Online Casino Edition – Casino News News about online casinos and gambling

June 17, 2011

Irish Betting Site Launched By William Hill

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

An all-new Irish betting site has been launched by William Hill Sportsbook and Racebook. William Hill is a world leader in sports betting. Irish gamers will be able to enjoy a whole array of different betting choices on a wide selection of sporting events, both local and international.

William Hill has spent nearly one year developing the website. Their main goal is to get part of the €1 billion which is made through Internet betting and gaming in Ireland.

The bookmaker’s Head of International Public Relations, Tony Kenny stated “We’re really excited about our new Irish venture and we’re confident it will be a huge hit with Irish punters. The site itself took a year to design, develop, and test, but all good things take time.

William Hill

William Hill is one of the largest bookmakers within the UK and throughout the world. Today, it is one of the most recognized names. It provides gaming and betting in a number of ways: on the high street, online, by mobile, and over the phone. They own about 25 percent of the market throughout the UK and Ireland. Throughout the country, they operate over 2300 licensed betting offices and betting can be achieved by telephone and online. William Hill currently employs about 16,900 people throughout the world. In 2010, the company brought in about €1.2 billion in net revenues.

They already operate online casino games, online bingo, and online poker. In addition, since the Gambling Act 2005 was introduced, they were able to make major profits through gaming machines. In 2009 they formed William Hill Online when they joined forces with Playtech. This made them one of Europe’s leading online sports and gaming companies.

Site Features

The site provides Irish players with more than 500,000 betting options weekly on a wide range of events. The events include football, GAA, rugby, horse racing, motor sports, golf, US sports, and a selection of novelty markets especially for the Irish.

Besides these, there are a whole host of additional gaming opportunities. These include poker, bingo, vegas, casino, live casino, and a multitude of slot games. In addition, there will be a brand-new financial site which will be coined “Day Trader.”

Mobile Betting Market

Mobile betting has brought in a lot of profit for William Hill. In fact, they reported an increase of 800 percent through their mobile turnover in 2010. Four applications will be available to Irish players, namely, Match Predictor, Shake-A-Bet, Mobile Sportsbook, and Racing App.

The Future

The start of the website will also bring in a number of new jobs. William Hill already owns and operates 52 retail betting shops which are located throughout Ireland.

Kenny explained that “We already have around 20 Irish people working for William Hill Online, and with further global expansions planned, we’ll be looking for more top-quality Irish staff to join our energetic team.”

June 15, 2011

Huge Resort Expansion In Idaho Revealed

Filed under: Casino — Tags: — OCE News @ 12:00 am

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, Coeur D’ Alene Casino Resort Hotel announced that they are to seriously expand their premises. The casino resort, which is tribally owned, will incorporate a range of new and exciting features. It’s already home to one of the country’s top 100 best public golf courses according to Golf Magazine and Golf Digest: the Circling Raven Golf Club. It’s based in the Idaho panhandle, close to Washington’s Spokane Airport.

The resorts Tribal Chairman stated: “When we announced we were going to undertake a $75-million expansion, many thought we were crazy. The Tribe didn’t sit back and wait to be victimized by the economy. The Tribe took control of its own destiny. We moved forward with a vision, the results of which can now be found inside this beautiful resort.”

Past Expansions

The resort originally opened as a bingo hall, measuring 30,000 square feet in 1993. In May 2009, the project completed its seventh expansion. This brought with it over 200 new jobs and managed to increase employment in the tribe over 2,000. This made the resort North Idaho’s biggest employer.

Chief Executive Officer of the casino resort, Dave LaSarte Meeks, is quoted as saying: “The amenities we added have dramatically expanded the resort and the overall experience our guests can expect here.”

The New Features

A number of features are to be added to the Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel. These include the following.

Approximately 100 new hotel rooms which will be located in two separate wings. These will have a view over Circling Raven which consists of native wetlands and the Palouse hills. Each room will be spacious and contain up-to-date conveniences and technology. The design will consist of 10 feet doors and windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling.

Ts’elusum, which means “stand before the fire,” is the name of the gourmet steakhouse. While deciding on which wine to pick from a wide selection, diners will be able to observe the chefs as they prepare Kobe beef and finest prime above an open wood fire. Alternatively, they can take in stunning views of the meadows surroundings.

A full-service spa, named Ssakwa’q’n, will stretch out over 15,000 square feet. The names refer to a little, refreshing lake located on the top of a mountain. This will incorporate an open-air swimming pool, cedar saunas, Vichy shower, treatment rooms, and a tea lounge.

A “Front Yard” will be home to an outdoor amphitheater. Here, concerts and other events will take place.

“Yap kee num” will be a sport bar and cafe. It will offer a wide range of wines, beers, and spirits as well as “pub food.” Outdoor seating will also be available.

All in all, the expansion is set to be beneficial not only for the resort, but also for the area in general. It should generate a multitude of new jobs and entice in more players.

June 13, 2011

Internet Gambling Sites Seized By US Department Of Justice

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

On Monday, May 23, 2011, 11 bank accounts based in North Carolina, Charlotte, Panama, Malta, the Netherlands, and Portugal were seized. In addition, ten domain names which are connected to online gambling sites were also taken over. These included Funtimebingo.com, Bookmaker.com, 2Betsdi.com, Goldenarchcasino.com, Truepoker.com, Beted.com, Betmaker.com, and Betehorse.com. Now, if anybody tries to gain access to these websites, they will be greeted by a banner which states that these sites have been seized.

The Announcement

The announcement over these seizures was made be Rod J. Rosenstein, US Attorney for the District of Maryland. He stated that “It is illegal for Internet gambling enterprises to do business in Maryland, regardless of where the website operator is located. We cannot allow foreign website operators to flout the law simply because their headquarters are based outside the country.”

William Winter, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore, added that the indictments were due to the extensive undercover work carried out by his agents along with other law enforcement organizations based in Maryland. He went on to say that most of the time the money made from illegal online gambling was used in organized crimes and in other forms of criminal activities. The ICE will continue to crack down on this illegal activity in order to bring an end to this form of financial crime, whether within the USA or abroad.

Those Involved

ThrillX is a registered company located within British Columbia, Canada. It has an office in Vancouver and also further afield in San Jose, Costa Rica. It functions as a software solutions provider for online sports book and casinos. BMX Entertainment is located in Limassol, Cyprus, and provides online sports betting for six websites.

These companies have been charged with providing illegal online sports betting. They are run from outside the USA, but most of the players are based in the country. A main issue is that for funds to move to and from the gamblers, they need to use the US banking system, known as payment processors.

Payment Processors

In general, an online gambling operator tells the payment processor to take the money from a player in the USA which can then be used as wagers. The money is then moved into a bank located offshore. The operator then transfers money, either as a wire transfer or a check, from a foreign bank and to the payment processor. The payment processor then gives the winnings out to the appropriate players.

Seizure warrants were used against an undercover payment processor company known as Linwood Payment Solutions. The company is thought to have been processing gambling transactions since 2009 for a number of gambling organizations.

The defendants involved in the case will face up to five years imprisonment. They will be charged with running an illegal gambling organization. A maximum of 20 years will be afforded to those charged with money laundering.

June 11, 2011

Internet Poker Bill Approved In Nevada

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee in Nevada gave the go-ahead for a bill to set up provisions in terms of governing the operation and licensing of Internet poker within the state.

A sponsor of Assembly Bill 258, William Horner, stated at a hearing in Carson City that, “The genie is out of the bottle in terms of online gambling. There is a great need for regulation. Nobody is going to do it better than Nevada.”

The Bill

The bill signifies that if Congress ever passes an Internet gambling bill or if online gaming is stated as allowed by federal law by the US Department of Justice, the Nevada Gaming Commission will be able to introduce controls and give out licenses to casino who want to provide online poker.

An amendment made to the bill was concerning tax. It was to stop both the state and the federal government demanding tax from the industry. It was agreed that the state would not be allowed to have a 6.75 percent gross gaming tax, should the federal government impose its own tax.

The bill put forward that regulators would need to set specific licensing fees in order to offer interactive gaming. Licensing fees would also be required for manufacturers and any equipment used for this form of gaming.

A resort would be able to apply for a license for offering interactive gaming as long as they have had a non-restricted license for at least as long as five years before their application is put forward.

For players, the bill also stated that regulators would have to lay down controls which would protect players, stop any form of fraud, prevent minors from playing, and control problem gambling.

The Present Situation

At the moment, the USA is basically losing out on a billion dollar business venture. Other countries worldwide where it is legal are raking it in. Currently, there is no federal law which stops a state from legalizing online poker as long as it is only within its own borders.

Banks and other financial organizations were prevented from processing any gambling transactions which occurred between states by a federal law in 2006. A framework was also put forward by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act for legalizing gambling within a state. It stated that intrastate online gambling is not unlawful if it has legalized by that state.

The Next Steps

This week the bill is set to go to the full Senate for a vote. After this, it will go back to the Assembly so that they can approve any amendments made.

Ever since Black Friday on April 15th of this year, the future of online gaming looked rocky. Many sites were blocked for players in the USA.

Then, on Monday, May 23, 2011, Rod Rosenstein, the US Attorney for the District of Maryland, Baltimore, took hold of 11 bank accounts and a further ten site domains. But, Frank Fahrenkopf, the American Gaming Association’s CEO, stated that this was a “half measure” and further regulations are needed.

June 9, 2011

Aga States Indictments Prove Regulation Needed

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 12:00 am

The American Gaming Association has been very supportive that more legal action has been taken against online gambling organizations. But, the president and CEO, Frank J. Fahrenkopf, stated that this form of action is not enough, calling it a “half measure.” The problem has still not been solved. He feels that what is needed is federally sanctioned licensing and proper regulations concerning online poker.

Fahrenkopf stated that “Strong enforcement against illegal operators and unambiguous U.S. laws are vital. Unfortunately, these indictments are only a half measure. The full solution is law enforcement and federally sanctioned state licensing and regulation of online poker for gaming companies that currently abide by U.S. law.”

He added, “Legislation is needed that removes the current ambiguity of UIGEA and provides a strong regulatory framework to preserve states’ rights to determine the online poker options available to their residents.”

The Present Situation

Every year, millions of Americans use foreign websites to bet billions of dollars. As long as they are able to access these sites and place their bets, it seems that they will continue to do so. This clearly spells massive, possible revenues for the US government which is being lost to the countries overseas.

After April 15, coined “Black Friday,” there was, in fact, a rise in business for the 300 organizations that continued to function within the USA. At present, it has been calculated that there are over 1,000 real money sites being controlled by operators conducting their businesses offshore but targeting the USA. As long as there is a demand and Americans are willing to bet on these sites, offshore operators will continue and will simply find new ways in which to get past any barriers put in place to stop them.

Poker Black Friday

Poker Black Friday occurred on April 15 of this year. It has been seen by many as the beginning of the government’s war against online poker. On Friday, an indictment was unsealed by the US Department of Justice against 11 defendants. These defendants included the owners and founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Piker, and Absolute Poker. Five web domains were also taken over. Five charges were put forward which covered nine counts against all the defendants. It was thought that this action would lead to the breakdown of all sites within the USA, but, as yet, this has not occurred.

A Possible Way Out

Taking Fahrenkopf’s viewpoint, it’s thought that if licensing organizations and enforcement agencies collaborate, it would be possible to do the following:

  • Stop online poker sites being used for illegal reasons, for example, money laundering.
  • Prevent minors from using such sites.
  • Limit or prevent the online poker playing of people who live in states where this form of gambling is illegal.
  • Provide tools so that people are able to control how they gamble more effectively.
  • Make online poker games fairer through proper regulation and controls, for example, by stopping players from using poker bots to cheat.

There still appears to be a long way to in terms of regulating online gaming in the USA.

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