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Simon B, an online gamer in his thirties, has made William Hill Online Casino history with an unprecedented win on Pharaoh's Treasure slots. Simon's name now rests at the top of the leader board of massive jackpot winners to the tally of £227,054. A 40 pence winning line is all it took Simon B to enter the big leagues of online gambling's jackpot record books in 2009. He made his deposit on the Egyptian themed, five-reel 20-line Vegas-style slot machine game. There's a £200 limit deposit per game, with winnings that can last a lifetime. The king provides The spell has been broken and Tutankhamen is ready to share his riches with online players. Pharaoh's Treasure - the William Hill online game - has made gambling history with its recent big jackpot winners. Players are drawn in by the allure of uncovering a hidden treasure chest in ancient Egypt. Simon B dug deep inside the mysteries of this progressive slots game as he entered the bonus round of Tutankhamen's Tomb. The game features scatter symbols, wild symbols and multipliers to accompany the free spins up on offer. Simon B uncovered the vital three jackpot-winning Tutankhamen's masks in the bonus game to claim his seat amongst the Gods of Egypt, in the present day. The game allows players to view their betting history, use auto play options, enjoy free spins and gamble with progressive jackpots. Notable jackpots William Hill has had several huge jackpot winners of late from Pharaoh's Treasure. Simon B now joins Carl and Stephanie as Pharaoh's Treasure huge jackpot winners. The game is renowned for its payouts, listed below: On 14 January 09 Carl won £73,634.46 On 28 December 08 Simon B won £227,054 On 8 October 08 Stephanie won £56,174.54
Antigua and Barbuda's Finance Minister flew to Washington, D.C. last week to meet with United States trade officials in an attempt to resolve an ongoing dispute over online gambling payments, the Antigua Sun reported last Wednesday. Dr. Errol Cort said that the current round of meetings with United States Trade Relations representatives could result in an agreement. "We've been holding discussions and negotiations over many months. I believe that we've reached a point where we might be able to conclude these negotiations," Cort said. The U.S. has so far reneged on its obligation to pay the tiny Caribbean nation $21 million awarded to it as part of a World Trade Organization decision in December 2007. The WTO ruled that Washington had wrongly blocked online gaming operators from the island nation while at the same time allowing online wagering on horse racing. Antigua and Barbuda claimed annual damages of $3.44 billion, while the U.S. claimed it had caused only $500,000 worth of damage to the Antiguan economy. And despite the obvious compromise in the amount of damages earned, the two nations remain at loggerheads more than a year later. The 2007 ruling was significant for one other reason in that it gave Antigua the right to violate copyright protections on goods like films, music and software products made in the U.S., by allowing them to distribute copies of the items. With the Obama administration to be inaugurated Tuesday, a policy change could be possible both in regards to this dispute and to the United States' broader online gambling policy.
There have been many surveys over the years of the online gambling industry and community, but it is quite an evasive field to pin down in numbers. Still these surveys are always interesting, and at time surprising, such as the survey that showed that 50% of gamblers are women. An analysis of online gambling's global scope is now at hand. New numbers US Consulting firm Christiansen Capital Advisors published an estimate that our industry currently accounts for about $22 billion a year in global revenue. The number is expected to reach nearly $25 billion a year by 2010. Of interest Surprisingly, or not, half of the above sum will be wagered by Americans, CCA says. This immediately spells two words: UIGEA and Taxes. Or in other words - isn't there a ban in place? And wouldn't the US benefit if it would tax a regulated market? As for the former, online gambling is not considered a vice any more as it might have been in centuries past. Friday night college poker nights are a norm (as are Wednesday nights, or any other day of the week). Per the latter question, taxes on the industry could generate somewhere in the neighborhood of $8.7 billion to $17.6 billion for the US Treasury over the next 10 years; this number nearly quadruples if sports leagues agree to participate too, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study.
In somewhat of a breakthrough for online poker players all over the United States, a Pennsylvania judge has ruled that Texas Hold 'em is a game of skill and is therefore not considered gambling under state law. In handing down his verdict, Judge Thomas A. James, Jr. said the basic question in determining whether Texas Hold 'em is gambling is to determine whether chance or skill predominates. Judge James cited poker literature, including Mike Caro's "Secrets of Winning Poker", to sow that there are strategies that allow a player to win the game. Judge James explained the dominant factor test that is applied to games of skill can also be applied to poker. He even cited a study which shows that poker beginners receive big hands and lucky draws. The study shows that expert poker players use their skills to minimize their losses on bad hands and to maximize their profits on big hands. "Clearly, the judge had an understanding of how poker is played...the decision sets an excellent bar for us in the future," Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily. The defendant in this particular case was Walter Watkins, who ran a $1-$2 No Limit Hold 'em game out of his garage. He and dealer Diane Dent have both been cleared of 20 charges. "It's unfortunate we had to go through all this," Watkins said. "We were arrested, taken out of our home, shackled and spent a night in prison. All for playing poker."
eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, eCOGRA has announced it is extending its cover to bingo, sports betting and live gambling operations. The decision means eCOGRA now offers its testing, standards and monitoring services to all major sectors of the online gambling industry, having already covered online casinos and poker sites, as well as mobile gambling. eCOGRA Chief Executive Officer Andrew Beveridge said the move enables operators in these new sectors to achieve the Safe and Fair eCOGRA seal already held by some 126 tier one online casinos and poker rooms. "Over the past six years we have built up a wealth of expertise and information as a result of our involvement in well over a hundred accreditation audits on many of the most successful and well-run gambling groups on the Internet," Beveridge said. eCOGRA is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting players who engage in lawful online gaming. By displaying the eCOGRA "Safe and Fair" seal, an online casino or poker room is proving that they have undergone eCOGRA's independent check for fair gaming, honest advertising and responsible operator conduct, based on best practice requirements. Following eCOGRA accreditation a company is subject to annual reviews, ensuring that players continue to get fair treatment from their online casino or poker room of choice, and soon from their bingo, sports betting or live gaming operator of choice. The organization is recognized by many online gambling regulators as well as the European Gaming and Betting Association, the umbrella group for more of Europe's major online operators.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the favorites to win the NFL's Super Bowl on February 1, although that won't bother their opponent Arizona, who have won all three playoff matches so far as underdogs. Most Las Vegas bookmakers have Pittsburgh at between a 6.5 to 7.5 point favorite in handicap betting, although this will no doubt change as the two weeks leading up to the game give betters plenty of time to analyze their choice. UK bookmaker William Hill has Pittsburgh a clear 4/11, against the Cardinals' 2/1. Ladbrokes also has the Steelers a clear favorite at decimal odds of 1.38. Arizona is 3.20. Pittsburgh is a 6.5 point favorite in handicap betting there too. In some alternative betting, Ladbrokes is offering odds of 1.60 on an odd number of total game points being scored. The odds on an even number are 2.15. The most likely winning margin is Pittsburgh by 1-6 points (at odds of 4.50), followed by Pittsburgh by 7-12 (at odds of 5.00), and then Pittsburgh by 13-18 and Arizona by 1-6 (at odds of 6.00). A Pittsburgh touchdown is the most likely first score, at 2.25, followed by an Arizona touchdown, 3.50 and a Pittsburgh field goal, 4.33. The Steelers are going for a record sixth Super Bowl win (they are currently tied for top place with Dallas and San Francisco), while the Cardinals, relatively unsuccessful since moving to Arizona in 1994, are chasing their first. Pittsburgh began the season 15/1 with Las Vegas bookmakers to win the Super Bowl, while Arizona has surprised everybody after beginning the year 40/1.
The bar's open - will it be your usual? Have you ever felt like trying something a little different from your regular tipple? You might be fully satisfied with your regular games, but we can all benefit from a change now and again. Chances are that trying something new will refresh your interest in your traditional games to which you can return with added vigor! Gin rummy is now online! Would you believe that gin rummy is played by around 100 million people the world over? Yes, this perennial favorite has just gone online, and it's amazing! Having just celebrated its 100th birthday, gin rummy is experiencing a revival with hordes of fans - new and old - turning to this exciting game. Gin variants Gin rummy, or simply "gin" for short, is a superb way of whiling away the hours. The game has a slower pace than the standard games of poker or blackjack, and luck becomes more of a factor in the final outcome. Game variants include standard rummy, and the faster, more spontaneous game of knock rummy. A very sociable game Gin rummy requires little intellectual focus and is a very sociable game. The Internet version is ideal for expanding this element by offering online chat facilities. Due to its slower nature than games like poker and blackjack, players can chat with each other as they play, picking up hints from one another and sharing gaming experiences. So, if you fancy trying something a little different, check out online gin rummy at William Hill.
European Blackjack adds a lot more spice to the exciting game players have come to know so well. In this version of the game, the dealer is last in line to be dealt a second card. And that's when the game gets interesting. Players first Players get dealt their hands before the dealer takes his second card. Why - so that the fun-meter in the game gets cranked up a gear or two. There's lots of excitement with liberal splits and double down rules: With 6 decks and 1 to 5 hands of cards, European rules bring a whole new dimension to Blackjack. For instance the dealer stands soft on 17 or higher. For players there are for 3:2 ratio winnings on an ace and 10-value card. For other winnings, players rack up a 1 to 1 ratio. Knowing the ins and outs of the rules will make the entire experience much more worthwhile, so spend a minute or two understanding the basics. Some points to European Blackjack players bear in mind: You can double down on any first two cards or following a split. Best of all you can split three times for a total of 4 hands. The usual rules apply with face cards valued at 10, and all other cards between 2 and 10 assume their nominal value. Aces are 1 or 11, and for Blackjack it's merely the sum of all the cards in the hand. Players' winnings Betting chips start from as little as $0.10 to $1000. With healthy win ratios, these numbers can swell as small cash rapidly translates into big winnings. With payout odds standing at 2:1 for Insurance, 3:2 for Player Blackjack and 1:1 for a winning hand, players are all lining up to throw their chips into this exciting game. And what about online destinations for top quality Internet Blackjack? Well, where better to start than the online casino famed for its Blackjack offering, Blackjack Ballroom of course.
A week ahead of CAP Euro London, the first event of the year, headlined by the CAP Awards Ceremony, one of two co-owners, Lou Fabiano, has resigned. Fabiano, also known as The Professor, has posted the following comment on the CAP forum on January 25 under the title Professor Signing Off: "After all the negative press and activity of the past few months I have decided it's probably best for the community moving forward if I left. For whatever reason I create too much of a distraction and raise too many questions by even being here anymore... I will do what's best and simply move on." Amid controversy Fabiano has been the focus of industry criticism over the past several weeks, with allegations of involvement in the Card Spike Poker Room, namely not coming forth and admitting it in proper, transparent fashion. CAP Euro London Questions arose immediately after Sunday's announcement, asking how it will affect the upcoming event (January 28-February 1)? Clarifying the issue, Fabiano added: "I have already purchased tickets to London and have a hotel room booked so I may go, but even if I do this is my last appearance at the events." So it will carry on as planned. Sure, the event will be marred somewhat, and talk will surely include responses to the resignation, but it remains a prime venue for doing business; with over a thousand participants expected, it will also be a festive event, as always it is. Resilience Throughout the unraveling of the story, culminating with the resignation on Sunday, the people involved have kept to factual criticism and avoided personal attacks. This has also been the case in conversations I have held with many involved and those uninvolved. This is to their - and the industry's - credit. Transparency, responsibility and openness: we've talked about them in the past. If anything good has come out of this, perhaps it's the understanding that that is what we need. Let's pick up from there in London.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear will appeal a court ruling that stops the state seizing domain names used by Internet gambling sites. In a 2-1 ruling last Tuesday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals said the state does not have the jurisdiction to seize online casinos' Internet domain names in an effort to keep them from operating in the state. The ruling also said a Franklin Circuit Court judge cannot hold further hearings on the issue. 141 domains had been shortlisted for seizure, including two bingo sites, the hugely popular poker room, Poker Stars, and some major sports betting sites were also slated to be targeted under the move. Poker advocates welcomed the Court of Appeals' ruling, with Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas calling it "a tremendous victory for Internet freedom and the rights of Kentucky residents who enjoy playing online poker." "The Court of Appeals has agreed with the PPA's position that Judge Wingate did not have jurisdiction to issue the order that he entered against these domains and that Secretary Brown had no legitimate right to deprive the citizens of Kentucky of the legal right to play poker online." However, Kentucky's Secretary of Justice and Public Safety, J. Michael Brown, said that the state would continue to fight the ruling. "The evidence (from the original court case) demonstrated that illegal and unregulated activity is occurring in Kentucky and that millions of dollars are being lost as a result of that activity." The appeal is set to be heard in April 2009.
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