YOUTELLER IS LEGIT SAYS BRIT F.S.A.

VEGAS PARTNERS NO LONGER WELCOME U.S. SIGNUPS

But questions are asked about stopping new signups but retaining existing customers with no way to pay

The latest online casino group to reverse out of the US market appears to be Vegas Partners Lounge, according to player and affiliate communications from the group this week.

The Microgaming powered group comprises well established brands including Cinema Casino, Crazy Vegas Casino, Maple Casino, Sun Vegas Casino, 777 Dragon, Arthurian Casino, Casino US, Casino UK and Crazy Online Poker Room.

In communications to players and affiliates the group said:

"This week we announced that it is with great regret that we can no longer accept any new US players at the Vegas Partner brands.

"The reason for this is that it has become impossible for the online casinos we represent to pay out US players.  Therefore, the only honorable option was to deny play to new players residing in the US and to block credit card purchases. This has been due to the extremely strict legislation recently passed in the US.  Unless a solution is found, this decision will unfortunately stand."

Affiliates in the USA were told:

"AFFILIATE PAYMENTS

"Please note that we can no longer make Affiliate payments using Check or ACH. Please contact us to make alternative arrangements."

Players immediately noticed the different treatments proposed for existing players vs banned new players, with a common comment being: "Let me get this straight... They can't pay any US players, so they block new sign ups and credit card purchases. Any US players who have money in their VPL casino accounts are screwed.  Does that about sum it up?"

Rumours were also rife that Jackpot Factory group and Big Dollar casino were also leaving US players behind, but this was strongly denied by both entities. A Jackpot Factory spokesman wrote to one enquirer:

"First, I would like to assure you that there is no truth on the matter of The Jackpot Factory Group leaving the US market. We have high loyalty to our American players and we are doing everything in our power to find new deposit and withdrawal options for our US players.

"Further to this, at the moment we are still processing withdrawals via ACH and due to the situation in the US we are still not clear for how long this method will be available for US players.

"Rests assured that any change or update will be posted on our websites and be sent to all of our players via email. We will not keep you in the dark."

BETSAGE AND ONLINE CASINO REVIEWER SITES AWARDED GPWA SEAL

New quality and integrity kitemark safeguards users of gambling information portals

The Gambling Portal Webmaster Association (GPWA) has undergone a significant revitalisation with renewed emphasis on professionalism and integrity following its acquisition last year by Casino City's energetic owner Michael Corfman. One of the innovations Corfman has introduced has been a kitemark to identify responsible gambling portals that comply with new standards agreed by members of the GPWA.

Latest awards of the GPWA seal have been to the Online Casino Reviewer.com portal and its mainly sports betting sister site BetSage.com which were announced this week.
 
The GPWA Seal of Approval is awarded to those gambling and casino portals that have been assessed and meet the GPWA's stringent new standards. The purpose of the GPWA Approved Portal Seal is to signify to visitors  that the operator of the site is a GPWA Approved member who applies high ethical standards at all times and in all situations. This includes but is not limited to:
 
Ensuring the portal is managed independently of the online gambling websites it provides information about or promotes
 
The provision to visitors of information and content that exceeds mere banner advertisements and links.
 
Dave Sawyer of Bath Rock Media Ltd which owns and operates both Online Casino Reviewer and BetSage commented: "This is further recognition of the hard work and high standards we strive for and complements the position which Online Casino Reviewer and BetSage have achieved as eCOGRA recommended portals.

"We are delighted that our sites have been recognised by the GPWA as gambling information sites that put our visitors first, keeping them informed of the latest developments occuring within the online gambling industry."

SUPERBOWL ONLINE BETTING STILL AT HIGH LEVELS
 
Cybersecurity vendor notes that during the runup to the Super Bowl, Americans are still visitng gambling sites despite the new law
 
IDG News Service in the States reported this week that the law prohibiting U.S. financial institutions from processing payments to online gambling sites hasn't stopped U.S. employees from visiting sports betting sites, according to cybersecurity vendor ScanSafe.
 
Attempted visits to online sports gambling Web sites by employees of ScanSafe's U.S. customers were up 77 percent in the week between January 23 and 31, IDG reported. The Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game, is this Sunday. 
 

ScanSafe provides a Web-blocking service to large businesses, and it examines 6 billion Web requests a month.
 
In October, President George Bush signed into law a measure prohibiting financial institutions from processing payments to gambling sites. The government has until mid-July to develop the processing regulations for financial institutions.
 
But some online gambling sites have begun telling U.S. customers that financial institutions are already distancing themselves. On Wednesday last week, Poker Room.com told U.S. customers to cash out.
 
"The remaining companies that process cashouts from PokerRoom.com to our players in the United States have contacted us to say that in the near future they will no longer facilitate these transactions," said a message on PokerRoom's home page. "As such, we would advise all American players who have not cashed out already to do so immediately."
 
The gambling provision, amended by Congress onto a ports security bill in late September, has had no impact on the number of people visiting gambling Web sites, said Dan Nadir, vice president for product strategy at ScanSafe. ScanSafe doesn't track whether those people completed bets, he said.
 
"We suspected [the law] wouldn't have much of an impact," Nadir said. Some gambling sites will develop alternative payment mechanisms, he said.
 
ScanSafe didn't provide the raw numbers of visits to gambling sites this past week, but gambling represented about 3.4 percent of the content it blocked for clients in 2006. By comparison, 15.1 percent of the blocked content was chat or instant messaging, 14.6 percent was advertising, 7.2 percent was Web mail, and 3.9 percent was pornography.
 
Visits to sports betting sites such as Bodog.com were common this past week, Nadir said. About 53 percent of the U.S. visits to gambling sites ScanSafe observed this past week were to sports betting sites as opposed to casino or lottery sites. Bodog didn't immediately respond to an e-mail asking if its business has been hurt by the U.S. law.
 
About 84 percent of ScanSafe's customers blocked employee access to gambling sites. Companies block employees from gambling sites for a couple of reasons: because they don't trust that gambling sites are safe, and because they don't want employees playing games on company time, Nadir said.

Betonsports accruing a $5 000 a day fine for failing to appear in US court

The price for being found in contempt of a US District Court was set at $5 000 a day this week following a judge's finding that the UK company BetonSports was in contempt for not appearing at an arraignment hearing (see previous InfoPowa reports)

At the company’s behest attorney Jeffrey Demerath skipped another hearing February 2nd- a hearing that had been scheduled appropriately enough so the company could explain why it should not be held in contempt for skipping a previous hearing, back in January.

Mr. Demerath did not or could not explain to either Judge Jackson or US Attorney Michael Fagan just why he was being paid not to attend court hearings.

U.S. District Judge Carol E. Jackson said that legal counsel from BetonSports, who acted on the instructions of his clients in not appearing had "without just cause or excuse, disobeyed and deliberately ignored" her order.

Demerath said his UK client would not take it lightly.

"It's a very serious matter and I will be conferring with the client shortly," he said.

BELLEROCK BANNING ONLINE GAMBLERS FROM ISRAEL?
 
Possibly consequences of Judge Heiman's ruling
 
Earlier this week InfoPowa reported on an important ruling by an Israeli judge, who found that online gambling sites outside Israel  may not hide behind the fact that companies and servers may be located in another country.
 
It appeared this week that Bellerock Gaming may be excluding Israeli gamblers from its sites as a consequence of the ruling.  Players from Israel  reported receiving emails from the Gibraltar-based online gambling group which said:
 
"It is with sincere regret that we must inform you that, due to recent events, Israeli players will no longer be able to place bets or fund their Belle Rock Entertainment gaming accounts.

"And so xxx, it is with much regret that we have to inform you that within 24 hours from February 1st 17h00 (IST) your account(s) and the gaming software, will no longer be accessible."

In his judgement against an online gambling firm earlier this week, Israeli Judge Abraham Heiman said that online gambling sites may not hide behind the fact that the company and its servers are located in another country, and it is breaking the law if does not block access to Israelis, said the judge in the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court.
 
Judge Heiman's ruling was in respect of a case against Victor Chandler. Heiman said, “In the era of the Internet, the original location of content (Internet services) is marginal and negligible. The centre of gravity, especially the territorial legal jurisdiction, must switch to the end point, in other words, the individual computer

A spokesman for BelleRock parent Carmen Media has confirmed that the group now bans Israeli players. Responding to an InfoPowa request for confirmation of the report, the spokesman said: "This is correct; we have stopped accepting play from players based in Israel .  We have never actively solicited play from Israel but allowed those that found us to play.  Based on this [Heiman] ruling we will now actively block players from Israel."

Confirmation that U.S. Attorney has seized funds, stopping players from accessing their money.

With speculation and rumour running wild that the U.S. authorities have somehow managed to freeze Neteller payments to the e-wallet's former US clients, the British payment processor said on Thursday that the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) had seized funds, stopping customers from accessing their money.

Quoting a statement from the Isle of Man based and regulated financial company, Reuters news agency reported: "The group has been advised that the USAO has obtained court-ordered seizure warrants seizing funds pertaining to the group's transactions."

"The amount of funds seized by the USAO or otherwise restricted by third parties does not exceed $55 million," it added.

"As a result of the restrictions placed by third parties, court-ordered seizures, and related legal concerns, the group is currently unable to make payments to U.S. customers."

Legal discussions ongoing between e-wallet and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

“The return of funds to our US customers is a top priority for Neteller” says Ron Martin, President and CEO.

Isle of Man based e-wallet Neteller has issued an update on its ongoing problems with getting US players paid following its withdrawal from the US market - and it looks as if the US authorities are primarily responsible for payout delays to US players.

In a statement Thursday, Neteller dealt with the delays, negotiations with the Americans and the criminal charges against two of its founders laid by U.S. authorities.

The statement reveals that on 19 January 2007, at the request of Neteller, the group’s legal advisers met with representatives of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“USAO”) to clarify the company's position with respect to the complaints brought on 16 January 2007 against two of its founders, Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre.

The statement emphasises that neither of the arrested men are current employees or directors of Neteller, and asserts that in the meeting the company's representatives pledged to cooperate with the USAO, indicating it was prepared to begin document production promptly and discuss a potential mechanism for arranging an orderly repayment of funds to US customers.

Despite the time lag since January 19th, it appears from the statement that the discussions are still ongoing. Neteller is, under advice of its legal advisers, commencing production of documents and intends to cooperate with the USAO in its investigation.

Neteller then describes recent developments since January 16, when banks in the US began declining to permit transactions involving the Isle of Man company through accounts maintained at one or more automated clearinghouses in the United States.

Additionally, Neteller was advised that the USAO has obtained [unspecified] court-ordered seizure warrants seizing funds pertaining to the Neteller transactions with US players. Neteller stresses that to the best of its knowledge, it believes that the amount of funds seized by the USAO or otherwise restricted by third parties does not exceed US$ 55 million. These funds were largely in the process of being transferred from by Neteller to its US customers or vice versa.

As a result of the restrictions placed by third parties, court-ordered seizures, and related legal concerns, Neteller is therefore currently unable to make payments to US customers.

Nevertheless, discussions with the USAO continue with the goal of managing an orderly return of funds to US customers.

One option that has been discussed is that the USAO will engage an independent forensic accounting firm, at the Neteller's expense, to assist in this process and to examine the companys financial position.

“The return of funds to our US customers is a top priority for Neteller” said Ron Martin, Group President and CEO.

Unfortunately, US customers wishing to withdraw funds from their Neteller e-wallet accounts will experience ongoing delays while these discussions continue, the statement reveals, adding that a further update will be provided once effective repayment mechanisms are determined.

The statement asserts that no criminal action or proceeding has been brought against Neteller, its current officers or directors by the USAO.

"Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that the Group will not be charged in a criminal action at some subsequent time. The Group intends to work with the USAO to seek a negotiated resolution of any allegations relating to its US activities. Any resolution of this matter may lead to potential sanctions against the Group including material financial penalties, fines and forfeitures," the statement cautions in what must be seen as an indication that a *settlement* may be on the books as a result of negotiations with the Americans.

Once again, the company emphasises that in line with it's standard business practices for all customers, funds held for US customers are held in segregated trust accounts. "The Group’s own cash position remains strong and the Group currently has sufficient working capital to fund all its customers’ balances as well as ongoing requirements of the business," the statement assures.

The statement also reiterates the Neteller strategic position post-US withdrawal, pointing out that the company remains committed to developing its business, including geographical and product diversification for all markets except the USA.

"The Group will focus on its continuing business and the opportunities available in the growing markets of Europe, Asia and the Americas outside of the United States.

"Since the Group’s withdrawal from the US market on 18 January 2007, average daily new account sign-ups of new customers from non-US markets has been around 1 400. This compares to average daily sign ups of 3 303 for the year to 31 December 2006. Daily fee revenue since 18 January 2007 has averaged over US$ 200 000 per day (excluding any revenues from Netbanx, 1-Pay and interest income).

"These metrics demonstrate the resilience of the Group's ongoing business. Neteller customers not resident in the US continue to be minimally affected by this withdrawal from the US market," the statement concludes.

However, notwithstanding these assurances the company advises that in view of the continuing uncertainty, Neteller shares will continue to be suspended from trading on AIM for the time being.

FULL TILT'S POKER EXTRAVAGANZA FOR 2007 ANNOUNCED

CANADIAN FIRST NATION'S ONLINE GAMBLING PLANS COULD BE IN TROUBLE

Alberta gaming authority probing native band's online gambling scheme

If the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission doesn't approve and benefit from it, then online gambling is not likely to happen in the Canadian province seems to be the message from authorities in the Canadian province of Alberta this week.

A northern Alberta First Nation that is offering to host online casinos is under investigation by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, reports the Edmonton Journal newspaper.

The commission says it will crack down on what it deems could be illegal gambling.

Alexander First Nation, just north of Edmonton, announced last October that its own, sovereign gambling commission will regulate and offer licences to Internet gambling operators - based on the notion that the treaty band can derive powers from its own gambling law, separate from Alberta or Canadian laws.

But the AGLC's top official said he's seen no sign of online casinos or poker programs operating yet, but is watching closely.

Norm Peterson, the provincial regulator's CEO, said the Alexander band "hasn't done anything" beyond creating a website that appears to solicit interest from would-be online casinos. The band also issued a press release, heralding its rules that would allow "a safe, high quality environment for on-line gamers."

But when asked if the AGLC would shut down any online casinos that might eventually operate in connection with the nascent Alexander body, Peterson said: "Yes, it's illegal under the Criminal Code, and we would take action like any other illegal activity under the Criminal Code.

"Internet gaming, unless it's conducted by the province or licensed by the (AGLC), is illegal."

Preparing to accommodate western Canada's first online gambling operations, the Alexander band is already building a 2 300-square-metre data centre on its territory, which will host the gambling websites' computer servers (see previous InfoPowa reports).

Alexander's venture is a departure from other Alberta First Nation reserves' casino plans. Unlike the Enoch reserve's new casino, whose machines are owned and controlled by the AGLC, Alexander's gambling revenues would not be collected by the provincial government for the Alberta Lottery Fund. Six other first nations have applied to the provincial regulator to build casinos.

No comment was available from either the Alexander commission's director or band Chief Raymond Arcand.

But their casino-licensing scheme has a successful and legally questionable model in Quebec, where that province's Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake is one of the world's largest hosts for online gambling sites. It has operated the Kahnawake Gaming Commission since 1996.

The Alexander commission's website has copied verbatim some of Kahnawake's stated basic principles, "that the games offered are fair to the player" and "that winners are paid." The reserves' data-hosting firms are Alexander Internet Technologies and Mohawk Internet Technologies, respectively.

Loto-Quebec and Quebec's Attorney General have in the past said that online gambling based in Kahnawake is illegal. But charges have never been laid.

"Legal opinion is they shouldn't be doing that and it's a violation of the Criminal Code, but there's a few lawyers that say it's a loophole and they get around it," said Garry Smith, a gambling research specialist at the University of Alberta.

ANTIGUA'S W.T.O. LAWYER TO SEEK COLLABORATION ON U.S. DISPUTE FROM E.C.

European Commission could "...add support to our case and help encourage us to get the right results," says Mendel

The senior lawyer representing the interests of Antigua and Barbuda in its World Trade Organisation tussle with the United States over online gambling has responded positively to comments last week from EC competition commissioner Charlie McCreevy regarding US “protectionism”.

Antigua and Barbuda’s attorney Mark Mendel told ATE Online that he would be seeking to meet with McCreevy to explore how his country’s trade dispute with the US could benefit from expanded European Commission support following a WTO ruling that went against the United States recently.

Asked what he thought the EC could bring to the Antiguan argument, Mendel said: “What I do think they can do is add support to our case and help encourage us to get the right results. They may be able to provide us with some support at the governmental level that could be beneficial to us.”

WILLIAM HILL LAUNCHES BINGO ONLINE

Marketing agency hard at work on new venture

British online gambling group William Hill is set to take its first steps into the online bingo arena and has appointed the UK full service marketing agency, Prego, to spearhead the new venture William Hill Bingo.com.

The new site allows customers to play games with a variety of ticket prices, and also enables players to chat live online with friends around the clock.

Prego has been briefed to handle initial brand development of the product as well as ongoing offline communications. Working closely with William Hill’s internal web team, the agency will position the new operation within the William Hill online portfolio, ensuring the offline messages are delivered consistently online.

Tony Cawood, Head of Remote Marketing at William Hill, said: “It is important for us that we position bingo to best engage with the target audience and Prego showed a clear grasp of this requirement and worked with us to deliver. We were impressed with the agency's approach and in particular their translation of a clear understanding of Bingo play and players into great creative.”

INTERESTING RESULTS FROM EUROPEAN POKER STUDY

Jupiter Research commissioned by Everest Poker studied poker player attitudes in six European nations

The Everest Poker commissioned Jupiter Research project to conduct a Pan-European survey identifying the demographic and behavioural characteristics of the poker playing community in Europe has produced some interesting results. Nearly 2 000 consumers in France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Italy completed the survey online which is the first poker-specific survey on European players to be published.

According to Jupiter, European poker players are male, aged 25 to 34 years and earn less than Euro 35 000 a year. Poker remains a predominantly male game, particularly in southern European countries. On average, over 70 percent of all online and offline European poker players surveyed were male and in Spain and Italy, over 80 percent of poker players were male. Other countries surveyed have greater female representation such as France (34 percent were female players) and Germany (31 percent).

Over 30 percent of all the poker players surveyed were between the ages of 25 to 34 and this reflects a general trend in most European countries such as France (34 percent), Italy (35 percent), Sweden (33 percent) and Spain (31 percent).

The exception to the rule is Germany whose poker players are older with 32 percent between the ages of 35 and 44. Interestingly, an average of 10 percent of all poker players were over 55, with the exception of Italy which has 15 percent of its player base in the over 55 age range.

According to the Everest Poker / Jupiter Research survey, the average household income of European poker players is below Euro 35 000 per year. This was true for all countries surveyed, in particular Spain where 51 percent of online poker players earn less than Euro 35 000 a year. In Sweden, 39 percent of online poker players earn less than 324 000 Kronas annually.

The industries in which the poker players work vary between each country. 7 percent of French respondents work in the Professional and Consulting industry, while just under 7 percent of Dutch poker players work in Education. 18 percent of the Swedish poker players also work in Education, and 11 percent of the Spanish players work in the travel, recreation and hospitality sector. 5 percent of Italian poker players surveyed work in Retail.

European consumers play poker online four times a month on average and are driven by the fun aspect of poker. 40 percent play poker on a weekly basis with evenings and weekends being the most popular times to play.

The fun aspect of online poker is the first reason given by most respondents for playing online poker. An average of 75 percent play poker because it is a fun game with over 80 percent of French, Swedish and German players confirming this.

Many markets such as Germany (47 percent), Italy (46 pecent) and Sweden (49 percent) stated the accessibility of poker rooms as one of the main reasons to play. Other drivers of online poker play were the ability to play against others across the internet and the possibility of improving their poker skills through competitive play, which was a particularly attractive feature for Swedish players (38 percent). Approximately 28 percent stated that they play poker online to make money.

Respondents were also asked to assess their online poker playing skills during the survey. Dutch and German players were modest with over 20 percent believing they have below average poker skills compared to players in other European countries. 8 percent of respondents from each country considered their poker skills to be above average, with the exception of Swedish players, 11 percent of whom consider their skills to be better than in other countries.

Swedish players also believe they are passive players as do French players. Spanish and Italian players both claim to be rather loose in their online poker play.

Everest claims to be one of the top three most popular poker sites in Europe and boasts a record 31 992 players playing simultaneously on January 15th 2007.

DOUBTS ON TERRORIST FUNDING THROUGH ONLINE GAMBLING

Is online gambling a terrorist front? To some, government's tactics smack of Prohibition, religious mania

The Las Vegas Business Press this week published an article by writer Bob Shemeligan on the current US situation which claims that US federal officials, already incensed over billions in gambling revenues leaving the U.S.A, are trying to link Web gambling to terrorism.

Quoting Saverio Scheri of WhiteSand Consulting, the article postulates that the reason why a lot of American land-based casinos have so far backed away from the Internet and offshore enterprises is because of the Patriot Act. "Investigators believe some of that money is being laundered and is ending up in the hands of terrorist groups," says Scheri.

Shemeligan does on to reveal that the prosecutor leading the charge against online gambling operations is David Litterick (45) the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who has built a reputation as an expert in terrorism.

He prosecuted some of the terrorists involved in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. His prosecutions of the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania earned him death threats, as well as a position at the Department of Homeland Security.

The article recaps the recent arrests of online gambling executives and offshore e-wallet founders, claiming that BusinessWeek magazine estimates Neteller made nearly $850 million in fees during the first half of 2006 - the bulk of it from American bettors. It records that latest subpoena attempts by the DoJ to obtain confidential information from at least four Wall Street investment banks to hand over details of their dealings with online gambling companies.

The firms reportedly are HSBC, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort, which have underwritten public offerings of some of the most popular and profitable online gambling sites, and have offices in London, a city that is the fundraising center of the online gaming industry.

Well known online gambling information publisher Sue Schneider is quoted as saying: "There certainly have been a lot of scare tactics but they're working."

Schneider says federal investigators are trying to link online gaming operations to terrorist groups. "They've been saying that since 9/11. At some point it gets to be ridiculous and, more probably than not, what they'll do is drive the business underground.

"You would think that officials would look at (the potential for tax revenue)," Schneider said. "This is an industry that has been advocating regulation and it would not be averse to some sort of tax structure. But this isn't about regulation and taxation. It's about control and (being) anti-gambling."

One who agrees is Anthony Cabot, a Vegas-based attorney who specialises in Internet-gambling law. "After a while, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and frighteningly similar to Prohibition," Cabot said. "By forcing them underground, you increase the potential for less-reputable sites."

Another gaming expert, who asked to remain anonymous, was more succinct: "(Terrorism is) a smokescreen thrown up by the right-wing Christian lunatics in the government who want to control every facet of human behaviour from birth to death. As far as I know, there isn't a scintilla of evidence there's any link between online sites and terrorist groups.

"With the new legislation, though that is ironically more likely to occur," the source continued, "since Russian mobsters and others are likely to see unregulated, rogue sites as a way to raise untaxed money."

"This [terrorist funding] argument has come up before," Cabot told the author of the piece. "There are probably 2 000 online gaming sites. Can you say that all of those have no relationship whatsoever to terrorism? No, but what you can say is that the larger companies operating out of the United Kingdom are completely transparent. They have public shareholders and dividends, and audited financial statements."

Allyn Shulman, corporate counsel at Card Player magazine, added, "to specifically link terrorism to online gaming is disingenuous." She believes that, rather than prosecute operators of online gambling operations, the federal government should investigate how to regulate and tax the industry.

"This is just another example of the benefit of regulating and taxing online gaming, as they do in Antigua, where the online gaming companies must open their books to independent auditors who report back to the government," Shulman said.

KOREANS TIGHTEN CONTROL OF THE INTERNET

700 cops will launch three-month campaign against online defamation, campaign violations, porn and gambling

Rein in the flaming and look over your shoulder if you'e in Korea - the Asia Media reports this week that Korean officials are apparently intent on tightening control of the Internet for their citizens with a series of raids and other enforcement actions planned.

People committing illegal acts online, including defaming someone or campaigning before government's designated campaign periods begin, will be subject to punishment, police said Monday.

The move comes after many celebrities claimed to have suffered psychological damage after defamatory comments were posted online. Political user-created content (UCC) is also in the police's crosshairs.

The police will conduct the crackdown during the next three months, with more than 700 cybercrime police officers taking part. Operators of Web sites that host illegal content will be punished, said the spokesman.

Police are looking to cut down on malicious comments, insulting or abusive language, illegal political campaigning, fraud, porn and gambling sites, and spam.

"Unlike previous crackdowns, which focused on specific types of crimes, this crackdown will be a dragnet that targets every kind of cyber offense," an official at the National Police Agency said.

"People used to think cybercrime was high-tech crime that a small number of technicians commit, such as hacking and spreading viruses. However, today we see incidences of the Internet being involved all types of crime, including murder, robbery, fraud, forgery and defamation," the official said.

Among the 70 545 cybercrimes committed last year, fraud accounted for 37.8 percent, followed by hacking, 22.7 percent; libel, 13.4 percent; and illegal Web site operation, 10.4 percent.

The number of those charged with online libel has jumped in recent years with 1 850 in 2004, 3 509 in 2005 and 3 953 last year.

NEW ECOGRA SEAL AWARDED

Fortune Lounge's PokerTime gets eCOGRA "Play It Safe" seal

Poker players across the globe will now find the familiar eCOGRA "Play It Safe" seal on Fortune Lounge's premier poker room, Poker Time.

The independent, non-profit standards authority and player protection body requires that Poker seal holders such as PokerTime, are financially stable and have adequate reserves. The probity of the poker room's management is scrutinised, together with player protection measures, payout times and financial facilities, games fairness, responsive support and general operational efficiency.

An international framework is provided by eCOGRA for the best operational and player sensitive practices, which are enforced through inspections, reviews, and continuous monitoring.

In the unlikely event of disagreements between players and "Play It Safe" sealed poker sites, eCOGRA's Fair Gaming Advocate serves as the player's advocate to rapidly resolve disputes. eCOGRA ensures that its rulings are respected, and was the proud recipient of Gambling Online Magazine's 2006 Watchdog of the Year Award.

A Fortune Lounge spokesman said that PokerTime will continue to provide its players with a safe, secure services that "...adhere to high standards and principles, assuring online poker players of outstanding customer services that make for a superior gaming environment."

PLENTY OF WOMEN POKER PLAYERS SAYS BLUFF MAGAZINE

Worldwide eCOGRA survey used as information base for article

The leading poker magazine Bluff was among the first major publications to study the recently released Global Player Survey from online gambling standards body eCOGRA this month, focusing on findings in the study relating to women poker players.

Bluff zeros in on the fact that more women are playing online poker than ever. "Nearly 30 percent of all participants in this extensive study examining player behaviour are female, up from 15 percent in 2004," the article reveals going on to explain that an international gaming company confirms the trend is picking up on the corporate side, where more and more women are entering the gaming industry in leading positions.

The global online survey was commissioned by eCOGRA, a self-regulatory body in the gaming industry and undertaken by the Betting and International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University. It is the largest study so far analysing online poker and casino player's behaviour and involves nearly 11 000 players from 96 countries.

When comparing this information to data prov