Americans Rolling the Dice in 2008

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, has announced its gambling survey of more than 1,600 travelers worldwide and the lucky seven gambling destinations, according to TripAdvisor travelers and editors.

Thirty-six percent of worldwide respondents, and 42 percent of Americans, plan to go gambling while on vacation in the next 12 months. Seventy-two percent of respondents, and 80 percent of Americans said they have gambled while on vacation in their lifetime. Nineteen percent of travelers, and 26 percent of Americans said they have taken a vacation where the primary purpose for the trip was to gamble.

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Bankers Applaud Frank-Paul Approach to Internet Gambling

The banking industry is cheering the assault on the 2006 federal crackdown on Internet gambling by  House Financial Services panel Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

Frand and Paul introduced their bill on Friday, less than two weeks after federal officials testified to Frank’s committee that they were struggling to craft rules barring payments to illegal online gambling sites and banking industry representatives blasted the proposed rules as too onerous.

“I don’t know what can be done or will be done legislatively, but we certainly appreciate the interest,” said the top lobbyist for the American Bankers Association , Floyd Stoner, of the Frank-Paul legislation.

Source: TheHill.com

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ePassporte Stops Processing Online Poker Transactions

ePassporte has stopped processing transactions with online poker sites which was another blow to American Internet poker players and online gambling affiliates.

A letter was sent by ePassporte to  Pitbull Poker and posted on compatiblepoker.com which indicated that pressure from the Department of Justice forced them to cut ties with online poker sites.

“We have been advised that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting a widespread investigation of internet gambling, including poker,” the letter said. “All though (sic) we do not believe we have done anything illegal, we do not wish to be associated with anything that might be considered illegal by the United States government.”

Source: CasinoCityTimes.com

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IntertopsCasino Celebrates 10 Years of Service

When IntertopsCasino.com, of Antigua, launched one of the first online casinos back in 1998, sceptics asked the same thing they’d asked two years before when the pioneering company launched the very first online sportsbook. Those who wondered if anyone would ever trust an online casino with their money underestimated the trust Intertops had already earned and has continued to earn since then.

“Trust is everything in this business,” said Michl Posch of Intertops. “To earn that trust you have to pay out all winnings quickly and reliably. That may seem pretty basic but not all operators make it a top priority as Intertops has ever since it began its sportsbook in London twenty-five years ago.”

The other priority that has kept IntertopsCasino.com on top the last ten years is its commitment to continually adding the best new games. Thanks to a ten-year partnership with gambling software leader Microgaming, IntertopsCasino.com now provides hundreds of state-of-the-art casino games. The most recently added was the new Lara Croft Tomb Raider slot machine.

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PGCB’s Director of Compulsive & Problem Gambling Appointed to IMGL

Nanette Horner, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s Director of Compulsive and Problem Gambling, has been appointed to the Responsible Gaming Committee for the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL).

Horner, who joined the Board’s Office of Chief Counsel in 2005, was named the first Director of the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling in September, 2006.

Gaming Control Board Chairman Mary DiGiacomo Colins says Nan Horner’s participation in this important committee falls in lockstep with a chief goal of this agency.

In addition to Horner, other members of the Responsible Gaming Committee are:

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Nine Days of Tropical Paradise Await Titan Poker Players

Damien de Gaye of France and Cory Tymich of Canada will represent Titan Poker, the largest poker room on the iPoker Network, this May at the World Poker Showdown (WPS) Ocean World tournament in the Dominican Republic.

Both players have been awarded a $9,000 Prize package to the WPS Ocean World in the Dominican Republic from May 9th through the 18th. In addition to free entry to the $2650 main event, they will also have their flights, travel costs, luxury accommodations for seven nights, all meals at the hotel and spending money provided by Titan Poker.

Cory Tymich has been playing with Titan Poker for two years and has become somewhat of a star considering this is his fourth big win at the popular poker room. Although Cory also enjoys playing poker live, he believes playing online is superior. “It is so easy to get into a game and you can play more than one game at the same time,” he commented.

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Nautica Charity Poker Festivals New Indoor Facility & Schedule

The 2008 Nautica Charity PokerFestivals, now in their fourth season, will begin this Thursday in a new, 12,000 sq. ft. facility located inside The Powerhouse at the Nautica Entertainment Complex. The move facilitates expanding the number of Nautica Charity Poker Festivals that feature Texas Hold ‘Em and other festival activities from 20 weeks in 2007 to 46 weeks annually.

Nautica Charity Poker Festivals will be located on the ground floor of the Powerhouse in a 12,000 sq. ft. location. The new location offers added benefits to charities hosting the Festivals and people attending them. Operating costs will be reduced for charities hosting the 4-day Festivals, provide them with more net revenue, and give local charities more weeks from which to select and host a Festival. Charities are expected to earn over $1.5 million of net revenue annually in the year-round location.

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2008 World Series of Poker Europe Dates Announced

The dates for the second annual World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair have been set, Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., owner and operator of the most prestigious poker tournaments announced today.

The 2008 World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair (the WSOPE) will be held from September 19th to October 1st, 2008 in London, England.

As with the inaugural event, this year’s tournament will be hosted by London Clubs International and held at their St. James (Fifty), Leicester Square (The Casino at the Empire) and Marble Arch (Sportsman) locations.

The schedule for the 2008 WSOPE is currently being finalized and will be released upon completion.

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Mike Sexton Featured Spokesman for NLOP

The National League of Poker (NLOP) has announced that Mike Sexton, the world-famous poker advocate and professional player, has signed an exclusive contract to be the featured spokesman of the company’s industry leading web site.

NLOP is the leading poker-centric social gaming site for free, US-legal, online poker play. In 2007, NLOP, a division of Power Play Development, awarded over $350,000 in cash and prizes to winners on its game network.

In the newly created role of on-site spokesman, Sexton will have broad, hands-on involvement with the site, including playing online with members, consulting on tournaments, taking part in the new community area and representing NLOP in the offline poker community. “We will be integrating Mike into the NLOP site over the next few months as we bring all the new software features of our new platform on-stream,” continued Clebnik.

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Poker Players Protest Proposed Massachusetts Bill

Yesterday, only a few dozen poker players turned out for a rally to protest a proposed Massachusetts bill, at Boston Commons, that would make gambling and playing online poker in the state illegal. The rally was held by the Poker Players Alliance and Harvard’s Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society.

The bill in question, proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick, would also allow three licenses for casinos in the state, in addition to the internet ban.

The rally took place an hour before a scheduled public hearing on the Massachusetts Casino Expansion bill for the benefit of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.

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Sweden Ends Ban On-Online Poker & Gambling Advertising

The ban on online poker and gambling advertising in Sweden is over. Prosecutors in Sweden were ordered to stop prosecuting cases against media outlets that were publishing or airing ads relating to online poker and gambling from foreign sources.

According to pokerpages.com:

“The order came from UC Malmo, a department of Sweden’s Prosecution Authority, according to reports by Gaming Intelligence Group. The decision arises from an appeal made on behalf of Aftonbladet and Expressen, two Swedish newspapers who were previously found guilty of breaching Sweden’s lottery laws by accepting such advertising, and who have been fighting for the past four years to appeal the court verdict.

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South Africa May Legalize On-line Gambling

South Africa may legalize on-line gambling soon. This is according to an article in The Times newspaper of South Africa.

Currently, online gambling is illegal in South Africa even if the service provider is located in another country. Players face prison time and huge fines if caught. There are no licenses to operate so players are not protected and anyone with a claim against an online gaming site would have no recourse and may even be arrested for engaging in an illegal activity.

However, a bill relating to Internet gambling went to the Select Committee of National Provinces earlier this week and will soon be tabled in the National Assembly for final approval.

Source: OnlineCasinoNews.com

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Casino Tropez Announces Big Money Winners

Casino Tropez has announced another 2 winners totalling €577,000 within 6 days of each other. The lucky players are Ulrike H. of Germany and Angele L. of France. Both received huge cash prizes playing progressive slot machines at Casino Tropez.

Ulrike was playing Diamond Valley, a 5 line progressive video slot game on February 25, 2008 and heard the bells ring, taking home €113,000! Angele won €464,000 playing Gold rally 8 line progressive video slot machine.

Casino Tropez is known for its impressive line-up of over 100 progressive jackpots. Online casino players who are fans of slot play will definitely be entertained with such a wide variety of game choices.

Casino Tropez is powered by Playtech technology and provides a safe and secure online casino environment. The online gaming group features a top notch Loyalty and VIP program, massive promotions, free bonus offers, welcome bonuses and friendly 24 hour customer support.

Visit Casino Tropez and try your luck!

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FBI Watching Facebook March Madness Betting Pools

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that March Madness office pools on social networks like Facebook and MySpace is being watched by the FBI because Internet gambling is illegal.

According to an FBI spokesman, “There could be a violation if there’s a payout and if the operators take a cut”. In a statement from Facebook, “(Facebook) does not condone the use of the site for any unlawful purposes, and users must agree as part of the terms of use not to conduct illegal activity.”

CBSSports.com has made it easier for Facebook users to become involved in betting pools for the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, which gets under way this week.

Last February, CBSSports.com launched an application that allows Facebook users to fill out brackets for the tournament and compare their picks with those of their friends on the site.

Source: ComputerWorld.com 

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GigaMedia Reports Record Profit in 2007

GigaMedia, developer and licenser of online gaming software, announced today its outstanding full-year 2007 results with revenues climbing 77 percent to a record $166.9 million, and operating income rising 73 percent to $38.1 million, both in comparison to 2006, driven by strong growth in its poker software business in continental Europe and its online games business in Asia.

Net income in 2007 was a record US$38.9 million, up 63 percent after deduction of a one-time after-tax disposal gain of approximately $7.0 million in 2006. Full-year 2007 non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share were $0.77 and $0.68, respectively, which exclude non-cash share-based compensation expenses.

Fourth-quarter 2007 total revenues were $47.7 million and net income was $10.7 million, up 11 and 10 percent, respectively, from the third quarter of 2007. Fourth-quarter non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share were $0.21 and $0.19, respectively.

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