Showing results for: ""
Australians currently have access to a wide-ranging selection of top-level online casinos from some of the world’s leading operators. At a glance, some of the more familiar sites to Australian online gamblers will be Betspin Casino, Casino Mate, and Guts Casino. But all of that could change by Christmas of this year, as Australia’s government and Prime Minister Tony Abbott are planning to drastically change the nation’s online gambling legislation. At the core of the issue for the Australian government is that offshore gambling operators have the freedom to target the nation’s residents without concern for legislation. Senator Nick Xenophon has compared Australia’s 2001 legislation as being out-dated to the same extent as 140-year-old legislation. To resolve the situation, Australia has tasked social services minister Scott Morrison with performing a review of the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act. Review Said to Be in Good Faith Morrison has attempted to ease the concerns of offshore gambling operators by explaining that the government was initiating the review without “preconceived ideas” and would “engage in good faith” throughout the process. Xenophon, however, appears to have already made up his mind, given that he is already drafting revised legislation that would call for a complete ban on in-play betting and gambling marketing at sports events. Back in 2013, another review into the 2001 legislation determined that in-play betting should be legal in relation to the outcome of sporting events. However, no further action was taken after the 2013 review was published. Either way, it would appear that the future of in-play betting in Australia is at risk for offshore operators. In outlining what the review would entail, Morrison explained that he would seek the insight of gambling operators and international regulators before determining new legislation by the end of 2015. At this point, one of the most likely outcomes is that a national self-exclusion register is created to help problem gamblers protect themselves.
After a number of years, Paypal has been approved as an online and mobile payment option for online gambling operators to offer their players in Nevada, Delaware and in New Jersey. This is great news for US online gambling, as Paypal can give the industry boost that many US-based operators need during these first few years of US regulation and WSOP Poker is one of the first to offer the payment solution. In addition to WSOP online, Caesars online casino and Harrahs Casino will also begin to offer Paypal in New Jersey, with Caesars already offering in Delaware and Nevada. This will undoubtedly be music to the ears of millions of players that already use Paypal on a daily basis and operators are sure the decision to lift the Paypal ban will increase player traffic. 888 Still Out For the meantime, popular online poker platform 888 will not be offering Paypal to its customers, as they try to build a presence in Nevada. 888 Poker and WSOP both run on the same network in New Jersey and it is most-likely a matter of time until the poker giants offer the payment method to their players. The ban on Paypal in the US for online gambling was incredibly harsh. Before the ban was lifted, players even mentioning gambling in a comments section would leave one with a blocked and flagged account. Players are already using the service and it works just like it should. Players in New Jersey are calling the move "Huge" and "pretty sick", with market forecasters certain that the trend of online gambling and accepted payment methods in the US is set to grow in the near future. It is a big move and anyone living in the three states in which online gambling is legal, can use Paypal quite easily for its instant transactions on one of the safest platforms in the world today.
Serena Williams and Simona Halep were expected to advance with relative ease in the U.S. Open semifinals and set up an epic confrontation. A match between the world number one and the second best player would’ve generating tremendous interest, but it was not to be. Instead we’ll have a final between Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci, two of the best Italian players to have ever graced the tennis court. Experience Prevails over Youth Halep battled through in the quarterfinals and was credited with the first chance against Flavia Pennetta, yet she started the game slowly and never recovered. The Italian was clearly the better player and with this victory, she came a step closer to winning a grand slam tournament for the first time in her life. Flavia is no stranger to the late stages of the US Open, as she made the semifinals before but this is her best performance at Flushing Meadows. She will take on Roberta Vinci, who is just as experienced as she is, but this time she will start as favorite. It’s interesting to see how she will handle the pressure now that bookmakers, including bet365 sports favor her to prevail at odds of 4/9. A Major Upset on Arthur Ashe Roberta Vinci defeating the reigning champion and the best player in the world was one of the biggest surprises in U.S. Open history. The Italian came out firing on all cylinders and even though she lost the opening set, she brilliantly rebounded to win the second. The final set was a thriller but the Italian never wavered and one break was all it took for her to win what was probably the most important game of her career. The same bookmaker offers odds of 7/4 for her to replicate that performance and win the Women’s US Open Final against Flavia Pennetta.
The virtual market of online gambling is growing, with gross winnings expected to reach a very impressive €28.24bn this year. Expanding Use Needs Currency With the amount of countries and states regulating online gambling expanding, the growth of this virtual wagering industry needs a virtual currency to sustain it. Bitcoin is set to become that currency. Many online casinos already accept Bitcoin, such as Omni Slots Casino, Coin Palace Casino and Jubise Casino. More are sure to follow. That's because while Bitcoin gambling constitutes only a small proportion of current online gambling revenue, Bitcoin's key features such as low costs and speedy payments put Bitcoin in pole position among cryptocurrency competitors to become the cryptocurrency of choice. Key External Factor A key external factor affecting the success of the digital currency includes regulation. Not all markets are equally receptive to any digital currency. For instance, pioneering Bitcoin betting site SatoshiDice does not operate in the U.S. because of stringent federal gambling laws. In direct response to a new wave of internet gambling sites in 2006, the US Justice Department introduced the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. The UIGEA outlawed the processing of payments originating in US banks, which for obvious reasons cut out the vast majority of US players. The Cryptocurrency Solution Some providers seem to have found the solution: offering bets via Bitcoin exclusively, By not using US banks for play, using cryptocurrency opens the door for UIGEA-compliant online gambling in the US by giving US players the option of utilizing their own prepaid cryptocurrency accounts to wager online in UIGEA compliant provider sites. If cryptocurrency is the solution, then Bitcoin, as the most popular and efficient cryptocurrency payment system, can very reasonably be called the payment system of the future for online gambling. Unless, of course, the UIGEA is repealed.
An expansive Summer for Endorphina continues. Busy August Punctuated Last month that has seen the rising Prague-based company make a splash at Kazakhstan Gaming Congress as a springboard to Romania's EAE in Romania and sign deals with Fortune Jack and 7BitCasino concludes with the announcement of two new partnerships. The New Partners Bit Starz and Chance Hill are the latest providers to sign on with the innovative software development and slot game provider. As far as slots, Endorphina currently offers 32 slots utilizing its eye-popping graphics with more games to be added shortly. In Bit Starz, Endorphina finds an innovative and pioneering partner. Powered by the SoftSwiss platform, BitStarz Casino offerings instant-play gaming on any device for both bitcoin and real money customers. Originally solely a bitcoin casino, BitStarz is now the first to offer play for both. Bit Starz Reactions Endorphina Sales Head Ruslan Lyulko expressed delight at being able to provide games to Bit Starz players, citing the recognition of the provider as one the top rated casinos in the iGaming community in general. BitStarz Marketing Manager said of the deal that the introduction of Endorphina games to their players significantly expands player gaming options while maintaining a high standard of quality. She also expressed her delight at being able to offer such an innovative range of games to bitcoin customers as well as real money players. Chance Hill Reactions The other partner Endorphina has linked up with is Madrid-based Chance Hill. Licensed in Curacao, the operator launched barely a month ago. Marketing itself based on the principle of a strong first impression, the provider is making an early splash with a variety of new bonuses which of course will be offered through the new games from Endorphina that the new entrant will offer to its rapidly growing list of players. More clients for Endorphina's range of high quality Flash-based slot games for online casinos are sure to follow.
Bet365 Casino has plenty of exciting slot machines, table games and video pokers to keep players entertained for months in a row. Whenever a new title is added to their stellar collection, genuine gamblers have a new reason to celebrate and this is such an occasion. The online gambling operator has announced the introduction of the Live Hi-Lo Gambler, a brand-new game that builds on the popularity of a very popular type of poker. Make Correct Predictions to Win Generous Prizes Live Hi-Lo Gambler might be a new game but it has rules that are easy to pick up and master, so beginners have the same chances as savvy players to win. In a nutshell, participants are expected to correctly predict the next card the dealer will draw, in comparison to the base card. The fact that this game is played against real dealers greatly simplifies the task of new players, as everything happens in real-time. The games run on a daily basis from 2 PM to 1 AM GMT, so players have a wide window of opportunity to learn the ropes and win great cash rewards. How to Play Live Hi-Lo Gambler It all starts with the live dealer revealing the base card or burning three cards if a new table has opened. Players have a couple of seconds to decide which are the optimal bets and wager on the value of the next card. There are several positions to contemplate, so players decide how high the risks can get, while they also have the option of pressing the Skip button and wait for the next round. After the “No More Bets” button lights up, all you have to do is to patiently wait for the outcome and collect your profits if you made the right prediction. Winners can collect all or a partial amount of their profits and leave the rest for the next wager.
After the major upsets that rocked the US open on Friday evening, tennis players were waiting to see whether underdogs would prevail in the men’s semifinals as well. It was not to be as both Federer and Djokovic advanced with ease and set up an epic confrontation in the final stage. Djokovic Overpowers Big-Serving Cilic The Croat is famous for his first serve and he managed to extract an astonishing amount from this asset, but it wouldn’t help him against the world number one. Djokovic was outstanding in the first set and he won without conceding a single game, then continued his onslaught, to win the second almost as easily. Cilic managed to break for the first time in the third set, but his celebration was short-lived as his opponent got right back in the match. This was a one-sided confrontation and a rather forgettable match for the reigning champion, but a great way to set up a formidable final for Novak. Federer Priced as Narrow Underdog The highly anticipated dual between the best Swiss players in history has resulted in an emphatic victory for Federer, who wrapped up a stellar performance on US soil. Two of the players with the best backhand in the ATP circuit produced the show that tennis fans were hoping for and they probably wished for the match to go on for at least one more set. It rarely happens that Djokovic is credited with the 2nd chance against an opponent these days and bookies are reluctant to offer similar odds. The manner in which Federer has dominated the US Open so far fully justifies their willingness to offer odds of 11/10 on the Swiss’ victory in the final act. Those who bet on him at bet365 sport will double their investment if the multiple champion manages to win the U.S. Open.
Scandinavia is a huge gaming market. Where's the Expansion? Encompassing three prominent and eager European gambling markets with high concentrations of fluidity, this seems an ideal market for expansion and highly attractive place to apply for licensing. Yet the market seems to be contracting in the region's largest market. In 2014, Swedish online gambling revenues hit a sizable $2.4 billion, a figure that nonetheless represented a drop from the previous year's results. The apparent decline has been linked to an untimely set of guidelines that the government issued to tackle gambling addiction. The “responsible gambling measures” introduced at the end of 2013 came off as rather restrictive, with the intentional of addressing the marketing of games “considered problematic from a gaming responsibility perspective,” according to Sweden's state-owned gambling provider Svenska Spel’s head of Corporate Social Responsibility Zenita Strandänger. Impact of Restrictions The impact of this restriction is beginning to be seen now, as net gaming revenues for Svenska Spel dropped 4.7% in Q1 2015 compared to 2014. However, online revenues still achieved 5.5% growth, with mobile growth area up a whopping 50% for the quarter. Tighter regulations are only part of the issue. Svenska Spel also claims the lack of overall growth is due to increased competition from international online bookmakers. As for domestic competition, Sweden's Betsson saw revenues rise 23% to $355 million in 2014, with 25% of that from mobile betting. At the same time, the company absorbed a $2.3 million loss in poker revenues, attributed to “a continued decreased level of activity in poker networks.” The attractiveness of the market to new competitors is no doubt tempered by the existence of a government-owned competitor in an otherwise free and open market. This could certainly make smaller competitors think twice about investing in competition in that country or region. Popular Online Casinos in Sweden Meanwhile, what is clear is that online gambling continues to grow, a fact that major online casinos already popular in Sweden such as Mr. Green Casino, Cherry Casino and Guts Casino are enjoying. How quickly the market expands in Scandinavia may well be linked to the extent of influence that the state-owned gambling companies exert on their respective markets.
Slotty Vegas is a new online casino having launched only last year, but it already realized the importance of staying ahead of the curve by innovating the industry. The Supercharged Wins feature boosts the profits secured by players spinning the reels of selected video slots. Luckily for those who are hooked on slot machines, all the popular new titles are on the list, so no compromises need to be made. Keep a Keen Eye on Supercharged Games Those who have an account at Slotty Vegas and want to take advantage of this innovative feature, should focus on the Supercharged Games. These are the ones that will boost their profits by 1%, whenever they land a winning combination on an active pay line. The additional funds are released immediately, but for a couple of days they will be locked into a special balance that only becomes available on Tuesday and Friday. The lucky winners will have to patiently wait for one of these days to redeem the funds, which are not subject to wagering requirements. They can use them right away to spin the reels of more Supercharged slot machines or perform a withdrawal. Better Win Rates on NetEnt and Microgaming Games These two software developers power all the games available at Slotty Vegas and the best-selling titles are now included in the Supercharged section. The Wish Master, Aliens, Terminator 2, Avalon II, Lights, Girls with Guns as well as other popular titles have better win rates than ever before. Players can wager the same number of coins on supercharged slot machines as they would on regular games, so there are no strings attached. Waiting for Tuesdays and Fridays to collect the additional funds is only a minor inconvenience, which is completely offset by the fact that the waiting time for withdrawals has been cut down to a few hours.
With its great collection of games and unique style, Casino Cruise didn’t waste any time and started impressing online players right away. The voyage is a special one and to make it even better, the online casino is offering monthly cruise packages on actual luxury boats in various locations around the world. Bet online and get a vacation The latest winner for the Win A Dream Vacation promo is Robert Gustafsson, who played at Casino Cruise under the username molin21. He will be taken on a 10-day vacation on a glamorous cruise ship to Italy, Greece and Turkey. Other players can get a shot at winning the impressive prize package by simply betting on the games at Casino Cruise. This is one of the top offers on the site and users just need to deposit $50 in order to get one ticket for the draw. Having more tickets will of course provide better odds for winning and the offer usually lasts for one month, with the destination changing at times. With the winner for August now determined, it is time for the September offer to get underway and see what players will win the vacation of their dreams. More About Casino Cruise It is safe to say that Casino Cruise has become one of the best online casinos in the business and this is thanks to many factors. One of the big ones is represented by a collection of games which has more than 800 titles from Net Entertainment, NYX Interactive, VIVO Gaming, Microgaming and Play’n GO. The site makes the instant play games very appealing and the style is quick to stand out. Needless to mention that the promotions also play a big role and Casino Cruise makes sure to reward its customers through different offers every month, not the least of which are the already famous cruise packages.
Blackjack
Slots
Roulette
Baccarat
Craps
Poker
