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Well, its two steps forward and two steps back for online gambling in the intriguing Philippines jurisdiction. Tackling Illegal Activity While the establishment of a new jurisdiction has spurred optimism for online gambling in the Philippines, the area is still by no means free of the preponderance of illegal gambling taking place in the region that flies in the face of the goals of regulating authorities. New Initiatives The task to bring online gaming activity within regulatory guidelines now falls to newly elected Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. Among the landslide election winner's stated priorities are to establish a 24/7 government hotline for reporting of illegal gambling activity along with designating government agencies to enforce increasingly strict bans. The hotline itself should provide licensed operators with the opportunity to blow the whistle on illegal competitors as well. System Overhaul Duterte has vowed to end the proliferation of online gambling in the Philippines, which he says is currently “out of control” under the auspices of current Philippine regulatory body of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation PAGCOR. Implementing Online Taxing Duterte has further directed PAGCOR chief executive Andrea Domingo to cancel all current online licenses held over from the previous Benigno Aquino administration “sometime soon,” out of his concern over the current lack of formal mechanism for collection of government taxes from online enterprises. Dimension of Urgency The necessary reforms may not come fast enough, with Asian police forces in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asia jurisdictions cracking down on the proliferation of illegal internet betting activities besetting the currently running Euro 2016 football tournament. The Punisher Warns One thing is sure: the expansion of Duterte's individual jurisdiction will have illegal operators taking a harder look at the risks they run: as mayor of Davao, Duterte earned the nickname "The Punisher" from Time magazine after confirming his links to a slew of so-called “extrajudicial killings” just last year. Duterte accompanied the announcement with a personal warning that if elected president, he could kill up to 100,000 criminals, an affirmation which may reasonably be assumed to have some potential to serve as an accelerated deterrent. Establishing Sustainable Credibility An effective deterrent would help forge a reputation of stability and efficiency in the new collection of jurisdictions emerging in the Philippines such as the new Aurora Pacific Economic Zone And Freeport Authority (APECO). Diverting Revenue Constructively Before the election, Duterte asserted that healthcare would be one of the main priorities of his administration while proclaiming that all of the estimated billions in PAGCOR earnings should go towards health and education programs. Outlook Look for similar contributions from new licensing authorities in the Philippines, as well as substantial drops in designated illegal activity, with substantive results likely to start showing sometime after Euro 2016.
bet365 Games have three new titles for players to check out during July. Michael Jackson is there for music fans, Wheel of Fortune is for game-show viewers, and Pretty Kitty is for the cat lovers. All are now live over at bet365 Games. Michael Jackson: King of Pop From Bally Technologies comes an officially licensed Michael Jackson slot filled iconic imagery associated with the star, such as his black hat, glittering globe, and golden sunglasses. These appear as symbols that can land on the five-reel slot’s 25 paylines. To win the 2,500x jackpot, players have to match five jackpot symbols on a payline. Another lucrative feature is the bonus wheel, which can unlock free spins and multipliers. Wheel of Fortune: Ultra 5 Reels IGT has had the Wheel of Fortune licence for quite some time now, and the developer’s latest slot version is entitled Ultra 5 Reels. Considering that it has five reels, it is possible for players to win on 30 paylines. The wild multiplier symbols can adjust to be worth from 2x to 5x when they contribute on a winning payline. Players can also target Scatter Wheels and an Ultra Wheel Bonus, which can determine how many reels will have special multipliers. Pretty Kitty Completing the trio is Microgaming’s Pretty Kitty slot, which was just launched in June 2016. As the name suggests, the slot embraces a cat theme and where symbols of felines and jewellery can land on the five reels. Players can win 243 different ways over the 30 paylines. The diamond collar scatter symbol is one of the most helpful in the game, as three or more will initiate 15 free spins. In the game, a scatter symbol can also result in multipliers when at least two land on the same payline. Additional features include wilds and expanding symbols.
Recent statistics have show that the UK gambling industry managed to generate more revenue for the latest financial year. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed that £12.6bn €15.0bn in total gross gambling yield was generated from October 2014 until September 2015. For comparison, the UKGC also announced that total gross gambling yield was £11.2bn €13.34bn from April 2014 to March 2015. There is an overlap of six months across both time periods, but the figures do suggest that the industry has been performing stronger of late. Remote Gambling Stronger than Offline Remote gambling markets proved to be integral in the revenue figures, with sports betting, casino gaming, and online bingo generating £3.6bn €4.29bn from October 2014 to September 2015. For those 12 months, remote gambling revenue accounted for 29% of the entire industry. While remote gambling yielded positive results, there were some areas for concern among land-based operators. The headline issue was the fact that betting shops decreased from 8.975 in March 2015 to 8,809 in March 2016, representing a decline of 1.9%. There were other areas of decline for land-based operators, who also saw the number of arcades fall by 11.1% from 1,937 in March 2015 to 1,721 in March 2016. Bingo-halls suffered a similar decrease of 10.1%, having fallen to 599, but bingo game total gross gambling yield did improve by 4.9%. POCT Impacting Operators When announcing the new figures, the UKGC said that care had to be taken in interpreting them, as operators have only been working under the parameters of the Gambling Act since 1 November 2014. Basically, operators now have to pay a 15% point of consumption tax (POCT) on their revenue. The UKGC also issued a warning to operators for running betting markets on TV programmes that have been pre-recorded. Ultimately, the UKGC believes this form of betting to lack integrity.
Mega Fortune is one of the best paying progressive jackpot games developed by Net Entertainment. Its jackpot is pooled across the entire network and over the course of time it has made many millionaires. The latest winner is a proud member of the Casumo Casino community and for his performance he was rewarded with a stunning prize of €2,971,469. The Best Summer Ever for David David is a Casumo Casino casual player from Sweden who enjoys the thrills of progressive jackpot games. A true team player, he was taking turns to spin the reels of Mega Fortune with his partner. At the time the Bonus Reel started spinning, neither of them expected to win a life-changing amount. He describes his experience with enthusiasm and recalls being overwhelmed by all the numbers flashing up. David quickly realized that he just became the latest millionaire in a long series of Mega Fortune winners. The last player to claim the main jackpot was a Londoner who won a similar sum, but in British pounds. He wagered no more than £20 and the Mega Fortune Dreams slot promptly rewarded him with £2.9 million. It’s hard to think of a better return on investment. A Fan Favorite from NetEnt Mega Fortune has emerged as one of the video slots preferred by players who have accounts at NetEnt casinos. Everyone secretly hopes to win the main jackpot, but the other prizes are not to be frowned upon. The sheer excitement of spinning the reels keeps players going, as they chase the lucky jackpot. The enthusiasm is shared by the software developer’s representatives, who are always quick to wish many happy returns to the winners. Simon Hammon, Chief Product Officer at NetEnt congratulated David for his newfound fortune that has added his name on the list of Mega Fortune millionaires.
Pragmatic Play is the latest expansion piece for rising London-based online and mobile casino games provider iSoftBet. Welcoming Pragmatic The company´s latest gaming content partnership with Malta-based Pragmatic Play calls for the iSoftBet Game Aggregation Platform (GAP) to integrate Pragmatic Play's entire online gaming suite, which includes original branded slots as well as table games. Fortifying the Library With a vast library of third-party games compiled from over 20 software providers, the GAP technology optimizes iSoftBet´s service by seamlessly integrating its increasingly diversified portfolio along a streamlined platform for all its operator clients. Strategy for iSoftBet Michael Probert, iSoftBet Head of Business Development, explained his company´s strategy through the focus on enhancement of product offerings, characterizing the addition of Pragmatic Play's content as “particularly great news for our customers” due to the innovation and popularity specifically of Pragmatic´s slots. He further asserted his company´s “pleasure” at partnering with “a company which shares our values of creating the very best experience for customers.” Pragmatic Strategy Pragmatic Play´s Head of Sales and Business Development Yossi Barzely added that “integrating with iSoftBet’s suite of games marks a significant milestone in Pragmatic Play’s continued development,” citing the specific benefits of “offering our clients an exclusive gaming experience and access to one of the best online slots libraries in the world.” Rapid iSoftBet Expansion Following on the heels of other recent deals iSoftBet has made with Hungary Las Vegas Casino, SoftSwiss, and Romanian Licence, the GAP technology looks to be currying increasing interest from the industry as ambitious new operators and established veteran brands alike enjoy the increase in customer engagement iSoftBet support provides. Technologies at iSoftBet In addition to GAP, other innovative technologies and features rapidly becoming synonymous with iSoftBet include an impressive collection of high-powered games with stunning audio-visual effects; an unparalleled casino games collection and a wide range of innovative HTML5 mobile content which includes state-of-the-art Facebook software; exclusive branded content; and a brand new online and terminal-based sports betting platform.
Amid the fallout of the Brexit, another much speculated upon event of potentially huge consequence has taken place after years of stops and starts--for the good of iGaming. Netherlands In As of Thursday, the lower house of the Dutch Parliament has finally passed the Netherlands' first bill to regulate online gaming. ETA Implementation is still pending full approval by the Dutch Senate later in the year, which still would keep the online gambling market on track for opening in the cash-heavy country by the start of 2017. New Adaptations Key new provisions to the approved bill include prohibitions on lotteries as well as the use of existing player databases by land-based operators to promote online offerings. Stricter protections will also be placed on existing land-based companies, including physical entry and player identification barriers, and a new mandate to contribute to a problem gambling fund. Revenue Engineers Revenue Engineers co-founder Jaspar Hoekert commented on the news with delight, saying that “While there are some aspects of the legislation which are not ideal, this is still a very workable framework and I am confident that the Netherlands will quickly emerge as one of Europe’s most important gaming jurisdictions.” In the Works The approval was indeed a triumph for all 16 gaming experts serving on the Revenue Engineers staff, with the Amsterdam organization having already worked with other local and global clients as consultants on regulation. Word is that Revenue Engineers already has joint ventures and international partnerships in development for the Netherlands market as well. Potential Benefits The reason the Dutch passage is of note to iGaming is because of the society's reputation for incorporating ideals into its social infrastructure and programming. After over two years of adaptations and various bills passing through for consideration, the achievement of a workable model up to Dutch standards can remove more stigma regarding gambling, as well as potentially provide a leading online revenue model for passing along the benefits of iGaming take to the people most effectively. EU Nudge The passage took some prodding from the EU, which suggested to the meticulous Dutch legislators to resolve all lingering debates by creating the clearest market conditions for new entrants as possible. As the EU iGaming regulatory authority crosses off the British contribution, the welcoming of the Netherlands softens the blow considerably.
France has overcome a bitter rival in the semifinal when the home side defeated Germany by 2-0. They are now in the driver’s seat to win the trophy in front of their fans when they take on Portugal in the final act of Euro 2016. Their opponents have finally won a match in regulation time against Wales and will try to cause a major upset in the final act. Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spotlight Portugal has relied on its gifted striker throughout the tournament and the strategy is not going to change in the final. Opponents were fully aware that most of the balls would be aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo, but couldn’t do much about it. The Real Madrid forward has scored twice and he will be the main threat for the goal defended by Hugo Lloris. Defensively, Portugal has plenty of weaknesses that an experienced team can speculate. However, they are good at passing the ball around and know how to maintain possession if they score early. They will be hard-pressed to put up a stiff resistance in the first half, as France starts matches aggressively. France Counters with Griezmann The Atletico Madrid striker met the high expectations and has scored a combined six goals at Euro 2016. He is fast, agile and deadly accurate, so the Portuguese can’t afford to let him send too many balls towards their net. France had a hard time finding a way through compact backlines, but once they take the lead, they also take the initiative. France has an impressive track record as a host country, which explains why bookies trust them so much. Betting on the hosts to lift the trophy isn’t the best paying option, since the odds don’t exceed 1/2. Bet365 makes it worthwhile for punters to bet on France to prevail in regulation time by offering even odds.
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Now that Wimbledon is over and Andy Murray celebrates his second title, and Portugal celebrate making history with their first ever European Championship win over France, the ATP Newport begins today with first round action between Lucas Lacko and Dudi Sela. The ATP Newport is a tournament that usually doesn't see the top-ranked players in the world, but there are a few stars of professional tennis on center court today. Dudi Sela is ranked 65th in the world with 781 points. In contrast, Lucas Lacko is ranked 98th with 606. Lacko has been moving up in the rankings this year jumping 25 points prior to the ATP Newport, but still with a difficult draw in the first round. Sela is the obvious favorite for today's match but Lacko will be a difficult opponent for the Israeli tennis star. Lacko, the 28 year old Slovakian player has a great forehand during the rally, but his first serve is not consistent and could be a big problem on the grass courts of Newport. Lacko made the third round at Wimbledon, the first time he has ever made it to a later round at a major tournament. Sela was ousted from Wimbledon after drawing David Ferrer in the first round. He has the technical play to beat Lacko, but it will be a very difficult match for his long rally style of play. Lacko is an aggressive player that uses his strength to power the ball across the court. Sela can use that to his advantage as his accurate returns can send the ball down the line in a hurry. ATP Newport Betting The odds at bet365 Sports are set for the ATP in Newport with pre-match and live in play lines available for every game. Sela is the favorite at 1.72, while Lackos is a tight underdog at 2.00. bet365 is offering punters their Tennis Accumulator deal, which will increase winnings on accumulator bets prior to the match.
David Rebuck, the Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, (NJDGE), recently announced a tentative agreement between the Garden State and the United Kingdom to share their online poker player pools. While the agreement is preliminary at best, this is a significant move for the expansion of New Jersey’s online gambling operations. Rebuck commented, “We’d still have to figure out lots of issues: specific regulations, how the tax rate from each jurisdiction would be applied, player ID and geolocation issues, and other things we probably haven’t even considered yet. But you have to start somewhere.” Rebuck has asked New Jersey operators with international experience to provide their feedback about the feasibility of shared player pools on an international level. (Currently, the other two states that have regulated online gambling - Nevada and Delaware - share liquidity for online poker. In New Jersey's case, the issue is shared liquidity across the Atlantic.) About New Jersey Online Gambling New Jersey legalized and regulated online gambling in 2013, and its laws require those who gamble on the sites to be physically located within state borders. However, there is a clause that allows the state to enter into a liquidity sharing compact with another jurisdiction - in this case ,that other jurisdiction is England. While Delaware and even Nevada have struggled to increase the numbers of their online gambling revenue, New Jersey’s online gambling endeavor has been growing continuously, with consistent year-on-year improvements to the tune of a 30% increase. About UK Online Gambling The UK has a long history of regulating online gambling, and currently has a thriving industry. All online gambling sites must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission in order to operate. In 2015, CalvinAyre reported an annual online gambling revenue of over £3 billion, and the numbers are only predicted to get higher and higher.
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