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It’s been a while since PSG lost a match and nobody expected them to lose by two goals against Monaco. Even without home pitch advantage, the reigning champions were supposed to be the dominant side. They have lost the match however and also the first place in the French Ligue 1. Now they need to defeat St. Etienne in Paris to stay within striking distance of the leading pack. A 90 Minutes Siege at Parc De Princes PSG was the offensive team in Monaco, but conceded two unlucky goals and that sealed the fate of the match. On the road they are a force to be reckoned with, but when they have the support of their fans, they are downright unstoppable. St. Etienne is going to feel the full might of this amazing team and will come well prepared for a 90 minutes siege. After losing Ibrahimovic to Manchester United, PSG has to rely more on Cavani, Verratti and Pastore. Lucas and DiMaria will also contribute offensively and will keep the visitors under constant pressure. Except for Brazilian Motta who is mending an injury, the home side has a squad at full strength. 10 Consecutive Defeats for St. Etienne The visitors have a reputation for piling up narrow margin victories. They don’t need many scoring opportunities and it is hard to come from behind to win matches against them. Offensively however, they struggle both at home and on the road and the last two games resulted in scoreless draws. They lost the last 10 games against PSG, both on home and on the road. Settling for one point in Paris would be a major accomplishment for St. Etienne and that’s the result they are aiming for. Five players are injured, which further complicates their mission defensively. The odds are already dropping, but punters who trust PSG to cover the -1.5 goals spread will enjoy odds of 4/5 at bet365 Sports.
Gibraltar-based operating giant 888 has posted its H1 results, and growth is strong--thanks to two key factors. Leaping Forward A solid leap of 19% was recorded in the department of VAT excluded revenue, with 888 reporting 262 million for the period ending June 30, 2016. Credit Where Due The company credited its casino and sports betting divisions for the growth. Drivers In specific areas, Business to Consumer B2C revenue increased 21% to $229.5 million for H1, with the casino division responsible for $141.5 million of the overall figure reported, for a whopping jump of up 30% year-on-year. Poker Lags An area for revenue improvement for 888 was poker, whose revenue totals dropped 7% during H1 to $43.1 million. Other Risers Bingo held strong with a reported total of $23.1 million for 2% year-on-year growth, while sports betting revenue took in $25 million to reflecting a majorly healthy 63% growth from the same period of 2015, and 888’s emerging offerings generating $1.8 million for growth of 10% year-on-year. More Performance Indicators As for further areas of 888 performance, B2B revenue increased 6% year-on-year to $32.5 million. Including VAT, overall revenue for the period in review totalled $267 million, while adjusted EBITDA amounted to $44.1 million for a year-on-year increase of 8%. Riding It Out Despite $3 million of what 888 described as “adverse currency movements,” EBITDA grew 36% to reach $38.2 million. As for the performance bottom line of profit before taxes, 888 Holdings reported profit before tax of $27.8 million. How Engagement Happened Casino and sports betting drove growth due to the increase in active online casino players of 35%. This increased engagement for H1 is attributed by 888 to the launches of CRM and premium gambling content. Factors Driving Punting Other contributing factors contributing to the rise in sports betting acknowledged by 888 include operator-friendly UEFA Euro 2016 results, accelerated marketing initiatives, and the introduction of iGaming regulation to the Danish and Italian markets were among the factors that contributed the most to the sports betting division’s successful performance.
Most of us who play online casino games probably know someone who won a huge sum by playing online slots at some point in their lives, but it is amazing to hear just how many people seem to be winning thousands of dollars at the various online casinos. The month of August has been very eventful in the online casino industry as a whole, with several big jackpots being won and many other players getting awarded major sums without winning any big jackpots. Online casinos such as Golden Riviera Casino, Casino Mate and Maple Casino have awarded in excess of $120.000 during the month of August alone. Bank Broken At Casino Mate Casino Mate was the place where some of the month’s biggest wins occurred. Several Australian players emerged as the big winners of the month as they cashed in several dozen thousand each. The first of these players walked away with a massive $27.970 after delving in several popular Casino Mate games, including the extremely popular Break The Bank as well as some other games such as Girls with Guns II – Frozen Dawn at the popular casino. Another Australian player by the initials of J. L. also walked away as the big winner in August as he took on the Basketball Star slot at Casino Mate and managed to amass $14.590 in total winnings, making him another one of the month’s biggest winners. Bonuses Galore And More Big Wins To Come The month of August has been fairly hectic in the online casinos world and things don’t seem to be slowing down at all as online casinos such as Maple Casino and Golden Riviera Casino continue to give away huge deposit bonuses to new players going into September.
The match that everyone is anxiously waiting for is scheduled for Saturday, September 10. Manchester United and Manchester City square off at Old Trafford in a match that will weigh heavily in the race for the Premier League title. These two teams are the biggest spenders this year and with Guardiola and Mourinho at the helm, they have emerged as top favorites to win the domestic championship. No Injury Concerns on Either Side Unless footballers pick up injuries and they play for their national teams in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers, both Manchester teams will feature the best starting formation. It’s been a while since they played the last official match, so fatigue won’t be a concerned either. There is tremendous pressure on both coaches, as they meet for the first time in a Premier League match. Guardiola and Mourinho had a long rivalry in the Spanish La Liga, one that is reignited by the Derby of Manchester. Club owners gave them huge budgets to spend on players and in return, they expect nothing less of the Premier League trophy. A defeat against the main counter candidate would be disastrous for both of them, but they can’t settle for a draw either. No Fallback Plan for Manchester United Manchester City has won the domestic championship two years ago and is also actively involved in the Champions League. If they win either trophy, the fans and management will surely forgive the manager for failing to claim the other. Manchester United on the other hand only plays in Europa League and winning this otherwise prestigious competition wouldn’t be enough. In a nutshell, the hosts are hard-pressed to win the Premier League and a victory against Manchester City is instrumental. Bookmakers have accurately set the odds to reflect Manchester United’s status as narrow favorite. bet365 Sports currently has the best odds at 6/5 so Red Devils fans should place a bet here.
The Olympics are over, but the Olympic gambling results are just beginning to come in. France’s Strong Improvement European online sports betting heavyweight France showed a staggering Olympic-on-Olympic improvement of over three-quarters more wagers at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games over its predecessor four years ago in London. Reported Totals French regulator ARJEL reports that total Olympic wagers across the 12 French-licensed operators broke €33.9m during the Rio games, for a total increase of €19.2m from four years ago, with online Olympic revenue more than doubling from €3.3m to €6.8m. Sole Decline The only decline was in the percentage of wagers placed in-play, or during the match and focussing exclusively on outcomes of events within the match itself, as opposed to the final outcome. Percentage of In-play wagers dropped from 57% in London to 50% in Rio. In-play, in-Bed The result was explained by ARJEL as the result of time difference, with the majority of French citizens asleep in the wee hours of the morning while Rio’s events took place, including the most popular ones on which to wager. Medal Sports As far as most popular events to bet on, the French gold medalling Olympic sport was tennis, which attracted total wagers of €8.5m from French punters. Basketball silvered with €6m, football bronzed with €5.8m, and honourable mention went to handball (€5.4m) and volleyball (€2.1m). Euro 2016 Contribution As some might remember, there also was a Euro 2016 football tournament earlier in the summer, propelling overall French-licensed sports betting turnover and revenue to another gold medal performance: an all-time high in recorded revenue totals since the regulated market launched in 2010. Q2 Totals As for Q2 2016, French operators took in €585m worth of sports wagers in the three months ending June 30, representing a massive 73% year-on-year jump from Q2 2015. The Euro 2016 tournament contributed €141m. Sports Betting Gold Another gold medal went to total sports betting revenue in Q2 for France, a figure representing a 45% increase to a record €91m. Market Medal Forecast With online innovation and spreading regulation making it exponentially easier to bet on sporting outcomes since the last Olympics, it is no surprise that a large regulated market such as France could achieve such glistening results. Look for other national rates of increase to provide stiff competition as they roll in.
Skulls of Legend is a brand new video slot that represents software developer iSoftBet’s first foray into the world of piracy. iSoftBet has already covered various different themes, including film, TV, fantasy, history, and martial arts. Any players wanting to try Skulls of Legend can find it at iSoftBet casinos as of September 2016. Meet the Crew Skulls of Legend introduces the action with an immersive video showing pirates getting up to all kinds of high-jinks on the high seas. These swashbuckling characters appear as the various symbols, with other pirate imagery and playing cards used on the five reels and three rows. iSoftBet has designed Skulls of Legend as an affordable slot game where players can stake between €0.01 and €0.20 as the coin value. When combined with the 20 fixed paylines, players can stake from €0.30 to €6.00 on each spin. In the core game, Skulls of legend has a maximum 2,250x multiplier. X Marks the Spot The wild symbols have an exciting element where players can collect four and they will be transform into a wild that becomes sticky and expands to cover three symbols, lasting for four paid spins. Wild symbols are also beneficial because they can substitute for all symbols aside from scatters. Then come four different free spins bonuses, which are comprised of Rhum Barrel, Compass, Storm, and No Quarter. Players can trigger the free spins when they land three or more of the ship scatter symbols anywhere in sight. In this feature, Rhum Barrel will mean seven free spins and two to five wild symbols locked in place for three spins. Alternatively, Compass can offer 10 spins and a random wild landing in the centre reel, Storm triggers 14 spins and rearranging symbols on losing spins, and No Quarter can promise 15 spins along with one to five random wilds.
Software developer Endorphina is gearing up for the Central and Eastern European Gaming Conference 2016 (CEEGC) by revealing its plans for the event, which will attract operators, developers, investors, regulators, reporters, and other professionals. Endorphina’s Plans Ahead of the event on 20 September, Endorphina has announced that business development manager Miklos Handa will be in Budapest to represent the company. Handa will be there to learn more about igaming in Central and Eastern Europe, while also attempting to seek out new distribution opportunities for Endorphina. As a developer, Endorphina specialises in the creation of video slots, with the company now boasting a library of more than 30. Many of those titles are found at Bitcoin casinos, with Satoshi’s Secret claiming to be the first-ever Bitcoin slot. Elsewhere in the library, players can sample the likes of Jetsetter, Origami, Stone Age, Retromania, Geisha, Temple Cats, Blast Boom Bang, Chimney Sweep, and Ice Pirates. Introducing CEEGC 2016 September will mark the first time that CEEGC takes place, with the stunning Bulgarian city of Budapest playing host to the new igaming conference. Those in attendance will arrive to participate in a one-day event filled with fascinating keynote speakers and an array of engaging networking events. Ultimately, CEEGC has been established to ensure that Europe’s Central and Eastern igaming markets receive more attention. As a result, the conference has been designed with separate discussions to touch upon Europe’s Central, Eastern, and Northern regions, with the Balkans also having a dedicated talk. The centrepiece of CEEGC will be a discussion entitled “Focus on recent developments in Eastern Europe”, which will be hosted by region specialist Jan Řehola. To add further spectacle, the event will also incorporate the Central and Eastern European Gaming Awards (CEEGA). These will see awards handed out to operators, suppliers, and providers working in the fields of casino, sports, poker, and more.
The 2016 Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kiev is set to reveal the ins and outs of cryptocurrency exchanges September 23 at the Cosmolit congress hall. Keynote Speaker The central topic will be cryptocurrency exchange platforms, in which the co-founder of the company that develops and tests software for digital currency exchanges, Draglet Co-founder and Sales Director Benjamin Bommhardt, will speak about their development. Expert Panel An expert Fintech panel will discuss the three key components of cryptocurrency platforms operation: development, challenges and prospects, with Bommhardt, already an accomplished lecturer at industry events as well as the Munich University of Applied Sciences (MUAS), sharing his expert opinions regarding current risks from the perspective of exchange platform owners. Adapted Categories The conference has divided it’s offerings into dedicated categories to match its diversity of information and programming to the right attendees, divided according to conference organizer Smile-Expo’s three intensive course groups: educative, expert and the separate one for developers Categorical Examples The Expert section will offer further presentations dedicated to cryptocurrency legislative regulation issues, Bitcoin applications in the banking sector and Blockchain technologies in public administration. The Pro section will provide master classes to developers and education lecturers to teach them more about Bitcoin and Blockchain. Additional Speaker Another speaker of note is leading IBM engineer Karolina Marzantowicz, designated IBM Distinguished Engineer, who will speak about blockchain-based technologies aiming for business in Kiev, as well as providing insight into solutions offered by global cryptocurrency pilot project Hyperledger. About Hyperledger A world-renowned project initiated by Linux Foundation, Hyperledger was launched in December of 2015 as a system of smart contracts for companies within the organizational network of companies to build their own solutions based on blockchain. Crypto-currency and blockchain start-ups as well as consulting firms, mass media and companies protecting intellectual property have joined the project, including key participant: IBM. IBM Engineering Marzantowicz will provide insights into her topic of Hyperledger architecture and its main components, revealing the essence of the new approach to the traditional blockchain model, along with the key explanations of the cryptocurrency concept of "general ledger" and the needs of the modern business that the project seeks to meet. Further Info To get a grip on the dizzying array of event preparations, go to the Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Kiev: http://bitcoinconf.com.ua/en
Novak Djokovic steamrolled past opponents once again at the U.S. Open to reach the final act of the competition. Stan Wawrinka is blocking his way to grand slam glory, after depriving him of the Rolland Garros title in 2015. Unlike the Serbian player, the Swiss had to fight hard for every point and was twice on the verge of elimination. Novak Djokovic Back to Full Potential The ATP leader has played superb tennis at the U.S. Open 2016, despite winning a single match in straight sets. Novak was also lucky to have three players retiring on the way and played matches every four days instead of two. Fatigue is not a problem for this incredibly fit player and even though he required four sets to defeat Gael Monfils, he is in good shape and ready for this final challenge. Busy Days for Stan Wawrinka The Swiss found himself on the brink against Daniel Evens who had two chances to wrap up the match in Round 32. He was unable to win the next game in straight sets against lowly Illya Marchenko, but played much better against Del Potro and Kei Nishikori. Stan spent a lot of time on the tennis court and he now faces one of the fittest and most resilient athletes in the ATP series. After losing the Rolland Garros final, the Serbian player has defeated Stan Wawrinka twice and each time in convincing fashion. Once again he is credited with the first chance by bookmakers, yet the odds for an outright victory are pretty low. Bet365 offers odds of 9/10 on Novak Djokovic to cover the -4.5 games spread and this bet makes a lot of sense. In three of the last four victories Novak won a set by 6-0 and once by 6-1, so even risk-averse punters should gladly take these odds at high stakes.
After obtaining the Romanian gaming license in May this year, NetEnt, one of the leading online casino games providers, has gone live via a number of licensed Romanian operators. With this move, the Swedish company looks to continue its global expansion and increase its presence on as many regulated markets as possible. NetEnt Reinforcing Their Position on the Global Market In the PR accompanying the launch, Chief of European Market Operations with NetEnt Enrico Bradamante, proudly emphasized the fact that the company continues with the growth strategy, obtaining licenses to operate in regulated markets and strengthening their overall position. With online casino market being a highly competitive one, cornering as many markets as possible is an imperative for game providers and casino operators alike. Obtaining licenses, while sometimes a demanding process, is well worth the trouble to gain access to new markets or restore a position in the old ones. Romanian Online Gaming Resurfacing The new gambling law in Romania gave opportunity to many game providers, casino operators, as well as affiliate sites to come back to the country's market after receiving appropriate Class I and Class II Licenses from the ONJN (Romania's National Gambling Office). Just like NetEnt, many other online gambling giants like PokerStars, Evolution Gaming, and 888 Holdings had applied and received operating licenses, allowing them to serve Romanian customers. These market leaders realize the necessity of continually growing their business and expanding their offer so as to reach as many European and global customers as possible. As for NetEnt, they've made it abundantly clear they intend to fight for their share of the market, in Romania and everywhere else. Their recently launched Live Mobile platform which brings the virtual live casino experience to handheld devices demonstrates the company's willingness to innovate and their determination to expanding the existing customer base using any means available to them.
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