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Playtech the largest online supplier of online gaming and sports betting software has just posted its first quarter review. The good news was that Playtech's revenues grew by 17.4%, backed by a strong performance from casino and services, which helped offset a disappointing set of results for bingo and poker. Sports betting is now the third largest revenue stream for this online giant. Casino Cash-In Casino was Playtech's ace up their sleeve with an eye-watering leap of 26% year-on-year growth to €55.4m - reflecting the success of a number of new products. There is absolutely no standing still in this industry. It's hard to define whether it's customer demand that drives gaming improvements or the talented programmers who are trying to bring their love of gaming to the masses. In this spirit, Playtech launched a new live casino product during the first quarter and according to CEO Mor Weizer, made "significant advances" in its mobile gaming products. Weizer also implied that this move was part of a deliberate strategy by the company to put up a strong challenge to the already fierce competition. Other Revenue Successes The next two categories to show a healthy increase were services revenue and sports betting. The former, helped by the acquisition of PokerStrategy in July 2013 grew 13% to €29.7m. The latter grew 22% to €5.6m, a mere two months after Weizer defined Playtech's ambition to become a market leader in sports betting solutions. Not All That Glitters In the negative column of Playtech's results was the poor performance of its poker and bingo revenue. Falling by 17% and 14% respectively, this loss reflects an industry-wide trend that seems to be steering away from these games. Despite this setback, Playtech's Board remains extremely confident that it can continue its recently excellent year-on-year growth.
Some would argue that the most important factor to take into consideration when making a purchase is the after-purchase service which comes with it. Customer service holds the same importance when choosing a new online casino. Last year, the consulting company etruvian conducted a research looking into the trends and problems of online casino help desks, also offering ways to fix these. The final report has shown some interesting results which pinpointed a few very specific issues prevalent in many online casinos. Self-help One thing that kept coming was the self-help and FAQ sections in many online casinos. The report has shown that these were generally of very low qualities. Sometimes the FAQs were outdated and mostly they dealt with depositing methods, rules and the likes, rendering these "self-help" pages quite useless. Bonus Clearing Times Another issue that came up in many online casinos was the vagueness of bonus clearing times. The report has shown a tendency of online casinos not to provide players with consistent info about clearing times for the bonuses they are offered. This resulted in players missing their bonuses more than once, a mishap which could have been easily spared had the online casinos presented the info clearly. Niceties It is said that a smile can make a difference, and that is something which according to the report, many online casinos have not fully internalized, as interactions with online casino support teams begin with just a generic "This is the X casino support". This makes interaction with the casino impersonal and cold; a shift in the attitude could make a big difference just like smiles, as online casinos are exclusively all about people. Live Chat Another issue observed by the report conductors was the function of live chats, which according to them could more rightfully be dubbed "deposit live chats". It seems that many online casinos have reduced their live chat functions to mere instruments of deposit help, completely missing their original intention. High Standard Customer Service Despite the different gripes, players can find many online casinos which give a lot of attention to customer service. For example, online casinos like bet365, bwin.party and Mr. Green Casino are known for providing members with customer service of the highest standards, with comprehensive FAQs, clear bonus policies and welcoming support personnel. These casinos were also highly ranked in the report for their customer service quality.
With only 2 weeks left in the BBVA regular season, and only a few games left for each team it's now down to the nitty gritty and points are as precious as diamonds. Tonight's match, live from Anoeta the home stadium of Real Sociedad should be a packed house for the teams' 3rd last game this year and all eyes will be on them to see if they can close the gap with Sevilla and move into 5th place for next season. For Granada the season is basically a bust. They are in 15th place and could technically move into 13th spot with a couple of wins and a couple of losses by Elche and Malaga.The last time these teams met was on December 21st 2013 and Real put 3 goals in the net while Granada only a single. This should be foreshadow into tonight's game which should be in the bag for Sociedad but they cannot take Granada for granted as they did beat Barcelona back on April 10th so the team can surprise you.Live Betting OnlineThere is a lot of noise being made about this game and one such noise-maker is bet365 sports. As one of the most-popular online sportsbooks in the world today, bet365 has lines for virtually every game in every professional league imaginable. Tonight's game between Sociedad and Granada is no different and bet365 has posted a number of pre-game lines for punters interested in making legal online sports bets. Sociedad are the favorites at 1.44 while Granada is listed at 6.50 while a draw is at 4.50. Throughout the game there will be a number of live in-play bets which will pop up during the game and can make 90 minutes of soccer a lot more interesting.
Ladbrokes has rolled out a new advertising campaign that seeks to change direction and emphasis. Ladbrokes Life intends to focus on the bettor, rather than 'screaming the odds' and shouting prices. It's a move away from what is seen as the more traditional style of betting advertising and acknowledges that times have changed. New Campaign The new campaign features five characters, designed to represent the perceived range of betting styles; The Gut Truster, the Professor, Mr Brightside, the Believer and Generous John. The work is produced by Ladbrokes' newly appointed marketing agency BBH (based in London), which won the contract in January. Andy May, brand, research and retail marketing director at Ladbrokes explained, "Our challenge was to rise above the general noise in the market and BBH have developed a strong campaign that we believe will appeal to customers and encourage them to download our mobile app". In such a competitive market a change of tack can be risky, but sometimes necessary to encourage a breakthrough and real increase in business. Going All Out Ladbrokes are investing heavily in the new campaign, including a flurry of TV and newspaper advertisements. These have already begun to appear with the new 'The Ladbrokes Life' slogan being aired during sports coverage, as well as featuring in the national print press. A 60-second introductory film has been produced and broadcast on Sky and ITV, while five separate 30-second commercials featuring the five characters are to be introduced over the coming months. The Future is Here The Ladbrokes campaign is an admission and acknowledgement that people's attitude to betting has changed and has not gone unnoticed. Ladbrokes want their customers or potential customers to feel that they have been understood and that the company is simply responding to increased demand.
The US Mega Millions lottery will draw tonight for a jackpot of $92 million (May 6th, 11PM EST - 04:00 GMT for Europe). The lottery's jackpot is quickly gaining height again after its $414 million jackpot was won in March 18. The winners, Raymond Moyer and Robyn Collier, a couple from Florida, took a one time lump-sum payment of $207 million, with around $115 million going to the Cobie and Seamus Trust which was set up by the two. They share the jackpot with another winner from Maryland who has yet to have claimed his/her share. The Mega Millions Lottery Mega Millions is among the most popular lotteries in the United States. The $414 million jackpot is the third largest prize in its history, with the biggest in its history being a $656 million prize shared by three winners in March 30, 2012, setting a world record as the world's largest jackpot (cash or annuity). Playing the Mega Millions lottery is very simple: Players choose five numbers out of a 1-75 range and a bonus Mega Ball ranged 1-15. Play from Anywhere in the World Thanks to the advent of online lottery ticket agents, America's biggest lotteries are not limited Americans only no more. Popular online lottery sites like Lottery Master and TheLotter allow people from anywhere in the world to purchase online lottery tickets to worldwide lotteries. Tickets can be purchased with a click of a mouse; these are then scanned and sent to their owners making it as if they themselves have purchased the ticket. It is common for online lottery ticket agents to offer features such as quick picks, these ease players' lives even further by randomizing their ticket's numbers. Many winning lottery tickets were sent with a quick pick, including the ticket won by the Florida couple.
Online software developer Microgaming is set to release two brand new original games during the month of May, a football themed video slot named "Football Star" and another werewolf themed slot dubbed "Cool Wolf". The two games will be made available on Microgaming's Flash, download, HTML5 and Quickfire platforms simultaneously on May 8th.With the 2014 FIFA World Cup looming in the very near future, Microgaming is setting the scene with Football Star, a 243-ways-to-win slot with a max payout of 107,750 coins. Football Star introduces a whole new feature: "Striking Wild". In accordance with the football theme, landing the Striking Wild will trigger an actual top striker player who'll kick a football into reels 2, 3 or 4, turning the entire reel wild and increasing winning chances. Other than the Striking Wild, Football Star features stacked wilds, the usual scatter symbols represented by a flaming football which can yield up to 15 freespins, and a Rolling Reels feature giving a 10x multiplier to all wins. Anyone who has watched actor Michael J. Fox in the 1985 somewhat of a cult-movie "Teen Wolf" will instantly recognize Cool Wolf's theme. A 243-ways-to-win video slot, Cool Wolf sets players in the cool 50s retro town of Howlingwood with hot rods, cheerleaders and one seemingly nerdy guy who turns into a werewolf triggering the Howling Wild feature turning reels 2, 3 or 4 into guaranteed wins. Up to 25 freespins can be had with the scatter symbol, together with the Rolling Reels feature which can give up to 10x multiplier. Cool Wolf's maximum jackpot offers a £105,000 prize.
When playing at an online casino, you want to make sure that you have chosen the best possible site to play on. That's why it's important to look for online casinos with accolades; trust us, if a casino has won any type of award, it will be featured on their home page. Some examples of awards to look for: Best Customer Support, Virus Free, eCogra seal of Approval and Best Games. Europa Casino Take a look at Europa Casino. On their homepage, below the red Download button, all of their accolades are listed. Remember - this is not about bragging - it's about reassuring players that they come first, and that the casino they have chosen, in this case, Europa Casino, is recognized globally for its quality offerings. Europa Casino boasts Best Online Customer Support, More Than 5M Downloads, Virus Free and GLI Payout Calculation. This means that when you play at Europa Casino, you know that you are one of millions who has discovered its popularity - and millions of people surely aren't wrong! 888 Casino Another example of a casino that lists its accolades is 888 Casino, which won Best Online Casino of the Year 2013. This is quite a big award, so players can feel happy and assured with the choice they have made when playing at 888. If you are interested in learning more about your online casino's accolades, you can usually click on a link to find out more - such as, who chose 888 Casino as Best Online Casino, or what technology company guarantees that Europa Casino is virus free. Casinos that list their awards generally have a very transparent approach to customer service, so you should have no problem finding out any additional information you would like to know.
Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium sees the Red Devils play their last home game today as they host Hull City. The troubled team, currently led by ex-player and interim manager Ryan Giggs, has gone through a season it will want to forget after the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester United is currently positioned 7 in the Premier League table, with 60 points composed of 18 wins, 6 draws and 12 losses. The team's management has recently sacked manager David Moyes who stood at the helm for the greater part of the season, and having lost seven matches at home this season, Manchester United will want to regain at least some of its glory and protect its pride today with a home win. United is coming bruised from a 0-1 home loss last Saturday against bottom team Sunderland which also beat Chelsea 1-2 two games prior to the fixture. Aside for the home loss, the team led by Giggs has also had a 4-0 win over Norwich City at home. Hull City hasn't won a game since early April. The team is positioned 15 in the table with 37 points composed of 10 wins, 7 draws and 19 losses. They have West Brom and Sunderland breathing down their necks before the relegation zone, so they will surely be looking to further themselves away from danger. Bet Live Over at Winner Sports punters are offered some interesting betting markets for this fixture. In full time result, Winner is offering 7/20 on Manchester United, 8/1 on Hull City and 4/1 for a draw. There are over 89 betting markets including correct score, total goals, winning margin, clean sheet, win from behind and many more.
The Playtech CEO Mor Weizer has identified up to 25 countries of potential interest for this industry leader, as regulated and soon-to-be-regulated markets form a potential avenue of future growth. Regulated Markets Weizer was speaking on the back of some impressive first quarter results; a 17.4% rise in revenue. Of that total, regulated markets contributed around 35%, with grey markets, such as Holland and Russia comprising an additional 5%. Weizer said that Playtech had an ongoing dialogue with local regulators. Weizer doesn't see regulation as a problem in and of itself. He was bullish about Playtech's growth potential in the UK, even as the UK regulators set about tightening and further scrutinizing revenues derived from grey markets. Asia Calling Weizer expressed an abiding interest and excitement about the future potential of the Asian markets, highlighting that Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia were ripe for development. His assertion was backed up with healthy figures; Playtech's multi-platform strategy had helped its Asian revenues to rise in the first quarter from 22% to 33%. "Asia is very similar to Europe in that markets are regulating and our full-suite of products creates opportunities where big operators are able to gain a license in those markets", Weizer said. Rise of Geneity Weizer believes that although Playtech's Casino is still it's "flagship operation" accounting for a 26% growth in the first quarter, Geneity can add further mass to company's bulk. Geneity provides a suite of e-gaming products with an eye on regulatory jurisdictions and compliance requirements. Weizer feels it is a gateway not only in to new markets in general, but the increasingly lucrative sports betting service, which in his own company accounted for a 22% rise in revenues in the first quarter.
Hollywood actor and director Ben Affleck has been banned from a blackjack table in a Las Vegas Casino. Affleck was playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, not far from the strip, when casino security approached him saying "You are too good at this game". It seems that there was no ruckus, as the actor was just told he is barred from playing blackjack at the casino but is welcome to play any other game. The reason for the movie star's ban, according to casino security, was that Affleck was counting cards during the game. While card counting is not illegal, it is ground for being banned at various casinos. An avid gambling fun, Affleck's name is known across Vegas as a high-roller who likes spending time at poker and blackjack tables and to wager on sports betting events. According to gossip sites, Affleck won $800,000 back in 2001 when he played three $20,000 hands at once. The Hard Rock Casino and Hotel resort in Las Vegas is known as a celebrity hangout and a rep from the hotel made a statement on the subject, guaranteeing that Ben Affleck is not banned from the casino as a whole: "Mr. Affleck, a valued guest of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, is not banned from our property and is welcome back any time" the rep said. Online Table and Card Games While they probably won't share a table with Ben Affleck, players can play fair and safe online blackjack and poker games in a Vegas setting without any looming threat of muscled security men, this is thanks to the fairness and security of table and card games found in leading online casinos like Vegas Casino Online which offers players over 22 table and card games.
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