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Croatia won Group D after starting with the second chance behind world and European champions Spain. Their victory in the final match made the difference and helped them put behind the frustrating draw against the Czech Republic. Now they take on Portugal in the first stage of the elimination rounds, hoping to book a seat to the quarterfinals. Mandzukic yet to Score a Goal Croatia has one of the best midfields at Euro 2016, with footballers that play for Real Madrid, Barcelona and other important European clubs. This made the difference for them so far, with midfielders providing quality passes to strikers. They have scored a couple of goals of their own and they made Croatia the best scoring team in the group stage. Mandzukic was expected to emerge as the top scorer for Croatia, but he is yet to defeat the goalkeeper. Portugal’s defenses are surprisingly permeable and the last result against Hungary speaks volumes about their struggles. The backline conceded three goals against the team credited with the worst chance to qualify and barely qualified from the third-place. In Cristiano Ronaldo They Trust The Portuguese had a simple strategy at Euro 2016: sending all balls towards Cristiano Ronaldo. The gifted striker has scored twice and he is tied for the lead with Nani. His offensive efforts were not sufficient for Portugal to win and they are the only team to advance to the next round without winning a single match. Croatia showed a lot of quality in the group stage and remarkable fighting spirit against Spain, after the reigning European champions scored the first goal. Punters are tempted to side with Portugal, because of Cristiano Ronaldo, but the right thing to do is to back Croatia. Risk-averse punters, should take the draw no bet wager at bet365 Sports, at odds of 4/5 and have the stakes returned if the match ends undecided.
Romanian regulators are diligently working towards creating a unified legislation for online gambling. Many online casinos and bookmakers are now applying for a license in order to continue their operations within national borders. Prima Networks has already secured such a license from the Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc, the Romanian gambling regulatory body. A Step Forward for Microgaming Powered Prima Networks ONJN has granted the Class II license to Prima Networks, which is needed for providing local players with casino services. It covers the distribution and production of software for the entire gambling industry and also allows the owners to operate game management platforms. As a result, they will be able to go live and present prospective customers with all the benefits of the Microgaming’s Quickfire platform. The platform stands out from the crowd with its impressive collection of games that can also be played on mobile devices. Prima Networks will not limit itself to casino games and is expected to also offer poker products, in addition to Microgaming content. The Class II license secured from ONJN is an important milestone for the company who also offers its services legally in other 12 European countries. The Wheels Are Set in Motion The Romanian gambling market is slowly thawing after the deadlock of late 2015. Many online casinos and gambling operators were forced out after their licenses were suspended. Players had few legal options and many were in danger of paying huge fines if caught playing at a blacklisted online casino. The fact that Prima Networks has secured a license is important not only for the company, but also the industry. There is a lot of interest and enthusiasm for online gambling among Romanians, who enjoy betting on sports, playing casino games and poker. The ONJN just gave a clear signal that international casinos are welcomed, as long as they apply for a license. iSoftBet in Romania As Well On Friday it was also announced that software provider iSoftBet has secured a license from ONJN. iSoftBet has been on a roll lately, after securing an agreement to supply games to the Hungarian online casino operated by Las Vegas Casino Diamond Ltd; this came after yet another content deal with SNAI-Cogetech.
When Greece won the European championship, their achievement reignited hope for all mediocre teams in Europe. It proved that with the right strategy, extraordinary discipline and fighting spirit, one can beat the odds and emerge victorious. Not even the most optimistic Hungarian fans expect their team to win Euro 2016, but they count on their favorites to cause another upset against Belgium in the round of 16. A Stunning Performance in Group F At the beginning of the European championship, Hungary was regarded as the underdog in its group. That was the result of the team barely qualifying at the end of a playoff game that could’ve gone either way. They don’t have remarkable players but even so, they managed to avoid defeat in all three games and picked up valuable three points against Austria. Arguably the most impressive performance was against Portugal, in which Hungary scored three goals and could’ve won the match. As group leaders, they will have the pseudo-advantage of playing against the team finishing second in group E. Unfortunately for them, this is Belgium, one of the most promising squads at Euro 2016. Plenty to Prove for Belgian Players Two years ago, Belgium made a deep run at the World Cup, but had to bow out from the competition after losing to Argentina. They’ve got amazing players who compete for some of the best teams in the English Premier League. A top class goalkeeper, an experienced lineup of defenders and midfielders keep them safe, but it is the offensive that shines the brightest. Lukaku and Hazard are expected to make short work of the Hungarian defense and put the 40-year-old goalkeeper to the test. Kiraly will come under a barrage of shots and he is unlikely to deflect all of them. The bottom line is that players should bet on Belgium to win in regulation time at odds of 7/10 at bet365 Sports.
When David Cameron came up with the idea of holding a referendum on whether Britain should remain or exit the European Union, he didn’t expect this outcome. The financial markets were in turmoil in anticipation of the Brexit vote and the polls fluctuated widely over the last couple of weeks. Even though the numbers were indicating the fact that Britain will choose not to leave the European Union, the opposite happened. The country voted by a substantial margin to pursue a future alone and ventured into uncharted waters. Now that the wheels are set in motion and the Prime Minister has announced his resignation, politicians and pundits try to come up with answers for sensitive questions. The impact of the Brexit vote will be, for better or worse, significant and there is a great degree of uncertainty. Most industries will be affected, some more than the others and people on both sides of the English Channel are rightfully concerned. Testing Times for the iGaming Industry Right now very few people are concerned about the impact of the Brexit vote on the gambling industry. There are obviously more pressing matters to solve, but online casinos, poker rooms and bookmakers could have good reasons to be worried. The UK serves as headquarters to six distinct jurisdictions, all of them regulating the online gambling industry. The UKGC, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man carry more weight, as some of the biggest gambling operators are located here. At a first glance, UK residents don’t have much to worry about, since the UK has always been a model of success when it came to the regulatory regime. The thing is that while the same laws will be applicable to British people, some of the casinos, bookmakers and poker rooms might move out. An Exodus of UK Headquartered Online Gambling Operators Bet365 is one of the gambling operators who chose to keep its corporate headquarters in England. With many of their customers residing in the European Union, they contemplate the possibility of moving their base of operations. One of the consequences of the Brexit vote is that Britain will leave the European Union and probably the European Economic Area. EU online gambling regulations require online casinos to be members of one of these two entities to serve European customers. Many casinos have already left United Kingdom to avoid the high taxes and the Exodus is expected to pick up speed. PokerStars is one of the industry giants that have at least a division licensed in the Isle of Man. If they lose access to the EU markets it is very likely that the relatively low taxes they pay here won’t be enough to offset the shortcomings. The company might choose to relocate to Malta where they can enjoy the best of both worlds. In the end, these are all just very early forecasts and only time will tell how the Brexit will impact iGaming; here's hoping that the results will be positive and not the other way around.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular first-person shooter games in the world. The flagship tournaments have guaranteed prize pools of millions of dollars and this latest installment in the series is the true star of the eSports industry. Highly competitive, it attracts players from all over the world and has made Valve one of the most profitable developers of video games. A $2.3 Billion Business The company is mired in a scandal of epic proportions, with a lawsuit that could be very costly: Valve was sued by a CS:GO player for accepting and even supporting a legal online gambling ring. The weapon skins trading in Steam, its digital distribution platform, is at the cornerstone of this scandal, as these transactions are very similar to real money gambling. The revelations following the lawsuit took CS: GO players by surprise. Bloomberg indicates the fact that this is a huge $2.3 billion industry, one that Valve has allegedly profited from. By taking 10% of all the transactions made through its Steam Marketplace, the company has made a lot of money. Apparently, the industry is very much alive and weapon skins trading in Steam continues unabated. The Sensitive Issue of Underage Gambling What makes this case so interesting and potentially damaging for Valve is that most of the Counter Strike Global Offensive players are young people. Many of them are younger than 18 years old, therefore they wouldn’t be allowed to gamble online even in countries where this practice is permitted. The plaintiff said that he has purchased many skins for gambling purposes, both as an adult and as a minor. If the lawsuit is elevated to a class-action case and Valve loses in court, the company could pay a hefty price. Then again, it is still unclear whether this will escalate or if the case will be dismissed.
The tennis grass season is by far the shortest, with all relevant tournaments spanning over a bit more than one month. It culminates with the Wimbledon championship and in 2016, the event starts on Monday 27 and concludes two weeks later. All the best players in the world are expected to participate, except for Rafael Nadal who is still mending a nagging injury. There are plenty of lucrative betting opportunities and both amateur and professional bettors are expected to increase their activity. Let's have a look at some of the favorites for this tournament and the odds in their favor at bet365 Sports. Another Predictable Trophy for Novak Djokovic The world number one has recently won the French Open of Roland Garros, the only grand slam tournament that was missing from his portfolio. He made short work of Andy Murray in the last act of the competition and it’s very likely for the two players to meet again in the final. Throughout 2016, they met several times and the Scotsman won only once, but he feels great on the Wimbledon grass. Bookmakers are overly confident in Djokovic’s ability to win and offer odds of 8/11, significantly less than the ones of 3 on Andy Murray. Interesting enough, Novak chose not to participate in any of the grass tournaments after winning Roland Garros. Under normal circumstances, this is a risky thing to do as players need a little time to accommodate with the new surface. However, Djokovic is so good that he can make all the necessary adjustments in the first rounds of Wimbledon 2016. A Pack of Hopeful Challengers In terms of odds, the difference between Djokovic and Andy Murray is significant but the Scotsman is way ahead of the pack of challengers. The third favorite to win Wimbledon is Roger Federer, priced at 10 but he failed to even reach the final in back-to-back grass tournaments in Germany. He seems unable to focus against weak opponents and doesn’t concentrate enough when he takes on the best players. Milos Raonic has a strong game on grass, but he also has a reputation for suffering complete meltdowns. He recently lost a match against Andy Murray despite winning the opening set and having a three-game lead in the second. He is simply not to be trusted by risk-averse punters, who are also likely to frown upon the odds of 18 for Stan Wawrinka or 22 offered on Nick Kyrgios. Time Is Quickly Running out for Serena Williams The American champion is trying to overtake Stefi Graff, but time is against her and recent performance is disappointing on many levels. Serena lost twice in the final act of grand slam competitions this year, defeated by Kerber and Muguruza. Even so, she is the main favorite to win Wimbledon 2016 and punters who plan on backing her should act quickly to cash in on odds of 13/8. Muguruza comes in second with top odds of 11/2, as she has both the physical strength and suitable gameplay for winning a grand slam on grass. Her performance on the clay of Roland Garros proved her ability to maintain her concentration. Problem is that young players have a hard time maintaining the same game level after winning the first grand slam tournament. She was eliminated in the first round in Mallorca and chose not to play in other grass events, which leaves a big question mark. Splendor in the Grass of London Petra Kvitova is the third favorite to prevail at Wimbledon, a tournament that she had already won. The problem with the Czech player is that she struggles to win back-to-back games and 2016 has been a mediocre year at best. She hasn’t played a final in a long time and quite often ends up losing games after taking the opening set. Madison Keys is at the opposite end of spectrum, with the young American player recently winning a tournament on grass. She played flawless tennis throughout the event and that’s why bet365 Sports offers odds of 12/1 on her to prevail. Other juicy odds are offered on Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska, all priced at 25/1.
Casual Connect is scheduled to host a three-day event in San Francisco from 18-20 July 2016, with more than 3,000 attendees meeting to discuss the future of the world’s social gaming industry. Those who travel to the event will encounter a speaking schedule filled with close to 100 industry professionals. An Array of Industry Professionals According to Gamesauce, Casual Connect USA will have a distinct focus on social casino gaming, given the marketplace is now worth more than $3 billion. To complement the event, experts from the real-money gambling industry will be in attendance to add their insights. Ultimately, the intention is to evaluate the current social market and forecast what the future could hold. Guidance for Developers The organisers are especially eager to encourage independent developers and newcomers alike to be active in the marketplace. To that end, game development specialists have been invited to attend from the likes of FlowPlay, Gamedesire, and Pala Interactive. Meanwhile, experts will be on hand from EA, VonChurch, and other studios to provide guidance on recruiting the most talented developers. Expert Marketing Advice Going beyond development, Casual Connect also aims to educate attendees in how to effectively market their social casino games. Without a solid strategy, games can fail to find the right audience. Among the experts guiding this realm of discussion will be Facebook, Big Fish, GSN Games, Playtika, and Zynga. Those veterans will touch upon customer acquisition, advertising methods, and intellectual property. Player Retention Methods Acquiring players is vital for game developers, but they cannot succeed in the long-term without breeding loyalty and retaining their players. Attendees will get to learn about loyalty scheme and other retention strategies from the likes of Cataboom, Magnum Integrated Marketing, Partis Solutions, and Product Madness. Form Professional Relationships The latest iteration of Casual Connect USA starts on 18 July 2016 and it will be run as a professional-only conference. For attendees, there is the potential for striking new business deals and developing fresh partnerships with fellow professionals. In addition to the many talks that have been scheduled, attendees will also be invited to three networking parties. An email platform has been set up to ensure smooth communication.
Since it was invented in 2008, Bitcoin has simply taken off as an open-source digital payment system (also known as cryptocurrency), with companies from every sector in the world standing up and taking notice. Specifically, companies in the online gambling sector have followed Bitcoin’s progress, and as they have seen it become more and more popular, many have started using it as a method of payment in their own online casinos. Why Bitcoin is A Natural Choice For Online Casinos As of 2014, internet gambling made up approximately 8% of gambling revenue around the world, and that number is predicted to grow each year. One of the selling-points of online casinos is the quick, easy, and secure way that players can deposit money. Bitcoin fits this module perfectly - it offers simple, easy payments and does not require players to actually input any of their financial information. Of course, using Bitcoin does require some technical knowledge - which also makes it an ideal payment method for online gamblers, who tend to be more familiar with internet technology than those who prefer traditional casinos. Another reason why Bitcoin is a natural choice for online casinos is because using Bitcoin eliminates the needs for banks and other financial institutions to get involved. This makes life a lot easier for people who want to create and run online casinos, as they don’t need to line up financial institutions to be on board with their sites but they can still offer safety and security to their players. While some casinos offer Bitcoin as an additional payment option, other casinos have sprung up that only accept Bitcoin - casinos such as BitCasino, Omni Slots Casino and VegasCasino, all of which are known as bitcoin casinos. Popularity of Bitcoin There are currently over 15 million bitcoins in circulation right now; that number has grown dramatically since Bitcoin was first launched, and it is expected to continue to grow as more and more people become comfortable with it. The number of bitcoins in circulation at any given moment is recorded in a shared public ledger called the block chain. The block chain also records every purchase and transaction made with bitcoins, and the integrity of it is enforced by cryptology (hence the term cryptocurrency). What Gives Value to Bitcoins? Bitcoins have value because of the millions of people around the world who give value to them. There is no bank or financial institution backing Bitcoin, making it an extraordinarily unique way to make safe online payments.
Usually, when writing about Spain, Italy and England with regards to soccer, one would think that they were in the Semi-Final or even the Final of a tournament. At this year’s Euro however, with the addition of qualifiers Iceland, these are the teams in the final two Quarterfinal matches. The evening will begin at 17:00 GMT with a huge game between Spain and Italy. Spain vs Italy Italy may be the underdogs in the odds posted ahead of tonight’s game, but they could easily win this match against Spain in a heartbeat. The way that both teams offenses and defenses have been playing in this tournament is worthy of a Finals berth by anyone’s standards. Both Italy and Spain know that they have one of the toughest matches of the tournament ahead of them, and the winner will go onto the Semi-Finals. Spain have beaten Italy in all major competitions for the last few years, which is the reason that sportsbooks like bet365 Sports have odds posted in the Spaniards’ favor at 2.15, while the Italians are at 4.33. A draw after 90 minutes is at 3.00, which could ultimately be the best bet, as this one could end in penalties quite easily. England vs Iceland It is amazing to see a team like Iceland in the Quarterfinals, but do they actually have a chance against the Three Lions? Probably not, but just in case Iceland try any funny business, Roy Hodgson will be putting his three best attackers on the front line in attempts to silence Iceland early. It would be a punters’ dream to bet on Iceland and they were to win. In fact, bet365 is paying out an amazing 9.00 if they can do it, while England is at 1.50 and a draw is at 4.00. bet365 is also offering a nice line on an extra-time win or penalty shot win by England at 13.00.
With a jackpot now standing at around $390 million, interest in the Mega Millions lottery draw tonight is quickly building. The huge amount has come about thanks to yet another rollover, with no tickets matching all the numbers needed to claim the big prize on Friday night. This makes it the 31st consecutive time that the jackpot has not been claimed, and it's become one of the biggest prizes in the history of this lottery, with anyone lucky enough to win being given a cash payout of around $265 million, or a lump sum followed by 29 annual instalments, each one increasing by 5% to counter the rise in the cost of living over that time. The last time a jackpot was won was March 8th, when a $157 million prize went to a player from Seattle Washington State. Playing The Mega Millions For a $1 ticket, players need to select 5 main numbers from between 1 and 75, plus a sixth number from a separate grid of just 15. In most states, an optional Megaplier can be taken for an extra $1, and this means non-jackpot prizes are multiplied several times over. On Tuesday, a 5x Megaplier will be in effect, so anyone matching the 5 main numbers for an automatic $1 million will actually win $5 million. Playing Online Now that online ticket buying services like LottoBooking, LottoExpress and Play USA Lotteries are available, someone from outside the 44 participating states could be the big winner on Tuesday. These work by local agents buying tickets on behalf of players, with any winnings sent directly to them. Drawings take place in Atlanta Georgia at 11p.m. each Tuesday and Friday, so anyone buying online needs to bear in mind the time difference between where they are and Atlanta which is on Eastern Standard Time, or 5 hours behind the UK.
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