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There have been a number of reports from Russia that the country is considering legalizing online poker within its borders. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov has asked the Ministries of Finance, Economic Development and Justice to review the possibility of legalization and to figure out exactly what kind of legislation would be necessary to make it happen. The ministries are due to report back to Mr. Shuvalov on July 21, 2014, and their reports will only include information on online poker gambling, not any other kind. Large poker operators such as PokerStars and 888poker would benefit vastly from the introduction of online poker into Russia. Russia’s Change of Heart This new willingness on the part of Russia to even entertain the thought of legalizing online poker comes following an appeal of the President of the Poker Union, Kakha Kakhiani, to the Finance Ministry. Kakhiani presented a history of successful performances of Russian players in international poker tournaments, and argued that adding an online element could only benefit the country. Poker Is Not Gambling In 2013, Valery Fyodorov, the Director General of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, reported that Russians do not actually consider poker a gambling activity. Polls showed that 42% of Russians think that poker is an intellectual game and 85% of online users consider it intellectual as well. Only 25% of those polled think otherwise. Additionally, 52% of those polled said that people should have the right to play online poker, while only 24% were against it. Of course, the Russian government is not known for being swayed by popular opinion. Once Mr. Shuvalov receives the reports from the three ministries, it is unclear how he will continue forward. One thing is certain though: if Russia does, in fact, pass legislation legalizing online poker, the international poker market will be expanded significantly.
Leading online payment system Paypal and UK bookmaker Ladbrokes have joined forces to integrate the Paypal payment system into betting with the mobile version of the Ladbrokes site, enabling gamblers for the first time to use Paypal to pay for wagers ranging from sports bets to casino card games including poker and blackjack. Paypal Availability Will Attract More Users The availability of Paypal for online betting is sure to attract more activity to all sectors of betting, and not only because of the timing coincidental to the World Cup. The convenience of Paypal in general is a huge draw, and when it comes to wagering, the ability to bet without providing any financial information to the betting parlor carries additional appeal. Ladbrokes Enhanced Any new users attracted to Ladbrokes by the Paypal option will, upon visiting the bookmaker site, also discover a vastly upgraded user environment with such enhancements as faster loading speeds to support the urgency of World Cup betting and results. Why Paypal Betting Will Succeed in UK As far as user appeal, prevailing research reveals that a third of the UK uses Paypal exclusively to pay online, and that a great percentage of these users rely heavily on Paypal. The Paypal integration confirms that what is rapidly becoming a staple of e-commerce--the mobile app--will make Ladbrokes accessible to customers across almost the physical entirety of the UK, which is almost fully covered by 3G and Wifi access at this point. Safe and Easy Mobile Bets The Paypal option basically ensures that anyone anywhere in the UK who wants to place a bet no longer has to make a trip to the bookie, and also enables anyone to bet without proffering up their protected financial information to an outside party. The built-in security checks of Paypal also ensures that all users will be able to bet in the protected environment that they have come to expect and trust within the Paypal system itself, and firmly plants Ladbrokes at the forefront of modern technology and e-commerce to more effectively meet customer preferences.
Mid-season is almost upon the MLB and teams are vying to better their position before the All-Star Game. Since June 16th, 1997 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, the Nationals and the Orioles have had a heated rivalry that has come to known as the Beltway Series. Although a new series in MLB standards, fans and management in both cities rate this rivalry as one of their favorites and regularly show up at the opposing stadium to cheer for their team. They have met 61 times since the Beltway began and the Orioles are the leaders by a small margin of 32-29 (reg. season). This year the Orioles are newly atop the AL East after a few wins and a losing streak by the Toronto Blue Jays opened the top spot. They are 47-40 with a win percentage of .540. The Orioles play an excellent game on both sides of the field with one of the best defenses in the MLB and a solid lineup of smart hitters that know how to get wood on the ball. The Nationals are currently in second place in the NL East but they actually have a slightly better record than the Orioles at 47-39, a win percentage of .547. Washington has had a new bounce in their step as they have been playing the best baseball of the last few years and feel like they could really be dangerous in the off-season. On the Mound The Orioles at home tonight are going with Chris Tillman the big right-hander who is 7-4 with an ERA of 4.21. The Nationals are throwing Stephen Strasburg, the even bigger right-hander back at the Orioles who is 7-6 with a 3.53 ERA. Live Bet Game of the Night Tonight's game between the Orioles and the Nationals is already offered at bet365, the UK famed sportsbook. Punters interested in making an online wager for this game can do so at bet365 sports on a number of lines available pre-game, and in the form of live in-play bets which will pop up throughout all 9 innings of MLB action.
32Red has set out to publicly defend itself after a sponsorship deal putting its corporate title on the tradition-steeped Glorious Goodwood's Stewards Cup. New Race Deal Shares Corporate Name In keeping with a one-year sponsorship deal, the 174-year-old race will be called the 32Red Cup this year, with a two year extension option held by Goodwood. In response to the fierce opposition the name change has wrought on the part of horse-racing enthusiasts, 32Red has called on UK horse-racing to work with the media to establish the benefits of corporate sponsorship deals for the sport, a tough sell. Traditionalist Opposition Most tradition-bound enthusiasts agree with voices such as Sir Peter O’Sullevan, the legendary retired horse-racing commentator who called the renaming of the race “sweeping away years of tradition,” with thousands upon thousands of similar sentiments expressed by racing fans in social media. Other Name-Sharing Deals However, this is not the first time a race name change has taken place as the result of a UK betting operator sponsorship deal. Recent examples include the renaming of Haydock's Lancashire Chase the “Betfair Chase” and the renaming of Doncaster’s Great Yorkshire Chase to the “Sky Bet Chase.” More Equitable Referencing In an interview with eGaming Review, the 32Red commercial director Matt Booth suggested that the British Horse-racing Authority and British media organisations more completely reference races according to the name of races and the title sponsor. The lack of mention of the 32Red brand name in such previous deals made 32Red see its investment as “potentially wasted funds when you see media and third parties still reference the race as the Bunbury Cup with no reference to the 32Red brand at all,” according to Booth. Attracting New Investment Booth points out that a break with tradition is necessary to attract more outside investment to horse-racing, and believes a more effective public campaign on the part of the British Authority and the media can help the public understand.
An exhaustive search for a new leader to replace the retiring Ralph Topping at bookmaking giant William Hill has settled upon operations director James Henderson. The Change Ralph Topping is departing after a lauded 44-year career with the company. Henderson has been formally promoted to the William Hill Board of Directors as CEO designate with immediate effect. He will officially take the office as of August 1st, as the optimal candidate culled from what was described as an “extensive and thorough review” of both internal and external candidates by chairman Gareth Davies. Speculation Concludes The official announcement concludes weeks of speculation as to the actual date of Topping's departure, as well as confirming swirling reports of Henderson's imminent ascendancy to the top position as well. Qualifications Henderson has honed his skills and candidacy as director of operations, where Henderson was in charged of the William Hill UK retail division, William Hill Online, William Hill Australia upon the departure of CEO Michael Sullivan; and William Hill US. Henderson began his career as a trainee in a betting shop in West London before embarking on a highly successful career bookmaking of nearly 30 years. Topping the Source of Inspiration Henderson graciously credits much of his new opportunity to his predecessor at the helm of William Hill, saying: “Under Ralph as chief executive, the Group is in the best competitive shape I have ever known and he has created, in my view, an unrivaled team with an outstanding track record,” Henderson said. Accomplishments The accomplishments of outgoing CEO Topping cannot be underestimated: since he replaced David Harding and became chief executive, he has been credited with leading the revival of William Hill, restoring it to its status as a UK gambling giant, in an adapted form. Among other things, Topping supervised the joint venture of William Hill Online (WHO) with Playtech, which led to WHO's eventual full takeover in acquiring Playtech’s 29% stake in WHO for £424m. The New Leadership Style Diversity and sustainability are the two core values expressed by the incoming CEO. It is hoped that Henderson will continue to make diversifying deals that maintain the sustainable expansion approach of the “new” William Hill.
The Tour de France...the most coveted professional road cycling championship in the world. So many of the sports greats have won this grueling 21 stage race which covers a total distance of 3,664 km through the UK, Belgium, France and Spain while bordering Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. There are a total of 22 teams this year each with 9 riders, except teams Omega Pharma - Quick Step and Lampre-Merida with 8 each. The cycling in this event is legendary. To think about driving that distance is crazy let alone ride at insane speeds on a bike. Lucky for us there are many pros that are ready and willing to ride in our place and today's stage is going to be especially hard. Arras to Reims Now that the cobblestones are behind us it's time to move on to the "stage of the brave" which winds through the roads of the Battle of the Somme and the Chemin des Dames. Near the end of the stage the roads get incredibly twisty so the wind could play a major factor for those sprinters looking to get ahead. It has been an intense race so far, already covering distances that seem to most like it would be impossible to ride in one day. With each stage of this years race and for the overall winners, online sportsbooks are offering interested punters a chance to win with the riders each and every day. Winner Sports is one such sportsbook that is offering some of the most attractive lines for the Tour de France with chances to 'ride' away with lucrative cash. Tour de France Online Wagering At Winner Sports there are obvious favorites to bring home the first place hardware but individual stage winners is where punters can really capitalize. The biggest payout opportunity is by betting on outright winner but there are also lines for the grueling mountain stages, points winner and more.
In prioritizing its community role, London-based Ladbrokes has appointed a social responsibility committee to spearhead the development of responsible gambling policy across all of the betting and gaming operator's diverse sectors. Committee Components The committee is set to convene a minimum of three times per year, regularly reporting to the Ladbrokes board with updates on its responsible gambling policy development, while measuring company performance versus self-defined benchmarked goals of social responsibility. The head of the committee will be Ladbrokes senior independent director John Kelly. Non-executive director Christine Hodgson will join the committee, as will Ladbrokes group chairman Peter Erskine along with the company's chief executive Richard Glynn. Outside Consultation Further consultation will be gathered from company experts on a regular basis. Further close cooperation will be provided by the Ladbrokes’ remuneration committee in defining and developing benchmarked goals as incentives such as tying executive salaries to realistic and responsible gaming revenue and usage goals. Making Ideals Practical Erskine identified this process as a means by which the traditional ideological commitment of Ladbrokes to integrating responsible gambling and social responsibility into its organizational practices can ensure long-term ethical practices, in a market that is disproportionately stigmatized: “It is clear that trust in bookmakers has been impacted by negative publicity and lobbying in the last year, and while we may believe that much of the concern is ill founded, we accept that it is only by our actions will be able to win it back,” Erskine explained. Building Trust While components of Ladbrokes still remain controversial in terms of the values they promote, the task of increasing community trust will take shape with concrete measures in the near future, with such measures as the linking to executive pay to gambling to take effect in 2015, as well as consulting membership data gathered from its Odds On loyalty card to learn more about the triggers and vulnerabilities for at-risk behavior. Stock Optimism Though there is work to be done, the measure was met with success and optimism by investors, as London trade shares in Ladbrokes (LSE:LAD) were up 0.99 per cent to 142.40 pence.
Online casino software developer Yggdrasil Gaming has announced that the European online gaming operator Unibet has gone live with its full portfolio of games. Earlier in March of this year, Yggdrasil struck a deal with Unibet to provide it with the company's full portfolio of games including its new and upcoming products to be released in the future. Yggdrasil has claimed that it has opened 10 additional currencies especially for Unibet. Biggest Operator to Partner with Yggdrasil According to Yggdrasil, Unibet is the biggest operator to partner with the company to this date. “This is our biggest live launch to date," said the company's chief executive Fredrik Elmqvist, signaling that the company is now ready for wider expansion, having decided to do the Compliance Audit and undergoing a major system update prior to going live with Unibet. These things will allow Yggdrasil to take many more partners on board now according to Elmqvist. Some of Yggdrasil's video slots have become instant favorites in online casinos in which they were launched, including games like the 5-reel, 25-payline Winterberries which presents players with a special frozen symbols feature, and the simpler 5-reel, 10-payline Jokerizer which breathes new life into the genre of classic slots with its mystery scatters and Jokerizer mode. About Yggdrasil Based in Malta, Yggdrasil Gaming is a young software developer which has quickly made a name for itself with its portfolio of highly popular video slots characterized by high quality graphics, smooth gameplay and special features. Yggdrasil specializes in video slots, scratch card games, 3D video keno games and lotteries. Yggdrasil is also the operator behind the Malta-based daily Lotto7 lottery which offers a €2.5 million pooled progressive jackpot prize each day of the week. The company's gaming portfolio is multi-platform, available on both desktops and mobile devices.
In a match-up that could easily be a World Cup final, Brazil and Germany meet today at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte for an epic semi-final fight (9pm UK time). Germany's Bad Knockout Spell The last time these two teams met in a World Cup was the 2002 final, a match that ended 2-0 in favor of the Brazilians who lifted their fifth World Cup under the guidance of current coach Felipe Scolari. Much has changed since, but one thing remained with Germany – the team made it to the deciding levels where they were knocked out time and time again. They lost the 2006 World Cup semi-final to Italy, went on to lose the Euro 2008 final to Spain, then losing again to the Spaniards on the World Cup 2010 semis and another semi lost to the Italians on Euro 2012. This, along with the fact that they have not realized their potential game-wise in this World Cup so far, makes many fans pessimistic as to their chances tonight. Brazil's Trauma Brazil's star Neymar broke his vertebra after being kneed in the back by Colombia's Juan Camilo Zuniga in the quarter-final, rendering the 22-year old forward unable to play football anytime soon. Brazil has been practically mourning Neymar's injury and they had a good reason to do so: The Brazilian forward was in most games a one man show for the Selecao, responsible for some 23% of situations which led to goals scored by Brazil. While a team doesn't stand on only one player, it's hard to argue that Brazil wasn't relying almost solely on Neymar. The Brazilians will also miss suspended captain Thiago Silva. Yet, if they muster the strength they can pass Germany tonight. Whatever happens, the world is sure to enjoy this "final before the final".
The San Francisco Hyatt will host the GiGSE Social Casino Summit, July 14th-16th. The location could not be more perfect as San Francisco is the hub of gaming. This is a massive deal, with more than 700 high-level industry professionals gathered under one roof. The 2013 Conference drew an extremely large and diverse crowd, with new developments taking place in the US online gaming scene, promising an even better event this year. With internet gambling becoming a reality in three States in 2013 and with the prospect of further opportunities throughout the Continent, this is a must-visit for any operators or suppliers within the gaming industry. Who will be in attendance? A more appropriate question might be, who will NOT be in attendance? Previous attendees include; US land-based casinos (commercial and tribal) Tribal governments Regulators (state and tribal) iGaming operators iGaming suppliers Lotteries Social gaming developers and suppliers Lobby groups, consultants and law firms Investment funds, private equity funds, venture capital firms Banks Now I'm interested, what else? In addition to the conference speakers, a list that includes the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, CEOs, CFOs and VPs, a mind boggling array of exhibitors and sponsors will also be in attendance. Luminaries such as Bally Technology, Gamblit, NYX Gaming Group and OpenBet will be in attendance. This is a perfect opportunity to network feverishly with industry leaders, innovators, competitors and suppliers - genuinely, a not-to-be-missed chance to keep up-to-date with news, views, opinion and expertise in the rapidly changing world of all aspects of online gaming.
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