Disgraced lobbyist pleads guilty to several charges

Disgraced former US lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to nearly six years in jail this week for conspiracy and fraud.

Abramoff had pleaded guilty to the charges, which relate to the purchase of a fleet of casino boats in 2000. In a separate case, he admitted to tax evasion, defrauding his clients and conspiring to bribe public officials.

An ongoing federal inquiry is said to be focusing on his dealings with up to 20 politicians in Congress.

The case has sent shockwaves through Washington's political establishment, raising fears that in reaction to its disclosures on Abramoff's activities as an anti-prohibitionist lobbier, politicians may vote for online gambling banning Bills currently in process.

The federal judge in Miami gave Abramoff a total of 70 months - five years and 10 months - in jail this week. Abramoff and his former business partner - Adam Kidan - were accused of faking a wire transfer of $23 million (GBP 13 million) to obtain loans for the purchase of the SunCruz casino.

The sentence was the minimum under his plea agreement in the case.

Kidan was also sentenced to 70 months in jail. Both were also ordered to pay $21.7 million (GBP 12.5 million) in restitution.

Abramoff said in court that the case was "incredibly painful" for him personally, but also for his family and his friends. "In the past few years I have begun the process of becoming a new man," he said.

Abramoff - along with Kidan - does not have to begin serving his sentences for another 90 days in order to be able to continue co-operating in the separate Washington case. In January 2006 Abramoff admitted to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe. A day later he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy in SunCruz case.

In his January disclosures, Abramoff pleaded guilty to defrauding the Native American tribes that were his clients, to tax evasion and to conspiring to bribe public officials.

The wide-ranging federal inquiry began in 2004 after reports that he and business partner Michael Scanlon had received some $45 million (GBP 26 million) from Native American tribes with casinos.

Abramoff was accused of exploiting the tribes to enrich himself and his friends, and offering politicians in both houses of Congress lavish meals, tickets to major sporting events and trips. He was a major fundraiser for Republican politicians, including the former house republican leader Tom Delay. Most have now deserted him and denied any wrongdoing.

No date has been set for sentencing in the second case, but his co-operation with investigators is likely to lead to a reduced jail term.

The speculation is over - Playtech is going for it

The speculation on when turnkey provider Playtech will launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and where it will be has been intense for several months, but this week it came to an end with the company's successful admission to the London AIM exchange and the start of dealing in its shares.

Company announcements said that dealings in its ordinary shares would commence at 8.00 am Tuesday 28 March, and gave the following performance highlights:

* The placing has raised approximately GBP 265.2 million gross through a placing of 103 142 466 ordinary shares (the 'Placing Shares') at 257 pence per ordinary share. The company has raised net proceeds of approximately GBP 31.8 million. The ordinary shares, subject to the placing, represent approximately 48 per cent of Playtech's total issued ordinary shares.

* The shares will trade under the ticker symbol PTEC.L.

* Collins Stewart acted as sole bookrunner, nominated advisor and joint broker. Seymour Pierce acted as joint broker.

* The placing values Playtech at approximately GBP 548 million, reflecting the total number of ordinary shares in issue of 213 333 333.

* The Placing Shares have been placed with a broad range of international institutional investors.

* In the two year period ended 31 December 2005, Playtech recorded a 268 percent increase in revenues to US$47.6 million. In the same period, post tax profit increased from approximately US$8.3 million in 2003 to US$35.6 million in 2005.

Roger Withers, who has over 30 years of experience in the leisure and gaming industries, has been appointed non-Executive Chairman with effect from Admission.

Commenting on the launch, Avigur Zmora, Chief Executive Officer of Playtech, said: "The outstanding interest in Playtech's shares from both US and UK investors is a clear endorsement of the company's offering, business model and prospects. We look forward to life as a plc and to continuing the growth of the business."

IPO launch makes public the men behind the Board table

Turnkey provider Playtech's launch this week puts flesh on some of the executive names associated with a company that has in the past been slow to communicate, especially with the player community in online gambling. The Board shows substantial depth in management expertise at both technical and administrative levels.

Chairman of the Board is Roger Withers (aged 63), Non-executive Chairman, who has over 30 years' experience in the leisure and gaming industries. In 1973, he joined Ladbrokes (Hilton) where he held a number of senior positions in the bookmaking, casino, lottery and gaming machine divisions. In 1986, he joined Bass where his roles included managing director of BMLS and Coral Racing and executive chairman of Bass Leisure South Africa. He retired from Bass in 1998. Roger currently has a number of other non-executive directorships, including Chairman of Arena Leisure plc and senior independent non-executive director of FireOne Plc.

Avigur Zmora (aged 32), Chief Executive Officer
This executive joined the Playtech Group in July 2002 and became the Group's Chief Executive Officer in February 2006. Prior to joining the Group, Avigur was chief financial officer of Teddy Sagy's New Age Ventures Limited, a Tel Aviv listed company that served as an incubator to several successful technology companies, including Playtech. Sagy remains the majority shareholder in Playtech. Prior to this, Avigur was controller and chief financial officer of Gateway 4 You Limited, a Tel Aviv listed company and a payment processing firm specialising in credit card fraud protection. Avigur qualified as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen after national service in the Israeli defence forces.

Thomas Hall (aged 38), Business Development Director
Tom is the Group's Business Development Director and former Chief Executive Officer, having been with the Group since 2002. Based in Asia, he has been primarily responsible for overseeing global customer growth and the development of customised software solutions for the Asian marketplace. From 1995 until he joined the Playtech Group in 2002, he was chief executive officer of TTR Strategic Holdings Limited ('TTR'), an Asia Pacific focused financial services group. Tom remains a non-executive director of NAV Limited, a financial services data processing subsidiary of TTR. Prior to that, he worked in Swiss private banking and private client financial services in the UK and Hong Kong. He also serves as non-executive chairman of the affiliate, Emphasis Services Limited, an Asian gaming consultancy and venture capital firm.

Moshe Barak (aged 37), Chief Financial Officer
Moshe joined the Playtech Group in December 2005 and was appointed Chief Financial Officer with effect from 1 March 2006 having previously been financial controller of ImageSat International N.V., a leading provider of satellite imagery services to worldwide customers. Prior to this, Moshe worked at Arthur Andersen in Israel where he qualified as a certified public accountant.

Rafael Ashkenazi (aged 31), Chief Operating Officer
Rafi joined the Playtech Group as Chief Operating Officer of the Playtech Group in January 2006. From 2001 until 2005, Rafi was VP of project & products for SQLink Group, an Israeli company and provider of end-to-end IT services specialising in on-site software consulting and services. Prior to this, Rafi worked for Hapoalim Bank, the largest bank in Israel, as a system analyst and developer.

Alan Jackson (aged 63), Non-executive Director
Alan has over 30 years' experience in the leisure industry. From 1973 to 1991, he occupied a number of positions at Whitbread, principally as managing director of Beefeater steakhouse and also the Whitbread restaurant division where he was responsible for the creation and development of the Beefeater, Travel Inn and TGI Friday brands. In 1991, he founded his own business which became Inn Business Group plc in 1995 and was subsequently acquired by Punch Taverns plc in 1999. He chaired Oriental Restaurant Group plc until its sale to Noble House in 2000 and has been chairman of The Restaurant Group plc since 2001. He is currently non-executive chairman of Charles Wells Limited and a non-executive director of De Vere Group plc and Regent Inns plc.

Omer Shvili (aged 28), Non-executive Director
Omer has been involved in the online gambling industry for several years, having co-founded iBetcha.com in 1999 and served as the company's president and chairman between 1999 and 2000. Omer was also a co-founder of BettingCorp Limited which was formed in 2000. Both iBetcha.com and BettingCorp developed proprietary online gaming platforms. In 2000, iBetcha.com was acquired by Uproar Inc., then a publicly traded company on NASDAQ which was subsequently acquired by Vivendi Universal. Between 2000 and 2002, Omer served as vice president responsible for business development within Vivendi Universal's Internet Games division in New York. In 2003, BettingCorp was acquired by OpenTV. Omer is also a co-founder and director of Skibo Partners Management Limited, a Cayman Islands' based investment management firm.

The surprise ommission from the list is undoubtedly Elad Cohen, for many years the public face of Playtech and its CEO. He seems to have dropped off the Playtech radar despite being a shareholder and deeply involved employee from the companys earliest years.

Online casino group Grand Prive penalised for underage culpability

The Grand Prive online casino group seems to have undergone a decline in recent times, manifested in a series of mistakes and bad management decisions that have attracted the condemnation of many in the player community.

This week the group reached something of a nadir when it was on the receiving end of a damning "rogue" listing at the respected and influential Casinomeister portal regarding an underage gambling incident that took place almost a year ago.

It is claimed that in the incident, a nineteen-year-old Nevadan registered at six of the nine gambling operations in the Grand Prive group, openly stating her age and Nevada domicile (see previous InfoPowa reports) This was in contravention of various and in parts conflicting T&Cs at the casino.

But, and this is at the centre of the resulting uproar, she was allowed to register, wager and play over a period of some three months, making deposits and withdrawals that at one time reached $5 000. And, astonishingly neither the casino's systems or management picked her up or requested ID until a particularly large win (the casino claims) flagged the account and the T&C contraventions. This resulted in the return of all deposits (and previously paid wins were not pursued) and a lockout that included the disqualification of the substantial winnings in her account.

Because the Grand Prive group bears the "Play It Safe" seal of eCommerce and Online Gaming, Regulation and Assurance, an international standards and regulation body overseeing some 66 top tier sites, the teenager's case was appealed to this body and the watchdog Casinomeister, both of which ruled that under no circumstances could payment be made to an underage player.

Unwilling to accept the denial of her winnings, the player then went to the Internet message boards, urged on by supportive players. A major and at times emotional debate developed on the fairness of her treatment and which underage laws were applicable in a cross-border business like online gaming. Inevitably, the casino's actions were viewed with suspicion, and accusations were made that it had played the underage card to avoid paying out a large sum. Critics of eCOGRA as usual seized the opportunity to launch discrediting attacks on the body.

Long story short, the player continued to pursue her claim, and the casino group refused to recognise it's validity or its own culpability in allowing the underage gambling to go on for so long. Issue deadlocked.

Suggestions made to the casino that would have enabled it to at least show that the allegations that it was cheating for corporate gain were false were spurned, but finally it was its apparent negligence in not earlier identifying the underage nature of the player that triggered a rogue listing.

In imposing this indictment, the Casinomeister pointed out that fairness is not the only issue here. It is also an online casino's accountability, responsibility, and their relationship with the online casino industry.

"The casino failed to do it's due diligence," Casinomeister owner Bryan Bailey writes. "They have all of the power within their means to prevent under age gambling. They relied solely on their terms and conditions, and in these times when underage gambling is such a hot topic - this is unacceptable."

Bailey goes on to emphasise that more proactive counter measures should be routine over and above relying on T&Cs that place the onus on the gambler to declare and police his or her activities, describing such sole reliance as "....a careless and irresponsible attitude to take. There is no excuse to have let this happen.

"The casino failed us - those [of us] who work in this industry - by not making a bold statement to this episode. I was trying to convince them that the only way to face this would be to take this player's winnings and donate them to either a charity of her choice, or to some other organisation - perhaps Gamblers Anonymous. This would have nullified the notion that this casino was being selective. Hopefully it would have made the player feel that her negative experience was transposed into something positive - feeding hungry kids, providing counseling to problem gamblers, giving the homeless a home.

"It would have saved a lot of anguish for the casino. And most importantly, it would have demonstrated to everyone that casinos will not profit from catering to underage gamblers. But in the casino's short-sightedness, they have chosen not to do this."

Voicing his frustration, Bailey says: "I feel that this casino group has let everyone in this industry down by just letting this be and not engaging themselves in this problem. And I question how many more players like this one are out there.

"I hope this serves as a wake up call to operators who are not doing their due diligence on protecting their players, their casino, and the online casino industry. Grand Prive Casino group, welcome to the rogues."

The venues affected by the rogue listing are as follows:

http://www.casinomeister.com/rogue/grandprive.html
Bella Vegas Online
Casino Grand Bay
Grand Bay Poker
Kasino Grand Bay
Lake Palace Casino
Jupiter Club Casino
Road House REELS Casino
Fortune Junction (Flash) Casino
Jackpot Wheel (Flash) Casino

Driving home the prevalence of attempts by teenagers to gamble online this week were a number of reports at the Camelblog. In one a young player won a tournament with a first prize of almost a million dollars...and this was not his first such truimph - at age 17 in 2004 he had won $300 000 that year alone! Readers of tournament success stories will recently have noticed how many "young guns" are appearing at the final tables and winning big money.

All of this underlines the imperative for every single online operator to revisit the underage and problem gambling counter measures he or she has deployed and seek ways to strengthen and improve same. Underage gamblers are a determined, often unscrupulous and tech-savvy breed and relying merely on the disqualification power of T&Cs if or when they are caught is hopelessly insufficient in today's international climate.

UK media angle is that online gaming is on a roll

The UK media have been reporting the first two days trading on the recently floated Playtech stock this week in London, concluding that the healthy performance was an indication that the investor interest in online gaming remains high.

The GBP 548 million AIM flotation of Playtech showed that investors on both sides of the Atlantic are for now disregarding the attempts in the USA to ban this form of entertainment over the Internet and commit cash to an industry which has been in existence for a little over ten years, currently generating annual revenues around $11 billion.

Reports reveal that the Playtech IPO was some five times oversubscribed when broker Collins Stewart offered stock to investors, the shares soon left the 257pence placing price miles behind. They touched 274 pence on hefty turnover of 37 million, business press reported.

Israeli entrepreneur and largest shareholder Teddy Sagi is about GBP 90 million richer this week after selling 25 percent of his shareholding in the float. He still retains a stake worth in excess of GBP 218 million.

Operator and politician in war of words

The online football pools site The Pool.com was sporting a bright pink "BANNED" notice across it's splash page this week, although entry was still possible. The probable cause was a row the operator has had with the Advertising Standards Authority and UK Secretary for Culture Tessa Jowell over advertising aimed at young people.

The Guardian Online reported that following criticism by Jowell, and a requirement by the ASA to pull it's adverts, Pool.com hit back by saying that 16- and 17-year-olds can bet legally on pools and if the minister does not like it she should change the law.

The Pool.com defended the pulled campaign, which was branded "utterly reprehensible" by Ms Jowell, saying that it "did not believe highlighting that 16- or 17-year-olds can bet legally is socially irresponsible".

"The law clearly states that people of 16 or 17 can bet on pools, as they can on the National Lottery and in fact purchase premium bonds," the company said in a statement. "If the secretary of state feels that the law is wrong she should take action to change it."

It also expressed "surprise" at the actions of Lord Borrie, the ASA chairman, who took the unusual step of personally ordering the ads to be withdrawn before an investigation was conducted.

The Pool.com said it was contacted by the ASA over concerns about its advertising and as a result "we immediately amended the ad to remove explicit references to the fact that 16-year-olds are legally able to take part in pool bets".

The ASA said it will also investigate whether the ads breached clauses in its code stating that advertising of gaming services should not encourage excessive gambling, exploit the young or immature or be prepared in a socially irresponsible manner.

The Pool.com said that it wanted to stay within the non-broadcast regulatory code of the ASA and cooperate with the investigation, but added that it does not "seek to promote gambling to those aged 16 or 17, nor does it seek to market irresponsibly".

The ad campaign, which has appeared in London freesheet Metro, a men's lifestyle magazine and as a promotional leaflet, features scantily clad women and lines such as "Why wait 'til 18? Bet at 16" and "Make lots of money when your friends join too".

Women and showbiz the themes for new programming

Celebrity poker play on the theme "Women's Poker" and "Showbiz Poker" will be aired on British TV in April, sponsored by 888.com through its Pacific Poker subsidiary.

The shows, on the Challenge television network will run every night, with "Women's Poker" starting at 10 p.m. for two weeks beginning on April 3. "Showbiz Poker" will air weekdays at 10:30 p.m. starting on April 17.

"Women's Poker" will feature celebrity poker enthusiasts, established poker pros, and home viewers as the contestants, while "Showbiz Poker" will be a celebrity-based tournament-style series awarding a prize pool of GBP 25 000.

Challenge TV exec Celia Taylor said that the number of women playing poker was increasing dramatically in a formerly male-dominated game: "We're always ahead of the game in poker programming and women are about to clean up in the male dominated poker world," she said.

Other poker shows and tournaments broadcast by Challenge TV include the World Poker Tour (WPT), Celebrity Poker Showdown, Ultimate Poker Challenge, and the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Annual profit more than doubles, and users now at 2.5 million

Neteller fans who watched its stellar performance last year but didn't buy shares in it were probably kicking themselves this week as the e-cash processor delivered outstanding annual numbers.

The publicly listed company said its annual profit more than doubled, fuelled by robust growth in the online gambling industry, and predicted further strong expansion in 2006.

Neteller reported its 2005 pretax profit came in at $97.8 million, up 114 percent from $ 45.8 million the previous year, while revenues jumped 108 percent to $172.1 million.

The Isle of Man-based company, now arguably the biggest supplier of money transfer services to internet gamblers, said its customer base had reached the 2.5 million threshold in the first quarter of 2006, and predicted further strong growth over the year as a whole.

CEO Ron Martin reported: "2006 promises to be another impressive year in the growth and expansion of Neteller."

However, the company did caution on one dark cloud on its horizon. With 95 percent of its revenues originating in the US, the proposed US legislation aimed at cracking down on the burgeoning internet gambling industry could "materially adversely" affect it, the report noted.

Earlier this month, draft legislation from Rep. James Leach designed to prevent online gambling companies from accepting payment via credit cards or electronic fund transfers came closer to becoming law after being approved by a Congressional committee.

Analysts have said the company also faces a fresh competitive threat from larger rival Paypal, which recently began offering payment transfers to online gamblers in Europe and the UK.

Neteller shares closed at 734 pence following the publication of the results, valuing the company at about GBP 883 million.

Most state attorney generals join plea to legislature to impose internet gaming ban

With the latest American political attempts to legislate against online gambling warming up, 49 of the 50 state Attorney Generals in the the USA have appealed to Congress to ban this form of online entertainment.

Allegedly motivated by concerns about gambling addiction and of too many college students turning from video games to Internet casinos for entertainment, state legislatures are considering ways to control the boom in online gambling say media reports from America.

With Internet gambling revenues quadrupling over the past five years to build a multi-billion dollar industry, the AGs seek to combat the proliferation of Internet gambling. Last week Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro joined with fellow attorneys general from across the nation in urging Congress to pass legislation to halt the games.

The legislation, submitted in different Senate and Congress proposals by Sen Jon Kyl and Representatives Leach and Goodlatte would prohibit using the Internet to operate online casinos and restrict the use of financial instruments by Americans. There has also been talk of forcing ISPs to block gambling sites, something which is widely seen as an attempt to censor the Internet and will therefore not sit well with many citizens. There are understood to be 130 sponsors signed up for the Leach Bill currently in the House.

The international and cross-border nature of the Internet raises serious enforcement problems for such legislation, because most online casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks are based off-shore and not subject to US law. However, Americans comprise the majority of players, and American restrictions would not be welcome. Another contentious point is the selective nature of previous banning attempts, which have allowed exceptions for some Internet gaming types but not others. And finally there is the right of individual states to control events within their own borders rather than having Federal requirements imposed.

Petro and his fellow AGs argue that simply because the game is played online it does not erase the problems associated with gambling. They claim states must still address issues of game integrity, effective consumer dispute resolution procedures, access to gambling by minors, money laundering and other criminal activity, as well as compulsive gambling.

Proponents of online gambling point out that the major companies in the industry have repeatedly asked to be legalised, taxed and regulated in the USA.

Without federal action, the states will be left to clean up the problems online gaming creates, Petro said in a news release justifying the appeal for national prohibition.

Respected lawyer says the industry has "never been more vulnerable"

The adverse impact of the American political lobbying scandal is just one factor making this year's attempts by U.S. politicians to ban online gambling particularly dangerous, says prominent American lawyer Lawrence G. Walters in a story carried this week by IGN.

After eight years of seemingly-endless legislative proposals, committee debates, and defeats, news that United States lawmakers intended to propose yet another round of prohibitionist legislation piqued little interest among industry leaders in early 2006, says Walters.

"However, in this author's view, the online gambling industry has never been more vulnerable to adverse United States legislation than right now," he continues in an informed and balanced article that will persuade industry people that complacency is not a good idea at present. InfoPowa recommends this detailed article as essential reading.

Harvard researcher says severe addiction affects 1 percent of Americans, problem gamblers a further 2 percent

There may or may not be a connection between the annual attempts of some U.S. politicians to put an end to Internet gambling and the slew of media reports on problem gamblers that always seems to accompany it, but this week without understating the dangers of a lack of moderation a Harvard researcher put the incidence of gamblers vulnerable to addiction in perspective.

A Boston newspaper reported the view of Christine Riley, executive director of the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School.

In an article that posed the question: "So is the popularity of online gambling creating hordes of addicts too broke to cover their bets?" the South Bend Tribune quoted Riley as saying, "There's no empirical evidence to support an epidemic among anyone. Even with gambling more available than ever, exposure is not enough to create an addiction."

Riley goes on to say that the percentage of U.S. residents who develop severe gambling addiction is about 1 percent of the population. Another 2 percent are what she describes as "problem gamblers."

Research has shown that gambling problems are often paired with depression and/or substance abuse.

Now, what about the lottery, horse racing and fantasy sports exemptions?

The Washington-based publication The Hill carried an interesting article this week that examines the irony of a political situation in the USA where some politicians are being influenced to vote for proposed online gambling prohibition as a reaction to the Abramoff lobbying scandal.

Abramoff has been accused of working behind the scenes in past years to defeat anti-online gambling legislative attempts.

The Hill points out that the same Internet gambling legislation Abramoff fought so hard to defeat on behalf of a client that helped states conduct lotteries over the Internet now includes an exemption or "carve out" to protect those same lotteries!

Abramoff’s infamy and legal woes are currently driving anti-gambling legislation across Capitol Hill, even though one of the most prominent bills includes language that would protect his former client.

The piece reveals that two House bills, introduced separately by Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Jim Leach, seek to reinforce existing anti-gambling rules by updating telecommunications and financial-services laws to give enforcement agents more power to prosecute online gamblers who place bets on websites based outside the United States.

A previous version of Goodlatte’s bill was defeated on the suspension calendar in July 2000 after a last-minute push by Abramoff and his team to spread misinformation about the bill on behalf of his client at the time, eLottery, a Connecticut-based firm.

Abramoff is now out of the picture, but gambling interests remain powerful on Capitol Hill and the current crop of anti-gambling legislation reflects that sway. Versions of this legislation have passed the House twice and the Senate twice, but never in the same year. Both chambers now appear intent on bringing bills to the floor this year.

The Goodlatte and Leach bills, along with legislation introduced in previous years by Sen. Jon Kyl, attempt to crack down on the estimated $12 billion annual overseas gambling business, but none of those bills would regulate some closely related industries, in an attempt to avoid potential roadblocks.

In addition to the lottery exemption in Goodlatte’s bill, both pieces of legislation include language to protect fantasy sports from current anti-gambling laws, and the two bills also avoid a decades-long dispute between Congress and the Justice Department over the legality of interstate pari-mutuel betting on horse races.

The article in The Hill goes on to detail the historical steps that have previously been taken and defeated in attempts to kill off online gambling without upsetting influential interests who also make use of online wagering facilities.

Investment will be in future growth

One of the most player-respected online casinos and poker rooms on the Internet, 32 Red.com owned by the Trafalgar group has received a significant infusion of cash following a placement of almost 4 million ordinary shares ( 8 percent of its stock) with new institutional investors.

In a deal brokered by Numis Securities, the shares were valued at 140 pence each to raise GBP 5.3 million that has been earmarked for future expansion through marketing.

The placing involves the issue of 3 766 500 new ordinary shares - equivalent to approximately 8 percent of the company's existing ordinary share capital. It will widen 32 Red's shareholder base and increase liquidity. Proceeds will be used for the expansion of the the marketing programme, and the company continues to look at acquisition opportunities within the online gaming industry.

Commenting on the announcement, Ed Ware, 32Red's Chief Executive Officer, said: "It has been our intention since admission to AIM last September to widen the shareholder base and raise capital to invest in 32Red's future growth.

"We are delighted to have raised these funds, which will enable us to step up our focused marketing programme and enhance 32Red's profile and brand recognition. The additional capital will also give us increased resources to pursue strategic acquisitions that we feel would be complementary to 32Red's existing offering."

Fun and action combine 4 great new games to suit all tastes

Keeping their promise to players that King Neptune's will always be among the first with the latest in games, the Trident group has launched four new offerings this month at www.kingneptunescasino.com and www.tridentlounge.com.

Heading the list is the 5 reel, 25 payline video slot MOONSHINE with a “spirited” Hill Billy theme presented through hilarious cartoon graphics of exceptional quality. These front a highly entertaining and action-filled game with a generous measure of Wild, Scatter and Bonus Trigger Symbols and a unique player selection Free Spin feature.

The amusing graphics showcase Gun Totin’ Grandma rocking on the porch of her shack with a shed full of firewater in the backyard and a sheriff on her trail. These are all symbols players will want to see, because Grannie is the Wild, the Sheriff is the Scatter and those stone likker jars trigger some mighty interesting free spins - a great combination for thrills and reward.

Free spins are always a popular feature, and once activated the “pick until pop” selection screen in this game can reward players with up to 18 of these profit-makers with multipliers up to 4 x.

Betting the max, the potential returns are attractive – in the base game a jackpot of $20 000 is available, and that can grow to $80 000 with the right sort of luck on Free Spins.

DEUCES AND JOKER 100 PLAY POWER POKER is the latest in a series of six video poker games that offer this exciting, high speed style of gambling and expands the game to new levels of entertainment and reward. The 100 Play Power series is ideal for action-hungry gamblers who prefer to play up to 100 hands of video poker at a time with a wide choice of wagers.

This quality series is presented on the Viper platform, adding the very advanced attributes of this outstanding software to the major appeal of the games. In addition to autohold, the analyser tables give guidance on current odds and cover permutations to help make the right decision - a valuable player tool that enables faster and more accurate play. And players can set up personal "stop" budgets by win amount, lose amount or credit balance.

The new video slot ISIS links the magic and mystery of ancient Egypt with advanced state-of-the-art online gaming technology. This 5 reel, 25 payline game is enhanced for maximum excitement and entertainment with a wealth of features such as Wild and Scatter rewards, free spins and a gamble opportunity that enables the player to double or quadruple winnings by betting on colour and suit.

Jackpot wins of $25 000 are possible in the base game, boosted to $150 000 with good luck in the numerous reward features that will give the player hours of entertaining gameplay.

The ancient Egyptian theme is strongly carried by brightly coloured graphics featuring mysterious amulets, magic eyes and Coptic jars, but it’s the goddess Isis herself who is the centre of attraction, supported by high flying hawks. These two symbols carry the most rewards, with Isis the Wild trigger that doubles winning combinations and 3 or more hawks as the Scatter, initiating anything up to 30 free spins in which wins can be multiplied by 6 x and further free spins awarded.

The final game in the package will be popular with players who enjoy bonuses but prefer the uncomplicated basics of 3 reel, 1 payline slot action. FREE SPIRIT WHEEL OF WEALTH is carried on a brightly coloured wild mustang theme with fast action on a maximum $2 bet that can reap a $5 000 reward. Key to the riches is the Free Spirit symbol - get one of these and winnings can double, 2 and these are quadrupled…3 and the jackpot hits!

There are additional third reel thrills within this game, too. The bonus feature Wheel of Wealth is triggered whenever the Spin symbol lands on the third reel, allowing the player to spin for up to 1 000 coins if the bet is at the max of $2.

Group currently valued at GBP 92 million

The Leisure and Gaming betting group headed by Alistair Assheton has reported good 2005 results with net win up by 28 percent and a pretax profit of $13.2 million (GBP 7.6 million) Total net win was $80.9 million.

Assheton told Reuters the group had boosted online poker revenues "dramatically" since January 1, while casino revenues were up 26 percent and sports betting was up by 25 percent.

"This is a build-and-buy, so we're definitely looking to make acquisitions," he said. "Finding new products is key to us - products like bingo, skill-gaming and lottery," he added. "Most of our revenues come from North America and we're not uncomfortable there, but we'd like to find acquisitions in Europe, Asia or South America."

L&G has agreed a new $20 million bank facility with Barclays to use for acquisitions, he said.

With a new provider and network, Pokershare.com is back in business

Pokershare's tribulations with Excapsa are a thing of the past, with the profit participation site back online in a new partnership with the fast-growing Tain network, using poker software from the same company.

After four months analysing new softwares, PokerShare.com, the online poker room that shares its cash with its players, has launched a new site in Beta mode for now.

Tain is a Swedish company that did a Bodog-style deal with poker software developer MicroPower before it was acquired by Chartwell Technology, and has used this source code to introduce its own unique modifications and improvements. There are 6 gamestyles and the company has attracted big international companies like Parbet, Expekt, IndoBet, CBN and InniGame to its network, building up a creditable critical mass in only six months of operations.

Staffers at the ICE show in January told InfoPowa that the global player roster at that point included over 300 000 individuals, and numbers simultaneously on-network swing between 3 900 and 9 000. Tain has a Malta based Support which it is growing, and 12 major licensees.

Getting back to Pokershare's resurrection, the company has amicably settled its disagreement with Excapsa Software and Game Theory (see earlier InfoPowa reports) and has launched the new software. For now, PokerShare is available in Beta mode exclusively for existing players.

Poker room manager, Max Wright said, “We’re excited to finally return to the market, we have a great new product which I’m sure will be a hit with all of our old players. I want to get as much feedback as possible before we open the doors to new players next month.”

When PokerShare.com launched in 2005, it challenged the status quo in the online poker industry by providing poker players with an unmatched value proposition in what was and still is a crowded market place. PokerShare.com offered players the chance to share their success simply by playing; hence its meteoritic rise in popularity and a player outcry when it was booted off the Excapsa network.

CEO Lucan Toh says that the company will remain true to it's profit share principles, and even has plas for an online casino variation branded Casinoshare.com in the not-too-distant future.

“PokerShare was the first poker site in the world to offer its players the opportunity to share in its success,” said Toh. “We’re extremely proud of this and very excited about welcoming back our loyal customers on the Tain poker network. We’re looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Tain.”

The Poker Share Trust has the ultimate benefit of 40 percent ownership of PokerShare.com. It receives cash every month which it returns to the players through its unique Share Point Loyalty Programme. If PokerShare.com floats on the stock exchange or is bought by another company, players will receive cash based on the number of Share Points they have.

PokerShare.com is operated by Playit Ownit Limited and licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission through its parent company, GamShare Limited. Both GamShare Limited and Playit Ownit Limited are based in Gibraltar.

Slotland adds to its mobile inventory

ollowing on the success of its first two real-money slot machine games for the mobile phone platform, Slotland.com has launched another mobile slot machine. The "Golden 8" has long been a favourite at the popular slot machine website and now makes its debut on their new WAP gambling site for mobile phones and PDAs.

“We haven’t had a big jackpot winner on a mobile device yet,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “But all the mobile games are tied into the same progressive jackpots as our web games, so it’s bound to happen one day. Don’t be surprised if someone in the queue in front of you starts kissing their mobile phone in excitement someday – they may have just won $150,000!”

The Golden 8 mobile features a bonus round triggered by spinning Blue Diamonds. Bonus round bets are taken from the previous spin so a common strategy is to maximise bets when you’ve collected five diamonds and are waiting for the sixth to trigger the free bonus round.

While many of Slotland.com’s regular online players occasionally play their favourite slots on their phone, the pioneering mobile entertainment provider is finding the mobile games appeal to quite a different kind of player.

“Traditional online slots and casino players are older than most mobile entertainment consumers. They may not even have a mobile phone yet, and if they do they probably just use it for phone calls,” says Slotland.com’s Mobile Games Marketing Manager, Martin Smith. “Younger adults, on the other hand, are more apt to look at their phones as a tool – a small portable computer that can be used for a variety of entertainment. They may have never spun a slot machine before, but when it’s on their phone it’s something new to try.”

Slotland.com now features three unique games in its mobile suite and eight different slot machines plus video poker on the web site. Every six weeks or so, a new mobile game is added.

Per capita spending on gambling almost twice that of the States

The Israeli business publication Globes reports that Israelis spend NIS 10 billion a year on gambling, according to a survey conducted by Credit Information Association.

Israeli gamblers have overtaken their European and US counterparts in expenditure per capita on legal gambling activities.

Europeans spend an average of $135 a year and Americans spend an average of $250. Israelis spend an average $440 a year.

Out of the NIS 10 billion spent on gambling, NIS 3.5 billion is spent on the lotto regular lottery draw and Toto sports betting tickets. A further NIS 1.5 billion is accounted for by legal bets placed through the Internet and cellular networks. Israelis spend NIS 5 billion a year on illegal gambling activities in Israel and overseas.

The typical legitimate gambler is 40-60 years old, lives in the city has an average income and regularly buys lotto regular lottery draw tickets, Toto sports betting tickets, TDB Hish Gad (scratch card) lottery cards and Chance lottery draw tickets. 30 percent of regular Toto, Lotto and Hish Gad players are people aged 16-35.

Forthcoming attraction "Deal" features an old pro and a bright college student

Still popular film star Burt Reynolds has been signed to star with Bret Harrison in a new poker movie "Deal" for writer-director Gil Cates Jr.

The movie revolves around an ex-gambler who teaches a hot-shot college student how to "play the player" vs. just the cards. But after the two have a bitter falling out, they find themselves competing head to head in the World Poker Tour championships.

Shooting begins April 3rd in New Orleans. Shannon Elizabeth and Charles Durning will also star with real-life poker players Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandari and Vince Van Patton also making appearances.

Boss Media the logical partner

A deal reported by InfoPowa earlier this year between Swedish Games Corp. and software developer Boss Media has come to fruition this week with the imminent launch of the first government-owned online poker site.

The site was developed by Boss Media and is to be launched on March 30. In the wake of this successful project, it is widely expected that more government gaming companies will follow in Svenska Spel’s footsteps and launch their own sites in the near future.

In total, there are about 140 World Lottery Association (WLA) government-owned licensed gaming companies and Svenska Spel is a pioneer among WLA operators in online gaming.

Johan Berg, President of Boss Media, said: "There are more companies in the starting blocks and they are well aware of our role in the development of this poker site and how important it is that the system supplier is the right one."

Svenska Spel received approval from the government to be the first Swedish gaming company in November 2005 and preparatory work was undertaken at full speed to create a world-class poker site in terms of entertainment and gaming responsibility.

Johan Berg continued: "Responsible gaming is a critical factor for the government-owned licensed gaming companies. Our solution is clearly more advanced that what is available on the market today because it creates greater security for the end-users as well as for the gaming company since they gain increased control of the gaming operations."

April scheduled for first broadcasts

Jonny Texas Productions has announced it will launch its new poker network from studios in Birmingham, UK this April. The network will air on Sky TV Channel 187 for two hours every weekday evening and will feature shows from the UK and European poker scene, including news, tournaments, live updates, and interviews with major poker players and celebrities.

The Jonny Texas enterprise incorporates a successful online poker room, currently attracting up to 6 500 players from around the world and a merchandising company which suppies branded poker products.

Announcing the new show, the poker star owner says: "The launch of a television network dedicated entirely to poker is the next logical step in the development of the business. The timing of the programming is ideal for people returning from an evening out, and the content is aimed at poker and gaming enthusiasts as well as to a general audience."

Inaugural Party Casino World Blackjack Champs prizepool topped $250 000

38-year-old Tucker Keeling from Oklahoma has won the inaugural $250,000 PartyCasino.com World Blackjack Championship on board the PartyPoker.com Million V in the Caribbean.

Tucker went home with a bank account $113 000 richer, and stunned reporters when he revealed that in 2001 he had been given between 2 and 5 years to live after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

"I suppose I've beaten the odds in more ways than one," said Tucker. "I've been beating the odds for five years and I'm especially delighted to win because my illness meant I had to quit work some time ago. Even going into the last hand I didn't think I was going to win but I hit 20, which proved to be enough. In the semi- finals, I only won by $25 after betting all my chips and catching BlackJack. It was one hell of a ride."

The champ qualified for the tournament online through a raffle on PartyPoker.com.

A PartyCasino.com spokesman said, "Tucker's story is inspirational. There couldn't have been a better winner."

UK bingo ambience captured online

British newcomer in the bingo site provider stakes, BingoTek has announced its second licensee this week following an agreement with RAL Interactive Limited, operators of Cyberslotz Bingo.

The deal is to provide an online game specifically designed to replicate the atmosphere of the traditional UK bingo club experience. Realistic graphics and UK-specific chat sounds give the game an authentic UK bingo hall quality. UK bingo uses 90 numbers and has rules uniquely different to the 75 number US version where cards are sold as ‘tickets’ and ‘books’ are sold to a series of games known as a ‘session’.

Brian Morgan, Managing Director of RAL Interactive, said: “We are constantly looking at new gaming options to offer our customers and the addition of bingo complements our existing portfolio of games perfectly. BingoTek was the natural choice of partner to team up with, given their track record of success, enthusiasm for product innovation and flexibility in customising their system to suit our requirements.”

One of the BingoTek founders and chief consultants, Graeme Levin, former founder and operator of the successful gaming portal Gambling.com commented: ”We are very excited about this new deal and are confident players will have a most enjoyable experience more in line with what they would experience in a real UK bingo hall.”

BingoTek’s first licensee, Bingodrome, has proved extremely successful. The popular site has consolidated its position as the best bingo game online by picking up one of the online bingo industry’s most prestigious awards, the ‘Best Bingo Overall’ award from BingoAwards.com for January and February 2006.

BingoTek is a privately owned holding company located in the British Virginia Isles. Cyberslotz is owned and operated by the UK gambling group Talarius plc and was launched four years ago. Under the QuickSilver brand, Talarius operates adult gaming centres and is the market leader in this sector in the UK.

U.S. attempts to ban online gambling invariably contain exceptions for horse racing - here's why

With the online gambling prohibition season well advanced in Washington, InfoPowa was intrigued by the exceptions, or carve outs as these are known for horse racing in the proposed banning bills submitted by American politicians.

One alert gambler on the forums spotted a site that illustrates very well just how big this chunk of Internet wagering is and we commend readers to take a look at the TVG.com site, where gamblers will find everything they need to gamble "from the comfort of their own homes."

No allegations of money laundering, terrorist funding, underage dangers here! The hypocracy of legal parimutual wagering when attempts are being made to prohibit other gaming styles using the same media is immediately obvious.

We quote direct from the site:

Why should you open a TVG account?
Here's why!
Over 60 of America's best tracks
Watch the action on TVG Network
Enjoy coverage from a trusted on-air team
Wager online, by phone or via your Dish iTV remote
Live multi-track streaming video of races online
Free handicapping info and TVG on-air experts' picks
No deposit fees

By Mail:
19545 N.W. Von Neumann Drive, Suite 210
Beaverton, OR, 97006

TVG, the interactive horseracing network

Available in over 18 million homes nationwide, TVG Network is the leading sports television network that combines the excitement of live horseracing from premier U.S. racetracks and the convenience of in-home, account wagering. In addition to live horseracing, TVG Network features commentary, interviews, in-depth race analysis, handicapping and wagering tutorials, and originally produced programming for racing’s major events. Viewers in certain areas can wager interactively on the races via telephone, the Internet or Interactive Television by establishing a wagering account online at www.TVG.com or by telephone at 1-888-PLAY TVG.

TVG, a subsidiary of Gemstar – TV Guide International, Inc., has exclusive agreements for television and interactive wagering with the following racetracks: Aqueduct, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Calder, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Emerald Downs, Fair Grounds, Fairplex Park, Hollywood Park, Hoosier Park, Keeneland, Los Alamitos, Oak Tree at Santa Anita, Prairie Meadows, Ruidoso Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Saratoga Race Course, Turf Paradise, Turfway Park and Zia Park.

Another site offering similar facilities including international wagering is Xpressbet.com, which is affiliated with HRTV on cable television and will take bets on both the telephone and the internet.

'Nuff said....or perhaps not enough said!

Nevada Gaming Commission says wireless gaming is OK - on land casino premises

The Nevada Gaming Commission has approved rules that will permit casinos to offer wireless handheld gambling devices to people who want to gamble away from the casino floor but on land casino premises.

The 5-0 unanimous vote means that the devices will now be tested in various Vegas casinos and in the commission's technology lab over the next three to six months. Once the testing is complete, makers of wireless gambling devices can seek approval of their products for use in a casino's public areas, such as restaurants or the pool area.

Several casino industry executives said after the public hearing that gamblers could start using the devices in Las Vegas by the end of the year.

David Loflin, president and chief executive officer of Diamond I Inc., a Baton Rouge, La., company that has developed a handheld wireless gambling system and been prominent in promoting the concept in Nevada, said the state's legalisation of such devices created a market for his firm. "It's definitely the beginning of a new era," he said.

The devices, ranging in size from a handheld video-game player to a slate or tablet PC, can be programmed for individual games of blackjack, poker, roulette and even slots.

Last summer, Nevada became the first state to legalise the devices for use inside casino hotels. State gambling regulators have been crafting rules governing how they would work ever since.

Last month, Atlantic City operators asked New Jersey legislators to hold a hearing on allowing similar devices inside casinos there. A five-member Senate committee in Trenton will decide in the coming months whether to introduce legislation on the issue.

Yesterday, after the Nevada commission hearing, an executive with Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. called the prospect of the wireless devices "exciting." "We're always interested in a new technology that will increase the entertainment value for our customers and create value for our shareholders," said Virginia McDowell, chief information officer for Trump, which operates three casinos in Atlantic City.

To gamble using the mobile devices in Nevada, a visitor would need to show identification to obtain one from the casino, then deposit money into an electronic account. Under the law, signed by Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn in June, a wireless blackjack player could gamble in public areas, such as the casino's bars, restaurants, pool area and convention hall. The devices could not be used in hotel rooms or other private areas.

A key point of contention in Nevada has been how to prevent minors and problem gamblers from using the devices. In the review of devices by the commission's technology lab, regulators will examine whether to require measures such as biometric fingerprinting and wagering limits.

Cantor G&W, an affiliate of New York-based Cantor Fitzgerald L.P. that wants to provide wireless devices, has proposed adding biometric fingerprint readers. If the print does not match that of the person authorized to use the device, it will not work. The device could also allow a player to set a daily wagering limit and shut off automatically when the limit is reached.

Those who track the gambling industry said yesterday's commission vote was a significant win for U.S. casino companies that have been trying to enter the lucrative, but currently illegal, world of online gambling. Wireless devices, they say, may provide another avenue to capture some of the explosive growth in electronic gambling. U.S. gamblers accounted for two-thirds of the $10.9 billion generated by the online-gambling industry last year, according to Christiansen Capital Advisers, which tracks the Internet gambling business.

More than 70 countries allow Internet gambling in some form, including France, Germany and Britain. But a combination of state and federal laws - notably the Wire Act of 1961 - prohibits U.S. companies from taking bets online.

"This is good for gaming in the U.S.," said Martin D. Owens Jr., a California lawyer specializing in Internet gambling law. "A small step to catch up with the rest of the world."

Now PGIC joins the fray

The race to have handheld equipment approved for use on Nevada land casino premises was joined by another competitor this week - Progressive Gaming International Corporation.

The company says that the wireless edition of its Rapid Bet Live sports wagering product is expected to be submitted to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB)for approval within the next three months. On March 23, 2006, the NGCB approved the use of wireless gaming devices in Nevada, the first state in the nation to allow mobile, wireless gaming in public areas in casinos.

PGIC joins companies like Diamond I Inc and Cantor G&W vying for position in a new market for handhelds brought about by the Nevada Gaming Commission's recent approval for the use of these on land casino premises.

The Commission has approved rules that will permit casinos to offer wireless handheld gambling devices to people who want to gamble away from the casino floor but on land casino premises.

The NGC has approved rules for the new gambling media and will now practically test the concept in various Vegas casinos and in the commission's technology lab over the next three to six months. Once the testing is complete, makers of wireless gambling devices such as those identified above can seek approval of their products for use in a casino's public areas.

Several casino industry executives have opined that gamblers could start using the devices in Las Vegas by the end of the year.

The devices, ranging in size from a handheld video-game player to a slate or tablet PC, can be programmed for individual games of blackjack, poker, roulette and even slots.

Last summer, Nevada became the first state to legalise the devices for use inside casino hotels. State gambling regulators have been crafting rules governing how they would work ever since.

Last month, Atlantic City operators asked New Jersey legislators to hold a hearing on allowing similar devices inside casinos there. A five-member Senate committee in Trenton will decide in the coming months whether to introduce legislation on the issue.

Progressive Gaming's executive vice president and CTO Thomas Galanty says that the company made important investments in technology and people last year with the objective of securing a share of the Nevada handheld business: "In particular the acquisition of VirtGame and the opening of a technology center in Southern California with the objective of being one of the first movers in the area of server-based wagering" were key moves, he said.

The company currently has Rapid Bet Live in a field trial in the sports book at the Palms Resort and Casino. During the first two and a half weeks of this 30 day regulatory field trial, Rapid Bet Live has been exceeding expectations with no functionality issues. The company has other gaming content that can be delivered through a central server based system that it expects to submit to various gaming regulatory agencies for approval throughout 2006 and 2007 that are expected to appeal to users of wireless devices within a casino.

Aspirational women the target

Look out for an upmarket bingo advertising campaign from the Littlewoods Bingo - St Minver partnership soon. Created and orchestrated by UK ad agency TBG, the campaign will target "aspirational women" through a "Bingo Chic" concept.

The campaign will launch across gaming and casino portal and networks, says Simon Mansell, managing director of TBG London: “The Littlewoodsbingo.com selling line is ‘the name you can trust’ and the fact that it is joining an established stable of online and offline brands under the Littlewoods gaming umbrella should give us a head start.”

Gary Speakman, chief executive officer of Sportech PLC, owners of Littlewoods Gaming, said: “The aim is to be the leading online bingo business in the market. By leveraging the Littlewoods brand, we aim to broaden the company's reach into the market and establish LittlewoodsBingo.com as a leading UK bingo website.”

Littlewoods Bingo launched in January this year and is a subsidiary of Littlewoods Gaming, itself owned by the UK public betting group Sportech plc. The branding respect and cross marketing opportunities through Littlewoods Gaming, which has over 1.7 million players, are significant and provide a wide portfolio of Littlewoods branded gaming and betting opportunities, including football pools, spot the ball, bingo, lucky numbers, lottery scratchcard games, fixed odds betting, casino and poker play.

Littlewoods Bingo is a white label site created and operated by Gary Shaw's Gibraltar-licensed St Minver group and powered by the Canadian Parlay Entertainment software. Other companies using St Minver's white label facilities include Virgin Gaming, Yahoo, Wanadoo, Sportingbet, zoo, Poker Heaven and recently the Russian based Rambler Media group.

The new website aims to tap into a bingo player base of considerable potential. Littlewoods expects the online bingo market to grow significantly over the next few years and the site includes strong community features.

Marketing hassles and poor response from UK Gambling Commission blamed

Recent guidance notices from the new UK Gambling Commission have brought about the cancellation of a major poker tournament scheduled for 9 - 16 June....and the organisers are not happy about it.

Scheduled to take place at the famed Old Trafford grounds in England, and hyped as the biggest poker festival in Europe the project allowed for online qualifiers and was supported by important sites such as Paddy Poker and Bowmans.

$10,500 prize package contents included 7 nights in a Manchester hotel, a tour of the stadium, gala dinner, generous travel expenses, zero-rake cash games, and entry into five poker tournaments.

Announcing the cancellation, the organisers of the Rivercard Poker Festival said that recent guidelines from the UK Gambling Commission meant they could no longer promote or run the event after restrictions on advertising were re-emphasised. The Gambling Commission issued a Guidance Notice on Section 42 of the 1968 Gaming Act, with would not allow marketing for the UK-based poker festival.

Rivercard ended the notification with an apology to players, and a rather provocative if non-specific barb aimed at the Commission: “This, together with a lack of co-operation from the Gambling Commission on the matter has today led to the difficult decision to cancel this event."

Could the Scheinbergs be looking toward London after all?

PokerStars.com was at the centre of intense speculation (see earlier InfoPowa reports) in January of this year when the world's second largest online poker company hired a leading London broker, NM Rothschild to guide it in deciding whether to continue as is, sell or launch an IPO. Amid rumours of behind the scenes buying offers, the topic then went quiet, only to re-surface this week with further talk of a London listing.

The Israeli Scheinberg family own 75 percent of PokerStars, with employees holding the rest but there was no response to media enquiries about the renewed interest in a listing.

Analysts discussing the issue speculate that a listing could raise between US$2.5 billion and US$3 billion, valuing PokerStars right up there with Party Gaming, 888.com and other top of the totem pole companies. PokerStars is reported to generate profits of around US$200 million a year and is certainly in the big money leagure when it comes to tournaments and promotions involving millions of dollars..

London listings have continued to enjoy popularity this year after an exciting 2005. Excapsa had a successful debut recently, there are reports of Full Tilt Poker talking to brokers and financiers and the Playtech IPO has been predicted for late March - April by many. On the downside, the current attempts to ban online gambling in the States could introduce a dampening effect, although European executives have expressed doubts that such a ban will be passed in the face of the millions of Americans who regularly play online and the continued growth of the business, which last year enjoyed revenues of at least $10.9 billion and shows little sign of slowing down.

Publication details why it thinks online gambling may be a bubble that could burst

Taking a rather dim view of online poker this week, the UK publication The Motley Fool gives reasons for its pessimism on the multi-billion dollar industry.

Star Performers Can't Fail

When star performers in a sector reckon they are too big to fail then it may be time to worry. For instance, what can be more damaging for a business than to face losing access to its biggest market? Yet key players in the online poker arena that include 888.com and PartyGaming have brushed aside the threat of a damaging US bill aimed at stamping out Internet gambling. The bill, which has been cleared by the House Financial Services Committee, will prohibit gaming sites from accepting credit card, cheques and any form of electronic fund transfer. Online gaming bulls think the bill is unenforceable but the legislation could put the US out of bounds to online poker and gaming sites.

Crazy Valuations

When a company such as Fairground Gaming can raise GBP 4 million based on a business plan that involves buying up other players in the market then investors should perhaps take note. Fairground Gaming is currently valued at GBP 25 million, yet it neither generates a profit nor derives any revenue. Its sole purpose is to identify opportunities for consolidation in the smaller end of the fragmented online gaming sector.

Built-to-flip

One of the best ways to make money in a bubble market is to set up a business and sell it quickly. Take CheekyMoon, an offbeat online gaming company which was only formed in August 2005 by Lord Beaverbrook. It also counts David Baddiel of Baddiel and Skinner fame as one of its main shareholders. After less than a year since its formation, CheekyMoon has been sold to Pine Ventures, which in turn plans to float the business onto the market next month.

Poker Pro Jesse Jones to take the world of tournament poker into the major leagues

Press releases from a New York public relations agency this week heralded the arrival of a new U.S. poker oversight body headed by pro player Jesse Jones.

The release announces the launch of World Poker Association (WPA), which "....joins the MLB, NFL, FIFA, NHL and PGA as the sports world’s latest and most needed governing body. Launched today, the official oversight body is elevating tournament poker to its rightful place among globally recognized sports."

The new, non-profit body aims to unite the poker community under one banner, and is the only membership-based association for tournament poker that is not directly affiliated with any for-profit poker entity.

Understanding the concerns and needs of both individuals and organisations within the industry, the WPA announcement says that it will reconcile tournament issues among all entities to establish uniform standards.

The organisation has already attracted top names in the international poker community to its membership roster including: Joe Beevers of the Hendon Mob, poker philanthropist Barry Greenstein, Casey Kastle, Kenna “Cowboy” James, “Kill Phil” Author Blair Rodman and world-renowned Tournament Director, Matt.Savage.

“The WPA is designed to become the ‘PGA of Poker,’” said founder Jesse Jones. “Professional standards will position the WPA and tournament poker among the other great professional sports organisations of the world. We invite all members of the poker community to join us in the creation of the World Poker Association.”

Jones says that as the governing body of tournament poker, the WPA will establish member-based committees that will incorporate a “One Voice, One Vote” policy for all tournament poker entities. Members will address the critical issues impacting tournament poker including a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct, uniform tournament rules and rankings, and players’ rights and benefits. The WPA will also form relationships with media enterprises, incorporate international associations, support governmental and regional issues as they impact tournament poker, and contribute to worthy charity causes.

"The formation of the WPA is one of the most important steps in lifting our game to a truly professional status,” said Joe Hachem, 2005 World Series of Poker Champion. “I truly urge all of you, involved in the world of poker, from around the world to join and help grow our great profession."

Those interested in applying for membership or obtaining more information can go to www.wpapoker.com.

Professional Poker Player Jesse Jones is well-known and respected throughout the international poker community, and approaches the sport with the attitude and aptitude one expects from a pro athlete. As a three-time throat cancer survivor he is no stranger to adversity and is dedicating all the time and effort needed to thrust poker into the spotlight of the sporting world.

“It is my dream that one day tournament poker will command the respect, participation and sponsorship that other sports have attained,” said Jones. “With player and industry support, I know tournament poker will find its rightful home in the major leagues.”

A penalty to make your eyes water...

The techie publication WHIR reported the greatest penalty yet imposed on a spammer this week in an article that should deliver a salutary warning to all those who bombard Internet users with unwanted emails, and the companies that support this irritating practice.

The story reports on Jumpstart Technologies, which has agreed in a consent decree to pay a $900 000 civil penalty for violating the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act, in the largest penalty yet for illegal spam.

And a further cautionary to spammers is that the Federal Trade Commission says it is increasing fines for Internet marketers -adult and mainstream - now that the Can-Spam Act has been in effect for several years.

The FTC says that it is charging companies that violate Can-Spam with aggressive fines. Jumpstart was fined for its FreeFlixTix promotion, which provided direct marketing opportunities to online advertising partners by collecting marketing data to sell to third parties.

The San Francisco-based Jumpstart, owned by Greg Tseng, operates numerous companies, including Bonus Bonez, Harding Innovations, Infinity Brands and Launchpad Services, as well as such sites as CrushLink.com and SomeoneLikesYou.com.

The FTC alleged that Jumpstart offered free movie tickets to email recipients in exchange for the names and email addresses of five or more of their friends. It then sent them commercial emails with the consumer's email address in the "from" line and personal "subject lines" like "Hey," "Happy Valentine's Day," "Happy New Year," "Movie time. Let's go," or "Invite."

Investment described as a chance "to capture the fast growing Chinese e-sports market."

Swedish online casino and poker turnkey provider Boss Media moved this week to extend its influence and opportunities in the Chinese e-sports market.

The company announced that it has acquired 20 percent of the Hong Kong based e-sports provider Bele Ltd. Bele is an established company delivering online e-sport services to gamers in China.

"This is a unique opportunity for Boss Media to invest in Bele who is in pole position to capture the fast growing Chinese e-sports market, said Johan Berg, CEO of Boss Media AB. "This [deal] will build our experience and knowledge for the future about one of the worlds biggest consumer markets, but even more importantly, [it is] a way for us to establish invaluable contacts in China."

Bele holds the exclusive E-Sport World Cup license (ESWC) for China, globally the most recognised E-Sport brand. There are today approximately 50 countries that participate in qualifications to the event. Bele will be organising and running qualification events in 28 major Chinese cities.

"Through the commitment of Boss Media we now we have all the necessary experience to operate a gaming service that will have millions of subscribers" says Krister Nilsson, Chairman of Bele Ltd.

The main distribution channel for Bele's online tournament platform will be a selection of the +150 000 Internet cafes in China. The game servers, in the internet cafes, are connected to a central server that manages ranking, tournaments, loyalty schemes and subscription fees.

"If and when the Chinese market de-regulates, access to Bele's infrastructure will enable our customers to quickly tap in to the Chinese market", says Markus Holm, CFO at Boss Media AB.

E-Sport is one of the world's fastest growing gaming disciplines. It mainly includes the gaming genres: strategy, shooting, racing and sports games like FIFA World Cup, Counter-Strike, Battlefield etc.

$45 million Brooklyn operation closed down

Chinatown and Gambino operators were allegedly among a $45 million sportsbetting ring closed down by the New York authorities this week reports the New York Daily News.

Brooklyn authorities said that with the March Madness betting reaching a peak, a number of Brooklyn premises were raided in a bust, dubbed Kings Flush 2006 March Madness that netted $300,000 in cash and scores of computers at call centers.

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes reported that: "Seven of the men arrested early Saturday are suspected of being soldiers in the Chinese Fukanese [Ed. note: we kid you not - this is their name!] street gang. Three more have ties to the Gambino crime family."

The investigation, led by detectives in Hynes' office, began in November 2005 and zeroed in on several wirerooms in Brooklyn, Queens and lower Manhattan, where the defendants allegedly took bets phoned in prior to major pro and college sports events.

The 11 locations, mostly low-rent apartments in residential neighborhoods, typically consisted of phone banks, computers and two or three people taking the calls, investigators said.

In an interesting sequel to the raid, New York newspapers quoted District Attorney Hynes and the heads of New York State's five off-track betting agencies in a call for legalised sports gambling.

"Money gambled illegally on sporting events is the funding that fuels the business of organised crime," Hynes said. "If sports betting were legal, that money could go toward funding education, health care and fighting terrorism."

No fools in Paradise Poker's major tournament starting this weekend

Sportingbet's major challenger for the online poker business and its rewards, Paradise Poker.com is set to launch a series of major tournaments this Saturday (April 1st)

The series has a serious twist for those used to playing in online tournament series on the web. The final table of the main event of the Paradise Masters will happen live, and in person, in the Bahamas.

Beginning on Saturday, April 1st with a $500 Freeze out No Limit Hold Em tournament, the Masters series has over $4 million in prize guarantees, and this tournament sets the pace with a guaranteed prize pool of $300,000.

The culmination of this series of events is the $1 000 000 guaranteed Main Event, which plays on Sunday, April 9th with a $1,000 buy in. The action will take place on Paradise Poker until the final table is reached, and once the final table is established, the chip counts will freeze, and the final table players will re-convene in May in the Bahamas for the final confrontation live before spectators and TV cameras.

The winner of the main event will also receive a $12 000 WSOP Paradise Poker prize package.

The full schedule for the Paradise Masters looks like this:

April 1 - $500 NL Hold Em
April 2 - $200 NL Hold Em (rebuys)
April 3 - $300 NL Hold Em (shorthanded)
April 4 - $300 Pot Limit Hold Em
April 5 - $200 Pot Limit Omaha
April 6 - $300 Limit Hold Em
April 7 - $500 NL Hold Em
April 8 - $200 NL Hold Em (rebuys)
April 9 - $1,000 NL Hold Em (Main Event)

As might be expected, Paradise has an extensive choice of satellites, allowing players to get into all these events for very low buy in rates.

Online gambling exec's murder to be subject of a "48 Hours" program

The murder of bright young online gambling exec Adam Anhang (32) is to be the subject of a CBS "48 Hours" TV investigation following claims by father Abraham that there may be "conflicts of interest" surrounding the case.

Anhang, a former financial executive with the Ho gambling group and more recently CEO of the Casino Web Cam "live over the Internet" gambling licensor was brutally stabbed to death last September in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the time of his death he has ownership interests in the Martineau Bay Resort eight miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico.

Jonathan Roman Rivera (22) a bar employee was arrested on suspicion of murder in Anhang's slaying and formerly worked at the Pink Skirt, a restaurant and bar owned by Anhang's Puerto Rican wife.

Witnesses shown photos of Roman identified him as the man who attacked Anhang and his wife as they walked to their car from the Pink Skirt on Sept. 23, said Lt. Eddie Hernandez, the head of San Juan’s homicide unit. However, Anhang's father, Abraham, has voiced his concern over what he calls "conflicts of interest" in the case, which he has not detailed.

THQ Wireless presents a game with the Sopranos

Mobile game developers THQ Wireless.com has come up with a topical and fun new mobile poker game based on the population television gangster series the Sopranos. The new game is available to Cingular Wireless users from this week.

In a press release the company sets the scene by asking: "Do you miss the good old days, when poker was associated with private back rooms, seedy characters, and dark alleys? Well, for those of you who do, THQ Wireless is offering you a trip down memory lane with its new The Sopranos Poker game. Poker fans can now play 5-card draw against characters from the hit HBO gangster series like Silvio, Paulie, and, of course, Tony Soprano himself."

The setting for the poker play is the infamous back room of the Bada Bing! strip club, which Sopranos fans will recognize from the TV show. Unique features of the game allow for players to wager more than just their chips, as gold chains and watches can be thrown into the pot to raise the stakes. The Sopranos Poker also allows players to sneak a peek at other player's cards.

Plenty publicity but no site

The whereabouts of a new online gambling slots site had our reporters scratching their heads this week as they surfed the 'Net looking for a company that appears to be all publicity and no presence.

Press releases boosting a new site called Slots24.com promised over 20 themed slots on Flash technology, instant-play proprietary software, with bonuses and player promotions galore and multi-currency gambling, but there was no sign of these offerings on the Internet.

The games on offer include 3 reel, 5 reel and video slot variations, says casino manager Bev Samson in the release. And affiliates will find the new operation to their liking, she continues because they can embed the entire casino in their websites, giving players the choice to play from any affiliate site or the official Slots24.com site, whichever comes first.

Either something has gone wrong in a technical sense, or the marketing guys have jumped the gun on this one!

Appointed Director of Operations

Online casino and sportsbook group BetUs.com has appointed industry exec Kevin King as Director of Operations. King has been CEO of the BetRoyal group for the past two years.

With typical hype, BetUS president George Gutierrez says in a statement: "On the tail of a year that has resulted in greater than 200 percent growth, BetUS.com is continuing to acquire some of the most formidable talent in the online gaming industry.

"With the recent opening of a new Vancouver marketing office, and the recruitment of what is widely considered the best Sportsbook branding and marketing staff in the industry today, BetUS.com is poised to deliver an industry leading brand new look and feel to their business this fall.

"The senior management team is getting a new look as well as BetUS.com has just announced the hiring of Kevin King as its new Director of Operations.

“Kevin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to BetUS.com. He’s proven himself to be an industry leader and his expertise and commitment to quality will help propel BetUS.com to the top of the online gaming world.”

Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Foreman says: “It’s a very exciting time here at BetUS.com. We’ve brought on a first-class marketing team and I’m confident that with Kevin on board, our levels of service will be the benchmark that our competitors strive to match.”

King served as BetRoyal.com CEO for more than two years.

Now Molnick is going after the big names

Mel Molnick, the aggressive patent holder for the "live over the Internet" concept where live casino gambling is streamed over the Internet to players, has given notice that he intends to litigate against some of the biggest names in European online gambling following the approval of his European patent in January of this year.

Home Gambling Network, Inc. of Nevada and Molnick have filed patent infringement lawsuits against the following companies :

* Sportingbet plc

* Hilton Group plc / Ladbrokes

* Cherryforetragen AB / Net Entertainment/ Betsson

* World Gaming plc

* VO Group of Costa Rica

* Betinternet.com plc

Interestingly, the announcement lists Casino Web Cam as part of Betinternet, implying that this company formerly operated by the late Adam Anhang and a sub-licensor of "Live over the Internet" technology casinos is now part of the Isle of Man public company.

The announcement notes that the European Patent Office has approved Molnick's patent for live gaming events with electronic fund transfers for remote players. Following this, Molnick is presently registering the patent in all EPO countries and member territories, as now enforceable throughout the world.

Molnick's HGN already has a U.S. patent (U.S. 5,800,268) that he has successfully used to take on major online gambling operators like Dr. Ho and CWC.

A company spokesman said: "Mr. Molnick anticipates filing numerous patent infringement lawsuits throughout Europe and the EPO territories for all those infringing upon his patent since November 17, 1999 (the date of publication). The patent pertains to a business method for remote wagering on live games and events utilising electronic transactions, and provides its assignee with full provisional patent protection.

"Specifically, via remote wagering, consumers can place bets from anywhere in the world without having to go to an actual wagering entity such as a casino, race track, sports book, or off-track betting parlor. Location-free wagering such as this is delivered to consumers via the Internet, satellite and cable television, and wireless technologies. Live games and events include casino-style games, pari-mutuel wagering, lotteries, sports betting, bingo, keno, and more. Electronic financial transactions are executed by credit card, debit card, smart card, as well as e-cash and any other electronic funds transfer."

Mel Molnick is President of i2corp and Home Gambling Network. He created the HGN patent (U.S. 5,800,268), and co-founded HGN with his daughter in 1995.

HGN was formed specifically to market and license the original U.S. Patent 5,800,268, which was granted in September 1998. Prior to becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of i2corp in February of 2000 HGN was the force behind the movement to introduce operators and players alike to live remote wagering.

Austrian plaintiff alleges that over-the-Internet gambling system has been misused

Turnkey provider Playtech and three other foreign companies this week faced patent litigation from an Austrian company on what appeared to be a claim involving live-over-the-internet gambling systems, although full details are still emerging.

The Israeli business press reported that the Austrian company Lubar and its CEO, Yaakov Rafaeli of Rishon LeZion, have filed a lawsuit with the Tel Aviv District Court against Playtech Cyprus Ltd. for patent infringement relating to its "....system and method for remote online gambling at actual casinos."

Lubar has named three other defendants, all foreign companies operating online gambling sites, including Empire Online Ltd., controlled by CEO Noam Lanir.

The claim is unfortunate timing for Playtech, which is currently on the run-up to a London listing believed to be scheduled for the end of this (March) month and its majority shareholder, Israeli entrepeneur Teddy Sagi.

According to papers filed by the claimant, before the development of the Lubar system and method of online gambling at actual casinos, gambling was carried out at virtual gambling sites, with the results calculated by the website’s computers. The claimant says its invention was the first to make possible online gambling at an actual casino, where the operator was a real person, and where the results of the game were determined by where the roulette ball fell.

Although this has yet to confirmed, from this description the patent sounds like a "live over the Internet" videostreaming technology similar to that used by Casino Web Cam and the subject of heated legal clashes in the past.

The claimants allege that they have parallel patents in the US and Australia, that they were applying for patents in European and other countries, and intend to enforce their patent rights worldwide.

No statement of defense from any of the accused companies has yet been filed, and InfoPowa's request for a comment went unanswered by Playtech.

That's "Online Gambling Myths and Facts" with rebuttals of US banning claims

Attracting attention this week was a professional looking British site at www.onlinemythsandfacts.com, which boasts contact addresses for one Jools Moore at the London PR firm Leap Consultants.

The site is well furnished with information and corrections on the Leach and Goodlatte attempts to ban online gambling which are currently the centre of attention as the US legislative machine grinds into gear once again. There are detailed reference works and links, informed articles by academics and others on the legal situation in the States, a draft letter that US visitors can send to their representat