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July 23, 2012

Delaware Makes Gambling Legal

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 3:20 am

Delaware has successfully managed to legalize online gambling in the state. This has come in the wake of several concerted attempts by different states to make gambling in their casinos legal. Whereas other states are yet to get their act together, Delaware has actually made it happen. Only 24 hours after the State Senators passed the enactment to legalize online gambling, the Delaware Governor Markell signed on the legislation to make it law. The Governor had all along been in support of this move and there was no speculation that the legislation may be rejected. But, till the final signature took place, one could not be certain. But in Delaware’s case, such glitches were avoided and the state was more than happy to declare itself as the first American state to regulate online gambling. The bill popularly called the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 came into force since June.

Once the legislation has been passed, the hard work actually starts. The State Lottery Office in Delaware will be made responsible for licensing all online casinos for the state. To set up legalized online sites, an important prerequisite is the existence of capable and dependable geolocation software. With the help of this software, it is possible to exactly pinpoint gamblers’ locations. This is needed to make sure these are within the state borders, and this is vital to ensure that no federal laws are violated in the process. Federal laws in favor of legalization of gambling are yet to be passed. Besides the gambling games like poker, those wanting to get state lottery tickets can do so online. This is being seen as a big change for those who regularly try their luck in lottery as buying the tickets online is far more convenient.

All Delaware casinos are expected to start functioning legally with licenses from 2013. The online players can of course continue enjoying the game experience from their personal computers. Moreover, it is possible to enjoy legal gambling through smartphones and tablets. With these changes, state revenues are expected to go up substantially in the first year itself. Part of this will be utilized for paying for the licensing costs of all brick-and-mortar casinos here.

Casino Pulp launches a new Apple Mac version for games

Casino Pulp recently came out with an Apple Mac version which will allow PC users to play the same games on that domain. These games will have a great variety of poker titles and slot games. Through a Casino Pulp mobile version, the players could enjoy the portfolio games and get bonuses. They could even check out reviews and watch valuable videos to increase their chances of winning. These features are now accessible for all Mac users too. So they can easily play blackjack, video poker games, roulette, and baccarat provided they have updated their PCs with Firefox or Safari browsers. Mac casinos will use Flash and not standard Java, so the games are more glamorous and quality-wise superior. This development has made it very convenient for Mac users to play casino games like others instead of having to look for a compatibility mode every time.

July 21, 2012

New Online Casino Clients For Microgaming

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 3:10 am

An online casino is being run by Bulldog777 which provides players with the chance to play online poker. The Bulldog777 in a press release recently declared its decision to sign up with Microgaming’s Diamond Edition to get the live dealer games which come with HD video quality and real-time depictions of all betting actions by players. The most recent upgrade of these live dealer games includes multiplayer baccarat, multiplayer roulette, and multiplayer blackjack. A new Dragon Bonus Baccarat which is part of the upgrade promises to be exciting because players get to bet on the victory margin, something not found in other Microgaming-powered online casinos.

The mascot of Bulldog777, as the name suggests, is a dog which is perhaps the most charismatic canine in the world. The players here are very happy with the live casino thrills which have been possible through the Diamond Edition live games. In fact this experience has been so very real and satisfying that it literally takes you in the middle of the action even when you are playing from your home. The dealer stands right before your eyes dealing the cards. You can even see other players placing their respective bets. Interestingly players are now demanding “waiter” service, and given the way Microgaming is churning out one innovative product after the other, the days of having virtual waitresses are not far away.

Side by side, the QuickFire Flash platform by Microgaming has been witnessing a steady rise in their number of clients. One of the most recent to sign on is the BetClic. The Head explained their reason for choosing the Microgaming QuickFire option. QuickFire, according to him, had the most superior quality of games and their affordability and expertise were equally praiseworthy. Now, through the QuickFire platform, the players can play many new Microgamings’ slots including the popular titles like immortal Romance and Thunderstruck II. Similar thoughts were also voiced by Sykes who is the spokesperson for QuickFire. He expressed their interests in partnering with BetClic and hoped that this will help attract more and more players apart from the existing players.

Worlds Series of Poker Action

EA or Electronic Arts, the reputable global video games developer started a new mobile app for all poker enthusiasts. This has been created by EA Mobile subsidiary together with Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment. This can be used in iPads, iPhones, and iPods anywhere around the world and may be downloaded via the App iTune Store as well. EA and Caesar’s, therefore, bring to their fans the most authentic game of poker. This app helps you identify and estimate your opponent’s next move so that you can enjoy a competitive game with him. It is true that no other app has been able to capture the true poker gaming experience so beautifully. It appeals to both amateurs and pros, borrowing features from “live” games. Players can use multiple gaming modes too like Omaha poker or Texas hold’em poker and compete with their Facebook friends.

July 19, 2012

Derby Dollars Wins At Rushmore Online Casino

Filed under: Casino — Tags: , — OCE News @ 3:07 am
A player at Rushmore online casino named Carmel H from the United States won an amount of $10,606.50 wagering on the slot game Derby Dollars in June. With the possibility of the Triple Crown being won in the Belmont Stakes in June, the horse racing themed slot game Derby Dollars drew a lot of traffic that month. Carmel continued with wagering on Derby Dollars in July and was rewarded with an even bigger win of $24,673.50.

Derby Dollars is a simple online slot game. The horse racing theme is depicted by appropriate graphics. The reels are set in the background of a lush green racecourse. The symbols are related to horse racing and include binoculars, trophy, horse, jockey, and elegantly dressed lady. The horse is the wild symbol and offers a jackpot payout of 3333 coins. The Coin is the scatter symbol and triggers up to 25 free spins when two or more coin symbols appear scattered on the reels. The payouts are tripled during the free spins. Derby Dollars also offers a randomly triggered progressive jackpot.

The biggest win at Rushmore online casino in July so far was not on Derby Dollars but another online slot game titled Enchanted Garden. Kathryn S of the United States won $29,617 wagering on this slot game. This game is richer in features than Derby Dollars. The fairy is the wild symbol and it appears only on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. But the payouts are doubled when the wild symbol helps make winning combinations. The garden-related symbols are unicorn, butterfly, and dragonfly. The fountain is the scatter symbol and awards scatter payouts. Seven free spins are triggered when the fountain appears on reel 1 and the fairy appears on reel 5. During the free spins if three or more symbols have a firefly in the background, each such symbol will award up to three additional free spins.

Erik E is obviously an ice hockey fan because he was wagering on the online slot game Hockey Hero. Erik won only $4947 in July, but if he perseveres, like Carmen did, bigger wins will come in the future. Hockey Hero has symbols like goalie, umpire, trophy, mask, puck, skates, tickets, peanuts, and beer. The player is the wild symbol. It appears on reels 2 and 4 and doubles payouts. The penalty box is the scatter symbol and triggers 18 free spins. All the peanuts symbols are removed from the reels and a clock symbol is added to reel 1. After every three free spins, a symbol is removed and another clock symbol is added. If two clock symbols appear simultaneously on the reels, the free spins are prematurely aborted. Rushmore online casino is powered by Realtime Gaming and is licensed in Curacao.

Mega jackpot pioneer Topjack has agreed a deal with El Penguini Games, its fourth agreement in as many weeks. Insured by a broker at Lloyd’s of London, Topjack Games is the first company in the world to offer operators licensed and insured jackpot games. The latest agreement with El Penguini Games follows recent deals with Orient Play, Myesyats, and Eseguire.

“The Topjack Games product is groundbreaking,” said El Penguini Chief Anna Babola. “Their instant win lottery and mega jackpot casino games will help us acquire, convert, and retain players. Never before the players have had so many jackpot choices.”

Topjack’s offering gives operators the chance to offer players a million dollar prize with no risk and no need for liquidity. The formula is being applied to instant lotto, slots, scratch cards, bingo, video poker, blackjack, roulette, and keno.

“It has surpassed our expectations,” said Topjack founder Nick Lynes, “We have just signed our fourth white label deal in less than a month. Clearly, the pre-launch buzz really helped. It is also very exciting for our first partners who want to be first to market with this product. Everybody wants to know about insured gaming.”

“We are taking a lot of calls from interested parties from all over the world, but especially from Europe and Asia,” Lynes added. “I think people find the concept of multi-million dollar jackpots that do not require liquidity very exciting. The fact that we can put mega jackpots on all game types is also a refreshing addition to the jackpot model. We are about to announce some big names onto the Topjack platform soon.”

July 4, 2012

Governing Conditions for Spanish Gambling Licenses

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

The Spanish authorities have made up their minds to go tough on awarding licenses to online gambling platforms. But, they are choosing to do it by introducing last minute nasty surprises for gambling platform owners. Recently, the Spanish authorities suddenly asked the applicants to pay up back taxes for a period of four years if they wished to avail licenses! As a result, applicants had to cough up a huge sum of money without flinching if they wished to carry out their gaming operations in Spain. Whereas Bwin paid up almost €33 million, the amount designated for PokerStars was much higher. Earlier, applicants were inclined to believe that the back taxes would only be applicable from the June of 2011.

But, this was not all! There were more such unpleasant surprises in store for applicants on the 1st of June, which were just a few days before the licenses were slated to be issued. The Spanish Regulator went on to state that one of the primary prerequisites for obtaining a Spanish license would be that the operator would have to purge its player list bearing Spanish players and would have to begin afresh from a base of 0. This condition has been levied to ensure that all legally licensed online gambling operators are compelled to begin on an equal footing so that the advantages accrued during the course of the illegal gambling period aren’t carried forward.

Until now, the operators were operating in the Spanish domains with their .com addresses. Players having accounts on these sites would now have to be terminated before online gambling operators can restart their fresh sites with .es addresses. The players would be required to cash out the old addresses, open fresh accounts with the newly built sites, and make renewed deposits in order to play. In the process, players would also have to do away with their VIP tags as operators would not be allowed information transfer from the old sites to the fresh ones. Affiliates would also be affected because the existent links would have to be severed.

The Spanish regulatory authorities have specifically pointed out the operators would not be allowed to transition affiliates or players to the newly established portals they would be operating from. Tagging the accounts of the original affiliates would also not be allowed. These moves would be of huge benefit to the new operators who had not yet entered the online gambling market. Still, it could well prove to be irritating and inconvenient for Spanish players to register all over again. But, the opportunity can be utilized for reevaluating options and switching to fresh operators if necessary.

The Spanish gambling markets go live on the 5th of June. The operators with new licenses weren’t keen to go online on a weekend where technical support could be low and playing volume would he high because it might be difficult to attend to problems. Therefore, even though the licenses have been issued, there would be a delay of few days.

June 30, 2012

It Has Not Been Easy Going For Casinos In Massachusetts

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

For gamblers in Massachusetts it was celebration time when the legislature approved Las Vegas style gambling last November.

But unfortunately, all hurdles are not over as yet. It is still quite some way to realize the dream of thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in revenue.

What went wrong?

The casino law is now under attack in a federal court. Moreover, the bidding process is yet to go full swing, in part because of the local opposition and also due to the fact that some gambling companies have apathy toward Massachusetts.

But, the leader of the state gambling commission is hopeful. He says such bumpy start-ups are but expected and are part of a learning curve.

Lawmakers on the other hand covertly blame the commission for all the controversies and delays. They say there was undue delay by the people who appointed the commission to pick its key members, the attorney general, state treasurer, and the governor, resulting in unjustifiable holdup in the first meeting.

Casino lovers anyway are hopeful. They seem to be happy that the process is on track, even though noisy.

Are we going to see a sixth Casino at National Harbor?

Perhaps we will, if Rushern Baker, the Prince George’s County executive, has his say. If the 11-member working group recommends a sixth casino on June 20, we may well see a special session in July to approve the proposal and subsequently send it for vote in November.

This is all part of a strategy to move the Baltimore casino to National harbor, 50 miles to the city’s south. Supporters of this plan feel a casino in Baltimore is not going to do any good.

It is true Baltimore has the highest level of poverty in the State of Maryland, but anti-gamblers feel the extra dollars in revenue are not going to help. Their contention is Atlantic City had a surge in casinos from 1970s, but still has a large population of abysmally poor people.

Britain’s largest bookmaker gets the preliminary nod to buy three Nevada race and sports book operations

Britain’s largest bookmaker William Hill has a preliminary approval from the State Gaming Control Board to acquire America Wagering, Brandywine Bookmaking, and the race and sports book at the Cal Neva lodge in Reno.

The deal is rumored to be over $50 million.

The prospective new possessors say they will spend nearly $3 million in refurbishments before the pro football season gets under way.

The CEO of the new owner says his company accepts one million wagers a day. William Hill has been doing quite well with over $400 million in profits last year.

But, the final approval may have some hurdles.

Gaming Control Board members are worried that Teddy Sagi, a major shareholder of Playtech, has 29 percent interests in William Hill. Sagi has a dubious record of having been convicted 20 years ago in Israel for securities fraud and sent to prison for 18 months.

Playtech Ltd.is a gaming software company that provides online products to industry’s leading gaming operators including sportsbooks.

Gaming Board Chairman is hopeful that William Hill, being a sophisticated and a well-run company, will apply due diligence to check local laws before going ahead in clinching the deal.

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