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Online gambling stalwart Bwin.party is moving into serious talks to sell a portion if not all of its online gambling enterprise. Not a Harbinger The seemingly surprising announcement is not as shocking as it might seem on the surface. Despite Bwin's being a successful company and industry leader, it is not profitable or viable for a company to continue to have to struggle to adapt to or overcome oppositional legislation from its primary markets. Unfortunately, that is what Bwin is experiencing with the slowing of regulated online poker markets in Europe, where Bwin operates. The Bwin model seemed prime to capitalize on a new wave of opportunity that online gambling represented not more than a few years ago. Created as a merger of sports betting group Bwin and online poker group PartyGaming in 2011, the company acknowledged as of November that it was considering a range of proposals to divest. Bwin Options Being Fleshed Out Canada's Amaya Gaming is one rumored suitor. This would make prefect sense, because of Amaya's recent aggressive buying spree, which last year included acquisitions of online gambling site giants PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. Bwin chairman Philip Yea would not name names, except to say there were secondary discussions taking place with a number of firms. Sign of Market Failure? Any business model relies on an integrated market system. Due to sovereignty of governments, market stability for online gambling in the EU remains unstable and unpredictable, subject to volume fluctuations fixed to results of the regulation process in each member country. The fact is, online gambling providers are going to need the backing to wait out the regulation process globally while countries in each sector of the world work out the kinks in their online regulation process. Solutions Consideration of a model that does not rely on projected expansion but focuses on tangible markets in the countries where online gambling is already regulated could temper unrealistic or overly ambitious projections, potentially protecting against overinvestment to lower operating costs for online providers.
Is online gambling regulation approaching the shores of the Dominican Republic? Steps by lawmakers in the country indicate that might be the case in the future. Regulation Bill in the Works Members of the Dominican Republic's Standing Committee on Finance are in discussion over the creation of a new bill set to create a regulatory authority for gambling in the country. The attention of the discussion focuses on the legalization of all forms of gambling, including online gambling and online poker. The draft covers all important aspects of regulation including responsible gambling, fraud presentation and the implementation of strict security measures. Not only lawmakers are taking part in the discussion, but also members of the Dominican Republic national lottery and other representatives which were invited to the dialogue. A History of Gambling Casinos and gambling are not new to the Dominican Republic, as it is actually the Caribbean country containing the largest number of land based casinos with 34 in operation. The many casinos spread throughout the country are a major attraction for tourists, with millions of people visiting the country on a yearly basis. These casinos operate under licenses that are issued by the country's Ministry of Finance, and the part of the ministry in any future online gambling regulation plan is still unknown. Good for Revenues Will future regulation of online gambling expand this influx of tourists to virtual ones as well? The suggested bill will include ways with which the country will see revenues from taxes etc, as is common in other countries with online gambling regulation. Experience shows that countries can benefit greatly in profits, with good and healthy online gambling laws that place strong watchdogs to prevent from fraud, rogue operators and problem gambling. Time will tell if that will be the case with the Dominican Republic.
It’s finally here, the biggest tournament in college basketball, and the tip-off is tonight with a number of games across the board. To end what is sure to be a wild night of high flying hoops, the Lafayette Leopards (16) take on the Villanova Wildcats (1). Both of these Easter Pennsylvanian schools made it to the tournament, albeit with different paths. Villanova went 32-2 in the regular season, while the Leopards squeezed in at 20-12. Lafayette vs Villanova The Wildcats are obviously favorites tonight and should knock the Leopards out with ease. That is not to say they shouldn’t take their home state rivals seriously, as fans and punters are just waiting for the first upset. Leopards star forward could be trouble for the Wildcats defense, as he averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 rebounds during the regular season. For the Wildcats, they have numerous weapons at their disposal like co-Big East Player of the Year Ryan Arcidiacono averaging 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, but his ability to control the court is what the Leopards need to be wary of. This will be the 35th appearance for Villanova and they won their last tournament championship in 1985. Hungry for another win, they were last seeded #1 in 2006 but fell short of winning, having been knocked out by Florida in the regional final. For Lafayette, it is only their third appearance at March Madness and they are shooting for their first ever post season win. Easier said than done against a #1 ranked team, especially one that are expected to go very far this year. The last meeting between the two teams was in 2013 in which the Wildcats won 75-59. Big Odds and More Online Gambling Options With so many games this month in College Basketball, it is like a punters dream. The brackets are set and serious online gamblers around the world understand just how much lucrative cash they could potentially take home throughout the tournament. The Spread tonight is +23 for the Leopards and -23 for the Wildcats, both teams at 1.90. Villanova are at 1.015 to win outright, while the underdogs come in at 17.50. As suspected, the Leopards have the Over at 145 and the Cats have the Under, both with odds of 1.90. Live in-play props will be available throughout the night with bet365 sports, as the UK sportsbook has lines and props for all the games this year. Only registered punters can win so if you want to test your College Hoops skill, you’ll need to sign up with bet365 online sportsbook.
Endorphina, the Czech-based online gaming software provider, released six brand spanking new slot games yesterday, and that is just the beginning. Endorphina Marketing Manager, Stepanka Chmelarova, has promised that in addition to the six new games, originally premiered at ICE Totally Gaming in February, there will be many more new releases later on in the year. About the Games Macarons is a 5-reel, 10-line slot game based in Paris, and players will be whisked away on a romantic (and lucrative!) journey throughout the city. In this game, the Wild symbol is a bottle of champagne, and an engagement ring is the bonus. Fairy Tale is every bit as whimsical as it sounds, but it also packs an adventure-filled punch, with its unlimited free games and growing multiplier. Fairy Tale includes a Free Spins feature, which only ends when the player finds 4 keys and lets all doves out of cages. This means that players can accumulate lots of cash and prizes, without putting in more money! Origami was the biggest hit at ICE Totally Gaming, combining the beloved Japanese art with contemporary slot savviness. As Chmelarova said, "Origami just rocked it." The game has 10 lines, 5 reels and the origami cat symbol doles out additional multipliers. Wild Fruits goes old school with its classic fruit symbols, but takes a reckless turn with symbols from the Wild West, putting the "Wild" into Wild Fruits! Stone Age takes players back to the days when cave men roamed the earth and all things stone ruled! Stone Age is a great game for high rollers; it rewards 10 free games and a special expanding symbol when a player gets three Scatters on the screen. Minotaurus is every bit as bold as the mythological Greek figure it is named for! With Wilds and Free Spins, Minotarus is an adventure that is both intriguing and profitable!
Three months into 2015 and NetEnt is releasing its third big slot this year. After Tornado: Farm Escape and Steam Tower, the Swedish software giant is preparing to bring a new branded game next month to desktops and mobiles: Dracula Online Slot. The game is expected to hit online casinos April 23th. Cooperation with Universal Once again, NetEnt has teamed up with Universal Studios in order to bring to online casinos a spooky and fun video slot version of the 1931 film "Dracula" featuring Bela Lugosi as the Count himself. NetEnt's Dracula differs from the film's Dracula appearance-wise, as he was given a more modern look, yet the famous monster remains menacing just the same. Bat Feature Dracula is a 5-reel, 4-row, 40-payline video slot that impresses with 3D graphics and a unique atmosphere – Count Dracula himself sits to the left of the reels throughout the gameplay as players spin the reels, reacting to the happenings on the reels. The slot is full with bonus features including free spins, stacked symbols, stacked and regular wilds and the unique Bat feature. Randomly triggered throughout gameplay, the Bat feature turns Count Dracula himself into a swarm of bats who land on the reels and turn the symbols randomly in a cluster, with the outcome including other symbols, wilds and bonuses. Free Spin Feature The free spin feature in the Dracula slot revolves around the Count's romantic involvement with a young woman. The characters of these two serve as stacked symbols, and when they land together on reels 2 and 4, Dracula reaches out to the lady, activating the free spin mode which gives players 10 re-triggerable free spins which are also subject to the Bat feature – a recipe for a really big winning potential. Where to Play When it hits next month, Dracula will be playable on desktop and NetEnt's mobile Touch platform at top NetEnt-powered casinos such as Free Spins Casino, No Bonus Casino and BETAT Casino.
Elche's Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero serves as the venue for today's home team fixture against guests Valencia (19:45 UK time). The teams met twice last year at Valencia's court, both fixtures ending with a Valencia win, but the last time Valencia visited Elche last season they were beaten 2-1. Valencia's Advantage Valencia is one of the top four teams in the La Liga this season, currently positioned third in the table with 57 points, 7 away from Real Madrid and 8 from Barcelona. They have Atletico Madrid breathing down their necks with 56 points, but the Madrid team failed to win in its last three games, while Valencia beat Deportivo 2-0 last week. Valencia is coming with great momentum after last week's win which completes 5 victories in their last 6 matches – in total they have 17 wins, 6 draws and 4 losses. To add to that, the team sports a strong defense, as the goal difference shows that they've sustained only 22, only table leaders Barcelona precede them with 16 goals against. Valencia is the clear favorite for the game – look for Jonas, Alcacer and Feghouli for goalscorer bets. Elche's Odds Elche is in a much tighter position and they're coming to the game after a painful 3-0 away loss against Sevilla last week. The team is positioned 15 in the table with 27 points (7w, 6d, 14l). Elche have 48 goals against, showing their weak defensive qualities which will be tested and are prone to fail against Valencia's lively squad. The head-to-head statistics between these teams show that Valencia is the team with the upper hand - it's hard to see Elche not losing this game. Bet Live Winner Sports had 10/11 on Valencia and 3/1 on Elche in full time result with 9/4 for a draw. The game will be covered live with in-play and pre-match markets – log-in Winner Sports tonight and tomorrow for betting on fixtures from the La Liga and other top Europe leagues.
As the mobile trend grows, more and more people use their smartphones and tablets for buying online lottery tickets. This prompts online lottery ticket agents, operators and sites to give greater attention to the mobile crowd. Such is the case with the prominent online lottery info site Online Lottery Tickets which has released a new app which brings its wealth of information and directories straight to players' mobile devices. Swipe for Info The new Online Lottery Tickets app provides players with prime info about the biggest lotteries, the jackpots, their results and the net's leading lottery ticket agents. With just a swipe, one can get the drawing dates for the world's biggest lotteries with coverage for the bombastic US lotteries Mega Millions and Powerball, the UK National Lottery, Oz Lotto, El Gordo, EuroMillions, SuperEnalotto and more. The Online Lottery Tickets app lets players check if they hit the jackpot with draw results, promising that nobody will ever miss a winning ticket. Instructions and Information For each and every lottery covered, the Online Lottery Tickets app provides detailed information about the rules, the rollovers, jackpot history and everything else needed including going down to the step-by-step instructions on how to buy an online lottery ticket and take part in the draws. Online Lottery Agents Directory Whichever lottery draw they wish to attend, players using the Online Lottery Tickets app are provided with comprehensive info about leading online lottery ticket agents the likes of Lottery Master and TheLotter. Vital info such as promotions, banking info and special features are presented to players in order to help them make the best decision. Device Compatibility At its current state, the Online Lottery Tickets app is available only on iOS version 6.0 or later. The app can be used with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.
To get with the times and keep things fresh, it is common for online casinos to refurbish and re-launch themselves with new designs. Such is the case with two veteran online casinos, River Belle and Mummy's Gold. River Belle – Riverboat Cruise River Belle Casino's new design is beautifully themed on a relaxing riverboat cruising down a river at sunset. The combination of black and gold is easy on the eyes, allowing for a comfortable reading of the wealth of information River Belle Casino provides on its main page. Upon hovering the mouse on the different sections, small menus that pop-up provide for simple and quick navigation. A constantly updated jackpot bar shows the total sum running at the casino's progressive slots, which is currently standing at around $8.6 million – the progressive jackpots include the big-time millionaire maker Mega Moolah which wows every time a new with its jackpots. Mummy's Gold – Trip to Ancient Egypt The new design at Mummy's Gold Casino impresses – players are met with the casino's mascot surrounded by pyramids, the sphinx, game cards and chips. There's a soothing purple tile background and the top bar shows sights of a night out in the desert with pyramids and stars shining. There's a progressive jackpot total at the top bar which shows an impressive sum of $8.3 million. Navigation is also very easy with the new design, allowing players to reach every section instantly and get all the info they need. Two New Games Added Both casinos are powered by Microgaming software, and so they have added two new games to their collection this month: Lucky Leprechaun Launched by Microgaming just in time for St. Paddy's Day, this 5-reel, 20-payline slot oozes with Irishness, featuring black beer, pots of gold, rainbows, shamrocks and a happy leprechaun that dances to the sounds of upbeat Irish music. Lucky Leprechaun features stacked wilds, free spins with up to 5x multiplier and a "Trail O' Fortune" bonus screen that has players advance on a trail of multipliers with the ability to reach 1000x multiplier; the max jackpot is 125,000 coins. Golden Princess Built of 5 reels and 25 paylines, Golden Princess takes players to an exotic Aztec temple where a princess sits on the throne accompanied by pumas and leopards. Up to 30 free spins can be triggered with stacked wilds that can bring the multiplier to 10x – these join random wild multipliers on the reels that bring big winning potential. Like Lucky Leprechaun, up to 125,000 coins can be won utilizing Golden Princess' bonus features.
Manchester's Etihad Stadium is the venue for today's tense meeting between Manchester City and West Brom (12:45 UK time). Deciding Game for City Manchester City is coming to this game a beaten team. Last year's Premier League champions lost their Champions League season in Wednesday after they were kicked out of the round of 16 by Barcelona. The Citizens also slipped in their mission to defend the Premier League title this season, having a few draws, losing to Liverpool earlier this month and then suffering a 1-0 loss against Burnley from the relegation zone one week ago. City is 6 points away from leaders Chelsea, and they have Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool breathing down their necks and hungry for blood. Today's game will be deciding for City, and they are the favorites to emerge victorious although the pressure will weigh down on them. West Brom Currently positioned 13 in the table, West Brom is not under any specific pressure like its host today and that's a strongpoint. West Brom's performance has been quite average, going down and up – they have 33 points composed of 8 wins, 9 draws and 12 losses, with a goal difference of -9 (27 for, 36 against). West Brom will be missing three key players today, Claudio Yacob, Ben Foster and Chris Brunt. They don't have a good away record and it's hard to see them winning this, but if there will be any goals on their behalf look for Saido Berahino in goalscorer bets. Odds bet365 Sports gave City 3/10 to win against 15/2 for West Brom and 9/2 for a draw. Punters can take advantage of bet365's 100% Euro Soccer Bonus that gives bonuses for placing pre-match accumulators on this match or any other from Europe's leading leagues, and although it doesn't look like the case, the Bore Draw Money Back Offer promises a refund on Correct Score, Half-Time/Full-Time or Scorecast bets in case of a goalless draw. Log-in bet365 Sports this Saturday for many pre-match and in-play markets on the Premier League games.
Online gambling is seen as beneficial to most associated with the gaming industry—from platform vendors, to gaming providers, to casino corporations, to users, all the way to the state governments that regulate online activity. Goodbye Intelligence However, the market dynamics of the online format is catching one stakeholder between the sides: the intelligent gambler. The sophisticated millennial generation savvy with tech tools and conditioned to rapid calculations should by all rights be experiencing an uptake in winnings in the new online format in games of calculated odds such as blackjack—but alas, the casinos seem to have noticed and adapted to protect their profits accordingly. The Millennial Player The rise of the digital age has paralleled another unrelated movement: the expansion of land-based casino gaming across the U.S. over the past quarter-century and the global poker boom and online gaming explosion of the 2000s. This exposed more people than ever to games of chance, accelerating the development of individual knowledge of strategy and gaming, giving rise to the millennial player generation. Recent Online Gambling Boom Brings More Players Online gambling reaches more unskilled players than ever, enabling casinos to cut losses incurred by millennial players who kept beating them. The way to cut costs was to remove blackjack and other games of skill. Bonus Round: The Hybridization of Online Skill Games Instead, online casinos have taken to offering “less-skilled” games of skill. These games have far less outcome variance between the abilities of the most and least skilled players, with the skill-based features reserved for the bonus round—in other words, every player has the same chance of qualifying for the skill round. A great example of this new form of hybrid game is Pong, based on the original video game offered by Atari beginning in 1972. The new video slot game was introduced by Bally Technologies at the 2004 Global Gaming Expo, equipped with a bonus round in which the player would play a 45-second round of the original Pong game, with the player's result directly affecting the payout. The appeal of this type of hybrid skill game was the statistical variance between the results of the best and worst player: a scant and predictable 7 percent. IGT's Centipede and GTECH's Zuma are among the games following suit with skill-based bonus features. The "Death" of Blackjack At the same time, online casinos have been adding features to their technology to eliminate their risk of loss from card counting, the key skill component of blackjack and other card games including poker. One such feature is the continuous shuffling machine (CSM), which increases user engagement by speeding up games while eliminating the possibility of card-counting. A second feature is the shifting of the odds payout on blackjack on all deck alternatives, from 3:2 payouts adjusted to 6:5 payouts, thus adding 1.39% to the house advantage. This may seem like a small figure to the player, yet represents a huge savings to the house, and an adjustment of time-honored odds payout at the cost of the skill player. The Disappearance of the Millennial Player Millennial players are being discouraged from learning and applying strategy. The target market of online casinos shrinks in share, but increases in quantity as globalization enables rapid cost-free delivery of unskilled and low-skilled games. Video enthusiasts are being attracted to replace millennial players. Online casinos will be pleased with the development; however, gaming purists will have to wave goodbye to the participation of a whole new generation of strategists. Sadly, the economic dynamics of online gambling are changing the definition of iGaming, at the cost of gambling's most enduring - and perhaps endearing - group of users.
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