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Few entertainment stars can hold a candle to the iconic Elvis Presley. The King of Rock & Roll may have passed on decades ago, but his music and his spirit are alive and well. Elvis Presley would have been celebrating his 78th birthday today and hundreds of millions of fans the world over would be raising their glasses to Elvis Pelvis! Betfair Launches an Entertaining Arcade Game: Elvis - The King The world's premier online casino - Betfair - wasted little time in preparing for the King's Birthday, with the exciting new game Elvis - The King. This rocking and rolling arcade game is a must-play spectacle. It features Vegas-style entertainment, familiar tunes and of course massive payout potential. It's a great option for slots gaming aficionados and it features a terrific social gaming component too. Features of Elvis - The King Elvis: The King is similar to the traditional game of the same name. This online gaming masterpiece showcases all the glitz and glamour that Vegas has to offer. Players will enjoy the All Shook Up Tumbling Reels' free spins bonus round and lots of flashbacks to the era of the inimitable Elvis Presley. 78 years later and Elvis can still swing it with players the world over. Elvis: The King is available to be enjoyed at Betfair Arcade, alongside other world-class gaming titles. David Bowie is another rock and roll legend enjoying his birthday today - he's just turned 66 and he's got plenty of rock and roll left in him - perhaps a video slots game too?
Not one but two controversial announcements came from the White House today. Republican Chuck Hagel will replace Leon Panetta as Defense Secretary in Obama's second term; and John Brennan will replace the disgraced David Petraeus as head of the CIA.Why all the uproar?Why is it that these announcements are stirring up such a ruckus? Well, surprising for a Republican, Chuck Hagel has made a reputation for himself as being anti-Israel and anti a joint US/Israeli military strike on Iran. In fact he'd rather invite Iran to a discussion to avoid military action all together. He's also been criticized openly expressing anti-gay views.Senator Hagel would be the first decorated military man to hold the title of Defense Secretary. He will oversee the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2015 or perhaps even earlier. After David Petraeus resigned from the CIA, tail between his legs, John Brennan is due to take his place. Back in 2008, he was also nominated as CIA head, but withdrew from the list after questions were raised about the interrogation techniques he was using in his counter-terrorism department. Brennan has been working alongside Obama for a while now, and led the hunt for Bin Laden.Today's White House announcement is a hot topic and triggering a media frenzy.Politics Betting on William HillYear-round, William Hill offer political sports bets on a wide variety of topics, both national and international: Who will be the next US President in 2016? Who will win the next UK elections in 2015? And more detailed still, what will the composition of the next UK government be? Then, there are more interesting bets, such as Which country will be the first to leave the Euro? Somewhat of a hot potato...All of these political sports bets are already open.
The Oscars are coming round again! The 2013 Oscars, or the 85th Academy Awards as they are also known, will take place in Los Angeles on February 24th 2013. This year's ceremony brings with it a brand new host in Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane, who will be accompanied by actress Emma Stone, from the hit series Spider Man. Oscars Outrights Betting StartsOn Thursday, January 10th, the category nominations are announced in a TV broadcast. And that is when Oscar 2013 betting kick off for real. Meanwhile William Hill have already opened bets for the Outrights: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress etc.But coming up are more nuanced Specials bets such as 'What are the odds that Dame Judi Dench will win Best Supporting Actress for her role as 'M in Skyfall', also rumored to be her final performance in a James Bond film. And surely, more interesting bets will follow in the run up to the big night.Film Specials BettingThere are certain films that will definitely appear on Thursday's nomination list, and hence the 2013 Academy Awards betting has already kicked off. William Hill have Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and Les Miserables by Tommy Hooper fighting for the Best Picture prize. Spielberg's account of Lincoln's bid to abolish slavery was released in the US in November 2012, and is due to open in Europe later this month. According to the odds, it would be highly unsurprising if Daniel Day Lewis, who plays President Lincoln also won the Best Actor prize. Les Miserables is yet another remake of the Broadway musical set in the French Revolution, but in the hands of Tommy Hooper (The King's Speech), it is said to be a sure thing. It stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. Keep your eyes peeled for appearances from the infamous prankster, Sacha Baron-Cohen.According to the current Oscar betting odds, the best actress award will be a competition between Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, where the 22-year old plays a grieving widow. But who knows, maybe 9-year old Quevenzhane Wallis will come up trumps in her once-in-a-lifetime performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild.Other Special Sports BetsIf placing Oscar bets rocks you boat, there is plenty more fun to be had on William Hill Specials: Is a man or woman going to win the Dancing on Ice final? Will David Bowie make Number 1 with his brand new single? Who is going to win Celebrity Big Brother 2013?Check out the full range of sports bets specials on William Hill.
British gaming software company Gamesys has acquired online and mobile casino games provider Virgin Games for an undisclosed sum, according to a report in egaming publication eGR Magazine. Gamesys buys Virgin Games According to the report, Gamesys signed a long-term deal to develop real money and social gaming platforms for the Virgin brand. Virgin Games, like everything else under the Virgin name, is owned by Richard Branson; it currently operators online casino, poker, slots and other games. A Gamesys spokesman was quoted as saying that the developer intends to integrate the Virgin Games site into its own platform in time for a UK relaunch late in the first quarter. It seems everybody is looking forward to that happening, with Sir Richard himself saying how delighted he was about the acquisition. Move toward social gambling This latest acquisition may just be the latest step in Gamesys' move toward improving its social gambling offerings. Recently, it launched a Facebook app called Bingo Friendzy, which allows British Facebok users aged over 18 to play online bingo for real cash. Gamesys, it must be recalled, is also the operators of Jackpotjoy, one of the UK's most popular online bingo rooms. It also runs a host of other bingo and casino sites under a variety of names.
The National Hockey League (NHL) is set to resume on January 19, after the league and the players' association signed the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement on Sunday morning. Shortened Season League officials have told teams to be ready to play by January 19, the date that games are finally set to get underway - much to the relief of millions of fans. Hockey's top league appears headed toward a shortened 48-game season for just the second time in its history, although there is still some talk of a 50-game season. The lockout, the third among major US sports in just over a year, is expected to wipe out around $1 billion in revenue, and will also have a major impact on yearly sports betting turnover. NHL revenue stood at $3.3 billion last year, behind the NFL ($9 billion), Major League Baseball ($7.5 billion) and NBA ($5 billion). Consequences for Betting The major American sporting leagues often undervalue the importance of sports betting on their brands. Betting is responsible for increased game viewership, so it is no surprise then that when the National Hockey League (or NFL, or NBA) stop playing, so do the betting. And where do they turn - college hockey (or football, or basketball). In Nevada alone, $3.2 billion was wagered in sports bets in the state's casinos in 2011, and that is not to mention the hundreds of billions bet on offshore based online sportsbooks. The NHL has returned just in time to save it from being completely forgotten by bettors, and the bookmakers are thankful for that too. Where to bet on NHLWilliam Hill and bet365 are both celebrating the NHL's return by offering title odds: Pittsburgh Penguins have emerged as the favourite (6/1 at bet365, 7/1 at William Hill), followed by the New York Rangers, LA Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. Once the schedule is released, these two top online sportsbooks will release all the usual NHL betting options, including: Outright, Spread Betting, Double Chance, 60 Minutes Betting, Total Match Goals, Draw No Bet, and all the usual conference and division title scenarios.
Online poker hit fever pitch last year, as the industry pumped out new types of games, a record number of tournaments and more bonuses than ever. The last 12 months has seen this sport cement itself as the most popular form of online gambling, and the next 12 are sure to see the trend continue. From the launch of new, quicker versions of the old classic Texas Hold'em, to record-breaking tournaments in which thousands of players take to the tables simultaneously, online poker is defined by its ability to surprise even the most veteran of players. Online poker news in 2012 Rush Poker, the popular cash game first launched by Full Tilt Poker, soared in 2012 as all the major poker operators launched their own version. Microgaming's Blaze Poker and Playtech's Sprint Poker were among those to introduce their own version of the game - in which players are dealt a new hand at a new table once they fold their previous hand. FTP's relaunch brought an estimated 400,000 players back into the fold, boosting traffic by 10% in the few weeks after its return. Player counts actually decreased by around 8% in 2012, according to PokerScout, but this was partly due to global economic problems, and partly due to the fact that fast-fold poker effectively reduces player counts. Trends that will continue Mobile poker is set to continue its surge toward the top of the industry. Many of the leading online poker rooms offered new apps for iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones last year, and no doubt they are working on new technologies that will see them meet demand. A forecast would not be complete without mentioning the latest craze, social gaming. With the increasing reliance on social networks, a number of developers are following Zynga's lead and combining their online poker and mobile poker apps with socially friendly features. Where to play onlineCool Hand Poker lives up to its name, with a poker school that teaches beginners about rules and strategy, and allows them to play at a free table before depositing real money. They also offer a 200% deposit match up to $200, just to make sure you receive a good welcome. For the more experienced player, we recommend checking out top sites like bet365 Poker, William Hill Poker, and Paddy Power Poker. All of them offer a wide range of poker games and tournaments, plus bonuses to suit player needs.
If your cupboards and fridge are looking a little bare after Christmas, don't despair: one very innovative online bingo room is promising to do your supermarket shopping for you just for participating in this promo. Bet365 Bingo's Big Shop Earn loyalty points playing online bingo at bet365 from Friday January 11 through to Thursday January 17 to climb the leaderboard and get your hands on some fantastic supermarket shopping vouchers that will see you restock your dwindling supplies at leading UK chains. The top 200 players on the leaderboard are guaranteed to walk away with a voucher. First prize collects £500 in shopping vouchers, which is enough for a whole month of groceries. Second and third place get £300 and £100, while another 197 bingo heads will enjoy smaller shopping rewards. Play bingo now This latest promo just strengthen bet365 Bingo's claim to being socially and community focused. Not content with just being one of the most popular places to play 90-ball or 75-ball bingo, this provider is mixing the traditional with the modern by building an online community around bingo. Play bingo now and earn extra bonus points in the great chat games, all of which are coordinated by bet365's friendly moderators. The only condition to participation is that you must be a registered player, and must be participating in one of the bingo games at the time you chat.
Betfair, one of the world's leading online gambling brands, will begin offering Playtech's iPoker product to all its online poker customers from later this month, before moving to an exclusive arrangement from July. Big deal for Betfair Poker Under the deal, Betfair customers will be introduced to New Betfair Poker on Playtech's platform. Betfair expects that the addition of iPoker and new loyalty offerings will help it retain existing players and attract a new audience. Playtech's iPoker network has six million customers and is the fourth largest poker platform in the world by active players. Playtech already provides Betfair with top casino and gaming products. Betfair previously operated on the Onegame network, which was recently sold by bwin.party to Amaya Gaming. What players can expect from iPoker The iPoker Network offers all the usual table games and tournaments one can expect from a top online poker network, but with the focus on player experience. It divides its skins into two categories - iPoker 1 for larger player pools and iPoker 2 for smaller player pools. Other features include: over 10 million dollars in guaranteed prize pools every month; satellites to major land-based events; the option of playing in exclusive progressive jackpots for consecutive wins in jackpot sit 'n' go tournaments; a powerful focus on keeping poker games fair.
National and state lotteries have been around for as long as anybody can remember, but one of the surprising developments of the past few years has been the emergence of the online lottery ticket agents. Through the leading Internet lottery ticket sellers, lotto enthusiasts from around the world can purchase entry to lottos from the comfort of their computer or mobile device. If ever there was evidence of what the World Wide Web does to break down borders, this is it. The story until now A number of online lottery sites have popped up in the past year, offering tickets for sale, in addition to lottery odds, results, reviews, and recent winner stories. Depending on the site, they offer tickets for draws outside the country of the customer who is purchasing the ticket. These sites have paved the way for lotto-lovers to enter the race for some of the top American and European draws, including US Powerball and Mega Millions, EuroMillions and EuroMillions UK, and more. Some of these lotto draws give away literally hundreds of millions of dollars and euros. What to expect this year Lotto records were smashed in 2012, with the Mega Millions hitting the $656 million prize in March and the EuroMillions being won at 190 million euros jackpot in August 2012. Thanks to the online lotto craze, we expect these jackpots will only get bigger, and new multi-millionaires will be created. We envision players becoming more interested in regional lotteries. Just take a look at our list of national and state lotteries, and you will see an abundance of weekly and regular lotto draws from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, to Finland, Greece and Turkey. Best online lotto brandsTheLotter has been the number one lotto ticket agent brands until point, and should remain so this coming year. This industry pioneer sells tickets to more than 40 national and state lotteries from the US, Europe and elsewhere. Its all-inclusive service has all the features offered by other sites, and more. TheLotterApp leads all mobile lottery apps, enabling customers to purchase tickets and track results through compatible devices like iPhone and Android. Use your smartphone to keep track of jackpots and upcoming schedules, and to receive email alerts should you be that next lucky millionaires.
Sports betting is booming on the back of a big year, which included massive events like the 2012 London Olympic Games and Euro 2012 football championships, in addition to the explosion of mobile and in-play betting, live streaming, and other innovative promos. The biggest brands know that customers are after more of everything: more sports, more wagering options, more promos, and more special features. The top sportsbooks are those that are able to satisfy this demand, and below we look at the best of the past year and what is to come in the next. Sports betting in 2012 Live or In-Play Betting, complemented by live streaming facilities, became all the rage in 2012, as punters demanded more than just the regular pre-game wagering options. Most of the top bookmakers now offer a live betting page, with updated odds and betting options on a number of sports, plus updated scores and running clocks. Mobile betting was the other big mover last year, with most of the top online sportsbook launching mobile apps. Thanks to these apps, which allow customers to do most of the things they can do from their computer, mobile betting now comprises over three-quarters of all mobile gambling activities. What to watch for in 2013 This year is one of those odd-numbered years in which there is no Olympic Games and no major football tournament. But fear not, for there are plenty of other events and tournaments to follow, such as the usual tennis and golf grand slams, European football league, and American sports. Special events to take place in 2013 include: the World Swimming Championships, to be held in Dubai in July-August, the Rugby League World Cup, to take place in England and Wales in October and November, and a whole lot of regional tourneys such as the upcoming African Nations Cup of football. Top betting brands Bet365 is always one of the leading sports betting brands. In addition to offering one of the widest ranges of wagering options, it also hosts perhaps the pioneering In-Play Betting service. Open an account now and make a deposit of $10 (or currency equivalent) for a 100% welcome bonus.William Hill Online is another bookie to watch in 2013. Forever coming up with new ways to attract punters, Hill is back with betting on all the major leagues, events, tournaments, World Cups, and specials like politics and weather.
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