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Last week saw the much-anticipated launch of new Merchant Category Codes (MCC) for online poker transactions in the United States. MCCs have long been thought to be the answer to the issues that arise when players use credit cards to make payments at online casinos, but Matthew Katz, CEO of player verification software company CAMS, has warned the iGaming industry that MCCs are not the “silver bullet” it has been looking for. What are MCCs? An MCC is a four-digit number assigned to a business by credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard when the business first starts accepting one of these cards as a form of payment. The MCC is used as a quick way for financial institutions to classify the business type. Credit Card Companies versus Online Gambling Sites As of now, credit card acceptance rates have been one of the biggest challenges facing the online poker industry since it launched in 2013 in the U.S. Many credit card companies have refused to process transactions, probably because memories of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) of 2006. The UIEGA prohibited all US financial institutions from processing online gambling transactions; and even though individual states have now been allowed to legalize online gambling, many of these financial institutions are still wary. How Will MCCs Help? The idea behind the MCCs is that new codes will replace the umbrella 7995 MCC for online gambling that automatically generated a rejection from credit card companies. Currently, only 73 percent of Visa and 44 percent of Mastercard transactions on New Jersey’s online gambling sites actually go through. It is hoped that MCCs will increase those numbers. Unfortunately, as Katz pointed out, there is little incentive for banks to change their systems to incorporate the new MCCs. The United States online gambling industry is very, very small, which means that re-configuring large financial systems seems like a waste of time. “The banks are not set up to operate on a state-by-state basis, and the potential liability it creates for them is not much greater than the revenue,” Katz said. “It’s not a priority.”
888 Casino’s VIP Club is designed to treat frequent players to the most exclusive, elite events and prizes as a reward for their loyalty. Members of 888’s VIP Club have access to unbelievable promotions, deposit bonuses, personalized service, higher comp point conversion rates and many more perks. There are three levels of VIP at 888 Casino: member, Gold member and Platinum member. Benefits reach an all-time high when a player becomes a Platinum member. These include: a special welcome bonus, speedy cash-outs, a “Most Valuable Player Award,” VIP high-stake tables, a birthday gift, invitations to full-hospitality events around the world, a monthly lucky dip Platinum prize, a yearly casino anniversary bonus and more. Exclusive Events 888’s VIP Club regularly invites its VIPs to fabulous events, such as Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen and Sting concerts, Formula 1 Grand Prix and the British Golf Open Championship sports events, and comedy shows featuring Peter Kay and Michael McIntyre. Currently up for grabs in the month of April are six tickets to the Eric Clapton concert in the Royal Albert Hall in London. VIP Promotions VIPs who play live casino blackjack are given the chance to win $1200 in bonuses every day when they play at the 888 VIP Table. When members play live casino blackjack, they can win $750 in bonuses every day. Similar bonuses are offered for playing roulette and other games, depending on the month. About 888 Casino 888 was established in 1997, making it a seasoned veteran in the world of online casinos. 888 uses their experience in the business to bring their players the best games and customer service. Players from around the world can play at 888 in over 10 languages and make deposits in a number of currencies. 888 currently offers a vast selection of casino games, a stellar mobile option, a live casino, and of course, an incredible VIP Club that players simply cannot get enough.
More and more business are adapting to the use of Bitcoin as the primary cryptocurrency in the digital marketplace. Bitcoin Ideal for iGaming Online gambling was one of the first businesses to embrace Bitcoins, and industry experts continue to laud the digital currency as the ideal format for iGaming moving forward, optimizing the operations of operators most of all. Bitcoin is a huge step in the effort to help maximize the online gambling industry market, where the foothold that online gambling gains can stabilize the industry after the revolutionary changes that have expanded the industry so significantly in recent years. The online market stabilization can be bolstered by the incoming stability of the value of Bitcoin, as the acceptance of the digital currency spreads. Bitcoin Conference Prague The opportunity to learn about the full impact and state of the integration of cryptocurrency into the online and e-commerce marketplace will take place on May 14, at Bitcoin Conference Prague, at which point in the Czech capital there will be opportunities to learn about all the new trends and options for doing business with Bitcoins in today's business world. Specialized Topics Topics to be addressed at the conference include whether there is a future for Bitcoin in gambling, the benefits which cryptocurrency provides for both operators and players, and the inevitability of Bitcoin as the prevailing currency of the future for online gambling, among other topics. The section of the conference devoted to gambling will provide insights into the specific ways in which cryptocurrency is being integrated into the gambling business, networking opportunities, and an insider's look at the industry.
William Hill's In-play customers in Australia will be able to bypass country restrictions via a new ‘Click to Call’ feature. The Mic Compromise This innovation will allow customers to connect to William Hill's live betting markets through their computer microphones. Current laws prohibit in-play live sports offerings to consumers; however, live sport wagers are still permissible by phone, and William Hill is offering a ‘Click to Call’ feature as a way to stay compliant without having in-play offerings or revenues disrupted. A live betting selection tab will provide the means for William Hill customers in Australia to continue to pre-select for in-play betting markets. To confirm selections, customers will connect with the operator’s ‘live team’, where the customer will be prompted to confirm or cancel their in-play selections. Click to Call has already been released on the William Hill and Tom Waterhouse web portals. It is available for activation through Chrome, FireFox, Internet Explorer and Safari browsers, with plans in place for further roll-out of the device to mobile android and IOS devices. The Tools Any Australian player with Windows/MacOs Chrome, Windows/MacOS Firefox 22+, Windows Internet Explorer 10+, Android/Chrome, Samsung Galaxy S3 Phone/Chrome or MacOs Safari will be able to place a rapid bet in-play. This takes place in easy step, where the player makes a selection from a wide range of markets William Hill offers, which is then added to the betting slip. Once the stake is chosen in this way, then the customer merely clicks the ‘Call to Place Live Bet’ button, whereupon they are presented with the choice of canceling the bet, confirming the bet, or replaying the bet. The Click to Call voice component is then completed through the player's computer microphone, and they are participating in in-play betting while William Hill remains compliant—for now, at least.
In its fourth year, the Gaming in Holland Conference will cover important topics regarding the future landscape of the iGaming industry in the country. A recent announcement increased the anticipation even further as the major operators from the State lottery will send representatives in order to debate the pending regulatory changes across the conference in June. Full 2 Day Conference On June 22nd and 23rd, over a thousand people are expected to attend the massive conference held in Amsterdam and the main subject of discussion will be regarding the changes which will come into effect from 2017. Until April 2012, the Netherlands Gaming Control Board was in charge of the lotteries market, but this changed when the Dutch Gaming Authority assumed responsibility and started the process for a modernization of the regulations. The outline of the reform will be released in June and this will of course provide even more fuel for the debate scheduled to take place during the Gaming in Holland conference. Furthermore, the event will provide attendants the chance to exchange information, make new contacts and network with business representatives from one of the most important European gaming markets. Getting Ready for the Future After the Lottery Stream will be covered on the first day, along with the impact of the new proposed legislation coming in 2017, there will be a Demo Day on the second day of the conference where suppliers from the iGaming and Lottery sectors will have the chance to get up on stage for informative sessions and also Q&A segments from the attendees. Holland has become a very fast growing market for online gaming, especially lotteries and casino games, even with its restrictive regulations. The modernization will change a lot of factors in the industry and the Gaming in Holland conference this June is where the story will most likely come together.
Hasbro, SkillOnNet, and Williams Interactive have combined to bring the igaming world a brand new online slot version of an iconic family board game. Millions of people from all over the world have been playing Monopoly ever since the most famous version of the game was introduced in 1935. Monopoly Big Event is the name given to this latest slot version, which has been created by igaming developer Williams Interactive. To bring the slot to market, Williams Interactive has turned to SkillOnNet for its online casino platform. As a result, Monopoly Big Event will be available from leading casino sites in the form of EUcasino, MegaCasino, Play Million, and Slots Magic. Monopoly Big Event Slot Gamers will be able to experience Monopoly Big Event across desktop and mobile devices, helping to raise the potential audience for the slot. In the current climate, new slots that are not accessible across multiple platforms are at risk of not generating enough interest in what it is a highly competitive marketplace. There are countless other branded slot games already competing for attention. Monopoly Big Event has been designed with a grid of five reels by three rows. Players can win along 20 paylines covering the 15 symbols of the slot. Complementing that traditional slot design are the special features, which are a vital draw for many gamers. Two of the bonus games are called Big Bet and Big Event Bonus. To honour the classic version of Monopoly, players are called upon to pick a card from Community Chest. Thankfully, there are only rewards on this occasion, including free spins or guaranteed wins. Meanwhile, a Chance card can trigger either free spins or wild symbols. SkillOnNet marketing chief Michael Golembo believes Monopoly to be “a proven winner on casinos floors all around the world”. Monopoly Big Event is now available at EUcasino, Mega Casino, Play Million Casino, and Slots Magic Casino.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have faced a myriad of challenges all season long. They are about to face their biggest one of the post season tonight, as they face off against the Chicago Bulls. The Cavs have home court advantage tonight, which should be a sigh of relief, as they are excellent at Quicken Loans Arena but they cannot afford to take the Bulls for granted, especially without two of their starters. Cavs down Two Starters The Cavs will be without Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. Love is out needing to undergo shoulder surgery and will be out the rest of the post season, and Smith is out on suspension for the first two games of this series. That means that that LeBron will need to be at his best to beat the Bulls, which is easier said than done. Cleveland went 3-1 against Chicago in the regular season, but this is the playoffs and with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on the line, both teams will be leaving everything they have on the hard wood. The Bulls are one of the best defensive-minded teams in the league and they will be looking to limit the scoring chances of the Cavs big men. The will be looking to create turnovers and make the Cavs think twice on every play. The Bulls have never been able to beat LeBron in the playoffs, suffering losses in the 2010, 2011 and 2013 post season. The Bulls look like a new team and could easily be the team to oust the Cavs this year. NBA Online Gambling The Cavs are the favorites to get into the 2015 NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference, which is the reason that they are favorites to win tonight’s game. Bet365 Sports has the Cavs at 1.50 to beat the Bulls, while Chicago is not far behind at 2.70. There are a number of pre-game props to choose from including the ever-popular Point Spread, Game Totals and Race to 20 Points. These bets all represent great chances to make lucrative cash for punters willing to make the stakes.
Last week saw Japanese lawmakers submitting to parliament a bill to legalize casinos and gambling in the country for debate, according to a Reuters report. The members who are responsible for the bill belong to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who have drafted the bill alongside members of the Japan Innovation Party and the Party for Future Generations. Hopes are that the bill will be discussed in parliament before August when the current parliamentary session ends. $40 Billion in Yearly Revenues It is no secret that a possible Japanese casino market could quickly make Japan one of the biggest gambling countries, second only to Macau and the United States. These predictions spring from a study introduced by brokerage firm CLSA which estimated that a regulated gambling market generate $40 billion in yearly revenues, if the market is taken on seriously by big operators. The passing of a casino bill in the country has received the support of LDP Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whose party members are responsible for submitting the bill, and it has been reported that members of the Buddhist Komeito party who opposed such a bill in the past, have decided to allow the bill's submission or at least not to actively go up against it. Giant Operators Interested Japan is like a huge goldmine that just needs its barred entrances to become open for the world. MGM Resorts International president Bill Hornbuckle said earlier this year that the company is ready to invest in Osaka to make for a unique Japanese attraction, and Las Vegas Sands' Sheldon Adelson said he'd spend "whatever it takes" to get into the market. It'll be interesting to see how the online gambling industry manages Japanese regulation if and when that happens. Help from Friends If Japan does go with the bill, it's sure to have all the help it needs with the giant operators vying to open up shop in the country. Japan will also receive help from the American Gaming Association (AGA), after its president and CEO Geoff Freeman said that the association will be keen to support the country in its process of legislation.
Five new games are coming to Microgaming casinos before the end of May. All games will be available on desktop and mobile, with Ariana also receiving a release on HTML5, Android, and Apple iOS from Wednesday 6 May. Look for the games at Microgaming-powered casinos like bet365 Casino, BETAT Casino, and All Slots Casino. Ariana Ariana is an aquatic-based adventure in which a heroine swims through the depths seeking out treasure. Rich blue tones have been chose to give Microgaming’s Ariana slot a sense of depth. From a technical standpoint, the slot features a grid of five reels by three rows and 25 fixed paylines. The Ariana wild symbol will fill in for missing symbols while three or more of the starfish scatter symbol will initiate 15 free spins. Microgaming is celebrating Ariana’s simultaneous launch across flash, download, HTML5, Android, and Apple iOS by hosting a network promotion in which one player could a €6,000 week of luxury in Dubai. Big Chef Microgaming has also implemented a fixed payline system into its Big Chef slot, but this time there are 15 paylines. Big Chef has been build with five reels and three rows. Players can expect wild symbols and scatter symbols, which can unlock 10 free spins and a 2x multiplier River of Riches Take a boat trip with this five-reel slot with 25 paylines and players can encounter free spins and wild spins. During free spins, it is possible for just two symbols to trigger a payout. Land three or more symbols to trigger this feature. Adventure Palace Microgaming has converted its classic Adventure Palace slot into HD quality while maintaining the original game engine and functionality. The story will see players investigate a jungle as they seek to unearth winnings Penguin Splash A charming five-reel slot designed with 25 paylines, Penguin Splash tells the tale of a high-dive contest between Arctic penguins. Players can collect penguin scatter symbols to increase their free spins.
The US Mega Millions lottery jackpot has once again reached jaw-dropping sums as it will draw for $110 million tonight (23:00 EST / 03:00 GMT). The jackpot rolled over after there was no winning ticket for the grand prize in Friday's $96 million drawing: the drawn numbers were 17, 18, 61, 66, 74 and the Mega Ball 03. Non-jackpot Winners To win the entire $110 million, players must hit six matching numbers composed of five main numbers and the additional Mega Ball, but it's not only about the jackpot - hitting smaller combinations of numbers can yield very nice prizes as well. Hitting all five numbers except the Mega Ball amounts to $1 million or $3 million with Megaplier; hitting four numbers plus the Mega Ball can bring a maximum of $15,000 and these combinations continue to vary with nice payouts. Highest-paying Lottery The Mega Millions as well as the Powerball are amongst the most popular lotteries not only in the US but all over the world. Specifically the Mega Millions can be considered the world's "ultimate" lottery, having made it to lottery history in March 2012 when it paid a record-breaking jackpot of $656 million. These fantastic sums attract millions of players from everywhere on the globe who participate in the weekly draws. The advent of online lottery tickets has erased virtual boundaries, letting people take place in the big US lottery draws regardless of location or nationality. Global Appeal of Online Lottery One of the main forces of this new borderless lottery world is online lottery ticket agents like LotteryMaster and TheLotter. These purchase tickets for the players and provide them with scans so it will be as if they went and bought them themselves. Take a look for yourself and secure an online lottery ticket for tonight's Mega Millions draw – good luck!
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