Showing results for: ""
Despite what the EU wants, Malta is sticking to its guns with its cash cow online gaming. Malta Gains As a small economy offering favourable taxing and regulation conditions, Malta’s openness to regulation gives them a European market niche. EU Pressure At the same time, the European Union is pressuring Malta to join the rank and file with more protections. Spurious Definition Said pressure is traceable to a new definition of illegal sports betting put forth by the Council of Europe at its Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions as “any sports betting activity whose type or operator is not allowed under the applicable law of the jurisdiction where the consumer is located.” Singling out Malta? The semantics of the statement, as it applies to Malta, would seek to deem operators licensed in Malta as engaging in activity which is not conforming to the supposed jurisdiction of greater overall EU policy. Standing Tall Malta Gaming Authority Executive Chairman Joe Cuschieri cut through the implications in bluntly stating that the “definition will effectively render illegal all operators who offer their services via their Malta Gaming Authority licence in other European states.” Flashpoint This certainly appears to be shaping up as a significant territorial conflict: Malta has different licensing restrictions than the prevailing norms in the rest of European countries, while the EU, at root a financial organization, wants a uniform policy across all member states. Operator Benefits in Malta A huge selling point for Malta applicants is the relative ease of gaining the national license and the freedom it affords applicants to serve other Europe-facing players. EU Position The EU does not want one country gaining unfair advantage through favourable licensing that earns them the lion’s share percentage-wise of licensing agreements for Europe-facing operators. Malta’s Economic Reliance Cruschieri further defends his organization’s position by pointing out that as of the conclusion of 2015, “the gaming industry in Malta accounts for circa 11 per cent of Malta's GDP, employs 8,000 people and has contributed €700 million to the Maltese economy.” The Meaning of Jurisdiction This is a fascinating issue because one of the very smallest EU member economies is going to fight potential EU legislation tooth and nail, based on the inherent question of the extent of authority of the EU over member states, which just received a kick from reality with Brexit. Clash Implications The question is not if Malta’s stand could initiate a mass exodus of EU members, but whether it could initiate a mass exodus of operators, and the subsequent impact on revenue percentages of current regulating EU countries, many of whom have worked long and hard to adapt their new models which are still works in progress.
2016 has been an exciting year for all the e-sports fans. The recent Dota2 The International brought a huge $20.000.000 prize pool, largest ever in the history of e-sports, and the largest League of Legends tournament is now just days away, with the World Championship starting on September 29th. Like in the previous four years, the tournament that will take place on four different locations across the USA is set to bring the best Lol teams in the world together, guaranteeing a $1.000.000 first place prize for the eventual winner. The Format and Participants The tournament brings together 16 strongest Lol teams in the world, who have made their way into the World Championship by showing continuous good performances in their local championships and playoffs. Teams from Europe, America, China and South Korea will all have a chance at the game’s top prize, but if history is anything to go by, the South Korean teams will have a tremendous edge. Last year’s champions SK Telecom T1 and Rox Tigers will be the two main favorites in the tournament, having both done well in the South Korean Summer Split and playoffs and showing excellent performances for the last 2 years. SK Telecom T1 have won the tournament on two occasions in the past, in 2013 and last year, making them a likely favorite for the title, despite the bookies favoring Rox Tigers for this year’s superior performances. The tournament will also play host to American teams such as Team SoloMid, Counter Logic Gaming anc Cloud9 as well as European sides G2 Sports, H2k-Gaming and Splyce, with the likes of Edward Gaming and Royal Never Give Up representing China. While all of these sides have done well in their regional championships, the probability of them winning at the Worlds is very low, with South Korean teams simply dominant in every sense over the past four years. Edward Gaming have managed to defeat the Koreans in last year’s Mid-Season Invitational, which gives some hope of someone outside of South Korea taking home the title. Millions of Fans And Dollars With the game being played by 60.000.000 players on monthly basis, Lol World Championship is one of the largest and most viewed e-sports events of the years. The bookies are expecting millions of dollars to be placed in outright winner and more particular bets, with dozens of thousands of fans expected to watch every match streaming live on Twitch and in-game. The tournament has a guaranteed $1.000.000 prize for the winner, with second place finishers set to receive $250.000 and the third and fourth best receiving $150.000 each. These numbers alone make Worlds fascinating and extremely fun to watch, but for the true fans and players, this tournament is about so much more than money. The group stage of the tournament starts on September 29th in San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and the later stages of the championship will take place at the Chicago Theater, New York’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Staples Center, which will be hosting the finals. As always, we can expect a true spectacle at all the venues and as the tournament approaches the grand finals, the audience is likely to grow, with millions of dollars in bets guaranteed to be placed on the outcomes of each of the knockout stage matches by fans, punters and professional bettors alike.
AC Milan is the pleasant surprise of this Serie A start and again a contender for a Champions League berth. They won the last two games and managed to keep a clean sheet, but opposition was not that tough. They will have a more difficult mission against Fiorentina, especially now that they play on the road. Fiorentina Sinks into the Second Half Despite its offensive starting formation, Fiorentina has a hard time scoring goals early on and frequently finds itself trailing. This happened again against Udinese and they can’t afford a similar outcome when they take on AC Milan. The visitors are much better and defending narrow margin leads and if they are given the chance to score early, they are a hard nut to crack. Surprisingly enough, both teams are at full strength, with no players injured or suspended. Fiorentina doesn’t have the squad needed to challenge Juventus for the title. Its priority for the season is to finish on the podium, to secure a presence in the Champions League groups. Dropping points against AC Milan would jeopardize their objective and that’s why they won’t take many chances. Bacca Starts Shining in Italy Sevilla was reluctant to give up one of its most successful strikers, but AC Milan paid the right amount. Bacca needed some time to adjust to the Serie A matches, but he is now playing at full potential. This shows, as he has scored five goals in five matches and is the most dangerous striker for the former champions. This is the player to watch out for on Sunday, as he has the skills to score on the road. Bookmakers credit Fiorentina with the first chance, but momentum is with AC Milan. Odds of 7/10 offered by Bet365 on the visitors not to lose on the road are tempting to say the least. A double chance wager on this outcome will result in a nice paycheck and the risks are relatively low.
Looking to further establish their place on the market, Lapalingo Casino announced they will be adding 100 brand new Betsoft games to their offer. Betsoft, one of the leading casino games providers, offers high quality and innovative 3D gaming solutions. Betsoft Takes Online Gaming to the Next Level In the highly competitive market of online gaming solutions providers, Betsoft managed to assert its places creating games that offer a truly complete experience. From high quality 3D graphics to captivating sounds, Betsoft slots make use of the latest technology advances to provide players with something they can't find with other game providers. The company applies highest standards of 3D animations found in today's modern animated films and video games, building slot games featuring various themes and appealing to a wide range of audiences. Combined with a number of available custom solutions and a dedicated support team, Betsoft has truly managed to establish itself as a recognized and reputed name in the industry. Lapalingo Casino on the Rise Entering a partnership agreement with Betsoft and adding 100 new games to their portfolio, Lapalingo Casino now features more than 800 different games. Apart from Betsoft, Lapalingo features games from seven other providers including NetEnt, Microgaming, LionLine, and other industry leaders. Although the casino has been established only recently, in 2015, Lapalingo clearly shows their intention to become one of the best online casinos on the market. Although they do not currently have a dedicated mobile app, the casino made sure their responsive site design makes it easy for players to access their favorite game online, providing smooth and pleasant gaming experience. Existing Lapalingo players will be happy to hear that the casino offer now includes exciting and popular Betsoft slots like Charms & Clovers, Mamma Mia, Frankenslots Monsters, Birds, and more. If Lapalingo continues with the expansion, adding more games to their platform, they will certainly position themselves to achieve their goal and become one of the leading online casinos.
In the wake of yet another Halloween, one of the top casino games providers, Microgaming, will be rolling out their Lost Vegas zombie-themed slot in October. The game promises a lot of fun, as you get to choose which side you want to play, zombies or survivors, with a lot of fun features, exciting soundtrack, and explosive, chilling animations. Lost Vegas Gameplay The latest slot by Microgaming will feature five reels and 243 paylines. Before you actually start spinning, you get to choose one of the two sides: Zombies or Survivors. While the basic gameplay remains the same, your choice will affect available bonus games as both sides have their own, special features. Bonus Games: Survivors Playing on the Survivors side, players will have two bonus features available to them: Zombie Fist of Cash, appearing randomly and awarding straight up cash, and free spins triggered by three hazard symbols (scatters) appearing anywhere on the reels. During free spins, players get 25 low-value symbols (A K Q J 10) stashed, which means these get removed from the board and moved to the survivor's stash (paying cash), and they get substituted with other symbols. Once you've stashed all 25 symbols, the free spins will end and you will get paid spins winnings & stashed winnings. Bonus Games: Zombies If you pick Zombies, bonus games are somewhat different. Instead of Zombie Fist, there is Blackout Bonus, where the reels are scanned for high value symbols and you are awarded cash based on the number of symbols revealed. Free spins feature is triggered the same way as for Survivors, but it plays differently. The reels are infected by zombies, and the infection turn reels into wilds on each spin. Free spins will end only when all five reels have been infected on a spin (meaning you could end up with five reels full of wilds) or you've played (survived) a total of fifty spins, which will award you a special cash prize. Graphics & Sounds Apart from a very exciting gameplay, Lost Vegas will feature some very impressive graphics and animations, accompanied by exciting music to keep you on your toes at all times. Bringing explosions, lightnings, blackouts, and some really chilling animations to celebrate your wins, Lost Vegas definitely promises a lot of things to get excited about! Where to Play? Players can expect to see Lost Vegas at leading Microgaming-powered casinos, brands the likes of Royal Vegas Casino, Platinum Play Casino and others.
Stemming from Greek mythology, Hercules is a legendary hero who spawned numerous stories telling of his adventures and incredible feats. Tapping into the legend, software provider World Match has developed an HTML5 video slot entitled Hercules HD. As of September 2016, this Hercules slot is now available at World Match casinos such as Juicy Stakes Casino and PlayFrank Casino. Setting the Scene Thematically, Hercules HD is set against the backdrop of a Greek temple, with the main symbols showing Hercules and an array of fearsome creatures, including lions, minotaurs, and hydras. To expand the selection, World Match has also chosen to integrate ace, king, and queen symbols. The most profitable is Hercules himself, who can trigger a 1,000x multiplier when five land on the same payline simultaneously. Low-cost Gameplay Wagering-wise, players are likely to find Hercules HD to be an affordable experience, with lower-cost betting values included. These include line bets of €0.01, €0.02, €0.05, €0.10, €0.20, and €0.20, while players can activate one, five, 10, 15, or 20 paylines. Therefore, Hercules HD’s wagering can range from €0.01 to €10 on each spin. Free Spins Available Using the wild symbol, players can create winning matches for missing symbols for everything barring free spin and bonus game. With the free spin symbol, players can attempt to land three or more to be rewarded with 12 free spins. After doing so, players can generate even more winnings thanks to the triggering of a 2x multiplier at the end of this feature. Heroic Deeds Bonus Game Hercules HD also has a bonus game that can be launched with three or more of this symbol. After starting the bonus game, players will see Hercules spin a wheel filled with 12 heroic deeds. By the time the spin finishes, players will receive another turn or else a multiplier that will be applied to their original stake.
32Red Plc, a well known gaming operator, has come out with their figures for the first half of 2016, showing record revenue for the period. The company's year-on-year revenue has increased astonishing 63%, totaling £30.4 million. Casino Operations Main Contributor The Gibraltar based company is not limited just to online casino games, as they also offer sports betting and online poker. However, their casino segment was the main factor in the increase, accounting for £20.4 million. Other products contributed with a total of £2.3 million. Rounding up the successful first half of the year (concluded with June 30), were 32Red operations in Italy, bringing in additional £1.1 million, as well as their latest acquisition, Roxy Palace, adding £5.8 million to the total. 32Red Management Optimistic About Future Commenting on this very positive trend, CEO of 32Red Ed Ware emphasized that the numbers are a direct result of the company's strong growth and expansion across all of 32Red brands. The management is happy with the results and they are looking forward to the future, expecting to meet their end-year goals without any issues. In their efforts to attract more customers and further expand the business, 32Red came out with a new multi-platform website. That project has proven to be a success and has delivered some very promising results thus far, boosting the company's bottom line. Continued Cooperation Apart from revealing their financial results, 32Red also announced they have extended their partnership agreements with several key companies. One of them is the casino games provider Microgaming. The new agreement will become applicable on November 1 and it should help 32Red increase their presence in regulated markets. The company renewed another crucial partnership, the one with the UK television network ITV. The deal will allow 32Red to roll out a new slot game based on the ITV's propriety variety show "Ant & Dec Saturday Night Takeaway," to accompany their previously published "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!" slot.
The NFC South could go anyway. All teams in the division are able to beat out the other, but tonight's game truly pits two evenly matched rosters. The Falcons roll into New Orleans to take on the 0-2 Saints in Week 3 after going 1-1 themselves over the course of the first couple of weeks. The NFL has been extremely exciting so far this year and teams are proving their worth. The Falcons need to come into the match tonight with their eyes on defense. They have struggled a bit over weeks one and two to find a rhythm on both sides of the ball but they are sure they can do anything and stay stop the division. Both Drew Brees for the Saints and Matt Ryan of the Falcons have the skills to dominate the game but defense will be the key to winning tonight. The sportsbooks give this one to the Saints, even with their 0-2 record at 1.66, while the Falcons are at 2.30 to leave with the win. bet365 Sports is all over the odds with plenty of pre game lines and live in play betting. Punters will have over 200 different pre game odds to choose from and hundreds more live in play odds to boot. The Falcons are an excellent team and reason enough for punters to place a bet on them in the underdog position could bring some extra cash for those that bet with them. Bet365 sees that there is a huge market in the UK and across Europe on the NFL with more and more games being played in stadiums like Wembley.
Betsson is one of the flagship online casinos powered by NetEnt software. The best paying progressive jackpot games can be played here and Mega Fortune is at the top of the list. A lucky player hit the winning combination as the jackpot was about to hit the psychological threshold of €5 million. For his performance, he was awarded a 45,000,000 kroner prize, the equivalent of €4.9 million. Another Norwegian Becomes a Millionaire Scandinavian players are known for their enthusiasm for progressive jackpot games. It is hardly a coincidence that so many Mega Fortune slot winners reside in one of the Nordic countries. This time, a Norwegian man walks away with a big amount. Earlier in 2016, a lucky player from the United Kingdom won €2.7 million playing the same popular progressive jackpot slot. When asked about how he felt about winning the jackpot, the Norwegian confirmed the fact that he was taken by surprise. He initially thought that he’d won only a fraction of the real jackpot, no more than €4.9 thousand. Even so, he was quite enthusiastic about his achievement but was completely overwhelmed upon realizing that he was actually a millionaire. An Inspiring Success Story for Slot Fans Betsson chose not to reveal a great deal about the winner's identity. What we know is that this is a Norwegian in his 20s and he plans on using some of the money to build a house. After celebrating this newfound fortune, he plans to carry on regularly without making major changes. His achievement didn’t go unnoticed and Simon Hammon, Chief Product Officer at NetEnt was quick to congratulate him. This success story is going to encourage even more players to play the popular progressive jackpot games produced by the Scandinavian software developer. It's just a matter of time until some will claim a big payout.
A much anticipated first presidential debate in lieu of November election did not disappoint. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump engaged in a discussion on a number of relevant topics like the US foreign policy, crime rates, and gun control. As expected, Clinton entered the debate much better prepared to tackle particular issues, while Trump mostly stuck to accusations and had problems keeping his cool. There was no surprise there, as the two candidates have had significantly different campaign approaches since day one, but the last night's head-to-head has swung the odds further in Hillary's favor. Trump's Positive Momentum Stopped Approaching the debate night, Trump has had a lot going on for him. Betfair has been showing a steady and significant increase in odds since mid-August, seriously threatening to close the gap. One thing that Donald Trump does have going on for him is the fact that despite all of his public notoriety, he's never been involved with politics. However, a clear lack of information, publicly put on display during the last night's debate, could be too much for Americans to simply look past. While Trump does represent a counter-balance of sorts to the political establishment in the States, he doesn’t seem to have much else to offer, and the concluded presidential debate, as well as the two upcoming ones, could prove to be his undoing. Odds on Hillary Clinton up by 6% A 6% upward movement in terms of winning odds on Hillary is a big indicator of things to come if Trump doesn’t change his approach to debates. Prior to the last night, Betfair had Clinton at 63% to win the election and this morning the odds stand at 69%, while Trump plummeted to 31%. William Hill has Clinton at 4/9 odds (1.44), while Trump is at 7/4 (2.75). Online Gambling not on Agenda Although we didn't quite expect it, there was still some hope that the issue of regulated online gambling in the States would at least come up during the debate. However, the candidates clearly had much more pressing issues to discuss. There are two more debates coming up, though, and it would definitely be interesting to hear both Clinton's and Trump's position on the matter and if they have any plans to tackle the issue during the presidential term.
Blackjack
Slots
Roulette
Baccarat
Craps
Poker
