Showing results for: ""
Germany has recently banned online gambling in all 16 states. The law came into effect on January 1, and excepted only horseracing and state-run operations. You can guess already that this has raised quite an opposition. The Austrian online gambling provider Bwin, for one, has been outraged. It and other companies too, are determined to take legal action against the decision. In the latest news, a spokesman for the European Commission said Brussels will decide soon within weeks whether to join the legal fight on behalf of its members. The world divides to two when it comes to online gambling law. While Germany takes the American example of banning the industry, other European Union countries open up the competition. The official German claim is consumer protection. The Commission's Secretary General Sigrid Ligne said this week, when addressing the issue on BBC, that "we feel that claim is unjustified." All governments wish to protect their people. That is what governments are for. But there is quite a line that crosses between protecting them, and preventing service altogether! The process will take a few months until it reaches the European Court of Justice. But it is prime time for the people to voice their opinion, or shall we say decision. It may seem to you that the case in hand is more protecting state-run monopolies than protecting gamblers, banning competition more than simply banning gambling sites. Maybe the German government and others too, should view their task as serving their electorate. Instead, they seem to be hurting them as they hide behind the excuse of protecting them. Maybe they need reminding the prohibition has never worked and was always revealed as less transparent and more poorly regulated option.
It is January and it's cold. That alone is a good reason to go down under and visit the southern hemisphere. There is another reason that brought this large group of people to Australia - the 2008 Aussie Millions. Taking place in Melbourne, Australia, the 2008 Aussie Millions has drawn poker professionals and celebrities, live tournament and virtual gamers for a fun time, and a chance to win part of the $10 million in prize money. The first prize will be around the $1.5 million mark. Opening Day was split into three parts, with a total of 780 entrants competing for the right to advance and get closer to the jackpot. The Crown Casino in Melbourne has done a terrific job in hosting them, as did the pleasant summer weather outdoors. These, and not the Australian Open, for instance, have drawn the crowd all the way to Melbourne. Among the hundreds participating in the richest poker tournament in this part of the world were Soren Ericksen, who came on top on one of the days, Joe Hachem (05 WSOP Champ), Annie Duke, Phil Ivey There was room around the tables for amateur and online poker players too. Canadian journalist Shaun Inguanzo managed to finish ninth in one of these challenging days and advanced. He has even defeated and ousted the 2007 Aussie Millions winner Gus Hansen and other professionals. He was later eliminated by Gavin Smith, but not before giving hope and respect to the online poker players of the world, and some pride to himself as he confessed: "I was surprised I got so far but I loved it."
The Finns are known for their online gambling. Only 40,000 people in this small country are regular gamblers, but they make for 150 millions euros in business a year. That is one of the highest per capita in Europe. It has alarmed some policymakers who are concerned about underage or problem gambling. Some of their ideas are familiar to whoever follows legal developments in the industry. Others are entirely radical. An official commission formed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland has proposed several ways to prohibit those 18 years of age or younger from gambling in any form. This includes such technological solutions as identification devices. Currently, 15 year olds buying lottery tickets is common in the Scandinavian country. Another idea, this one from Joensuu University law professor Kalle Määttä, also on the commission, wants the losers in online gambling games to get their money back! The logic? If it's illegal then it should be cancelled. And who exactly will pay the loser the money lost? The website operator, the credit card company, or even the player who won. Justice? I think not. It seems more like the Finnish government is trying to make online gambling such a pain (pardon my French) that companies, payment suppliers and gamblers themselves will not want to mess with Finnish players any more. The government seems convinced that online gambling is a sort of pyramid scheme in which those on the bottom lose to those higher up. That is obviously false, as poker is based on skills and casinos on luck, never on a scheme of any sort. Still looking into how practical it is to implement, the Finnish government has not decided what its course of action will be. That gives them the chance to climb off this idea, even if it should be complimented as original.
It is true for London cab drivers, as it is true for cab drivers practically everywhere around the world. When you step into a cab, you will probably find yourself in conversation with the driver well before you pull out to the street. Poker Talk This talk, as English as mincemeat tarts in Christmas, now includes not only talk about the weather or politics, but also talk about online gambling. With advertising gambling now legal under the 2005 Gambling Act, online gambling company 888 has launched several promotional campaigns involving London's cabs. The one campaign had the company's website appear on 375 taxis, turning them into moving billboards. The other campaign has 10 cab drivers engaging their passengers in conversation about poker, which they may follow up with handing out a $10 coupon for visiting 888.com. Cab drivers have been acting as ambassador drivers, as they are referred to by Taxi Promotions UK that manages the campaign, before too, mostly for tourism campaigns. Word of Mouth It is the campaign managing company's supposition that people trust word of mouth (or Womad) marketing better than other forms. Nothing beats straight talk with a straight person. Call it a winning hand. In the US, for which data exists, Womad advertising generates sales of well above a billion dollars per year. Taking the Back Seat Sitting in the back seat for an average 15-20 minute cab ride is prime time to approach the potential gamblers with engaging talk, informative and captivating. The number of passengers, with only 10 cabs currently participating in the campaign, is large. And the campaign is expected to grow to 20 cabs and later up to 300. Then again, cab drivers must respect their passengers if they wish to pass the time with the newspaper, or talking on their phones.
In spite of the ongoing Writers Guild of American strike, Hollywood is keeping with preparations to the Oscars. With it, online gambling sites are offering their odds on the event's winners. The Oscars is planned to take place on February 24, one month from tomorrow. The WGA strike has been going on since November 5, 2007. It will likely affect the event, with the threat of a picket line yet to be removed, and a lack of writers for the ceremony itself all but certain. We might even see top nominees boycotting the ceremony if the acrimony between producers and writers continues. If picketed, the film industry stars are not expected to cross the line. Director Michael Moore, nominated for his documentary "Sicko, said I won't cross the picket line and, frankly, no one I know will cross the picket line". But the conversation has switched from the strike to the likely Oscar nominees. Now with the announcement of the Academy Award nominations, it is all about Who Will Win. Enter the online odds makers. There are a few obvious picks, which receive the appropriate top odds. These are No Country For Old Men, for best movie, which faces even odds by some bookmakers. Following close behind it with 2-1 and 3-1 odds is Atonement. Country's directors, 1997 winners, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen also face even odds as favorites. Daniel Day Lewis (in There Will Be Blood) is a clear leader in the best male actor category, with odds makers nearly unanimous in their support of him. His competition is still considerable, elating him at 9-2 odds. Day Lewis will have to beat Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Viggo Mortensen and Tommy Lee Jones. The decline of the Hollywood empire and the rise of free movie download on the web did not change the fact that the Oscars remain the largest draw for entertainment betting online. Some sites (e.g. Bodog) limit the wager to $50, keeping it minor and exciting, no grand jackpot to be won. Still sites expect a great turnover, as William Hill spokesman said it might reach $500,000 in Oscar bets this year. Noteworthy also is Cate Blanchett as bob Dylan in I'm Not There, not only for her excellent chances to win the best supporting actress award, but also for across the boards excellent role. The US law forbids betting on events that are known before they are announced. The sites that offer the odds are mainly located in Europe, Costa Rica and Antigua. In England, this is a legit practice, and an exciting one at that.
It is reported, with little additional detail, that there was a tragic shooting incident in San Pedro, Costa Rica, on Monday that left an online gambling official dead. Although the person’s name was yet to be revealed, it is believed that he was a site operator at one of the online gambling companies that are located in the country. The person was shot when sitting in his car, with several bodyguards, who shot back at the offenders. Whether it was an attempted robbery or a clear case of murder is not certain. The incident took place in broad daylight. Costa Rica The small Central American country is a pivotal player in the world of online gambling. With no taxes paid for profits made outside the country, Costa Rica based companies, of which there were until recently about 200, have made a great living. This has changed somewhat with the passing of the law in the US, the UIGEA, which bans online gambling in the US. To enter the UK market, now the largest in thw world, companies had to relocate to Europe or approved territories White Listed by the UK’s Gambling Commission. Past Violence There have been other violent crimes against online gambling site operators. One famous incident involved Calvin Ayre of Bodog attacked, in Costa Rica as well; his bodyguard was injured then. Another, in the Escazu resort in Costa Rica as well, included a driveby shooting. Obviously all cases are unfortunate and tragic. We will continue following the story as details come in.
It was previously reported that Finland might ban online gambling in the country. That would have been a move not on course with the rest of Europe, which is mostly moving toward regulating the industry, following the UK example. Well, a new dawn has set on Finland, and a new voice is heard. Finland’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Stefan Wallin, said he proposes a state run online poker operation instead. The Finns are known across Europe for their online gambling. Although a small country with a small gambling community, Finland’s citizens spend large amounts on gambling sites, money which the country sees little if any of. The proposal to ban Finns from gambling online was accompanied by a more extreme suggestion, to allow them to claim back their losses. Mr. Wallin’s suggestion, therefore, is a sane voice, a contrary opinion much needed for a healthy debate to unfold. Wallin agrees with the opponents of online gambling that the current status is “unsatisfactory.” His main argument, not surprisingly, is that Finland sees no income from the industry. A state run online operation, operated by the existing lottery and slots companies, Veikkaus and the Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY), could keep the money in the country and work reliably to prevent underage gambling. Wallin mentions the Swedish example, where Svenska Spel is the state run online casino, as an example. But so do gambling opponents. Another government official, Kari Paaso of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, said: “The government will not offer something like the Swedish online poker site. It does not seem right, on the one hand offering online poker to your citizens, and on the other hand blocking others from doing the same.” The most important development from the past week is that the debate is on, and a decision which is not based on anti gambling bias will be reached, after hearing the opinions of all involved.
Lee Rousso is not only running for governor of the state of Washington. The former gambling legend is also in the process of filing a lawsuit against the state's online gambling ban. Mr. Rousso first came to public attention in 1982, when he beat the competition of 444 at the MGM Grand in Reno, and won over $83,000. A series of winnings has followed, firmly establishing his name as a prime handicapping specialist. From Horsetrack to the Web Rousso's other passion was poker. But it was only in 2003, following the death of his wife, Elaynne, and the example of online poker player Chris Moneymaker who won the WSOP, did Rousso enter the poker world seriously. "I figured if he could do it, so could I," he said. 100,000 hands later he made it to the WSOP and is working toward winning it some day. Meanwhile, he is also set on the political stage. Running for Office Now a law school graduate working as a litigator in the Seattle area, Rousso is running for office as governor of his state. His top obejective, as posted on his website, addresses online gambling heads on: He vows to: Restore sanity to Washington's gambling laws by incorporating the principle of player immunity. This will make Washington's law consistent with federal law. NO PRISON FOR POKER! In accordance with the political campaign, Rousso is pursuing a lawsuit against the state, alleging that its ban fails to comply with the federal Wire Act, according tow hich no criminal liability is attributed to players. In other words, playing poker online is not a felony. A ban that de facto protects the state's own gambling operations is also unconstitutional, for it is protectionist in nature. Meanwhile... The state has asked Rousso to supply information it claimed was relevant, a request that Rousso has appealed against, and all in all took four months for the court to decide to move the case back down to a lower court. The case, interesting on both personal and political levels, much like Rousso's personality, has yet to produce a clear decision, a notion that Rousso himself addressed: "Somewhere, sometime, a court is going to have to decide if states can regulate Internet gambling. It's inevitable, so it may as well be this case."
Players who visited Canada’s Saskatchewan province on an October day must have been surprised – pleasantly surprised – to find the machines on the casino floor cough up $20 bills where $5 bills were expected. Surprised, but quiet about it. Even as some players have taken advantage of this fault, one of them for as much as $11,000, they did not report the error. This failure to report the casino’s mistake is now used against the players by casino management, as it claims the patrons pay back. The Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation announced last week (itself having kept the incident quiet for three months) that the machine dished out $27,000 before the mistake was noticed and corrected. This was the result of a casino worker loaded the machine with the wrong notes. It took the casino over a day to detect the mistake. During this time, patrons who went to redeem winnings or simply break large bills were walking away with greater sums than they had expected. The casino worker has not been penalized and is till working at the place. SGC has also reported that $13,400 was recovered from players. The surveillance system has not been able to identify other benefactors. The players, whether they took advantage of the casino’s mistake or walked away simple flabbergasted, are those being prosecuted. What has become of accountability? These are SGC president and CEO Marty Klyne’s words: "You have to assume if you put in a $20 bill and you're expecting four fives back and you get four 20s, that your eyebrows might go up," he said. Klyne added the contrary scenario: "I think that if they put in a 20 and got two fives back, we would have heard about it pretty quickly." It sounds a little up-in-the-air indeed. The local police spokeswoman Elizabeth Popowich was more sensible, saying that they have yet to determine what offence is being prosecuted, if any. Not reporting the incident to the provincial auditor until this month; involving the police only on December 4, over a month since the October 26 date of occurrence; and basing their argument on a roundabout logic, do not sound wholly kosher. Hearing about this, one has to try and imagine of such a mistake and overall fiasco could have taken place at an internet gambling site. Our guess is not.
The New England Patriots will meet the New York Giants on Sunday at the new Arizona University of Phoenix Stadium for Super Bowl XLII. As much as $10 billion are expected to be on the line with sports betting reaching its annual peak. Ten billion dollars! The betting volume in Las Vegas, online, at street bookies and between office co-workers is expected to accumulate and be such that gamblers are actually advised to plan ahead of time, not only for buying drinks and nachos, but for placing bets at the online gambling websites, for access will be tight as we near kickoff. Prop Bets Ten billion dollars (there, we said it again) is a tremendous amount, unmatched in betting history. What do people bet on? The answer, it turns out, is not trivial. Not at all. Sports betting goes beyond the basic win/lose or point margin. Prop bets is the name for wagers that allow gamblers to bet on other elements of the game, such as when will the first touchdown be scored, what team will be ahead at half-time, and even whether coach don Shula of the 1972 undefeated Miami Dolphins will congratulate Patriots coach Bill Belichick if the latter wins and ends the season 19-0. Prop bets are exclusive to online gambling sites and are not offered by Las Vegas bookies. The law prohibits Vegas casinos from offering any bets on events that can be controlled. Creative Betting Bodog's sports book manager described the process behind the bets offered on their and their sports betting sites. Workers in the company, he said, brainstorm over the “water cooler.” The companies even encourage the workers with prizes for those who come up with the most creative and quirky bets. That’s how we end up with such prop bets as the following: Will Giants quarterback Eli Manning pass for more yards than his brother, Colts QB Peyton Manning did last year? Odds are 11 1/2 - 10 for Eli to pass for more than 247 yards. Will Pats QB Tom Brady outperform the Pats QBs in previous Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, all of whom are tom Brady himself? Odds vary with 6-to-5 compared to four years ago, and a minus-two touchdown passes start and 6-5 odds for the game six years ago. Bets aside for a moment, it is sure to be an exciting game.
Blackjack
Slots
Roulette
Baccarat
Craps
Poker
