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Playboy Enterprises will turn 60 next year, but the brand continues to innovate and expand its interests, as shown by its announcement last week that it will re-enter the online gambling industry. Playboy, Amaya deal Playboy Enterprises and Amaya Gaming Group, an entertainment solutions provider for the regulated gaming industry, announced a global licensing agreement which will see them collaborate and develop online gaming initiatives in poker and lottery featuring the iconic Playboy brand. Roll-out is anticipated to begin in early 2013. And while further details were not revealed, Playboy's online gambling venture will benefit from the brand's global awareness. Playboy is stronger than ever today, with over 7 million Facebook fans and 10 million unique visitors per month to its website. Playboy good fit for online gambling Playboy is quite clearly a good fit for online gambling. It is best known for producing a men's magazine that features photos of nude women as well as quality journalism and fiction. But over the years Hugh Hefner's firm has developed into a brand with a multitude of interests. As CEO Scott Flanders said, the Playboy lifestyle is about indulging our passions, and so gaming is an ideal fit with that strategy. Casino-goers are very conscious of the design-driven lifestyle promoted by Playboy, and will no doubt be interested in the final product.
Schleswig-Holstein, the northern German state that has stood out in Europe's most-populous country for its pro-gambling state, today announced that it has issued its first 12 licenses for online casino games. Big breakthrough Twelve operators received licenses in the first round, including 888, Betfair, Ladbrokes, bet365, mybet, Bet-at-home, PokerStars (under the name of local subsidiary REELGermany), and ElectraWords, a subsidiary of bwin.party. The licenses allow operators to offer a wide selection of "online casino" games including online poker, according to a press release. The regulations contain clauses that protect players, and online casinos must inform players each hour on how much they have won or lost. Where to next? While residents of Schleswig-Holstein will no doubt be celebrating, the question many will be asking is where to next for German online gambling? The other 15 states recently passed new regulations which enable a limited number of sports betting licenses but maintain the ban on online poker. S-H moved ahead with its own regulations, and has now delivered 27 licences - 12 today and 15 previous licences to sportsbooks. The new state government has promised to join the federal regulations, while also maintaining its commitment to license-holders.
It feels like we report about a new payment method every day, thanks to the constant stream of e-wallets, cash cards and localized payment options that are now available to the average punter. 2012 has been a big year for online casino payment options, with the most notable development being an increased focus on security and privacy. We sat down and selected the most notable developments over the past 12 months. Ukash: Anonymity reigns supremeUkash remained of the most popular options for online gamblers during 2012, thanks to its promise of complete anonymity. This company offers an alternative to traditional online banking, by providing a simple, cash-like deposit method that excuses users from having to submit personal or banking information entirely. Skrill name catches on Last year we reported on Moneybookers' rebranding under the name Skrill. Now Skrill has become a household name in its own right, with this popular gambling payment method gaining attention for its customer friendliness and simplicity. As with rival Ukash, Skrill focuses on customer privacy and confidentiality, providing a secure gateway to deposit and withdraw funds to and from an online casino account. It allows users to send money via email from a credit/debit card or bank account. Once registered, all that is needed for future transactions is an email address. Paypal issues challengePaypal is the world's largest and most successful online payment processor, so any article about the best payment methods would be incomplete without a mention. This e-commerce giant renewed its services to online casinos in 2010 after the industry proved stable enough to support it, and it really took off as an option in 2012. Most top online gambling operators now offer PayPal as an option. The service allows anyone to deposit or receive money using their preferred option - including credit cards, bank accounts, or PayPal Smart Connect. PayPal allows users to do this without sharing any financial information with operators. Rise of the local payment option 2012 has seen a big swing toward local payment options, with new methods springing up in every corner of the globe. Each method caters to players using specific languages and living in specific countries. For example, there are cash payment methods like Baloto Electronico, which is offered by Pagos Online and can be purchased at participating retail stores in Colombia. Credit cards still number one Visa, MasterCard and other credit and debit cards are still the most popular form of payment, probably due to the fact that most casino customers already own at least one card and trust them for their commitment to security. On the other hand, many casino-goers prefer not to reveal financial information to operators, hence why they choose from the options above.
Christmas is no longer creeping upon us, it's well and truly round the corner. So it's time to crank up the celebrations a notch£1million Christmas CrackersOn Friday 21st December, Bet365 Bingo launch their £1 million Christmas Cracker promotion - that's £1 million up for grabs every day for the next twelve days, ending New Year's Day. With Bingo tickets starting at 5p, it really does feel like Christmas is here.Head to the Guilty Pleasures room to join the celebrations: There, you can play Last Chance Salon, 1TG, 2TG, Roll On and Bingo Linx games with tickets starting as low as 5p. In addition, there is a special Xmas themed game each of the twelve days between December 21st and January 1st, including the Gold Ticket Xmas Special and Xmas BOGOF. Look out for the game 'Xmas 2.5k Baby': Your chance to stake 5p for a £2,500 win. Another nice touch is the £2013 prize in the 'NY 2012 Baby' game on New Year's Eve. Bet365 Games Reload WeekendElsewhere, in the world of slots and table games, Bet365 Games is putting on a weekend of celebrations: Reclaim 50% of the deposit you place this Christmas Weekend. Your deposit should be between $40 and $200 to qualify for your Reload Bonus. The 50% Reload Bonus is available to claim on your iPhone, Android and iPad.
The NFL has long opposed sports betting and have recently made that stance known to the public. November 21 marked the release date for 'Silver Linings Playbook' a new movie featuring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games), and Robert DeNiro who plays a die hard Eagles fan and whose performance has an early Oscar buzz fluttering around. Following the release of the film the NFL gave word that they are cancelling an interview with Bradley Cooper on Rich Eisens Thanksgiving Podcast edition because in the movie DeNiro's character plays a part-time Bookie. I don't think it would surprise anyone that NFL sports betting generates billions of dollars annually and there are more and more ways to find a line on the games. Where to find the hottest betsWith the NFL baring down on sports betting you may think it would be hard to find legal operators to take your action but you would be wrong. Throughout Europe and basically anywhere else in the world outside of the US, there are unbelievably reliable and trustworthy sportsbook operators ready to take your picks before Sunday afternoon. Legendary online gaming operators William Hill and bet365 have decades of experience between them and offer the best in online NFL betting, offer NFL betting advice, and have the hottest nfl betting trends and picks.William Hill Sportsbook is one of the most reputable and well-known operators in the industry, and the same can be said about bet365. With Week 16 already underway both online Sportsbooks have the best NFL picks betting located by clicking on American Football button on their sportsbook pages. There, you will be blown away by the attention to detail and the many ways to play. You can bet on virtually anything from winning margins, number of total touchdown's, longest field goal made, team to score first and so much more. There is also in-game betting, 3-way betting, and all the game lines for week 16.Featured BetsAn early game this week saw the Titans beat the Jets 14-10. Before the rest of the action kicks off, William Hill has got the Falcons at -210 at the Lions at +175, the Browns at +500 at the -700 Broncos, the Patriots are at -1600 at the +800 Jaguars, and the rest of the games are posted as well. Bet365 has all that and more with the Titans +12.5 to the -12.5 Packers in what should be a great game, the Colts are at -7.0 at the +7.0 Chiefs, the 49ers are at -1.0 against the +1.0 Seahawks, and as all the games unwind visit either site for a long list of in-play wagers.Even if the NFL is against putting your hard earned cash up on the hardest hitting action in sports, there are places all over the world that understand and cater to those of us that make bets. If you haven't watched the game with money on the line you haven't really watched the game. For all the information on how NFL betting works, where to find the best bets, and all the other news on online gambling, visit Online Casino Reports today.
More and more studies are proving it - playing games is good for your brain: it's good for your memory function, your reactions and your calculation skills. Rush University Medical Center (in Chicago, IL) recently concluded a piece of research, showing that the more often you train your brain through gameplay, the better it performs in later life. Not unlike maintaining your body through physical exercise. But here's the great part - playing blackjack, one could argue, is a lot more enjoyable than running around the block! Brain ScienceQuick sciencey bit: the brain is made up for 100 billion neurons that can connect to each other in tens of thousands of different combinations. Playing card-games or board-games can activate these connection pathways and contribute to more agile brain, like mental gymnastics!Practice Online GamesA game such as online blackjack can count as an intensive mental workout: it demands memory recall, mental arithmetic (or maths) and on-the-spot reasoning, for example when a player needs to calculate how many cards have been dealt with a 10 value.And what is more, there is instant gratification along the way: the results of the brain-training can be felt by the player over the course of their lives. The more you play, the sooner you will feel an improvement in your game (hopefully), and you will find yourself recognizing your odds in seconds, to take one example.Online Poker For The MindOnline poker is one of the most popular games to help increase mental fitness and offset dementia. Calculating probabilities, remembering what cards that have been folded, deducing what cards your rival may be holding, these are all important exercises for maintaining a healthy, active mind. Needless to say, it's also fun and potentially lucrative all at the same time.Of course the choice of brain-training games are endless and nowadays they all readily available online.
Spanish tennis champion Rafael Nadal is best known for his work on grass, clay and hardcourt, but soon he might be talked about for completely different reasons - his performance at the online poker table. Rafa's poker career begins Nadal, who recently joined PokerStars as its latest celebrity ambassador, started playing the tables last week under the nickname "RAFA." He joined 1,841 other participating in the main event of the €200 buy-in Spanish online poker championship, and helped boost the prize pool to a surprising €339 thousand. Although the tournament was one by one of the other participants, Rafa put in an impressive showing. He eliminated one player with a set of tens against a pair of aced, and showed that he has the potential to become a top poker player - if he can put as much energy into it as he has his tennis game. Big stable of athletes Rafa signed up with PokerStars in July, as readers might recall, joining a stable of elite athletes who have chosen poker as a part-time pursuit. PokerStars' Team SportStars also includes German tennis legend Boris Becker, and a number of European start from other disciplines. Big names from other industries have been involved with Team PokerStars in the past, most notably actor Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame. All this just goes to show that online poker is a game for everyone - from the biggest celebrity to your average punter.
Competition between the online sportsbooks reached a new high in 2012, and customers were the beneficiaries. New sports betting platforms popped up, and the leading online betting sites took on the challenge by introducing new features and adding more events with wagering options. This was a big year for sports betting, with a number of major events such as the 2012 London Olympics and Euro 2012, along with all the usual tennis and golf grand slam tournaments, NFL, NBA and MLB in the United States, and the top football leagues in Europe such as the Champions League, English Premier League and Spanish La Liga. Here are a few of the year's highlights: Mobile betting Mobile sports betting was the big story of the year, with the latest studies revealed that it comprises just over three-quarters of all mobile gambling activities. In fact, the latest trends show that the mobile betting market should reach around $45 billion by 2017, up from $13 billion last year. Even Americans are now getting in on the act, with William Hill US launching a mobile betting app compatible with iPhones, iPads, Blackberry and Android smartphones and tablets, and available from anywhere within the traditionally pro-gambling state of Nevada. William Hill's betting apps are free to download and use. In-Play betting Live Betting, or as bet365 online sportsbook refers to it - LIVE in play - is all the rage these days. Bet365's live betting page has the updated score and running clock presented, followed by odds and betting options. Horse racing and soccer and the most popular sports punters will find on bet365's LIVE in-play sports betting, but many other sports and events were made available during 2012 - one of the reasons that kept the customers coming throughout the year. Live streaming Live betting wouldn't be the same without live streaming of matches, and once again bet365, William Hill Online, Betfair and the other leading sportsbooks were there. Customers of these casinos are able to bet live on matches while streaming those same matches from the comfort of their own computer or mobile device. Great promos Sports betting would be nothing without great promos, and all the top betting agencies kept them coming. Again, bet365 Sportsbook was the most creative: it offered its Price Promise on selected games, in which it matches the best odds from major rivals; and it reintroduced its Bore Draw promo for Euro 2012, in which customers have the chance to win a refund in the case of a boring goalless draw. London Olympics If ever there was any doubt about the popularity of sports betting, the 2012 London Olympics proved it wrong by smashing records set by all previous events. William Hill's online sportsbook took in a record number of bets on the Games, attracting more than 1 million wagers overall - including 17,800 on the 100 meter spring won by Usain Bolt.
William Hill Online Sportsbook is known for staying ahead of the game, and the leading British betting agency has done it again by introducing the new must have feature for all punters - "Cash In My Bet". Brilliant new feature Every punter knows that feeling: you're heading for a big win, having picked all the early games in your football multiplier bet correctly, only to see your dreams shattered when an injury time goal in the final match of the weekend renders your entire bet null and void. Launched this week, Cash In My Bet gives William Hill customers a safety net. Punters receive a cash-out value of their bet as soon as it is placed, available across a whole host of Hill's 180 pre-match and 100-in play markets, and for single and accumulator betting. It is already available on football betting, with tennis and other sports to be added in 2013. Example of how it works Say you have placed $/£5 on a treble of West Brom (3/1), Liverpool (7/4) and Manchester City (6/5). The first two games kick off at 3pm and the Baggies and Reds win as expected. You hesitate about City in the late game, so instead of waiting for who knows what, you can just cash in your bet for $/£50 and call it a day. When you think about cashing in just go to the "Open Bets" tab and details of your best will appear. As each leg of your accumulator wins, your cash in value will increase. If the "Cash In" facility is active on the market/game you bet on, then all you need to do is click it to take your early winnings.
Online Poker became king of the online gaming industry in 2012. Player numbers jumped across the globe thanks to the proliferation of new operators, increased competition, the popularity of new types of games and an improved legal environment that has seen the United States re-enter the picture. According to recent data provided by eGaming Review, gross gaming yield in online poker - basically the percentage of bets kept by operators - rose this year to around 250 million euros. The average number of players participating in tournaments and ring games also continued its upward trend. Below are some of the online poker highlights of 2012, which likely contributed to the industry's popularity. Fast poker Rush Poker, the hit cash game invented by Full Tilt Poker, became all the rage in 2012 as a number of major operators launched their own version. Microgaming's Blaze Poker, Playtech's Sprint Poker and Zoom Poker, and Relax Gaming's Fast Poker, all sought to emulate the popular fast-paced game. All these poker games have one thing in common: Players are dealt a new hand at a completely new table as soon as they fold their last. The meaning of this is that instead of sitting out at the one table twiddling your thumbs, you just move to a different table and start betting again. The action never stops! Mobile poker Mobile is fast surpassing online in every area of the industry - whether mobile betting, casinos or bingo - and poker is no different. 2012 saw most of the major operators either introduce new mobile platforms, include existing ones, and expand the variety and compatibility of their apps. Just to provide a couple of examples: 888poker was one of several top online poker operators to make its product iPad compatible; Bwin and several others launched their first real-money poker application for owners of Android smartphones. Social pokerSocial gaming is the newest craze in the industry, and poker has not been spared. Without a doubt, the popularity of free-play social poker games has contributed to the increased interest in real-money poker. First poker enthusiasts try their hand for free in a social environment, and then they turn to the real thing. Zynga Poker, available through Facebook, is the world's largest online game with over 30 million users every month. Zynga's mobile poker apps can be found through a variety of smartphone devices, and the company is also planning to enter the real-money poker arena at some stage. Better legal environment Full Tilt Poker returned to the fold to much fanfare after clearing up legal issues and being acquired by former rival PokerStars. The site's return provided an opportunity for customers to claim trapped funds from previously inaccessible accounts, but the good publicity behind its revival also had positive ramifications for the wider poker world. The battle over the legalization of online poker in the United States took a step in the right direction when Nevada became the first state to issue licenses for intrastate online poker. The US Department of Justice ruled that online gambling across state lines is illegal, leading several states to move to regulate play within state borders.
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