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We know football is a sportsbook staple; the increase in betting activity that takes place during the World Cup befits sport's greatest spectacle. In a report commissioned by sports spread betting leader Sporting Index, corporate research think tank Regulus Insights raised expectations that the UK sports betting industry would top out at over £100. Regulus further predicted betting volumes to increase by 50% over betting figures over for the last World Cup in 2010. Technological Innovation Increases Volume Increased activity is due as much to technological innovation as bettor motivation. Revenues and gross win generation are set to break records due to the increased support provided by mobile and in-play functionalities among sportbooks, resulting in the predicted gross win revenue being set in the range of £50 to £100 million. Boomerang Effect This has to come as positive news to UK-based sports betting operators who have been negotiating through recent unfavourable football results in English Premiership wagering activity and volumes shared in January and March 2014, adding up to a total of £30 million in combined bookmaking losses. The Regulus report suggests that these losses can be made up and exceeded by profits, implying that sports bettors are now hedging somewhat from league wagering leading into the World Cup. All Eyes on the World Cup Like the rest of the world, it appears that sports bettors turned their eyes to the World Cup the moment calendar year of 2014 rang in, promising a substantial windfall for the UK sports betting industry. That being said, the question is no longer if, but how much.
The four-yearly World Cup is, behind the Olympics, seen to be the biggest sporting show on the planet. Thirty-two national teams have descended on Brazil (as well as hundreds of thousands of fans) to see who, in around a month's time will lift the Jules Rime trophy. While billions around the world can't wait for this festival of football to start, some others are more wary. Macau's short-term pain? Macau's revenues were already below forecasted results in May, with only a 9.3% increase. Credit Suisse has suggested that the impact of the World Cup could be to reduce June's forecasted results to another single figure gain; possibly only between 1 to 6%. The assessment also suggested that the effect should only be short-term (where the World Cup is considered) because people tend to get engrossed with the group stages when there are more matches, than the knock-out rounds, with fewer teams playing and more time between games. 2010 Precedent Macau's casinos should probably be able to rest a little easier, if they take into account the situation before and after the 2010 World Cup. We might like to think of analysts at companies such as Credit Suisse, sitting in their glass towers and looking into crystal balls to predict the future - but their analyses are based on hard data. In June 2010, the revenues for casinos did go down in Macau, but they more than bounced back at the end of the World Cup, in July of the same year. The prediction that the same will probably happen this time around is therefore, entirely logical. World Cup boon? Ironically, the 2010 results show that the presence of the World Cup might actually prove to be a boon for Macau's (and no doubt other countries') casinos. People got caught up in the excitement of the tournament and wanted to continue to experience that buzz after it had ended. Perhaps it's not the worst thing to happen to casinos after all.
The reigning top goalscorer of all World Cups Ronaldo was speaking at a ceremony in Fortaleza last week. Brazil's former star had a special request for the fans in the location which is set to host Germany's game against Ghana next week. Ronaldo asked the fans to cast a spell on Miroslav Klose, Germany's veteran striker, so that he won't score. The Silent Bomber Miroslav Klose turned 36 last week, just one year younger than Ronaldo, this will be his fourth World Cup. His 2002 debut saw Klose scoring a hat-trick in the Mannschaft's opening game against Saudi Arabia. From here, it was upwards for "Miro". A dominant striker with excellent finishing skills, the 2010 World Cup saw Klose rising to become the second highest scorer in World Cup history, surpassing Germany's greatest goalscorer Gerd Muller, "Der Bomber", but Klose is a modest man, having asked not to even be mentioned with Muller on the same breathe. Just Two Goals to Go Currently, Ronaldo leads the table of top World Cup goalscorers with 15 goals to his name; Klose has 14 goals and he needs just two to pass the Brazilian. He would then reign in that position for long, as there aren't any active players who pose a serious threat to these numbers nowadays except for Spain's David Villa who would have to score more than 7 goals. Kickoff Tonight Germany meets Portugal today (5pm UK time) for the Group G opener, and while it's not 100% clear whether Klose will open or not, we can expect to see a top performance from this player. Speaking about the possible breaking of Ronaldo's record, Klose stated that his team comes first, but also said: "The record is something that keeps me going at this level - it would mean the world to me."
Online Casino Reports sat down with long-time online casino player Anna (name changed to protect privacy) to learn more about her gaming experience. Anna has been playing for 11(!) years at All Slots Casino and we wanted to know what keeps her around. An iPad on Your Doorstep "For my 11th anniversary, the casino sent me a very expensive bottle of champagne!" exclaims Anna, "That's pretty great, isn't it?" And while we agree, we also think some of the other bonuses and gifts don't sound so bad, either. One day last year she arrived home to find a brand new iPad on her doorstep. ("It was just a random present!") For her children's' birthdays, the casino asked if they'd like a Playstation 2 or Wii. She received 2 wii's - one for each child! Over the years, Anna has come home to flowers and gift baskets for birthdays, Mother's Days, the birth of her children, and sometimes for no reason. Why has she been a loyal player for over 11 years? "Because they look after you really well - sending presents and bonuses. Sometimes they'll send an email saying they've put money in my account and to 'enjoy'!" In short, that's why she plays - for the fun. All Slots credits her account often. Twice a week she gets 10% back on what she spends. Her favorite gift? A $600 deposit into her account. All this keeps her playing. And for good reason. Avid Keno Player Anna's no stranger to online casinos. She used to "date around" from casino to casino, trying out over 30-40 different brands over the years. So when she finally found All Slots Casino and settled down, let's just say she knew what she was doing! How did she decide on All Slots, which is part of the Jackpot Factory group? The answer is simple - keno. This exciting game is somewhat of a mix between bingo and the lottery. While popular in land-based casinos, most online casinos only carry one version of the game - and a "boring" one at that, according to Anna. Her game? Super Bonus Bingo - the best online version of keno in her opinion. She likes it for the potential for high wins - if you pick 7 out of 7 bingo balls, you can win $40,000 in one go. She actually hit this amazing feat in 2013! For her, the love of the game and the casino's payout limits led her to keep playing with the money instead of withdrawing it. (However, the casino has now lifted all limits and players can withdraw their entire winning amount at once.) No Stranger to Slots When she's not getting lucky at keno, Anna sometimes plays slots. Her favorite game is the Dark Knight 1 video slot. In addition, she likes many of the Microgaming video slots, such as Loose Cannon, Avalon 2, Terminator 1 and 2, and Girls with Guns 1 and 2. She shares a little about her playing strategy - betting $1.50 and working her way up. If she's on a "good streak", then she'll even bet up to $3.00. "It really depends on your luck. If you're on a streak, then it pays to keep betting higher amounts." Top-Notch Service Anna only has great things to say about her casino. We did some of our own research, and we found an overwhelming amount of positive comments about all the casinos in the Jackpot Factory group. Anna's experience sounds like a great recipe to us - find a casino you love based on high-quality games and superb customer service - and stick with them. If they are responsive to your needs and rewarding for your efforts, you can benefit greatly from the perks!
The Gaming in Holland conference will be taking place in Amsterdam this month, from June 23-24, 2014. The conference will offer attendees the opportunity to meet and netowrk with leaders in sports betting, mobile gaming, lotteries, gaming law, social gaming, regulation and many other areas. The conference takes place at an opportune moment, when the Netherlands is poised for online gaming regulation. Conference Highlights One of the highlights of the Gaming in Holland conference promises to be the Responsible Gaming session on June 24, in which Pieter Remmers will lead a panel on the legal requirements of responsible gaming. Remmers will also share insights he gained while working on a responsible gaming report for the Dutch Ministry of Justice. Remmers is the founder of Assissa Consultancy Europe, a company which has worked on responsible gaming policies all over the world. He commented, "This is an exciting time, lots of people playing online already and a regulated market coming soon, I am happy and proud to be involved in the process." Another highlight of the conference will be a presentation by EGBA (European Gaming and Betting Association) Secretary General, Mr. Maarten Haijer. The EGBA believes that "a successful regulated market would be based on effective European and international collaboration and cooperation." National Regulation As the Netherlands stands on the precipice of passing regulation for online gaming, gaming companies around the world voice their support. Maris Bonello, responsible gaming manager at Unibet, commented, "Unibet believes that a successfully regulated gambling market is the best warrant for the protection of all Dutch customers and this is why RG is part of Unibet's DNA and contributes to the sustainability of the Dutch online gambling market." Business Unit Manager at Responsible Gaming, neccton ltd also commented, "National regulation is an important way to increase trust in online gambling which ensures investments, a steady business growth as well as tax income."
The MLB is almost halfway through the 2014 regular season and the All Star game takes place next month but until then we have got a lot of baseball to cover. Starting with tonight's game between the Royals and the Tigers live from Comerica Park in Detroit this is going to be a heavy hitting week in the MLB. Tale of the Tape The Tigers currently hold 1st place in the American League Central division and the Royals are nipping at their heels in second only 1.5 games back. A win tonight would pull them within 0.5 of a game behind and by the end of this series we could be seeing a new name atop the AL Central. The Royals have been on a hot streak winning 7 straight games against the Yankees, the Indians and the White Sox encompassing over 40 runs and showing why they should be taken very seriously. The Tigers on the other hand have gone win lose win lose for the last couple of weeks but recently scored 12 runs against the Twins. Detroit is being lifted by their new star rookie shortstop Eugenio Suarez and with help from slugger Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera. Bet Live bet365, the famed UK online sportsbook, has coverage and wagering lines for each and every MLB game this season and are offering some of the best sportsbetting available. Punters interested in getting some money in on this game can do so at bet365 and becoming a dedicating MLB punter could be a profitable venture as there are over 2,400 games in a regular season. Don't miss out tonight in between World Cup games to catch a magnificent game in the world of Major League Baseball.
Social Gaming is expected to produce some $2.6 billion in revenue throughout 2014, and Bally Technologies have just entered the market with their purchase of Dragonplay, one of the top 10 grossing operators in this rapidly expanding side to the business. Dragonplay Purchase Based in Israel, Dragonplay has some 700,000 daily, and 3 million monthly users. The company generated some $10 in cashflow in the year to March 31st. Only operating since 2010, they offer casino games and Live Poker on social gaming platforms and while they may not be the biggest operator, overshadowed by companies like Doubledown, the acquisition by Bally is predicted to significantly increase turnover in the next year. It is worth noting that Doubledown was bought for half a billion Dollars by International Gaming Technologies in 2012. Bally is paying $51 million upfront for the business, with the remaining $49 million being paid over the next year and a half, with the deal due to be completed during July. Shares in Bally rose slightly on the news, and comes as something of a surprise given that Ballys' management team had previously steered clear of the social gaming market. It appears, however, that the deal has been on the cards for several months, as Bally had been looking at other social gaming operators for some time. Having recently bought SHFL Entertainment, Bally now has an extensive range of slots table and card games to add to Dragonplays' offerings. About Social Gaming Played across social platforms like Facebook, or on stand-alone sites, social gaming is particularly popular on mobile devices and tablets. Site operators earn commission when users by chips, although margins can be thin. By purchasing Dragonplay, Bally has entered the only major market it was not already present in.
Every June the small town of Ascot at Berkshire lights up for a few days as it hosts the prestigious Royal Ascot horse races. Today, Royal Ascot 2014 begins, set to feature 17 group races with total prize money of over £5 million for all events. All formalities aside, it's simply a great celebration of horse racing, as horses, trainers and jockeys from all over the world vie to take part in the event. Races The action gets right off on Tuesday with three Group One races including the Queen Anne Stakes, The King's Stand Stakes and The St James's Palace Stakes. Wednesday presents viewers with the Royal Ascot's flashiest highlight, the Group One Prince of Wales's Stakeswhich has seen many global stars in the past. Thursday is Gold Cup Day which is attended by the biggest number of spectators in the races including the Queen herself. A two-and-a-half-mile marathon, the Ascot Gold Cup will see the Queen's horse, Estimate, trying to win once again after winning 2013's race. Friday then sees The Coronation Stakes and on Saturday the races reach a climax with the Diamond Jubilee Stakes among others. Wager with bet365 Top sportsbook bet365 will give very tight coverage to the Royal Ascot 2014 races which will all be shown live on Channel 4 for the first time. To celebrate that, bet365 will offer its Channel 4/1 free bet offer which will give punters a free bet to the same stake if they back a single winner at 4/1 or more on a televised race. Additionally, bet365's Price Promise will apply to all races, giving punters the edge by keeping them updated with the best prices on each race. Don't miss out on a chance to enjoy the world's most prestigious horse racing event with a wager.
All Slots and All Jackpots have released new games to their mobile casino sites. With around half of their players using mobiles and tablets to access the games, customers can now find over 40 titles on Android and HTML5 versions of the casinos. The maximum weekly withdrawal limits have also been raised, while a new promotions lobby has been rolled out to highlight popular games and connect users to Live Chat support. New Deposit and Withdrawal Terms Applying to both PC and mobile players, the maximum withdrawal limit per week has been raised from 5x the players' deposits to date, or $4000, whichever is smaller, to $5000, or 5x their cumulative deposit values to date, whichever is bigger. The maximum wager sizes on many games has also been raised, giving players the opportunity to win up to $600,000, plus the limit on credit card deposits has been removed. Additionally, mobile users can now instantly check their Loyalty Points balance without having to log onto the desktop sites first. New Games for Mobiles Several established PC only titles have now been released in mobile compatible versions including Immortal Romance, Football Star, High Society and Eagles Wings, which can now be played by owners of Android powered devices. There are certain games, like Treasure Palace that are exclusive to mobiles, and with the HTML5 platform range added, the total number of mobile games is nearer 50. Among the latest slots is the much anticipated Terminator 2. Terminator 2 Slot Based on the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie from 1991, Terminator 2 uses the Microgaming '243 Ways to Win' payline system that has proved popular across a number of their games. During the free spins bonus game, the reels expand from 5 x 3 to a 5 x 4 configuration, giving players 1054 Ways to Win. The T-800 Vision feature, where the game is seen from the Terminators point of view, pays out prizes for every High symbol on the reels when it is triggered, while landing the T-1000 symbol in the free spins round will turn him into a high - paying character, with up to 880,000 coins on offer as a maximum prize.
The Isle of Man's Department of Economic Development announced last week that it is planning to develop a framework for the regulation of digital currencies on the island. The actions which the government is meaning to take are said to be aimed to help and protect businesses and customers who will utilize digital currencies; this in the overall goal of providing a supporting environment of high-quality businesses in the field. Speaking on the matter, the department's director of e-business development Peter Greenhill said: "The Isle of Man recognises both the risks and opportunities presented by digital and virtual currencies." Greenhill explained that the government aims to promote digital currency opportunities for businesses in the island which is a preferred tax haven, but at the same time it would have statutory bodies to keep a close watch and ensure businesses will stand up to tight anti-money laundering requirements. Will Other Jurisdictions Follow? Minister of Economic Development, John Shimmin MHK said that the announcement reinforces the Isle of Man's status as a jurisdiction that welcomes well-controlled and compliant good businesses. "We will work with the business community in the coming months to ensure that a proportionate and appropriate regime is implemented that meets international standards," Shimmin said, hinting that the Isle expects others will follow suit: "We anticipate other jurisdictions will follow the Isle of Man's lead." Framework Development Already Underway This framework is currently in the works and one of its immediate implications is an event scheduled to takes place this week on the island, set explore the opportunities of Bitcoin with the aid of speaker and industry expert Paul Davis, founder of the Manx Digital Currency Association. Time will tell if this decision will open the door for digital currencies in other jurisdictions.
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