Showing results for: ""
Romania is allowing regulation to operators, and looking for payback. Back Tax Romania's legislation will require all licensees to pay back taxes on revenues earned from the country's online wagerers until now. The new legislation was approved by the Romanian Chamber of Commerce earlier in May. However, all the newly eligible applicants are likely taking a hard look at the key amendment, in which they will automatically inherit a retroactive obligation to pay 20% in back taxes for all online revenue earned from Romanian players since 2009. This means that operators will potentially be subject to immediate financial audits. Once each tax bill is calculated, operators will be given 90 days to submit payment in full; only after this clearance will operators legitimately be considered for new Romanian license. Failure to submit payment will land operators on the country's blacklist. Revenue Hopes The stiff regime seeks to generate an estimated €200m for the state. How much of that estimate is based on the back tax portion has not been indicated. The revised Act is currently on its way to the desk of the Romanian President, who could sign the bill into law by as early as next week. Precedent Found Somewhat of a precedent can be found by the Spanish government, who a few years back called all newly licensed online gambling operators to pay four years worth of back taxes. With consternation, operators complied with what was perceived as an 11th hour cash grab. Market Entry The one casino pressing forward in Romania is Betfair, the global online providing giant which has indicated its preparedness to pay the back tax as the first entrant into the Romanian market. Other large operators are not so bold. Due to “recent regulatory developments” in the country, UK's William Hill has pulled out of its plans for Romania, which Romanian players discovered Tuesday when their access to the company site was denied along with a message requesting withdrawal of funds. Other operators such as Netbet are still going forward with licensing in Romania, so Romania's stiff regulations ultimately are not going to scare everyone off: a new market is a new market.
Towards the end of May, we broke the news that 777 Dragon and River Nile would both close their doors to registered users. Also reported was the news that users would be migrated to other online casinos on the Star Partner network. With July now upon us, we can report that the mass player migration was completed safely and smoothly. Newly introduced regulations in global online gambling jurisdictions were cited as one of the principal reasons quoted for the decision to shut down 777 Dragon and River Nile. Australian players registered with 777 Dragon and River Nile can now sign into their accounts with Casino Mate. Canadian users now have access to Maple Casino, while Russian gamers are situated at Crazy Vegas. All other players were migrated to Golden Riviera. What Players Can Expect from Their New Sites Casino Mate, Crazy Vegas, Golden Riviera, and Maple Casino are powered by Microgaming software. That ensures that players will still be able to access cutting-edge igaming content. Prior video slot releases like Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, the Dark Knight, and Game of Thrones are now four of the leading branded slots in the industry. Player experience was fundamental in performing the migration, as users needed to ultimately end up at a better casino than where they started. To that end, Star Partner has been quite successful. The above casinos are sites where players can determine whether they wish to play using downloadable software or by instant-play. Mobile is another boost that will benefit players. The four new destinations are set up to provide gaming access to Apple and Android devices, including the latest smartphones and tablets. This ensures that players will have access to table games as well as extremely popular mobile slots in the form of Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck II, plus many others.
New software developers are entering the igaming industry every year, introducing fresh content in an attempt to drive things forward. For the rest of 2015, there are three igaming developers that are particularly worth watching. Endorphina Endorphina is a compact igaming studio trying to build a name from the Czech Republic. In targeting international growth, Endorphina demanded attention when it introduced a ninja-themed slot at the iGaming Super Show late in June 2015. The Ninja was a slot dedicated to celebrating ‘80s action heroes and created using motion capture technology. Endorphina has developed yet more video slots covering tried and tested themes. Among the various options are Mongol treasures, the Emirate, Ice Pirates, the Vampires, and Gems & Stones. Endorphina games can currently be enjoyed at Omni Slots Casino. Spinomenal Spinomenal is an extremely advanced developer in that provides a highly advanced experience for compatibility. By using the HTML5 framework, Spinomenal has been able to create desktop games for Firefox, Chrome, and most other major browsers. Meanwhile, mobile access is available across Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows. The slot titles are slightly more creative for the Spinomenal slots, which include Iron Assassins, Demi Gods, Nuts Commander, and Atlantic Treasures. Another game to check out is Casino Desires, a social casino app that can be played free on smartphones and tablets. Xin Gaming Heritage is what you can expect from Xin Gaming. Although this Asian-based developer covers a range of themes, it also managed to retain its heritage by displaying the card symbols on the slot reels in an Asian font. Key slot titles include Fantasies and Chinese New Year. Xin Gaming is targeting international expansion, which is clear from the developer’s ability to make all of its slots available to social gaming platforms. And another intriguing advancement is that Xin Gaming has provided gaming content to a Bitcoin casino after making an agreement with Coin Gaming.
Wimbledon is underway and after a fast first round, the second is being played all day today. There are some big matches earlier on including UK favorite Andy Murray vs Robin Haase, Roger Federer vs S. Querrey and many more. We are focused on the return of Rafa and hope that he will improve on what has been a struggle back on the ATP. Nadal blazed through the first round beating Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. The South American was no match for the Spaniard and Nadal seemed to look like he is back, and could pose a threat later on in the tournament. Dustin Brown is a dangerous player but he played like he was just in it to survive against Taiwanese Lu Yen-hsun. Brown won after a long four set match 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 after coming from behind. The German was most-likely just getting warmed up and Nadal is totally aware of the threat he poses. Nadal and Brown have met only once before, in which Brown came out victorious at Halle in straight sets. Nadal seeks revenge for that loss and he wants to regain his composure after losing to Djokovic at the Roland Garros in the Quarter Finals just a few weeks back. Online Wimbledon Gambling Even though Nadal lost the last match that he faced Brown, Rafa is the favorite to win here this afternoon. Bet365 Sports has the Spaniard up 1.083 to Brown’s 8.00. Punters have a ton of pre-match odds to choose from including Set Props, Double Result, Point Betting and much more. Bet365 is also airing the match live so punters will have a more interactive online gambling experience. Wimbledon is the most famed of all tennis tournaments and there are hundreds of games that punters can win lucrative cash on. Don’t miss out on the action and it could mean serious money.
Cherry has increased its reach over German-speaking markets with the acquisition of a majority stake in the Malta-based gaming company Almor Holding Limited, a brand which is specialized in providing online casino options to players from Germany and other markets. The official date for the deal was July 1st and this is also when Cherry started to consolidate Almor within its operators. However, Cherry will be able to claim the earnings in the balances from both May and June. Reliable online gaming Almor has established itself as a leading brand in German-speaking markets since its launch in 2011. It provides a variety of games and sports betting options across major websites that had more than 55,000 customers within the first five months of the year, while the registered customer base is about 355,000. Cherry already had a good position in Germany with its licensed products and with the help of this acquisition, the brand will now become one of the major players in the online casino industry in Europe. The director of Almor, Alexander Knopf, stated that Cherry is the ideal partner for the future of the company and that the international reach will complement the local market knowledge and the established customer base that Almor brings to the table. Cherry continues to grow With this acquisition, Cherry will increase its revenue and profit, while getting more than a foothold in Germany and other markets with the same language. Almor had net gaming revenue of €11.1 million in 2014 and a profit of €1.2 million over the same period. According to reports, the price Cherry paid for 71% of the Almor shares was €4.6 million and the deal includes a mention that Cherry can purchase the remaining shares from Almor within four and a half years. Half of the price was paid in cash and the other half in Cherry shares.
An in-depth study by Optimove shows that much of the user value of online wagering and gaming is in the emotional experience. Emotional Balance in Play The thrill of victory and the temporary disappointment of defeat are the two emotional experiences that are being pursued with every wager. The fun of the game, the uniqueness of the operator site, and the nuances of each game all offer further emotional enhancement for the end user as customer. Personal Associations Operators would do well to rely on personal associations in order to implement effective emotional stimuli into their programming offerings. From the memory of an innocent game of checkers with friends, or talking to a new girl or boy we liked, or scratching off lottery or fast food game cards, the thrill of anticipation and a fascination with the unknown has been developed in all of us since we were children. Emotional Engagement The key is that the emotional response, or set of responses, should keep the user playing—make them comfortable, feel a sense of fairness, provide sufficient enjoyment in the game irregardless of outcome, etc. Supplemental Research In addition to marketing instincts, there is now research. Frustration, happiness, and euphoria are three primary emotions associated with activities with unknown outcomes. People have different responses to each of these emotions. Frustration makes some people give up, while others try harder; happiness makes people repeat their behavior, or walk away satisfied; euphoria can make us repeat the behavior at a later time, or stop while we are ahead. The behavioral psychology behind emotional reactions is endless. Market research on customer payout ratios breaks down customers into three distinct behavior personas: Losers, Break Evens, and Winners. Losers and Winners tend to have strong emotional responses which result in churning, or high turnover in these groups. Market Research Calls for Balance Gaming operators now have innovative marketing data to illuminate which marketing actions might prevent the two extreme groups of losers and winners from stopping play, in the interests of offering a wider balance between the two emotional and player group extremes. Minimizing the drama and optimizing the payouts may shift the focus from winning and losing into having fun and learning.
Playtech, the leading channel in the world for gaming software and services, with casinos such as Winner, has won the valuable rights to supply Norway's state-owned gaming operator. Terms of the Arrangement As a result of the coup, Playtech will adapt content available to Norwegian players across over 4300 interactive gaming terminals it will supply to the government operator. Playtech landed the contract from among a field of 8 competitors vying for the contract, becoming one of the first three suppliers to Norway. Playtech will work in partnership with Norsk Tipping to develop and adapt its interactive game offerings to design games specifically for the Norwegian market. In August, Playtech will begin offering a suite of interactive retail gaming content adapted to the Norwegian Belago (bingo halls) and Multix (retail) environments. Under the auspices of Playtech subsidiary Videobet Interactive Sweden, the initial two-year contract stands as one of the three suppliers selected to provide new content for all Norsk Tipping interactive gaming terminals, with options for two one-year extensions. Optimized Partnership Support of Norwegian retail and Bingo gaming hall markets is currently driven by Playtech's supply to Norsk Tipping of not only the 4,300 gaming terminals but the unique TruServ platform technology as well. Playtech COO Shimon Akad lauded the contract as a “reinforcement” of the “excellent relationship” already in place between his company and Norsk Tipping. Norsk Tipping EVP for Product and Brands Lene Finstad expressed excitement at bringing Playtech into the fold as one of the three partners for supply of new interactive terminal games, praising the “deep understanding” and “highly attractive games strategy for the Belago and Multix markets” exhibited by savvy Playtech. The emphasis is ostensibly on engagement and responsibility as twin pillars of success. Playtech Grows Playtech currently provides Omni-Channel software, systems and services supplier to over 120 licensees in 20 countries across online, mobile, and retail channels. The successful integration of a state-owned client will only diversify and strengthen Playtech's portfolio, reach, value, and sustainability.
Heather Watson grew up with two tennis idols, as she continued her training. Now, set to face one of her idols, Serena Williams at Wimbledon this evening, Graham has a daunting task ahead of her but but the chance that’s she could also play Venus Williams makes things a lot more interesting. If Watson can somehow beat Serena today, she would be playing the victor of the Venus Williams/Aleksandra Krunic match, and Venus is the outright favorite for that matchup. Watson is the UK number one but the question is can she even come close to beating five-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams? Watson has played Venus before but lost 6-3, 6-1 last year in Beijing. Watson was quoted saying, “that’s quite a challenge” when asked about the chance to face Double-Williams”. She was however, much more relaxed when asked about playing the younger more dangerous sister. “I just really look forward to playing her. She is a great champion and a legend in the game, so it will be a great experience for me – and where better for me to play her than here at Wimbledon?” Now in round 3, players are seeing the filed be thinned out and get the feeling that they could be on center court in the later stages if they can continue winning. Watson beat both Caroline Garcia and Daniela Hantuchova to make the third round and they were both terrific matches. Serena has seen little threat thus far, beating Margarita Gasparyan and Timea Babos. Williams should be able to handle Watson and expect the UK hopeful to end 6-4, 6-3. Wimbledon Online Betting Bet365 Sports is offering interested punters live in-play betting for all games and sets in today’s match. It is obvious that Watson needs to come from behind and shock the tennis world to beat Serena. Watson is at 13.00 to win, while Williams is the outright favorite at 1.040. There are literally dozens of additional lines available so check out the odds and make your bet wisely.
The English Premier League is broadcast to 4.7 billion people in more than 210 countries, easily making it the most watched football league in the world. La Liga may have Barcelona and Real Madrid, but fans generally see it as a predictable league. In stark contrast, the Premier League can change hands more often, as evidenced by the title victories of Manchester United, Manchester City, and then Chelsea in the past three years. Being such an intensely competitive league makes it all the more engaging for fans, who can then heighten their experience by placing wagers on the outcomes of the games they watch. And that is precisely why football clubs are working with sports betting operators more and more now. The latest example is Aston Villa, who have just agreed to fresh betting partnerships with bet365 and Betfair. New Concept of Co-Exclusive Betting Rights Aston Villa will began their new partnerships on 1 July 2015, and will continue with them for the entirety of the forthcoming Premier League season. But what is slightly unusual about the partnerships is that Aston Villa are dividing the responsibility, explaining that bet365 and Betfair have “co-exclusive rights” for the club. More commonly, Premier League clubs will work exclusively with one operator. Examples from recent years include Manchester United and bwin, West Ham and Winner, and Tottenham Hotspur and Mansion Casino. Aston Villa have devised an entirely new betting partnership concept that could change the way the entire league does business in future. Aston Villa’s official announcement to the process provided the following classification of the deal: “bet365 and Betfair have the right to be associated with Aston Villa and activate the partnerships globally, and both will appear on the club’s LED screens and interview backdrops.” The Villains have a history of working with betting operators after previously partnering with William Hill and Dafabet, the latter of which was the official betting partner for the past two seasons. Chief commercial officer Charlie Wijeratna described the co-partnership deal from bet365 and Betfair as “a very significant commercial increase on last year’s betting partnership.” AFL Club Essendon Calls Time on Betting Partnerships At a time when English football clubs are extremely welcoming towards betting partnerships, there is an Australian sports team that does not share that attitude. Essendon is an Australian Football League team, which plays a game that challenges 18 players on two teams to kick a rugby-style ball through posts to generate points. Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell acknowledged that gambling partnerships were highly lucrative, explaining: “We certainly respect the right of betting agencies to advertise in sport.” However, Campbell and the team made the decision on the belief that sports betting has a negative impact in Australia. Campbell went on to say that the decision would likely cause “shot-term financial pain,” and that is despite Essendon posting record revenue for its most recent financial year. Essendon’s decision is said to be backed by the majority of the club’s 60,000-strong membership base.
July has only just begun and the hot season is in full gear: This transitional week has seen some notable progressive jackpot wins across the board with two new millionaires and a bunch of players who got a very nice boost to their bank accounts. $5.7 Million Beach Life Jackpot Just in time for the beach season, a lucky player hit Playtech's Beach Life swelling jackpot this Thursday, pocketing an insane sum of $5.7 million. This is one of the jackpot's biggest wins apart from the historic $8.2 million win a player hit back in February 2012 at BetFred Casino. Now that the Beach Life jackpot has been reset, it's still a great time to go and start spinning. Players can head over to the beach at Winner Casino. $1.7 Million Millionaire Genie Win Random Logic's Millionaire Genie has paid out a $1,747,918 jackpot this past week to a player at 888 Casino. This long-time slot is one of the hardest workers of the online casino industry, known to pay out very notable sums to players over the years. To demonstrate: Only in May, a player at 888 Casino pocketed $3 million playing the slot. In January, Millionaire Genie's biggest jackpot was also hit at 888 Casino, where a player took home $5,194,129. All indicators point to the fact that playing Millionaire Genie at 888 Casino is a good recipe for luck. Wall St Fever $164k Win Another jackpot that burst this week was Wall St Fever, when a player banked $164,387 after a good spin at this popular Playtech slot. Wall St Fever is not a millionaire maker in the grand sense of the word, but it is a good example for one of those progressive jackpots that are surrounded with less grandeur, yet deliver very nice wins for players and more often than others. In recent months, players have hit jackpots between the $20-70k range in this jackpot at various online casinos, and even smaller but notable wins like a $4,891 jackpot were recorded. Try Wall St Fever while it's getting hot now at Casino Las Vegas.
Blackjack
Slots
Roulette
Baccarat
Craps
Poker
