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More Italians gambling more. This is the conclusion from reading the figures released by the Italian state regulator for gambling Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS), as reported on Reuters. Gambling figures for the first half of 2009, a period encompassing the months January through June, shows the value of bets in Italy rose 10.8% compared to the same period last year. They now total 26.266 billion euros. Sample month Specific figures are provided for the month of June 2009, during which overall wagers reached 4.114 billion euros, consisting of slot machines, scratch cards, sports betting and lotteries. June 2008 wagers were reportedly 3.968 billion euros. Total wagers for online poker in June 2009 were 189 million euros. The previous month they were even higher at 200 million euros. All in all, figures are strong, especially taking into account the global economic slowdown. Italian speaking players are invited to view reviews of top online poker rooms at Online Casino Reports Italy.
In a move set to further enhance the player experience at 888, CryptoLogic Limited has agreed to provide 5 new games to the Internet gaming giant. That means that by year end, players will be able to enjoy a total of 8 innovative, branded games from leading software provider CryptoLogic. Games available CryptoLogic already boasts an impressive tally of some 280 games, many of which are based on superheroes, action stars and celebrities alike. 888.com is known to its large player base as a quality casino site, featuring every imaginable game found in conventional land-based casinos, and more. From video slots, to poker, blackjack, sports, bingo, backgammon and plenty more, 888 is the premier English-language online casino. Lots of variety for players CryptoLogic will be providing their eager fan base with the 5 new games, details of which will be revealed in the next 6 months. Better yet, the addition of the new games will be available to a global audience in as many languages as the online gaming sites permit. Eager players of 888.com are already familiar with their many gaming sites including 888sport, 888ladies, and of course, Casino-on-Net.
Whether it's called hedging their bets, spreading the risk or venturing into new territory, online poker players are certainly taking the bull by the horns. According to intensive studies conducted by Poker Players Research (PPR), the amount of real money bets being wagered by poker players on bets other than poker has more than doubled in the preceding 2 years. What the studies show According to Poker Players Research (PPR) courtesy of EGRMagazine, of the 20 million online real money poker players, some 42% of them gamble outside of online poker these days as compared to 2 years ago. That means 8.4 million real money poker players are gaming elsewhere too. The figure is sharply up from 4 million in 2007. While the United States - owing to the infamous UIGEA - cannot account for much of the growth, Europe especially has shown a dramatic increase in overall gaming by poker players. Countries such as France, Germany and Scandinavia are the strongest performers in this diversified gambling group. The figure in these markets reflects an average of a 55% increase over the 2 year period in question. Crunching the numbers Blackjack is a popular choice for poker players averaging around 27% of new bets as opposed to 15% a year ago. Another big winner among poker players is the dramatic increase in sports betting - up to 28% from 14% in 2008. What these figures reflect is not only diversity in games being played by poker aficionados, it also reveals a major success in the marketing campaigns of online casinos with the quality of their available gaming options.
In a move seen to be in consonance with the USA's controversial UIGEA legislation, Norwegian authorities are set to impose similar constraints on their citizens. In the wake of this news, a rigorous debate has ensued, with many gaming aficionados and civil rights activists crying foul. Government defense At the heart of the contentious issue is the government's desire to protect the interests of problem gamblers. Amidst a flurry of political efforts to hammer out the details of the impending 2010 legislation are many vocal opponents of the future legislation. Ironically the Norwegian state-run company Norske Tipping will remain unaffected by the legislation. For now online poker and online gaming have been hardest hit. Potential for disaster If such legislation goes uncontested, there is sure to be a backlash within the EU community with many already citing unfair trade practices. But even more alarming is the blind-eye that the state has turned to Norske Tipping. It appears that the government owned entity, operated by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, is Teflon coated and it continues to operate instant games, lotto and sports betting. Norway's finest Memories of yesteryear abound with Norway's poker playing champion Annette Obrestad who won the WSOP Europe Main Event in 2007 at age 19. To complicate matters further, there were 4 other Scandinavians competing for glory. Denmark ruled that poker is a skill-based game, Sweden is opposed to it and now Norway is going to block all Norwegian IP addresses from online casino operators.
United States and European trade chiefs said on Monday they will intensify work to reach agreement on several matters, including online gambling, news agencies reported. US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton met in Washington on Monday and said afterwards that online gambling was one of four bilateral trade issues they would focus on. The three other matters they listed were American rice exports to Europe, a dispute over Irish music right, and chemical regulations. Ashton said she and Kirk discussed a recent EU report that said US Internet gambling laws hampered trade. European online gambling companies suffered greatly after the passing of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which effectively banned Internet gambling by outlawing the transfer of funds from financial institutions to gambling websites. US Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has led efforts aimed at overturning laws against gambling, although it was announced recently that hearings on his legislation have been delayed until at least September. Frank spoke at the opening of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas last week about his campaign to legalize online gambling, telling the audience that he thinks he can get a bill passed by next year. Speaking before almost 1,700 poker players at the WSOP Main Event, Frank said that in his view online gambling is a right that must be protected. Meanwhile, shares in online company PartyGaming reportedly jumped some seven percent, with analysts in Europe remaining optimistic that the US will soon open up its market to online gambling.
As the leading iGaming provider of affiliate marketing software and solutions, Income Access is hosting the much anticipated Bingo Week. Hot on the heels of winning the Best Bingo Affiliate Program award for 2 years running at the Bullet Bingo conference, Income Access is now honoring affiliates. What's on offer?All bingo-related topics such as how-to bingo articles from their blog, as well as special features of Income Access bingo partners will be highlighted. It's all about promoting bingo - whether to an audience of novices or one of advanced online bingo players. Among the many points to be discussed are the following: *Information on affiliate knowledge concerning bingo commissions *Software applications *Negative rollovers *Brokering deals on bingo merchants *The pros and cons of different strategies. Income Access is looking to show their support of affiliates by offering them ways and means of helping affiliates to promote their online bingo rooms. Rolling with WinnersThe Online Bingo Summit has chosen Income Access as a winner of the Best Affiliate Program for the second year running. They offer affiliate marketing software to the iGaming industry to such big-name players as Tombola, Bingo.com, The Gaming Network and Virtue Fusion. The goals of the affiliate support program are increased return on investment, greater flexibility and offering better player promotions among others. Income Access Bingo Week will feature articles on issues such as promo strategies, great tips on negotiating better deals, optimizing marketing campaigns and of course bingo commissions.
Antoine Walker always went all out. So was his size, at one point earning him critical words from Coach Pat riley, a strong advocate of stamina and fitness. So were his 3-pointers, which Walker defended once, when asked why he took so many shots, saying: "Because there aren't any fours.'" Well, in a sad twist of events, Walker is now believed to have gone too far gambling. The 3-time All-Star, 32 year old NBA player Antoine Walker has reportedly run up $822,500 in gambling debts. A day after reports of a warrant for the troubled gambler came out, Walker was arrested in Harrah's Casino in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. As if to add insult to injury, Walker was mocked on online discussion boards for walking into a casino, where he was wanted for writing bad checks, one day after the warrants. He left the building in handcuffs. Walker earned nearly $100 million in his 12 year NBA career. He gambled at Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, and Red Rock Resort for a total of about $1 million, of which he paid back only $178,000.
European governments are refusing to open up their betting markets to foreign gambling companies, The Economist reports. According to the report, the largest crackdown on gambling companies is taking place in the Netherlands, which has increased the pressure on foreign betting companies and only allows its residents to place online bets with the state monopoly De Lotto. "Its tactics seem to have been copied from America, which in 2006 struck at online-gambling firms by threatening the banks that they used," the report said. "In February the Dutch Ministry of Justice warned banks in the country that they could be prosecuted for transferring money from the accounts of Dutch residents to those of online-gambling firms abroad." The Economist also cited a study by Gambling Compliance that says Germany, Estonia, Sweden and Hungary have either passed or are contemplating laws to force Internet providers to block access to gambling sites. Noting that European governments claim they are protecting consumers, The Economist refuted this by pointing out that in countries such as the Netherlands and Sweden, online gambling is still allowed through the state monopolies. The tax on gambling winnings in the Netherlands, for example, is set at 29%. The gross profit from online betting in Europe is thought to be about $5 billion a year, the report said, proving why this is such a big issue.
Wall Street Journal columnist Brett Arends, writing his debut column for WSJ Website Marketwatch, reported that World Poker Tour chief Steve Lipscomb told him that the tour had conducted "discussions and exchanged documents with some companies that have expressed an interest." But he tour's chief financial officer Tom Flahie said that he could not comment, apart from saying that confidential data had been provided "to third parties," Arends wrote. Explaining the reasoning behind the possible sale, Arends wrote that years of losses have left the company looking for a major broadcaster or online poker company to purchase it. WPT stock hit a high of $26 in 2005, which had poker legend Doyle Brunson reportedly considering a $700 million bid. But the stock has dropped to a current level of $1.25 and parent company WPE Enterprises is now worth only $25 million. Arends wrote that critics blame the creation of too many imitations of the tour on TV as hurting the WPT. Critics also say that the WPT never found a way to convert its brand name into a reliable revenue stream, he wrote. He also lists company mistakes such as a failed venture in China and letting costs slip out of control, with overhead trebling to $22 million between 2004 and 2008 while revenues fell.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is second in the overall standings and second in the betting as the competitors enter Stage 16 of the 21-Stage tour. Armstrong is 16/1 at William Hill Sports and a mere 21.00 at Ladbrokes to win the competition yet again, behind favorite Alberto Contador of Spain (1/10 at Will Hill, 1.08 at Ladbrokes). The competition has by now entered the mountain stage along the French-Swiss border, a section of the race that traditionally turns the tour on its head, as the sprinters that have an advantage early on fall back into the pack. Stage 16 will have the cyclists rise to 2,469m, over a 159km road up the Grand-Saint-Bernard Pass. Contador is favorite at both William Hill Sports and Ladbrokes to win the Stage, while Armstrong's odds fall behind such cyclists as Franco Pellizotti and Andy Schleck. With the tour seemingly a two-horse race between Armstrong and Contador, bookmakers are also offering specials on the "king of the mountains," and the winners of the green jersey for best sprinter and white jersey for best young rider. As usual, Irish online bookmaker Paddy Power is offering some extra specials on the competition, including betting for team classification and for Contador against the field. In team classification, Astana with Contador and Armstrong on board, is a hot 1.30 favorite to be named the best team on the tour. The team's favoritism is all the more remarkable given it was on the verge of financial collapse earlier this year. Team Saxo Bank, 5/1, and Ag2R, 7/1 are the other contenders. Contador is 1/12 favorite to win at Paddy Power, while the chances of a winner coming from the rest of the field are 11/2.
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