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In honor of the popular land-based casino market, Monte-Carlo Casino will be relaunched online by European online gaming company Betclic Everest Group (BEG) in coordination with the Monaco hotels to casinos group, SBM (The Société des Bains de Mer). Everest Climbs the Mountain BetClic Everest CEO Isabelle Andres lauded the completion of the sometimes arduous path towards re-launch of an official online counterpart for Monte Carlo with “incredible” pride as the culmination of a full year of planning and design, as many of Monte Carlo's unique features were styled after the close relationship BetClic is committed to maintaining with land-based Monte-Carlo games, with such adapted components as the duplication of acual interior designs from Monte Carlo land-based casinos into the graphic interiors of the company's online games rooms. Adapted from Land-Based Monte Carlo More unique graphic features include the new intuitive customer dashboard BetClic Everest will offer and the brand new high end international VIP scheme “The Cercle Club,” linked to the world-famous Monte-Carlo land-based casino VIP program. To Be Added to Existing Diverse Proprietary Platform The online casino will be integrated into an existing proprietary platform now running with NetEnt, and currently offering NetEnt’s Live Dealer and Mini Games, along with some games from Quickfire. More games are due to be integrated from luminary providers such as IGT, WMS and Amaya, who top a shortlist of gaming providers who will offer an ever-widening array of games which will soon include Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo Mystique Lives On Monte-Carlo online will build on the mystique of the Monte Carlo land-based casinos, which have been around and wildly popular for the exclusive set since 1863, when the opulence of its architecture quickly established Monte Carlo as a leading playground for the leisure class. The avante garde reputation was honed in contemporary pop culture through being featured in films such as Casino Royale, Cars 2 and Ocean’s Twelve, with ongoing visibility being maintained through the placement of the casino district on the European racing route of the Monaco Grand Prix. The online addition of Monte Carlo casinos in this day and age is sure to maintain contemporary product placement for the upper niche echelon worldwide.
The time is at hand for PokerStars: owner Amaya has announced that the iGaming provider giant will launch its first sports betting platform by April's conclusion. Amaya Takes the Lead Amaya CEO David Baazov went public with the news that "with the continuing trend of online gaming regulation around the world, the company has in front of itself an enormous opportunity to leverage its brand recognition and customer loyalty to diversify into other gaming verticals as casino, sports betting and social gaming." The sports betting platform will follow PokerStars prevailing successful strategy of gradually rolling out new offerings to the international PokerStars 7 client base through which PokerStars provides poker tables as an iGaming market leader. Gradual but Strategically Prompt Rollout Amaya further indicated that the sports betting platform will be available on a progressively expanding basis to its international client base as well as its web and mobile versions over the course of the coming year. PokerStars' expansion into sports betting has been anticipated since Amaya's $4.9 billion purchase of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker’s parent company The Rational Group, days after which Amaya initially announced its sports betting expansion plans. Casino games on PokerStars 7 is the first step in a more complex strategy which looks to be fully implemented towards the end of 2015, with Amaya expected to have its mobile casino platform operating at full capacity as part of a broader marketing strategy trumpeting the diversification of a comprehensive set of iGaming products and services., according to Amaya. Expanding Amaya Unphased By Controversy Amaya's launch of casino games constituted something of an image conflict, leading to some minor controversy when two-time European Poker Tour (EPT) champion Victoria Coren-Mitchell ended her sponsorship contract with the poker room; nonetheless, Amaya remains satisfied with results of the move characterized as "above expectations." For example, in Spain where the casino games were first introduced, Amaya estimates that despite no significant or directed marketing campaigns, PokerStars has achieved a double-digit market share. In other words, the world is ready for PokerStars expansion; the question is how quickly Amaya will reach its full customer base.
London's White Hart Lane stadium is the venue for today's first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final between home team Tottenham and Sheffield United (19:45 UK time). Pressure on Tottenham Currently ranked sixth in the Premier League table, Tottenham's performance has improved its overall performance lately. Specifically at home, Tottenham has been scoring a lot of goals with the talent of Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen. Fans and journalists are curious whether Emmanuel Adebayor will finally make his comeback today, and if he will how that will affect Tottenham's game. Spurs are definitely not expecting an easy ride at home, but they know that if they let it slip today, it'll get much harder next week at Sheffield: this is why the pressure is almost exclusively on them. Kyle Walker who knows Sheffield United his former club well, warned his teammates that they are up for an "ambush" next week if they can't win today. Sheffield Could Surprise Sheffield has already proved that it is indeed very much capable of tackling challenges from the Premier League. The Blades beat QPR 3-0 at the FA Cup back in the beginning of the month. Sheffield has had many meetings with clubs from the Premier in the last year; this is the team's second cup semi-final in one year as they were beaten 5-3 by Hull City in the FA Cup semis back in April. Sheffield is able to use the advantage of having most of the pressure on Tottenham today. Tottenham are favorites due to the standings, but differences between leagues vaporize usually in the cup games. Look for goalscorers Marc McNulty, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Michael Higdon who netted three in the Capital One Cup competitions. Live Betting Winner Sports is offering a wide range of in-play and pre-match betting markets on today's semi-finals. Full time result odds had 7/20 on Tottenham, 7/1 on Sheffield and 9/2 for a draw. Log-in today and make your bet count.
The Czech Republic is turning up the heat on unlicensed gambling companies operating sites within the country. The Ministry of Finance revealed a new plan on Thursday to levy these unlicensed companies with a tax that will make up for the estimated profit loss to the government through these sites. That figure is estimated to be £17 million annually. Operators in the Czech Republic are scrambling to seek legal advice and see what this actually means for their companies; some think it might not be worthwhile to pay the tax, and will pull out of the Czech market altogether. The proposed plan is only in the initial stages, but should this motion be passed into law, unlicensed operators will face a tax of anywhere between 20%-30% on their profits. Betfair’s Reaction to Proposed Czech Tax Betfair general counsel Martin Lyčka confirmed that the passing of an unlicensed gambling tax could see Betfair and many of other firms leave the market. "If next year the Ministry chooses a new strategy, it is likely that the big players including Betfair could leave the Czech market and stop accepting bets," Lyčka said. Another spokesperson from Betfair commented that the company was in the process of reviewing the tax proposal, and though the operator has no “immediate” plans to leave the market, it certainly considers the country’s tax rate to be “too high." Czech Licensing Requirements As of now, one of the current licensing requirements in the Czech Republic is that the company must establish a physical presence in the country. However, last year the Czech Republic had announced plans to amend its current licensing requirements to enable companies to gain a license without having to meet this requirement. This would enable more remote companies to gain licensing. The new tax is also another step in encouraging operators to obtain licensing; but the costs might just be too high and end up driving them away.
Last week has seen speculations running rampant on the issue of online gambling regulation in South Africa and its future. In this article we will try to address the general unclarity of the situation with the info that is out in the open. The Remote Gambling Bill It began when discussion on the Remote Gambling Bill on online gambling regulation was scheduled for February 2015, when South Africa's parliament opens again. Democratic Alliance Parliament member Geordin Hill-Lewis, who also serves as shadow minister of trade and industry and is signed on the bill, expressed his optimism that this time it will go through. Hill-Lewis said he believes that the government will engage the issue properly as its interaction with online gambling so far has been superficial at best; the parliament member believes that his bill gives the government a possible solution. Hill-Lewis has received the backing of the Casino Association of South Africa (CASA) which issued a message of support. These days, CASA is running a nation-wide campaign highlighting the perils of unlawful online gambling. Speculations Perhaps Too Optimistic It seems that this optimism expressed by Hill-Lewis was taken a little too far by some as reports announcing that online gambling is going to be legalized in the country have started popping up. The backlash of these reports has brought South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to issue a joined statement with the National Gambling Board (NGB) which reaffirmed the government's opposition to online gambling and its regulation as proposed by the shadow minister. "Online gambling, or what others refer to as remote gambling, is not allowed in SA, and the National Gambling Board together with other law enforcement agencies will act on this illegal activity with immediate effect," said the statement, continuing to warn perpetrators of the punishments they face which include hefty fines and jail time. It was made clear that "Online gambling is not desirable and the DTI has raised its objection to the proposal by the Democratic Alliance to legalise online gambling. There are a number of social ills associated with gambling, especially online gambling which occurs in unregulated and unsupervised locations." Adoption of Europe Models Hill-Lewis was not surprised by the government's statement but highlighted how the DTI speaks of "social ills" related to online gambling: "There are also social ills associated with alcohol, but it is legal," he said. Despite the strong opposition, Hill-Lewis said that he hopes to change the minds of the DTI, although his bill will be discussed at the Parliament and is not up for the national government to decide. Perhaps South African lawmakers could look at the possible adoption of European online gambling regulation models, namely the recent amendments to the UK bill which show that a supervised, regulated online gambling market is not a distant utopia. We'll keep following the situation in South Africa and bring you relevant developments as they come.
Swedish online casino software developer Net Entertainment is releasing its brand new slot today, Tornado: Farm Escape. The game will be available in both desktop and mobile versions on NetEnt's signature Touch portfolio. Have Yourself a Tornado Holiday From the looks of it, Tornado: Farm Escape has all it needs to go down in NetEnt's hall of fame, with its comical theme and nifty features. Built on the classic 5-reel, 3-row, 20-payline structure, Tornado: Farm Escape takes place in a farm which was hit by a raging tornado, but there's a twist! The farm's animals are happy to take a break from their tough farmer who looks in awe as the animals pack their bags and get on to ride the tornado for a holiday. This is when the players come into the action as they are swept into the eye of the tornado to spin the reels to the happy sounds of a fast banjo. The symbols are represented by different objects such as suitcases and sofas and the happy animals themselves, including a TV wild and Hot and Cold symbols. The stormy weather comes into play in the slot's special features. Tornado Feature The Tornado Feature is activated when Hot and Cold symbols appear simultaneously on reels 1 and 5: The symbol appearing in the second row of the center reel turns into a tornado which looks to collect all other appearances of the same symbol on the reels together with any wilds. During the feature, the reels keep on spinning until the tornado symbol is out – players get wins for every symbol collected and the maximum payout is a whopping 167,000 coins. Storm Feature The Storm Feature starts randomly during spins when a thundercloud appears and randomly travels along the reels, generating wilds which substitute symbols on the reels to create the highest winning combinations on the bet lines. Where to Play Tornado: Farm Escape will be available at leading NetEnt-powered online casinos such as Casino Cruise, Slotty Vegas Casino and Tivoli Casino.
Online casinos are on the forefront of adapting to the mobilizing world, where more and more players are looking for better and faster ways to play on the go. One particular step that's becoming more prevalent with online casinos is transitioning from traditional mobile versions to offering actual real money casino apps. Apps Instead of Mobile Sites With the advent of mobile as a whole, internet sites were made accessible to people's mobile browsers with special mobile-ready sites – a practice used by online casinos as well. As smartphones became more popular with apps filling every function, sites developed specific apps for users to browse through their content smoothly and easily. Lately, online casinos themselves have started coming out with apps that offer players an enhanced mobile version much closer to that they can access on a desktop. The Legality of Gambling Apps But as it seems to always be with the over-suspicious world, the publishing of gambling apps in the popular app stores has gone through different obstacles due to legality concerns and bureaucratic foot-dragging. Perhaps one of the most relevant manifestations of these legality issues can be demonstrated in Apple's removal of the William Hill and Ladbrokes mobile apps from the App Store just two weeks ago. While the apps were restored quickly along with other sports betting apps that were removed due to what Apple called an "admin error", this comes to show that online casino apps are still subject to "special attention". But with positive winds in regulation such as that in the UK, players can use real money betting apps from online casinos so long as these are licensed; at the same time, players from a country where gambling is restricted would not see the app in the different app stores. Accessibility and Quickness – Main Keys While it's probable to assume that it'll take more time for app shops, players and online casinos to make the complete change into mobile apps, this is undoubtedly the future. Players look to utilize to the max the performance and abilities possessed by smartphones and tablets nowadays. Winner Casino's new mobile app is a good example and pioneer for what's to come in the future. Available for both iOS and Android devices in the App Store and Google Play, Winner Casino's mobile app is installed in a jiffy to offer players real money online casino games, slots, sports betting and live dealers. There are also special promotions such as unique welcome offers specifically for app users, something which we can expect to see in other real money casino apps in the future.
White label products are an interesting aspect in the world of online gambling. The term itself comes from the world of marketing and refers to a product that one company has created which is sold to another company which rebrands it for its own use. White Label in Online Casinos White label products can be found in many markets and industries, the iGaming industry included. One example is software developer Playtech which is a major white label product provider. The white label product in this case is essentially a quick solution for parties that are interested in opening an online casino or an online sports betting site easily. The white label product company provides the customer with everything they need to get a site up and running – the customer's responsibility is left with the branding and marketing of the new site. SkillOnNet is another major developer responsible for online casinos leaning on white label products across Europe. The bigger the company, its partnerships and licenses, the higher the white label customer can aim. In this case of online casinos, both Playtech and SkillOnNet are prominent names in providing white label products. Specifically SkillOnNet will be showcasing its white label solutions in next month's ICE Totally Gaming Expo at London (stand N6-222). Online Lottery Also in the Picture White label products in the iGaming industry are not limited to online casinos and sportsbooks only. One good example is the Gibraltar-based company Lottonetix which will also present at the ICE Totally Gaming Expo (stand N7-538). Lottonetix has recently teamed up with prominent online lottery platform company Kootac, setting their sights on delivering customers with a complete package within lightning-fast delivery times: in 10 days, clients can already get their online lottery site up and running. Lottonetix's solutions are an exciting peek into the future of the white label world, and that is apparent when one looks inside the package that they are offering. Customers get everything from the integration of 12 languages and multi-language customer support to access to six of the world's biggest lotteries such as Mega Millions, Powerball and Euro Millions. This is added by professionally designed themes, a flexible suite of payment methods and a full mobile version: essentially everything one needs to get the show on the road.
At long last, the popular messaging app WhatsApp is now available in a web version. WhatsApp users have been waiting long for the possibility to access the app through their desktops/laptops, something which was made available a few months ago by competitor app Telegram. Browser and Platform Limitations However, there are a few limitations which can be considered pretty big. Currently, the web version is available only via Google's Chrome browser. The bigger limitation is that iOS users cannot access the web version due to what WhatsApp called "Apple platform limitations". The web version works with Android, Nokia S60, BlackBerry and Windows devices. In order to connect themselves, users simply need to connect to a designated site via their Chrome browser and scan a QR code to get things going. Of course, the latest WhatsApp version needs to be installed and the phone needs to stay connected to an internet source for the web client to work. Windows 10 Updates In other happy tech news, Microsoft has announced yesterday that its new OS Windows 10 slated for release later this year will come as a free update for users of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 Phone. The update will be free in the first year of release, and prices of the new OS are yet to be revealed. Among the other updates in Windows 10, users will find functionality tweaks such as the return of the Start button which will be available in full screen mode, improvements to the notification center and an overhaul to the UI. Also coming to PCs is Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant who can be interacted with via text or voice queries. Online Gambling Apps in Windows Specifically in the case of Windows 10, we might see the integration of online gambling apps in the future as Microsoft focused on apps when it switched to Windows 8. This option is more likely seeing that real money casino apps from the biggest online casinos and operators, like Winner Casino, are overcoming the hurdles and appearing in Android and iOS app shops.
The Australian Open is already past the first two rounds and round three gets started tonight at midnight in the UK. The action thus far has been some of the best tennis to have been seen all-time with games exceeding all expectations. The world's best players continue to impress and the young guns are proving to be quite exciting to watch. Who's Got the Advantage? Rafael Nadal breezed by his first two opponents, proving that he is again in form and could easily wind up in the Aussie Open Final. Nadal is hitting the ball well and is once again a lightning bolt on the hard court leaving his opponents shaking their heads in dismay as the Spaniard hits winner after winner. That's not to say that his last match was a pushover, in fact, Tim Smyczek took Nadal to five sets but ultimately Rafa was too good for the young American. Dudi Sela is an Israeli tennis star. He is now ranked 106 in the world and is no stranger in playing the top ranked players in the world. Sela surprised everyone when he beat Likas Rosol, the 28 ranked player in the world in four sets, but now faces the toughest game he will likely play in Australia against Nadal. Dudi Sela is an interesting player to watch. When on his game he can prove a lot to handle for any player in the world. It could be the night for the Israeli star to shine, but more than posing a slight problem for Nadal, Rafa has this game locked up. Expect Nadal to win this match in the end but not before Sela takes him to his limit. Live In-Play Betting Bet365 Sports has rolled out the live in-play coverage and betting for this match, and punters are urged to watch the game interactively to try and make some lucrative cash. Rafa is the favorite tonight but it may be wise to place some strategic bets on Sela throughout the second and third sets after he gets in the game.
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