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Leading search engine Google has announced that starting from today, April 21st, it will be expanding the importance of mobile-friendliness for websites as a ranking signal. As a result, sites that are not designed to be mobile friendly or have a poor usability from mobile devices will see a drop in Google results ranking, while those that are very mobile friendly will be boosted. Mobile Becoming More Important The growth of mobile usage in recent times has changed the way users access content on the internet, with mobile devices seeing an increase in traffic across all segments. Furthermore, the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down and it is actually becoming more and more popular. With studies showing that about 61% of mobile users will not come back to a site on which they had a bad mobile experience and 40% of them will go to a competitor website with better mobile friendliness, Google has decided to change its ranking to better provide search results for those using smartphones or tablets. Starting from the 21st of April, this change will be implemented and the changes in ranking should become noticeable right away. It is important to note that this change is only available for searches done from mobile devices and should not affect desktop searches directly, at least for now. Improving Mobile Friendliness With the update already launched, it is important for websites to start improving their mobile friendliness ranking as quickly as possible in order to avoid losing valuable traffic. The best way to do this is by assessing what pages bring most traffic and then prioritize them to be converted for easier mobile access. As far as online casinos go, a good part of the leading websites already have mobile friendly apps and platforms and those that don’t will likely drop as a result of this change.
In a move designed to protect the government-monopolized local racing industry, the New Zealand government has proposed restriction of online overseas betting. Deprivation of Revenue The proposal comes in response to concerns that offshore online betting by New Zealanders is depriving the local racing industry of income. NZ Racing Minister Nathan Guy announced that former National MP Chris Tremain will head the working group that will review said activity. According to a New Zealand Herald Report, the monopoly which the Totalisator Agency Board TAB holds on racing and sports betting requires the Racing Board to distribute profits back to the racing industry. Wagering activity out of New Zealand has proliferated among offshore sites, with the largest concentration taking place in Australian online parlours. Guy identified the issue of offshore organisations profiting from New Zealand’s racing and sports without paying taxes to the government nor contributing to the local industry. Recurring Issues with Offshore Operators This echoes a common concern for government when it comes to offshore operators, who have been able to operate in the gray area of online commerce in the early stages of the new era of online betting. The ability of operators to provide games and attract clients from offshore locations which are tax-free is a habit which the New Zealand government believes ultimately serves to undermine opportunities for investment and employment in the industry on the local shore. Another disparity in conditions for online operators currently is the lack of responsible gaming guidelines governing offshore operators, ethical guidelines which are designed to protect the most vulnerable members of the population, such as youth and recovering addicts. Government guidelines are sources for mandated warnings or prohibitions against underage gambling, as well as requirements for links to addiction websites and related support information. ETA for Results The estimated time of delivery of the working group's recommendations studying the proposal is sometime in September.
The NBA Playoffs are heading into Game 2 of the opening round tonight with a number of games across the US and Canada. Probably the most talked about series in this first round is between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This being that the most talked about player in the entire NBA, LeBron James is looking to take his Cavs deep into the playoffs and prove that he is good enough to take the team the distance. Review of Game 1 The first 15 minutes of game 1 is definitely something that the Cavs will never want to repeat ever again. They came out slow, unorganized and anxious. LeBron was quoted saying that it was the nerves that got to him and the team, as both him and Kevin Love couldn’t do anything in the first quarter. The Celtics came out shooting and went 57.1 percent and led by eight points in the first few minutes of the second quarter. That was however the last time they saw the lead, as James, Love and the rest of the Cavs went into high gear outscoring the Celtics 53-25 en route to a 113-110 win to secure Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. Keys to Victory "It's very important that Kev stays involved," related James, talking about what is needed in game 2 from his fellow teammate. Kyrie Irving score 30 points in Game 1 and the Cavs need another big game from him as well as the rest of the starters. The Celtics simply didn’t know how to digest the Cavaliers Big 3 (James, Love and Irving), as Cleveland sat Irving on the bench in their previous meetings and didn’t use James or Love as much as usual. For Boston it is all about rebounds for Game 2, after the Cavs brought down 46 to Boston’s 34. NBA Online Gambling Bet365 Sports, the leading UK sportsbook is providing punters with dozens of lines prior to tonight’s tip-off. The Cavs are outright favorites at 1.13, which makes the underdog bet very attractive for the Celtics at 6.25. Over/Under odds are at 1.90 for both teams at 207.0, with Boston on the over and Cleveland on the under. There are a number of special NBA offers at bet365 so be sure to do some research before making a bet. There is definitely some lucrative cash to be won this post-season and with odds like the ones at bet365 it is for you to take.
The GiGse igaming conference is currently taking place in San Francisco this week (20-22 April 2015). Income Access chief executive and GiGse speaker Nicky Senyard believes that the US igaming industry is one of the cusp of significant growth. Senyard will speak further in a GiGse session called Constructing the iGaming Pitch – Making a Big Business Out of iGaming. Online Gambling Legal for Only 4% In a country where online gambling is largely illegal, Senyard highlighted horse racing, social casinos, and daily fantasy sports as three current staples. For real-money online gambling, he speculated that only 4% of the US population can currently do so. Those states include Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. By default, there is huge growth potential because there are 47 other states in the Contiguous United States. US Businesses Priming for Future Growth Senyard also highlighted a couple of attention-grabbing deals as evidence that the US is preparing for major igaming growth. Amaya completed a $4.9 billion acquisition of the Rational Group in June 2014, giving the Canadian igaming operator ownership of Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker. A more recent example is Walt Disney’s $250 million investment in Draft Kings, a fantasy sports website that lets users pay to play for monetary gain. Compliance a Principal Challenge The challenge of “compliance in regulated markets” was highlighted as one of the issues slowing growth of the US igaming industry. Senyard said that the industry must reach out to financial services organisations and advertising agencies to assist with compliance. Senyard went on to explain that banks and regulators are concerned with issues like money laundering and risk. They want to have procedures in place that allow for them to respond to any igaming-related crimes that might occur. Senyard intends to explain how digital will give them that power. GiGse 2015 is now underway in San Francisco.
The Apple Watch is only a few days away from release and there's already an online gambling app ready for use. Ladbrokes Australia is claiming to have become the first online gambling operator to have a wearable betting app once the smartwatch going live on Friday. Greenlit by Apple Chief Information Officer of Ladbrokes Australia Scott Hutchens has announced that a new Apple Watch app made by the operator was greenlit for launch. "Our new app is in the app store – ready and approved for the launch of the Apple Watch. Our technology focus at Ladbrokes is on innovation for our punters. We have seen the rise of mobile to the point where it is now more than 50% of total turnover – with the phone the primary device," Hutchens told an Australian horse betting website. Betting from the Wrist Hutchens assured that the app is not just novelty but rather a complete new device for Ladbrokes to communicate with its customers. "The Apple Watch extension communicates with the main Ladbrokes iOS App and will enable customers to actually bet directly from their wrist. It is unprecedented design and the simplest betting interface in the world." Using the app, punters will be able to place bets on a wide range of sports and live events straight from their wrist. Apple and Online Gambling Does this development herald a new page in Apple's attitude towards online gambling? The relationship has seen ups and downs in the last few years, when the technology giant pulled online gambling apps from the App Store in different countries. It's safe to assume that other operators are amidst preparations to offer their own Apple Watch apps, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out with Apple around the world and especially in the regulated US online gambling states.
The landmark agreement between NetEnt and digital entertainment provider bwin.party is now operational. Original Deal Goes Into Effect Last year leading online gaming provider NetEnt signed the deal to supply mobile and desktop games to bwin.party. The integration of technologies that followed has now concluded, and the first round of NetEnt's games is now available in bwin.party's online casino network. NetEnt Chief of European Market Operations MD for Enrico Bradamante and bwin.party Group Director Golan Shaked each issued statements lauding the implementation. Shaked expressed his company's pleasure with the content and gaming platform upgrades that they achieved with NetEnt's support, particularly in the areas of content cataloging and graphic quality, while Bradamante looked forward to helping bwin stay ahead of the competition. Bwin Moves Forward This is a big step for bwin, as the digital entertainment company gets to showcase its vast array of games and innovative graphics within a broad provider platform technology that will delivery bwin's features to a large userbase in higher volumes than ever before. As a global online gaming company, bwin's key product verticals include online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo. Bwin offerings are distributed among three gaming brands, including bwin, partypoker, partycasino and Foxy Bingo. It will be interesting to see how bwin harnesses the power of expanded exposure to adapt user engagement further. They will certainly be able to get their graphic and feature innovations out to larger audiences more rapidly with the move, and adaptation to the NetEnt platform will condition bwin to create gaming models and updates designed to engage increasingly diverse sets of users. NetEnt Platform Performance NetEnt will also have the chance to hone its reputation as a leading platform for mass distribution of competitive gaming offerings from the world's leading gaming providers.
Football fans have been blessed with a dream-material Champions League fixture today as Real Madrid host neighbor Atletico Madrid for the second leg of the quarterfinals (19:45 UK time). Goals to be Expected The first leg at Atletico's Vicente Calderon Stadium one week ago ended a disappointing-yet-interesting goalless draw, and both sides will aim to deliver this time: last game was full of chances that did not end in the net. If regarded as a straight continuation from where the last match ended, we're sure to see more than one goal in this Spanish thriller and not in a tiring penalty shootout. Real Madrid Injuries While Real has the home advantage today, the team is suffering from an injury plague as it will be missing several key players from the derby. Marcelo, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema are all sidelined from the action today. It will be interesting to see who Carlo Ancelotti will put next to Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Hernandez and Isco believed to be the most likely candidates. This game could be deciding for boss Ancelotti who's had a lot of critics this season and doubts about his future at the helm. Atletico's Midfield Atletico Madrid will have the upper hand or leg today in the midfield with the absence of Real's key players. Specifically, the absence of Gareth Bale will weigh heavily on Real and is a great relief for Atletico. The Spanish champion will be motivated by Saturday's 2-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna which saw striker Antoine Griezmann scoring both goals, including an amazing acrobatic scissor kick right to the back of the net. It'll be a huge sensation, but Atletico Madrid has got the tools and ability to beat Real at home; look for Griezmann in goalscorer bets. Betting Odds Online bookie Winner Sports has a full range of betting markets on today's quarterfinals with live and pre-match bets: Real was 5/6 and Atletico 7/2 in full time result odds. Log-in Winner and place a wager to put even more spice on this top Spanish duel.
On April 16, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ House Gaming Oversight Committee held a hearing in which it heard testimony about the burning-hot topic of online gambling. The hearing followed a resolution that was submitted by the Pennsylvania House to the U.S. Congress, in which the House stated its opposition to the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA), a bill that would ban online gambling throughout the country. The tone of the meeting was decidedly positive, much unlike the recent congressional hearing held last month at the urging of Sheldon Adelson, which was decidedly anti-online gambling. The Hearing The only opposition to the idea of online gambling came at the beginning of the meeting, from Andy Abboud, spokesman for the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and its owner, Sheldon Adelson. Online Poker Report’s Chris Grove was live-tweeting many of Abboud's unsubstantiated claims throughout the hearing. It also did not seem like John Payne, who had proposed HB 649, an online gambling bill in Pennsylvania, was buying what Abboud was selling. Then the facts came in: Technical experts from GLI , the iGaming security company, and GeoComply, the geolocation company, demonstrated how their products truly prevent underage and out-of-state gaming. Lindsay Slater of GeoComply actually showed how their software works in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, using real-time information on the spot! Benefits of Online Gambling in Pennsylvania Last year, Pennsylvania commissioned a study to find out exactly what regulating online gambling would mean for the Keystone state. The conclusion was that regulated online poker could bring in up to $129 million annually once it reaches maturation, and that house-banked online casino games could bring in up to $178 million annually under the same conditions. No Vote Taken Despite the positive vibes, no vote was taken on Payne’s HB 649 at the end of the meeting. Instead, a second hearing was scheduled for next month, in front of the same committee. It seems that Pennsylvania might just be the fourth state to legalize online gambling in the United States.
Leading casino game developer Play’n GO has just released a new video slot with symbols showing Ancient Chinese references to traditions and myths. Needless to say that the Golden Legend slot machine is very colorful and the main symbols are covered in gold, but this 50-line game comes with several great features to help the players experience the power and prosperity represented through the theme. Golden Legend Slot Machine The game starts with a short video clip presenting the main symbols and one of the features. After that, the action moves to the five reels with four rows of symbols, on which players can select up to 50 lines for every spin. An image of a dragon with jade-green eyes is the scatter symbol and three of them on the screen will not just pay four times the total bet but will also activate the free spins mode, consisting of 10 free spins. During this feature, two additional wild symbols will appear stacked on reels 2, 3, 4 and 5 and an additional 10 free spins can be won by getting three more scatters. The prizes can reach up to 1,000,000 coins. The symbol showing the Gold Sycee in the shape of a boat is the wild symbol and it has the power to substitute for all regular symbols and help create winning combinations. And lastly, the Gamble feature allows users to enter their winnings in a gambling game that can double or quadruple the amount with just one correct guess. Playing Golden Legend Play’n GO has released the new slot machine across its platform of online casinos and the leading websites now feature it for players to enjoy. These include of course Casino Cruise as the best place to play Golden Legend, Tivoli Casino, Maria Casino, Bet Victor Casino and Unibet Casino. Each of them come highly recommended and have great welcome offers waiting for new customers.
XIN Gaming, a leading slot game provider for the Asian market, announced their newly-signed distribution agreement with GSI, Game Server Integrations. XIN Gaming is looking forward to the new partnership that will allow them to distribute their games to GSI operators. In turn, GSI customers will now have access to XIN Gaming's complete portfolio of games. Mathias Larsson, chief executive of XIN Gaming, said, “We are very happy to have signed this distribution contract with GSI. Even though they are fairly new to the market they have a great platform and will offer their clients a fantastic portfolio.” GSI reciprocated with kind words of their own. “GSI are delighted to add the innovative content from XIN Gaming to our network,” said Daniel Beard, VP Sales at GSI. “Mathias and his team are extremely talented and we look forward to working closely together” About XIN Gaming XIN Gaming is a global B2B supplier of digital casino systems and games. Virtually all of XIN Gaming’s products target the Asian market, and their games reflect that with a localized look and feel. XIN Gaming founders have been in the iGaming business for many years, and use their experience and passion to create superior technology. As of now, XIN Gaming’s portfolio consists of online slot games and online table games. About GSI Game Server Integrations is a technology company that offers marketable solutions to iGaming operators; these solutions are designed to integrate these operators with multiple iGaming RGS suppliers. Many higher-ups in GSI started out at OpenBet, an online gambling software provider, way back in 1996, and they bring their years of vast experience to their exciting new company. GSI currently partners with many other big names in the iGaming industry, including Ezugi, Magnet Gaming, Vermantia, High5 Games, iSoftBet,Metric Gaming, Spike Game and Spin Games.
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