2012 Newsletter
20 January 2012
Dear Reader,
Awards are done, PAB yearly report is finished and uploaded, getting ready for my London trip, and now it’s time to let you know what’s up..
Communicatively yours,
Bryan
London Calling…
Yep, London is just a few days away. I’ll be attending the ICE and LAC next week – and you can be sure, I’m there because of you. I’m there to collect information and to ask questions, and to provide advice. I’ll be meeting up with:
Operators
Software Providers
Software Developers
Casino managers
Affiliate Managers
Affiliates
Licensing folk
and just about anyone who has something to do with this industry.
Please post your questions here. I’ll be checking on the thread periodically throughout the week.
Casinomeister’s Webcast
Chillin’ with Meister Just a short one to briefly discuss the Casinomeister 2011 awards – specifically the “Biggest Disappointment of 2011” Check it out…
Like Casinomeister!! Yep, I’ve launched an official Casinomeister page at Facebook. You can get updates on what’s up in Casinomeisterland to include events, pictures from my office, and any other extraneous stuff that relates to the site. Check it out (and click “Like”) here
PAB Yearly Report
How about a round of applause for Max who finished the PAB Yearly Report for 2011 before our London trip. These are the stats totally the forum complaints that have been submitted to Casinomeister in 2011. A total of 255 complaints for the year. Here is a breakdown by software provider:
RealTime Gaming 42
Playtech 36
Microgaming 28
Rival Gaming 17
Net Entertainment 14
bwin.Party 10
BetOnSoft 7
Top Game 6
Parlay 4
CTXM 4
You can check out the rest – and the discussion is here. You can also check out the monthly reports here.
And now for the humor……
A man came into his wife’s room one day. “If I were, say, disfigured, would you still love me?” he asked her.
“Darling, I’ll always love you,” she said calmly, filing her nails.
“How about if I became crippled and couldn’t make love to you any more?” he asked nervously.
“Don’t worry, darling, I’ll always love you,” she told him, buffing her nails.
“Well, how about if I lost my job as vice president?” Frank went on, “if I weren’t pulling in six figures any more. Would you still love me then?”
The woman looked over at her husband’s worried face. “Frank, I’ll always love you,” she reassured him, “but most of all, I’ll really miss you.” ha ha ha!
Special Edition – 7 February 2012
International Casino Exhibition 2012 – London Affiliate Conference – London
Dear Reader,
And here we go again – Casinomeister’s annual ICE report. If reading about the nuances of London, trippy people, bitchin’ restaurants, and online gaming is your thing, then read on…
Reportingly yours,
Bryan
Monday – Arrival:
Silent stars…
Photographic proof of the following events can be found here.
London – my cultural pilgrimage. The symbols of human endeavors, triumphs and misfortune are unyielding in this city. At every corner, there is something…albeit a street name, an alleyway, a neighborhood flattened during the blitz. Sometimes you have to know what to look for – you can be eyeing the escape route that the Beatles sprinted down – fleeing from screaming fans during “A Hard Day’s Night” (Marylebone Tube Station), or it could be a glimpse of the same corner of the restaurant that Dickens spied upon while appealing to his muse. There are many nooks and crannies of this town that beg to be explored.
I am in London every year during the last week of January – it’s not just the city, but the ICE that brings me here, and most recently, the LAC as well. This year was a bit amusing since my schedule was a near carbon copy of the year before, and the year before that – which I didn’t mind since most of the things I do there are pleasurable.
One thing that I always enjoy is “movie night”. That’s the first night (Monday) since I’m not really meeting anyone yet, and it’s just me who is in charge of the itinerary. I’m always at the same hotel in Trafalgar Square mainly because of its location smack dab in the middle of the city. And Leicester Square is a five minute walk away = movies and Chinese food.
The first film of the night was “The Artist” – it was absolutely brilliant, the best movie I have seen in a while that has many layers. It seemed to be a movie in a movie that spoke to itself with a lot of subtle humor and fantastic acting. It’s a must see on the big screen, and you’ll come away really appreciating the lost art of silent film making.
Film number two was Steven Spielberg’s “The War Horse” – a homage to the men and animals that fought in World War I. The battle scenes were spectacular; the cinematography outstanding – the animals really have a strong presence – almost unimaginable what these beasts of burden went though – it was quite impressive. Where the film lost me was when the Germans spoke English with forced accents to one another – same with the French. I’m sure Mr. Spielberg relies on audiences’ “suspension of disbelief” to get through these scenes, but it doesn’t work for me. I would rather have the French speak French, the Germans speak German, which to me is much more convincing and pulls the audience (me) into the film. But that’s me – some people have no patience to read subtitles. I do.
Tuesday – ICE Day One:
Meister Meeting and more…
Max Drayman the complaints manager at Casinomeister met up with me first thing in the morning and we grabbed an early sandwich at Pret a Manger by St. Martin-in-the-Fields. A great way to start a day – except I had forgotten my umbrella. But nevertheless, London isn’t London if you don’t get rained on.
Today’s destination was the International Casino Exhibition being held for the last time at Earl’s Court. Clarion Events really are proficient with the first day mass registrations or “I forgot my pass”. You’d expect a massive queue of conference attendees impatiently waiting for assistance – but not so. There were really no lines – Clarion had a number of printing stations set up with roving employees directing pass-less people (like me) to the right place. I had my pass reprinted in about 30 seconds.
Onto the floor. The i-Gaming section was immense – as last year – and the mood was upbeat. Max and I walked the floor some, and made the observation that not much has changed since last year. Playtech still had a huge presence – Microgaming always has the bar (and a cloak room I might add). And most of the companies had the same spot as they had the year before – I guess in case you needed to find someone again, whomever was easy to find.
One interesting addition was the Affiliate Programs presence taking place upstairs. Income Access, GPWA, Stan James Plc., to name a few had a booth in the quiet ghostly realm of the upstairs balcony section. This was where the i-Gaming booths were located over a decade ago – the red-headed step-child of the gaming industry. Funny how the industry evolves. But I found it a little redundant to have an area which hosted affiliate programs when the LAC was only a couple of days away. I’m sure the booth dwellers thought the same thing.
Lunch was on the agenda. Max and I made it to the traditional pub next door: The Prince of Wales. Cod’n Chips’n two-beer-lunch, and talked about Casinomeister – and perhaps about you as well, my dear reader.
One quick note: we’ve uploaded Max’s full year compilation for 2011 of PABs. You can check out the summary here, and better yet – his comments here. This was one item of our lunch discussion; I’m sure you might find these interesting. And do I sense a bit of déjà vu? Sure thing, but we received our lunch much faster than last year.
Back at the ICE: We met up with Claire Wellard, who is one of the reps for Mybet. Mybet has been wanting to get on board at Casinomeister for about a year now, we finally got it together (we needed a rep in the forum), and they have been placed in the Baptism by Fire section here. Mybet is powered by award winning software Netent (Best Software Provider 2012) We talked a bit about the Casinomeister Philosophy of how to deal with players and affiliates. And I am comfortable that Mybet is on track and will do well at Casinomeister.
At this point it was getting late, and it was about time for the Meister Meeting. The annual Meister Meeting was held once again at Waxy O’Conners – and as usual, it was the best meet up of the trip. It’s always a great experience meeting friends, old and new, acquaintances, business partners, fellow webmasters, and miscellaneous sorts who are members of our forum. The atmosphere is always mellow, ever flowing libations, jovial jocularities, food (the fried potatoes were to die for), and two band members of the local Bible Code Sundays – one of the best Irish Londoner bands. You should check out their site and buy one of their CDs. Great stuff.
Thanks to the folks at Club World Casinos for sponsoring this cherished event. It kicks off the week really well. Many thanks all around.
From there, about 19 of us went to the Golden Dragon, a bustling Chinese restaurant a block away in Chinatown. Excellent food and fast service. Just don’t order the house wine – it’s undrinkable. Other than that is was a fabulous (and rather inexpensive) meal.
As the evening wore on, we wore it well. We meandered to O’Neills, which I was informed that we go there every year – which could be true. They had a live band, which was surprising for a Tuesday night. And when O’Neills turned up the “go home” lights, we wandered down to the Casino at the Empire, where I had one of the most spellbinding and unforgettable conversations in my life. Unfortunately, the topic was nothing you’d want to hear in this newsletter.
Voice from the past – ICE 2008
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.
…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.
Wednesday – ICE Day Two:
Back on the showroom floor – one of the first things on the agenda was to meet up with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission where they gave us an update on how things have gone this year. It was a very productive and interesting update, and Max has given his attention to this in his ICE update posted here. A must read for those of you who care about player protection in this industry.
One thing new is a player exclusion rule that is now in effect. If you have a gambling related issue and want to exclude yourself from a single KGC licensed casino, or all of them, you can fill out a form here. Once you exclude yourself from a KGC licensed casino, that’s it. You are through playing there. The KGC has certainly stepped up to the plate of player protection and nailed a homer. Show me another licensing agency that does that.
And then lunch – the iNetBet guys have always been tops in conjuring up a good lunch spot. Dinner by Heston was this year’s choice, and it was one of the best eating experiences – ever. Their menu includes dishes from dating back nearly 700 years – and with things like Egg and Bacon ice cream and snail porridge, you can’t go wrong.
As always, it was a very interesting conversation – we discussed the player fraud rings that hammered these guys this past year – how the connections were made (which we knew already). And how they really received a beating in the forum because of this. It’s always tough when players are complaining in public, but in private there is not much to complain about. Sour grapes come to mind – and hell, it’s only natural that when one loses, one complains. All in all, it’s clear these guys have it together.
Lunch ended and we parted our ways – Max and I made it to the next spot, the Ship & Shovel pub by Charing Cross. Not only convenient to our hotel, it’s a great pub. This is were Max and I met up with the folks from Sports InterAction and just chilled out for a while. We needed to catch our breath before meeting up with the 32Red guys that evening.
Rules, in Convent Garden, is the oldest restaurant in London established in 1798. Only three families have owned this place, and it’s a true London landmark. We had been there four years ago and it hasn’t changed much. In fact, it probably hasn’t changed much in the past 100 years at all – except they have electric hand blow dryers in the bathroom. The evening faded into a blur of good wine, food, and company.
Voice from the past – ICE 2003
London has a lot of magic for me; mainly from it’s history and it’s writers. Dickens was always one of my favorites, and what a delight it was to have a magnificent lunch with PartnerLogic just around the corner from one of Dickens’ homes. It was here that he wrote “A Christmas Carol”, the story of Eberneezer Scrooge’s Christmas ghosts. There is a graveyard across from the restaurant with headstones dating to the 18th century. Dickens probably saw these on his daily walks, and these stones perhaps found themselves intertwined in his stories. The restaurant was on Old Marleybone Road; Scrooge’s partner was Marley. Cool stuff. And I digress once more.
Thursday – ICE Day Three:
That morning, I met the operator of Club World for breakfast, and we chatted a bit on some of the latest issues affecting Club World – specifically its customer service. One thing that has affected them is that they have grown a lot, and with this growth comes (yes, you guessed it) growing pains. There are training new staff so frankly, their customer service is being expanded. Training new staff is not as easy as one might think. Imagine a newbie CSR in a chat session with an advantage player who is hammering him with wagering and terms and conditions questions. Indoctrinating new staff takes time – but I am confident that as their player base grows, Club World will be able to meet our expectations.
The last day at ICE was a bittersweet one. It was the last time to be in Earl’s Court since next year it’s being moved to another venue. I’ve been going to Earls Court for over a decade, and I’ve witnessed how this industry has more or less exploded into what it is today. In January 2001, there were around 25 smallish booths that amassed the entire online gaming industry. Now it’s the size of several football fields. Hell, you could land a Boeing 747 in Playtech’s booth with room to spare.
But alas, what I’ll be missing is what really matters – no more Atlas Pub. No more Prince of Wales. Unless I go way out of my way, I won’t be in that part of town again.
For a full unabridged coverage of the ICE, please read infopowa’s reports here.
Max and I made it down to the Grange Hotel where we met our lunch guests – Greedygirl from GoneGambling and Amit – the General Manager of the Virtual Casino Group. We ventured around the corner to The Centre Page where a tasty portion of Fish’n Chips was awaiting me. That of course and a few yummy Guinesses.
The topic was not about a request to be removed from the Rogue Section, but it was to get a grip on player complaints. At Casinomeister, we’ve had a long standing policy to not accept any complaints via the PAB service for casinos listed in our Rogue Section. The Virtual Casino Group has been in and out of the rogue pit for over a decade – and their present status is “in the pit.” Max and I spoke at length with Amit, and we agreed to accept PABs for the Virtual Group – but only to be forwarded to Amit. The reasoning behind this is to assist players; not to give anyone any credence. We agreed that we’ll play it by ear to see how it goes.
The evening came quick – and that evening was the iGB Affiliate Awards dinner – and Simmo! wore a tux – photographic proof here. There were about 500 of us attending. Besides the fabulous carnival dancers, the best thing was the free booze, the comedian (Miles Jupp) and of course there were the awards. I can’t say too much about the food this year – it was quite disappointing. The main dish was supposed to be some meat concoction, but it looked (and tasted) like Alpo from a can. Good thing the wine distracted us all.
One special note – if you skip any part of the newsletter, don’t skip this: attention was brought to forum member Chris Taylor whose one-year-old son is undergoing treatment for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease. Chris and the staff members of the Great Ormond Street Hospital are raising funds, and planning to hike up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of this disease. I hope everyone reading this can donate something – big or small. It’s for a great cause. More information here.
And then there were the awards. You can check them out here.
Friday – LAC Day One:
Morning came early and it was the first full day of the London Affiliate Conference. My day was already booked with meanderings – but one of the special meanderings was happening in the afternoon – my panel discussion.
I was the moderator of a panel discussion “Inside the Player’s Mind” where we talked about what players’ concerns are and how well operators and affiliates are meeting those concerns. Not very well was the consensus. Greedygirl: expertise is with US players, marketing strategies, and Vegas casinos; KasinoKing: is an active affiliate and big time bonus player; MaxD: complaints manager and moderator at Casinomeister. These were the panelists.
We discussed the basic needs and expectations of players, which casino was getting it right – who was getting it wrong. We talked about player complaints and how these develop – what were the noticeable trends over the past year or so. Bonus players were discussed and how unwanted advantage players ought to be dealt with. Expectations were another thing – what do players expect from a casino, and where are players being let down. My sincere thanks go to the panelists and the iGB Affiliates for having us. I am a firm believer that casino operators and affiliates need to understand that they are here to provide a service to players – it’s not the other way around.
I met with the rep from 10Bet Casino who is being put into the Baptism by Fire section. 10Bet is one of the first MGS powered casinos we’ve had in the BBF section for a while. So far, things look promising.
I really enjoyed myself wandering the exhibition hall, meeting old friends and new faces. I have to hand it to Alex Pratt and the team behind iGB Affiliates for really pulling off an excellent show. There was enough space around the exhibition hall to sit down and chit chat if need be, and it was very well attended – and to the casual observer, it seemed to be well organized.
That evening was marked by an excellent Chinese dinner at the Joy King Lau. It was probably some of the best Chinese food I had – and thanks to Max and his charming wife for the idea of a chill-out meal. Even though we talked mostly about the Coen Bros films, Paris, and the Great White North, the conversation kept slipping back to the Big Lebowski. What a brilliant film.
Saturday – LAC Day Two:
It was the Queens Park Rangers vs Chelsea and my first English football match. Mucho thanks to Nordicbet we were in the VIP stands at the half way point on the pitch. It was an interesting display of team spirit from both sides; I didn’t know the Brits could boo so loud – quite entertaining. And surrounding the stadium were scores of riot police ready for an afternoon football brawl. I had to leave early to visit some book stores and make a meeting. It was a whirlwind of a day.
Back at the exhibition hall, the day wore on – and it was finally time to wrap things up. The best way to do this is with a meal. Simmo!, Martyn, Elliott, and I had an unforgettable meal at the Bengal Tiger a local Indian restaurant by St Paul’s. We sat there for about four hours stuffed ourselves and chatted the evening away. Great food – great company. Thanks Ian!
And that’s it. That was the trip more or less. Before I knew it, I was back at Heathrow doing the obligatory last minute shopping for the kids. And it wasn’t until I was on the plane that it all began to sink in – what an amazing industry this is. A myriad of folk, of personalities, of business styles, and of interests. There are definitely people who have made this a gratifying and engrossing profession, and there are others who would be better off selling kitchen appliances.
And one last note (usually the most important one). It’s because of you, my dear reader, that I go to these places and meet these people, and gather information, and ask your questions. It’s for the readership and our members. I just hope I don’t gain too much weight while doing it.
Voice from the past – ICE 2004
And this has got to be one of the weirdest jobs in the world; running Casinomeister – but I like it. I find it satisfying when I’m able to help some poor wayward player receive their winnings that they considered lost. I enjoy helping businesses stand out amongst their peers when they do good. And I am intrigued on how some “businesses” assume we are gullible sheep waiting to be herded into some sheppard’s soup.
And I have learned that one must always keep their guard up, be it on a London bus, or at home investigating some errant online casino. There are snakes in the grass; I hope I can continue to cut a clear path.
Photographic proof of the events can be found here.
16 February 2012
Dear Reader,
Fasching is upon us – which means “Carnival” in Germany and Austria – which really means the kids are out of school for a week. So what do you do? You go skiing. I’m driving down to Austria today with the kids. See you next week – hopefully with all my bones intact. Unlike last year…
Trepidatiously yours,
Bryan
Busy bees we be…
Casinomeister is finally moving into the 21st century. Our Android application was updated last night – if you use Android apps – it’s free to download here. If you download it, please give it a rating worthy of its excellence in the app store. <grin>
There is a discussion here.
New section at Casinomeister – The Reservation. This is a place for non-rogues and casinos that are not in the Accredited Section, yet are not in the Rogue Pit either. These are casinos I have “reservations” about – and I explain why. It should grow as time permits – and as members give me input.
Like Casinomeister!! Yep, I’ve launched an official Casinomeister page at Facebook. You can get updates on what’s up in Casinomeisterland to include events, pictures from my office, and any other extraneous stuff that relates to the site. Check it out (and click “Like”) here
>Baptism by Fire!
The following casinos have thrown themselves into the Baptism by Fire section. Do they have what it takes to be a Casinomeister Accredited Casino? You decide!
NO US
Let’s welcome 10bet to Casinomeister’s Baptism by Fire section!! Microgaming and CTXM powered casino – you can chose between the two platforms. Licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
You can read the discussion here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Let’s welcome Wintingo Casino to Casinomeister’s Baptism by Fire section!! It’s a really cool Scratch Card, Bingo, and Slots site – powered by Microgaming and licensed in Kahnawake.
You can read the discussion here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Let’s welcome Betsson Casino to Casinomeister’s Baptism by Fire section!! In fact it’s the whole batch of them (listed here). Powered by Netent – which received the Meister Award 2011 for Best Software Supplier Award.
You can read the discussion here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
And Now For The Humor……
Three women were about to be executed. One was a brunette, one a redhead, and the other a blonde.
The guard brought the first woman, the brunette, forward and the executioner asked if she had any last requests. She said no, and the executioner shouted: “… Ready … Aim … !! and suddenly the brunette yelled, “EARTHQUAKE!”.
Everyone was startled and looked around. She escaped. So they brought up the redhead and asked if she had any last requests. She said no, and the executioner shouted: “… Ready … Aim …!! and suddenly the redhead yelled “TORNADO!”
Everyone was startled and looked around. She escaped. By now, the blonde had it all figured out. They brought her forward and the executioner asked if she had any last requests. She said no and the executioner shouted: “… Ready … Aim … !! and the blonde yelled, “FIRE!”
ha ha ha
HEAVY HANDED TREATMENT OF ONLINE GAMBLING IN BELGIUM
Now the national police are involved…
Belgian gambling regulators are taking some heavy-handed moves to shut down unlicensed internet operators following the recent launch of the European nation’s regulatory regime.
In addition to blacklists of operators sent to ISPs from the Belgian Gaming Commission with a blocking demand, and threats of action against financial channels, it has now emerged that the lists have also been sent by the Office of Public Prosecutions to the national police with a request for action where possible.
The Commission appears to be adopting a carrot-and-stick approach, with Commission official Peter Naessens suggesting that illegal operators who repent and close their websites to Belgian players could be taken off the black list by the Commission.
“We will examine if they really exclude Belgian players at their .com site,” Naessens said. “If they really do, then we will propose these operators be removed from the blacklist at the next meeting of the BGC.”?
One blacklisted site, Chilipoker, has already complained against its inclusion on the blacklist.
Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa
More news here.
2 March 2012
Dear Reader,
I was here for a week, but then I am gone…
Fleetingly yours,
Bryan
Bones intact…
For those of you who care, my bones are intact from last week’s ski excursion. My knees may be a little swollen and sore, but I was able to withstand five days of solid skiing. Amazingly so, on Tuesday I made it through the entire day without a single “crash and burn”. I proudly made the announcement to my family at the end of the day (both kids rolling their eyes), and patted myself on the back.
And now I’ve been busy this past week, trying to catch up with everything at Casinomeister – and I take off tomorrow for the Asia i-Gaming Congress in Macau. I haven’t been there for four years, so I figured it’s time to go back and check out what’s new – or what’s in store for the Asian gaming arena. I will be reporting on this upon my return.
Like last time, I’m sure this will be an amazingly interesting trip.
New section at Casinomeister – Playtech Casinos. Here is a list of known Playtech casinos and their status at Casinomeister. I’ve been often asked why there are so few Playtech casinos in the accredited section, here I list the reasons why.
Like Casinomeister!! Yep, I’ve launched an official Casinomeister page at Facebook. You can get updates on what’s up in Casinomeisterland to include events, pictures from my office, and any other extraneous stuff that relates to the site. Check it out (and click “Like”) here
Baptism by Fire!
The following casinos have thrown themselves into the Baptism by Fire section. Do they have what it takes to be a Casinomeister Accredited Casino? You decide!
NO US
Let’s welcome 10bet to Casinomeister’s Baptism by Fire section!! Microgaming and CTXM powered casino – you can chose between the two platforms. Licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
You can read the discussion here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Let’s welcome Wintingo Casino to Casinomeister’s Baptism by Fire section!! It’s a really cool Scratch Card, Bingo, and Slots site – powered by Microgaming and licensed in Kahnawake.
You can read the discussion here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Let’s welcome Betsson Casino to Casinomeister’s Baptism by Fire section!! In fact it’s the whole batch of them (listed here). Powered by Netent – which received the Meister Award 2011 for Best Software Supplier Award.
You can read the discussion here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
And now for the humor……
A man walks into a bar, he sees two pieces of meat hanging from the ceiling. He asks the barman, “Why are those two pieces of meat hanging from the ceiling?”
The barman replies, “It’s a competition which we run every night. If you can jump up and touch the meat, you get free drinks for the whole night.”
“Great!” says the man, “but what if I can’t reach them?”
“Then you have to buy all the drinks for everyone all night,” the barman answers.
“Do you want to try?”
“No, but thanks anyway.”
“Why not?”, asks the barman.
“The steaks are too high.”
(groan) ha ha ha
ONLINE GAMBLING A TEMPTING OPTION FOR U.S. STATES
US Outlook: There are no Puritans in a recession.
The Independent newspaper in Britain examined the chances of online gambling legalisation in the United States in a weekend piece, opining that “there are no Puritans in a recession”, and drawing parallels between the ending of alcohol Prohibition and the present situation of online gambling, offering individual American states a fresh source of much needed tax revenues.
“Compared with jacking up existing taxes, or cutting public-sector pay and services, taking a rake from an online poker table looks very tempting to state-level politicians right now. Americans gambled $3 billion a year with foreign websites until the enforcement of a 2006 law that explicitly prohibited the taking of bets,” the newspaper comments, noting that the desire of ordinary Americans to gamble online has not gone away.
The ubiquitous Richard Bronson of US Digital – a company set up to provide online gambling solutions – told The Independent that many US states would not resist the temptation to legalise and regulate for much longer.
Bronson told the newspaper, “I was sitting with a governor the other day and he said, ‘I want to do it, I’m ready to do it, but can you please get someone else to go first?’”
Nevada is likely to be the one to ‘go first’, the newspaper opines, pointing to its long gambling history and well developed regulatory systems. However, the events in Iowa and Mississippi last week (see previous InfoPowa reports) are noted.
The article pegs December as the real starting point for the present intense interest in legalised online poker. That was the month when the US Department of Justice abandoned its decades-old policy of lumping all online gambling into the Wire Act as illegal, instead admitting that the Act covered only sports betting.
“That removed the last of the legal doubts over whether states would be free to go ahead without interference,” the newspaper observes. But it does acknowledge the previous ventures into legalisation in a summary of previous initiatives involving Washington DC.
“State politics matter,” the piece cautions. “Working closely with state legislators, and building trust, matters. Getting gambling licences is complex work. The big winners are likely to be the existing casino operators, who already have those relationships and have shown themselves responsible licensees.
“London-listed online gambling groups, eager to get their toes back in the US, have been seeking partnerships with US casino operators, but as providers of the relatively simple technology required to run an online gaming site, they will be very junior partners.”
The newspaper ends on a perhaps pessimistic note for European companies with American online gambling aspirations, pointing out that only American casino industry veterans and existing licence holders will be trusted with legitimate online gambling, bringing jobs as well as revenues to the states.
And Bronson says that licensing authorities are likely to take a very dim view of firms who once flouted US laws to lure American gamblers to offshore websites – at least those who have not made their peace with the US Justice Department.
Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa
More news here.
16 March 2012
Dear Reader,
Just a real quicky.
Succinctly yours,
Bryan
Where did the week go?
I was in Macau for a week attending the Asian i-Gaming Congress, and this week I was planning to get the Macau report out to you, but this week vaporized into nothing but a looming weekend. My apologies. I should have the bitchin’ Macau 2012 report out to you hopefully on Monday.
Where did the week go? It probably slid by while I was playing “whack-a-troll” in the forum. There has been some real dweebish behaviour of late, and I’m pretty darn sick of it. But anyway, that’s par for the course when running a popular forum. You always get a few nut jobs.
Rogue Announcement – LibertySlots has been added to the not recommended section due to having a “secret” gaming license. Read why this is unacceptable here.
Like Casinomeister!! Yep, I’ve launched an official Casinomeister page at Facebook. You can get updates on what’s up in Casinomeisterland to include events, pictures from my office, and any other extraneous stuff that relates to the site. Check it out (and click “Like”) here
And now for the humor……
Two robins were sitting in a tree.
“I’m really hungry,” said the first one. “Let’s fly down and find some lunch.”
They flew down to the ground and found a nice plot of newly plowed ground that was full of worms. They ate and ate and ate till they could eat no more.
“I’m so full, I don’t think I can fly back up into the tree,” said the first one.
“Let’s just lay back here and bask in the warm sun,” said the second.
“OK,” said the first.
So they plopped down, basking in the sun. No sooner than they had fallen asleep, when a big fat tomcat came up and gobbled them up.
As the cat sat washing his face after his meal, he thought…
“I JUST LOVE BASKIN ROBINS.”
(groan) ha ha ha
23 March 2012
Special Edition
i-Gaming Asia Congress 2012 – Macau
Dear Reader,
Finally, it’s here – the Casinomeister 2012 report on the i-Gaming Asia Congress. If reading about the nuances of Macau, Chinese gamblers, bitchin’ restaurants, and online gaming floats your boat – then read on…
Reportingly yours,
i-Gaming Asia Congress 2012 – Macau
Asia Trek 2012:
It’s all about gambling…
It’s been four years since I’ve been to Macau. And I thought, “Why not check it out once again?” The Asian market seems to have been somewhat quiet recently, especially with the looming US market staring us right in the face – distracting most everyone from Asia. So I figured now would be a good time to check this out. Plus I needed the miles for my frequent flyer program.
I flew direct via Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Hong Kong. It was a relatively comfortable and non-eventful flight. Lufthansa’s long-haul economy class is pretty decent; plenty of leg room (when there is no one sitting next to you), and the food is better than average.
I watched the Descendants for the second time (the first was in a real theater). Really a good film that explores the family theme and has some fine acting. Nick Krause, who plays “Sid”, is a rising star me thinks. He acted well – he was absolutely convincing playing the teenage stoner boyfriend. Watching great movies is a one of my favorite ways to kill time on a long-haul flight.
When I arrived in Hong Kong, I had a sinking feeling that I was forgetting something. Something was nagging in the back of my head, and when I saw the signs for the ferry terminal, it dawned on me. I was supposed to inform the airline ahead of time to let them know I was taking the ferry to Macau from the airport. If I only had hand-carry luggage it wouldn’t have been an issue – but I had a suitcase waiting for me past the passport control. My suitcase didn’t know that I was going to Macau. And once you go through customs, you have to leave the airport. There is no ferry access outside the terminal.
So bummer for me. I had to take a train to downtown Hong Kong, and then a cab to the ferry terminal, and I was finally on my way to Macau.
The ferry trip was relaxing. Oddly enough, they served a plastic plate of microwaved spaghetti in “Super Class”. This came along with the obligatory square food substance wrapped-in-plastic snack. One bite was one too many. I could have lived with a bowl of ramen noodles.
It was slightly foggy. The Macau harbor reeked of diesel fumes and creosote. As the shipped rocked against the pilings, flashbacks of my days in the Alaskan fisheries came back to me. Days long gone – but the smells are truly global. I disembarked and went to go find a cab.
Voice from the past – AiG 2008
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 conference was being held in the Hyatt Regency – and that’s where I was staying as well. An extremely quiet hotel, and the amenities were really quite good, and the service: impeccable. I was there a day early, so I had a chance to check out the gym and the pool (which was totally void of people). Where was everybody?
Or should I even ask?
Macau is all about gambling – and that’s the true focal point of this city. If one were to stroll through a Vegas casino on the strip at 4 am, it would be semi-empty with a few wasted cowboys, jet-lagged Europeans, and some die-hard blackjack players. In Macau, the casinos are packed 24/7. The tables are crowded; the gamblers don’t sleep.
I spent the first part of the day just wandering around the underground boulevard – checking out the boutiques. Actually, just glancing through the windows. There was no way in hell I’d buy any name-brand items in a shop that relies on casino foot traffic for its clients.
I was the loner guy this trip. None of my friends were able to make this trip except for Hilly. Hilly and I go way back – back to the early days of online gaming. He had flown out from the Philippines to hang out – and we spent a bit of time partaking in a few nice meals.
We talked about the industry and some recent gossip. No, we didn’t talk about you my dear reader. But one thing was for sure – there was something missing about being here, and I figured out what it was. It was the absence of Ted Loh. I missed Ted. My good friend Ted Loh who talked me into attending conferences back in 2001, who was my webmaster buddy through the years, who met with me several times every year at these events, and who was always around, especially when I was in Hong Kong, Macau, or the Philippines. I miss Ted, and it would have been his 48th birthday the day I was heading back home on Friday.
Hilly and I had beers and fish and chips at McSorely’s – an Irish pub in the Venetian where we (to include Ted) all hung out the last time we were there. We toasted to the guy – and hope that his memory lives on.
Tuesday – Pre-conference:
It’s about making contact…
One nice thing about the Hyatt was the Pacific Coffee Company located downstairs in the casino “shopping mall”. It actually reminded me of a local coffee shop back when San Diego was a place I used to call home. I didn’t see any scones though. But it was a great place to catch a quick breakfast. Hilly and I met and chowed down a couple of fresh sandwiches and partook in some delightful coffee.
But I was here for the conference – really. The first day was primarily a series of warm up sessions. There were about 40-50 people present; the topic was social networking. China doesn’t have Facebook, they have Renren (which is a little like Facebook), and weibo.com which is comparable to Twitter. Social networking is massive in China – just like it is everywhere else. The games that people play are somewhat comparable to what Westerners have available (Farming, etc.), but the motives may be a bit different.
Three reasons why the Chinese play these games: status, socializing, winning. Status being defined as rewarding players with levels of empowerment: additional privileges and possibilities. Even though these are non-gambling games, there is the potential to revolutionize gambling games by incorporating these elements into a Chinese game of chance. Too bad gambling online in China is still illegal.
Some fascinating stats about China: China has 1.18 billion mobile subscribers. So integrating social media with mobile is crucial – iPads iPods and smartphones far exceed laptops and desktop sales.
Even though these speakers were not addressing online gaming in Asia, I felt the sessions were extremely informative and illuminating.
Another impressive moment was during the networking break. The food that the Hyatt laid on was fantastic. Their Portuguese custard tarts are to die for.
Photographic Proof Located Here! (pictures to enhance your reading experience).
Voice from the past – Casinomeister Asia Trek – 2007 The Food Court in the Wynn consisted of a Starbucks – that was it. We were hungry. That was one of the primary reasons that I was visiting Macau, Hong Kong, and the Philippines – to eat.
We went out that night with several Playtech executives and other interesting folk, and sat down for a meal that was a combination of Portuguese and Chinese food. Macau belonged to Portugal until the 1960s. The food was brilliant, but the service a bit lazy. You almost had to beg for a beer or for more Sangria.
The Chinese aren’t too much into partying – at least not on the surface. It doesn’t seem to be integrated into their culture as a common trait – partiness. But maybe this is a good thing as well.
Wednesday – Day Two:
Taking baby steps…
At this point, the attendance was relatively high from what I could tell. The two previous Asian focused conferences that I’ve attended seemed a little spartan, understandably so. The Asian market has always been tough – it’s a challenge just to understand it, much less trying to get involved. There were a little more than a hundred delegates sitting in for the opening panel discussion.
One thing that was brought up during one of the panel discussions that day was that one primary challenge is to protect one’s brand; protect against fraud. The Internet is rife with fraud – especially when there is money involved.
There may be an opportunity for poker, but obviously it’s baccarat players that are the main driving force. One thing is a fact: culture division between China and other cultures trying to get into the scene is the major obstacle. There are many things to adapt to – but Asia doesn’t have to do any adapting – it’s the Western companies that are scrambling to catch the wave – trying to fit square pegs into round holes.
At the end of the day, there were some informative round table sessions. I attended one that actually focused on the US market since it was being paneled by two professors from SDSU – my alma matter. Dr. Katherine Spilde and Professor Jeff Voyles from the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management – SDSU – were there to entertain questions concerning the US market.
The US: Yes, poker is in sight. It’s coming soon to a computer near you (if you live in the right state). But the politicians are apprehensive about gambling games; they say it’s too risky at the moment. Which absolutely doesn’t make any sense to me at all. Europe has been licensing and regulating these games for the past several years. Why can’t the US regulators use Europe as a template? My guess is that the political environment in the US too hostile – and in the US, logic and reason caves to the religious right wingers who want everyone to conform to their moralistic fascism.
And like anything being legalized in the US – the US takes baby-steps. You maneuver through the lowest barrier of entry, and once you’re in and process that license, you’re in. I’ll be heading to the GiGSE in a month or so; I’m sure I’ll have more to say about the US market after that.
Hilly and I met that evening and were in the mood for sushi. We were in store for a spectacular meal. After about an hour of wandering around the Venetian, we found the Edo Japanese Restaurant. I’ve eaten a lot of sushi in my day, but this place had the best California Roll I’ve ever eaten. Without question – perfect. I had to go back for more on my own later in the week.
And the Venetian is massive. I’ve heard that the gaming floor is eight football fields in size, and I believe it. Absolutely astounding – and the place was packed. I wandered about for quite a while looking for some video poker machines. I found one group of six Game King VP machines. All single hand – no thrills here. And that was it. Six machines. I guess the Chinese couldn’t give a flying rats ass about video poker. It’s all mostly slots and table games.
Quick anecdote: While I played a few hands of VP, a woman came and sat down next to me and motioned if she could put her player’s card into my machine. “Sure, not a problem,” I said. So she did, and sat there watching me play, and then she started to fall asleep. She explained in broken English that she hadn’t slept in four days. It’s a true gambling marathon in Macau.One thing I found odd: the table limits. Most of the tables I saw had limits between HK$100 – HK$150,000 (€9.72 – €14,589). That’s insane!
Voice from the past – AiG 2008
Gambling in China is not only an attempt to churn out a profit by the gambler, but it is an observer sport as well. The Sands – 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.One thing for sure, when traveling as the loner dude, you don’t have to worry about hangovers. I brought a few DVDs to while away the late nights – Blazing Saddles was on the agenda for Wednesday. I remember seeing that film in the theaters when it first came out in 1974. Even though a number of the jokes are dated, it’s still a pretty funny movie to watch.
Thursday – Day Three:
The gist of the matter…
Back at the conference, Bodog’s rep spoke about their new “anonymous table” poker room, and how it was protecting the novice and recreational players from the pros. He discussed the negative reactions from poker room message boards; they have been heavily criticized since they cannot be regulated by players. It’s been players who have discovered cheats and other malfunctions. One way in which they plan to appease skeptical players is by publishing the cards of player hands the day after being played.
The gist that I was getting during the entire conference is that if there is not a social aspect to one’s games, they won’t make it. It’s all about people – and personalities transcend borders when it comes to this industry.
That evening I went back to the Venetian for my celebrated California roll. It was as good as I remembered.
Friday – Going Home:
Some final thoughts…
These are exciting times for us. Whether you are into games, or gambling, or films, eating, or into collecting antiques, the Internet allows us not only to connect to one another but to interact. That’s fascinating. All it takes is a little imagination – some creativity – and you can affect other people in a real positive way; either by offering them entertainment, or enabling them to meet other people they might have never known. This is one of the goals at Casinomeister – to enhance your life while connecting you to others.
Thanks to Beacon Events. I feel that it was a very successful conference – it was well worth the trip.
20 April 2012
Dear Reader,
Another quicky.
Succinctly yours,
Bryan
In case you haven’t noticed…
I’ve have been on the road quite a bit the last five weeks, and I’m getting ready to take off again for the GiGSE in San Francisco. It hasn’t been all work though. Two weeks were spent in the States (Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and NYC) trying to give my kids a dose of American culture. We saw everything from the Lincoln Memorial, Liberty Bell and Ground Zero, to Strawberry Hill and rats in the NYC subway. It was a great trip full of art, iconic sights, and lots of great pizza.
Unfortunately, I’m getting ready for my annual GiGSE trip – this time in San Francisco – and I don’t have time to report on the trip to the East Coast. But have no fear – I’ll be including this in the next newsletter. I’ll give you all the details to include an observance of a woman in East Harlem teaching her 18 month old baby to say “Yo mama! Yo yo!”. It was quite an experience.
In the meantime, I will be in San Fran at the GiGSE. This conference will be focused on the North American/US Market of i-gaming and should be quite interesting. If you have any questions you’d like me to pose to anyone, please post them here.
iPhone App – Yes, we now have an app for you iPhone/iPad/and iPod – you can go to the iTunes app store and look for ForumRunner – download this app and Casinomeister is included as a forum. The free version is a “read only” version; the $1.99 version allows you all functionality to the forum (posting, etc.). The Android app is free and is listed at the Play Store under CMeister.
Max has published the first quarter 2012’s PABs report here. Interesting that nearly 40% of the complaints are bonus related. Imagine a world without bonuses…
Like Casinomeister!! Yep, I’ve launched an official Casinomeister page at Facebook. You can get updates on what’s up in Casinomeisterland to include events, pictures from my office, and any other extraneous stuff that relates to the site. Check it out (and click “Like”) here
And Now For The Humor…..
When Albert Einstein was making the rounds of the speaker’s circuit, he usually found himself eagerly longing to get back to his laboratory work. One night as they were driving to yet another dinner, Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur (a man who somewhat resembled Einstein in looks & manner) that he was tired of speechmaking.
“I have an idea, boss,” his chauffeur said. “I’ve heard you give this speech so many times, I’ll bet I could give it for you.”
Einstein laughed loudly and said, “Why not? Let’s do it!”
When they arrived at the dinner, Einstein donned the chauffeur’s cap and jacket and sat in the back of the room. The chauffeur gave a beautiful rendition of Einstein’s speech and even answered a few questions expertly.
Then a supremely pompous professor asked an extremely esoteric question about antimatter formation, digressing here and there to let everyone in the audience know that he was nobody’s fool.
Without missing a beat, the chauffeur fixed the professor with a steely stare and said, “Sir, the answer to that question is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is sitting in the back, answer it for me.”
ha ha ha
8 May 2012
Special Edition
Global i-Gaming Summit & Expo 2012 – San Francisco
Dear Reader,
Finally, it’s here – the Casinomeister 2012 report on the GiGSE. If reading about San Francisco crackheads, sushi, and the future of online gaming floats yer boat – then read on…
Reportingly yours,
GiGSE 2012 – San Francisco
California Trek 2012:
What a long strange trip it’s been…
It’s been two years since I’ve been to the GiGSE – the annual “not to be missed” iGaming conference that was massively attended until the North American iGaming market imploded several years ago. I felt it was time to revisit this conference, especially since it was being held in my true native stomping ground: San Francisco.
My childhood home was in the South Bay – Los Altos, Mountain View. I lived there before there was a “Silicon Valley”. There were orchards, non-tech businesses, drive-in movie theaters, normal priced homes. But that was a long time ago. To me, many areas are unrecognizable after a several decade absence. But there are some spots that remain the same. It’s always a little bittersweet when I return to my old turf.
This time was a bit different – I was on business. San Francisco is a fantastic venue – and yes, it’s always been a bit quirky. (You should have been there in the 60s and 70s.) I was staying at the relatively inexpensive boutique hotel The Hotel Palomar just a block over from the conference hotel. I was happy to find that the hotel had a very nice lounge and restaurant. Free wine from 5-6 pm daily – and free coffee in the morning. That was a nice touch. Two thumbs up from me.
This year’s GiGSE appeared to be well attended. It was held at the Westin Hotel, which was a five minute walk from mine. But a five minute walk on Market street means saying “no” to at least five agressive panhandlers and displaced opportunist. Sign of the times I guess.
I entered the conference floor and picked up my badge. I greeted a few familiar faces and made way to the presentation room. I grabbed a seat near the front of the conference room; it was standing room only as the panel discussions commenced.
My main interest was of how pending legality in the US will affect players and affiliates alike. Since the US laws are still convoluted – not everything is yet in place, legally or infrastructure-wise. It may still be some time before we see any US licensed online poker or casinos.
The opening panel discussions were very informative. There were no sales pitches or agenda laden presentations which I found quite refreshing. The first panel was moderated by John Ford, CEO of BAM Software who had assembled the CEOs form Bwin (Jim Ryan), Pkr (Malcolm Graham), Betsson (Pontus Lindwall), and Virgin Games (Simon Burridge). Entitled “Learning from the pioneers – how to successfully operate an online gaming business” – it gave a very in depth perspective into the online casino industry. The first question: “What is one lesson learned that enabled you to stay competitive and successful in this business?”
(my succinct notes – the answers were longer, but you should be able to grasp the gist of it)
A:Betsson: Perfect service. Pkr: Differentiation. Bwin: Sophisticated technical platform integrated with marketing. Virgin: Putting the customer first (ed. note: excellent answer).
Q: What can be outsourced?
A: Well, there was a general consensus of what cannot be outsourced: customer acquisition. Customer acquisition is the heart of any company.
Another general consensus was that within the next couple of years companies will be grappling with social games; making their sites more social. Poker and bingo already have a social element; casino games don’t. It’s up to casino operators and software developers to crack that egg. And perhaps me to hand over a chisel.
Q: Since you’ve been in the industry, what has been the biggest surprise?
A:Betsson: that the business didn’t take off in the beginning – regulation – that the EU hasn’t come further than it has in the past 15 years – politicians can’t agree on how to regulate (ed. note: he’s surprised?). Bwin: UIGEA was a big surprise. (ed. note: the chicanery of how this bill was passed was rather shocking to most Europeans – or to anyone who believes in a true democracy.) Black Friday also blew him away. Virgin: why regulation has been dragging its feet. Pkr: Surprised on what regulators may or may not do. He mentioned Denmark as an example – Denmark uses a third party company for fraud detection which seems rather odd.
Voice from the past – GiGSE 2002 – Toronto
The next presentation was on Online Casino Marketing by Nancy Krause from The River City Group. She covered the basics of online marketing which was very informative, and she presented some surprising statistics. According to the River City Gambler Monitor, about 87% of Europeans own cell phones (in Germany we call them Handys) compared to 70% of North Americans (excluding Mexicans). 13% of these Europeans connect to the Internet via their cell-phones compared to about 7% of the American/Canadians. Some brain candy there for you marketing people. Also she mentioned that to successfully market a casino, you need to start with a minimum of $40,000 per month for the first six months for advertising. A quarter of this should be allocated to Casinomeister (this was in my notes, hmm…).
There was a presentation on taxes which I pulled the following information from: in order for online casinos to be “legal” in the States, there needs to be state legislation. At the moment, it’s going rather slow. For non-US entities to be involved, they must have something in the States – a company/partner – and each and every state has or will have a different set of rules.
When will winnings be taxable? That is a question that still needs answering. It could be possible that a resident of a state, let’s say California, would be liable for State taxes if he or she is playing at a Californian intrastate casino. But there is a good chance that if there are winnings of any kind, they may be reportable to the IRS. It could be that a player would be required to provide a SSN# upon sign up (not likely), or provide it when cashing out a large sum (more than likely). No one knows for sure what is going to happen; it’s all speculation.
I spoke to an attorney during a break and I explained that many gamblers enjoy the anonymity of online gambling – it’s what appeals to many online gamblers. Many players are reluctant to let the feds or their state government know when and where and how much they gamble. It’s no ones business but their own. But if they are gambling at a US licensed casino, these gambling records are subject to being subpoenaed just like anything else that falls under federal or state regulation. It just depends on how far the “nanny” states want to go. Just an observance.
The expo hall was rather spartan; there were just a handful of exhibitors which is somewhat of a shame since this has always been a great opportunity to see a lot of showcasing and pick up a lot of freebies. In the days of yore, the GiGSE expo hall would be a few football fields in size. <sigh> – another sign of changing times.
Marketing Strategy Discussions:
Further dialogue via presentations and panel groups:
Q: How are smaller casinos going to be able to compete against the big Vegas strip casino brands? A: They need to have the ability to be flexible with strong PR (ed. note: think 32Red).
Trust will be the key for being successful (as it always has been). Google has been important for European based casinos – (Google Ad-Words, etc.) and it will be just as important to US firms. Affiliate marketing has been extremely important for Euro casinos – 25% of Pkr’s players are affiliate driven. I believe Party Gaming is close to 30%.
Affiliate marketing may be problematic for about 99% of affiliates. As it looks now, affiliates will have to be licensed and the expenses for licensing may be beyond what most affiliates can afford. It includes a complete background check of not only the affiliate, but of the relatives of the affiliate. If any offices need to be visited (like the one you have in Gibraltar), guess who pays for the flight and hotel stay for these government licensing auditors? The affiliate.
Another thing that is on potential operators’ minds is how to deal with the “black market” (non-licensed casinos that participate in the US market). Will there be laws enacted that prohibit this? How will this be dealt with?
Voice from the past – GiGSE 2005 – Montreal
On the flipside, Frank Fahrenkopf spoke of the problems facing the US market stating that the biggest obstacle for legislation against online gaming is the 10th amendment which guarantees sovereign rights of the states. States are to be able to make their own choices without the US government stepping in. This is why the US has all but 2 states with some sort of regulated gaming (Utah and Hawaii have none). Even though there seems to be a strong push to ban online gaming, 80-85% of the American public don’t see a problem with it. 15% are opposed. Well who are these 15%? Well the lawmakers who are banding together are an odd sorts – it’s the far right who feel that gambling is morally wrong (yet their mothers probably play bingo online), and the far left who feel that people are too stupid to make decisions on their own. They need the government to protect them from themselves.
So there is a new bill on the horizon – it’s an “enforcement bill” that will make it illegal to participate in illegal activities and is geared towards the credit card companies (again). He doubts that it will pass, but you never know… What is obvious is the two differing philosophies of European and US lawmakers. US citizens need to keep their representatives in check by popping them an email or writing them a letter every so often. US citizens take note: don’t let your representatives in Washington forget that political extremists (far left and right) should not be allowed to infringe on your rights to make decisions for yourself.
Being a native Californian, and growing up in the Bay Area during the hippy surge, the post-Vietnam War era, and Jesus freaks, I am accustomed to odd folks. But walking just north of Market street was surreal. It seemed as though the looney farm had just dropped off several bus-loads of patients without their meds. About twenty crackheads and other reality challenged individuals were arguing and shouting at one another in the street. Some had set up a crazyland flea market of sorts selling empty dirty buckets and old clothing. I changed my mind about walking to Golden Gate park and headed back to the conference.
Social Gaming:
This is the future of the online casino. And everyone needs to start reading the writing on the wall – not my wall at Facebook, but the proverbial wall that spells out what is taking place in our industry. You’d have to be a nit wit not to notice the implementation of socialness in everything we do. Do you remember what I talked about after my Macau trip in March? I spoke about how the Chinese have millions of computers and hand held devices that are driven by social games. Technology is becoming social – and it’s happening all over the world.
As I mentioned, poker and bingo have social elements – but what about traditional casino games? Slots, roulette, video poker, etc., how do they engage social activity? At the moment, they don’t. This seems to be a major challenge for operators and software developers.
Kevin Flood from Gameinlane gave few pointers during a panel discussion that focused on social games – about adding social mechanics to non-social games.
+ It’s a game that encourages others to play.
+ It allows people to communicate in the context of the game.
+ People like to brag – so they like to post big wins.
+ And there needs to be live components within the game.
Seems like a good checklist to me. Personally, I think that operators have a lot to learn from social gaming and networking; I hope they have their thinking caps on.
There was a discussion on the failure rate of companies – and the sage advice for failing is: fail well, fail quickly, fail cheaply. This pertains to any business – online or off. Purple Lounge could have used this advice. They are failing badlyhere.
One thing that should be taken away from this conference and placed in the back of one’s head – a big name does not guarantee success.
Voice from the past – GiGSE 2007 – Montreal
The keynote speaker, internationally renowned scholar and online gambling expert Professor I. Nelson Rose took the podium, and gave a very insightful presentation on the history and present state of legalities on gambling in the US. He discussed on how the laws have changed over the past three hundred years. Lotteries funded the colonies, and most of the states after the American Revolution, but it all came crashing down in the 1820’s when they were rife with scandal. Some guys decided to have lotteries without paying anyone. It was so bad, that the people said “We will never have lotteries again.” These prohibitions were placed in State constitutions, and as new states appeared, they copied these laws into them. In fact, Nevada still has a constitutional law against playing the lottery…
One thing he touched on at the end, was that he predicted in two years, California will legalize online poker. It would be limited to licensed card clubs and Indian casinos located in California, and taxed at 25%. I emailed him later about this (there wasn’t much time for Q&A afterwards) and he said that the poker clubs have wanted this for years. “Now it seems clear under federal law that Internet gambling is legal, so long as it is legal under state law and kept 100% in-state.” The UIGEA does allow “intrastate” betting. The biggest problem will be working out the details on how this will come about.
Some final thoughts…
As the GiGSE came to an end, it was really apparent on how much this industry has changed over the past decade. No longer the care-free laid back “we’re on top of the wave” conglomeration of party folk – it’s officially über corporate. At least it is in the US. From my observations at the conference – the newbies outnumber the industry veterans by a very high margin. I met a lot of people I’ve never met before, and yet the industry is 15 years old. Personally I find it hard to fathom that most US companies have been ignoring the presence of online gaming even though it’s been a part of daily life for millions of Americans. It’s as if these companies have only now been given permission to pay attention and take notes. That’s not being proactive; it’s an ingredient written on a recipe of failure. Looking into my crystal ball, I see many board room faceplants and unnecessary screwups in the upcoming future. It’s not going to be a smooth ride for the US market. But I guess time will give us all the answers we seek.
Thanks to Clarion Events. I feel that it was a very successful conference – the food was great, and the discussions were intelligent and illuminating. It was well worth the trip.
11 May 2012
Dear Reader,
Yeah!! It’s Friday – happy day to you!
Enthusiastically yours,
Bryan
Busy bees we be…
We currently have a membership drive in our forum. Who ever refers the most qualifying members during the month of May will receive a $100 gift certificate at Amazon.com or its equivalent. They will also be a random drawing of $25 for anyone who refers-a-friend so what are you waiting for? Check out how to refer your buddies to our forum here!
Did you know that about 8% of our traffic in the forum is via a mobile phone? If you are one of these folks and haven’t download our Casinomeister apps you are missing out!
iPhone App – Yes, we now have an app for you iPhone/iPad/and iPod – you can go to the iTunes app store and look for ForumRunner – download this app and Casinomeister is included as a forum. The free version is a “read only” version; the $1.99 version allows you all functionality to the forum (posting, etc.).
The Android app is free and is listed at the Play Store under CMeister.
ATTN TECHNOPHILES: There is a new section in our forum Computers and Internet Geekland – Here you can geek away with technophile articulations, any other random thought about our beloved technology.
CASINOMEISTER’S WEBCAST!!!
It’s about time! New webcast at YouTube!! Yee – haw!!
The real future of online gaming.
Purple Lounge Faceplant
Vortran’s Casino Warning
All this and more here!!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9wr6upgXx1k%3Frel%3D0%26controls%3D0%26showinfo%3D0%26enablejsapi%3D1
NEVER BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD!! Subscribe to our videos here!! You’ll be automatically emailed whenever a video is uploaded!! I guarantee that these videos will make you a smarter, better person.
BAPTISM BY FIRE
Let’s welcome Bingo Butler into the Baptism by Fire section. So far – so good.
Check them out here
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US. 
And now for the humor…
One day, Jesus and the Devil were both working on their computers. Jesus was typing away. The Devil was typing away.
Suddenly a huge blackout filled heaven and hell. When the lights came back on, Jesus picked up right where he left off, but the Devil’s screen was black. Satan says, “How could this happen? I did everything Jesus did!”
Then one person in Hell says, “No, Jesus Saves.”
ha ha ha
18 May 2012
Dear Reader,
Yeah!! It’s Friday – again!
Enthusiastically yours,
Bryan
Where’s me lucky charms…
…maybe in Dublin? Yep, I’m heading for the annual iGaming Super Show held for the past two years in Dublin. It should be super – I hope. Besides hanging out with some of my webmaster buddies, I’ll be meeting a number of operators. If you, my dear reader, have any questions, issues, or complaints for whomever or whatever, please join our forum and post them here in this thread. Hopefully I’ll bump into the right people and be able to get an answer to your question.
We currently have a membership drive in our forum. Who ever refers the most qualifying members during the month of May will receive a $100 gift certificate at Amazon.com or its equivalent. They will also be a random drawing of $25 for anyone who refers-a-friend so what are you waiting for? Check out how to refer your buddies to our forum here!
And most everyone is not taking advantage of this. So far this month we’ve had 150 new members registering – only nine have been referred. Let’s get busy!
Did you know that about 8% of our traffic in the forum is via a mobile phone? If you are one of these folks and haven’t download our Casinomeister apps you are missing out!
iPhone App – Yes, we now have an app for you iPhone/iPad/and iPod – you can go to the iTunes app store and look for ForumRunner – download this app and Casinomeister is included as a forum. The free version is a “read only” version; the $1.99 version allows you all functionality to the forum (posting, etc.).
The Android app is free and is listed at the Play Store under CMeister.
BAPTISM BY FIRE
Let’s welcome back Grosvenor Casino into the Baptism by Fire section.
Check them out here
They were listed here some time ago – and now they are back!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
Let’s welcome Bingo Butler into the Baptism by Fire section. So far – so good.
Check them out here
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
Now For The Humor…..
Twelve priests were about to be ordained. The final test was for them to line up in a straight row, totally nude, in a garden while a sexy and beautiful, big breasted, nude model danced before them. Each priest had a small bell attached to his penis and they were told that anyone whose bell rang when she danced in front of them would not be ordained because he had not reached a state of spiritual purity. The beautiful model danced before the first candidate, with no reaction.
She proceeded down the line with the same response from all the priests until she got to the final priest (Robert). As she danced, his bell began to ring so loudly that it flew off and fell clattering to the ground.
Embarrassed, Robert took a few steps forward, and bent over to pick it up.
Then, all the other bells started to ring.
ha ha ha
15 June 2012
Dear Reader,
Yeah!! I’m back – again!
Beerliciously yours,
Bryan
Back in the saddle again…
Yeah, I know you’ve heard this before. But really, I’m back. In the past three months, I’ve logged nearly 40k miles – and man, enough is enough. I’m willing to hang around the office now, chill out a little, but also roll up the sleeves and get a few things done.
Numero uno, the Accredited Casino section is to be revamped. There is a lot of work to be done there. If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see, please join our discussion here.
I’m hoping to incorporate some of your ideas into a new and improved Accredited Casino Section that will benefit all players as well as affiliates. Thanks go out to those who are giving suggestions. There have been some excellent ones made.
iPhone App – Yes, we now have an app for you iPhone/iPad/and iPod – you can go to the iTunes app store and look for ForumRunner – download this app and Casinomeister is included as a forum. The free version is a “read only” version; the $1.99 version allows you all functionality to the forum (posting, etc.).
The Android app is free and is listed at the Play Store under CMeister.
CASINOMEISTER’S BIERFEST IS IN FULL EFFECT!!!
14 Years of Meisterly love!
Every year the Bierfest kicks off in June celebrating the anniversary month of the launching of Casinomeister.
What could be better than winning some bonus from some online casino? BEER I tells ya!!
THIS WEEK’S CONTEST:
HURRY!! Name that tune! The first person who can tell me what song this is – well actually it’s a short piece of a song – nevertheless identify the song and band – you can check this out here.
The first person to get it right wins BEER delivered to your doorstep (must be legal drinking age and not live in a beer unfriendly environment) – or $50 – your choice.
Get ready…get set…go!
BAPTISM BY FIRE
Let’s welcome Coral Casino and Gala Casino into the Baptism by Fire section!!
Their administrators are really clued up on the Casinomeister Philosophy and in my opinion make an excellent addition to Casinomeister.
£200 sign up bonus!!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
And now for the humor…
Little Johnny wanted to go to the zoo and pestered his parents for days. Finally his mother talked his reluctant father into taking him.
“So how was it?” his mother asked when they returned home.
“Great,” Little Johnny replied.
“Did you and your father have a good time?” asked his mother.
“Yeah, Daddy especially liked it,” exclaimed Little Johnny excitedly, “especially when one of the animals came home at 30 to 1!”
ha ha ha
27 June 2012
Dear Reader,
It’s finally that time of year – just like last year!
Seasonably yours,
Bryan
Yeah summer…
We’ve had about four days of it in the past couple of weeks, and it’s supposed to start again in a day or two. I remember years ago writting this newsletter in the cellar since it was the coolest part of the house – it was like 35 degrees celsius in my office.
Well it seems those days are gone. Bummer for us heat loving individuals. But have no fear – the Bierfest is here! Scroll down for more Bierfest info.
Thanks for those who have participated in our discussion on revamping the Accredited Section. I’m rolling up the sleeves and getting to work on this. It’s a pretty big project and will take some work – but I think it will please most everyone.
ROGUE ANNOUNCEMENT
Rushmore Casino Re-rogued
No Scruples here…and they don’t care. Recently, an ill-informed representative of Rushmore Casino signed up in our forum thinking she was going to make amends with the player community. This half-hearted attempt to whitewash their perilous situation of a floundering company was met with vocal dissent from players. She was hoping to have the Rushmore casinos removed from the Rogue Pit.
Unfortunately (for her), this backfired. Members of the forum wanted to know what the problem was with Rushmore’s lack of communication and their non-payment of winnings. This representative tried to paint over Rushmore’s problems with propaganda like this:
We had an incident a few months ago that created problems with payments. Everything is back on track and we are no longer have issues with payment :)Yeah, right. And pigs are flying over Israel. The company has been in dire straits for the past couple of years due to the situation with the US market, its monies being confiscated from its processors, motivated employees jumping ship, and the extreme negligence of Rushmore’s owner/operator.
It’s been made clear that the owner of Rushmore doesn’t give a care. When Rushmore was removed from the Accredited Casino section in October 2009 – he couldn’t be bothered with it. It was in April of 2010 that he contacted me personally, apologized over the phone for being lackadaisical, and promised to get it together. I took him for his word, and brought him back on the site on the condition that everything would remain in order. That lasted about six weeks when they were again removed from Casinomeister.
The thing is, you can’t trust this man nor his operation. When the Rushmore group was active on the site in 2008/2009, there were over a thousand Casinomeister members playing at the casino – members who had signed up via Casinomeister links. There are a number of these players who are still active, yet the stats of the affiliate account has shown no activity whatsoever since March of 2011. When he was questioned about this via several emails, neither he nor his staff had the courtesy or professionalism to reply.
Players need to bail from this casino as soon as possible – payment of winnings is highly questionable. Affiliates need to abandon their links – you won’t be paid as well.
Rogue listing here
Affiliate warning here
CASINOMEISTER’S BIERFEST IS IN FULL EFFECT!!!
14 Years of Meisterly love!
Every year the Bierfest kicks off in June celebrating the anniversary month of the launching of Casinomeister.
What could be better than winning some bonus from some online casino? BEER I tells ya!!
THIS WEEK’S CONTEST:
What is this? Where is it and what does this have to do with Casinomeister?
The first person to get it right wins BEER delivered to your doorstep (must be legal drinking age and not live in a beer unfriendly environment) – or $50 – your choice.
Get ready…get set…go!
Our last contest you were to “name that tune” here. Congrats to Dionysus for the correct response – Helter Skelter by the Beatles! He chose the money (Canada is not so beer friendly). Way to go!!!
BAPTISM BY FIRE
Let’s welcome Coral Casino and Gala Casino into the Baptism by Fire section!!
Their administrators are really clued up on the Casinomeister Philosophy and in my opinion make an excellent addition to Casinomeister.
£200 sign up bonus!!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
And Now For The Humor….
A vacationing penguin is driving through Arizona and sees that the car’s oil-pressure light is on. He gets out to look and sees oil dripping out of the motor. He drives to the nearest town and stops at the first gas station.
After dropping the car off, the penguin goes for a walk around town. He sees an ice cream shop, and being a penguin in Arizona, decides that something cold would really hit the spot. He gets a big dish of vanilla ice cream and sits down to eat. Having no hands, he makes a real mess trying to eat with his little flippers. After finishing his ice cream, he goes back to the gas station and asks the mechanic if he’s found the problem.
The mechanic looks up from the engine and says, “It looks like you’ve blown a seal.”
“No, no,” the penguin replies, wiping his mouth, “it’s just ice cream.”
ha ha ha
13 July 2012
Dear Reader,
Do you suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia? Then today is your lucky day!
Sardonically yours,
Bryan
Yeah, summer?
It’s pouring ass rain outside. Sometimes it pauses for a couple of hours, but then it starts again. The worst is that it’s supposed to stay like this until September. Oh well, that’s summer in Deutschland. It’s not the first summer that has been like this. It’s been this way for years – just read some of the archives here.
At least when the rain clears up, things look pretty. You can alway check out my view from the office window here.
Thanks for those who have participated in our discussion on revamping the Accredited Section. There have been some fantastic suggestions, and I am in the process of implementing many of these. I think you’ll be pleased with the outcome.
Thanks to all who have participated.
Accredited Casinos
Announcing the following casinos that have meet the standards for accreditation after spending their time in the Baptism by Fire section. Congrats to all!
Bingo Butler Accredited Casino
.
Sign Up and Collect £10! here! They also have a 300% SUB!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
Rank Interactive
Let’s welcome Grosvenor Casino and Blue Square Casino into the Accredited Casino Section
!
They include live dealer games, poker and skill games using Electracade, Evolution Gaming, IGT Interactive, Playtech and Wagerlogic. Licensed in Alderney – you can’t go wrong here!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
And Now For The Humor…..
The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her class, “What human body part increases to ten times its size when stimulated?”
No one answered until little Mary stood up and said, “You should not be asking sixth-graders a question like that! I’m going to tell my parents, and they will go and tell the principal, who will then fire you!”
Mrs. Parks ignored her and asked the question again, “Which body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?”
Little Mary’s mouth fell open. Then she said to those around her, “Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!”
The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the class, “Anybody?”
Finally, Billy stood up, looked around nervously, and said, “The body part that increases 10 times its size when stimulated is the pupil of the eye.”
Mrs. Parks said, “Very good, Billy,” then turned to Mary and continued. “As for you, young lady, I have three things to say:
One, you have a dirty mind.
Two, you didn’t read your homework.
And three, one day you are going to be very, very disappointed.”
ha ha ha
Thanks to weesie!
9 August 2012
Dear Reader,
A reaaaally short one.
Fleetingly yours,
Bryan
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been hunkered down working on a huge undertaking: the reconstruction of the Accredited Section. It’s taking longer than I thought it would – obviously. I’m hoping to be finished by the end of the month. But when it’s finished…it will be awesome.
I’m implementing the forum’s content management system to enable users to sort the Accredited Casinos by a number of categories to include flushing, weekend payouts, licensing jurisdictions, accred status, and a slew of other things. There will also be a rating system that will score casinos based on calculating a number of things to include Casinomeister Awards, payout times, flushing, etc. Better yet, members will be more involved in assisting in rating and gathering information. Like I said, it will be awesome. But it’s rather complicated – so it’s taking some time <grin>.
Where has Simmo! been? He’s been busy playing Keno, that’s where! Check out this massive win he had yesterday at some Playtech casino. It’s been posted here.
Accredited Casinos
Announcing the following casinos that have meet the standards for accreditation after spending their time in the Baptism by Fire section. Congrats to all!
Bingo Butler Accredited Casino
.
Sign Up and Collect £10! here! They also have a 300% SUB!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
Rank Interactive
Let’s welcome Grosvenor Casino and Blue Square Casino into the Accredited Casino Section
!
They include live dealer games, poker and skill games using Electracade, Evolution Gaming, IGT Interactive, Playtech and Wagerlogic. Licensed in Alderney – you can’t go wrong here!
Read what the players have said about them here!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
And Now For The Humor…..
On a train from London to Manchester, an American was telling off the Englishman sitting across from him in the compartment.
“You English are too stuffy. You set yourselves apart too much. Look at me… in me, I have Italian blood, French blood, a little Indian blood, and some Swedish blood. What do you say to that?”
The Englishman said, “Very sporting of your mother.”
ha ha ha
7 September 2012
Dear Reader,
The waning days of summer – and the Oktoberfest approaches.
Yearningly yours,
Bryan
It’s done. After weeks of diligent labor the Casinomeister Accredited Casinos section has been relaunched. I have to admit – it’s awesome. The accred section lists casinos in alphabetical order each having its own page. The casino page lists plenty of data – information pertaining to its business (software, ownership, date launched, casino reps, etc.), operations – reverse times, weekend cashouts, flushing, gaming platforms, etc.
The casinos have been categorized so users can easily view lists of casinos that meet certain interests – for instance:
Ash Gaming
Best Casino of the Year
Licensed in Kahnawake
Possible Manual Flush
and so on.
Also – a rating system will be implemented sometime next week that will rate casinos on areas such as licensing jurisdictions, cash out times, weekend payouts, flushing, etc. It’s listed at the moment in the Accred section, but is not active (all casinos are rated as 100). Sometime next week this will change.
Also, I’ve created a new forum where members are able to give feedback, make corrections, and make suggestions to the Accredited Casino section – it’s located here.
As time goes by, I’ll be able to add more to each casino page – perhaps adding reviews, your input, special reviews. We are only limited by our imagination.
Accredited Casinos
Announcing the following casino that has met the standards for accreditation after spending their time in the Baptism by Fire section. Congrats to all!
Gala Casino Accredited Casino
.
Sign up now and collect £200 SUB here! They have a wide range of games produced by Amaya Online, CryptoLogic, Electracade, Evolution Gaming, GTECH G2, and IGT! More information can be found here
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
And Now For The Humor…..
A classic from the archives:
Three turtles, Joe, Steve, and Poncho, decide to go on a picnic. So, Joe packs the picnic basket with cookies, bottled beer, and sandwiches. The trouble is, the picnic site is, 10 miles away, so the turtles take 10 whole days to get there. By the time they do arrive, everyone’s beat.
Joe takes the stuff out of the basket, one by one. He takes out the beers and says, “Alright, Steve, gimme the bottle opener.”
“I didn’t bring the bottle opener,” Steve says. ‘I thought you packed it.”
Joe gets worried. He turns to Poncho. “Poncho, do you have the bottle opener?”
Naturally, Poncho doesn’t have it, so the turtles are stuck ten miles away from home without beer. Joe & Steve beg Poncho to turn back home and retrieve it, but Poncho flatly refuses, knowing that they’ll eat everything by the time he gets back.
Somehow, after about two hours, the turtles manage to convince Poncho to go, swearing on their great-grand turtles’ graves that they won’t touch the food. So, Poncho sets off down the road, slow and steadily.
Twenty days pass, but no Poncho. Joe and Steve are hungry and puzzled, but a promise is a promise. Another day passes and still no Poncho, but a promise is a promise. After three more days pass without Poncho in sight, Steve starts getting restless.
“I NEED FOOD!” he says with a hint of dementia in his voice.
“NO!” Joe retorts. “We promised.”
Five more days pass and the two are near starvation. Near death, the two turtles weakly lift the lid to get a sandwich. As they open their mouths to eat, Poncho pops out behind a rock, and says, “Just for that, I’m not going!”
ha ha ha
20 September 2012
Dear Reader,
The Oktoberfest is near, I fear. In the meantime, pass me a beer, my dear
Lyrically yours,
Bryan
Another milestone was met this week at Casinomeister as the Accredited Casino Rating System went live. This system ranks casinos in an objective manner (well, as objectively as possible) according to software, licensing jurisdiction, cashout times, flushing possibilities, weekly payment limits, weekend payouts, etc. It’s all described here.
What it also covers are ways a casino can improve its points. And that’s the beauty of it all. If a casino makes a clear attempt to get involved with Casinomeister and it’s mission – to provide players (and affiliates) the best casinos via relevant data and qualified opinions – well, their scores can improve.
Please spend a few minutes and peruse the categories and if you have any suggestions or feedback, please post it in this thread here. And if you haven’t done so already, please check out our new and improved Accredited Casino section. It is now searchable by scores of categories to include Ash Gaming, Best Casino of the Year, Licensed in Kahnawake, or Possible Manual Flush just to name a few. and so on.
ACCREDITED CASINOS
Announcing the following casino that is back at Casinomeister!!
Ladbrokes is back with us. They had a break from the site on the account that they needed a manager to man the forum. Well she’s here.
New casino customers – claim a massive 150% Match Bonus on your first deposit up to £500!
Terms and conditions apply – please read them.
Sorry – no US.
And Now For The Humor….
A tour bus driver is driving with a bus load of seniors down a highway when he is tapped on his shoulder by a little old lady. She offers him a handful of peanuts, which he gratefully munches up. After about 15 minutes, she taps him on his shoulder again and she hands him another handful of peanuts. She repeats this gesture about five more times. When she is about to hand him another batch again he asks the little old lady, ” Why then don’t you eat the peanuts yourself?”.
“We can’t chew them because we’ve no teeth,” she replied.
The puzzled driver asks, “Why do you buy them then?”
The old lady replied, “We just love the chocolate around them.”
ewww
ha ha ha
12 October 2012
Dear Reader,
On the road again – just can’t wait to get on the road again. The life I love is drinking beers with my friends. And I can’t wait to get on the road again…
Plagiarizingly yours,
Bryan
I’ve just unpacked from my Vegas trip, and I’m repacking for the EIG in Barcelona. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
Highlights from Vegas: I met with the folks at IGT they explained to be the reasoning behind their policy of their MegaJackpots being divvied out (when won) over the span of 20 years. I explain it in this thread here.
I also had the pleasure of meeting the genius Eliot Jacobson Phd – the President of Jacobson Gaming who also runs Certified Fair Gambling. My knowledge-base increased immensely speaking with this guy. We had a few beers and discussed a number of player issues that we’ve been involved with over the years.
When we were finished, he gave me a quick tour of the Wynn casino and pointed out how advantage players use certain schemes and tactics to get one over on weak dealers. It’s not cheating when one sees the dealer’s hole cards, or when one can “read” the back of the cards, or if one communicates with a member of his “team”. That’s advantage play, and casinos can only employ countermeasures to combat this. It was extremely interesting.
You need to check out Dr. Jacobson’s blog to get more info about this. It can be found here.
Unfortunately, I can’t go into too much more detail about Vegas simply because I just don’t have the time. I’m off to the EIG in Barcelona next week. The European i-Gaming conference which attracts operators, software providers, payment solution folks, jurisdiction reps, and just about every i-gaming entity that is European focused.
I’ll be reporting on it all when I get back. In the meantime, I’ve started a thread in our forum where you can post questions that I can pose to whomever. If you have a question, post it here.
Have had a chance to check out the Accredited Casino Rating System yet? This system ranks casinos in an objective manner (well, as objectively as possible) according to software, licensing jurisdiction, cashout times, flushing possibilities, weekly payment limits, weekend payouts, etc. It’s all described here.
What it also covers are ways a casino can improve its points. And that’s the beauty of it all. If a casino makes a clear attempt to get involved with Casinomeister and it’s mission – to provide players (and affiliates) the best casinos via relevant data and qualified opinions – well, their scores can improve.
Please spend a few minutes and peruse the categories and if you have any suggestions or feedback, please post it in this thread here.
Now For The Humor…..
A guy walks into a bar, sits down, and asks, “Bartender, got any specials today?”
Bartender answers, “Yes, as a matter of fact we have a new drink, invented by a gynecologist patron of ours.
It’s a mix of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and Smirnoff Vodka.”
The guy asks, “Good grief, what do you call that?”
The bartender replied, “It’s a “Pabst Smir.”
ha ha ha
30 October 2012
Dear Reader,
I’m back – and it’s all good. Lot’s of projects to tackle, but first things first. The EIG special report, coming right up.
Multitaskingly yours,
Bryan
Tales From The Road
EIG – the European i-Gaming Expo – this was my ninth EIG, and the seventh I’ve attended in Barcelona. It was a real pleasure to be back in this sea-port town. I have an affinity for Spain – especially Barcelona. Its foods, wines, nightlife, art – it’s conducive to networking and simply of having a good time.
I journeyed straight to my hotel via taxi from the airport. The Colon Hotel is really a great place – notably its location. Smack dab in the middle of the Gothic Quarter and a five minute walk to La Rambla – Barcelona’s heart of shopping and eating. At night – party central.
But I was here for business. Parties were not really on my agenda since I had just returned from my Vegas trip and was (almost) partied out. The G2E was a recent memory. At the EIG, I was primarily concerned with meeting up with a number of software representatives, operators, and other persons that have interest in Casinomeister – or I, of them.
The first evening was spent eating tapas with my friend Hilly; plenty of food and wine brought on a memorable evening. The conversation began with industry gossip (not too much about you my dearest reader, and ended with more jovial jocularities. We finished our meals and wine and mosied over to the networking event party, which really wasn’t too much going on. No open bar, and Barcelona’s price for a tepid Heineken is €9. I lasted about fifteen minutes there before heading on back to my hotel. That was a good move.
Voice from the past – EIG 2011
Monday was the only free day I was going to have. I was fortunate enough make a plan with the notable and personable Alex Pratt from iGaming Business. We had a memorable stroll through the heart of the city – the Piazza del Duomo and the Milan Cathedral. One of the highlights was a late lunch – I love Italian food. And the other highlight was an early dinner. I couldn’t get enough pasta and lamb chops. And the wine…
…and the company was great! We discussed how times have changed from the earlier EIGs – how in years past the EIG was a choice spot for networking and partying. But in the past couple of years the winds have shifted. The industry is not the same as it used to be.
The EIG was held this year at the Gran Via Fira Barcelona, a complex of exhibition halls on the outskirts of town. One thing to note – most taxi drivers don’t know the area that well at all. I spent a number of times wondering if I was being taken merely for a ride. I had to show one cab driver Google maps on my Samsung so he could figure out where to go. The first day of the exhibition proved to be fruitful.
I met with the operator of Casumo Casino – a brand spanking new NetEnt casino with a very interesting concept: it has combined a casino experience with social gaming. When playing you can achieve six levels gained from your playing activity. You can also gain awards and trophies pertaining to your activity as well. Its a very unique concept and I wish them luck with this endeavor. They have been placed in the Baptism by Fire section at the moment. If you want to experience a really cool playing experience, check them out.
I meandered a bit around the exhibition hall, greeting many familiar faces. It was different than last year. Last year’s EIG seemed a bit disoriented. It was in a expo hall in a crappy part of Milan. Last year’s event showcased many newcomers to the industry – which was great, but I felt a bit out of sorts since it was really an effort for me to find some of the people I usually network with. This year seemed different.
Perhaps it was because of a slight spill-over from the affiliate conference from the week before. I know a handful of people who decided to attend the EIG as well as the BAC (Barcelona Affiliate Conference). But besides that, people seemed to be upbeat and focused. Europe has always been an interesting market, and as long as the US chooses to create havoc with its own protectionist horse hockey, the Europe based operations will flourish. The EIG is pretty much a symbol that this industry does not need the US market.
That evening I had a quiet chat with fellow webmaster and forum member Conker back at my hotel lounge – a quaint and cozy place. We were joined by Alexandre who told us about his new endeavour AffiliateRepublik. These guys are great. If you are an affiliate, I would recommend signing up with them right away. It’s an affiliate program run by people who were affiliates. They know what they are doing and they know what you want. I’d watch this space because he has some really great ideas.
Dinner was across the square at the Taverna del Bisbe where we continued our “webmasterly” talk, drank wine, and partook on some scrumptious lamb chops. A bit of déjà vu for me.
Cable and Wireless hosted a party at the Bling Bling – kudos to the organizers for ensuring the dj wasn’t pummeling the venue with clamorous techno-din. We could actually hear one another speak.
But after a half an hour or so, I had had enough, and I caught a cab ride home.
Voice from the past – EIG 2003
…My lodgings were nice. I was staying at the Hotel Colon which faces the ancient and looming main Cathedral in the heart of the Gothic district. A wide open market square, it served as a focal point for tourists, homeless people, smoke doping teenagers, and an occasional traveling musician. Since I hadn’t had a hot meal all day (local travelers beware: Swiss Air charges for everything on the flight, to include the water!), I found a cozy little restaurant across from my hotel. At the “Taverna del Bisbe” (the Bishop’s Tavern), I grabbed a seat inside since they charge 20% more for sitting outside. I had done enough people watching in Zürich’s airport to last the whole trip.
I sat between an older British couple and two Swedish girls. I think they were Swedish since I didn’t understand a thing they were saying, and I can recognize Danish and Dutch pretty good. But Swedish? No. But I could be wrong, they may have been Norwegian…but they looked swedish. But since my wife also reads this newsletter, I should shut up at this point. I wasn’t really checking them out, I was only observing. Besides, I had a good book to delve into. The waiters were friendly and funny. I consumed a small dish of Spanish pork chops, two glasses of red wine, coffee, and ice cream. All this for under €24. Not bad for dining alone in a major European city.
The following day at the conference was a full schedule for me. I met up with Ramiro Atucha from Leander Games – recipient of the coveted Casinomeister’s “Best Games” award for 2011 – and he showed me a new slot (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – not your Disney version
). Simply totally amazing. If you haven’t played any Leander Games, you have no idea what you are missing – they didn’t win the Best Games award for nothing. Are there any Megadeth fans out there? Win a signed guitar by Dave Mustaine! Leander games can be found at the following Accredited Casinos: click here.
I also had the opportunity to check out NetEnt’s upcoming “Elements”. The animation in this game is nothing less than mind boggling. This is another slot to look forward to in December as well. NetEnt is also launching live games which should be coming out in the next month or two – based out of Malta. This should be popular with European players since the live dealers are in the same time zone as opposed to the live dealer casinos which are based in the Philippines or Costa Rica.
I also met with the representatives of another candidate for the Accredited Section – Monaco Aces. Licensed by the Isle of Man and powered by Viaden – they are now in the Baptism by Fire section located here.
I spent the remainder of the day making chance meetings and checking out some of the new offerings of several software providers. I spoke with a number of delegates who had booths, many of whom said it seemed to be somewhat quiet, but in the same breath mentioned that they had been doing some good business. It appeared to be a smaller population of visitors, but it’s quality not size that counts. Right?
Most everyone I spoke to said they were satisfied in what they were getting out of the conference.
That evening, I had a lot of catching up to do – I had dinner alone and then caught a repeat of the 2nd presidential debate. <derail>Wait! Are you a US citizen? Are you registered to vote? If not you’ve done effed up since the deadline for most states was in early October. I just hope that all of our members get to the polls come this election day. I have voted in every primary election since 1976 – I’ve never missed a single one. Do your part and vote! </derail>
Later that evening, I made it to the Otto Lutz a nightclub you really need to get hammered in if you are ever in Barcelona. Surprisingly enough, there were areas of the club where you could actually have a conversation without losing your voice. It’s very well laid out. No problem getting a drink here.
I left at around midnight – good call.
Voice from the past – EIG 2006
Leaving the bar, I was all sweaty and such. I followed the herd out towards the exit, and it was a who’s who of the online gaming industry. Everyone was slowly moving out the front door – I grabbed my jacket, looked at my watch, it was 2:30, and wondered if this was smart. Out on the street, people were walking into lamp poles and staggering towards another place that was still open. “To the Blue Whale” I heard a familiar voice cry out. It was Michael Caselli, editor of Bluff Magazine. He grabbed my arm and began to guide me along with a swarm of many happy other people. But suddenly he was distracted by someone who really needed a helping arm to the next location. “Blue Whale” they began to chant (supposedly it stayed open until 4 something – but I think they screwed up). This is when I made a clean get-away back to my hotel room. I was smart enough to know that my big comfy bed beats coming back at the break of dawn.
The final day was relaxing – I caught up with a number of people – said our goodbyes, and made it back to the hotel. I ventured from here to meander through the Dali museum (next to the hotel), had drinks with the 32red guys, and then a pleasant evening with Alexandre once again. Tapas, Spanish red wine, and the cigars. It was an awesome way to conclude a productive trip.
Last year I was a little critical about the EIG and that Milan was not a good place to hold the event. Thank you Clarion events for choosing Barcelona – it is really the traditional home of the EIG. The venue was great – and Barcelona (in my humble opinion) is a perfect match for the EIG. Job well done! Thank you Clarion Events!
Photographic proof here.
31 October 2012
Dear Reader,
It’s Halloween…
Treatingly yours,
Bryan
CASINOMEISTER’S WEBCAST!!!
Casinomeister’s Three Tales of Terror
Silence of the Tomb
Reneging Casino of Doom
Garden of Dark Secrets
All this and more here!!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=aWShWu9Ultk%3Frel%3D0%26controls%3D0%26showinfo%3D0%26enablejsapi%3D1
NEVER BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD!! Subscribe to our videos here!! You’ll be automatically emailed whenever a video is uploaded!! I guarantee that these videos will make you a smarter, better person.
15 November 2012
Dear Reader,
Yay Thursday! It’s the next best thing to Friday!
Logically yours,
Bryan
The nicest thing about being on the verge of winter is being able to appreciate the warmth of my office – which means I’m able to get some serious work done. There are no conferences untill the first week of February (London) – and the only distraction between now and then is the Christmas half-day schedule which doesn’t kick in for another month. What does this mean for you?
It means that some of the projects that have been sitting on the back burner will finally be initialized and hopefully completed. The Rogue Section will be revamped, there is also a new section that will rate licensing jurisdictions, there will be more casino reviews on the site, more information in the resources section that pertains to you. Simply put, Casinomeister will become a bit more beefier in the upcoming weeks.
Blogs
Did you know that Full members and above can start their own blogs in our forum? Sure, you can do this elsewhere – you can get your own domain, start a blog and wait for visitors to stroll on by. Or you can create one in our forum and the traffic is already there. And if your blog is interesting enough – I’ll tweet it in Casinomeister’s Twitter account – or post it in Casinomeister’s Facebook Page (please Like and Follow us – ok?). Click here for the most recent blogs.
ATTN Accredited Casino Reps: you get Meister Points for keeping an updated blog in our forum. If you want to post your rating score, this is one way to do it.
ACCREDITED CASINOS
Top rated Casinos at Casinomeister: these casinos are some of the top scorers via our ratings scheme. Check them out!
32Red – CM Score – 9.5
Current Promo: £32 for every £20 Deposited on first purchase, up to £160!
Read their Casinomeister Review!
Bet 365 – CM Score – 9.2
Current Promo: £100 sign up bonus!
Read their Casinomeister Review!US Facing
iNetBet – CM Score – 8.9
Current Promo: 100% match bonus
Read their Casinomeister Review!
Now For The Humor…..
A cowboy and a biker are on death row, and are to be executed on the same day. The day comes, and they are brought to the gas chamber. The warden asks the cowboy if he has a last request, to which the cowboy replies, “Ah shore do, wardn. Ah’d be mighty grateful if’n yoo’d play ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ fur me bahfore ah hafta go.”
“Sure enough, cowboy, we can do that,” says the warden. He turns to the biker, “And you, biker, what’s your last request?”
“That you kill me first.”
ha ha ha
23 November 2012
Dear Reader,
Is Christmas cheer near, my dear? Or do you hear a jeer I fear, of something queer – like Black Friday?! What Rubbish!
Iconoclastically yours,
Bryan
I thought that Christmas was weeks away last week – well it is, but it’s not. It’s been scientifically proven (or personally by me) by sharp observance that the weeks leading to Christmas are actually shorter than normal since time gets crunched by gravitational forces that are related by hyper-consumerism. Yes, I’m a culprit too. I’ll be wanting things and buying stuff, and at the same time wondering where the days go. Let’s hope it doesn’t affect my diligence at work <grin>
Reviews
I’m in the process of writing reviews for the Accredited Casinos. So far, I’ve completed the following:
32red
10Bet
Club World
As you can see, they are in no specific order. As time goes by, all of the Accredited Casinos will have reviews to include input from our members. Rome wasn’t built in a day – so it’s one step at a time.
And yes, the Rogue Pit will have the same sort of layout – if you were wondering about that.
Facebook and Twitter
If you are on the go and want to keep up what’s up in Casinomeisterland – then Like Casinomeister!! I’m posting additions to the site to include events, pictures from my office, and any other extraneous stuff that relates to Casinomeister. Check it out (and click “Like”) here.
Follow Casinomeister on Twitter! Yep, you can follow us on Twitter – whenever there are new additions to the site, Casinomeister warnings, webcasts, new roguings, new casinos, or any special news, you can be informed via Twitter since I’ll be posting this info there. You can check it out here.
Accredited Casinos
Top rated Casinos at Casinomeister: these casinos are some of the top scorers via our ratings scheme. Check them out!
32Red – CM Score – 9.5
Current Promo: £32 for every £20 Deposited on first purchase, up to £160!
Read their Casinomeister Review!
Bet 365 – CM Score – 9.2
Current Promo: £100 sign up bonus!
Read their Casinomeister Review!
And now for the humor…
There was this old priest who got sick of all the people in his parish who kept confessing to adultery. One Sunday, in the pulpit, he said, “If I hear one more person confess to adultery, I’ll quit!” Well, everyone liked him, so they came up with a code word. Someone who had committed adultery would say they had “fallen”.
This seemed to satisfy the old priest and things went well, until the priest died at a ripe old age. About a week after the new priest arrived, he visited the Mayor of the town and seemed very concerned.
The priest said, “You have to do something about the sidewalks in town. When people come into the confessional, they keep talking about having fallen.”
The Mayor started to laugh, realizing that no-one had told the new priest about the code word.
Before the mayor could explain, the priest shook an accusing finger at the mayor and said, “I don’t know what you’re laughing about. Your wife fell three times this week.”
ha ha ha
29 November 2012
CASINOMEISTER’S WEBCAST!!!
Betfair Still in the Rogue Pit
- Betfair Still in the Rogue Pit
- Announcing the Meister Meeting in London
- Vortran’s Casino Warning – Vegas Regal
All this and more here!!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/kqwvk1xMtNM?list=UUTF3d6D4zfyw6D1SJjpfYqQ&controls=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1 NEVER BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD!! Subscribe to our videos here!! You’ll be automatically emailed whenever a video is uploaded!! I guarantee that these videos will make you a smarter, better person.
Accredited Casinos
Top rated Casinos at Casinomeister: these casinos are some of the top scorers via our ratings scheme. Check them out!
32Red – CM Score – 9.5
Current Promo: £32 for every £20 Deposited on first purchase, up to £160!
Read their Casinomeister Review!
Bet 365 – CM Score – 9.2
Current Promo: £100 sign up bonus!
Read their Casinomeister Review!
Now For The Humor…..
It was spring in the old west.
The cowboys rode the still snow choked trails looking for cattle that survived the winter.
As one cowboy’s horse went around the narrow trail, it came upon a rattlesnake warming itself in the spring sunshine. The horse reared and the cowboy drew his six-gun to shoot the snake.
“Hold on there, partner,” said the snake, “don’t shoot- I’m an enchanted rattlesnake, and if you don’t shoot me, I’ll give you any three wishes you want.”
The cowboy decided to take a chance. He knew he was safely out of the snake’s striking range. He said, “OK, first, I’d like to have a face like Clark Gable, then, I’d like a build like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and finally, I’d like sexual equipment like this here horse I’m riding.”
The rattlesnake said, “All right, when you get back to the bunk house you’ll have all three wishes.”
The cowboy turned his horse around and galloped at full speed all the way to the bunk house. He dismounted on the run and went straight inside to the mirror.
Staring back at him in the mirror was the face of Clark Gable.
He ripped the shirt off his back and revealed bulging, rippling muscles, just like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Really excited now, he tore down his jeans, looked at his crotch and shouted…
“Oh My God… I was riding the MARE!
ha ha ha