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Today's Round of 16 games give weight to the term "World Cup" in a tournament which has been dominated by South American teams, as today's games European teams go head to head against African ones. The first game at 5pm UK time will see the promising France clashing with Nigeria, followed by the second game on 9pm when Germany and Algeria will fight over a ticket to the quarter-finals. Will Nigeria Stop The French Onslaught? France opened their World Cup with headline player Franck Ribery out due to injuries, but that didn't discourage: France breezed through its first two games beating both Honduras and Switzerland with big scores, reserving their energy in the scoreless draw with Ecuador. France is a big football country, and a skilled manager like Didier Deschamps also does not harm the French hopes for a replay of 1998. On paper, Nigeria is the underdog today – if it hasn't been for the mishaps of Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina, they might have not made it to the Round of 16 at all. Nigeria proved they can actually play in their game against Argentina, squeezing two goals in the 3-2 loss, but they need more than that against a very strong France. Algeria's Unfinished German Business Much has been talked about the 1982 World Cup when West Germany's fixed game against Austria eliminated Algeria from progressing to the Round of 16. Whether that will influence Algeria's performance against the Germans today is unclear, but it will definitely have some kind of atmospheric impact. Today is Algeria's first time in the Round of 16, they're a young and creative team and they'll have to give all they have tonight – however it's hard to see Germany putting its guard down, quite the contrary is right as they're the clear favorites to win.
British remote gaming revenues have crossed the £1bn threshold. An Industry Statistics report released Friday announced the rise of total Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) licensed by the British Gambling Commission from a £933m total in the 12 months prior to March 2013 to a £1.06bn take for the year ending September 30, 2013. The 16% increase represented a contribution of 16% from the remote gambling industry to total gambling revenues (which includes land-based operations). Annual Gambling Percentages for Remote Beginning to Climb This represents a further 14% jump in percentage of total revenue contributed by remote gambling over the previous annual period. The rise meant that the remote gambling industry contributed 16% of total GGY for the gambling industry as a whole, up from 14% during the previous period. Percentages: High Street Leads Physical Gambling Contributions The greatest proportion of land-based revenues in the UK comes from High street betting shops, which brought in £3.2bn across the September 30 annual period, which contributed to the £6.7bn national gambling industry at a rate of approximately 48%. The most popular gambling revenue in the GGY remains sports wagers, with Sportsbooks accounting for £879m, a jump from the previous period's £753m figure. This total also outdistanced pool betting (£108m) and casino takes (£30m), the second and third largest contributors to GGY. Of remote vertical games, bingo was the only one to suffer a decline, recording £2m of GGY, a drop from the £2.5m showing from the previous annual period. New Legislation Brings All UK Gaming Activity under British Licensure Future reports are sure to show more significant improvement, primarily because of the fact that all UK serving operators are slotted for full licensing from the British Gambling Commission as of October 1. This comes on the heels of last month's passage of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill last month in the UK, giving the British Government far greater access to remote gambling revenues, based on the actual level of gaming activity that takes place within its jurisdiction. Until now, the majority of remote gambling activity in the UK was conducted under the auspices of offshore operators with permits from other jurisdictions. The Commission estimates placed the figure at 15% the for the amount of remote gambling in Great Britain actually being conducted under British licensing.
Bye bye England, we hardly had time to see you, hello Costa Rica, welcome to the table of Kings. The Three Lions can usually be relied on to fail gloriously at any World Cup quarter-final stage – usually after a penalty shootout; but this year it is not meant to be. Qualifiers Begin The World Cup qualifiers will begin the weekend of 4 July 2014. While most expected Italy and Uruguay to emerge victorious from Group D, Costa Rica have spoiled their party. Los Ticos’ good form means that either the Azzuri or the Sky Blue will miss out on their expected quarter-final berth. The bookies’ odds reflect the disorder caused the Costa Rican’s to the status quo. William Hill odds reflect all this, of course, and change according to upsets and wins; recent odds were 11/8 for Costa Rico to reach the last eight, Italy at 13/8 and Uruguay to 10/3, but will likely shift to accommodate recent scores. The Spaniard’s fall from grace has left the way open for the Dutch to claim a quarter-final berth. Of the other Europeans left in the tournament, expect to see Germany and France to reach the last eight. Argentina looks most likely to join Brazil in making up the numbers before the big push for the semi-finals. Best Odds To get the best odds for who will qualify for the quarter-finals, check in to William Hill Sports; the leading online bookmaker. A bet of £10 earns new players a £20 free bet. Just look out for the promo code WC20.
France and Nigeria is the first game of today's World Cup and it's now do or die. The Round of 16 has already claimed a few teams and the high caliber of soccer has not been disappointing by any standard. These teams have met once before and surprisingly it was Nigeria that was victorious beating the French 1-0. Tonight's game is a different story as France has been a powerhouse in most of their games so far. Keys to Victory France has a new, happy look which they haven't had for some time. When they are on, they're on. Some however doubt the back four's capability to win in the clutch as Mamadou Sakho has struggled with ball control and others like Mathieu Debuchy risk Yellow and even Red cards due to his risky tackling so far. They do have one man that has proven to be unstoppable in the tournament so far in Karim Benzema. With 3 goals already, one not counted because it went in just a second past the whistle and another counted an own goal. France needs to play a tight and relaxed game to beat Nigeria. If Ahmed Musa is on, the French are in trouble. Nigeria's key player on the pitch along with Emmanuel Emenike will prove more than a handful tonight as they have shown just how strong they can be in the Argentina game as an example. For Nigeria to win they will need to work like a unit and show that they can win under pressure. The Lines are In The odds are against Nigeria tonight with online sportsbook bet365 sports listing them at 7.50 to win while France is at 1.50. A draw is set at 4.40 with many lines for Correct Score, Method of Victory (penalty shots, full time result, etc.) and much more. It'll be a game to remember and the victor will be that much closer to winning the 2014 Rio World Cup.
It's halftime over at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia as France and Nigeria players get down to the dressing rooms for a breather. This is an excellent opportunity to experience the thrill of true in-play live betting at Winner Sports for this game. In-play Bets Equipped with the wisdom of the first 45 minutes of the game, punters can make learned bets for the second half. Whether you've watched the game or not, Winner's game page gives you all the statistics you need in order to assess the odds of things in the second half. By clicking on the "open match" tab you can get a view of the pitch with illustrations showing different statistics like possession for example. Look for French Possession If we learned anything from Nigeria's group games it's that they lack on midfield possession: Look for France's piercing attacks on the right and left wings with Griezmann and Debuchy as they try to net from low passes or high balls to the box to Benzema. These also open opportunities for corner markets – you can bet France will kick quite a few of these. If goals were already scored in the first half, bets can be placed on the minute of the forecasted next goal in the second half, alongside other bets like the possibility of no more goals at all. Extra time and penalty kick winner bets are also available if it seems like this isn't gonna wrap up in 90 minutes. Betting Odds Winner's initial favorite was France which held 4/9 in full time result (90 minutes) bets before the match, with Nigeria standing on 7/1 promising a nice return for anyone who's willing to go with the underdog. Head over to Winner Sports now and get a taste of the riveting live betting experience!
Due to a disproportionately high proposed tax rate by the Dutch government, The regulation of online gambling in the Netherlands' online gambling will not meets its original target date of January 1, 2015. Release Delayed a Year Unibet general counsel Ewout Keuleers told eGaming Review that regulatory issues will realistically push the release int the Dutch market back at least a year. Keuleers further explained that Unibet was still awaiting Dutch Parliamentary approval of a final draft of the Dutch Remote Gambling Act. Unibet's legal head further explained the new schedule: “I think the most optimistic date we can expect the Bill to be finalised is Q2 2015 and then there’s all the secondary legislation and licence application process, which if it started by the end of 2015 would be a very conservative forecast.” Unibet Anxious to Keep Pace Keuleers further expressed dismay at the speed of re-regulation in the Netherlands, which has taken upwards of three years. The fact is the new online gambling market is already picking up steam as a trend in many countries and provinces where state-sponsored gambling was formerly prohibited by law. This is fresh off the Gaming in Holland conference, which Unibet attended. At the conference, Unibet CEO Henrik Tjärnström called for lowering the suggested tax rate for gross gaming revenues from 20% to 10%. Grey Market Concerns The higher tax rate, according to the Swedish gaming operator, is more likely to give rise to a substantial grey market. Tjärnström estimates that 43% of Dutch customers would bet outside the regulated market in the first year of a 20% tax, while 20% of the gaming market would remain in the hands of unlicensed operators for the next four years with the higher tax. Unibet Seeks Equitable Market Keuleer assures that the more equitable 10% tax rate “increases channeling and helps the market become more sustainable and with a positive dynamic.” It certainly would bring more players into the regulatory fold, and encourage legal gambling activity, which would raise the volume of taxable gaming which would take place in the Netherlands. Clearly, a too-high tax would discourage compliance on the part of users to some significant extent. How much the Dutch government really cares remains to be seen.
Legal online gaming is coming to Portugal, and operators couldn't be happier. Casino President Welcomes Online Gambling Portuguese Casino Association President Jorge Armindo expressed his excitement, saying “It is good that online gambling is getting regulated and becomes a legal form of gambling.” Armindo did express concerns about the propriety of the regulation in its current form, saying that for this reason the legislation remains under scrutiny, with the Casino Association favoring exclusive rights licensing. Exclusive Rights Issue “Our position has always rested on the right of concession holders to exclusivity in online gaming, indeed, in alignment with the concession that was attributed to us in 2001 and for which we paid many millions of euros at the time.” The online availability of gaming and the amount of operators existing or entering the free market indicates a different market environment than the one which operators paid exclusive rights for 14 years ago. New World, Open Market The Internet gambling proposal under consideration in the Portuguese parliament is characterized by the Portuguese government as “an open regime, by licensing, without any concession of exclusivity.” Whatever it's final form State Secretary for Tourism Adolfo Mesquita Nunes promised at a press conference Thursday that online gambling legislation would be in effect by the end of the year, and would further be consistent with European best practices, European Commission recommendations and studies of comparable legislation already passed in other parts of the world. The Community Component As far as charitable proceeds, Nunes explained that a percentage of proceeds from sporting bets would be granted to the charitable institution in charged of the state lottery, Santa Casa da Misericórdia. More Challenges Ahead The real regulatory challenge here seems to be not whether or not to make rights exclusive, but to ensure that funds are clearly and transparently distributed in a manner consistent with Portuguese and European Union guidelines. As in other countries in the process of adopting online gaming regulation, the Portuguese government is about to experience a surge in revenues that must be managed properly and effectively to meet the needs of the populations they are sworn to serve.
After being in the works for quite a while, Slotty Vegas Casino is going live. We at Online Casino Reports had a chance to try out an early version of this casino and we can highly recommend it as it brings a new experience to the table – read on to learn why. Games Pay More Slotty Vegas heralds a new feature which we might see in other online casinos in the future and it's called supercharged games. Developed especially for Slotty Vegas by NetEnt, the premise of supercharged games is simple: Slotty Vegas boosts every winning spin players land with extra funds on the house. Among the supercharged games, players can find top NetEnt and Microgaming slots like Avalon II, The Dark Knight Rises, EggOMatic, Starburst and the new Aliens video slot. Powered by Microgaming and NetEnt For their gaming collection, Slotty Vegas went all out – employing the platforms of the industry's top names Microgaming and NetEnt. As seen with the supercharged titles, the Slotty Vegas gaming portfolio punches hard with the latest and most popular games from these two powerhouses including Microgaming's biggest progressive jackpots like Mega Moolah and Major Millions. For its mobile platform, Slotty Vegas uses NetEnt's Touch™ platform which is optimized for iOS and Android devices, delivering players with the same game features found on desktop versions in high quality and performance. Unique Sign-up Process Slotty Vegas lets new players sign-up directly via their Google+ and Facebook accounts: This makes for a quick and effective experience which sees no time wasted between the moment players click sign-up to that when they receive their welcome bonus after depositing. Lightning Fast Cashouts Slotty Vegas promises players speedy withdrawals, with processing times ranging anywhere from 4 hours to instant. The casino also innovates on the language front: Apart from availability in most major European languages, Slotty Vegas is one of the only online casinos which are also available in Georgian. Stay tuned as we'll be probably hearing much about this casino from now on.
As the heat cranks up in Brazil, two teams are set to claim mid-week glory on 8th and 9th July when the semi-finals of the World Cup 2014 are due to be held in the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo respectively. The $64,000 question is which four teams will succeed in the quest for the right to qualify for the World Cup Final four day’s later? Most pundits had the likely semi-finalists to be Brazil, Germany, Spain and Argentina. The second scenario fell by the wayside after the Spaniards crashed to two consecutive defeats at the qualifying stage. Many say the smart betting is still on Brazil to host Germany in in Belo Horizonte 8 July. Brazil has been explosive in the qualifying stages, with Neymar setting the tournament alight with his speed and finishing ability. Die Mannschaft stuttered against the Black Stars of Ghana in Group G, but still ooze quality and power. Argentina has made short shrift of the opposition in Group F so far, justifying the bookies odds that have made them hot favourites to reach the last four. After demolishing the Spanish, the Dutch have been cast in a new light by formerly unconvinced pundits. Two weeks before the match, William Hill makes the renowned Oranje, led by Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie, the fourth favourite as most likely semi-finalists, after they barely slid by Mexico. William Hill not only has great odds but it is also joining in the carnival atmosphere by offering £20 in free bets for a £10 stake by new players.
This game should be one of the best to watch in all of the Round of 16. On one hand stands Switzerland, who has not lost a game on the road to this World Cup in a very tough European division. On the other hand stands Argentina, with the best player in the world, Messi. The big question for tonight is if Messi get the help he needs to take care of the Swiss.Tale of the TapeArgentina and Switzerland have met 6 times in the past with Argentina winning 4 times and drawing twice. The Swiss have the odds stacked against them tonight but they have been a strong team throughout the group stages showing that they could be able to get past Argentina tonight. Messi has been unstoppable so far with 4 total goals and 3 worthy of any highlight reel. Argentina are strong in the backfield but their midfield performance is still questionable. With Messi on your team however a strong run is all you'll need to win but they must come together against the Swiss on a whole to win. They are young, fast, and fun to watch bringing a new style of dynamic soccer to the pitch. Although they got their butts handed to them by the French, Switzerland showed their true colors against Honduras and Ecuador in the group stage. If they are to have a chance against Argentina and not get hit with another embarrassing loss Phillippe Senderos and Johan Djourou will need to get in the game. One player that is proving to be the answer to Messi (at least in a couple of games so far) is Xherdan Shaqiri whom netted a hat trick against Honduras. It's gonna be fast, incredible and everything else you'd expect when Messi gets on the pitch. Don't miss out.
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