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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.
Salvador's Arena Fonte Nova sees a tough Round of 16 fight tonight as Belgium meets the USA at 9pm UK time. Belgium Aiming High While the Belgians did finish on top of their group with the full amount of points, they didn't sweep the field and knock spectators off their feet like expected. However they did do enough to win all games against Algeria, South Korea and Russia and that's what counts at the end of the day. Today the Belgians will have to step up their game as they face a sturdy American competitor, eager to make this World Cup count. Look for performance by players like Mertens, Origi, Lukaku and Eden Hazard who seems to be improving his game with every match. USA Must Improve The American national team emerged from one of this World Cup's most difficult groups also called the group of death. In practice, the USA won only one group game against Ghana (2-1), but the weak Portugal with which the Americans dramatically drew with was enough to help coach Jurgen Klinsmann's men to qualify. In the 1-0 loss to Germany, the USA gave a very dry display and they'll be looking to improve their game today – they have to if they want the quarter. Look for counter-attacks with playmakers like Dempsey, Zusi and Jones. In-play Betting As always, Winner Sports will be covering tonight's Round of 16 game live with in-play bets punters can place as the game unfolds. In full time result at the end of 90 minutes, Winner has 19/20 on Belgium, 17/5 on the USA and 23/10 for a draw. There are over 118 betting markets for the game including penalties and overtime in case the game won't be decided in 90 minutes. Don't miss out on this thriller!
A new deal that was agreed upon recently between Winner and Playtech has been making quite a lot of noise recently. It has been a long time in the making but finally Winner will be using Playtech's all-new multi-balance wallet as part of their Information Management System (IMS) offering.Winner WalletWith the new system, Winner will eliminate the need for multiple accounts according to product allowing players the chance to enjoy casino, bingo, sports or poker without needing to leave one place. The IMS platform by Playtech gives operators like Winner the opportunity to track gaming activity using a single back-end giving a much clearer picture of players' gaming habits and financials. “We are very proud to launch the new wallet with Winner,” related Tony Khatskevich, Playtech’s VP of cross products. “It provides operators with a holistic view which allows them to execute more targeted marketing efforts and an avenue to cross-sell across products and games. I am sure Winner will benefit from this wallet in maximizing their player value.”Winner's wallet model encompasses the ability for players to transfer funds within games and different products which will create major breakthroughs in cross-sell marketing including Free-Spin Bonuses and more. Now that Winner will get the comprehensive financial view and will drastically improve their promotions of games and other offerings. Everyone BenefitsPlaytech is one of the world's leading software developers and Winner is one of the biggest online gaming operators so a partnership seems natural. By boosting Winner's chances for transparency, Playtech has given them a chance to see the full scope of things which is the difference between 1st and 2nd place in the highly competitive online gambling industry.
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