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With the highly anticipated ICE conference getting closer and closer, various companies and personalities from the gambling industry are scrambling to get ready for the big event. In this category we also find the Totally Gaming Academy, which will make its debut at ICE next year and will provide one-hour samples of the management courses people can expect to get by attending. The Totally Gaming Academy was designed to provide training for suppliers, operators and other companies involved in the online gambling industry, with Lucien Wijsman being the leading developer. While the courses generally last several days, the showcase at ICE will present introductions and samples in the three days of the conference at stand S8-160. Four courses for better results Each course of the academy is meant to enhance revenues and they will be delivered by expert speakers in their fields. The first is The Slot Academy and it will be presented by known personality Lucian Wijsman, who will cover the management training program for both online and land-based casinos. The Online Masterclass is presented by Igor Samardziski and it is a course where online operators can interact for better results. Jonathan Smith is in charge of the Sports Betting Academy as the course focuses on practice implementation with the goal to improve revenue margins. And finally, the Casino Marketing course, presented by Arjan Korstjens, takes a practical approach and gives delegates the tools they need to implement a year-long marketing plan. A theater of samples The stand has been turned into a theater for the speakers to better capture the attention of those attending. Each of the presenters will provide samples lasting one hour of what the Totally Gaming Academy will be focusing on in 2016 with its full course. Everything is designed to be topical and relevant in the industry and the challenges of today.
Let the tribal games begin: online. The Launch The Iowa tribe of Oklahoma announced that is has been cleared for online casino sites, opening a paving a crucial path for tribal gambling. The tribe will be able to offer poker options as the first games to players to any states where online gambling is legal including Nevada and New Jersey and all other countries worldwide where online gambling is currently regulated. The move will likely set off a flurry of activity for 2016 if Indian tribes in Oklahoma and other states compete to add online gambling and benefit from the legal permissions of other states and countries. The Legal Doorway A request to operate was submitted to arbitration in September by The Iowa Tribe and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Falling submitted in September the tribe’s request to operate a gambling site to arbitration. After reviewing the matter for over two months, Judge Charles Chapel ruled on November 24 that “using technology to play covered games as a way to increase tribal revenues” did not impact the scope of the permissions already in place and would not affect the tribe’s compact with the state. The implication is that if the tribes can open casinos on their reservations, they can now also offer online gambling worldwide and across state lines where it is legal under the same agreement with their home states that originally allowed them to open casinos on Indian reservations. Certification of the Decision The Iowa Tribe went so far as to request an Oklahoma City-based U.S. District Court Judge's certification of the arbitrator’s decision. The judge provided a further confirmation that the online project is consistent with federal and state laws and fully compliant with the terms of the Oklahoma Tribal-State Gaming Compact. A spokesman for Oklahoma governor Falling confirmed that the arbitrator’s ruling allows other tribes across the state to start similar international online gambling operations. The Software Operation of the new Pokertribe online gambling brand will be provided by Florida-based software developer Universal Entertainment Group, and could be launched within weeks.
Tuesday 15 December marked the day when the European Commission (EC) was finally able to reveal that member states had struck an accord on the EU Data Protection Reform’s final draft. Essentially, this will mean a single system of data protection and privacy across the entire EU. Companies that do not adhere to the legislation will incur severe financial penalties. Moving forward, the system’s General Data Protection Regulation is going to call for companies to clearly explain to customers exactly how their data is used. Meanwhile, companies will be required to notify customers if their data is hacked. The Data Protection Directive represents another core pillar of the system, given that law enforcement agencies are encouraged to co-operate on cross-border investigations. Worldwide Fines for the Guilty Companies serving the EU cannot afford to view their operations in isolation. Any company found guilty of not operating within the reformed guidelines could face a fine that amounts to 4% of global turnover. Considering the worldwide reach of the online gambling industry, this could result in some operators shelling out hundreds of millions if they are unable to function within the EU’s new landscape. The EC and its members have carefully adjusted the language of the reform to ensure that companies based outside of the EU can be held accountable if they are serving customers living within the continent. This form will only punish the companies that do not choose ethically. In fact, the new structure actually has more cohesion and will improve data protection. For now, however, there are no immediate concerns for EU-based online gambling sites. The European Parliament and Council will not accept the final draft of reform until the early stages of 2016. Moreover, it will take a further two years before the reform will be relevant. EU companies have plenty of time ahead to adjust.
Everton always finds a way of losing seemingly won games, despite having one of the best offensives in the Premier League. Their recent meltdown against Stoke makes matters worse for a team that hopes to secure a Europa League berth at the end of the season. They can’t afford to let their guard down in the second half against Tottenham, as the Londoners have a reputation for scoring most of the goals in the final minutes of the game. Watch out for Half Time Results Everton used to be one of the most reliable teams for those betting on them to lead or draw by halftime, but recently struggled to keep clean sheets. Tottenham is also known for starting the games at a slower pace, but over the last three games they came out firing on all cylinders. All these matches resulted in comfortable victories for them and the most impressive results were secured away from White Hart Lane. Everton is not expected to make any changes to its starting formation and will still feature two strikers, while placing its hopes on Lukaku. He is their top scorer and a constant threat for any defensive in the English first division, but his offensive efforts made little impact recently. Kane to Spearhead Tottenham's Offensive Again The visitors have an ace in their sleeve as well, with Harry Kane scoring 11 goals this season, including some decisive late-match goals. These are the ones that Everton fears most, as plenty of points were squandered in the last minutes of regulation time and in overtime. bet365 Sports offers even odds on Tottenham to win on the road and will refund the stakes if the match ends undecided. The draw no bet is probably the best choice, second only to the Over 2.5 goals to be scored bet.
With each passing year, online gambling is becoming a more and more popular, and profitable, industry. In 2015, many new online casinos were launched, based in locations all around the world. In America, local and federal battles waged regarding the legalization of online gambling, with a temporary win in favor of online gambling. With 2015 behind us, what can we expect from online gambling in 2016? Let’s take a look. New Online Casinos Will Be Created If you thought 2015 was the year that saw the creation of many new online casinos, 2016 looks like it will top it. Because there is tight competition in the online betting industry, more and more casinos are being created with the players’ needs in mind. This is good news for online gamers, who will have greater choices when it comes to service, games and technologies. Mobile Popularity Will Continue to Grow Recent studies in 2015 predicted that the use of mobile devices to play at online casinos will continue to grow throughout the next year. In fact, many of the new casinos that sprung up in 2015 were mobile casinos, designed specifically to cater to the ever-growing population of online gamblers who enjoy playing from their mobile devices. And the trend seems to be that mobile use will continue to grow in 2016. The Rise of Bitcoin Casinos As the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, becomes more and more popular, online casinos that offer Bitcoin as a banking option will also become more and more popular. But not only that - online casinos that offer Bitcoin as the SOLE method of banking will also rise. Currently, there are a number of popular Bitcoin-only casinos, such as BitCasino and VegasCasino - but in 2016, we can expect to see even more. More Countries and States Will Seek to Regulate Online Gambling While Europe is fairly advanced in its regulation of online gambling, it seems that in 2016, even more countries will want to come on board. As of now, the European Commission regulates online gambling in all EU countries, but given the popularity of the pastime, more countries will want to follow suit. In the US, online gambling is currently allowed to be implemented at a state level, but only three states have taken advantage of that. In 2015, Sheldon Adelson had been pushing for RAWA, the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, to be passed, a bill which would ban online gambling at a federal level - but RAWA was not included in the end-of-the-year spending bill, which means that the states have another year of relief. It also means that more states will probably look towards legalizing online gambling in 2016 as a way of bringing in some added revenue. 2016 Looks Like It Will Be a Good Year While it’s only the beginning, all signs and trends point to 2016 being a great year for online gambling, with more expansion, opportunity, and higher quality games and service for players. Here’s to a great 2016!
The year is done, and despite some turbulence, Europe has apparently successfully navigated the greatest overarching issue facing EU integration: getting out of the gate. Adaptation Carries the Day The regulations got tighter, but operators and governments got more adaptable as well. Various regulatory issues were introduced which now will have to be sifted through, such as a new EU tax on digital services and a UK point of consumption tax which is still eating into profit margins of operators and still may be discouraging a good amount of new entry. These new issues have only served to increase the need for consolidation of rates and policies amongst gambling operators who can enter the EU through any number of the many member countries who have implemented regulation structures. Amalgamation of Approaches Also, smaller EU nations facing dire economic consequences generated regulation models that looked more like relief bills. For instance, the cash-strapped Portugal government was panned for signing a new online gambling bill in June that taxed casino and poker revenue at a whopping 15-30 percent fixed to each operator’s annual income, with the former state monopoly operator spared 50 percent of the new tax rate. In Italy and Romania, a much more appealing approach was on display as lower tax rates were offered to invigorate the economy and discourage unregulated sites. The notion of integrating markets surfaced as well, with heavyweights Italy, France and Spain opening talks for online poker liquidity sharing. For every online gambling regulatory breakthrough, there was often seemed an equal opposite reaction, with strong conservative opposition to bills popping up in Italy and other EU countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. Nonetheless, the Netherlands is expected to issue a regulation bill soon, after a year of legislation, while it took an EU suit to get the Scandinavian countries to begin to release their hold on the state monopolies that have governed gambling for years. In Germany where 20 sports licenses were promised back in 2012, the situation continues to remain murky. Palpable Progress While every country has its own regulation system, the 2015 year certainly saw the EU integration process get underway, and more progress next year is certainly realistic.
Marvel enjoyed another blockbuster year in 2015 on the back of successful movies like the Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. Fortunately, there are many more Marvel movies to see in 2016. Naturally, though, this begs the question of which movies could be designed as great video slots in 2016? Well, let’s take a look to see which Marvel slots might be on the horizon for 2016. Captain America: Civil War Captain America: the First Avenger has already been transformed into a video slot. Designed with use of official imagery, the Captain America slot from Playtech is faithful to the original. An added bonus is that the slot features the Marvel progressive jackpot, which is connected to all other Marvel slots designed by Playtech. A recently released trailer suggests that Civil War will have more than enough action to warrant a slot release. However, this might not happen because the Winter Solider, the second movie in the series, is yet to become a slot. Logically, the Winter Soldier would have to come first in 2016. X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Apocalypse features a cast that is loaded with talented faces, including the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Oscar Isaac. The presence of these stars alone would make Apocalypse a tremendous slot release. Thus far, X-Men slots have only been designed with a cartoon style. And considering that the series is a little disjointed in terms of continuity, there is no reason why Apocalypse could not be the next big release. Deadpool Those who have not heard of Deadpool are in for a treat. This foulmouthed yet playful superhero is the funniest character in the Marvel universe and will be played by Ryan Reynolds in the upcoming movie. Considering the hilarity and action that can be expected from Deadpool’s solo debut in February, there is more than enough source material to justify a video slot version appearance for this unlikely hero in 2016. Doctor Strange Gambit and Channing Tatum could have been a decent prospect, but this movie is not being made by Marvel Studios and has changed director multiple times. For these reasons, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange remains the stronger outside prospect. A Doctor Strange slot would bring a fascinating sense of mystery for players, who could also hope for a Marvel progressive jackpot considering that the game is being made by Marvel studios. Where to Play Marvel Slots Marvel slots are most commonly designed by software developer Playtech, who can be credited with the likes of the Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, and various others. While waiting for any new Marvel slots to emerge, the existing titles can be found at the likes of bet365 Casino, 7Regal Casino, and Omni Casino now.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still grasping onto first place in the NBA Eastern Conference, now on a three-game win streak. They have won 22 and lost 9 this season, but started 2016 off with a bang, not having lost a game yet in the New Year. Tonight, they face the fourth best team in the East, as the Toronto Raptors come to town with a 21-14 record, but lost a very tough game against the Bulls on Sunday Night 115-113. The Cavs are on a tear, having won their last 9-11 games and are even better at home with a 14-1 record. Defense has been the name of the game for Cleveland having only allowed an average of 88 points against them over their last 10 games. The Raptors are no slouches however, with the talented backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan leading Toronto in scoring and assists. DeRozan is averaging 22.9 points per game and Lowry is pulling the assist in with 6.3 and 20.6 scoring. This duo will be tough for the Cavs to manage tonight, but LeBron and the rest of the Cleveland squad is ready for the challenge. The Raptors were able to beat the Cavs in Toronto back on November 25th, but playing in Cleveland at LeBron's house is an entirely different story. Toronto will need to contain James and bring down as many rebounds as possible if they are to beat the Cavs. NBA Live Betting All NBA games are featured this season at bet365 Sports. Tonight's matchup is no different with the famed UK sportsbook offering attractive underdog odds against the Raptors at 4.10 to win, while the Cavs are heavy favorites at 1.25. There is a chance that Toronto will win on the road, as they have already beat the Cavs this season and they know how to beat them. Punters will be able to gamble throughout the game with bet365's live in play betting markets giving optimal chances to maximize profits.
Change is always afoot in the online gambling industry, even during the festive weeks. And the latest operator to announce a series of changes is Casino Cruise, an online casino where players could soon benefit from new gaming licences, January rewards, fresh games, and improved live chat functionality. New Gaming Licences Coming More players than ever will now be able to access Casino Cruise. Basically, Casino Cruise has applied to acquire its own gaming licences in an attempt to ensure that players encounter fewer jurisdictional and payment-related issues during their experience. Thus far, Casino Cruise has applied for remote gaming licences with the UK Gambling Authority, the Malta Gaming Authority, and the Curacao Gaming Control Board. To encounter three licences is quite uncommon in the industry, as many developers only hold one or sometimes two. January Rewards for Players Casino Cruise is planning on celebrating the New Year in generous fashion, considering that the site has set aside 2,500,000 free spins to give away. At present, the plan is for Casino Cruise to award the free spins to players who are currently registered with the site. A month-long timeframe has been allocated for the offer, which will run until the end of January. Fresh Games Coming A wave of new slot games will also be coming to Casino Cruise in January. Players can soon look forward to playing Microgaming’s new ghost-themed slot game called Peek-a-Boo. Additional Microgaming slot releases will include Lucky Twins and Untamed: Giant Panda, which comes from the Untamed series of animal slots. New NetEnt slots will also be launched in January’s release of fresh gaming content. Glow Slot will invite players on an adventure to see the Northern Lights, but the upcoming Guns N’ Roses slot is more likely to steal the show, given its official licensing and production values. Improved Live Chat Players are also set to benefit from improved communication in 2016, given that Casino Cruise has invested in the rollout of a new live chat vendor. The new vendor has been acquired with a view to improving communication and customer services for mobile devices. Casino Cruise’s decision has been driven by a desire to improve the entire player experience.
Premium online casino software developer Endorphina has a lot of reasons to be happy about 2015. As the year goes into the history books and we get to look back on 12 months of action, Endorphina stands out with an increased game portfolio, various successful events and new deals with operators for a better coverage. New Slot Releases What makes a provider great is its collection of games and while Endorphina started 2015 with 24 video slots, it increased this number to 34 with some great releases. The year started off strong for the game developer with the launch of six new titles showcased at ICE in London in February. These included names like Fairy, Tale, Wild Fruits and Macarons, which would go on to become great hits. Satoshi’s Quest then joined the list and got a lot of attention for being the first high quality slot machine devoted to Bitcoin play. Other titles include The Ninja, The Vikings and Jetsetter, with the former being the most recent game from Endorphina currently available. Big Presence at Events The growth of the company didn’t just take place in the portfolio this year but also as a brand. After investing a big part of its marketing budget in events for the iGaming industry, Endorphina is now a regular name at major conferences and exhibitions. A team representing the company travelled around the world this year and attended events in Moscow for the RGW, in Johannesburg for BiG Africa Summit, in Buenos Aires for SAGSE, in Sofia for BEGE, in Malta for SiGMA and more. Overall, the small stand used in 2014 for ICE Totally Gaming seems so far away now. New Deals with Operators To add to the great news, Endorphina is available at more online casinos now and has more games from other providers. Several new clients were signed in 2015 and these include platforms like BetConstruct, XIN Gaming, SoftSwiss, Singular and Finnplay to create a collection from more than 60 brands online, including big Bitcoin casinos.
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