Category Archives: General News

iGaming Super Show Highlights

Some of the highlights from the conference

The iGaming SUPER Show is the largest annual conference for the online gambling industry. It took place last week in Amsterdam and it was a huge success with record numbers showing up to see what the latest trends are. There was certainly a lot to follow as pretty much all the major operators were present with a booth.

From such a big combination of operators, there are plenty of things to talk about but we will try to keep things simple and cover the highlights.

Day 1

The subject of China and its love for gambling was a very big topic at the conference this year. The growing trend for Chinese gamblers to travel to Korean casinos in order to quench their thirst has attracted the attention of various companies, looking to get a share of the action.

Gambling in China

When it comes to online marketing in China, the best way to do it is with the help of Baidu, the biggest search engine on the market, and Weibo, the equivalent to Twitter. However, gambling is much more different since every page that has online gambling content will not be ranked on the search engine results.

The loophole that has been allowing some forms of gambling is that FOREX is not gambling specific. Trading currency is not really gambling but more of an investment which makes it a great way for players to get the thrill. It combines the love for betting the Chinese have and guarantees a reliable environment. Online gambling operators looking to enter the market are recommended to use this channel.

Also, the conference nicely covered the fact that China is not for everyone. The market is very different than the rest of the world and pumping money does not guarantee results. There are also a lot of differences between Baidu and Google so online marketing has to be done in different ways.

Gambling in the US

The iGaming Executive Conference focused on the situation in the United States and how the public perception changed over the years. People no longer see gambling as a bad habit that creates addiction but more like a way to spend some free time in an exciting way, with the potential to win large prizes.

eGamblingportals.com lists a variety of gambling sites, ranging from bingo and online casinos to poker and sportsbooks. There are also options for US players so it is very easy to get started.

The regulation of online gambling in the United States will happen, according to one of the spokespersons from the event, but the question is when. The current situation, where the regulations differ from state to state, makes it a lot more difficult for operators. While the first two states to do this are the ones with experience in the field, Nevada and Delaware, there are concerns regarding the states with no experience whatsoever.

Day 2

The subject of online gambling in the United States continued into Day 2 on the conference floor. GCA is a payment company that represents about 70% of the gambling transactions that take place in the US. While the company has a few licenses for land based operations, there are uncertainties about these licenses carrying over to the online sector. This is mostly due to the fact that the regulations are made as we go along and some of the largest operators will suffer in the process.

The President of the American Gaming Association (AGA) stated that despite the fact that AGA has always pushed for a poker-only bill, things have now changed and the board is open to adding more games on the list. The idea was that poker is easier to pass but the fact that states are regulating other forms of online gaming forces the AGA to consider other games for a federal bill.

He also talked about the companies that took bets after UIGEA and had a strong belief that these operators will have a very hard time getting licenses to operate in the US.

Most of the companies that fit this “bad actors” description are very experience and can dominate the market if they are allowed to join. A good example would be PokerStars, the largest online poker room on the internet, as it tried to buy a casino in Atlantic City but the process of getting a license took too long and the deal expired.

Online Gambling Is Entertainment

Most Young French Adults Admit To Gambling Online

Is it vice? Is it addiction or simply a new way for young adults to entertain themselves? The truth is that almost a third of the people who are under the age of 34 and are living in France right now, claim to have played online casinos games or betted through the Internet at least once during the last quarter of 2012. According to a report by the Regulatory Authority of Online Games (ARJEL) the Gallic country, this number has increased over the last few years and this is only evidence of how more people are considering online gambling entertainment and not a vice or addiction.

This fact is not disturbing at all, as this is really a form of entertaining oneself and there should be no reason for anyone to be concerned about this. What is really alarming is that there are still people between the ages of 18 and 34 years, who spend about 10% of their salary, which is no less than 184 euros per month, in playing poker on the web and online casinos.

The study by the ARJEL says that at least half of the players spend less than 50 euros per month, while 42% invested between 50 and 500 euros, which is still quite a few and a large amount of money per month. The remaining 8% spend more than 500 euros betting through online casino platforms and this proves how some really take this activity seriously. The study also concludes a section about young Parisians being more ‘hooked’ to these types of entertainment online, than other young people in France.

Betting On Sports

There are many people in this country who loves soccer, which is why sports betting is one of the most popular forms of entertainment today. At least 6 in 10 of the people who responded to a recent survey, say they have used some of their euros in sports gambling online, especially in those events that star some of their favorite soccer teams. Even though most are not always lucky, as 55% admitted to losing money, there are still some who have made some decent amount of money and some who have actually earned a lot through betting online.

The next most popular online betting game is poker, as it has now gathered millions of fans all over the world. More than half of those online gamblers who are under 34 years of age, have accepted to occasionally try their luck at Texas Hold’em online casinos.

To many’s surprise, horse racing is the game of choice for at least 35% of the people within this age group in France and it is the most common type of online betting among the French citizens who are over 50 years of age.

Risk of addiction

The expansion of online gaming, coupled with the proliferation of virtual casinos websites and sports betting platforms, has triggered the risk of diseases related to gambling addiction through Internet, yet there are still not enough proof about this actually being an addiction, as many only see this as a form of entertainment.

The most common profile of a compulsive gambler is that of a young man, who is younger than 40 years of age, who is often still in university and has access to certain amounts of money. Moreover, there are also studies that prove that people who gamble online tend to spend more time at home, which means that they are less addicted to other substances and this is far better for society and the person in the long term.

Online Gambling Is Only A Form Of Entertainment

People in France and all over the world are proving that gambling online does not cause long term addiction, as more than half of the people who have placed a bet through the Internet, have only done it a few times or do it every once in a while. Not many people have a problem with gambling and there are studies that prove that only those who have problems with real life gambling are destined to have some gambling problems online as well.

Those people who can learn that this is only a form of entertainment, which can actually yield some good results, will have a better time betting online than those who want to become rich overnight. There are plenty of poker sites lists that provide wide entertainment options for anyone and these prove that there is no risk of becoming addicted to these types of games.

Social Gaming And Gambling Companies

How are the two worlds getting along?

For quite some time now, social gambling has been on the radar of some of the biggest operators in the business and according to the latest casino news, it doesn’t look like things will slow down anytime soon. In fact, bigger efforts are on the horizon as major companies look into social gaming to increase their profits. On the list of names there is Zynga, which can be considered a pioneer in social gambling for various reasons, Caesars Entertainment, bwin.party Digital Entertainment and Bally Technologies. It is important to point out that these companies are not just looking to attract new customers through social networks but see the opportunity more as a different profit center with limitless possibilities.

Social networks = large potential markets

It is easy to see why so many top operators are interested in social gaming if we consider the fact that the customer base available on social networks is around twenty times bigger than the one for online gambling. To make things even more attractive, social gaming allows for bigger profit margins. Once the costs of development are covered through advertising or premium packages for users, the cost of every additional player is basically zero for the company. This allows popular games to create very large profits; something that is very hard to ignore.

The best online casinos in 2013 certainly have some amazing looking games and the popularity of some of them can be seen in the huge progressive jackpots that can reach several million dollars. However, most of these games need to be adapted to the social community and made more attractive while playing with friends and sharing the fun. This is where things tend to get a bit complicated for the companies and the fact that the barriers to entry are quite small means that there will be very rough competition.

Social gaming players

If past social games are any indication, small and independent developers are just as likely to come up with a very popular game as the big operators that have millions of dollars to work with. Most of the popular titles on social networks had a pretty short lifespan as the number of users increased as the trend became popular and then drastically dropped once the game lost whatever it was that made it special. Social gaming companies are constantly working to come up with the next big game. With all the focus on social gaming that is now going on, the interesting fact to point out is that no large operator has made a profit from it, not even Zynga.

With that being said, large players are still not discouraged from trying and the opportunities of growth within social networks are very important for the gambling sector. This is why it is better to focus more on the future and not get stuck in the past as large operators are looking for the best way to get a share of the social pie. IGT made a big purchase last year by getting Double Down Interactive for half a billion dollars while bwin.party prefers to develop its own products in-house. Caesars already has a casino app available on Facebook – which doesn’t have that many users – and its partnership with 888 Holdings will use the fame of the World Series of Poker brand to offer an online poker room.

With the industry already being crowded by so many big names and with independent developers always coming up with something different, social gaming remains a very interesting market to watch and the results will most likely not be late to appear. Until everything gets sorted out and social networks are able to offer the same diversity of games that the top online casinos now have, users can just sign up at Miami Club casino here and get started right away.

How to Become Keno Player: Learn and Play

Becoming a Bingo Player

Today people are making casino online so as to take advantage of casino games by everyone. There are many Services offered by different companies for Casino SEO at best competitive rates in the market.
Keno games is a casino game like raffle and bingo. This casino game uses tickets containing 80 numbers from 1 to 80. Player selects randomly from 1 to (maximum value varying between different rooms keno 10-20) the numbers and round them on a keno ticket. The casino will draws 20 little balls at random and shows their numbers on monitors known keno boards. Once design is complete, many of the numbers that have won more money you make!

Keno online:

Today People plays keno online at many casinos and bingo rooms, and also provides several online casinos you to play keno online. Take a look at the advantages given by online casinos:
1)    First, one can freely to choose a casino with best payouts. Several online casinos(also as casinos in real life) provides you different payouts, and by using your Internet you can easily find the best.
2)     keno online offers a yield far higher than the live keno, and a much faster rate.
3)     The remaining players do not know your winnings when you play online keno.

How to play keno online:

To play keno online you have to follow these three steps:
1)    In Normal keno online games you select numbers between 1 and 80. You have to choose minimum three numbers and not more than ten.
2)    Select how much money you wish to play on a bet. In the Keno websites online range of bets is very large and you may opt to play for pennies per game up to perhaps $ 100.
3)     Select the number of laps you want to play. You may play as many rounds as like you wish by using the same number.

As we all know about casino online that helps us to play at home instead of going out form our home to play and enjoy this game. We just need to have internet requirements and login in to any casino website and register our self there. You do not need to transfer your money from any location to another. To play online games with real money is enjoyable and fine with high play offs, but it can also be dangerous that you prevent form cheating and to lose your private data. The online casinos which gives you the authority to play with real or actual money are liable to give you safe financial options with right gaming practices.

Online Gambling In Asia

A huge area of growth for gambling operators

With the iGA Congress behind us, there have been quite a few interesting points brought up by some of the operators. The thing that stood out the most is the incredible size of the Asian gambling market as well as the big interest it is getting from companies around the world that are looking to create a foothold through various products.

One of the sayings regarding gambling in China is that a Chinese gambler’s most happy day is when he is in a casino winning and the second most happy day is when he is in a casino losing. This nicely offers an idea about the Chinese mentality and how players simply enjoy gambling. With online regulations expected to come soon in China and some incredible numbers for other Asian markets, it is safe to say that this will most likely be the future of the gambling industry.

Regulated online gambling

Regulated online gambling is all about making sure that all parties involved are protected. This does also limit the options quite a bit since only the top companies normally get licensed but players can enjoy their gambling options in a safe environment. Casino games security is very important when playing on the internet since a small mistake can cost users personal and financial information which in turn will damage the site’s image.

Regulators have the role to make sure that everything is safe, secure and honest so that users can play in good conditions and operators are guaranteed an environment in which they can grow. As far the Asian market goes, the culture is also very important and regulators can help new companies get in by offering some advice. Quite a few Asian operators also have their licenses from other regions, with Isle of Man being a popular choice. Licenses offered here are white-listed which gives operators access to the UK market, including the Premier League.

In-play betting

Since we touched on sports a bit, we have to mention that in-play betting is very big in the Asian market and gamblers often use their mobile devices to place a wager. While bookmakers make most of their growth from in-play betting, the Asian gamblers seem to be much better than the ones in the West.

If punters in the West bet to have fun, the Asian punters bet to win. This mentality can make it difficult for some operators to join the market since the customers are so well prepared that they are very likely to make profit. Mobile betting allows customers to always have their preferred options right at their fingertips and never miss an opportunity to make some money.

Other gambling options

Virtual sports betting is also incredibly popular with the top title now being Lucky Racing. This was added to the Chinese market in late-2011 and is now the most popular game in the country. This gives gamblers the chance to wager on a virtual racing game that uses advanced statistics and algorithms to make every race an exciting one.

New and exciting options that make things more convenient are always popular amongst gamblers. An interesting idea came from a casino in Atlantic City which plans on implementing TV gambling in the hotel rooms. This basically allows guests to play some games right from their TV screen and not even have to go down stairs. The idea is great for gamblers that just want to spin the symbols a few times and not have to leave their room to do so. If this catches on, we might just see gambling TVs in large Asian casinos and hotels.

The quality of the software is also very important when it comes to online gambling in Asia. This can apply to other big markets as well but some elements are absolutely essential for success in the Asian gambling market. Live dealer is amongst the top requirements and Asian gamblers prefer it to the regular version. Reputation is also very important in this culture and software providers that have a good image and have been available for a long time have the advantage. There is also the problem to consider about internet speed since some local markets don’t have access to high speed connections which can eliminate some of the heavy games that have a lot of extra features.

Nevada Vs. New Jersey

Which state has the upper hand in online gambling?

News about Nevada and New Jersey online gambling regulations have taken the media by storm these last couple of weeks and things are only starting to heat up with the intrastate regulations. Online gambling in the United States is a very big concern given the large market and the many operators that have suffered since the modifications made in 2006. However, this doesn’t mean that American gamblers are all out of options since it is possible to download Miami Club casino right now and enjoy some great games online, but the new regulations in some of the states will allow local operators to present their own online offers.

The online gambling race between Nevada and New Jersey is now very close and there are several aspects of the market to take into consideration. We also have to mention Delaware who has legalized online casino games last year but is not yet a real competitor for the two larger states.

Online Gambling Options

When talking about the options that are now legal, New Jersey has the advantage since the regulations state that all casino games that can now be found in Atlantic City casinos can be made available on the internet. On the other hand, Nevada has only legalized online poker and will miss out on the large portion of games that normally generate the large part of revenue for casinos; poker isn’t that profitable compared to other games, such as slots.

More options can also come from more operators and this is where things get interesting. New Jersey will only issue online licenses for operators that own a casino in Atlantic City which limits the options quite a bit. Partnerships with foreign operators are possible but they have to pass inspection. Nevada has already issued out a large number of licenses to reliable operators but the regulations still have a “bad actors” clause which was recently cut down to 5 years. This means that operators that were in the US market after 2006, are not welcome back (including online poker giant PokerStars).

The cost of the options is also determined by the taxes in the state and New Jersey will tax 15% on all winnings while Nevada only has a 6.75% tax. This will mean that it will be cheaper to play in the Silver State.

Race against the clock

It is very likely that the state to be the first to go online, and do a good job, will get a lot of momentum. Although Nevada has had quite the head start, a big part of the licenses have required an extension. The first offer is still expected to come in Nevada, especially now that the race just got more intense.

The new law in New Jersey has set a starting date which is between three to six months. If it will be on the short end, it is possible to beat Nevada to the finish line but there is no real advantage at this point for any of the two states.

According to Gambling Tabloid, the revenues in Nevada have gone up in 2012 compared to 2011 and this will only encourage operators to work harder to go online as soon as possible.

Overall winner

Overall, it looks like New Jersey has come up from behind to take the win. While Nevada hopped to get a head start with online poker and then increase the offer with other casino games, the Garden State has shown just how things should be done. The law also allows players to gamble on the internet anywhere in the state, without having to be a resident and the large population will guarantee a better start than in Nevada.

Where Do The Lottery Winnings Go

What do the winners of the National Lottery actually buy once they get their money?

Since the National Lottery started in 1994, more than £8.5 billion have been awarded to lucky players making the average win just short of three billion pounds. With 3,000 people becoming millionaires overnight, there are some patterns in which they decide to spend the money and it can be quite interesting to check them out. Every ticket holder has thought about spending the millions in a certain way but what do the winners actually buy once they claim their checks? A recent study done by the Camelot and Oxford Economics offers some answers to this question. Keep in mind that this is just about the winners from the UK National Lottery but the results can easily apply to all major lotteries in the world since we are just talking about large amounts of money.

As most people would expect, buying property is the most popular choice with £2.72 billion going into buying new houses. This is part of everyone’s dream and having a stable roof over your head is very important so it is normal to buy a new property if given the option. The second one on the list is investments that would generate an income over time. Lottery winners spent £2.12 billion trying to turn their lucky break into something long lasting that would offer them money in a longer period of time. This is mostly considered as the safe option since most people are afraid of burning through the winnings pretty fast and then not have enough to maintain their new lifestyle.

Investments that would guarantee a safe future for the family, children in particular, are the third most popular choice with £1.61 billion spent. Most winners did not forget about their family and friends and so they bought them gifts for a total of £1.17 billion. By buying all these things and paying taxes to the state, every winner actually pays for 6 employees’ full time salaries for one year. Just a small part of the winnings is reported to be spent outside of the country so almost 98% of the winnings from the National Lottery are spent wining the United Kingdom.

Despite winning a life-changing amount of money, 19% of the winners go back to their work place. A big number of people, 31%, start doing voluntary work while 15% use the money to finance their own business; more than three thousand people are employed by businesses that started with lottery money.

Buying a new car is also a very common decision made by lottery winners in the United Kingdom. More than £640 million has been spent on new cars with Audi being the most popular brand of choice (16%) and followed up by Range Rover and BMW. The average price of a car is £36,116 and more than 17,000 have been purchased in total.

Lotteries are a popular form of gambling due to the huge jackpots that usually go over one million. Big lotteries such, as the National Lottery, have a draw twice a week and rollover the jackpot if there are no winners. While this can lead to millions in winnings, the odds of having the right numbers are very small and most gamblers usually opt for something more rewarding such as casino games. The new Begado casino bonus allows players to check out the games with a free $20 sign up bonus; there are also some huge bonuses for making a deposit if the $20 proves to be insufficient. The payout rates for this online casino are incredible so making a profit while having fun is very easy. Casino games are a lot more popular simply due to the fact that the odds of winning are pretty good and this can help players increase their bankroll.

Roland Garros generates 11 million

Fantastic Numbers

A lot of money

The tennis tournament at Roland Garros 2012 generated 11 million Euros in Internet gambling through authorized sites in France, said the president of the Regulatory Authority of Online Games (ARJEL), Jean-François Vilotte on Monday. This is certainly a very large sum of money and this was only during one event, you can just imagine how much money the entire gambling industry generates on a daily basis. This is one of the reasons many governments now want to regulate online gambling and want to get some tax money from these establishments.

Even if for many of us, this sum is incredibly large, Vilotte branded the amount of mediocre, because “a single betting site in Britain reached 500 million Euros” in the same tournament in tennis. While there were casinos or sports books that generated a lot of more money than the one in France, the hosts were very happy with the event and they were glad that they had some profits at the end of it.

French sports minister, Valérie Fourneyron, who visited with Jean François ARJEL Vilotte said that 90% of bets in French competitions were held from abroad and not in the 32 licensed operators in France. This is certainly not very good news for the online gambling industry in France and this can only mean that they need to have more promotions or other events to try and generate more profits and get more members.

In 2011, the Roland Garros tournament generated 13 million Euros in online gambling in France, which is two million more than this year. While many consider this year’s event to be a great success there are many who believe that there could have been better results, but are not totally disappointed with what they got.

This tennis tournament only shows how much money online gambling can really generate. If you think about how much money an event like the Super Bowl or the World Cup of Soccer generate, you will understand why so many people are interested in making this activity legal in most countries of the world.

One of the greatest news about this is that many people did earn a lot of money and while some also lost, it can be said that almost everyone had a great time during this event and that most sports books were very successful. Having some gambling issues is not awkward these days and even if you only bet on some sports, because you really enjoy watching them, gambling is one of the best activities there are.

Betting on the Olympic Games

Betting online

Tips for making money

If you were thinking of betting on the different competitions of the Olympic Games, the reality is that your chances of winning are quite uncertain. On the other hand, deciding to invest in shares of some of their own sports betting, is quite a good idea.

The experts in this field classify the bookmakers first, by the percentage of turnover spent on sports betting. It is advisable to have an exposure as high as possible in this area since the 2012 London Olympics will be looming, like the European Championship, Wimbledon and the Tour de France. It will be a great summer for the world of sports.

If you see these companies, you will notice that three of them are very involved in sports betting, while four are represented moderate and last, 888, is small but with intentions to grow.

RESULTS IN 2012

There are several studies which show the actions of the S & P Global 1500, which rose 5% this year, and the European Stoxx 600, which has moved very little and is in an index of 100. The Global Casino and Gaming Index has suffered a back drop to 5 percent.

However, the average rate of eight bookmakers gave better results than the other indices and has even risen 15 percent.

Not surprisingly, the average of our index has outperformed the subscript S & P Global Casinos & Gaming, because the latter includes casinos, like Las Vegas and Macao.

These casinos are much more cyclical companies online, as their services are part of a much larger chain of leisure.

Probably involves travel (expense), book a hotel (expense), eating in restaurants (expense) and then bet.

If the economy is fair, you can always bet on the line and avoid the expense of the trip.

People who bet online are less volatile, but continue to bet even when the economy goes through its worst, while companies in Las Vegas and Macao may have higher cyclical.

KEY DATA
The different studies that have been realized in previous months, have shown that there is a wide range of price / earnings ratio (PER) ranging from a low of 9.8 to 23.9 times.

However, the PER provides interesting data if you look at out liners in the return on equity compared to the price-book value ratio.

Investors may be paying too much for the shares of a company if the benefits are limited and this is what we reflect on the graph.

This is the relationship between return on equity and price-book value ratio for this selection of companies. Here we see that some firms do better positioned than others, but we must clarify that this is a partial analysis and other parameters could lead to another conclusion.

SPORTS BETTING

This is a seasonal business and during this time Olympic revenue will be good, however, that should be reflected in stock prices. However, many analysts believe that probably will not take into account the factor of gambling via mobile phone.

It’s been four years since the Beijing Olympics 2008 and two years since the World Cup South Africa 2010.

In my experience, the mobile world has evolved at a dizzying pace. Smart phone users are no longer a small elite, we all are. Buy and pay online is quite normal and does not appear to be major obstacles.

Therefore, live betting will have a big presence this time and will exceed profit targets throughout the year, as online gambling is a service wide margins.

When people meet they usually lie with a group of friends can do it for fun and now with technology, from cell phones and real probabilities.

You can bet on the number of yellow cards, for the following yellow card, the next goal, and so on. Bets can be a small amount for fun, but every dollar wagered is gain for betting companies.

William Hill Posts Profits in the Beginning of 2012

With the economic recession hitting all businesses, not many in the gambling industry can boast of making a profit. Check out http://www.gamblingtabloid.com/slump-in-the-gaming-industry-stocks-in-2011/, to get an idea about how bad the situation is. However, there are always a few exceptions and William Hill is one of them. William Hill is Britain’s most trusted and largest bookmaker and its online business has shown a huge growth, thus turning out good profits during the first quarter of 2012. In fact, the company has shown a growth of 33% in the first three months of the year.

William Hill’s growth comes from their expansion of business ventures. The company is always on the lookout for ways to improve their business and towards this end, they have applied for Nevada Gaming License in the United States. Prior to the application, William Hill had taken over three well-established sports books in the United States. However, the company is facing delays in receiving the permission, although the license could come through soon enough. Meanwhile, the company is not sitting tight but making all attempts to improve their turnover and the bottom line.

The positive growth is the result of the increase in sports betting activity that went in favor of the company. The net revenues for 2012 are almost 60% higher than last year for the same period. Despite raising stakes by almost 31%, William Hill has managed to retain a strong winning margin, leading to an increase in the turnover and profits. The company’s joint venture with Playtech has only served to contribute to the growth in profits.

William Hill is constantly on the lookout for new ways to attract customers. Presently they offer a mobile sportsbook application that is free to download. This app has become extremely popular with the newer customers at William Hill. More than 190,000 customers downloaded the William Hill free mobile sports book Apps of which about 30% were new members. Check out mobile sports betting at http://mobile.williamhill.com/.

Plenty of sporting ventures will see William Hill earn even greater profit margins this year. For instance, they are the sponsors of the FA Cup and the Cheltenham Festival which will no doubt boost their earnings to a great extent. The sportsbook offers odds on a variety of sporting events and this year the sports calendar is reasonably full, with the Euro 2012 and the London Olympics to be held in a few weeks time. So while the financial growth of the company continues, sports bettors will have a great time betting on their favorite teams during the mega sporting events.

Gambling News

Gambling news from gambling tabloid