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More than 7000 players began the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas last week, but that has been trimmed down to just 1203 following an action-packed first three days that saw many former champions knocked out. This year's event has seen the second-largest number of entrants ever, which means the remaining players are facing off for a first prize of almost $9 million. 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan is ninth overall in the chips stakes, with 636,000. Other notables amongst the chip leaders are Eric Baldwin and two-time bracelet winner Jesper Hougaard. On the flip side, 19 past champions have been eliminated from the tournament, including nine of the last 10 winners. The only name on that list, 2008 Main Event winner Peter Eastgate, is not competing after announcing a break from professional poker. As usual, a host of celebrities have competed at this year's event, including funny man Ray Romano, actress Shannon Elizabeth, Seinfeld star Jason Alexander and Australian cricket legend and 888 identity Shane Warne. The field at the 2010 Main Event will be narrowed down to nine players by July 17. The final table will then be delayed until the grand finale beginning November 6.
Lady Gaga, Queen of surreal lyrics and even crazier outfits, has been spied laying her cards on the table among the high rollers at a top-end US casino. The diva may have been "holding 'em like they do in Texas" - but her choice of venue was the elite Borgata casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Post Gig Gamble Ms Gaga was said to have been relaxing on the casino floor after performing an Independence Day gig in Atlantic City. She chose to spend some of the proceeds of her dazzling chart success at the high-limit card tables. "She looked happy playing around with friends and family," said one onlooker. Keeping It Real You might think that hitting the big time in music and having the cash to roll with the big spenders in gambling might have blurred Lady Gaga's perspective on reality - not so. Stef Germanotta (Gaga's real name) didn't forget to thank her Fourth of July audience: "I know the economy really sucks right now, and you spent your money on hanging out with me on the Fourth of July, so I thank you." Try It Online! At OCR, we also strive to keep things real - we love online casinos precisely because they have a range of games for all budgets. So whether you're still saving to see Lady Gaga or you can already afford front row seats, we think you'll find an online casino to suit you. And our tip for Lady Gaga herself? Well, an online casino won't ask you to leave your machine gun bra at reception...
Though it will take some time, and might be altogether impossible, to sum up all the bets placed during the 2010 World Cup, bwin offered an insight as to what we can expect. The Austrian based online sportsbook closed over 30 million bets on the month of the tournament, fielded by 900,000 bettors, at a rate of 260,000 bettors a day. bwin sportsbook's turnover reached €1.1m per day during this time, a record high as they report. The revenue is double that of the previous World Cup, as were all the figures compared to past events. The semi-final match between Spain and Germany continues to show as the most popular game of the tournament. William Hill Sports reported the largest single bet, a £417,000 wager, was placed on this match by a British punter. bwin reports the game attracted more bets that the final between Spain and the Netherlands. Though the vuvuzelas have gone silent, and players have reunited with their families, the fallout of the 2010 FIFA World Cup continues to surprise, like a winning bet on a sportsbook. Have you played on bwin this month? Have you won? Visit bwin now and bet on the Premier League, F1, Tour de France and other post-World Cup sport events.
It was only a matter of time before we were able to bring you the good news - gambling software designer Probability has launched the first ever casino applications for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. Four games will now be available for owners to use on their devices, with the added extra of being able to gamble for real money, eGaming Review Magazine has reported. The first two games released are roulette and blackjack, and they will be followed by two online slots games - Poseidon Slots later this month and Goldrush in the coming months. Although the games cannot be downloaded through Apple itself, they will operate through the phone's browser. Probability is also reported planning to launch casino games for another Apple product, the iPad, later this year. This comes as added good news for customers of online casinos that support iPhones, including Jackpot City Mobile Casino and William Hill Mobile. Jackpot City is also offering all its new mobile customers a 150% match bonus of up to 150 credits upon first deposit. Meanwhile, William Hill is offering its new mobile customers a GBP 150 free welcome bonus.
Attempts to ban online gambling will fail to stop the practice, in the same way as prohibition failed to stop people from drinking, The Economist has predicted in an article on July 8 that also appears on its online news site. Published continuously since its establishment in 1843 and boasting hard copy circulation of more than 1.6 million copies each week, The Economist is a voice that cannot be ignored by legislators in Washington. When it comes out and takes a stand on an issue like online gambling, which it says should be legalized, taxed and regulated, it does so after careful consideration. As the article points out, the US Justice Department maintains that online gambling is illegal now that the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act is being implemented, and yet Americans are now betting online as much as they did four years ago. The reason for that is simple: "anyone who wants to gamble and has an internet connection can do so." According to the article, which was published to accompany a special report on the state of online gambling in the world, the legal gambling market totaled $335 billion globally in 2009, two-thirds of which came from lotteries and casinos. The special report shows that the online gambling market remains relatively small proportionally, tallying up at just over $25 billion in 2009. That figure will continue to rise in the future, leaving lawmakers to choose whether to fight a losing battle or to regulate it, as suggested by The Economist.
Increased liberalization of the gaming market will drive online gambling in the near future, according to a new survey - Online Gambling Trends 2010/2011 - released by the Media and Entertainment Consulting Network. The survey, which interviewed more than 100 market insiders and operators, found that liberalization would be number one in the list of factors that would influence the industry in the next two to three years. However, the respondents also cautioned that liberalization does not guarantee uninhibited growth, with the example of France's state-controlled betting companies showing that it is hard to compete against the big guns. The survey also found that the experts believe strongly in the advancement of mobile innovation, with nearly half agreeing that new games and product innovation will shape the online gaming industry. The report follows previous country-specific reports also conducted by London-based MECN, including surveys on the Swiss, Danish and French gambling markets, and the bi-monthly newsletter on recent developments in the European gambling market.
A record £1 billion was bet on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, according to British bookmaker William Hill, which has released all the betting figures on the recently completed tournament. Unsurprisingly, the Spain-Netherlands final, which the Spaniards won 1-0 in extra time, recorded the highest volume of betting money at the bookmaker. Next in line were the Germany-Spain semi-final, and England's matches against Algeria, the USA and Germany. In contrast, the lowest staking match of the World Cup was the Mexico-Uruguay game, while North Korea vs Ivory Coast and Paraguay vs New Zealand also attracted little interest. Somewhat surprisingly, bwin reported the semi-finals match between Spain and Germany drew the highest volume of bets, as reported here. Meanwhile, William Hill estimates that punters who followed predictions made by Paul the Octopus - the German-based sea creature that predicted correctly the result of all Germany's games and the final - have won up to half a million pounds. "We can but hope Paul has gone to a rest home for retired octopi by the time the next World Cup gets underway," a William Hill spokesman said. Betting for the 2014 World Cup is now underway, with host Brazil, 7/2, Spain, 9/2, and Argentina, 6/1 leading the odds at the bookmaker. Spain is 25/1 to win both Euro 2012 (being played in Poland and Ukraine) and the 2014 World Cup.
One of the NBA's biggest ever off-season trading periods, which saw LeBron James and Chris Bosh move to the Miami Heat to join Dwayne Wade, has prompted a rethink of odds from bookmakers across the globe. At British bookmaker Ladbrokes, the Heat have not only been installed as new championship favorites for the 2010/11 season, but have also led them to challenge punters to bet on Miami versus the rest of the field, with the Heat paying 9/4 odds and the other 29 teams paying 2/7. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are aiming for a three-peat and are almost certainly gearing up for a shot at Miami in the NBA Finals, are second favorites, paying 5/2 for the championship. The NBA's balance of power has shifted with the trades, but another effect will be felt on local industry in Cleveland, a city that benefited from LeBron's huge personality. One article in national news site The Examiner suggested that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's rant to fans following Lebron's exit might have had more to do with the impact it will have on a proposed casino adjacent to the Cavs' home arena. Gilbert put up $35 million in campaign money along with Penn National to support the casino, according to the article.
In the sleepy, rural town of Bishop, Texas lady luck has shone upon one rapturous resident not once, not twice, not even three times. Jammy Joan Ginther has notched up a phenomenal four lottery wins. Ginther, known for her reclusive nature, had her first win in the form of a shared $11 million lottery draw jackpot back in 1993. She followed this up with scratch card wins to a tidy $2 million in 2006 and a thrilling $3 million just two years later. Her latest win came from a $50 scratch card and netted her a cool $10 million. The 63 year old hails from a small community of 3,300 and is known to be a very private person. Pilgrimage to Times Market The mysterious millionaire bought two of her winning tickets at Times Market, a highway gas station, which, understandably, is becoming a place of pilgrimage for those chasing some lottery loot. Sue Bae, who owns the Time Market remembers selling Ginther her winning tickets and describes her as "generous" and having "helped so many people". Bae recalls her buying a car for someone down on their luck, getting a van for the local church and donating her old home to charity. It All Adds Up Many gambling fans will tell you that you have to keep playing to beat the odds, something that this winner knows all about as she was formerly a college professor who taught math! Ginther has shied publicity since her big wins but is known to have moved away from the cotton farms and somewhat run down Bishop to lively Las Vegas, where the casinos can provide plenty of opportunity for more winning streaks.
Spaniard Alberto Contador holds a comfortable lead over the rest of the pack and in the odds as the 2010 Tour de France heads into its final week. The two-time winner, who leads Luxembourg's Andy Schleck by eight seconds, is 1 2/11 favorite at William Hill. Schleck is 7/2. With a two minute gap between Contador and third-placed rider Samuel Sanchez, also of Spain, the competition is essentially a two-horse race between Contador and Schleck. However, the odds for some of the other classifications are proving to be a little more interesting. In the race for the King of the Mountains, Schleck and Contador play second and third fiddle to Frenchman Anthony Charteau, who leads the classification comfortably with two more mountain stages to race and is paying 4/7 odds. Schleck is 5/1 and Contador 8/1. In the points classification, which generally is won by the best sprinter, Italy's Alessandro Petacchi holds a narrow two-point lead over Norwegian Thor Hushovd, but a stronger lead in the odds - 1/2 to Hushovd's 13/8. Brit Mark Cavendish is the other contender at 8/1. The Tour de France ends July 25 with the 102km ride from Longjumeau to Paris.
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