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Under the auspices of Spanish subsidiary Reel Spain, Rational Group - the provider of leading online poker games PokerStars and Full Tilt - has received provisional licensing from Spanish officials to offer online casino games to the Spanish market. First Foray for Online Provider Spain’s governing regulatory body La Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) issued the approval, launching digital online provider Rational's maiden voyage into real time physical land-based casino ventures. Belgian Gaming Commission Identifies Regulations for Online Gaming In other news, the Belgian Gaming Commission has requested stricter regulations in specific areas of concern from the incoming Belgian government. BGC: Booming Online Gaming Calls For Regulatory Adaptations In an open letter, the Commission expressed the basis for a need to further regulate the country's booming online gaming industry, which is taking revenue from land-based casinos that governments regulate and share an interest in. The letter revealed that 600,977 players in 2014 have played at online sites, which is just short of triple the amount of players at land-based casinos. Suggestions The Commission pointed out three regulatory issues with the rise of online game play. The first is that Belgians under debt collection procedures are prohibited from gambling; but their behavior is harder to monitor with the online option. The second is the concern that “social gambling” will lure players into addiction. The third is overemphasis by the government on revenue associated with gaming over protection of the players from addiction and potential financial catastrophes. These are all issues which need to be ironed out, and are better acknowledged and discussed openly if online gaming is to succeed worldwide, to be implemented in a protective and responsible manner.
In a huge step towards widespread online integration, New Jersey land-based operator Resorts Casino Hotel has signed a deal with Sportech and NYX Gaming. Apparently, the two European gaming software providers will collaborate with PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker to implement Resort Casino's online offerings in the state. Software Support Until PokerStars and Full Tilt get ApprovedAs software companies, NYX Gaming and Sportech are expected to serve as direct software support for Resorts Casino until online gaming companies PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker are officially licensed in the Garden State. NYX and Sportech would serve in a support capacity at that point, optimizing the efficiency and user-friendliness of Resorts' online gaming casinos. Licensing ObstacleThe history of Resorts Casino and PokerStars dates back to June 2013, when the partnership was first signed. However, in wake of ongoing struggles to meet the requirements of the US federal government, the PokerStars licensing process was suspended in December, relegating Resorts Casino's online expansion to a holding pattern since. The integration of software support into the licensing arrangement enables the Atlantic City-based casino to move forward with online integration. However, Resorts will have to start with a game of catch-up, because most New Jersey gaming operators launched in November 2013. PokerStars' Troubles in the USPokerStars' conflicts with the United States government began with the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in 2006. Though UIGEA spurred the departure of poker sites and casinos from the U.S. market, some international companies continued to sign US players. PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were found by the US government to be relying on financial software and data from third party providers to mask the direct reception of US-based monies these companies.This stigmatized PokerStars as "Bad Actors," blocking their attempts to enter the state markets that currently do operate online casinos. Amaya Assistance Can Pave the Way for Intrastate Offerings from ResortsNow, there are signs that PokerStars might be approved by Fall 2014, with Canadian online gaming giant Amaya lobbying with New Jersey officials on their behalf.If PokerStars was approved in New Jersey for licensing, that would open the door for Resorts Casino to offer online gaming to other states through their website as well as through the websites of PokerStars and Full Tilt.
The 2014 Wimbledon Championships kicked off yesterday in London, marking the year's most awaited and prestigious Tennis Grand Slam tournament. This year will see Andy Murray of Great Britain defending his championship in the men's singles, while the women's singles championship will be open for contenders as Marion Bartoli of France retired from Tennis last year after winning the title. Sometimes overlooked, Wimbledon's first rounds can be very dangerous. Today's matches see Rafael Nadal and longtime rival Roger Federer playing two separate games and it'll be interesting to see their games given their poor performances last year. Rafael Nadal vs. Martin Klizan Nadal meets the Slovak Martin Klizan who won two ATP tournaments in his career already, the second only a month ago in Munich's BMW Open. Nadal is very wary of today's match, having told the press: "I don't see any farther than today… I have a tough first round against Klizan". The Spaniard has a reason to be cautious – last year's Wimbledon saw him losing in the first round, a big disappointment following his second-round loss in the 2012 championship. Roger Federer vs. Paolo Lorenzi Federer will also be very wary today in his meeting against Paolo Lorenzi of Italy (No. 47). Similar to Nadal, the No. 4 ranked Swiss was knocked out in last year's Wimbledon second round against No. 116 Sergei Stakhovsky. While today's rival Lorenzi never won a match at major and Federer looks steadfast for this year, you can never know for sure. Bet Live at Winner Sports Winner Sports will be covering all of today's matches, both men's and women's, including these two games with head to head bets and other markets. The matches begin 10am UK time so you can enjoy a morning of the world's best tennis.
Wimbeldon is the pinnacle of tennis glory. It is the trophy that young tennis players dream of winning on center court at the famed tennis club on a hot summer day in London. bet365 sports is always sure to play a major role in the success of this special time and is offering live coverage to many countries around the world streamed on their online sportsbook everyday. Live In-PlayWatching the top names in tennis go head to head is always exciting and there are few things that are as good. Making the game more interactive would be one way to get a real adrenaline boost and with bet365 Live In-Play lines on all of the games this year it should be. Interested punters can watch their game of choice and enjoy a number of live bets like individual point betting, next game winner and outright winner. It's a fast and furious way to watch the most coveted tennis cup in the world.All the top names on the tour are here for this years tournament. Will Roger Federer be as good as his 4/1 line and be able to overcome the rest of the action or will Andy Murray be able to make it two in a row. Let's not forget Nadal who is looking better than ever on the men's side. The ladies are looking just as fierce and bet365 has lines on each one. Live StreamingSerena Williams is listed at 6/5 to win her 6th Wimbeldon Title but the competion is ready to go point for point until a victor is crowned. If you're in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Finland, Italy or Switzerland you can catch the live bet365 streaming otherwise visit bet365 for more.
In the minds of football fans all over the globe thinking about a game between Italy and Uruguay would generally be given to Italy. In fact many people have talked about the Italian team as potentials for the World Cup Champions without paying Uruguay much regard. In the history between these two teams, Italy have won a dismal 2 games, drawn 4 times and lost 3 matches to Uruguay.Group of DeathIt is without question that Group D in the 2014 World Cup is the Group of Death. Without England already out of the next round and tough play from group leading Costa Rica Italy and Uruguay could both potentially get through to the knockout stage but will need their players in top form tonight.That may be a little easier said than done as injury-plagued Italy have already lost one of their central midfielders for the match. Daniel De Rossi will not be playing tonight due to a calf muscle injury and will need several more days to heal. The rest of the Italian midfield is growing old with an average age of 28.75 between them. Pirlo, the star Italian is the midfield's General but he cannot go 90 minutes with the same ease as their runner-up bid at the 2010 World Cup. Uruguay need a win tonight in order to have any hopes of advancing to the next stage. The team doesn't look the same as their 2010 4th place finish suggest but their stars like Luis Suarez, arguably the top player in the world right now, and Edinson Cavani are proving to be more that top teams in the world (like England) can handle.
The Amsterdam Affiliate Conference (AAC) has kicked off today with Online Casino Reports delegates in attendance. The AAC will span four days (24-27 June) with today and Friday dedicated to networking and Wednesday and Thursday jam packed with around-the-clock talks, sessions and panels on the industry's trends and most pressing matters, led by the most knowledgeable experts. Part of the iGaming Super Show The AAC is part of the iGaming Super Show which is one of the industry's biggest events this year as it was last year, with over 3,200 delegates expected and some 70 operators from around the world attending the AAC, including the industry's biggest names like bet365, 888 and William Hill. Other events taking place side to side with the AAC include the Binary Options Conference, the iGaming 4 Business Conference and the Payment Solutions Conference among others – these give delegates a chance to expand even further their tool-acquiring processes, learning and networking opportunities. SEO on the AAC Agenda For the AAC in particular, this year's focus will be given almost exclusively to SEO. The opening sit tomorrow starts 10:05am local time and it will feature Group Account Director at Latitude Group, Neil Fairweather, who will lead a session dubbed "For Google Eyes Only" where the issues of Google and SEO nowadays will be looked upon closely. Following Mr. Fairweather, a headline SEO Q&A session will take place with industry veteran Dave Naylor of Bronco. OCR in Attendance For this year's AAC, we have our own Online Casino Reports personnel on the exhibition ground, taking part in the different activities as well as other assemblies including the binary options conference and the various networking events and parties. Stay tuned as we'll bring you news and updates on the industry's best as they unfold in Amsterdam.
England coach Roy Hodgson could be forgiven for being delighted that the Three Lions' final group opponent is Costa Rica. If England need a last-gasp result, what better opponent than the Group D underdog? However, Hodgson will under-estimate Costa Rica at his peril. England Favored On paper, England's superstars should find it plain sailing against the Tico minnows. The likes of Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge will have high hopes of finding the net. The bookies' odds will certainly make England firm favourites. However, Costa Rica could well provide stiff opposition. Don't Discount Costa Rica Jorge Luis Pinto's side qualified for Brazil with ease and this is arguably the most talented Costa Rica side ever assembled. The loss of Everton's Bryan Oviedo through injury is a blow, but there is plenty more quality to choose from. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas stars in Spain's top division, while up front the man to watch is youngster Joel Campbell. Officially an Arsenal player, Campbell has never played for the Gunners. Instead, the pacey striker has starred for Olympiakos in the Champions League this season. William Hill Sports offers a whole range of markets on this and every World Cup game and it is worth checking out odds on Campbell as first goal scorer. However, if England play to their potential, they should have enough to successfully negotiate this potential banana skin. With skipper Steven Gerrard patrolling midfield and quick wingers Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to terrorise Costa Rica's full-backs, there should be plenty of chances for Rooney and Sturridge to find the net.
We all know China is the largest cash economy in the world. They are also likely the biggest online gamers. They also may have the most intriguing online game marketing system. Chart-Topping Success For instance, in figures released by China's Android App store and Wandoujia search engine's Index, a game called Carrot Fantasy Ice II: Ice World registered over 200,000 downloads on each day of the first two days of its launch, with more than 1 million downloads registered in the first week. Mobile Ecosystem However, download charts per se are not the truest measure of mobile game success in China. This is because China has what is called a mobile “ecosystem,” where users play for free but pay for upgrades and premium content. This model, called freemium by Wandoujia's lead author, seeks to develop what might be called sustainable engagement, motivating users to purchase upgrades and premium content based on the attractiveness of the free downloaded game. Online games are a major source of revenue for internet companies in China, with over 490 million users and and $13.7 billion in revenues. Online games also drive internet traffic, which increases the user base as well as user interactions that can be monetized. The Tencent Mobile Example One example of how this can work for an online gaming company going mobile in China is through the case of China's largest internet company. Tencent Holdings holds a social messaging app called WeChat, into which Tencent integrated mobile games as the means of monetizing its 355 million monthly active users. The model of internet traffic is similar to Facebook's foray into mobile gaming. The Alibaba Gaming Example As far as online gaming providers per se, Alibaba Group, which is also China’s top platform for e-commerce, is launching a new mobile gaming platform according to the logic that “...if you get more users, there’s a better chance you can offer more services," according to Will Tau, Analysis Director at iResearch. Building Social Networks the Key to Mobile SuccessWhile not all countries or markets have the same ratings system, it is clear that the platform of mobile gaming can enhance user interaction and community building, leading to more supplementary purchases from readers and more revenue streams for online gamers, who have much room to expand in social networking platforms, either existing ones or self-generated user communities that gaming providers can easily develop.
The Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA) will legally contest the UK government over incoming licensing and tax regulations. Letter drafted GBGA has written a letter to UK Secretary of State for Culture that it will be seeking a judicial review for what it calls “unlawful” licensing mandates. The association claims that a new 15% point of consumption tax violate European law due to the fact that they potentially leave British gamblers vulnerable to so-called “unscrupulous operators.” Law Would Add a New Gaming Regulatory Body The tax, expected to bring in roughly £300 million to government coiffures, will be challenged by GBGA lawyers at Olswang out of concern that bookmakers may react by relocating to Britain from Gibraltar to avoid dealing with two separate regulatory bodies. Chief GBGA Executive Peter Howitt expresses concern that “impact of this legislation will ...drive UK consumers towards unregulated or poorly regulated operators, leaving them exposed to unnecessary risks.” Identified Risks A rushed relocation would cause potentially insecure, incomplete or untested encryption systems to be hastily put together by operators, endangering the protection of user financial information in the high volume and growing online gaming industry. With the notice of judicial review, the UK government and UK Gambling Commission have two weeks to answer the legal challenge, whose true weight remains to be seen.
Yesterday's deciding World Cup Group D game between Italy and Uruguay was full of thrills but at the same time it was filled with anti-sportive behavior. Throughout the game spectators couldn't be sure if they were watching a Broadway show or a football game, as players' time spent lying on the grass in pain was almost equal to that in which they have actually played. Controversy struck first when Italy's Claudio Marchisio was pulled a questionable red card by the referee in the 59th minute, but nothing prepared spectators to what followed in the 80th minute. The game was scoreless and Italy was tight on the defense, needing only a draw to qualify for the round of 16, while Uruguay needed to win in order to qualify. Biting Incident Uruguay's striker, Luis Suarez, was tussling in Italy's penalty area with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, when he apparently bit Chiellini's shoulder. A moment later, Suarez was seen holding his teeth while Chiellini protested to the referee, exposing his shoulder to the cameras which, zoomed in, showed clear fresh bite marks. The referee Marco Rodríguez, whose nickname is, funnily enough, Dracula, wasn't convinced. Uruguay went on to win the match and qualify after a terrific header by captain Diego Godin, but the game was left with a grim mark. A History of Biting It is unclear what went through the mind of Luis Suarez but it's very clear that the 27-year-old Liverpool striker faces a massive ban from football, as FIFA began proceedings to investigate the incident, and it doesn't look like Suarez has a convincing alibi. Suarez has already been banned twice for biting incidents in his career, but this time he really went all out committing the Draculian act in front of millions of people worldwide.
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