|
|
|
|
|
 Sign up for our FREE monthly Casino Scam Alert Newsletter and receive current casino scam news plus exclusive Bonuses for OCSA subscribers only! |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Casinos marked with the '  ' symbol are a part of the eCogra "eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance". |
|
|
|
Brenda B wins $19420.04 playing Lots a Loot at Yukon Gold Casino |
 Congratulations to all the top winners for the month of May!
I was in shock -- when I won -- wasn't really sure what had happened - I have been playing for about a year now and only played for entertainment. I had come in from a sales call and decided that I wanted to play so that I would get my mind off of work for a while. I had just told myself that I would not play again for a while and that I needed to get out of the game that I was playing after just one more spin. I had my speakers on and the bells went off and I just sat there in total shock and started watching the dollar amount spin up very rapidly -- I had no idea of what the post size was until it quit!!!! I will be putting a down payment on a new vehicle - I am a single mom raising a son who during Christmas while in a movie theatre had his truck stolen. It was found in pieces at a chop shop and he only had liability coverage on it - so he has been on foot for 5 months. I will drive the new vehicle and give him my Rodeo. I will also be flying my sister in to visit, add some money to my daughter’s bank account (she is in college for 1 more year) and then I plan on doing some investing. So yes -- I am totally excited and in shock about the win -- I honestly did not think it was possible but I kept playing because I had won as much as $1,000 before and kept thinking -- gee - wouldn't it be something if I actually won one of those pots that I see flash across the screen that say another player just won -- I kept thinking - hey it sure would be neat it that was me --- and now IT IS!!!!!
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
BRENDA B
|
BRANSON LAUNCHES VIRGIN ONLINE BINGO
Big prizes and low buy-ins the plan for "the new poker"
One of England's most successful business personalities, the flamboyant billionaire Sir Richard Branson hosted a launch party for Virgin Bingo atop a London roof garden at the end of last week.
Branson addressed the assembled crowd at the Roof Gardens in Kensington – one and a half acres of beautiful themed gardens, with bars and a nightclub, installed six-floors up above a London street – to usher in the next phase of Virgin gaming.
Virgin Bingo aims to become the dominant player in the burgeoning UK online bingo market by offering players from all walks of life the chance to win big prizes for low buy-ins. Branson said he hoped that online bingo is set to become ‘the new poker’.
Virgin will be offering games tailor-made for the UK market. “There are currently about 100 bingo games available on the internet,” explained Branson, “nearly all of which are American and offer the US flavoured 75 numbers game. At Virgin, we are launching the game most favoured in the UK, namely a 90 numbers game. Research has shown that this is the game the UK wants to play and nothing pleases us more at Virgin than giving the customers what they want.”
The site will offer a wide variety of diversely priced games ( from 5p to GBP 1 per card) with fixed jackpot prizes of GBP 5,000 or more, as well as progressive jackpots that climb higher and higher.
MAJOR POKER COMPANY JOINS eCOGRA
Way now open for international self-regulation of online poker
The important turnkey online poker provider Ongame has successfully completed rigorous acceptance inspections for membership of the international regulator eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA).
The announcement today has significant implications for the first ever self-imposed regulation of the booming online poker industry. Ongame powers PokerNetwork which hosts many poker operators including PokerRoom.com servicing some 4 million and rising online poker players, and the successful accreditation of the software opens the way for these companies to apply for the eCOGRA seal, conditional on meeting the standards required.
The Swedish provider now joins a global regulatory framework within which 55 top online casinos powered by leading companies Microgaming and Casino on Net operate, handling well over fifty percent of the online casino gambling market.
eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge says the successful Ongame membership is an important milestone for both the poker industry and his organisation. “This is the first application of independent regulations to elements within the online poker industry,” he said “Ongame is a welcome addition to eCOGRA. Our compliance committee were extremely impressed with their professional approach to corporate governance and responsible gaming. >From the outset they have put the player first, and an example of this is that they were the first online gaming operation to achieve G4 responsible gaming accreditation,” he said.
“For eCOGRA it is the realisation of months of in-depth research and professional advice in framing ground-breaking rules or eGAPs as we call them, for online poker sites,” he continued. “We are confident that other high profile poker networks will submit their sites to our independent inspectors and achieve the eCOGRA seal”.
The eCOGRA initiative is open to all and provides practical player protection through a carefully developed set of regulations that are applied through third party international professional services organisations to member casinos and poker rooms.
Detailed inspection and ongoing monitoring to ensure continuous compliance with the regulations are key to the success of the initiative, and extensive financial and management probity checks are carried out as part of the acceptance process.
Online gambling operations that successfully pass the inspection are identified by the eCOGRA “Play It Safe” seal, awarded by three independent directors on the eCOGRA Board who control the organisation’s operational activities.
The eGAP regulations cut across political and geographic barriers to address every aspect of online casino and poker room activity, including FATF-relevant money handling procedures, fair gaming, responsible gambling and efficient customer service.
The London-based staff of the regulator includes a Fair Gaming Advocate to whom players can appeal if any disputes cannot be settled at casino or poker room level.
Patrik Selin, CEO of Ongame commented: “This is the culmination of tough, detailed on-site inspections and probity checks for Ongame, but we believe it is an important step forward for our poker rooms and the industry as a whole. Real and practical regulation such as eCOGRA offers has benefits for everyone, protecting the players and at the same time enforcing high levels of professional and business conduct at both the software provider and poker room level.”
JUNGLE ADVENTURES AND WAGERING ON WAR IN LATEST MICROGAMING RELEASES
Four brand new games from top software company
The latest set of new online casino games from Microgaming consists of an entertaining mix of powerful video slots, a Jacks or Better 50 Play Power Poker and an up-to-the-minute rendition of the popular casino table game War.
Taking the lead in the launches this week is Jungle Jim, a 5 reel, 15 payline video slot carried by a light-hearted jungle adventure theme backed by amusing graphics and true to life sounds. With generous Bonus Game, Wild, Scatter and Free Spins features the game has plenty of fun and profit potential, with jackpots that can go as high as 100 000.
Supporting all of this action and sheer gaming appeal are vibrant and brilliantly coloured graphics. Lantern-jawed Jungle Jim himself is there, together with a crusty old colonial explorer, a dazzling damsel and a positively spine-tingling selection of brightly coloured snakes, razor toothed piranhas, spiders, man-eating plants, alligators and a svelte but scary looking jaguar.
Also joining the substantial Microgaming slots inventory is Elementals, which echoes the current entertainment fascination with animated Super Heroes in a uniquely gambling way in a 5 reel, 20 payline, 10 coin game, with Wild and Scatter symbols, a Free Spin Bonus Feature, and a Gamble feature - a wide range of thrills and excitement packed into one major slot.
Using bright primary colours and the latest graphic design techniques and technology, the theme introduces several super heroes including a massively muscular giant, a Fiery Fury balanced by a really cool Ice Queen and an ethereal being that is, well....electrifying!
This game follows the formula introduced with the popular Thunderstruck and has the major "pull" of a 20x Free Spins feature and a 2x Gamble feature with Wild and Scatter opportunities. 25 000 is the reward for hitting the top jackpot. Add the 2x multiplier and free spins possibilities and this doubles up to a very attractive 50 000 that will appeal strongly to any slots gambler.
Microgaming is also declaring War on its competitors with a strikingly rendered new version of the popular table game, which has been branded Casino War. This easiest of table games to play will be popular with novice and veteran gamblers alike. The graphics and gameplay are outstanding and use the latest technologies.
The fourth game on the new release list expands further the new 50 Play Power Poker range recently launched by Microgaming, providing the Jacks or Better variant with generous pay tables and a possible jackpot of 100 000.
All of the new releases will be available on the sites of Microgaming's Viper-equipped licensees within the next few weeks, and bring the inventory of the well established company to over 200 top quality download and Flash games.
HOMECOMING PRESENT
Post-holiday financial blues not a problem for this player
William Hill Casino.com had some great news for a British man just back from a budget holiday this week. He hit a major GBP 209 977 progressive jackpot.
Back at home after his holidays, the 39 year old logged on to the Cryptologic-powered casino and placed a GBP 3 stake on the Rags to Riches progressive slot game to hit the bigtime.
The win is William Hills' third six-figure payout in a week after big GBP 100,000 and GBP 200,000 wins on football over the weekend.
NEW LOOK FOR POKER SITE
Full Tilt Poker debuts revamped website
Full Tilt Poker.com has launched a newly redesigned website that is to serve as a gateway to Full Tilt Poker's online poker software, and a hub for those looking to play, chat, and learn with the some of the biggest names in poker.
In addition to streamlined navigation and a wealth of new content, the new site features updated biographies for "Team Full Tilt," a select group of the world’s finest professional poker players, including Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon, Clonie Gowen, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman and others.
For those looking to learn how to play online poker, the new site also offers free exclusive poker articles and tips from the members of Team Full Tilt.
Raymond Bitar, CEO of Tiltware, LLC, the consultants for Full Tilt Poker said that player demand had been extensively sampled prior to the redesign commencing.
TiltWare LLC, a software development and licensing company based in Los Angeles, California and licensed to Kolyma Corporation, A.V.V. is regulated and licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada.
SPIN 3 IN LINE FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Mobile gambling company one of five finalists
Microgaming's mobile technology partner, Spin3 received the good news this week that their flagship wireless casino system, GameWire has been short listed for the prestigious 2005 Mobile Entertainment (MEF) Innovation Award.
Spin3 is among the top five nominations for this award, each of which were selected by panels of independent industry experts and judged on the basis of their overall effectiveness in driving the take-up of mobile entertainment.
GameWire will be judged on:
* Outstanding technological innovation
* Demonstrated success in driving take-up of mobile entertainment
* Quantifiable business benefits
* Proven success in the market
* Evidence of increasing the success of the mobile entertainment
industry
Matti Zinder, CEO of Spin3 commented, "We are enormously proud to have been chosen as one of the five finalists for this award. Our mobile casino system was successfully launched in January 2005 and is the first commercial, fully featured wireless casino system."
The GameWire system uses a powerful, proven Internet casino back-office and gaming system by Microgaming and a robust, wireless Java casino to provide a true platform for the wireless gambling market.
It has been selected by Ladbrokes and other leading gaming companies. Casino operators, mobile network providers and any company with an internet presence can now offer a trusted and secure mobile casino via a large selection of mobile phones and other wireless devices.
The winner of the MEF Innovation Award will be announced at the awards ceremony on June 15th as part of the Mobile Entertainment Market (MEM05) event at Earls Court in London.
ALDERNEY REGULATOR GETS AWARD
André Wilsenach Named Online Casino Regulator of the Year
Channel Islands online gambling jurisdiction Alderney was in the news last week as the Alderney Gambling Control Commission was named for excellence by the World Online Gambling Law Report.
The Commission's CEO, André Wilsenach, was chosen as “Regulator of the Year 2005 by the Report. The former South African has also served as CEO of a South African provincial gaming board, and was at one time a member of South Africa’s National Gaming Board. He is currently a member of a number of associated organisations which monitor and regulate both land-based and online casino sites.
Alderney Gambling Commission chairman John Godfrey paid tribute to Wilsenach, saying that his energy and skill has made Alderney "...the top name for online gambling regulators."
The Commission was also reported to be engaging with Alderney legislators in revising laws to ensure that the island does not lose business following any future UK developments in regard to the licensing of online gambling.
Although the island is a UK entity, it is self governing and has passed legislation that allows online casino and gambling sites to operate within regulations that meet most international standards.
In 2004 gambling profits increased 43 percent on the island with a surplus of GBP 767 794, and the government is concerned that the new UK developments do not prejudice the continued success of the jurisdiction. It is therefore likely that changes will be implemented to ensure that Alderney remains competitive.
One area may be the current requirement that at least one worker from each online casino company be physically present on the island. It has been reported that legislators may seek to relax that rule. There are also plans to open internet hosting in Guernsey, another one of the Channel Isles, which is thought to have a stronger IT infrastructure and is thus better connected to the Internet.
Last year alone the Commission awarded six new licences to blue chip operators worldwide: Wagerworks (Alderney) 4 Limited, Blue Square Gaming (Alderney) Limited, WagerWorks (Alderney) 5 Limited, Cantor Casino (Alderney) Limited, Paddy Power (Alderney) Limited and Samvo International Limited.
In addition, The AGCC issued a total of five Certificates of Prior Approval: Tribeca Tables Software LLC, Gaming & Entertainment Group Inc; Secure & Holdings Ltd., Chartwell Technology Ltd. and Orbis Technology Ltd.
The total number of AGCC licence holders now stands at 14 operators and includes among others, top names Ritz Interactive, SkyBet, Hard Rock Casino, Lucky Me, The Price is Right, Blue Square Gaming, Virgin Games, Cantor Casino, Paddy Power and Samvo International.
AGCC Chairman John Godfrey says that in order for Alderney to "...safeguard its worldwide lead and to continue attracting blue chip international operators," it has carried out a review of legislation and has proposed changes that include bringing to an end the requirement for licence holders to have a nominee on the island.
The fee for an interactive gaming licence or an electronic betting licence is GBP 75,000 per year, and GBP 30 000 for a Certificate of Prior Approval.
CASINO CAUTIONS
Privacy problems
Giant Vegas Casino will be familiar to many readers after various player disputes took place last year, but there's a new concern now following a cautionary statement on the highly respected Wizard of Odds site - there's apparently a spamming problem.
"On March 26, 2005, Giant Vegas was added to the blacklist for selling me out to spammers. Whenever I sign up at an online casino I use a specially coded email address specific to that casino, and used only at that casino. Then if I ever get spam to that address I can tell which casino sold me out. That's what happened when I started getting spam trying to sell me Viagra and fake Rolexes sent to the special address I had used with Giant Vegas."
Has GP gone too far this time?
That's a question frequently posed when Golden Palace *fans* disrupted Olympic and other major sporting events, but the latest guerilla marketing antics of the company may have gone too far in the opinion of many players.
In its current marketing moves the headline-grabbing casino spent $15,000 to name another child GoldenPalace.com. The baby boy's official name is GoldenPalaceDotCom Silverman, according to press reports, and he's the most recent in a series of eccentric advertising campaigns by the Internet casino.
Other babies also share the casino's name, together with a Tennessee resident who sold her naming rights on eBay for $15,199, and subsequently changed her name to GoldenPalace.com to help support her five children.
"We congratulate the new parents of GoldenPalaceDotCom Silverman," said GoldenPalace.com CEO Richard Rowe. "We wish them and their beautiful baby boy all the best. You can expect more baby-naming in the future as I am sure other people will follow suit and be looking to auction off the naming rights to their children."
Whilst it's easy to put all the blame for burdening an innocent child with such an outlandishly commercial name on the misguided parents, it doesn't reflect well on the casino for making the offer. But then, opinions differ - some players thought the matter amusing and clever. Others were sure it must have been a hoax.
Sequel
During the message board furore that erupted over the baby-naming incident, some interesting information came to light. Apparently the Athens incident involving GP resulted in complaints to its licensing jurisdiction, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada.
After investigating and meeting with representatives of Golden Palace, the KGC directed that Golden Palace should not "...use, promote, encourage or fund this type of 'marketing' ever again", and would make "...a substantial donation to Kahnawake organisations to be identified by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake."
There was no indication as to the size of the *donation* or whether it was paid and to whom.
EMPIRE ONLINE LISTING CONTINUES TO MAKE THE HEADLINES
Some significant operational numbers
The Haaretz story that formed the basis of our InfoPowa report on the forthcoming listing of Noam Lanir's Empire Online continued to achieve widespread publicity this week, fuelled by an efficient Empire publicity machine.
The thrust of the coverage this week was the returns possible from a well run Internet gambling enterprise, with Haaretz opining that the money in online gambling is astonishing. Noam Lanir's company's numbers are being published before its public offering, and the profits are considerable.
Even though the firm provides the technology behind the gambling sites, and does not service the gamblers directly, it still projects revenues of almost $2 million per employee, of which a cool million is expected to represent profit.
Lanir wrapped up the Empire Online road show for Israeli institutional investors this week, when the online gambling entrepreneur held a two-day conference at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv, targeting institutional investors, private investors and investment banks.
In Israel, Empire Online is represented by Tamir Fishman, which is considering allocating $50 million worth of securities to Israeli investors.
The Israelis showed intense interest in Empire Online, which was established in 1998. The firm has been profitable since its founding and for the year 2005 it expects to net $66 million on revenues of $100 million.
Given the surge of demand in Israel and England, where the company will be floated on the AIM, the underwriters are considering increasing the scope of the initial public offering.
Empire Online is expected to hit the market in the first two weeks of June and the issue is expected to be in the $225-275 million range, most of which will go directly into the pockets of the owners, especially Lanir, the largest shareholder. Of this, the firm plans to raise $50 million, with the rest going to the shareholders in exchange for 20 percent of their holdings.
Daniel Leventhal, chief financial officer at Tamir Fishman, described the issue as a golden opportunity. "It's a highly interesting company with high turnover, tremendous profits and enormous growth. Given its profit margin, a billion-dollar company valuation isn't out of the question: It's entirely reasonable," Leventhal said.
Empire Online customers include Casino On Net and Pacific Poker, both of which belong to a duo of brothers: Shay and Ron Ben Yitzhak, and Avi and Aharon Shaked. Lanir has been their business partner since 1998, when they discovered together the tremendous potential of online gaming.
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE LISTING...
VIP Management scheduled for LSE end June
Listings, takeovers and mergers are in the air this year it appears, with VIP Management, the Curacao-based sportsbook and casino operator now about to make its debut on the London Stock Exchange following a US $44.5 million reverse takeover by listed firm Leisure & Gaming.
L&G, which is listed on the LSE's Alternative Investment Market, has agreed to pay US $35.5 million for the assets of VIP Management Services, which comprises nine sports betting, casino and poker brands.
The all share deal will see VIP's shareholders take a majority stake in L&G, with a further US $9 million payable if it meets profit targets over the next two years. L&G has also raised almost US $10 million in working capital through a placing of new shares, and analysts predict that the newly combined firm will soon be on the acquisitions trail.
VIP is debt free and had an operating profit of US $6 million for the year ended December 2004 from a turnover of US $330.1 million and gross win of US $19.1million.
Founder Alistair Assheton is quoted in the media as saying that he is happy with the valuation of VIP at six times its historic earnings and said it was a reflection of his faith in the team behind L&G.
"We could have raised a lot more money elsewhere, but we were not looking for exit and this deal was by far the most compelling going forward," sais Assheton, who will take over the role of chief executive of L&G following the takeover.
L&G’s chief executive is Benjamin Shaw, who was involved in the Betcorp acquisition of BetWWTS and led the takeover of UK land-based gaming operator RAL earlier this year.
Shaw said the acquisition of VIP would be the first stage in developing “....a substantial egaming group through acquisition”.
VIP is a heavily US-focused sportsbook with 84 percent of its 30,000 customer base coming from the US. 34 percent of its revenues emanate from online casino operations. The firm expanded into Europe through its BetEuro brand and opened a UK office last year.
The takeover deal will go before shareholders for approval on June 24, and if the acquisition is agreed VIP will be acquired and L&G will relist on AIM on June 28.
PARADISE POKER MILLIONAIRE WILL BE DECIDED JULY 3
Second Masters competition will have $1.5 total prize pool this year
Paradise Poker.com's second Master's competition will be decided on July 3 at an as yet unannounced tropical location.
Ten finalists are about to compete for the grand prize of $1 million in an online tournament that began on May 23rd and ended May 28th with 10 finalists from the main event. These competitors will be flown to the mystery location, with a guest, to play the remainder of the tournament at the final table face-to-face.
For an investment as small as $3, players from around the world competed for a shot at the $1.5 million prize pool, and a 5 Star all-expenses paid weekend.
"Masters I was such a huge success we decided to step it up for Masters II," said Bruce Stubbs, Marketing Director ParadisePoker.com. "We increased the overall prize money guarantee to $2 million this time, with a $1.5 million main event. We're expecting an exciting tournament."
WPT MIRAGE SHOWDOWN WINNER
$1.1 million the spoils
Gavin Smith is the winner of the World Poker Tour's Mirage Poker Showdown held last week.
Smith won the championship event and a cash payout of more than $1.1 million by out-playing the tourney's 317 entrants.
This has been a good season for Smith, who also won a $25,000 entry into the final WPT Championship at Bellagio.
Las Vegas pro Ted Forrest finished second and collected $579,386.
SWEDISH PARTNERS
Boss Media and Svenska Spel team up
Swedish online gaming companies Boss Media and Svenska Spel have formalised their strategic partnership after several years of collaboration on a number of digital gaming projects.
The announcement notes that interest for digital games has increased dramatically, and the two companies have consequently decided to leverage the experience that they have acquired. Boss Media has been responsible for technical and platform development and Svenska Spel has developed game concepts and handled daily operational matters.
Svenska Spel is selling its expertise and Boss Media's technical platform to members of the World Lottery Association with a focus on Europe. Currently the WLA has about 140 members, of which there are some 60 in Europe that are potential customers.
"We see this as a significant opportunity to strengthen the regulated gaming market," said Jan Stocklassa, manager of international business matters at Svenska Spel. "If more companies within the WLA sphere increase their level of technical competence and improve their product offering, they will have significantly better ability to withstand competition from Internet companies and other competitors."
U.S. ADVERTISING HASSLES CONTINUE
Two agencies back away from Belle Rock's $20 million
Speculation was rife this week that the US Department of Justice's threatening moves against advertising media could have caused two more agencies to back away from a lucrative contact.
The speculation followed reports in Adweek that two U.S. agencies had withdrawn from a pitch for the $20 million Belle Rock interactive gaming account. One agency refused to comment, whilst the other cited a parent group's corporate policy against working for wagering entities.
The two agencies, both members of the Omnicom group were Integer in Dallas and Zimmerman & Partners in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This leaves the field open to Interpublic Group's Avrett Free Ginsberg and Havas' Euro RSCG, both in New York, sources said. It was unclear if Zimmerman will be replaced with other contenders for the offline ad duties that Belle Rock places through them.
Omnicom is apparently not the only holding company barring shops from pursuing such (online gambling) business. MDC Partners has also told its shops to pass up such reviews, due to the pastime's dubious legal status in the U.S.
"MDC's general policy is to prohibit its agencies from representing clients engaged in unlawful online gambling," according to a statement from a MDC representative.
Adweek says that online gambling interests, such as Party Poker and Hollywood Poker, have thus far skirted laws barring ads from TV and print by promoting their brands via "educational," or free play sites. Both poker venues advertise -.net sites on TV. When players are ready to graduate to wagering sites, they can move onto the -.com venues.
The report concludes that the U.S. Department of Justice has made clear its position on the placement and acceptance of such ads. A 2003 letter to the National Association of Broadcasters said, "Any person or entity who aids or abets in the commission of [illegal Internet gambling] is punishable as a principal violator," and likened such advertising to ads for "illegal narcotics sales, prostitution, child pornography or other prohibited activities."
The interpretation of the law as it applies to agencies, however, has been left to corporate counsels.
It is said that IPG is leaving such new business decisions open to its shops. In fact, Belle Rock is the second online gambling account pursued by AFG. The shop was also a contender for the $20 million Fortune Lounge Group account, which was ultimately awarded to independent Eisner Communications in Baltimore.
CONTROVERSIAL ACTS
US feds and information from Internet Service Providers
Causing something of a ruckus on several Internet sites this week was the question of US Federal Government access to sensitive information typically held by Internet Service Providers (ISP's)
Apparently the federal government is trying to preserve the authority to send National Security Letters to ISPs in order to obtain records from them without the legal niceties of obtaining a subpoena.
It seems this authority was first granted by legislation in 1986, and then expanded by the Patriot Act.
Last year a US District Court judge ruled that the provision was unconstitutional, as it did not allow challenges and prohibited those companies who recieved a National Security Letter from revealing that they had. A further objection raised by the ACLU is that the statute does not inform readers that citizens or companies that receive a NSL can challenge it. It is claimed that this is illustrated by the fact that in 20 years noone has filed a challenge.
In what is referred to as "....a stunning case of circular reasoning," the federal Administration has claimed that the District Court ruling was incorrect because people could challenge NSLs, as the case itself proved. This is interpreted to mean that the judge's ruling should be thrown out because the case was successfully brought to Court to begin with.
Due to the secrecy requirements surrounding the NSL issue, ACLU initially had to file the suit under seal, and then had to negotiate in order to get permission to make any kind of public statement about the case.
According to one article, some of the material was only declassified months after the decision, and material that was previously withheld included the phrase "national security" and the sentence "I am a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." from an agent's statement.
WIRELESS BILL THROUGH NEVADA SENATE
Restricted use mobile gaming possible if this is signed into law
The Linux Electrons site reports that the Nevada Senate has approved Assembly Bill No.471, which authorises the use of mobile communication devices for gaming in public areas in Nevada casinos.
Nevada Governor Kenny C. Guinn has signed AB471.
The Bill authorises the Nevada Gaming Commission to continue with the appropriate rule-making process.
Further detail is being sought.
MALTA REGULATOR APPOINTS NEW COUNCIL MEMBER
Italian WorldMatch marketer voted on
The Malta licensing authorities have announced the appointment of Gianni Corradini as the first Italian to sit on the Remote Gaming Council, an online gaming advisory committee that has been set up by the Maltese government.
Corradini, who is a promoter and an advisor of WorldMatch, an online casino company based in Malta was voted on to the seven-member council by representatives and experts from the world of online gaming and betting.
WorldMatch was the first company to be awarded an online gaming licence by the Maltese government in accordance with the Republic of Malta’s regulations, which it claims are underpinned by tight legislation, transparency, and user security.
NEW VENUE FOR WSOP
The Rio All Suite Hotel in Vegas chosen
The land and online popularity of poker shows no sign of slackening and participation records will be shattered in coming weeks when the 36th World Series of Poker opens in Las Vegas, US reports said this week.
Tens of thousands of players compete in more than 40 events that will be held from June 2 to July 15, and the world championship spans the final nine days.
For the first time, the tournament will be held away from its birthplace, the former Binion's Horseshoe Casino, now simply known as Binion's, in downtown Vegas.
Harrah Entertainment, in its second year as owners of the tournament, will hold all but the final two days of the championship event in a new 60,000-square foot convention center at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, just off the Strip on Flamingo Avenue.
Players gain entry to World Series tournaments either by buying a seat -- most preliminaries require a buy-in of $1,000 to $2,500 and the championship is $10,000 -- or by qualifying in so-called satellite sponsored tournaments in land or virtual poker rooms.
PARTY POKER LISTING HYPE CONTINUES
June 27 now the target date, say analysts
The pre-listing publicity machine at Party Poker was hard at work this week, with reports from analysts and wire services telling the world that the top online poker site aims to price its flotation on the London Stock Exchange by June 27.
The reports indicate that parent Party Gaming is tentatively planning to list about 800 million ordinary shares (around 20 percent of its capitalisation) and an additional tranche known as a *greenshoe* of about 15 percent depending on demand.
Analysts estimate the listing could value Party Gaming at about $10 billion (GBP 5.5 billion), and they expect the stock to qualify for inclusion in blue-chip indexes compiled by FTSE and MSCI.
The last company to raise an equivalent sum in London was Friends Provident in July 2001, according to financial data providers Dealogic.
Further proof of the boom in Internet poker and London's position as the listing centre for the industry was provided midweek by Empire Online, which said it plans to list on London's junior AIM share market on June 15 just before Party Gaming arrives.
Stock in Party Gaming will be sold by its founding shareholders Crystal Ventures, Coral Ventures, Russell De Leon, Ruth Parasol and management.
These shareholders have agreed not to sell any more stock for 12 months in order to help stabilise the share price in the aftermath of the flotation.
Party Gaming will use the listing to gain better access to capital markets, strengthen visibility and promote its brand. Management plans to hit the road to promote the company's shares to institutional investors between June 14 and June 24.
Broker Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein will be the coordinator and sources claim that the Party Gaming deal will position the firm as one of the leading advisers in the online gaming industry. It handled last year's expansion into online poker by London-listed Sportingbet, when the company bought the Paradise Poker site.
Edison Investment Research and Durlacher have estimated online gambling revenue - effectively the amount lost by gamblers - as exceeding $8 billion in 2004, up 37 percent from a year earlier.
STOP PRESS:
IT'S OFFICIAL - PARTY GAMING IS GOING PUBLIC
Company has announced its intentions after weeks of speculation
PartyGaming, the world's biggest online poker company settled weeks of intense speculation Thursday by announcing plans to float on the London Stock Exchange in what is likely to be the City's biggest new listing for four years.
Based in Gibraltar, PartyGaming barely existed four years ago but riding a wave of popularity in online poker playing, the operator of the PartyPoker website is set to be valued at GBP 5 billion, bringing a major windfall for executives, shareholders and employees.
With that sort of valuation, PartyGaming would immediately enter the FTSE 100 share index. The flotation would be London's biggest since insurer Friends Provident in 2001.
BIG REWARDS FOR PARTY POKER PEOPLE IN LONDON LISTING
Owners and staff alike in for a bonanza
The publicity this week surrounding Party Gaming's plans to float their poker website for GBP 5.5 billion on the London stock market showcased some interesting personalities.
The 1,100 staff - from Indian call centre workers to head office staff in Gibraltar - will be given GBP 308 million in shares, averaging GBP 281,000 per employee.
Founders Anurag Dikshit, 32, and Vikrant Bhargava, 33, both graduates of the Indian Institute of Technology, own the company with American husband-and-wife team Ruth Parasol and Russ DeLeon. The four stand to pocket GBP 4.2 billion between them from the flotation but will retain 77 per cent of the company.
PartyGaming's founders rarely give interviews and three of the four refuse to release photographs of themselves. However, The Guardian reports that Ruth Parasol is known to have made millions in the Nineties by setting up premium-rate adult chatlines and pornographic websites before severing all links with the industry in 1997 to switch to online gambling.
Ms Parasol, a lawyer, lives in New York with Mr DeLeon and their two children. The couple, both Harvard law school graduates, act as consultants to the company and deal with the legal side of the business which is based in Gibraltar because of its relaxed gambling laws.
The Party Poker site averages about 70,000 users playing online against each other at any one time. New figures released as InfoPowa went to press reveal 4.3 million people in Britain have gambled online, and experts predict the market will grow in the next year.
The employees' share pot will be put in trust for options packages over five years. "It's a very generous gift," said chief executive Richard Segal, whose own one percent stake could be worth more than GBP 57 million.
The companys statement of intention to float included trading figures showing pre-tax profit in the three months to 31 March rocketed 77 per cent on a year earlier to GBP 67.5 million, on revenues up 93 percent to almost GBP 128 million.
RESTRICTED MOBILE GAMING IN NEVADA MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE
Technology views on latest Nevada law proposal
The Las Vegas Sun carried a relevant and very interesting article on the latest Nevada legislative moves to permit and regulate a form of mobile gambling that will be restricted to the land operations in the state.
The article reports that Nevada is on the verge of passing a law that could enable land casinos to offer mobile gaming, but technology experts have cautioned that it will be tough for the state to control who plays and from where.
Mike Wood of the Natural Intelligence Group is quoted as saying in a panel discussion at a gaming conference last week that wireless technology should increase play in casinos (which is presumably why the land casinos want it), but regulators may be challenged to set regulations for play because wireless data transmissions will be difficult to control.
The panel was part of the two-day Gaming Technology Summit at Green Valley Ranch.
While about 200 delegates discussed casino technology issues, many Nevada professionals were considering the implications of approving state legislation allowing regulators to draft rules on mobile gaming.
Wood said it's difficult to control the boundaries of any wireless network.
"You may be able to establish a network to cover the pool area, but it may extend beyond the pool to the parking lot," he said. Systems are being developed to triangulate network locations and set boundaries, but they probably don't offer the precision necessary to satisfy regulators, he said.
He added that many encryption systems he has seen are not secure. Another problem regulators will face when drafting rules for the use of wireless devices is to determine player qualification systems that can't be corrupted.
Asked whether a wireless system has been developed that could prevent underage gamblers from playing, Wood concurred that there hasn't. But he also noted that casinos already have safeguards preventing underage playing.
Wood and panelist Rob Lewis of Ameranth Wireless, San Diego, said some wireless applications already are in use in casinos, but they don't tie in to game play. Apparently the Mirage used wireless technology to issue credit to players and the Venetian has used it to check in hotel guests.
Others use wireless technology to notify poker players that seats are available in their rooms. Such a system is in place at the new Wynn Las Vegas resort. Wood said poker rooms that have used the technology have reported that it has increased business.
In a session on security, speaker Mark Rasch, senior vice president of Solutionary, a security services provider based in The Woodlands, Texas, warned delegates that their casinos are only as secure as the weakest link in their systems.
He discussed biometric identification systems, radio frequency identification systems that include embedded transmitters in gaming chips, new wireless technologies and player loyalty cards that help casinos collect information on their players.
Rasch said that a whole new level of security issues is on the horizon with the arrival of wireless gaming systems and server-based technology.
"There's a lot of money that can be lost but the worst that can happen is the loss of confidence in your customers," he said.
AUSSIE AND ASIA DEAL FOR ZONE4PLAY
Mobile gaming agreement is initially worth $1.75 million
It seems that hardly a week goes by without Zone4Play announcing a new deal, mostly in supplying technology for the mobile gambling sector.
This week it was a long term agreement with Two Way TV Australia Limited, which provides live, competitive and enhanced TV entertainment and interactive TV applications and technology to the Australian market, where it is acquiring exclusive rights to distribute Zone4Play's advanced SMS-TV solution, iTV solutions and mobile gaming and gambling products in Australia, New Zealand and 26 Asian territories.
Under the terms of the five-year agreement, Two Way TV Australia (TWTVA) will pay $1.75 million to become the exclusive distributor of both Zone4Play play for real and play for fun gambling solutions in the sprawling Asian and Pacific markets. The fee is recoupable from significant revenue shares payable to Zone4Play from any deal that is signed in these territories.
The live gambling products including Texas Hold'em poker, blackjack, roulette, lotteries, sports betting and racing packages will be offered to licensed gaming operators wherever regulations permit. Zone4Play's gaming products have been selected by some of the largest licensed gaming operators in the UK and Europe.
ZONE4PLAY LAUNCHES FIRST CROSS-PLATFORM POKER PRODUCT
Texas Hold 'Em can be made available across a range of delivery platforms, enabling mobile, iTV and Web gamblers to compete against each other.
Zone4Play, Inc. today (Tuesday) launched the world's first cross platform multi-player poker solution as an technology-based answer to the worldwide Texas Hold'em poker demand.
Worldwide poker-playing communities are now estimated at nearly 100 million people and growing, and this spurred Zone4Play to leverage its unique cross-platform gaming technology in order to launch the services that reach across interactive TV (iTV), Internet and mobile delivery platforms over the coming months.
The amount gambled on poker websites around the world in 2005 is estimated to exceed US$ 60 billion, with commission revenues around US$ 3 billion or approximately 60 percent of the Las Vegas strip revenues, the company claimed.
The first ever iTV multi-player Texas Hold'em poker will be available on Sky's iTV system in the UK and accessible from more than five different channels, including Avago, The Poker Channel (sponsored by Party Poker), Channel Five and other major broadcasters. The solution will be initially launched on a play for fun mode, ultimately being replaced by a real gaming solution, depending on legislation changes in the UK.
Other iTV deployments to be launched later this year include one of the largest cable operators in the US and the largest hospitality provider in the world.
Zone4Play claims that its multi-player Texas Hold'em Poker is the first and only poker game available for iTV. The company has managed to overcome major technological barriers in order to present the market with a swift and easy to use product.
On the Internet where Texas Hold'em poker is recognised as being the hottest product, Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, Inc., is set to launch an online version of the multi-player Texas Hold'em poker game in the third quarter of this year.
Additional to the iTV and Internet deployments, Zone4Play is currently developing a mobile version of the multi-player Texas Hold'em poker for one of UK's leading bookmakers. The Mobile MP Texas Hold'em Poker will be introduced to the market later on this year and will enable play for real and play for fun versions of the popular game.
Zone4Play hosts the game on a unique hosting environment platform, allowing competition between players who use Mobile, iTV and the web.
SECURITY COMPANY JOINS IGGBA
UK trade association now has over fifty members
The Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association (iGGBA) has accepted Kroopier as a member. The companys objective is top security solutions for the remote gambling industry.
Ignacio de Juan, Director of Kroopier, said that the company sees it acceptance as a unique opportunity to actively participate in the development of the gambling industry and its regulations, by contributing knowledge on security related issues.
SATELLITES COULD NEUTRALISE INTERNET GAMBLING BANS
A U.S. company claims to have developed satellite technology that works
Details were sparse this week on an intriguing story carried by the Kentucky Courier-Journal, which reports that an American company has patented a way to make casino-style gambling available via satellite.
Kenilworth Systems Corp., based in Mineola, N.Y., says it is courting Indiana and its riverboats as the hosts for its games, promising millions of dollars in state revenue. Its Roulabette product is specifically designed to meet state and federal laws that prohibit most interstate wagering and gambling on the Internet.
It could allow gamblers in states or countries that approve it to wager from home or other locations on casino action taking place in Indiana.
The newspaper reported that the administration of Gov. Mitch Daniels is somewhat sceptical of the proposal. State Budget Director Chuck Schalliol called it "...only an idea at this stage," and "...not something the state has committed to seriously."
WEB EXTORTION ATTACKS STILL A THREAT
Payment company successfully fought off DDoS assault
The BBC carried a report this week which, whilst dating back to August 2004 remains a timely reminder that website owners cannot relax their guard.
One evening last year Asif Malik, security director of the UK online payment firm Nochex received an email offering a stark choice - immediately send a wire for $10,000 to a European bank account or face an attack on the company's servers.
It has become common practice for extortionists to target Internet firms and threaten to cripple their websites with deluges of data unless they pay a ransom.
Not all the e-criminals are able to follow through on their threats but when the Nochex site went down an hour later it was time to sit up and take notice.
The first thing Malik did was to contact his service provider Pipex, who confirmed the site was being overwhelmed by a zombie attack - a typical modus operandi used by extortionists who have armies of zombie computers. These frequently consist of ordinary users' computers that are hijacked and remotely controlled often without the owner even knowing. Usually the hijacking is achieved through covertly infecting machines with a worm or virus delivered via mass emailing .
Playing for time, Malik opened communications with the crooks by offering to send the money early the next day.
But for Mr Malik paying up was never an option. Instead it was a chance to see whether technology could do battle with the e-criminals and beat them at their own game.
In this particular case the criminals in question were part of a Russian gang, already well known to the UK police but not yet within the grasp of the authorities. With the cooperation of New Scotland Yard and international enforcement agencies the hitech battle was joined.
The solution, in this case, was a network product developed by the U.S. computer company Cisco. Called Cisco Guard it has been created specifically to fight DDoS attacks by sorting the legitimate traffic from traffic intent on attacking servers.
"All of the traffic is diverted and we analyse the flow and identify aspects of the flow that we believe to be malicious," explained Kevin Regan, a security consultant with Cisco.
Once installed Mr Malik's attitude was one of "bring it on", confident that the new armour that had been put around the network would remain impenetrable. The attacks did come and have continued to come ever since, but so far the Nochex system has remained online.
DDos attacks have become a big problem for businesses in the last 12 months.
At one point in the autumn of last year Pipex was seeing as many as three to five attacks each day, although that number has since slowed down.
Most of Pipex's high risk clients, categorised as gaming, gambling and payment gateway sites, have had the Cisco equipment installed and the patterns of attacks are becoming familiar to the backbone engineers.
"We have become veterans at it. Our guys have been doing it for 15 months and we have become quite battle-scarred along the way," said a Cisco spokesman.
According to Regan, such attacks are getting more determined - lasting for days or even weeks - and more and more zombie machines are being recruited into the hijackers' armies.
According to the Honeynet Project, set up to create solutions to security problems, there are over one million zombie computers. Britain has the largest zombie PC population of anywhere in the world.
It has not been a cheap option for Nochex. In fact, with an initial cost of GBP 20,000 and a further GBP 3,000 a month, it would have possibly been cheaper to pay off the hijackers, at least initially.
But, as Malik says, "...who is to say the hijackers wouldn't have come back next month and the month after?"
The nature of denial-of-service attacks...
* Average cost of mission critical services compromised $100,000 an hour
* Britain has largest zombie PC population in the world
* Over 1million connected computers are zombies
* 30,000+ internet connected zombie networks in 2004
* Estimated 25 percent of all infected PCs are under control of hackers
* Broadband responsible for 93 percent increase in infected PCs in 2004
* 11 percent of small to medium sized businesses suffered DDoS attacks in the last 12 months
MORE DVD POKER TUTORIALS
NuTech Digital Inc. selected for distribution
Pokerthink Inc., a Florida firm that produces DVD tutorials on poker playing has briefed NuTech Digital for the distribution work on an upcoming DVD Poker Tutorial.
Tom McEvoy, a four-time winner of World Series of Poker events, and the World Series of Poker Championship in 1983, has been named as the star of the tutorials.
Tom, who is recognized as one of America's greatest poker teachers, has completed the first in the series, titled "How A Poker Champ Thinks His Way To Success," which is being promoted through direct response TV ads running in all areas of the country, as well as on the company's website, PokerThink.com.
BRUNSON - CARO POKER MATCH TEACHES TOO
CD-ROM now available
Doyle Brunson, winner of nine championship bracelets at the World Series of Poker, has a new CD-ROM out that is attracting comment on Internet poker fora this week.
The highlight of the offering is a lively and informative heads-up poker game between Brunson and the “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro, poker’s leading educator.
"This is different from anything you’ve seen before," says Caro, who has joined Brunson at Doyle's Room.com to promote the tutorial.
“You see us on video competing online from separate rooms, commenting to the camera as we make our decisions and explain exactly what we’re thinking. After they pieced the video together, I was shocked to hear some of Doyle’s on-the-money comments about what he thought I was holding and I’m guessing he was surprised by some of mine.”
Brunson revolutionised poker education with the 1978 publication of his Super/System – A Course in Power Poker, followed this year by the long-awaited sequel Super/System 2.
Aged 71, he's still winning in the world’s largest games and on primetime network television. Earlier this year, he emerged as the champion in a major World Poker Tour event. There were 667 players dealt in, but in the end, there was only Brunson, with everyone else’s chips stacked in front of him.
Look out for "Doyle Brunson’s Guide to the New World of Poker", an interactive CD-ROM available for free this month. For the first time, players will be able to access - at no charge - tips from both Brunson and Caro, whom Brunson believes is the world’s best teacher of both the fundamentals and the subtleties of the game.
The CD provides multimedia instruction for players at all levels, contains a documentary on the evolution of the game from the days of “Texas Dolly” Brunson’s Texas Rounders to the cultural phenomenon the game is today.
CONFERENCE CORNER
Don't forget the Bodog conference
For a second consecutive year, BoDog, a major online gambling operation based in Costa Rica, will host the "Poker and Sports Marketing Conference" at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
This year's conference is scheduled for July 6 and 7.
Scheduled to give presentations are poker tournament director Matt Savage, sports handicapper Marc Lawrence, online gambling editor Christopher Costigan of Sports911 and others.
For information visit Bodog Conference.com.
Diary snapshots....
Multi-Platform Gambling Content 28-29 June, London, UK
Don't miss a two-day conference discussing gambling content across multiple platforms and tapping into a market worth over US $16 billion.
The Betting Show 19-20 October 2005, NEC Birmingham, UK
The only show in Europe for everyone in the sports betting industry.
EIG - the European i-Gaming Conference & Expo
7-9 November 2005, Nice, France.
Europe's largest and most comprehensive i-gaming event with conference sessions, exhibits and plenty of networking.
GIGSE Poker
With GIGSE on the doorstep, River City Group has announced an imaginative new entertainment in collaboration with Party Poker.com.
At this year's opening night reception in Montreal, delegates can win $5,000 in the PartyPoker.com Free-to-Play Poker Tournament.
PartyPoker.com is sponsoring the opening night party at GIGSE 2005, and the party's highlight will be a free-to-play poker tournament with a top prize of $5,000. And for the none poker folks, there will be Roulette, Craps and Blackjack available throughout the party.
When: Monday, June 13, 2005; 6pm - 9pm
Where: Palais des Congres, Panoramic Room 710
Would-be poker champions need to enter online first. To secure a seat at the GIGSE 2005 PartyPoker.com tournament table, register at PartyPoker.com by June 11, 2005, using the code GIGSE1. Registrants will automatically be entered into the 36-player tournament draw.
|
|
