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

November 14, 2012

Revenue from Poker Plummets in Italy

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 4:47 am

According to information released by the state regulator in Italy, LAmministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS), online poker playing has significantly decreased in the past year. The AAMS releases an annual report to notify people in the gaming industry what is going on. The report shows that since the beginning of 2012, revenue from online poker playing has fallen at least 43 percent. The revenue that was once $41 million dove to just $23 million which is a major decrease in revenue in the industry.
Not only has online poker seen a significant decline but revenue from poker tournaments has also taken a steady fall. Last year’s annual revenue at the start of the year showed that revenue was $35.3 million. By August of 2012, the revenue dove by a whopping 75 percent in to $9.1 million from poker tournaments.
Just over a year and a half ago, cash games online did give Italy a slight boost because of the marketing of online poker. However, the poker industry in Italy is still flailing as the total loss in poker revenue in all other areas has completely spiraled well beyond the usual annual income. Real money games have significantly decreased and interest is simply not there like it has been in the past. However, lack of interest is not the pinpoint for this plummeting industry. Many other factors have played a significant role in the steady decline of poker playing in Italy.
One of the key reasons that poker revenue has undergone a drastic loss is because of a high level of gaming tax. When compared to other countries in Europe, Italy has the highest tax levy. Because of this, entertainment in Italy is significantly more expensive than in other areas of the world. Players of all skill levels are putting off spending their money. Casual and recreational players are not playing online poker games as much but professional players in Italy no longer see it as a way to make a living in Italy.
Another problem is low player liquidity. For poker players who do spend the money on online poker tournaments, they find that the prize pools are significantly smaller. For Italian online poker, it is restricted to people who live in Italy only. Since these games are only open to Italian citizens, this means that there are less players, less options of tournaments to play in, less variation in the types of games to play and less money to be won. This is a major put off to people who are serious players and those who play just for entertainment value. The players see no reason to invest.
In the future, the AAMS has been trying to reach negotiations with Spain and France in order to include more people into the player pool. At this point, the AAMS has only been faced with the fact that this may not be likely. Italy will have to come up with other game plans in order to turn their poker gambling industry around.

Improve Your Odds Of Winning A Low Rebuy Tourney

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 4:34 am

Regardless of your level of experience with poker, whether online or live in a casino, there are a few things that you’ll want to take into consideration the next time you sit down to play. These are particularly important in low limit tournament play, because they are the most popular tournaments available, because of their ease of entry, and extensive opportunities for education and best of all, success. Something that many people fall victim to when it comes to low limit tournaments, is in rebuy tournaments. It is extremely important to set a limit and stay with it. Many players will make too many rebuys it determines, because they do not have specific game plan that provides them with a rebuy. Another reason that some players will make too many rebuys is because they simply refuse to accept fate. If the cards are not in your favor, they are not in your favor period. Others simply play too loosely or aggressively at the very beginning of the game trying to improve the size of their stack, only to bust out extremely early, and continue to rebuy.

A great rule of thumb when it comes to rebuys, is do not buy-in for more than 10% of first prize. What this means, is that if the top prize is generally about $500, and the buy-in is only $10, it is important not to invest more than $50 total. This includes your original buy-in as well as the cost of any rebuys that you take advantage of. Another issue that many people have in rebuy tournaments, is that they use the rebuy opportunity as a safety net, and play far too aggressively. Although there is only a specific amount of time that you are allowed to rebuy if your chip stack falls below a particular amount of money, there are many extremely aggressive players that use crazy moves to try to get ahead at the very beginning of the game, regardless of whether or not it makes sense. It also may endanger their opportunity to continue playing later in the game, and actually getting a piece of the pie. Because of this, it’s important to understand that when it comes to low limit rebuy tournaments, you’re not going to be able to run people off at the very beginning, because most people who play it rebuy tournaments are prepared to spend the extra money to continue to play.

Oppositely, it is important not to play too passively. Even if you do not consider yourself a maniacal player, on the opposite end of the spectrum, many people play too tightly. Often, this can be a downfall because if you continually play passively and all of a sudden wake up with her hand and move with it, everybody already knows your strategy and you won’t make any money with your excellent and. In addition, others play very passively because they are afraid to lose or because of their fear of taking a risk. Regardless of the type of player you are, it is important to understand that there are times that you need to be passive and times that you need to be aggressive, and if you type them all correctly combined with a bit of luck, you will take your next tournament.

November 13, 2012

EU To Create Framework To Protect Online Gamers

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 4:36 am

Recently, the European Union Commissioner Michele Barnier published an article called “Make Online Gambling Safe” in the Times of Malta newspaper. The entire European Union commission and gambling industry is seeing this as the EC’s new action report. However, this article does not contain anything that its players and legislature does not already know, which undercuts the enthusiasm for this new action plan. It began by showing that Europe is the biggest as well as the fastest growing global market for Internet gaming. Currently, there are nearly 7,000,000 users in Europe alone, and those revenues are expected to surpass €13 billion by 2015. With online gaming available on all types of computers and mobile devices, there are currently about 15,000 different sites available for online gaming. The problem is, more than 85% of those 15,000 websites are not licensed, which can lead to catastrophic consequences, including money-laundering, fraudulent activity and gambling addictions.

The EC discussion concerning online gaming last year stated that European governments still face the same issues when it comes to protecting players as well as preventing fraudulent activity. However, because the nature of this beast does not have orders, it makes it increasingly difficult to regulate online gaming individually. There is an overall distaste for the lack of cooperation with a number of regulators for national gambling, which prevented legislation for European gambling regulations. Currently, Barnier presented a new preview of this action plan, with a European framework in place, with a variety of principles, actions and options for protections, bold for players and websites. The problem is, he backed away from the idea of creating a law that will regulate online gambling throughout Europe. This is an extreme disappointment to the entire gambling industry, because they have been waiting for this action plan to be put in place.

When it comes to consumer protection, it is claimed the children are the most vulnerable, because 75% of all citizens in the European Union that are under the age of 17 currently use the Internet. This will lead to software developments of age verification, filters for content, responsible advertising and much more. It is also a platform to assist and prevent problem gambling, because those individuals and families need to be protected from unscrupulous gambling websites. There will also be legislation for application of finding cures and treatments as well as understanding problem gambling, to ensure that they can develop a limited and stay within it. He is also stating that when it comes to regular gamers, they need to avoid fraudulent activities, which may single settlement amount and take advantage of them. Often, this is based upon individuals who enjoy fair play and competition in the world of online gaming, and may have higher than average balances. Although it has yet to take effect, the action plan is anticipated to crack down on websites that are currently unregulated, are illegal as well as developing alternatives that are legal within the online gambling market. They want to ensure a safe and supervised experience for every player, ensuring their entertainment and their bank accounts are protected.

Trying New Casino Games

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 4:05 am

For a hardcore gambler who is comfortable with a certain game, it can be hard to switch to a new game; however, not trying out new games is like missing out on a great new adventure. There are several advantages for those that are brave enough to try a new game and to pay attention to casino industry news.

New casino games are not always completely new creations. Commonly, an existing game will get a new name. Slot machines are a typical example of a game that constantly will get a new name. The rules of the game will remain the same; however, the new machine will have a refurbished appeal, a few extras, and a new décor. This gives a player the feeling that he or she is playing something new; but, it is still close enough to the original that the player can feel comfortable. There are some casinos that are more well-equipped at handling the introduction of a new game. There is also new software which will allow players to enjoy new innovations by bringing a new concept to a game. iSlot is an example of one of these new types of games.

Even if you are completely satisfied with the game you currently play, it isn’t a bad idea to try it out with a different theme. This is especially true if your favorite game is a certain slot machine. Some people prefer a set amount of reels; however, imagine the levels to which your gaming experience can rise if you try out your favorite game with some new backgrounds or effects. Some newer versions even offer higher payouts, which is as good a reason as any to try something new.

If you are a player that plays skill-based games, or if you prefer the games of chance, it can be hard to switch to the other type. If you enjoy slots, it may be frightening to think of playing a table game, even if you may be good at it. On the other hand, if you are a table game player, you may feel that chance games, such as slots, are a waste of time. Either way, you are missing out on the fun that could be had by taking a chance on what could win. Going back and forth between chance and skill games can make your gaming experience much more stimulating. Keep your eyes open to the new games being introduced and you might find something that you like.

In order to make the most of your gaming experience, you need to be brave now and then. If you get too comfortable with a certain game, it isn’t productive and can lead to boredom. If you don’t want to spend your money on a new game, there are always free trials to see if you would like it. For a hardcore gambler who is comfortable with a certain game, it can be hard to switch to a new game; however, not trying out new games is like missing out on a great new adventure. There are several advantages for those that are brave enough to try a new game and to pay attention to casino industry news.

November 12, 2012

Electronic Pull Tab Gambling Skyrockets

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 4:43 am

There has been a surge of e-gambling thanks to paperless pull tabs. In the first month, this new tactic of gambling made $642,000 in revenue. This is an effort that is being carried out as an experiment in Minnesota. The tax money will be set aside in the hopes to build a new sports stadium for the Minnesota Vikings National Football League team. The test experiment is being funded as an effort merely to support the construction of the new future stadium but it has taken off in a way that many were not necessarily expecting.
There are currently video pull tab games in 40 different locations which show that e-gaming is off to a phenomenal start. The Minnesota Gambling Control Board has opened these stations as a mere experiment to try to see how it would work but the effort has seen such a huge popularity, that many different machines are being added to various locations every day.
Express Games, Inc. is the only distributor of the video pull tab game devices. While the company has been installing many of these gaming devices at various locations throughout Minnesota on a weekly basis, there are still many locations that are on a waiting list as the demand to use the pull tab electronic gambling devices.
An estimated $350 million is expected to be generated through the use of the taxation money from these electronic games. The taxes are being overseen by the state’s charitable gaming groups. This should bring a significant chunk of money to the fund to start the new Vikings stadium in the future. However, the efforts will still take a lot of time to completely fund the stadium vision due to the allotment of where all the money goes.
From the first month’s $642,000 of sales money, all but $99,000 was returned to a winning player. Of that profit, the money was then divided between the gambling charity, the website that is hosting the pull tab games, the game distributor and then state taxes. What is left over from that is what goes toward the stadium construction piggy bank. The tax money itself will not be going directly to the construction of the stadium. According to law, only state tax money that is above $37 million paid by charities will go to subsidize football.
Though new game players have not exactly made a race to try the new electronic pull tab gaming devices, the new game has been well received. People in Minnesota seem to really love paper pull tabs so this is simply just a new and exciting adjustment for customers. While it is hard to project the revenue that these electronic pull tab devices will generate, the state anticipates that the average money coming in per day per device would be around $34.
While it gains popularity and people become introduced to them, residents of Minnesota should be able to expect that several bars and restaurants will soon be offering these games which are played on handheld devices that resemble iPods. More new games are expected to be added in the future. As of now, it is a bit of a learning curve.

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