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Betting on sports in America is illegal, but everybody does it. Americans Love Sports Betting From people going to or calling in to Vegas, or calling their local illegal bookie, or putting a few bucks into their NCAA tournament brackets in the office pool, Americans LOVE betting on sports, as evinced by the staggering total of $148.8 billion illegally bet on sports in 2015. The NCAA Bracket Totals Americans especially love betting on the NCAA tournament. With Americans filling out more tournament brackets this year than casting winning Presidential election ballots (over 70 million), the American Gambling Association (AGA) estimates that March Madness betting totals will reach $9.2 billion. In a down year for college basketball, and the marquee player in college basketball not even in the tournament, that number still tops last year's figure of $9 billion. Bracket Breakdown AGA research estimates that 40 million people fill out brackets with the average person filling out almost two brackets on average; with average bet per bracket totals at $29. Half of all March Madness viewers have filled out a bracket at least once in their lifetime. Research Estimates Accrued from estimates from office pools, Nevada sports books, illicit offshore sites and illegal bookies, AGA further clarifies that only about $262 million will be bet legally at Nevada sports books. So out of $150 billion, only a little over a fourth of $1 billion will be bet legally, in a form that is regulated and taxable. Legalized Online Betting Abroad Meanwhile, millions of people worldwide are betting on the NCAA tournament and other sporting events at popular online sportsbooks like bet365 Sports, William Hill Sports and 888 Sport. The Point If online sports betting activity was legalized by the cash-depleted states, state governments could be taxing hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues on activity that is already taking place. Trivia Answers President Obama, who fills out his tournament bracket every year from the Oval Office on national television, is the closest to 70 with 69 million votes. And Ben Simmons is going to the NBA after one season in which he brought millions of dollars in television contracts and merchandise revenues to his university's amateur athletic program.
Good news is on the horizon for supporters of online gambling in the United States: according to a report from Gambling Compliance, the demise of RAWA, the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, is imminent. RAWA, a bill pushed by republican lobbyist and billionaire Sheldon Adelson, sought to ban online gambling at a federal level, and had online gambling supporters concerned for the better part of the last two years. Today, however, Adelson is reported to be abandoning his efforts and re-construing his bill completely, this time focusing on a federal ban against all forms of offshore, unlicensed online gambling. Adelson’s new direction comes after RAWA faced serious opposition from various states and legislators, who claimed that the bill clearly trampled on the rights of individual states. Moreover, every time a RAWA hearing was held, RAWA supporters ended up making fools of themselves, with little real information to back any of their claims. Even one of Adelson’s staunchest supporters, Marco Rubio, confessed he would allow an exception for online poker should RAWA get passed. While the new bill Adelson is reported to be working on sounds similar to the old one, it’s ramifications could be very different. By cracking down on offshore, unlicensed online gambling sites, the bill could call into focus the need for regulated online gambling within the US, something which many individual states are already considering and three of which have already done. But officially, RAWA still exists, which has opposition leaders cautioning against celebrating too soon. Poker Players Alliance Vice President Rich Muny commented, “RAWA still exists, so this is no victory lap. We all need to keep up the pressure on lawmakers and ensure this does not end up sneaked in later on.” Until an official statement is released from Adelson, online gambling supporters will have to hold their celebrations in check.
The premium slots at Win A Day Casino welcome their most recent member, as Ice Crystals video slot machine was recently introduced. Advertised as a premium slot with high paying features, it is also at the cornerstone of a generous campaign aimed at celebrating its addition to the existing collection of games. The Perks of the Snowflake Symbol The new slot machine has the particularity of appealing to both amateurs and professional players, with flexible betting limits. Beginners can experience the thrills of spinning the reels of a new video slot without taking big chances, but the lion’s share goes to those willing to bet at least 200 coins per spin. Players who bet 200 coins or more each round, will activate the blue 3D snowflake which is one of the premium symbols in Ice Crystals. Just as the name suggests, it has the ability of bumping up profits and when it is activated the payouts can go as high as 100 times the bet. Such features are available only in premium slots and with this addition, Win A Day Casino can brag about having as many as 33. Trailing Wild Triggers Multipliers Each Spin Another pleasant sight when spinning the reels of Ice Crystals is the Trailing Wild, which has the uncanny ability of cloning itself down the reel. When this happens, players can multiply their winnings several times and free spins are also triggered in the process. When the active pay lines lights up, the profits can be doubled, tripled or even increased four times. The Trailing Wild augments the wild symbol which initially occupies a single spot and moves down the reels one step at a time until it reaches the bottom row. The best case scenario is to end up with as many as four wild symbols stacked vertically on the real, which increases the number of winning combinations.
Habanero is bringing ancient Rome to life with its newest slot release, Roman Empire. Ancient Rome, always a period of fascination, has been explored in depth in feature films and documentaries - but now slots lovers can enjoy it on the small screen, while accruing some cash! Roman Empire can be played at Habanero-powered casinos like Club Gold Casino, Cool Cat Casino and 32Red Casino. About the Game Roman Empire is a 25-payline, medium volatility slot, developed in HTML5, making it run smoothly on both desktop and mobile. Symbols on the reels include the Colosseum, helmets, shields, Cleopatra and Caesar himself. The soundtrack includes trumpets blasting, as if to herald incoming gladiators, and players can easily get caught up in the excitement of the game and the glory it promises. One of the promising special features is when three Colosseum symbols land on the screen and the free spin rounds is triggered - during this round, players can win a no-limit maximum of free spins. CEO at Habanero, Nic Ioannoy, commented on the company’s new release, “Roman Empire enjoys the same premium immersive quality of all of our new HTML5 games and its medium volatility will entice the maximum number of players. We’re very confident it will be a big hit with operators too, among whom our content is becoming increasingly popular.” Popular Habanero Releases Roman Empire follows the release of a number of popular Habanero slot games: Bombs Away, Gold Rush, and Fa Cai Shen. To date, Habanero has over 50 slot games available, as well as 10 video poker games. Their games have been integrated into over 20 operators all over Europe and Asia, and are available in multiple languages. About Habanero The Habanero management team has over 40 years of experience in betting and gaming, and they have put this experience to use in creating popular online casino games that players around the world can enjoy. Currently. Habanero has offices in Johannesburg, Manila, Sofia, and Kiev.
World Cup qualifiers - South American action. Brazil won back-to-back games at home, but neither Venezuela nor Peru posed a serious challenge offensively and both teams chose to defend for 90 minutes. Uruguay is not going to take too many chances early in the game, but if the hosts manage to score fast, they’ve got what it takes to fire back. Few Clean Sheets for Brazil in 2015 The Brazilians are not known for their stellar defensive and with so many options up front, it makes perfect sense to play aggressive football. Under normal circumstances they try to score one more goal than the opponent and it is very likely that their will stick to this strategy against Uruguay. Since losing to Chile on the road, they scored a combined seven goals, but kept a clean sheet just once and the backline is just as shaky. Many of these players as well as defensive midfielders are suffering from fatigue after playing plenty of games for their clubs in various competitions. Suarez Joins Cavani Upfront for Uruguay The Barcelona striker didn’t play in the last game against Chile, but his services will be required in the upcoming match. He will join Cavani in the offensive and together the two players pack quite a punch while being well capable of penetrating the Brazilian defenses. Suarez is the top scorer for the Catalans with 26 goals, 5 more than his rival Neymar and also ahead of Messi's 22. Both teams know how to play offensive football and even though their coaches tried to consolidate the backline, time is not on their side. This game has over 2.5 goals written all over it and bookies are already reducing the odds. bet365 Sports still offers 9/10 on this outcome, which presents punters with a convenient alternative if they don’t want to take the chance of picking the winner.
The financial and mathematical components of iGaming and e-commerce will be on full display next month in China at the Shenzhen Forex Expo. Overview On the weekend of April 15-16, the 2016 China Forex Expo will host forex brokers, IBs, binary options leaders, affiliates, investors and technology solution providers at the Great China International Exchange Square for an eye-opening two day intensive front-loaded with innovative learning, updating, and networking opportunities in the area of foreign exchange. The sponsors are seeking to illuminate the forex environment in the fluid Chinese economy where an affluent to upper middle class consumer base is growing. The Opportunity The China Forex Expo is an opportunity for forex brokers from all over the world to promote their online trading platforms to tens of thousands of attendees. Speakers Speakers include Jeffrey Triganza (FXMT Pty Ltd.), with 27 years experience in forex across various asset classes in multiple roles; Mark Coe (MCC Capital Advisors), the FX trader whose Global Macro trading strategies and risk management has raised over $85 MN USD in client assets via his proprietary quantitative model; innovator Bradley Hall, founder and of a number of successful forex companies with 29 years of finance, M&A, operational and fund management experience; and Uuoption's Yu Qidao, who has been teaching businesses the binary option he authored in 2011 to fill forex market and industry gaps. Subjects Speech subjects will include How do Forex Trader/Dealer make money for their banks?; and keynote speeches on the Integrity Importance of Central Banks and FOREX Companies; Innovation for Financial Technology; and the The Benefits of Developing Binary Option Platforms. Forex Awards Presented Plus, don't forget the Forex Awards, with 27 categories including Best Forex Broker of the Year; Best Forex Broker in China; Most Trusted Forex Broker; and Best Trading Platform Provider for Asia. Stay tuned for more news as the event nears.
Crypto-currency has become a multi-billion dollar industry and more and more online gaming operators are offering Bitcoin as an accepted transaction method. Bitcoin is so popular that there is a string of conferences around Europe, focusing on the newest financial trend. On Saturday, May 19, the Bitcoin Conference will take place in Prague, bringing together developers with iGaming operators, bankers, economists and businesspersons. Blockchain Under the Magnifying Glass Blockchain technology is a chain of Bitcoin system transactions that also has incredible applications for the transferring of data. The event will take a closer look at Blockchain technology and its cyber-security, while answering important questions about Bitcoin transactions. The main conference will be divided into two segments. It will also feature presentations by IT developers that work in the field of Blockchain. Participants will be able to learn the ins and outs of personal data protection and how they can safeguard themselves against cybercrime. Other hot topics at the Bitcoin conference will be by numerous payments services, along with new gadgetry in the field. Conference guests will learn about the legislative regulations across Europe regarding Blockchain technology. Blockchain technology also has great applications for financial transparency, as developers have realized that it makes it much easier to receive state agency certification and creates a far-more transparent tax system. Every user knows exactly where every dime of his/her money goes. Bitcoin Across Europe This coming conference is part of a string of European bitcoin events that have taken place in Moscow, St. Petersberg and Kiev. Moving to Prague for this round is a strategic decision based on the growing demand for inside information about Bitcoin and its applications for online gambling. The Czech gambling industry is growing rapidly and major brands have already taken notice. Bitcoin and Blockchain technology are already in practice across Europe. Purchasing goods and services, deposits to online casinos and sportsbooks, and other uses for IT-enthusiasts.
As South American, Asian and African teams square off in the qualifiers for the World Cup, European teams test their squads in friendly games. The match between Romania and Spain promises to be quite special, because both teams are riding some impressive streaks. Spain is credited with the first chance, but Romania has home pitch advantage and National Arena will be packed with enthusiastic fans. Invincible in 15 Straight Games It’s been a while since Romania played at the World Cup or the European Championship, but they’ve recently secured a place at Euro 2016. The qualifying campaign was impressive on many levels and the team is currently enjoying an invincible run of 15 matches. Romania has greatly improved its defensive and over these 15 matches, it allowed just 5 games and kept a clean sheet in 11 matches. The Football Federation worked hard to make this friendly game happen and even in the absence of any stakes, the interest is tremendous among players and supporters alike. The team will be tested in its first serious match against a top squad ahead of the Euro 2016 tournament. Spain Seeks Its 8 Straight Win After its untimely elimination from the World Cup, Spain rebounded and it is currently riding a winning streak of seven games. What’s particularly interesting is that they haven’t settled for one point in any of the last 25 games and recorded a single draw in 35 consecutive matches. Spain usually has a hard time scoring on the road against stringy teams and won the last three games by the odd goal. They are about to enter a fortress and the fact that this game is played just three days after the challenging friendly match against Italy poses unique challenges. Romania will defend with all lines for 90 minutes, therefore odds of 4/5 offered by bet365 Sports on fewer than 2.5 goals to be scored are well justified.
The latest addition to the unique collection of online slots from Yggdrasil comes with four different themes that change to show a different season every 10 spins. Called simply Seasons, the casino game was launched on March 24th and is now live at Yggdrasil-powered online casinos, such as Cherry Casino, Unibet Casino and Mr Green Casino. Presenting the Seasons online slot The CEO of Yggdrasil Gaming, Fredrik Elmqvist stated that “Our new slot proves that Yggdrasil games are never out of season. “Seasons’ unique gameplay mechanics ensure great entertainment value, new features to keep players engaged and of course plenty of free spins. “We’re looking forward to releasing more exciting content over the coming months which we are certain will prove a hit with operators and players alike.” Special features for every season This is a great way to describe the new slot as the fact that it changes seasons between Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter makes it different, even by Yggdrasil standards. And it is not just the theme that will randomly change after every 10 spins, but also the special wilds and the free spins modes to make for an exciting gameplay regardless of the season. Seasons has five reels, three rows and 20 fixed lines which pay from left to right. During the Winter, the Hare Wild will jump to another position and thus create a new wild symbol on the screen for the best possible win. The Spring Owl Wild will offer a free respin after which it will fly to a new position randomly that can be on the reels or outside the game area. The Deer Wild in the Summer can expand in a plus pattern to create more wilds surrounding the initial position. And finally, the Autumn Fox Wild will offer a random multiplier for all the wins on the spin. Three, four or five Free Spins symbol will trigger the special mode for 7, 15 or 30 rounds, respectively. These are played on the same season they were triggered and add more respective wild symbols into the mix. Five big symbols and four small ones make for the regular paytable and wins occur quite often as Seasons has a RTP of 96.2%.
In a recent report, Chinese authorities have revealed a major bust to combat fraudulent online gambling in Cambodia. The investigation which first began about a year ago, came to its conclusion with 218 suspects being detained for scamming more than 1,000 customers out of a total of RMB140 million, or US$21.5 million. Extortion Scams with Online Casinos According to the information released by the authorities, the scammers would run online casino scams out of hotel rooms while the servers were being hosted in Poipet. They would then use the name of reputable brands in the gambling city of Macau to attract customers by text message presenting a combination of live dealer and digital casino games for real money. Some of the used names include the Venetian Macao, Galaxy and Grand Lisboa. At first, new customers would win a bit and they could easily withdraw the funds, while also receiving incentives to deposit more and thus continue playing. After a big deposit, the rigged games would make sure that the player losses right away and the site stopped all communications with the client. The mix of a known trademark and the green light on the first small withdrawal made the casinos appear reliable and more than one thousand players fell into their trap. The investigation which started in March 2015 focused on dozens of citizens from China and several Cambodians who the authorities were looking for, while the major bust covered 18 provinces across Mainland China. Avoiding Fraudulent Websites It is very important for customers nowadays to pay attention to the websites at which they make real money deposits and play gambling games. Every online casino must have a verified license and a good reputation before a player should consider joining. These elements can be easily verified on professional sites and can help users save a lot of money and heartache.
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