Monthly Archives: May 2010

What are the Chances of Online Casino Betting in Greece?

Numerous attempts of the EUROPEAN Commission to make Greece stop operating a monopoly and give outside online casinos and betting companies a chance to compete in the market have failed. Greece is still running OPAP, a state-run gambling and betting company, which is the only to accept land and internet bets. However, OPAP has recently experienced some revenue problems and now the company is petitioning the Greek Government to fully legalize online casino betting in the country.

In view of current economic situation in Greece, chances to legalize online casino betting are very high, but it will be the side of OPAP only, as the Government of Greece still wants to have a whole lot of market control.

Taxing Online Casinos for Economic Benefit

KPMG is an accounting and advisory group around the world struggling for better regulation of the gambling industry.

The group claims that an increase in taxes with online casinos, e.g., would bring a country more revenue. Thus, the Australian government states that their industry will grow by 42% in the next two years what leads to $30 billion in revenue growth. Another example is China and Korea. Both countries have bans on online gambling, and both are fighting against underground online casinos, many of which are scams. So, regulation of online casino gambling industry there would help their economies and generate more jobs for their population.

SportingBet On Its Feet Again

Having focused on the legal European market, Sportingbet managed to rebuilt its business after a failure at the US gambling market after the UIGEA came into effect.

Now, the site has a rebuilt base of loyal gamblers and it business is in operation throughout Europe and other parts of the world. The company can already be found on the London Stock Exchange and last October it was able to re-establish payout to stockholders. Reestablishment on the London Main is indeed an indication that Sportingbet is doing well and its growth and revenue are healthy.

Everyone Counts

A new and innovative agreement between Chartwell Technology, an online casino software developer, and a land based company in Austria makes the existing gap between the main sectors of the global gambling market less visible.

So far, land gambling venues have been rather reluctant to accept the online casinos fearing the fact that they’ll replaced by online casinos. However, pros and cons of the internet gambling industry are clear. The online casino gambling industry brings in new technology and combination of gambling experience, and has a global nature.

However, nobody has written off the land venues yet. So, the relationship between the online casino gambling industry and the land gambling venues is crucial for the future of both. Running jointly, they’ll be able to create the long-term future of the gaming industry in general.

Mantiba’s Official Consider a Possibility of State Run Gambling Site

The province of Manitoba, Canada, is the latest province to announce the consideration of new internet gambling laws.
At the moment the officials are considering the law only, but there is a chance we may get it soon.

According to Steve Ashton, the Lotteries Minister of Manitoba, all the implications of a legalized gambling industry are to be taken into consideration before making any decisions. The decisive action will not probably be made until the end of the year.

The key motivating force in Manitoba is the launch of a state run online casino betting and gambling site that would offer a safe alternative to the already existing market.

Two Sites Raise Concerns and Suspicions

There is quite a bit of concern about two sites powered on the Real Team Gaming platform (Lucky Slots and Cuba Club) that have suddenly gone offline. The online casinos have not released any information.

The situation started with very slow payouts, then a message followed saying that the sites were down and would be back up shortly. So far the online casinos are still down and the management is responding.

The situation is worrisome, as lots of players have their money sitting in both of the sites, and suspicious at the same time, as it doesn’t take longer than 48 hours for an online casino to switch over to a new server.

White Label Platform for Beast’s Network

The Beast Gaming Group is about to offer a white label poker site to the European market (the final stages of preparation are in the process now).

Beast has been looking for high quality gaming platform for quite a while and has finally found one white label platform designed by Intelimax. The platform allows great flexibility.

Beast Gaming hopes that their existing online casino players will respond well to the new internet poker platform.

Look for eCOGRA’s Seal of Approval

In spite of the fact that there are so many information portals providing comprehensive information about gambling sites, new players are still scared to make the right choice. And this is the time when eCOGRA certification should be taken into consideration.

eCogra is the main standards body within the online casino gambling industry, and if a gambling site has been certified, it means that the site adheres to regulations and can be trusted.

The process of certification by eCOGRA is described as extremely difficult and thorough. Approved sites will definitely deliver high gaming quality experience for both new and old players.

Kerching Joines iPhone Entertainment Industry

Mobile gaming is developing at a great speed. The latest announcement comes from Kerching.com, the online casino which is now providing iPhone and iPod Touch users with their popular Rainbow Riches online slot game (also known as Pots of Gold).

To start the game, players should go to i.Kerching.mobi and follow the instructions featured on the web browser. You are required to register, but the process is very easy.

Kerching.com can boast of top notch graphics, easy to use navigation and top features, and to enjoy them players need to have the handset.

The slot game offers 5 reels with 20 pay lines. It completes the theme with a lucky leprechaun for some of the symbols and other Irish symbols.  It also has a Pick Me and Road to Riches bonus for you to get Pots of Gold when you play.  There is also a progressive jackpot that offers a gold, silver or bronze in the jackpot.  It is playable with 20 pence to 5 pounds depending on what you wish to bet.  So, if you play with five pounds it is possible to win 5000 pounds in the bonus rounds.

More iPhone games are expected for launch by Kerchin, and the company claims it won’t take much time to hear from them.

Black Diamond Advises of Switchover

Black Diamond Casino has announced that it is going to operate on an entirely new gaming platform of its sister site, Box24. Black Diamond will shut down soon and then reopen with all accounts intact, but already on a new platform offered by Rival Gaming.

The new platform will allow Black Diamond’s players to enjoy a greater selection of games. The switchover to a new platform is promised to be seamless and shouldn’t take longer than 24 hours.