The ICEi exhibition scheduled for January 27 -29th in London received a bright endorsement from player protection and standards body eCOGRA this week, when Tex Rees, the Fair Gaming Advocate at that organisation saluted the companies committed to attending as among the "...most mature, accountable and responsible gathering of e-gaming exhibitors in the industry’s brief history."

 

Rees noted: “The e-gaming industry has worked tirelessly over the last decade to ensure it conducts itself with the integrity and transparency absolutely vital to player protection and retention. Anyone visiting ICEi 2009 will be exposed to a sector made up of modern, go-ahead companies committed to best business practice – I think, in some ways, January’s exhibition can be described as a ‘coming of age’ for e-gaming."

 

A non-profit organisation, eCOGRA oversees fair gaming, player protection and responsible operator conduct. Currently, 125 sites are regulated, monitored and certified with the eCOGRA “Safe & Fair” Seal.

 

On eCOGRA’s planned presence at ICEi 2009, Rees added: “We have recently extended our remit beyond online casinos and poker rooms to include bingo and sportsbooks. We are extremely keen to meet the people and companies who exist in this sector and see if we can work together to extend our services.”

PPA COMMENTS ON DIKSHIT SETTLEMENT (Update)

 

 

The Poker Players Alliance has commented on Party Gaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit's personal $300 million settlement with the US Department of Justice, and on the Wire Act guilty plea which formed part of the deal.

 

The PPA notes that this deal was a personal decision on the part of Dikshit in which he admitted breaking US federal law (the 1961 Wire Act) through his involvement in an online gambling website that facilitated casino gambling by American players. 

 

Alphonse D'Amato, chairman of the Alliance, emphasises that the settlement was a personal one that in no way constitutes a legal precedent and does nothing to clarify the confusing interpretation of the Wire Act by the Department of Justice. He notes that the DoJ is also at odds with other US entities regarding Internet betting in the US horseracing industry, which is exempted from the provisions of the UIGEA, and he called on US law makers to support legislative proposals that would clear up the legality position.

 

D'Amato also draws attention to a decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has in the past set a valid precedent by ruling that the Wire Act was designed to curtail telephonic betting on sports, and therefore does not extend to cover casino or poker activities over the Internet.

MORE MONOPOLY, NOT LESS (Update)

 

 

UK gambling group Ladbrokes let the Swedes know how it feels about the recent recommendations on monopoly reform (see previous InfoPowa report) in no uncertain terms this week, putting out a strongly worded statement on the issue.

 

The statement slammed the Swedish National Gambling Consultation on online gaming recommendations as ‘protectionist’ and anti-competitive in nature.

 

The recommendations suggest more competition for state-owned Svenska Spel in terms of opening up sportsbetting to some extent - but not horseracing, casino, poker, bingo and lotteries - leaving these the exclusive preserve of the state monopoly

 

John O'Reilly, Managing Director of Remote Betting and Gaming for Ladbrokes said in the statement: "This is a last-ditch attempt to avoid a referral to the European Court of Justice for Sweden's protectionist and unfair betting and gaming laws and yet, even now, the report seeks to extend the reach of the monopoly to cover online gaming including poker and bingo and further enshrines protection in land-based lotteries, slot machines, casinos and horseracing.

 

“None of the European Union principles of proportionality or free and fair competition across borders have been taken into account in this paper. It is more monopoly, not less. The impact will be to protect government revenues, penalise competitors and ensure a negative effect on the consumer."

 

"All operators like Ladbrokes ask is the ability to compete on a level playing field,” O’Reilly added. “We see no reason why Ladbrokes cannot abide by Swedish regulations as well as any monopoly operator. That's what a licensing and regulatory system should ensure.”

 

 

In May this year Texas authorities raided a Corpus Christi amusement centre, starting a chain of events that ended with the arrest on illegal gambling charges of 14 executives employed by the Dallas-based Aces Wired Inc and the confiscation of 90 'gambling machines' known as 8-liners, and some $175 000 in cash.

 

This week, Associated Press reported on the latest development in the case, which saw the 14 men indicted by the Texas Attorney General's office.  But there is now some debate as to whether the activities alleged by the authorities really constituted gambling at all.

 

Aces Wired CEO Kenneth Griffith, who is among the 14 accuseds, issued a public statement expressing the confident belief that all those involved would be cleared.

 

"The state's investigation fails to understand that our electronic game – Amusement With Prizes (AWP) – technology fully complies with state law by rewarding players with prize points (representations of value) that can only be redeemed for noncash merchandise prizes," Griffith said.

 

Although a trial date has yet to be set, the charges will involve allegations of conducting an illegal gambling operation, engaging in organised criminal activity and tampering with evidence.

 

The action taken by the authorities has effectively shut down Aces Wired offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Copperas Cove, and if Griffith's prediction is correct, the case could lead to civil litigation consequences.

 

 

The owners of the world famous land gambling brands Casino de Monte Carlo and Casino de Monaco, La Société des Bains de Mer et du cercle des étrangers à Monaco, has won a branding case against Australian online casino company Around Pacific, resulting in an order that the domain name Casino-Monaco-Gold.com be transferred to the plaintiff.

 

Case No. D2008-1616 at the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center was handled by Debra J. Stanek following submissions in October 2008 from the land casino operation that the Go Daddy-registered domain name infringed their rights.

 

The land casino claimed that it was granted a monopoly in Monaco by a government authorisation dating back to 1863, and since then has operated land gambling operations in the principality. It also legitimately uses the Internet domain Monte Carlo Casino.com.

 

Despite this, Around Pacific registered the disputed domain name Casino-monaco-gold.com on January 15, 2006. The domain name currently resolves to a GoDaddy parking page offering a variety of links to gambling related websites.

 

La Société des Bains de Mer et du cercle des étrangers à Monaco claimed that the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which it has rights as the founder and manager of the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monaco, which it has operated for more than 140 years. The Casino de Monte Carlo has become famous worldwide and is one of the most recognized symbols of the Principality of Monaco. It attracts a clientele from numerous countries.

 

Since April 2, 1863, complainant has been granted by the authorities of the Principality of Monaco a monopoly for casino and gambling industries within the territory of Monaco, and is therefore the sole company that can organise games and gambling in Monaco. The trade marks Casino de Monaco and Casino de Monte-Carlo were registered some years ago  and the disputed domain is confusingly similar to both. The registrants of the domain name are geographically distant from Monaco, being based in Australia, and they have not received any authorisation from Monaco officials to use the terms.

 

The disputed domain name was therefore registered in bad faith, and is using complainant’s trademark and global fame to attract Internet users to visit Internet directories that are linked to casino websites. This conduct results in commercial gain for the owner of such portal website, as many websites remunerate Around Pacific for each click-through giving access to their site.

 

Around Pacific contended that the disputed domain name consists of three common words: casino (meaning a gambling place), Monaco (referring to a nation or the name of a location), and gold (referring to a metal, but sometimes meaning luckiness, wealth, etc). None of the words in the mark is identical or confusingly similar to complainant’s mark. The disputed domain name does not contain a comparable unique term.

 

Stanek said that in order to prevail, the complainant must show that the domain is identical or confusingly similar to a mark in which complainant has rights; that the respondent has no legitimate claim or rights to it and it has been registered and is being used in bad faith.

 

She found that the complainant had met these requirements and ordered that the domain name be transferred to the complainant.

 

The case is of interest to online gambling operators, because there are at least seven (and perhaps more) online gambling websites powered by almost all the major software providers that use the names Monaco and Monte Carlo in their domains...could they be next on La Société des Bains de Mer et du cercle des étrangers à Monaco's clean-up list?

 

 

28-year-old poker pro David "Chino" Rheem has followed his 2008 World Series of Poker final table appearance with a major win, surviving a field of 497 and a tough final six table to win the Doyle Brunson 5 Diamond Classic. His reward was a winner's check for $1 538 730, bringing his career winnings to date to over $4 million.

 

Rheem and 496 others anted up a buy-in of $15 000 for the pleasure and experience of playing in the 6 day tournament, which was held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas this week.

 

The final table comprised Rheem, Amnon Filippi, Hoyt Corkins, Steve Sung, Evan McNiff and Justin Young, with the latter surviving to face Rheem in the heads up with the chip lead, but as so often happens this fluctuated frequently between the two survivors as they battled it out for the big money. In the end, though it was Rheem who prevailed, ending the game with a massive lead to take the main prize.  Justin Young collected a very useful Christmas check for $936 760 for his second place.

 

Rheem has achieved two seven-figure cashes in the last five weeks for a total of $3.2 million, preceding the Diamonds event with a seventh placing in the 2008 WSOP final table. His previous best tournament cash was a $327 000 check for a second place against Allen Cunningham in a thousand dollar re-buy event during the 2006 WSOP.

 

 

The respected Fitch Ratings agency in the United States has predicted that the gambling industry can expect a tough economic environment through to 2010, reports Business Wire.

 

"Following one of its most challenging years in recent history, the U.S. gaming industry will remain under significant pressure in 2009, with a recovery unlikely until 2010," the publication reports.

 

Fitch forecasts that the current economic recession has triggered the steepest GDP (gross domestic product) decline in the major advanced economies since World War II. The financial profile of the U.S. consumer is expected to remain stressed in 2009, as weak employment trends coupled with depressed real estate and equity prices continue to undermine consumer confidence.

 

With net worth and personal income under pressure, and continued tight household credit conditions, Fitch predicts that U.S. consumer spending will dip by 1.6 percent in 2009 and remain depressed into 2010. And the decline in energy and commodity prices won't outweigh this drag on the economy, says Fitch.

 

Fitch goes on to explain that the US gaming industry experienced a greater impact from the difficult financial conditions for consumers in 2008 than many investors expected. Generally, gaming spend per visit has been affected more than visitation levels, which can be bolstered by promotions. Considering the combined effect of recent declines in gas prices, and reductions in airline capacity and international demand, Fitch believes local markets will fare better than destination markets, such as the Las Vegas Strip.

 

 

The long-running European Commission's challenge to the benevolent corporate tax regime in Gibraltar has been resolved by a European Union court in favour of the tiny Mediterranean nation. The many online gambling companies based in Gibraltar have been keeping an eye on the case, which originated in 2002, due to its potential influence on the economic viability of operating in the country.

 

The Luxembourg court's ruling entrenches Gibraltar's decision to levy a competitive tax rate of only 15 percent of profits on offshore companies which have established domicile in the British territory.

 

The European Commission launched its challenge to the low tax regime in Gibraltar back in 2002, basing its objections on the territory's fiscal autonomy from the British government. The Commission contended that the low corporate tax rate gave Gibraltar-located companies unfair advantages over their U.K. counterparts, and charged that for taxation purposes the territory should be considered part of the U.K. and therefore be subject to its [higher] corporate tax rates. The Gibraltar government responded by referring the Commission to Gibraltar's 1969 constitution which explicitly gives the territory fiscal autonomy.

 

The fight has been protracted, with a 2004 decision going against the territory, a ruling which has been superceded by the current decision, which specifically dismissed the EC's conclusions regarding the relationship between Gibraltar and the U.K.

 

In its ruling, the EU court in Luxembourg drew on a 2006 judgment on the tax regime of the Azores (an archipelago belonging to Portugal) to support its decision that from a constitutional standpoint, Gibraltar's political and administrative status is indeed separate from that of the U.K. government.

 

Prominent online gambling groups based in Gibraltar include PartyGaming Plc, 888 Holdings Plc, Victor Chandler International and Mansion Group. Local estimates put the percentage of Gibraltarians employed in the industry as high as 12 percent.

 

 

Another controversy at online poker website UltimateBet.com surfaced over the weekend, resulting in Hand #1162170993 becoming a much discussed topic on the respected poker forum 2+2, where the details of the hand were posted. In essence, it appeared that although poker ace Phil Hellmuth mucked his hand, he was still awarded a $5 599 pot.

 

The trouble started early Saturday morning when international poker pro was engaged in a tense game with a player using the nick "Doubleballer." Despite having the weaker hand, Hellmuth was awarded the pot on completion of betting, triggering a complaint to management. UltimateBet officials, no doubt sensitised by the site's past cheating scandal, were quick to acknowledge that there was a problem, and promised an immediate and thorough investigation.

 

With no hard information yet available, the speculation is that the incorrect decision may have been the result of a technical glitch in the newly upgraded Cereus poker network software (see previous InfoPowa report) UltimateBet and its sister Absolute Poker are the main operational components of the newly launched network.

 

Paul Leggett, the COO of Absolute and UltimateBet owner Tokwiro Enterprises reacted quickly, too, writing on his blog: “Earlier today we learned about a poker hand where our system paid out the losing player instead of the correct winning hand. We are investigating this software malfunction as our absolute top priority. This is the first incident of this kind we have encountered.” He went on to advise that that the system and all relevant application logs were being examined in an attempt to track the fault down.

 

Exchanges between "Doubleballer" and Hellmuth, who promotes UltimateBet, later revealed that the site planned to credit the former with half the value of the pot - $2 300. There was no further information available when InfoPowa went to press this morning.

 

 

Reports earlier this week that a winner's payout had been given to the loser of a hand at UltimateBet.com (see previous InfoPowa report) have been followed by further incidents, suggesting that the original mis-payment may not be an isolated incident.

 

Posts on Casinomeister, poker forum 2+2 and the UltimateBet blog at http://blog.ultimatebet.com/2008/12/hand-1162170993/#comments indicated at least three other highly questionable payouts to the wrong players had been made, suggesting a glitch in the recently upgraded Cereus Network software used by UltimateBet.

 

In one incident, a player claimed that he had been congratulated for finishing 16th in a tourney...before the last two cards hit the table. And at stage #1165492664: Razz Normal $0.25/$0.50 - 2008-12-22 12:55:02 (ET) a player who was apparently sitting out was awarded a pot. In yet another incident, a player waiting for a big blind was allegedly awarded part of the pot, which appeared to be confirmed by a re-player at Tableratings.com.

 

The positive side to the incidents is that both UltimateBet owner Tokwiro and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission have reacted to early alerts sent by concerned players. Tokwiro COO Paul Leggett has promised on the company blog that the investigation is underway and will report back, and a spokesman for the KGC confirmed that the regulator was also studying reports and monitoring the situation.

 

However, the KGC spokesman said, it was essential that players with a genuine and substantiated issue lodge a formal complaint with the Commission, rather than relying on merely posting on industry message boards. He confirmed that the player "Doubleballer" in the original incident had now been paid the full value of the pot, although he had not actually submitted a KGC complaint, and said that the Commission would investigate all legitimate and factual complaints it was sent.

 

"What does slow things down is when forum posters randomly send disparaging comments to the KGC about an operator, but don't substantiate any claim or provide any intel which would be of use in opening an investigative file," he observed. "If there are legitimate claims, I would encourage any potentially wronged players to contact the KGC."

 

 

The COO at UltimateBet.com owner Tokwiro Enterprises, Paul Leggett, was good to his word yesterday, making an early and presumably interim statement on an incident that saw a $5 600 pot awarded to the wrong player (see previous InfoPowa report)

 

The statement reads:

 

"On Saturday, December 20, 2008, two players DOUBLEBALLER and PHILHELLMUTH were playing heads up at a 200/400 table on UltimateBet.com.  DOUBLEBALLER won hand #1162170993.  The software malfunctioned and awarded the losing player PHILHELLMUTH the pot, instead of the actual winner DOUBLEBALLER. 

 

"After learning of the incident, we credited the player the correct prize to his account.  We then began an investigation into the malfunction.  We have now completed our preliminary investigation into the software malfunction regarding an incorrect payout in hand #1162170993 on the CEREUS Poker Network.

 

"We have concluded that the malfunction occurred because the winning player disconnected from the table at the precise millisecond when the software was awarding the pot, in conjunction with the "player's state" data being cleared from the memory cache.

 

"There is a prevention system in place designed to protect hand results against disconnections.  However, after conducting an extensive source code analysis, we found logic in our code that we have enhanced to further ensure this malfunction cannot reoccur."

 

The statement made no reference to other reports of glitches circulating on player message boards. Yesterday (Monday) the Kahnawake Gaming Commission urged any player with a substantiated complaint to come forward with the information so that it may be investigated.

 

Top poker ace Phil Hellmuth made a brief statement as well, saying that the only time in his life where he had seen one pair beat three of a kind was when he made a big bluff in a poker tournament, and on the current issue due to a software malfunction in online poker. 

 

"I am one of the most watched players on the Internet, and all I can say is that it is pretty obvious that there was no malicious intent and even more obvious that UB handled this problem well.  Sometimes these things happen on the Internet.  The important thing here is that I continue to have a ton of trust in UB's software and new management team," the poker pro said.

 

Meanwhile, a Kahnawake Gaming Commission spokesman confirmed that the Commission is closely monitoring the situation and as of yesterday had taken possession of all relevant game and player data, customer service logs, chat logs and all other associated data.

TOKWIRO EXPANDS ON ULTIMATEBET STATEMENT (Update)

 

 

The COO of UltimateBet parent Tokwiro Enterprises, Paul Leggett has expanded on his earlier statement following further timeous investigations into the incorrect payouts on games at UltimateBet.com over the weekend (see previous InfoPowa reports).

 

"There is a prevention system in place designed to protect hand results against disconnections," Leggett explained in  his statement. "However, after conducting an extensive source code analysis, we found logic in our code that we have enhanced to further ensure this malfunction cannot reoccur.

 

"We were able to reproduce the error on our testing systems by forcing a hand to disconnect its winning player at the precise millisecond the hand in question was awarding the pot and simultaneously flushing the "player's state" data. Had the disconnection happened literally a millisecond sooner or later the error would not have transpired.

 

"While enhancing the software to prevent this malfunction from occurring again, we introduced a new defect that caused 36 hands to award incorrect payouts. All players have been reimbursed for these hands as well.

 

"We have implemented a new method into the code and updated the game servers. Both errors are no longer reproducible. Furthermore, we are conducting extensive tests to simulate every possible disconnection scenario to ensure this type of malfunction cannot occur in the future.

 

"We are currently reviewing historical hands in our database to see if there ever were similar incidents in the past. Thus far, our investigation has been unable to unearth any additional historical occurrences of this malfunction. Our investigation will continue until we are satisfied that there are no additional historical occurrences.

 

"We recognize the severity of these issues and we will continue to give them the attention they deserve until we are absolutely certain that they cannot happen again."

 

 

PokerStars marketers have come up with a crowd-puller as a sideshow to the online poker site's 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure scheduled for early January - a chance for online players to take on the former world famous tennis star Boris Becker, who plays as a celebrity for the site.

 

The idea is for seven PokerStars players to compete with Becker in a heads up match, with the main prize a sponsored seat in the $10 000 buy-in main event of the Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas. The match will be played in a Battleship format, which means that participants play each other heads up and online, using laptops instead of in front of a live dealer.

 

In a company statement, Becker said: "Battleship poker gives you all the fast play luxuries of online poker, but also allows you to look your opponent in the eye. It's an exciting game to play and I'm really looking forward to competing against these players."

 

Four North American players have so far been chosen for the confrontation: Itsik Oknin of Ottawa, Canada; Joshua Miloy of Oley, Pa.; and Keith Anderson and Michel Dion of Quebec, Canada.

 

PokerStars is still offering 40 main event sponsored seats for the Caribbean Adventure as prizes in tournaments running through December 27 - 28, where a $650 buy-in secures a chance to win a package many time that value and a week in the Bahamas.

 

 

The British Broadcasting Corporation is at the centre of a growing dispute with British bookies over its proposed halving of UK racing coverage from 29 days in 2008 to only 14 in 2010, reports The Guardian newspaper. 

 

Ralph Topping, the CEO of top British online and land gambling group, William Hill plc is apparently leading the charge, along with top jockey Tony McCoy, calling on the chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons, to intervene.

 

In a letter to Sir Michael, Topping says: "I am writing to you to raise my disquiet about the BBC's reported plans for its coverage of UK racing. As the BBC Trust represents the interests of the licence fee-payer, I hope that you will feel able to intervene in this issue.

 

"I fully acknowledge that William Hill has a commercial interest in these plans. Terrestrial TV coverage increases the public's interest in racing and that has an impact for us as bookmakers. It is precisely because it is popular with a large number of your viewers who relish the chance of placing a bet and then watching their selections at home that the BBC should reconsider.

 

"The Corporation's coverage also encourages significant economic activity, whereby many companies sponsor race meetings and races and, indeed, it is one of the paramount considerations in the decision to sponsor."

 

Topping adds: "We appreciate that the BBC has to exercise choice over what sports it chooses to televise, but there is no doubt that it has a large and loyal following for racing and a long and proud tradition of covering the sport, which are set to be discarded."

 

The Guardian reports that jump racing would be hardest hit by the reduced BBC coverage, with no racing at all shown for six months between October and April.

 

Latest edition of Tournament of Champions

 

Activision has released the latest version of last year's virtual poker game hit "World Series of Poker : Tournament of Champions" to mixed reviews, some of which advise that there are more serious products with better arrtificial intelligence on the market for the demanding poker aficionado.

 

The game builds on last year's popular version, taking a story-based approach as it puts virtual players on the WSOP Circuit as a newly turned poker pro under the wing of Chris Ferguson as his protege. Players test their skills against the world's best poker pros in the premier Circuit events in hopes of qualifying for the virtual winner-take-all, invitation-only Tournament of Champions at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas.

 

Along the way, players face-off against an impressive list of top pros, including Joseph Hachem, the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion; Jennifer Tilly, the Academy Award nominated actress and World Series of Poker bracelet holder, and many others.

 

The game gives advice on the personal tricks and strategies that have made Ferguson one of the world's foremost poker players, with each successful win unlocking valuable tools that help bring a better game to the table, among these checking the odds of hitting various hands at every stage of the deal, checking the rank of hands, and viewing statistics and percentages of the hands of opponents. The dialogue between players is especially noteworthy and entertaining.

 

Amazon's purchasing offer on the game is interesting - it reveals that after viewing the information on WSOP Tournament of Champions, 61 percent of visitors went for Howard Lederer's Wii offering "World Championship Poker!"

 

 

The world's largest Internet population - the Chinese - were deprived of access to the New York Times last Friday, according to the newspaper.  The cause for the block was not known, although Chinese authorities have resumed their unilateral Web censorship activities since the completeion of the Beijing Olympics earlier this year.

 

The Reuters news service confirmed the block, reporting that when computer users in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou tried to connect on Friday to NY Times.com, they received a message that the site was unavailable. There was no access to the site from Beijing late on Saturday without the protection of a virtual private network (VPN).
 
But the Chinese State Information Office said it had no information on the blocks.  China has repeatedly claimed that it is within its rights to block websites with content that is deemed unsuitable or illegal under Chinese law.  Access to the Chinese-language versions of the BBC, Voice of America and Hong Kong media Ming Pao News and Asiaweek were blocked early this (December) month (see previous InfoPowa reports).
 
The country has an Internet-dedicated department that polices the medium to remove sensitive content and posts, warn bloggers who cross the line and block access to certain sites.
 
Internet message boards discussing the news inevitably compared the Chinese approach to the Internet with that of Kentucky, widely crtiticised for its attempt to seize and confiscate 141 global domain names. One wag posted: "Personally, I wish China would confiscate the NYT domain!"

 

 

Mainly German reports over the weekend raise the alarming prospect that the Internet is under further assault - this time from German authorities. A major furore still rages over the recent attempt by the state of Kentucky in the United States to confiscate global online gambling domain names, and if the current reports from Germany at http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bezir...meldung/120252 are true, it would appear that another Net neutrality dispute is about to surface.

 

The German language reports claim that a German politician, Juergen Buessow of the NRW has succeeded in getting 2 gambling domains transferred to the government by court order. The domains are bet3000.com - a German/English language sportsbook owned by the International Betting Association Ltd operating out of Gibraltar, and tippen4you.com which appears to be an information rather than a gambling website per se.

 

Both domains were apparently transferred to Buessow personally, but while bet3000.com has been given back to the original owners pending a resolution of the issue, tippen4you.com is still under government control, having been seized in October this year and re-registered to Buessow at Bezirksregierung Düsseldorf. Buessow is apparently no stranger to Internet controversy, having been previously involved in censorship actions targeting neo-Nazi and phishing sites by ordering ISPs to block the IP addresses.

 

The story also surfaced on the ICAAN site http://www.atlarge.icann.org/en/node/2199, where on December 3rd it was flagged by a German poster, who opined that the official responsible for the confiscation appeared to prefer taking over the domain rather than requesting international administrative assistance.

 

"My question is: Does the ICANN allow registrars to change the holder instead of setting the domain on "hold" in such a situation?" he wrote.

 

Lutz Donnerhacke responded, saying: "I could say a lot about these situations, mostly not good. The internet community is supposed to be self regulating. It simply does not happen and registrars are many times the first ones to ask for LEA interference.

 

"We need to ask why this happened, the background etc. Remember, at the end of the day, a registrar is not above the law, as also stipulated in the RAA despite what some people tend to think (or even some registrars themselves).

 

He went on to quote Go Daddy, registrar for many international domain names, which has said that it is more than happy to quickly comply with any court-issued order or official request by law enforcement (whose burden it is to determine the existence of illegal activities).

 

"We regularly work with courts and law enforcement from the local to the international level. As a result, we would recommend you seek an injunction from a court as the most efficient way to handle [this sort of] situation."

 

Having done some research, Donnerhacke advised that the bet3000.com domain name was on "hold" from December 2nd. Regarding the legitimacy of these actions, Donnerhacke advised this would depend on the circumstances surrounding the issue.

 

Another poster observed that the domain was not listed at the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority at http://www.gra.gi/index.php?article=135&topic=licences&section=licences&., with no trace of such a licence on search engine or like caches, although the same company had a license for http://www.onextwo.com/

 

"The registrar is in Germany, like the original billing contact and where it appears enforcement action was taken," he continued. "[It] seems bet3000.com was previously known as bet3000.de - which shows a German affiliation, now suspended by German LEA?

 

"The gambling laws of Gibraltar are here: http://www.gra.gi/sites/*gambling*/downloads/42/*gambling*%20ord%202005....

 

"The accountability issue on the Internet etc is a big mess quite frankly. Many big Internet players chanting the "self governance" mantra are the same players tending to use LEA and court orders many times to frustrate processes intended to protect the public. As such strange things do tend to happen, not only harming the bad actors, but many innocents in the process.

 

"However, in this case no background information is known, so it is virtually impossible to make any form of and educated guess."

 

The Kentucky situation again came up in discussion, where John Levine, famed author of "The Internet for Dummies" observed:

 

"There is a similar case in Kentucky in the US in which the state claims that a long list of gambling domains are operating illegally in Kentucky, and wants to take over all those domains. But none of them have any operations in Kentucky, and most of them have no operations anywhere in the U.S. The state is clearly completely wrong, but the judge is proceeding cautiously, since it is rare for a state to file such a completely meritless suit."

 

First day of trading will be January 13th 2009.

 

Another significant step in the corporate development of online gambling software provider Net Entertainment has occurred with the Stockholm Stock Exchange listing committee approving the company for listing on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.

 

The listing means that the trading in B-shares is moved from the marketplace NGM Equity to NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, with the first day of trading set for January 13th 2009. The listing of Net Entertainment's B-share on NGM Equity thereby ceases and the last day of trading on NGM Equity will be January 12th 2009.

 

Company shareholders do not have to take any action in connection with the listing on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. No issue of new shares is taking place in connection with the listing on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, and the share will be traded under the same short name as before; NET B, ISIN-code SE00 0108 9252.

 

"Net Entertainment has during the last five years showed a strong growth rate and rising profitability. The listing on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm constitutes a quality stamp and is implemented to further improve the brand and Net Entertainment's position among customers, co-workers, investors and media as well as improve the possibility to use the share as payment in connection with potential acquisitions" says Johan Öhman, President and CEO of Net Entertainment.

 

A listing document (in Swedish only) will be available December 22nd 2008 at 9.00 am at the company website; www.netent.com/noteringsdokument and www.penser.se/netent. In the listing document the following financial goals for Net Entertainment are included which have not yet been publicised:

 

* The market for online based gaming in Europe is expected to grow with more than 20 percent in average during the next years. Net Entertainment's financial goal is to grow more than the market with a sustainable operating margin exceeding 30 percent.

 

* We want to take this opportunity to thank Erik Penser Bankaktiebolag that has acted as financial advisor in connection with the listing process for a well executed work.

 

 

The London listed online interactive media and games group, Mirada Gaming plc turned in a solid performance over the six months to 30 September 2008, resleasing its results this week.

 

Highlights included:

 

* Successful restructuring of enlarged group and renewed strategy
* Move to new UK headquarters complete with state-of-the-art equipment and custom-built studios
* New commercial offices opened in Milan and Montevideo to accommodate growing international client partnerships
* New relationship with ITV - successful launch of Bingo Night Live on ITV1
* Continued progress in primary markets of UK and Spain with new client wins and product development
* New contract win for major cable operator in the Middle East
* Effective cost reduction programme and restructuring:
* Other administrative expenses reduced to GBP 3 604 000 (2007: GBP 4 373 000)

 

Gross profit increased to GBP 2 801 000 (2007: GBP 2 252 000) and improved trading reduced the loss before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, and restructuring to GBP 525 000 (2007: GBP1 632 000)

 

Net gaming income however fell to GBP278 000, from GBP489 000 a year ago, which the company said was due to the adverse impact of a GBP100 000 winner in one of the interactive games and the group’s new focus on its B2B gaming business.
 
Jose Luis Vazquez, Chief Executive Officer of Mirada, commented: "We have finally integrated our operational and commercial teams into a global organisation, and the expansion of the Media business unit is very promising. Our gaming division is launching innovative new products and forging new partnerships, placing us at the forefront of the interactive media sector.

 

"Mirada's positive new developments as well as increasing international reach have been achieved while successfully implementing a company restructuring and cost reduction plan, which has led to significant savings for the Group.

 

"We have exciting new opportunities to pursue in Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and we expect to report positive news arising from these during the coming months."

 

The company benefitted especially from the inclusion of results from Fresh Interactive Technologies, the Spanish technology firm Mirada merged with earlier this year.

BUSINESS AS USUAL SAYS POKERSTARS (Update)

 

 

The $300 million "settlement" and Wire Act guilty plea by Party Gaming founder Anurag Dikshit last week prompted the regional newspaper Isle of Man Today to ask locally-based online poker operator PokerStars.com for comment, postulating that the mood of the US authorities is growing increasingly hostile.
 
The newspaper made the point that the action against Dikshit is a move that doesn't directly affect e-gaming businesses that have set up on the island, many of which are targeting the European and Asian rather than US markets.
 
Paul Telford, head of legal services at Poker Stars, told the newspaper: "As far as we are concerned it's business as usual. It doesn't affect the company. This doesn't change the law; no precedents have been set.
 
"But it will give us food for thought as to the bigger impact. The situation is very fluid so there is little point in commenting further."
 
Asked for his reaction, Garth Kimber, head of e-gaming development at the IOM Department of Trade and Industry, said: "We are monitoring the situation closely to look at any potential impact."
 
Meanwhile, delegates to a seminar held in Douglas heard that e-gaming is well-placed to ride out global recession, the Isle of Man Today reported. Delegates at the seminar, organised by Global Betting and Gaming Consultants Ltd, included representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry.
 
Chief executive Warwick Bartlett told delegates that his company is constantly being asked how the global recession was likely to affect e-gaming.  He said this was a question difficult to answer as there is no comparable data.
 
"Gambling benefits from not being a big ticket item," he said.  "Whereas people will stop spending on cars and moving house they will continue to have a pint and have a bet.
 
"The global roll out of broadband is also assisting the growth of Internet gambling. So it is far more resilient than the traditional land-based betting shop or casino."
 
He emphasised that while the Isle of Man had done well from hosting financial services companies, it was not beneficial to be too reliant on one business sector and it was in everyone's interest to promote the Island as an e-gaming centre.

 

888.com's members mag recognised
 
Gibraltar-based online gambling group 888.com's monthly member's magazine "Eight" has been awarded "Most Effective Membership" publication at the 2008 APA Effectiveness Awards. The award is given by the Association of Publishing Agencies in the UK and is one of the most coveted distinctions an internal magazine can achieve.
 
Eight, which is part of 888's CRM efforts to establish efficient and innovative communications channels with its members, is mailed to all of the company's casino and poker members in the UK and filled with lifestyle features and gaming content. Its aim is to deepen the relationship with 888 players.

 

This year's APA awards, which are designed to recognise and reward the very best in editorialised branded content, were the biggest ever to be staged in its ten year history, with over 350 titles across a myriad industries vying for just 18 individual awards, with every category having an average of 20 entries.
 
The APA judges praised "Eight", saying:
 
"For a publication to be awarded the APA's Most Effective Membership category it must be a fantastic demonstration of editorial creativity, and be able to prove above all others that it is a sound part of a brand's marketing mix, helping to position the value of the brand in the minds of the consumer.
 
"Eight Magazine succeeds in not only being a shining example of this publishing maxim, but also in being an informative and entertaining read - whether you're a committed online gambler or not. Whatever measure you look at, Eight is an amazingly effective magazine."

 

Hanoi men arrested for organising gambling cruises                                               
 
Two Vietnamese nationals, Nguyen Van Dinh and Nguyen Trieu Duc, both from Hanoi, have been arrested by officers of the Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Police Department on allegations of organising gambling cruises between Vietnam and Cambodia.

 

According to the police, the ships arranged by the duo would set off from the northern province of Quang Ninh and travel along Vietnam’s coast southward to reach Cambodia; then make a return voyage following the same route.

 

On each round-trip journey, a ship could carry between 50 and 60 gamblers.

 

The police said it was a new way of organising illegal gambling that they are investigating in depth.

 

 

Reports from Redding, northern California tell of a local burglar who was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, having tried to gamble at two casinos using rare coins he had stolen in a burglary.
 
The Shasta County sheriff's department is holding 37-year-old James Smith of Anderson on suspicion of burglary and receiving known stolen property. He and another man are alleged to have exchanged the collector's coins for $50 at Win-River Casino in Redding, perhaps not realising that the true value of the coins was around $6 300. The duo then tried to repeat the sale at the Rolling Hills Casino in Corning on the following day but the alarm had been raised.

 

Anderson's companion was believed not to be involved in criminal activity and was released.

 

 

Online gamblers have another million dollar jackpot on offer following this week's Real Time Gaming announcement that its Jackpot Pinatas progressive jackpot has moved over the million dollar level.

 

The online gambling software pprovider says the progressive is available at most of its licensee casinos, and as InfoPowa went to press the value went through $1 056 000 and was still climbing after almost a year witholut being hit.

 

The game is a 21-line Internet slot with a Mexican theme, and features free spins, wilds, substitutes and a bonus game. Players must get five Bull Pinata symbols on any one of the pay-lines in order to win the grand prize, with players wagering 25 cents per pay-line in order to crack the top money. 

 

In addition to the normal two and three-figure combinations, players can also trigger the bonus round by getting three Dog Pinatas symbols on the screen. Once in the bonus round, players choose two of the three pinatas in order to reveal what they have won.

 

 

Turkish police arrested 15 Brit tourists playing bingo in a bar in Altinkum, a popular tourist destination, after breaking up a charity game of bingo reports the UK newspaper The Daily Mail. The police treated the incident as illegal gambling,

 

Of the 15, nine were released without charge after a few hours in detention, but it proved to be an expensive night for the six main culprits, who were required to pay fines of GBP 55 each before being allowed to return to their hotels.

 

Apparently police were tipped off by locals that the bingo game was in progress, triggering the raid.

 

The owners of the bar also face the loss of business over a key period, as the police closed the establishment and ordered that it remain so for several days.

 

Tourists were unhappy with the police action, pointing out that the game was a charity event raising money for the medical expenses of a sixty-year-old British woman recovering from cancer.

 

From Burnley in the UK, the woman was diagnosed with cancer several weeks ago, had an operation in Turkey and is now facing the prospect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The raid was the second police anti-gambling action in Altinkum in the past 15 months - seven British tourists were fined for playing a game in September last year.

 

 

Gigamedia, the Taiwan-based parent of Everest Poker and Everest Gaming, has revealed that it has entered into a strategic partnership with the respected and well established Gibraltar-based land and online gambling company Victor Chandler International.  The company said the primarily sportsbetting deal would significantly expand the online capability of the Everest Gaming platform.

 

The partnership includes the launch of a new sportsbetting product dubbed Everest Bets.com, which Gigamedia boasts will deliver a "broader, richer gaming and entertainment experience."

 

Founded in 1946, Victor Chandler is one of the world's oldest, and most reputable online gaming companies. The firm's sports betting business takes over two million betting calls per year from customers in over 160 countries, 24 hours a day. Licensed in Gibraltar, the group does not accept bets from U.S.-based customers.

 

Everest Poker has burgeoned into is one of the Internet's more popular poker sites, the official "felt" sponsor of the World Series of Poker, and was named Poker Operation of the Year in 2007 and 2008 by industry journal e-Gaming Review.

 

"Victor Chandler is a sports betting legend with an enormous, thriving business and an unsurpassed reputation for honor and integrity," said Bob Cahill, head of GigaMedia's gaming software business. "We hit the ground running with a world-class offering addressing a multi-billion dollar market - - we are absolutely thrilled and look forward to additional exciting opportunities with Victor Chandler going forward."

 

Victor Chandler Chief Executive Michael Carlton commented, "We are delighted to be working with GigaMedia. We are confident we can deliver a product to excite their current poker and games customers. The sports betting product will offer all popular sports in many European languages, and complement Everest's superb poker and casino offering."

 

The new offering complements Everest's poker and casino verticals, as a significant percentage of Everest's players currently engage in sports betting, according to company surveys. The cross-marketing benefits and enhanced leverage resulting from the strategic partnership are expected to become very substantial.

 

Everest Bets offers bets on a variety of sports including horse racing, rugby and soccer and is available in multiple languages, 24 hours a day.

 

Commenting on the partnership, the investment guru at The Motley Fool said that Gigamedia investors are eating up the expansion news. The stock opened with 5 percent higher and was sporting a gain as high as 13 percent a few minutes into the trading day.

 

"The difference between struggling casino companies and an online player such as GigaMedia is that the latter is still heading in the right direction, fundamentally," the Motley report advised. "Revenue and non-GAAP earnings rose by 16 percent and 22 percent, respectively, at GigaMedia in its latest quarter. That isn't too shabby for a stock trading at just seven times next year's projected profitability. In other words, gambling may be the company's business, but investors aren't taking much of a gamble at these ridiculously low prices."

PEAK SWITCH TO PLAYTECH IN PROGRESS (Update)

 

 

Peak Entertainment, the well established parent company for SunPoker.com, Omni Casino and CSCasino.com, has announced that its move to the Playtech platform commenced December 19 (see previous InfoPowa report) is proceeding smoothly, and that existing players will continue to have access to its former Cryptologic software until January 15th 2009 to ensure a gradual changeover. 

 

The group has published an FAQ at: http://account.focalclick.com/Public/FAQ_ipoker.asp to assist players with questions about the switch.

 

Players will be able to login to both the old Cryptologic system and the new Playtech backend by visiting www.focalclick.com, using their existing login information for either system.

 

Affiliate marketers servicing the sites can also view an FAQ at: http://account.focalclick.com/public/newfaqs.asp

 

Tracking arrangments are especially addressed by the company, which advises affiliates:

 

"If for some reason you don't get around to changing trackers right away, we will have a redirect script in place so that if a player clicks on an old tracker with an old Cryptologic tracking link or yours, they will still navigate to that property but your new Playtech tracking link will be replaced.

 

"Thus, you will receive credit for this player on the Playtech network. We encourage you to make all efforts to update your trackers to the new Playtech ones.

 

"If you have a payment method of either "Check" or "Affiliate Speed Pay", your banking information is stored on our new backend only. You will not be able to view it in the backend of your affiliate account. We are working on updating this so you can see your payment method listed. Just know that we have it stored on our system."

 

 

Timing its appearance just right for the end of the year holiday season, online gambling group 32Red plc has announced the imminent release of its first television advert. To be aired across many of UK's biggest television channels, the TV advert will emphasise the company's player support, casino games, awards and its new player welcome bonus.

 

The 32 Red.com online casino represents the largest element of the AIM-listed group, which also offers the player online poker, bingo and a mobile casino as well as another internet casino brand, Dash Casino.

 

The current advert is the company's second to appear on television this year, with 32Red Bingo featuring regularly on Channel 5 and E4. However, this is 32Red's first casino television advert and marks a significant shift in advertising following the company's sponsorship of English Premiership football club, Aston Villa.

 

In conjunction with the television initiative, 32Red Casino will be offering new players an alternative sign-up offer, allowing them the choice of either a 100 percent deposit match bonus of up to GBP 250 - part of the six offers in the 6 Pack Welcome Bonus - or GBP 32 free for depositing GBP 10.

 

Mark Quayle, Head of Marketing for 32Red, advises that following the TV advert and new welcome bonus there are 4 new online casino games planned for January, including the new guaranteed GBP 1 million jackpot slot machine Mega Moolah 5 Reel Drive. Other games include Polar Pioneers, Liquid Gold and Joker Poker Level Up.

 

 

The Club Royale Tucson private poker club that has been a thorn in the side of the Arizona state gambling authorities for many months (see previous InfoPowa reports) has closed after reaching a deal to end a civil suit brought by a local Indian tribe.   But apparently the police investigation lingers on, with reports that the local police and gaming authorities have obtained search warrants for the club and the residences of the two owners.

 

Former judge Harold Lee and Donna and Johnny Ray Rogers owned the club, challenging state authorities on its legality. But when the Pascua Yaqui tribe decided that it would seek protection against its competition by initiating a law suit, the pressure of state and civil litigation proved too much. The action by the Pasqui Yaqui, who operate two of the four state compact-regulated casinos in the Tucson area, was the last straw.

 

The Arizona Daily Star reports that Club Royale opened late July 2008 and within weeks had more than 500 members, attracted by the club's no-limit Texas Hold'em poker games, a variation of the poker game not offered at the state's Indian casinos.

 

The Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, established in 1993 and renewed in 2003, prohibits no-limit betting.

 

The newspaper reports that the police began investigating the club in August, having received complaints from neighborhood associations. The police sent in undercover officers posing as poker players, who claimed that players had to purchase chips and that the club took a fee, or rake, from players on each poker hand. Some members had to pay a $20 club membership fee and at some points, the club was making upwards of $550 an hour, a police spokesman claimed.

 

When the business began profiting from the gambling, it became an illegal operation, the spokesman added. With the exception of regulated casinos, poker rooms are illegal in Arizona.

 

It has been claimed that one of the owners, former judge Harold Lee, is involved in two other illegal card rooms operating in Phoenix and Surprise. He was working to set up a franchise of illegal poker rooms across the state, the police alleged.

 

The Club Royale had eight tables that seated nine players each. There were paid dealers and video surveillance cameras used to monitor players, as well as armed, uniformed security guards.

 

During the subsequent service of the search warrant, police seized the tables, cameras, chips, gambling records and other evidence consistent with an illegal operation, although no arrests were made. The case will be presented to the Pima County Attorney's Office to determine whether charges will be filed.

 

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe filed a civil suit on August 18 against Club Royale, claiming that the operation was illegal because it violated state gambling laws. The suit also complained that Club Royale's ability to operate outside of the state gaming compact gave it a competitive advantage over tribal casinos that must adhere to the compact's guidelines on no limit gambling.

 

Hearings had already been set for late January 2009 when the owners of Club Royale folded, agreeing to close in exchange for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe's dismissing its suit without attempting to recover lost revenue.

 

Club Royale's fight made the local media headlines on several occasions, mainly with attacks by Lee against the protectionism and exclusivity of state and Indian gambling in Arizona, which has 22 legal casinos operated by 15 different tribes. According to local reports, Lee was disappointed in the decision to close and woujld have preferred to continue fighting.

GOOGLE SAYS BINGO TO RIVAL POKER

 

 

The giant search engine Google has claimed that its research has shown a rising popularity in Internet bingo across every age group and gender and is online poker's most powerful rival yet.

 

A statement from the search engine revealed that bingo has rapidly caught up and is now engaged in a race to decide which game is the most dominant.

 

”Due to the presence of so many online bingo operators, competition is becoming more and more intense forcing bingo sites to offer more and more benefits, bingo bonuses and added benefits to ensure loyalty and traffic,” the Google statement claimed.

 

”Although bingo has been considered to be a female game in the past, the taboo has diminished as more and more male players are traced in the chat rooms of online bingo halls. The wide offerings, the social community nature of the game and the quality of the service are the main reasons of the increasing popularity.”

 

Google points out that another advatage held by bingo is that the variants of the game are easy and straightforward to play. Unlike poker, online bingo players do not need to wager large amounts of money as bingo cards are generally affordable. The online game can be played while browsing the Internet with attention not mandatory, unlike poker. In the modern game, play is almost automatic, as players are not expected to call out bingo when they’ve won. The main requirement is to purchase cards on time before a session begins.

 

 

Achieving white listing status from the UK authorities that has enabled its licensees to advertise in the United Kingdom has proved to be a real advantage for the Caribbean island licensing jurisdiction of Antigua, reports local newspaper The Antigua Sun this week.

 

Kaye McDonald, the director of gaming for the government's Financial Services Regulatory Commission, told the newspaper that her department is currently busy processing and reviewing inquiries from a slew of new operators interested in becoming licensed in Antigua and Barbuda.

 

Although she could not give a figure on how many inquiries have been received, McDonald said budgetary projections, based on what has so far been logged, show a significant increase of 100 percent.

 

After initially being excluded from the UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport white list (see previous InfoPowa reports) the Antiguan government appealed the decision and negotiated its way on to the list late in November this year.  By becoming white listed, remote gaming operators based in the islands were allowed the opportunity to advertise their services to consumers in the UK.

 

McDonald said it was additionally a form of endorsement for Antigua's regulatory regime, and that it could be an element in the increased interest in the island jurisdiction. But she also noted that her department's upgrade in the licensing and regulatory requirements had played a role in raising the profile of the country and creating meaningful business interest.

 

The potential of more operators creating better employment opportunities was touched on by McDonald, who said: "Obviously, to have a gaming company operating in Antigua means more than just having the hardware equipment here. Key personnel, key management and key operators are required to be in Antigua and Barbuda; this is of utmost importance."

 

McDonald told the Antigua Sun that the global recession had "to some degree" affected the gaming industry judging by the reports she had seen, but she added: "It is also widely believed that the gaming industry is the last to go into recession because some persons, when dealing with certain pitfalls look towards entertainment."

 

Antigua and Barbuda will be exhibiting at the ICE(i) show in London late January, along with other jurisdictions such as Malta, the Isle of Man and Alderney.

 

 

Christmas arrived early for a New Zealand woman this year, or so she thought. The woman was playing a land slot in Dunedin, New Zealand when it briefly showed a $A 36 million jackot hit...but she then found the machine was faulty and she had really won only $A 420.

 

Otago mental health worker Verna Brown said that for '' a brief, wonderful moment'' she thought she was a multi-millionairess after feeding $A 11.75 (NZ$ 14) into the poker machine at the Law Courts Hotel in Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island. But a malfunction light was flashing on the machine and rather than call in the receivers, the hotel called a technician.

 

Brown thought she had won nearly $A36 million ($NZ42million) - and even fielded a light-hearted marriage proposal from a fellow pokie player.

 

She said: "I went up to the bar and said, 'I just won $42 million' - I think the bar lady thought that I had had a few," she told the Otago Daily Times.

 

Hotel co-owner Eric Olsen said: "When I saw it, I thought I would have to sell the hotel and mortgage myself for 200 years!"

 

The faulty parts were sent back to the Japanese manufacturer and two-and-a-half weeks later unlucky Verna was told the truth - there was no instant fortune in her future.

 

However, she insists she has no need for the millions and was happy with her $A420 ($NZ500).

 

 

Following some months of Italian "play-for-fun" poker operations, the London-listed software provider Playtech plc has announced the successful launch of a "play for real money" poker network in the rapidly expanding Italian poker market.

 

Following license agreements, announced earlier in the second half of this year (see previous InfoPowa reports), with leading Italian operators Snai s.r.l., Gala Coral's Eurobet Italia SpA , Sisal SpA and Cogetech SpA, all operators are now offering "play for real money" products on Playtech's Italian poker network. 

 

Having entered the regulated Italian poker market, Playtech and its licensees are committed to meeting all of the Italian regulatory standards to ensure end users are at all times enjoying a fully compliant poker solution, the company said in its statement. 

 

A spokesman said that Playtech's Italian poker network has been designed to appeal to the taste of Italian players, who seek a strong P2P community and high player liquidity. The product utilises Playtech's well proved back office system with the appropriate customisation for the local market, and this has been fully integrated with the licensees' systems in order to ensure a seamless gaming experience for the player.

 

Mor Weizer, Chief Executive Officer of Playtech, commented: "We are delighted with the launch of the Italian poker network. Playtech is committed to expanding its global reach in regulated markets across the world and working with the local regulator to bring a fully compliant product offering to market. The recent launch with leading Italian operators Snai s.r.l., Gala Coral's Eurobet Italia SpA , Sisal SpA and Cogetech SpA set our foothold in the Italian market which will lead to a prominent position in that market. The launch of the play for real network in Italy testifies to our extensive experience in penetrating new regulated markets with our best of breed software platform."

 

 

Capitalising on the trend towards social networking in Internet gambling, a savvy webmaster has been making good progress with a website branded Twitter Poker Tour.com, which sets up weekly online poker micro-tourneys at PokerStars and Full Tilt and is modeled on the comfy “home game” concept.  "Just a group of online friends playing poker," the site describes itself, providing a venue where poker players can use the "tweets" concept (text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length) to communicate, socialise...and get into some low budget poker action.

 

It's apparently catching on, with up to 50 players a week active and the numbers growing fast, claims Trevor Holewinski, the man behind the scenes.  That's not too bad, considering he only started out in late October this year, although he has had some prior experience, having founded PokerPlasm.

 

Momentum rarely builds by itself, and Holewinski is clearly a clued up guy when it comes to promoting TPT. He inspans regulars who visit his site to spread the word, using not only Wikipedia, search engines, other portals, blogs, widgets and online media outlets, but social networking vehicles like YouTube, Digg, Stumble, Delicious, Facebook, Reddit and Sphinn with considerable skill and success.

 

TPT keeps players in the loop on tournaments, but generates its own social networking as well, with a chat room and blog, prizes, polls, a leader board, social media buttons and other interesting and useful content that gathers up players and takes them to the action.

 

Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS, or email, or through applications such as Tweetie, TwitterFon, Twitterrific, Feedalizr, and Facebook. Four gateway numbers are currently available for SMS: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, and a United Kingdom-based number for international use.

 

Twitter Poker Tour events are usually based on a $5.50 buy-in, No Limit Hold’em format, and the site does not take any rake on its tourneys or charge for membership, indicating that the business model is aimed at building traffic with the future in mind.

 

Illustrating the power of social networking, Twitter itself was founded in early 2006 and has become an Internet phenomenon, with well over 5 million visitors in the latest stats for September 2008 alone, a fivefold increase in a month. The company is backed by Union Square Ventures, Digital Garage, Spark Capital and Bezos Expeditions, led by Jeff Bezos of Amazon fame.

 

 

The British newspaper The Daily Mail, a publication not known for taking a positive view on gambling generally, has published a report in which it claims that Britain's 284 000 [potentially] problem gamblers are estimated to have run up debt of GBP 5 billion.

 

The newspaper compares this amount with the GBP 2.7 billion prime minister Gordon Brown borrowed to extricate the government from the recent 10p general tax fiasco.

 

The Daily Mail's calculations are based on a government figure of 284 000 individuals with the potential to become hooked on betting in Britain, and an average number estimated at GBP 17 500 which problem gambling watchdogs say is the individual level of debt.

 

"It means that those who struggle to control their gambling owe GBP 4.9 billion," the newspaper claims. "Yet not a single National Health Service trust has a dedicated gambling addiction treatment programme."

 

The figures on debt levels were uncovered after the opposition Tory Party analysed betting industry data.

 

The party's culture spokesman Jeremy Hunt said: "The Government has shown a complete lack of leadership and has shamefully and irresponsibly turned a blind eye to the level of debt racked up by gamblers. It is deeply concerning  -  especially at a time when people are struggling to cope with the economic downturn  -  that vulnerable people are drowning in huge gambling debts.

 

"The Government must take problem gambling addiction seriously."

 

The report reveals that Britain spends only GBP10 per person on support for problem gamblers - far less than Canada (GBP 40) and New Zealand (GBP 44). In October, the Daily Mail revealed that the number of problem gamblers seeking help had rocketed by 25 percent since the Labour Party government relaxed the country's gambling rules.

 

Nearly 38 000 people called a betting addiction hotline last year compared with just over 30 000 in the previous year, according to Gamcare. Average levels of debt had grown from GBP 13 800 to GBP 17 500, added the UK's best-known gambling addiction charity.

 

UK betting generated GBP 2 billion in taxes. The Culture Department said the number of problem gamblers had not increased since 1999 and added: "We have the power to take action if problem levels increase."

 

 

After months of anticipation, it looks as if the new year will at last see legalised online gambling in the Czech Republic. Radio Praha reports that after years of lobbying (see previous InfoPowa reports), and promises to prevent minors from betting on their websites, the country’s five biggest bookies will soon receive permits from the Finance Ministry to introduce online gambling.

 

One of those firms is believed to be Fortuna - and company exec Tomáš Bahník explained why the decision was so important for the firms. He told the radio station's reporter: “We are sad and bitter that foreign Internet betting companies are allowed to operate in the Czech Republic without any control. There is no legal restriction. So basically they operate in this country illegally. So we want to have the same opportunities as foreign companies.”

 

Bahnik claimed that local betting companies could be losing out on several hundred million a year to foreign companies offering Internet gambling from outside the Czech Republic, but making no contribution to taxes or employment within the Republic.

 

The betting company executive said that the action date for the issue of the licenses was January 5 2009, and that those companies in line to receive licenses have been preparing their operations and will be ready to launch on that date.

 

He added that the regulatory regime would be tough and closely monitored, which he claimed was in contrast to the offerings of foreign online companies.

 

"Every person, including teenagers, can use [foreign company online gambling sites] Internet betting without control," Bahnik alleged. "Our main goal is to control this situation. If someone wants to bet through Fortuna on the Internet, they must register in a bricks and mortar office and show their ID. Only then will they be allowed to play. We don’t accept credit cards but only regular payment cards because we don’t support gambling and gamblers and we don’t want people to become addicted to Internet betting. That’s something foreign companies don’t do.”

 

Bahnik added that the preparedness of local companies to comply with such strict regulation and precautions to ensure the safety of gamblers was one of the main reasons that persuaded government to agree to a licensing and regulatory system.

 

Asked about the competitive potential for online gambling vs. traditional Czech bricks and mortar establishments. Bahnik said it was unlikely that the new online betting era would herald a reduction in land casino venues. He used neighbouring Slovakia as an example, where regulated online gambling had revealed that Internet operations took about 20 percent of the market, leaving the rest to more traditional land companies and betting locations.

 

 

Towcester Racecourse chief executive Chris Palmer (34) is to sever an 11-year association with Lord Hesketh and start a new job with Ladbrokes in February, reports the Northamptonshire Chronicle. Palmer will replace Alan Ross as corporate development director at the UK gambling giant.

 

Palmer is respected for pioneering the successful 'free admission' policy at Towcester which is now in its sixth season, and has also been managing director of the Hesketh Family Office, overseeing business and Hesketh family affairs during a period when the estate was sold and the racecourse was put up for sale.  Palmer previously headed GG Media.

 

He jokingly referred to his new post as corporate development director as "...rather like being gamekeeper turned poacher."

 

"I decided it was time for me to grow and learn different skills," Palmer told the regional newspaper. "It's a new and exciting challenge, particularly in developing Ladbrokes's business in the UK and internationally. I hope my experience will help to bring the racing and betting parties closer together."

 

In September, Lord Hesketh put the racecourse up for sale for GBP10 million after the same figure had been spent on its improvement in the form of a new grandstand and stabling block facilities over a 10 year period. Palmer has been involved in negotiations with a number of interested parties.

 

Palmer will join Ladbrokes in February 2009.

 

 

Big money game poker enthusiasts and pros alike will be heading to the Poker Stars.com site on December 28th to have a crack at the boosted $2.5 million guaranteed Sunday Million tourney. By increasing the guarantee by a million dollars, the management is confident that there will be a big surge in interest in the regular offering.

 

PokerStars told its members earlier this week: “The world’s biggest weekly tournament is about to get bigger for World Record Week. PokerStars is guaranteeing a prize pool of $2.5 million in the December 28 Sunday Million. The buy-in remains at $215!”

 

PokerStars will offer its members a chance to become a part of history in an attempt to hold the world’s largest poker tournament (see previous InfoPowa report). The $11 buy-in event carries a $500 000 guaranteed prize pool and is capped at 35 000 people. PokerStars generated a massive field of 20 000 players the last time it attempted such a feat, with a much lower guaranteed prize pool of only $100 000.

 

The company's Sunday Warm-Up - also a $215 buy-in tournament - is also in for a boost, with the guarantee increased by $250 000 to a tempting $1 million on December 28th. The cards fly in that tournament at 12:45pm ET.

 

Taking last Sunday's action at Poker Stars as a guide, the activities on December 28th should be remarkable to say the least. The Sunday Million last week soared through the guarantee level when some 8 015 players clicked to the site, creating a total prize pool of $1.6 million and overtaking the guarantee by $100 000.

 

Keeping the pressure on its competitors, PokerStars has also announced that it is to offer cash prizes for players involved in every one-millionth hand dealt. In Micro-Stakes games, the winner of the hand will take home $250 and the rest of the table will pocket $100 each. In Low-Stakes games, the winner of the hand will take home an additional $500 and his or her opponeent $200. In Medium-Stakes games, winners will take home $1 000 and the rest will win $400. But in High-Stakes tables, the winner will receive $2 000, while others present at the table will take home $800.

 

 

For weeks now, the UK 'white Christmas' gamblers have been tuning in to weather predictions before placing their bets on whether there would be snowfalls on Christmas Day, but as it turned out it was the bookies who got it right this year, with some avoiding a potential million pound payout by doing so.

 

Bookmakers William Hill plc took a record number of bets on the possibility of snow on Christmas Day, following heavy snowfalls earlier in December, reports The Daily Telegraph. However, although it was a chilly day, there was no snow.

 

Rupert Adams, spokesman for the company, told the Telegraph that it was a relief for the bookmakers - although it may be a disappointment for gamblers.

 

"Much like the abominable snowman, Britain's favourite festive flutter is in danger of becoming extinct as snowfall becomes increasingly rare in December," said Adams. "But we are not sorry to see no snow as it would have cost us a monster million pound-plus payout."

 

Christmas Day was cloudy and cold but dry, with a brisk wind blowing in from the east, the newspaper reported, adding that the London Met Office is forecasting that the weather will get colder over the next few days as the cloud lifts, and there will be overnight frosts across the country. Temperatures will be around 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) although it will be warmer in the cities.

 

William Hill says to qualify as a white Christmas one flake of snow has to fall in one of 14 different areas designated in the bet. For example a bet on a white Christmas in London would only pay out if one flake of snow falls on Buckingham Palace.

 

 

The Korea Times reported the arrest on illegal gambling charges of an unlikely den of gamblers - five Buddhist monks - this week.

 

The monks were picked up in a police raid on a poker game involving millions of won taking place in a hotel near Mount Songni, a spokesman revealed.

 

Speaking from the Boeun Police Station in North Chungcheong Province, the spokesman told Korea Times reporters that the five betting monks had more than 9 million won (about $6 700) in play at the hotel, where they were staying whilst attending a national Buddhist religious event.

 

"We were tipped off that a group of monks were gambling,'' a police officer said.

 

 

The incoming Obama Administration's announcement that Eric Holder is to be appointed Attorney General of the United States may moderate expectations that the new president might take a more liberated approach to Internet gambling.

 

Although well qualified professionally for the post, Holder's past associations with lobbyists for the powerful and vehemently anti-online gambling National Football League, and service in a Department of Justice which has proved to be strongly opposed to Internet gambling, are not encouraging indicators.

 

Holder was Deputy Attorney General to Janet Reno, and moved on from that post to join Washington lobbyist law firm Covington and Burling, which was recently in the news when it was revealed that its former lobbyist, William Wichterman, had been a key driver in pushing the UIGEA regulations through in a 'midnight drop' operation (see previous InfoPowa reports). Wichterman had worked on the NFL account for the company during his employment there, raising questions of a conflict of interest which were brushed aside by the Bush White House.

 

Like Wichterman, the National Football League was one of the accounts on which Holder worked during his tenure at Covington and Burling.

 

Observers have also pointed to Holder's Department of Justice involvement in the past, suggesting that this is not a good harbinger for the future, given the Department's entrenched and at times inequitable policies in online gambling prosecutions and legislative views.

 

 

The online gambling affiliate marketer's community website Casino Affiliate Programs.com has released details of its next conference, CAP Spring Break 2009, which it promises will be "...larger in scope and expectations than previous events."

 

Taking place in Cancun, Mexico for a full week, the conference will run from Saturday, March 21 through Saturday, March 28, 2009 with all activities and group accommodations based at the Paradisus Riviera Cancun Resort, an upmarket five-star resort on the water’s edge that is available at special discounted rates to conference attendees.

 

“More details will come soon, but we’d like to take this early opportunity to welcome all CAP members and anyone else interested in the online gaming affiliate marketing industry to CAP Spring Break 2009, in gorgeous Cancun!” stated Lou Fabiano, founder and president of Casino Affiliate Programs.com. “We’ve gone all out this year and reserved perhaps the best hotel ever for a CAP event, while expanding the spring break action to a full week in the fun-filled tropics of Mexico.”

 

CAP Spring Break 2009 is designed to bring a combination of high-powered networking and world-class, interactive discussion panels and speakers to a fun, relaxing, and warm environment, say the orgnaisers. According to the event’s website, the conference will offer sponsored parties in the city’s hottest clubs, sponsored recreational and networking activities and the latest round of the Affiliate Series of Poker (ASOP).

 

More details here: http://www.capspringbreak.com.