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

March 22, 2011

The Greek U-Turn-Makes Gambling Legal

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

The global economic crisis had a profound impact on Greece which resulted in many protests and riots. All this has forced the government to resort to encouraging online gambling, something that it had actively tried to eradicate earlier. During 2002 the government had been trying to do away with online gambling and Greek laws upheld that all gambling done outside licensed casinos would be illegal. This move led to the country losing nearly five million dollars every day. Only recently a draft law came about that made low stake games and online gambling legitimate. This automatically led many Euros to flow into the government treasury. Amusement gaming machines got permits to operate within licensed premises. With these changes, the Greek initiative to legalize gambling as a method for financial salvation seems to have paid off. This increase in revenue will definitely not obliterate high unemployment rates and dramatically stabilize the economy. However, it is indeed a positive step towards a more secure financial future.

Launch Of Arctic Queen Slot

The exciting Arctic Queen slot game developed by Vegas Technology was recently introduced at English Harbor Casino. It is an interesting yet easy game with the Arctic as a background-a cold winter theme with a snowy backdrop that makes for an out-of-the-world experience. The game not only has an amazing backdrop but also stunning graphics and audio effects which make it even more popular. The English Harbor casino has a great variety of online casino games on offer which gives its players the chance to make big money. It is one of the most respected casinos globally and was the pioneer in introducing casino games online so that players from different parts of the world could log in and play. The English Harbour Casino offers games like Joker Poker, Keno, Poker Dice, Dazzling Dice, Deuces Wild, Aces and Faces and so on. The Arctic Queen slot has some unique symbols like the Seal, Igloo, Snowshoes and Huskies. The Arctic Queen signifies the highest payout while the Huskies provide a handsome 5000 coins and all remaining ones award 3000 coins. When greater than three Northern Light icons appear on its reels the player gets free spins. It has a comprehensive Auto-Play feature and you can even adjust the volume

and screen size.

New Launch By 888 Casino

Following on the heels of the highly acclaimed 24 Free Spins Christmas Campaign, the 888 Casino has launched yet another Free Spin Campaign. This is available for all players who have signed up during the promotion period. Those who are new will get an extra seven free spin bonus for each week for a one-year period. No deposits have to be made for getting these free spins. Players are also entitled to receive a sign up bonus to the tune of $200 when they make their very first deposit. This promotional offer is valid for all participants hailing from The Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Romania, Switzerland, Austria and Greece. With this promotion, players can get the opportunity to earn as much as $2500 each week. When they fail to log in on a particular day, their spin for that day becomes over and will not be carried forward. When a player fails to log in for a period of six week, his free spins expire. When the player finishes his free spins, the amount he wins gets credited to the player’s account at once. Older players cannot take part in this promotional campaign even on re-registering.

March 21, 2011

Player Hits Jackpot At Major Millions

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

One slots player became the proud and lucky recipient of the Major Millions Progressive Slot jackpot this February. Microgaming paid out an incredible $451,685 to the player – the first hit of 2011 and the greatest ever since the jackpot had been hit back in August of last year. Those interested in playing this game can do so by selecting a simple version or video slot version. The slot games will not be bored playing this casino game which involves five reels and 15 paylines. Players may play using any number of coins ranging from two to fifteen, but to hit the progressive jackpot they will need to wager all fifteen coins.

The game is named after its video slots version where the word “Major” is surrounded by wings and icons like the airplane, secret documents, medals, and binoculars. The maximum bet amounts to 3.00 for both the versions. Players are free to select whichever version they wish to play with because odds of winning are identical in both. The current worth of Major Millions is 408,000. Out of Microgaming’s progressive network, the most lucrative game so far has been King Cashalot followed by Mega Moolah. LotsaLoot has also been thrice this month and keeps climbing as Major Millions ever since the jackpot was hit. Besides these, there are plenty of other fun-filled and exciting online casino slot games which players can try their hands on when visiting the Microgaming online casino.

“Wataa” Lot Of Fun!

Wataa is the newest offering from Vegas Technology – it is a martial art slots game which can be played at all popular online casinos like Crazy Slots Casino, Millionaire Casino and Go Casino. This game involves 25 paylines and players can play it online. It has many unexpected turns and amusing twists which makes it a fun filled and enjoyable casino game that its players love playing. In the game there are two primary characters Trevor and Charlie, the first a bald, fat man in love with junk food and the second a cat who believes it is a human. They are the primary symbols of the game and the characters become alive when players spin certain combinations. Players can wager to $10 a line and the jackpot is $50,000 worth. When a player gets hamburger on reels, the payouts get triggered. You can even get 15 free spins with a bonus round. This game is known for its stunning visuals and awesome audio effects and is so addictive that players find it hard to quit. Watta is fun and comical and definitely worth trying once. It is guaranteed to give slot players a unique and unforgettable experience.

Gold Pay Bids Adieu

Gold pay had started giving online payments to casino players in May 2010 and had successfully created a niche of its own. But recently this e-wallet solution that was being extensively used by online casino players in the United States made its exit. It is expected that all players funds that have been kept in their respective e-wallet accounts will eventually be released back to them once all disputed issues have been sorted out with the federal authorities. Players are obviously worried that they may never get their funds back and they have no real fact as to why this company suspended all gaming related transactions. It is believed that complications arising from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act were responsible for their sudden unexplained exit.

March 20, 2011

A Step Closer To Legalizing Online Gambling In California

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

The California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), an influential Indian organization, has voted for Senate Bill 40. This is one of the two bills which are competing to legalize online gambling within the state of California. Jerome Encinas, who is the Director of Government Affairs, stated that this is more favorable than Senate Bill 45 which is opposed by this Indian group. CNIGA is composed of both casino and non-casino tribes and the decision were not agreed on by all. The debate continues and a hearing in this regard has been organized by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee.

The Senate Bills Explained

Senate Bill 40 states that particular individuals or organizations can legally hold controlled games as regulated by the California Gambling Control Commission. Intrastate online poker would be allowed under the Commission. Anyone caught using illegal sites would have their finances or property seized and given to the Internet Gambling Fund which would be created through the bill. Fees, including registration costs, would be paid for by licensed companies. Slot machines and other devices would remain illegal.

Senate Bill 45 basically authorizes intrastate Internet gambling. If this bill was passed then any online gambling that took place would have to have been agreed upon by the state. Every hub operator would be required to provide no less than ten percent of their monthly gross revenue and an Internet Gambling Fund would again be formed.

The Current Situation

At the moment it has been calculated that more than 1.5 million Californians gamble on over 600 illegal Internet sites. It is estimated that there are over 2,300 online gambling sites operating outside US jurisdiction. These websites are offshore and are not monitored by the US and there is no way to provide legal protection to Californian players. Californians play at their own risk and any money lost is paid out to offshore companies.

In October, 2006, the SAFE Port Act was passed which included a section named the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Basically, this states that it is illegal for US citizens to take part in interstate online gambling. Intrastate gambling is allowed as long as bets stay within that particular state exclusively.

Future Regulation

Through the legalization of online gambling it is hoped that tighter regulations can be created. There are two main reasons for this. The legalization could create conditions both in favor of the player and the state. Firstly, by having a better hold, the government can ensure that the games are safer to play. The player also has the law to fall back on should they find themselves in a bad legal situation. Secondly, instead of illegal, offshore organizations benefiting financially from these games, the California State can make sure that they reap the rewards instead. It has been calculated that the additional revenue could amount to around $1 billion over a decade if the legislation is passed. In a state with a current deficit of more than $25 billion, this would not go amiss.

March 19, 2011

North Carolina’s Dilemma Over Gambling Legislation Issues

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

Analysts in North Carolina were more or less sure that Governor Bev Perdue was seriously considering regulating video gambling in the state. It was expected that the Governor would address the issue in the new budget. But in the end, the Governor decided to push away the issue for discussion in another session.

The law makers of the state have been trying for the past many years to make the gambling laws more stringent so that video gambling can be closed down completely. The loop holes in the state laws have been has been exploited by gambling owners expertly to install video gambling machines all over the state. While the legislators were dead against the proliferation of these machines, the Governor was motivated to go against popular opinion because of the potential earnings of several million dollars that these machines could bring to the state coffers.

Quite contrary to expectations, Governor Perdue did not include the gambling video revenue in the budget proposal. This clearly indicates that she has back-tracked, at least for the present. It must have been clear to the Governor that the issue would cause a lengthy and acrimonious debate which could have resulted in the proposal getting defeated in the end. The Governor is believed to have expressed an unwillingness to have a botched record.

The Governor is of the view that the debate over the issue can wait, especially when there are more critical matters to be resolved in the state. Jobs and education are important matters that have cast a cloud of uncertainty over the future of North Carolina citizens. According to the Governor’s close aides, Perdue is clearly not comfortable letting the philosophical and moral debate about video gambling and lottery take precedence over other pressing issues.

There are many states facing similar situations. A few have gone ahead and staged the debate with pro-gambling legislators pulling off a win in most cases. The debate was clearly won on the argument that gambling will create more jobs and more revenues. It outweighed the negative impact for many lawmakers.

The argument is being won by stating the examples of states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, and many other states in the Midwest in which gaming has become a great savior after the economic debacle of 2008. The success of online gambling legislation has led to these states moving closer to full scale casino gambling. They have not only added slots, but other attractions too have been introduced for gamblers like table games.

In January, two slot casinos at Maryland won over $10 million from gamblers. As compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars that New Jersey casinos are bringing in, Maryland has a long, long way to go. The story is similar in Pennsylvania where these casinos have become the gaming leaders on the East Coast. The legalizing of table games has added to the revenue enormously. Pennsylvania is now in a position to compete with gambling giants such as Atlantic City for gaining gaming supremacy.

The casinos of Maryland come into the industry at a time when casinos are struggling all across the US. The effects of the economic recession on the gambling industry are far from over with experts predicting a complete recovery not earlier than 2012.

March 18, 2011

New Jersey Holds Its Patience As The Governor Dithers On The Bill

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

New Jersey is all set to become the first state in the US to regulate online casinos. The gambling community is celebrating and waiting patiently for Governor Chris Christie to put his signature on the legislation that would legalize gambling in the state. Unfortunately, these gamblers will have to hang on to their patience for some more time.

With both the Senate and the Assembly having passed the legislation without facing any major hurdles, the path is clear for the Governor to go the whole hog. But Christie is weighing all the options and contemplating if he can handle the immense political pressure that can come along with signing such a path breaking bill. The fact that he will be referred to as the one who set the precedent for legislating gambling in the country must weigh heavily on his mind.

If the Governor does finally sign the law as he is most likely to, he will undoubtedly gain the support of millions of gamblers across the country. This support can come handy if he decides to run for higher office. On the flip side, there is every possibility of losing key supporters within his own party if he signs the legislation. Which way the Governor will move will depend on his future political plans and a final decision about signing the law will not be made in haste, according to political observers.

New Jersey is reeling from the loss of millions of dollars in revenue from the Atlantic City casinos. This city has been hit badly by the flagging economy. The Atlantic City casinos will no doubt receive a tremendous boost if they were allowed to offer online gambling facilities to the gaming enthusiasts of the state. If online gambling gets a legal status, it is estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars would be added to the state budget from tax revenue.

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