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The platform, which will be powered by Wagerworks, is based in Alderney with a UK betting license, making Virgin the biggest brand name yet to be enticed by UK gambling deregulation. Simon Burridge the chairman of the new online venture told NewMediaZero about how the new site will have a wide appeal: "It's to provide something for everybody. There will be games for hardcore gamblers, but that's not where the centre of gravity is", he explained. Virgingames.com promises a wide range of games, including a casino, instant win and arcade games, and bingo. This being Virgin, prizes are expected to range from CDs and DVDS TO first-class flights around the world and stays on Branson's Luxury Necker Island in the Pacific Ocean.
Online gambling sites are betting on tighter security after a recent wave of computer attacks from cyberextortionists plunged several into darkness. Shadowy hackers demand $20,000 to $50,000 for protection from distributed denial-of-service attacks, which flood a Web site with data so that it is overloaded. BetWWTS.com in Antigua was forced to pay $30,000 when hackers shuttered its site and thousands of its customers couldn't place wagers worth an estimated $5 million, CEO Simon Noble says. It's one of the lucky ones. Since the attacks started a few months ago, a handful of smaller operations have gone out of business or abandoned Web sites in favor of phones to avoid the problem. "These sites rely on transactions with clients every few seconds. You disrupt that, and you've got major problems," says Michael Caselli, editor of Online Casino News. "A bank, by comparison, can shut down its site for an hour or two." Now, online gambling operators are bracing for a new batch of threats for college basketball's March Madness tournament, which starts next week. Online gambling sites are fertile territory for extortionists. Many of the approximately 2,000 sites are vulnerable to hacking attacks and have little legal recourse security experts say. Great Britain's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, which is investigating cases with other law-enforcement agencies, says the problem appears to be confined to gaming sites. But some security experts fear it could spread to banking and other industries that are reluctant to report computer breaches. The FBI had no comment. International gambling sites raked in $5.7 billion last year, with projections of $11.6 billion in 2006, says Christiansen Capital Advisors, a New York consulting firm that studies the gaming industry. Gangs of computer crooks allegedly operating out of Eastern Europe have collected protection money from 10% to 15% of the companies they have threatened, says DK Matai, executive chairman of security company MI2G. Most issue ultimatums in e-mail messages in the days leading to major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl. Often, threats are issued after an attack, demanding that American currency be sent to a Western Union office. BoDog Sportsbook & Casino in Costa Rica was forced to pay more than $20,000 last fall when hackers immobilized its site, says Rob Gillespie, the company's president. Since then, it has fortified its site with security products from Riverhead Networks and other tech firms. It withstood a hack attack during Super Bowl weekend. "You want to yell an obscenity at your PC screen when you get an e-mail threat," Noble says. "These guys are dangerous."
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled in favor of Antigua and Barbuda (ad interim) in a free trade dispute concerning the de facto prohibition of online gambling by the US. "This is justice done and a victory for the WTO dispute system ...the U.S. is under an obligation to repeal their laws" said Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua's ambassador to the WTO. Online casinos all over the world welcomed the WTO's ruling. Antigua lost 89 gaming businesses, 4,000 jobs and $90 million in tax revenues, as a result of the US policies. Relative to the overall size of the Antiguan economy, this loss can only be described as disastrous. At first sight the WTO ruling looks like a reenactment of the classic David and Goliath story from the Bible, but industry insiders warn the ruling may have little impact on US gambling legislation and policies. It is not known if and how the WTO will proceed to enforce it's ruling. The WTO final ruling is expected to be published in April. The US will most likely appeal the WTO ruling.
Following many months of preparation, the Mediterranean island of Malta is about to join the list of international gambling jurisdictions. The new online gambling regulations for the island were due to be released to the public as we went to press this week, opening up new opportunities for the island to increase income and employment at island Support centres. It is expected that the governing Maltese Lotteries and Gaming Authority will issue the first new licenses soon after the publication of the regulations. George M. Mangion, whose company, PKF Fiduciaries has been promoting Malta as an e-betting and e-gaming base, says the licences could be a much needed tool to stimulate the economy and generate sustainable employment. Malta potentially qualifies as a low-cost, high-tech domicile for online casinos and e-gaming operations, he said in a press release. Malta understands the commercial realities facing the e-gaming industry and therefore has adopted a commercially realistic approach towards regulating the industry. Certainly it combines a stable political and communications structure with a competitive tax structure. According to Mangion, licensees will have to operate to strict standards, with authorities examining the probity of management and owners, and the financial position and background of the company.
There is an ancient Chinese proverb about gambling and goes like this: "If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: The rules of the game, the stakes and the quitting time. Operators of gambling Web sites have had their eyes on Asia for some time. They believe that the widespread bans on conventional gambling casinos have created an ardent interest in borderless internet betting. Angela Ho, president of the DrHo888.com online casino, says she has seen a 40% increase in online bets in recent months. "The market is huge" says Ho, "and I think everybody knows that Asian players are the most sought after because they spend the most money and are the most fervent gamblers. South Korea was one of the first countries in the world to have widespread broadband access in the mid-1990s. Countries such as Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan have a relatively high broad-band penetration. China, however, has low broadband penetration but a high availability of 24-hour Internet cafes that have kept the country's online gambling industry going strong. In another overt sign of a flourishing market, operators who previously focused on more-developed markets such as the US are now joining the eastward rush by creating new Web sites designed to skew specifically to the Asian player. Simon Noble, CEO of Antigua-based BetWWTS.com, said his company built new Chinese- language pages recently but also stated that business from the Asian market was soaring regardless of the adaptation -in particular betting on European soccer and the NBA (due in part to the popularity of Houston Rockets star Yao Ming). Our numbers from Asia are up almost 130 percent from last year and it now makes up 30 percent of our overall business, said Noble. Gaming analyst Sebastian Sinclair, who works for the leading tracker of the Internet gambling sector, Christiansen Capital Advisors, said his projections show that Asian markets accounted for 16 percent of a total Net betting market of $5.6 billion in 2003 and will climb to 40 percent of a total market of $11.6 billion in 2006. "There is no question that it's now growing faster than the U.S. and other established markets, says Sinclair.
When Stern's 2,000th E! episode hit earlier this year, it was an achievement marked by numerous interviews, a few rocking bands and a multitude of exposed breasts. How well do you know the Howard Stern Show? Here are some fun facts and trivia about the show and some of it's past guests: Who are the most popular guests on the Stern Show? Pamela Anderson has graced the Howard Stern Show on E! 19 times. Other regulars include zany comedian Gilbert Gottfried (12 times) and the Oscar's own fashion critic Joan Rivers (11 times). How many girls has Howard spanked on the show? The exact number, for those keeping count, is 33. According to E! online, Howard first tickled a girl on the show on Dec. 22, 1994, when, dressed as Santa Claus, he delivered giggling gifts to three lingerie-clad ladies. What about Mr. Stern's devoted work to charity? Howard and the crew have made 14 love connections between porn stars and their biggest fans over the years. For the record, 93 different porn stars have appeared on the E! show since it began in 1994. Who was the first A-list celebrity to be featured on the show? On June 27, 1994, Alec Baldwin slugged it out through one of Howard's invasiveness, no holds barred interviews and made it through in one piece. Nowadays, Alec's younger brother Stephen calls in to the show on a regular basis. And finally, how many times has Robin Quivers, Howard's long time co-host, shown her boobs in the studio? Only once, but what a magical moment it was.
Whether you're a novice to online gambling or a seasoned player, you'll surely be interested in checking out some of the free games available at the majority of casinos. Just about every online casino now offers the initial software as a free download. You'll need this free software to play the games they offer. But once you're up and running you'll also be able to take advantage of the option to play for free in what's called "fun mode". Of course you can choose to play for real money but many people like to play free games in order to sharpen their skills, feel out the machines, develop a strategy or just play for sheer amusement. What's more, the majority of the gambling websites are now offering instant Flash versions of their games. This requires no software download or install. You just click the link on the website and start playing free games instantly. So if you enjoy the thrill of gambling, but you don't like losing money, you can always try out a free online casino game via free downloadable software or instantly online.
How far would you be willing to go on a single bet? When you hear the expression "double or nothing" do you ever think that "nothing" really means "absolutely nothing"? Ashley Revell does. He bet the farm on a single game of roulette. Revell, from Britain, decided one day to sell everything in his possession right down to the shirt on his back. He then bought a plane ticket to Las Vegas and set off with his family for the Plaza Hotel where he would end up betting everything he had on a single spin of the roulette wheel. The sum total of everything he owned was $135,300. He took this to Vegas, converted it to chips and let it ride. The gamble started off with a few low stakes bets in order to warm up a bit before the big spin. After a few low-key games Revell headed for the roulette table and placed everything in his possession on "Red". He didn't go home empty handed. He spun the wheel, a crowd that gathered around him (which included friends and family members from London) went wild, the ball bounced around as the wheel began to slow down and landed on Red '7' -- Revell walked away with $270,600. "It all happened so quickly, it was spinning before I knew it," Revell said. When asked if he intend to try to double it again, he said simply said "no thanks". The Croupier received a hefty $600. That evening was full of celebration and excitement. Revell said he also planned to buy some new clothes seeing as he sold all his old ones. "It's really down to my friends and family and Mum and Dad," he told Reuters Television. "I knew even if I lost I'd always have a home to go to." I'm still against it," said his Dad. "He shouldn't have done it. He's a naughty boy. I tell my kids they shouldn't gamble. I've got four others and they're all going to want to go the same way." "It's just brilliant," said his friend Ashley Hames, visiting Las Vegas from London for the special occasion.
As high speed internet connections penetrate larger sectors of the market, online communication and interaction between net-surfers are becoming more advanced and allowing for more intricate activities. Take online gambling if you've checked out any of the multitude of casinos on the internet you'll know that the level of graphics and game play has advanced dramatically. The action is smooth and the surroundings can be very impressive. That's thanks to companies like Playtech. Playtech develops the software that is offered, free of charge, for download on many of the casino websites. There are only a handful of key software developers but their product can be found on hundreds of different online gambling sites. One site that features Playtech software is magicboxonlinecasino.com. Playtech is particularly strong at recreating great graphics and music which all add the excitement of online play. The more realistic and glitch-free the game, the more enjoyable it is to play. Once you use the software to log on to a specific casino you will find yourself playing along with thousands of other people. In some cases you can use chat to speak directly with other players and live games that feature real dealers. This level of interaction really heightens the overall experience. And if driving to Vegas is a bit out of the way you can always jump online right from the comfort of your home.
When you visit Las Vegas or any other gambling town how do you choose the best casino to spend your time and money at? Do you base it on recommendations? Do you go and check out each site for yourself? Imagine taking that same evaluation process and multiplying it by 100. Now you're faced with the same choice millions of online gamblers are faced with when they are trying to decide what makes the best. You'll find tons of resources on the Internet about the online gambling industry but you'll want to make note of a few specific points of discussion when searching for the best casino online. First, is the casino reputable? Do a search on the casino in question and see how it rates on the review sites. Often the review sites will have a list of the top 10 and also a list of specific sites to stay away from. Next you'll want to check out the statistics on their software. Is it made by a reputable company like Playtech or Microgaming? Do they give you all the information about how the gambling odds are set up in the software? Check to see if they are audited by reputable companies such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers on a regular basis. Also see if they have a good, fast payout rate. Make note of the payment methods they accept. And most importantly try out the software to see if you like the virtual casino itself. All the top casinos offer free easy to use software you can download, install and try out in free mode to get familiar with it before you start betting for real money. Hopefully if you follow these important steps of evaluation you'll arrive at the best possible site and maximize your gambling experience.
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