have crossed the Mohawks’ minds.

Grand Chief Michael Ahr�hrhon Delisle, Jr. has now made a statement expressing his disappointment, emphasising what he describes as Kahnawake’s “…long-standing reputation as the world leader in Internet regulatory compliance and enforcement” and contrasting that with recently whitelisted Tasmania, “….which has no such history.”

�Despite having been the first jurisdiction to accept and implement the world-recognized eCOGRA standard, the implementation of a mandatory continuous compliance policy, and our consistent enforcement of what may very well be the world�s most stringent due diligence program, our name has not been added to the U.K.�s exclusive white list,� he continued.

�Kahnawake has concerns regarding the process undertaken by the U.K. authority and has initiated inquiries to ascertain whether the application was afforded fair and objective consideration, which at this point, we do not believe was the case.”

Delisle feels that the DCMS decision may be in direct conflict with the commitments made in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to which the UK was a signatory in September, 2007, and is seeking advice on potential recourse against the UK under Article 20 of the Declaration, which states:

“Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities,” and “Indigenous peoples deprived of their means of subsistence and development are entitled to just and fair redress.”

Chief Delisle said that despite the setback, the Mohawks of Kahnawake will remain committed to regulatory enforcement of the Internet gaming industry to ensure an environment where fairness, integrity and player protection are paramount.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa

More news here.

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

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1 February 2008 – International Casino Exhibition and CAP Awards 2008 – London – Special Edition

Dear Reader,

And here we go with Casinomeister’s annual ICE report, and for the first time CAP Awards. If reading about the tripiness of London, freaky people, Cockney Cabbies, bitchin’ restaurants, and online gaming is your thing, then read on…

Reportingly yours,

Bryan

ICE 2008 – London

No Fish and Chips…

Day One:
London: how can I explain? Awash with a deep history of Romans, Celts, German Bombers, Elizabethan drama, Jack the Ripper, Dickens and the Beatles – it’s meshed with almost every culture imaginable, it’s an icon of life in modern day Europe. How could you not love this place? Stand on a corner in a bustling section of the West End, and you’ll be dazzled by the myriad of languages and countless faces of people from around the globe. And here is the American ex-pat looking for a good place to eat Sushi.

I was there for the entire week – three conferences in five days was plenty to look forward to. I knew that each day and evening ahead of me was booked – lunches, meetings, restaurants, and parties. It can be all fun and games y’know, but I need time to myself as well. I have attended the ICE for the past eight years, and it’s become somewhat of a pilgrimage for me. But what has always been frustrating is to be smack dab in the midst of this great city, yet I only have a chance to experience just a taste.

So bearing this in mind, day one was spent in the British Museum. In fact, I took a London Walking Tour of the museum which was well worth the £6. There were about eight of us total, and the museum was not crowded in the least bit. The British museum is nothing less than mind boggling – the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, the Mummy Room, ancient Europe – it’s size is numbing and one could spend weeks wandering its corridors pondering its antiquities.

I caught two films in Leicester Square: “I am Legend” with Will Smith. Great special effects – decent story line (Omega Man – C. Heston, Last Man on Earth – V. Price). It was a little depressing though – everybody is dead but him. I also caught the new Coen Brothers film “No Country for Old Men”. I was sort of expecting “Fargo” but in Texas – it’s a truly different film. It’s bloody – violent, (definitely not a date film). However, the acting and characterizations are worth every bit of the ticket price. Antagonist Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), is by far the intense villain I’ve seen in a long time. The Coen Bros capture 1980 Texas superbly. It’s not their best, but definitely not their worse. Like many of their films, this movie grows on you. The story returns for contemplation a number of times.

“What’s up? I thought this was a gambling newsletter,” says you, my dear reader. Never fear – I went to the Hard Rock Casino in Leicester square immediately after the show. I was to meet one of the guys from NextGenGaming who I’ve been working with on the up-and-coming Meister Slots – “Casinomeister“. Yes that’s right! Coming to a Cryptologic casino soon – you can sneak a peek here.

We discussed the game a bit. It’s due to be released in the near future for Cryptologic powered casinos. And after six months, it will be made available for other software providers. Believe me – it’s a totally original slot – no templates here. I think slot lovers will be pleasantly surprised.

Day Two:
Tuesday was the first day of the ICE – and a very productive day at that. Max Drayman (ex-WinnerOnline forum moderator – and now Casinomeister moderator) and I have been in contact with one another for the past eight or nine years or so, and he has just recently come on board taking over the Pitch a Bitch section. It was finally our chance to meet in person.

In fact, this year’s ICE was monumental as there were a number of people meeting for the first time after knowing each other for literally years.

This year’s ICE was also by far the largest yet. It was well attended – huge in fact. And the people were upbeat and forward thinking; a stark contrast from last year’s gloomy long-faces.

Max and I made our rounds – we discussed the recent problem with MGS players who sign up and use the wrong currency. Microgaming’s CEO Roger Raatgever explained that this was something that was strictly an operator issue. And coincedently, the operator for the casinos that have been having these problems was there – and we discussed this further. The bottom line is this – it is up to the player to ensure that he or she abides by the terms and conditions and to pay attention to these rules while depositing. No one is out to trick anyone. And if you live in Brazil, you don’t use British Pounds.
The ICE – International Casino Exhibition – is the largest casino exhibition outside of Las Vegas. It’s focused internationally, but being in London it gets a lot of traffic from this side of the globe. I go to meet operators – good and bad – meet software providers, and licensing representatives, and all the other folks who are scattered about. This year’s show was huge, but I wasn’t too impressed with anything new.

I wandered about, and I remembered how innovative the industry has been – different payment solutions, poker, bingo, skill games, and games for the pocket computer and mobile. Even so, it’s still so drearily focused on marketing, and sometimes I get put off by the “make a load o’ cash” techniques many of these firms are touting. But then there are the organizations that are trying to better the industry by providing information for operators and players, or quality products that enhance the players’ experiences.

We also met briefly with Andrew Beveridge and Tex Reese from eCOGRA who have been instrumental on making great strides for players. It’s a shame that there are still some individuals who have knee-jerk opinions about organizations that step forth to better this industry for the player. eCOGRA has done a hell of a lot of work, and they really make a difference for casino operator accountability.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur in a sea of people and casino booths. One impressive item – the new Lara Croft: Tomb Raider game due out from Microgaming soon. The graphics are absolutely awesome, and the bonus rounds bring online slots to another level. Hell, who needs land based slots when you have slots like these. When it’s launched, you’ll see what I mean.

Almost as good as the upcoming Meister Slots
That evening was probably one of the best evenings I’ve had in a long time. It was the Meister Meeting at the Atlas Pub – and actually the first official Casinomeister event. It was a total success – success equating a candle-lit mellow pub experience. We had the upstairs to ourselves – I would guess about 40 of us. There were a number of players, affiliate managers, casino managers and operators, webmasters, and a number of old-timers and friends. One thing we all had in common was the website: Casinomeister.

Thanks to Club World Casinos for sponsoring this very pleasant experience.

When it was over, and the bill was paid, some of us drifted off to an Indian restaurant where one of the waiters was even wearing a turban, and I made a verbal faux pas by addressing our waiter as “dude” (California-speak being my mother-tongue). He got a kick out of that; Simmo, Greedygirl, KasinoKing, Webzcas, gave me no mercy.

Day Three:More ICE and a very nice meeting with iNetBet who have some amazing things coming your way. I won’t steal their thunder, but it’s something new that I’m sure will please both players and webmasters.

We also discussed the dilemma concerning RTG and its failure to get a qualified third party to oversee its licensees. It’s a frustrating situation since there are a few excellent operators that are being tarnished by their roguish brethren – and this has been going on for years. The only protection that players have is their own diligence and judgement, (this may be asking a hell of a lot<grin>). There are a few RTG casinos listed at Casinomeister – and from there, players are pretty much on their own.

Thursday, the last day of the ICE proved to be an effective and very satisfying day for me. Spearmaster and I met with the General Manager of the Virtual Casino group at length and gave him an ear to some of the future projects that Virtual is undertaking. It’s been a difficult road for Virtual. A few years ago, they were known as one of the most notorious casino groups, in fact they had won the award for “Worst Casino Group” of 2001 at Casinomeister. But after meeting with the operator last year, he vowed to get Virtual back on track and to provide fair and proper treatment to the player; no more dodginess in other words. And so far, so good (comparatively speaking). This year I gave them credit for making some big improvements on this front; they were acknowledged in the Best and Worst of 2004 in the Player Improvement Awards section.

That evening I strolled down to Covent Gardens to meet up with Ed Ware, Pat Harrison and others from 32Red Casino – Casinomeister’s Best Casino of 2007 (and 2003 – 2006). We had reservations at Rules

Rules is the oldest restaurant in London – established in 1798 – I’d recommend it to everyone. The food is fine, but it’s the observable that is amazing. I could spend hours just perusing the walls that are bedecked with memorabilia from years past. I almost got lost in thought a couple of time heading for the mens’ room. Framed caricatures from the First World War – I covet them.

The 32Red crew and I traded stories and discussed just about everything except online gaming. No – we didn’t talk about you too much my dear reader – at least we tried not to.

And as that evening progressed into the night – the Hippodrome begged our call. It was packed and we had missed the cabaret shows – and looking down from the balcony into the mass of people below, it seemed as though I didn’t recognize anyone. The DJ was great and they had a Conga drum player who was really jammin’. But watching some of the nerdy computer guys “get down” on the dance floor, I knew it was time for me to leave.

Traveler’s tip: always keep a little bit of change in your pocket in case you feel determined to give any to a panhandler. To remove your wallet from your pocket in order to dig for spare change is a risky thing to do. This occurred to me as I walked through Soho that night. Some of the street people are quite persistent, but sorry guys – no spare change in me pockets.

Day Four: Last day of the ICE, but unfortunately I was unable to attend most of this – instead I was scheduled to speak at CanAffco’s Affiliate Bootcamp being held at the Olympia Hilton Hotel. I gave a 45 minute presentation on how to protect yourself in this business as a webmaster, and how to promote online casinos ethically. It was a nice small group, and a very enjoyable presentation. And I didn’t have to make anyone do push-ups.

I also met with the guys from Fortune Lounge – these guys are great, really good people. Casinomeister and Fortune Lounge’s relationship goes back years – unfortunately, it’s been an on-and-off-and-on-and-off again sort of relationship. Fortune Lounge has had issues in the past that resulted in them being removed twice from Casinomeister’s Accredited section. But I am a definite believer in people ;earning from their mistakes, and the last issue is the proverbial water on the bridge. We talked about this in depth – and made the decision to come back on. And then we proceeded to discus Astrobiology – one of my favorite subjects. No, really.

French cuisine was the next rendezvous: Jetset, Andrew Beveridge, and Tex Rees were waiting for me at Le Boudin Blanc, situated in an old rustic building – it was some of the best French food I’ve had outside of France (refer to my EIG trip in Nice for more on French food).

The conversation revolved around mostly industry stuff, and of course Tex and I spoke about player issues since this is one focal point of both Casinomeister and eCOGRA. And there is a fine equilibrium at work with both entities. Tex can pursue with ease (in most cases) player issues with eCOGRA member casinos, and Casinomeister can pick up the slack with issues on non-eCOGRA members. Unfortunately, there is still a large void where many gamblers are still loitering – no thanks to the UIGEA which is clearly having the opposite effect that the political moralist were attempting to achieve. What a shame.

That night ended with us four parting ways and journeying back to our hotels or homes via trains, subways, or on foot. I took the tube back to Holborn station and knew I was going to miss London when this was over.
Day Five: was suddenly here – my last full day. Unlike previous trips, this day was chock full from beginning to end with meeting casino representitives, to the Casino Affiliate Programs awards dinner that evening. No movies or shows for me (boo friggin’ hoo) – I had that covered on Day One.

CAP was well organized (at least to a casual observer like myself) and was twice as big as last year – if not bigger. The entire showcase floor was covered to include the halls. There was a great turnout with many familiar faces and some fresh ones. I finally had a chance to meet MissMD from RevenueGiants who has dealt with a number of player issues in our forum. It’s always nice to put a face to the emails and postings you get. She is a very pleasant person. The rest of the morning was filled with going from person to person, stand to stand, until I was due to head out with the guys from Virgin Casino and a few other webmasters. We had an amazing lunch at the Babylon Roof Gardens – which is a wonder as it is. Located on the 7th floor overlooking Kennsington, the gardens have rooted trees, water gardens, and even a couple of Flamingos (they looked rather cold). A wondrous place – I can only imagine what a superb party one could have in the summer months. Hopefully I’m planting a seed inside someone’s head. Pun intended.

Returning to CAP – more people to jive with. There are a number of casinos wanting to come on board at Casinomeister. And honestly, sometimes I’m overcautious about who I bring on. I have to be 110% certain that they aren’t going to screw up and that we are on the same sheet of music. Nevertheless, the next couple of months should bring on some new faces in Casinomeisterland.
The CEO of the Virtual Casino group has assured me that the Virtual Casino group has turned over a new leaf, they have a new managerial staff that is dedicated to the industry and they have been cleaning up their act. This is a good thing, I thought since this is what we all want-a change for the better. I know, I know, many of us are skeptical about what people say – since actions are what count. Well, the proof will be in the pudding as he said…

CAP AWARDS I was prepared to wear a tie. But I hate ties. When I was in the Army, we were required to wear ties for our dress uniforms, and it always sucked. And as an NCO on CP duty, rounding up the drunk GIs on Würzburger Strasse, one had to remember to always wear a “clip-on” in case you got in a fight. Choke-me-knot.

But I digress, I skipped the tie part – met up with DJ Silver and company (Club World Casino gang) and proceeded to the CAP Awards via a cab. In most normal situations, London cabs are driven by quiet – polite – British cabbies who call you “mate” and pretty much keep to themselves. But this guy was like a chimney sweep right out of Mary Poppins. Every possible political subject he howled about in his cockneyed English way. I thought I was in a Monty Python skit. When he found out he had a cab full of Americans and Canadians, he had a go at everything he could possibly have a go at. Hillary is the devil incarnate, Bush is too good for Americans, Americans don’t support their troops, and on and on and on. It was a very long cab ride.

The awards were held at the Chelsea Football Club, we were greeted by topless Golden Girls in a champagne reception drink-a-thon. The theme: James Bond (the girls were really golden as in Goldfinger) and a Shirley Bassey impersonator belted out “Goldfinger” and a number of other Bassey hits. It was difficult keeping an eye off of the human temperature gauges (it was cold in there being next to the large entrance-way).

I digress again. We found our places – I was at Club World Casino’s table – and we commenced to consume a very nice dinner (I was famished). And the highlight (beside the awards) was the Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert who had a number of us in stitches with his “What the hell is an affiliate” tirade “Does anybody bloody care what awards are there? You just want to bloody drink…”

And when he was done, he and Michael Casselli handed out the awards:
Best Poker Affiliate Program – PKR
Best Casino Affiliate Program – Casino Rewards
Best Bingo Affiliate Program – BingoProgram
Best Sports Betting Affiliate Program – Ladbrokes
Best Skill Gaming Affiliate Program – Rummy Royal
Best iGaming software for affiliates – Microgaming
Best Poker Affiliate – RakeTheRake
Best Casino Affiliate – CasinoMeister
Best Bingo Affiliate – Dominique
Best Sports Betting Affiliate – Betbrain
Best Payment system for affiliates – Neteller
Best Affiliate Manager – Renee (Casino Rewards)
Best Overall Affiliate Program – Referback
Best Overall Affiliate – J. Todd

I was surprised to win, but more surprised to be nominated since I’m not a member of CAP – and not so much of an affiliate – I’m more of a webmaster than anything else. But in earnest, I am truly appreciative towards this award since it’s from my peers – fellow webmasters. There was nothing to lose or gain by voting for me, so it is a nice thing to be recognized for. Sometimes affiliate is synonymous with webmaster, when it is not really the same thing. Look at J. Todd who won the Best Overall Affiliate – he’s done a hell of a lot of work with his video webcasts at Youtube. That’s more webmastering than affiliate. Same thing with what I do at Casinomeister – more webmastering than anything else. But nevertheless – we’re both working hard to make this a better place for players and fellow webmasters alike. Congrats on all recipients of the awards.

And just after the awards were given, Michael Casselli approached me – panic stricken – they had accidentally skipped Dominique’s award. I felt sorry for Dom – missing out on the public recognition – but I felt more sorry for Michael since he had to face her and explain the botch-up.

And then the night was over – it was time to bid adieu and head on back to my hotel room. A 6:15 wake up call was looming ahead of me and I hadn’t begun packing yet. My head swimming in thought, the people I had met, the sites I had seen – CNN was playing in the background – more information on Heath Ledger’s sudden death, problems in Kenya, the democratic debates rotated themselves through the hour in which I packed. The trip was pretty much over.

And then I was home the next morning – it was good to be back – and then I suddenly realized, I forgot to grab some Fish ‘n Chips.
I’ve had a couple of weeks to contemplate my experiences of the Interactive Casino Exhibition and would have to say it was overall a satisfying experience, but it was too small. It was great seeing the faces behind the websites and emails I’ve been in contact with over the past couple of years, but the ICE could have been bigger. There were perhaps only about twenty-five booths; that was it. I was also surprised by how many “newbies” were in the business, people who have never visited the forums of Casinomeister, Winneronline, Got2bet, or other quality gaming information sites. This was scary. It goes to show that many of these vendors have not done their homework when it comes to finding out what is “really” happening in the online gaming world. It was the “oldtimers”, people who have been in the business for a while, who knew about our sites, and consequently, understood the importance of sites like ours. This new budding industry has a lot to learn.

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace

Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

13 February 2008

Dear Reader,

Just got back from a short little break. Lots going on. Scroll down to find out what’s the newest in the new.

Happily yours,

Bryan

In this issue:

Word From the Meister
This week’s humor

WORD FROM THE MEISTER

GOT MY MOJO BACK…

A last minute decision was made nearly two weeks ago – a ski vacation with the family. We decided on Friday, and left Saturday – a four and a half drive towards the Austrian Alps. Actually, the traffic was so bad, we turned around and tried it again at six in the morning on Sunday.

And yes, we were there for the entire week staying in a massive rustic Austrian family-run hotel. It was about two thirds empty since there wasn’t a hellacious amount of snow. But there was enough on the slopes to have a really good time.

One week: no phone, no Internet – just the family and a lot of crashing around on the slopes.

I lost my mojo on the second day. I’m a fairly novice skier, and I gained a reputation with my fellow skiers (in my ski course) as “Dangerous Bryan”.

I took “brush-up” lessons for two days – and my friendly classmates (8) were all Brits. The ski instructor was pretty cool too. He said (in a thick Arnold-like Austrian accent) “You must remain loose – relax your knees. This is how we relax here…” and he pulled out a flask of Schnapps and we passed it around. That greased the knee joints, and off we went.

It was foggy on day two – I took a wrong turn and headed down a hill that I wasn’t quite ready for. Actually, it was a mountain. And after sprawling ass-first skis and what-not everywhere, my instructor caught up to me and explained “You went too far.”

“Oops.”

“We can’t turn back now – so let’s go, nice and easy,” and I had a private lesson for the remainder of the morning.

My mojo had abandoned me – I knew exactly what to do in my head, but my body was spazzed out. Look out! 100kgs of “dumb-ass” comin’ your way. I just couldn’t get it.

But on the fourth day – my mojo was back, and I was impressing myself. I could parallel ski and skid to a stop. I was finally in synch – which is a fantastic feeling.

And each night was the same – a swim before dinner, dinner, then chill time as we’d go to bed at 8:30 and sleep for eleven hours. What a nice break.

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It was a brilliant -1.6 magnitude point of light (brighter than the brightest star – Sirius) – appearing in the west and cruising about 5 miles a second overhead heading southeast. The kids and I freaked as we watched it – and as it vanished into the earth’s shadow. A truly awesome experience. Please check out this site today and look for the 5 day tracker – it will list the times and dates the ISS flies over your house. You won’t be disappointed.

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And now for the humor……

From the Archives:

An elderly woman was looking for a pet to be a good companion and not much trouble.

The pet store owner suggested a parrot, showed it to her and guaranteed her it would be a wonderful companion.

The woman asked if it would behave if she took it to church with her on Sundays.

The owner said it shouldn’t be a problem and that she could put him on her shoulder and he would stay there.

She bought the parrot and for the next week spent time getting to know him.

Assured that he spoke properly and was well behaved, she put him on her shoulder and went off to church.

Just as everyone quieted down and the sermon began, the parrot looked around, squawked and said, “It’s goddamned cold in here!”

Everyone turned to look at her and she ran out of the church in total embarrassment! All the next week, she talked to the parrot explaining the necessity to remain quiet during church.

The parrot understood so she put him on her shoulder and went to church the following Sunday.

Once again, just as everything got quiet and the sermon began,the parrot squawked, looked around and loudly proclaimed, “It’s goddamned cold in here!!”

And again the woman ran from the church. The next day she returned to the pet store and explained the embarrassing situation to the owner.

Since she didn’t want to get rid of the parrot, the owner offered the following solution:

If the parrot does that again, grab him by the legs and swing him around 5 or 6 times and return him to your shoulder.” “That’ll work?” asked the woman. “Guaranteed!” exclaimed the owner.

So, the next Sunday she took the parrot to church and, sure enough, just as the sermon started, the parrot squawked, “It’s goddamned cold in here!!” Without any hesitation, the woman grabbed his legs, swung him around 5 or 6 times and placed him back on her shoulder.

The parrot shook his head, ruffled his feathers and said, “Pretty fuckin’ windy, too!”

ha ha ha

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

Special Announcement ~ 19 February 2008

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Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

21 February 2008

Dear Reader,

Getting ready for next week’s Macau trip. Lots goin’ on – scroll on down to find out what’s up in Casinomeisterland.

Finally yours,

Bryan

In this issue:

Word From the Meister
Casinomeister Awardees
This week’s humor

WORD FROM THE MEISTER

One thing that is really great about my job is how players and casino operators appreciate what I do, and how these people express themselves via email or in forum postings. Here’s an email I received today after he discovered that Fortune Lounge was back in the “Accredited Section”:

Fortune lounge still does screw people with signup bonuses. The still haven’t changed there T&C! And you, goddamned, still have them an your accredited list: /accredited-casinos/ . How much do they pay you?!! How far in the ass of Fortune lounge are you. You goddamn nasty low malicious slippery scumbag wanker!!

Hoping to never hear from you again, you fake-ass faggot!!

He seems to be a bit upset that Fortune Lounge is back on board. His casino accounts were locked out last Spring due to being connected to a group of fraudsters; he had winnings of several hundred Euros forfeited. Since it seems he is a few Euros short to pay for his anger management classes, I decided to request FL re-look at his accounts.

In our forum, there have been a couple of players who don’t like the current terms and conditions of the Fortune Lounge group. That’s fine and dandy. And if you don’t like them, I have a challenge for you. Let everyone at Casinomeister know what you feel would be fair terms and conditions. Please post them here What I am looking for are terms and conditions that are fair for both the player and casino.

End note: one of the hardest things about writing terms and conditions is that you have to predict problems you may have in the future. They have to be pre-emptive in nature. /forums/online-casinos/23020-fortune-lounge-terms-conditions-suggestions.html

ASIAN I-GAMING CONGRESS

It’s not too late to plan for the Asian I-Gaming Congress. From their website: “AiG (formerly PCiG) is the only gambling conference in Asia that focuses solely on i-gaming. Taking place from February 26-28, 2008, it is the longest-running gaming event of its kind.

Asia is becoming a hotbed for the gaming industry and revenue from casinos and other regulated gambling activities in Asia will grow 14% a year from 2005 to 2010 � the fastest pace in the world (PWC). With regulation affecting i-gaming in key markets including the US, a number of online gambling initiatives are moving to Asia as regulations force them out of the West.

AiG, now in its sixth year, returns to Macau on a much larger scale. The event sees an extended conference with streams and two pre-conference summits, as well as a larger exhibition to help facilitate the networking opportunities the industry needs.”

I was there last year, and plan to be there next week. If you’d like to schedule a meeting with me, please let me know.

If you’re a player and have any questions I can pose to people (software providers, etc.) please post them here and I’ll see what I can do. There is a list posted on the companies present at this conference. /forums/online-casinos/23027-asian-i-gaming-congress-questions-answers.html#post220038

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And now for the humor……

The Smiths were unable to conceive children and decided to use a surrogate
father to start their family. On the day the surrogate father was to
arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife and said, “I’m off. The man should be
here soon” Half an hour later, just by chance a door-to-door baby
photographer rang the doorbell, hoping to make a sale.

“Good morning, madam. I’ve come to….”
“Oh, no need to explain. I’ve been expecting you,” Mrs. Smith cut in.
“Really?” the photographer asked. “Well, good. I’ve made a speciality of
babies”
“That’s what my husband and I had hoped. Please come in and have a seat”

After a moment, she asked, blushing, “Well, where do we start?”
“Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the
couch and perhaps a couple on the bed. Sometimes the living room floor is
fun too; you can really spread out!”
“Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn’t work for Harry and me”
“Well, madam, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But, if we
try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven different
angles, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results”
“My, that’s a lot of…..” gasped Mrs. Smith.
“Madam, in my line of work, a man must take his time. I’d love to be in
and out in five minutes, but you’d be disappointed with that, I’m sure”
“Don’t I know it,” Mrs. Smith said quietly.

The photographer opened his briefcase and pulled out a portfolio of his
baby pictures.
“This was done on the top of a bus in downtown London”
“Oh my God!” Mrs. Smith exclaimed, tugging at her handkerchief.
“And these twins turned out exceptionally well, when you consider their
mother was so difficult to work with”
“She was difficult?” asked Mrs. Smith.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. I finally had to take her to Hyde Park to get the job
done right. People were crowding around four and five deep, pushing to get
a good look”
“Four and five deep?” asked Mrs. Smith, eyes widened in amazement.
“Yes,” the photographer said, “And for more than three hours too. The
mother was constantly squealing and yelling. I could hardly concentrate.
Then darkness approached and I began to rush my shots. Finally, when the
squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, I just packed it all in.”
Mrs. Smith leaned forward. “You mean squirrels actually chewed on your,
um……equipment?”
“That’s right. Well, madam, if you’re ready, I’ll set up my tripod so we
can get to work.”
“Tripod?????”
“Oh yes, I have to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It’s much too big for
me to hold for very long. Madam? Madam? ……. Good Lord, she’s
fainted!!”

Ha ha ha!

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

Back to Top

Special Announcement ~ 3 March 2008

Just a quick note to let you know that I’m back from Macau with an exclusive report in the works concerning the Asian I-Gaming conference. This should be on your way in the next day or two.

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Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

7 March 2008 – Asian iGaming Congress 2008 Special Edition – Macau

Dear Reader,

And here we go with Casinomeister’s annual AiG report. If reading about the tripiness of Macau, freaky hookers, feng shui, bitchin’ buffets, and online gaming is your thing, then read on…

Reportingly yours,

Bryan

AiG 2008 – Macau

No chicken feet here…

Asia always amazes me. Sometimes it seems that it ought to be simple to figure out – at other times it’s an enigma. This was a relatively short trip for me – I left Sunday night, arrived Monday night, and was scheduled to stay in Macau for only three full days. Years ago, this sort of travel was thought to be happening in the futuristic “Space Age”. Well, we’re livin’ it folks – this is the “Space Age” where we can dash from continent to continent, converse freely to anyone in the world on our Star Trekish “communicators”. Meet and talk with scores of people whose business relies on computer images and coded messages sent via invisible beams bouncing off satellites in outer space and back to Earth and all over the globe. Mind boggling when you think about it.

That’s why I try not to think about it too often.

Hong Kong: I had to wait in Hong Kong’s International airport for a couple of hours for the Macau ferry. At least during this time, I had a chance to reflect on the highly excellent movie Michael Clayton that I caught on the way over. Fantastic acting – Mr. Clooney’s best performance so far. Intense and thought provoking characterizations – a very well written script. It was then that I realized that I had forgotten to set the VCR to catch the Academy Awards. If anyone has a copy, I’d be most grateful to receive one.

The TurboJet’s “Superclass” provides one with a lunch-like meal. It’s like snacking on weirdo squares of food substance. I was hungry and didn’t care what was going into my body at that moment.

There is a shuttle-bus at the ferry terminal for the Venetian. Already I was seeing familiar faces, and it was a good feeling to know that I was heading in the right direction – the Venetian Hotel.

What a fantastic place – massive is a term befitting this near carbon-copy of its sister site in Vegas. My room was huge – and overlooked the golf course. It was comparable to the room I had at the Wynn last year – the Venetian’s room was a bit bigger, but the Wynn’s bathrooms are nicer (TV, bigger shower). But this was pretty much a non-issue since I didn’t plan to spend much time in the room anyway. One thing that was on the agenda was “food”. The food on the plane over was pretty much crap – the snack-thing on the TurboJet didn’t cut it – I was famished. The meister was ready for some real chow.

I was giddy as a school girl when I discovered on the hotel map a “Food Court”. It was about half past ten as I made it to the elevator wondering what could be in store. Cajun chicken perhaps? Burrito and Tacos and lots of salsa – sushi and deep fried calamaris? Couldn’t wait – and as I exited the elevator and navigated my way there, I reminded myself that this was China (well, not technically China – but it might as well be to a Westerner like me). I found it – and it was no lie – it was a Foodcourt. The Foodcourt touted about 18 different restaurants – all Chinese.

Now don’t get me wrong, Chinese food is great, and this is one of the reasons why I was there, but it was a little overwhelming. It was all fast food take-out: funky noodle dishes, whole chickens hanging by their feet, mish mashed veggies, more noodles. I passed each stand checking out what they had to offer – it wasn’t all that appetizing. The food was mostly being served in plastic or polystyrene foam containers, and it all was looking pretty much the same for me. I guess if I were Chinese, I’d know what I’d want to eat. But on the corner of the Foodcourt was a “Fatburger” and that’s what I had: double cheese and onion rings. Actually, it was quite delicious.

I read my Rolling Stone magazine I had purchased in Zürich, and thought about the next day.

Pre-Conference Summit
For me, Tuesday was the first day of the AiG. Actually, it was the pre-conference summit that included Marketing and Investor sessions. I chose the marketing track since this is the one that affects players, operators and affiliate managers the most – and I was not disappointed in the least bit. It was a highly informative session.

Desmond Lam, from the University of Macau, gave an insightful presentation on “Exploring the Psychology of Chinese Players and Its Implications.” Most presentations like this tend to be the same i.e. the Chinese market is untapped, it’s huge, they like the number 8, and not too much else. Professor Lam’s presentation went much further and got more into the mind of the typical Chinese gambler: why are they different?

The Chinese live in a society where they do things for the “collective” as opposed to Western societies which are focused on the individual. Perhaps this stems from their densely populated country – which is massive, and which has produced their politics, ruling parties and government. This “collective” value system is way different than Westerners and obviously this affects most everything they do – gambling included.

The Chinese gamble to make money – simple as that. In most cases, they are focused on the long term and are confident (perhaps too over-confident) in their judgment. Gambling is a skill and is combined with wits and luck, and with an illusion of control via numerology, colors, and taboos. Feng shui plays a huge part as well – some areas of the casino have better “chi” than others.

Professor Lam suggested that to get a good feel for the Chinese relationship with gambling is to analyze some of the +50 Gambling Movies that have come out of China and Hong Kong since the 1970s. His article “The Chinese and their Gambling Movies” list these, many of which meld Chinese Kung Fu, crime drama, and the supernatural. These are definitely worth checking out if you are planning on entering this arena.

I met my good friend Ted Loh, and we headed to the gaming floor of the Venetian. The casino is huge comparable to Vegas – last year I was disappointed at the size of the Wynn Hotel’s casino in Macau – it seemed cramped and offered only table games and a smattering of slots. The year at the Venetian was a nice surprise – the tables were packed with intense Chinese gamblers and there were quite a number of sections for slots – mostly odd-ball Aristocrat games from Australia, but surprising a number of IGT slots to include Cleopatra II, Lone Wolf, and Wheel of Fortune. Video poker was slim pickins, only Joker Poker and Bonus poker Triple Play/Five Play/Ten Play/ from Action Gaming. Ted and I tried out the VP and served as entertainment for some bemused Chinese players; didn’t seem like they understood the game, but they liked to watch.

That evening was spent chillin’ in McSorley’s Ale House meeting a number of industry folk who seemed to be drawn to this place like ants to a jar of honey. Interesting evening – and I ended up with another burger for dinner.

Late that night, I was watching CNN news in my hotel room, and there was a blurb about the opening of the Beijing International Airport – touted to be the largest covered building in the world. And it took less than four years to build. I was watching this and wondered what happens to all of the garbage that places like this produce – places like this casino – these colossal masses that attract millions and millions of people who produce tons and tons of waste. What happens to it all? Do they pile it on barges and dump it out in the bay somewhere? Hell, they don’t even separate it – and so much plastic is used. And guilt began to sink in.

Back home, the garbage trucks weigh our garbage when it’s picked up. And we separate it in five separate bins: paper, plastic, the rest, bio garbage, and then we have compost. We buy mostly organic foods not just because they’re healthier, but because we’re supporting the farmers who don’t use pesticides. And when I’m in places like massive casinos in China (well, yeah Macau) I start to think it’s for naught – jetsetting around the world, partaking in spewing tons of jet exhaust fumes into our atmosphere. And that faint sound I hear is the Earth screaming…

Don’t fall asleep while watching CNN. You’ll have funky dreams.

Day One Begins

The conference opened with key note speaker Francis Lui who discussed Galaxy Entertainment Group and what it has been doing in Macau. And one thing to consider – it’s not just a gambling machine (Macau) it’s a focal point of a massive industry that provides jobs and all sorts of business opportunities. It’s not just a money churning project – it’s complex with many opportunities for those willing to take them.

Shailesh Naik from Cryptologic gave an excellent overview of what Crypto was doing in the Asian market. Some people seemed to be concerned that he was giving away trade secrets, but this is a “congress” – it’s a place to share ideas and to compare and contrast what most everyone is doing – especially true with the big software providers.

Lunch – I was really looking forward to this knowing that these conferences try to appease my culinary needs. Last year they had a most excellent buffet that included many local dishes, Sushi, and even crunchy chicken feet (I was really looking forward to those). Sometimes I like to eat things just so I can say “I ate it.” Well this year, it was a bit different. No buffet – just a three or four course lunch (if you include dessert). It was good – but not thrilling. And it really didn’t seem to be Chinese. It was fish – I guess Portuguese style or something. I longed for a plate of noodles.

That afternoon I spent most of my time checking out the booths in the exhibition hall. It was a very impressive show compared to last year. There were only a handful of exhibits last year at the PCIG (now renamed AiG). It was a smallish room and not much happening. This year was a stark difference with representatives from most software providers, a couple of licensing agencies, and many minglers – quite a number of people to talk industry stuff with.

I ran into Calvin Ayre and his entourage and was invited to a private party late that night. It sounded great – but before party-time, I had plans – a mission to accomplish. I was to tour a number of casinos to get the gist of what they are all about, and this proved to be most fruitful…cont.

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More casinos here …

AiG 2008 – Macau cont.

The Tour: My guide was the business director of Inside Asian Gaming who was able to rattle off numerous interesting facts of all the places we wandered through. We began at The Sands – which was a good place to start since this casino symbolizes what a gambling machine is all about. Gambling in China is not only an attempt to churn out a profit by the gambler, but it is an observer sport as well. This casino – only a short dash from the ferry terminal – is designed somewhat as an auditorium. There are several gaming floors you can look down upon from the top level. Designed with optimizing Feng Shui elements, it’s really a visual marvel. Most casinos pipe in scents to stimulate different behaviours, here we have the natural scent of mountain stream. As one ascends the escalator towards the upper levels, water flows down the sides of the walls which are covered with smooth stones. The refreshing smell of water and stone is soothing, and the sound of the trickling water is mesmerizing. It makes you want to stay. The casino touts a mere 50 rooms – that all. This place is strictly a place to gamble.

From there we checked out the MGM Grand – which was impressive. The casino floor was loud and reminded me of some of the smaller casinos on the Vegas strip, but what was striking was the “The Grande Praça” a huge terrace the size of a couple of football fields and where one can look up through the glass ceiling at the façade of the 35-story resort. What was doubling striking – the VIP entrance. If you have a chance to visit Macau, the VIP registration area is a must see. You won’t want to leave.

Next on the agenda was the Wynn – I’ve been there before, but it has expanded – a lot. So I take everything back that I said last year that it was disappointingly small. Greeting visitors from the East entrance is an enormous celestial globe partially emerging from the hotel floor like an upturned bowl. About eight meters in diameter, it displays Western constellations from the 17th century. Straight overhead mirroring the spherical art is the domed ceiling which portrays the Chinese zodiac figures – dragons, rats, dogs, a rooster. Simply fascinating – and you can’t tell me there isn’t some supernatural magic implications going on here.

We also visited the Old Lisboa, which was like walking into a mausoleum – the only sound was of the chips being sorted and a few mumbling Chinese. This place was strictly for gambling. My companion and I – both towering over six feet – stuck out like two tall white guys in a Chinese casino – so we left to go check out the new Grand Lisboa.
The Grand Lisboa is impressive – it’s like walking into a giant vagina. I also noticed that it has a Vegas-like smell to it – sort of a flowery scent. Again, this is a casino designed so that one can participate as a spectator – it boasts of two large levels and stupendous globular lamps hanging in varying heights. My guide pointed out the Feng Shui effects and how one could watch the players below from the center balcony – which was off limits for some reason. One of the casino security guards stopped us from peering over the rail. I guess he thought we were going to throw popcorn or spit on the people below.

Speaking of which, we were starved, and what better place to be hungry but at The Grand Lisboa. The Grand Lisboa touts one of the best Asian buffets I’ve been to – ever. It was absolutely to die for. In fact, it’s just about worth the plane ticket to fly back out there just to eat at this place. They had a near endless selection of differing Asian dishes. Chinese, Japanese and Western – I’m getting hungry just writing about it – and I’m glad I found this place because it just felt odd dining on burgers in Macau.

We parted ways and it was time to venture to C. Aryes private party – and I was too wiped out to make it. It was all that food, and the notion that if I were to mosey on over to a jammin’ girlified “karaoke” party that was to last until the wee hours, well, it didn’t seem like a very good idea. So I headed back to the Venetian where I met up with friends and I shared my observations. What a fascinating evening and thanks to Matt of Inside Asian Gaming my walking encyclopedia tour guide. Day Two Commenced went by quick since I was extremely busy. More talk about the Meister slots that are due out hopefully sometime soon. There was talk about the Casino Action group being shut down, and of course a swirling amount of content and chatter concerning Asian gaming.

One myth that I finally broke was that they do serve alcohol on the gaming floor. For me, there is no comparison to the Vegas casinos with their cocktail waitresses, and getting pretty much whatever you ask for (drink-wise). In Macau they serve water, tea, or juice – but if you want a beer, you just have to ask for one and they’ll happily get it for you – at least at the Venetian. And there is a reason for it – water is good for your chi which of course affects your luck. The Chinese don’t drink and Gamble. Smart move.

Good thing there aren’t more people like me in Macau because I’m not a serious gambler, and I’d just screw things up for them. Even though there are some things that are Vegas-like and work for the Macau casinos – they definitely know what they are doing (in most cases). The boutique mall in the Venetian is a ghost town, but the casino is pretty much packed.

I had to leave at the end of Day Two since my plane left Hong Kong International at midnight. Like Cinderella, I snuck off and grabbed the ferry back to the airport. More delicious food substance. And now I can mention the “freaky hookers” that you were anticipating from the opening salutation. See? I mentioned them – what a dirty trick to get you to read though this entire story – but it worked.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip and a very thought provoking experience thanks to Clarion Gaming and the River City Group. These conferences just keep getting better.

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace

Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

14 March 2008

Dear Reader,

Lots going on in Casinomeisterland. If you’re not a member of our forum, well it’s time to get connected. Scroll on down to find out why.

Faithfully yours,

Bryan

In this issue:

Word From the Meister
CASINOMEISTER SPECIAL PROMOTIONS
This week’s humor
US BANKS REACT AGAINST UIEGEA “Compliance virtually impossible,” say banking experts.

WORD FROM THE MEISTER

MEISTER COMMUNITY

Yes, the Meister Community (aka our forum) just got cranked up a few notches. The forum was relaunched yesterday with a number of new and exciting features. Highlights include:

Enhanced User Profile (Myspace and Facebook become a thing of the past)
User Picture Albums
New Social Groups
Posting and searching enhancements

You can now upload picture albums to be shared publicly or privately. It’s a great place for winner screenshots, by the way. Depending on your level of “Meisterness” you can create “Social Groups” that members can join or be invited to join. In the Social Groups, you can upload and share pictures from your personal photo albums. It’s a great way to interact with the hundreds of active members. Meet people, make friends, make business contacts, or even find a life-partner. You never know who you’ll meet in Casinomeister’s forum.

Since yesterday, there have been several member “Social Groups” created:
Music Lovers
We {Heart} Cats
Programming – Casino software and gambling tools
Programming – in general

I challenge you to be creative and create some more and invite your friends – high rollers, low rollers, dope smokers, video poker screenies, slot freaks, etc. You are only limited by your imagination.

For an overview on what’s new in the forum, please check out this thread: New Forum Functions.

/forums/forum-suggestions-feedback/23470-new-forum-functions.html

CASINOMEISTER SPECIAL PROMOTIONS

Hey, there are a number of special promos going on right now at Casinomeister – for Casinomeister guests and members only. Win Ninento Wiis, Free Spins, Lap Tops, extra bonuses, all sorts of stuff – check them out here!

/onlinecasinobonus.php

MEISTER SLOTS – ON THE WAY

Casinomeister – The Game – is coming your way soon! Have a sneak preview here!

http://www.meisterslots.com/

And now for the humor……

Oldie but goodie…
A priest and a rabbi were sitting next to each other on an airplane.
After a while, the priest turned to the rabbi and asked,

“Is it still a requirement of your faith that you not eat pork? “

The rabbi responded, “Yes, that is still one of our beliefs.”

The priest then asked, “Have you ever eaten pork?” To which the
rabbi replied, “Yes, on one occasion I did succumb to temptation
and tasted a ham sandwich.”

The priest nodded in understanding and went on with his reading.

A while later, the rabbi spoke up and asked the priest, “Father, is it
still a requirement of your church that you remain celibate?”

The priest replied, “Yes, that is still very much a part of our faith.”

The rabbi then asked him, “Father, have you ever fallen to the
temptations of the flesh?”

The priest replied, “Yes, rabbi, on one occasion I was weak and
broke with my faith.”

The rabbi nodded understandingly and remained silent, thinking,
for about five minutes.

Finally, the rabbi said, “Beats a ham sandwich, doesn’t it?”

Ha ha ha!

US BANKS REACT AGAINST UIEGEA

“Compliance virtually impossible,” say banking experts.

The controversial regulations drafted in support of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act continued to be the subject of debate in the media this week with a notable contribution from the information portal Poker News, which obtained a copy of a reaction by the American Banking Association (ABA) submitted to the US Treasury in December.

The 11 page document indicated concern and negativity toward the regulations in their present form as it explored problem areas and raised issues of sufficient severity as to place a question mark over the successful implementation of the UIGEA.

The document obtained by Poker News was authored by Richard R. Riese, Director of the ABA’s Center for Regulatory Compliance, and Nessa Feddis, Senior Federal Counsel for the same division. And as Poker News points out, the ABA represents the lion’s share of the banking market, with member banks employing over two million workers and managing over 95 percent of the $12.7 trillion in assets overseen by America’s banking industry. The association is therefore clearly a major player in the introduction of any financial measure that requires banking participation.

The general tenor of the report shows that the banks have little confidence in the practical implementation of the UIGEA in its present form, but lists 9 critical issues requiring attention if any sort of “feasible program” is to be undertaken.

The report notes that: “ABA believes that the proposal, in large part due to the nature of the statute itself, will fail to create a practical process for intercepting prohibited conduct that maintains an efficiently functioning payments system,” and goes on to express the fear that “….UIGEA will in the end catch more banks in a compliance trap and do greater damage to the competitiveness of the American payments system, than it will stop gambling enterprises from profiting on illegal wagering.”

The ABA saw three serious flaws with the UIGEA rules:

“(1) the definition of unlawful Internet gambling in the Prohibition leaves the vague definition of the Act uncured and therefore renders compliance virtually impossible;

“(2) the intractable problem of identifying or intercepting cross-border gambling activities and tainted correspondent relationships has not been adequately solved by the proposal; and

“(3) the uncertain standard for knowledge that triggers blocking is too indefinite to be practically operative.”

In similar fashion to other critiques of the UIGEA regulations, which have generated a significant critical response from some 200 interested parties, the ABA comments on the lack of specific guidance the proposed rules provide: “We maintain that the UIGEA is a fundamentally flawed response….”

The “unfunded mandate” which transfer enforcement powers to the private sector banking industry, requiring it to deputise on behalf of government also found little favour, with the ABA noting that it was “saddled with this exceptional burden” due to the federal government’s own inadequacies.

“In other words, in the view of the drafters of the legislation, all the sophistication of the FBI, Secret Service, and other police computerized detection systems and investigative expertise devoted to fighting terrorism and financial crime are inadequate to the task of apprehending the unlawful gambling business or confiscating its revenues. ABA believes that punting this obligation to the participants in the U.S. payment system is an unprecedented delegation of governmental responsibility with no prospect of practical success in exchange for all the burden it imposes,” the document asserts..

Adding a constructive element to its criticism, the ABA goes on to list 9 specific areas that need to be addressed by federal government drafters:

1. The exemption language (relieving financial institutions of the perils of litigation whilst acting in terms of UIGEA) in the proposed rule should be reinforced to underscore that all participants in the specified payment systems except those with a customer relationship with the Internet gambling business are exempt.

2. ABA urges the Agencies to clarify the Prohibition (of online gambling transactions) to confirm that compliance by all non-exempt participants in any designated systems can always be satisfied through procedures limited to commercial customers or merchants acting in the capacity of Internet gambling businesses.

3. Preservation of the “over-blocking” provisions of the Prohibition is essential to workability for financial institutions.

4. The definition of what constitutes “unlawful Internet gambling” is inadequate. It must be rectified.

5. The Prohibition’s handling of cross-border relationships presents substantial problems for financial institutions and should be revised.

6. The Prohibition should clarify what exactly the standard is for when a bank “becomes aware” that a commercial customer has received an unlawful Internet gambling-related transaction.

7. Establishment and maintenance of a list of unlawful Internet gambling businesses by the government may be an approach to pursue, but only if certain essential conditions are met.

8. The description of compliant reasonable policies and procedures can be improved.

9. Financial Institutions should have a longer period to phase-in the new policies and procedures prior to the effective date.

Poker News examined these points in more detail, noting that Item 1 raised an important issue regarding exemption and the relationship between an “Internet gambling business” and an offshore bank. The US bank loses its exempt status when dealing with the other, offshore bank, even though the US bank might lack information on which to identify the transaction. “For all the reasons this is not feasible in a domestic banking transaction, such an arrangement is not feasible cross-border, the ABA response cautions. Only the bank with the customer relationship with the Internet gambling business can practically access sufficient information to identify the circumstances giving rise to a judgment about a restricted transaction.”

The vague nature of the regulatory wording at Item 4 drew sharp criticism, too: “The Agencies need to cure the impossibly vague scope of what is meant by ‘unlawful Internet gambling.’” and “The Prohibition does not specify which transactions qualify as ‘unlawful Internet gambling.’ In short, the ABA believes that requiring banks to be arbiters of gambling laws for all US states, as well as federal gambling laws, is unfeasible and would place a crippling processing burden and unbounded litigation risk on the nation’s payments system participants.

Conflicting views on Internet gambling by federal agencies like the Department of Justice are also flagged as a problem area and summarised as bad law:

“If the federal agencies themselves cannot agree on the law, what hope is there that banks can resolve these confounding legal issues?” the ABA asks, recommending that a ‘workable’ definition of unlawful Internet gambling was essential. “A unified, practically workable definition of ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ must be included in the Prohibition. This is such a keystone element of the Prohibition and is currently so thoroughly flawed that a workable rule cannot possibly be issued in final form without re-proposal.”;

The ABA’s comments then exposed why expecting US banks to know everything about a foreign bank’s customers wouldn’t work, and also derided the UIGEA for expecting that foreign banks, in addition to domestic ones, would somehow become expert in not only US federal gambling laws, but the related laws of all 50 US states as well. It also assailed the UIGEA for its presumption that its own language should usurp that of foreign banks operating legally in their home countries.

Giving a typical example, the ABA document cites: “For instance, if a British bank has policies and procedures to identify and block transactions which qualify as ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ in the US, but these same transactions are legal in the UK, the bank could be subject to litigation or enforcement actions in their own country.”

On the highly controversial subject of a list of unlawful Internet gambling businesses, which the federal government has previously avoided, the ABA asserted that such a list m,ight help UIGEA, but it would not participate in its creation: “Of course, ownership and upkeep responsibilities for such a list cannot and must not fall on financial institutions. To place the onus for a list on financial institutions would only exacerbate the Act’s void-for-vagueness delegation flaw, converting it from impossible individual determinations of legality to impossible joint determinations of blacklisting.”

The timeframe for implementation of (revised) regulations at six months was not feasible, the ABA added, suggesting at minimum a 24 month window might be realistic..

The document closes with a recommendation that the regulations are taken back to the drawing board for reworking, and then submitted once again for interested parties to comment. “Even then, major, fundamental flaws must be cured before effective implementation of the UIGEA can even be contemplated.”

Kudos to Poker News for highlighting these important objections by a key player in the federal government’s attempts to strangle financial transactions on Internet gambling. The expert review of the shortcomings in the UIGEA regulations will surely give everyone in the industry a snapshot of the difficulties this law faces, and will give politicians and federal drafters practical considerations to chew on.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa

More news here.

Complaints? Kudos? Please let me know.

Peace
Bryan Bailey
Webmeister
Casinomeister

20 March 2008

Dear Reader,

It’s a short one this week – off I go.

Succinctly yours,

Bryan

In this issue:

Word From the Meister
CASINOMEISTER SPECIAL PROMOTIONS
This week’s humor
US BANKS REACT AGAINST UIEGEA “Compliance virtually impossible,” say banking experts.

WORD FROM THE MEISTER

FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Yeah! It’s finally here – the Vernal Equinox – yet there is a light snow coming down. Well that’s good ol’ Deutschland weather for you. Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday, and we’re heading out for an extended Easter weekend. So bye.

BE A MEISTER OF YOUR DOMAIN
Yes, the Meister Community (aka our forum) just got cranked up a few notches. The forum was relaunched last week with a number of new and exciting features.
You can now upload picture albums to be shared publicly or privately. It’s a great place for winner screenshots, by the way. Depending on your level of “Meisterness” you can create “Social Groups” that members can join or be invited to join. In the Social Groups, you can upload and share pictures from your personal photo albums. It’s a great way to interact with the hundreds of active members. Meet people, make friends, make business contacts, or even find a life-partner. You never know who you’ll meet in Casinomeister’s forum.