Scottish Smoking Ban Sees Online Bingo Fever Catch Fire

Pubs, restaurants and entertainment premises may all suffering at the hands of the Scottish smoking ban, but there is one industry that is rejoicing at the new law.

Online bingo sites have seen a dramatic rise in the number of Scottish players who have joined recently, as they take up the opportunity to play at a venue where they can still smoke…home!

Since the ban came into effect three months ago, five bingo halls have been forced to close in Scotland after operators saw takings drop by over a quarter as players were forced to obey no-smoking rules.

But in that time Scottish bingo has seen online memberships increase by up to 400 per cent according to BingoScotland.com.

Dylan Schlosberg, spokesman for BingoScotland.com, said, 'When the smoking ban started, we didn’t imagine our membership would increase so rapidly.But as players have the freedom to smoke when they play online in the comfort of their own home, it makes sense that bingo websites have become even more popular.'

Jeanette Clunie, 38, from Edinburgh is a smoking bingo player who has just recently converted to playing online, 'I think online bingo is definitely on the up and through time, bingo halls will be a thing of the past. I personally wouldn’t use bingo halls now you can’t smoke in them and haven’t done since the ban.'

Baseball Fan Wins Trip to MLB All Stars Game

Aces.com Winner Gets Free Trip to Midsummer Classic in Pittsburgh

Aces.com is sending one of their favorite customers on an all-expense-paid trip to the MLB All Stars Game in Pittsburgh next week. Brian B. of Minnesota won the trip to the Midsummer Classic June 11th by betting on baseball at Aces.com Sportsbook (www.aces.com/sportsbook) last month.

“I’m in sales, and I travel a lot,” said the road weary winner, “Normally I wouldn’t get excited about a road trip to Pittsburgh, but this is different! I’m taking my buddy Jerry on this over-nighter. This trip’ll be all about fun!”

“I wish I was going to Pittsburgh with our winner!” said Aces.com Brand Manager Rene Quesada. “A summer day at PNC Park… All the best players from both leagues. Man, you can’t beat that!”

“I must’ve been one of Aces.com’s first customers,” said last month’s free contest winner who’s been betting on baseball at Aces.com since 2001. “Things have changed a lot since then. The lines are faster. Payouts back to your account are fast too. And deposits and withdrawals are easier. At Aces anyway.”

Midway through the 2006 MLB season, New York Mets (3-1), Chicago White Sox (4-1) are currently the favorites for the World Series. Like every hotel on the strip, Aces.com has hundreds of baseball odds and props. To qualify for Aces.com’s MLB All Stars Contest, players just had to place a baseball bet sometime in June.

“That’s no problem here,” chuckled Brian. “I sit down once a week and place my bets. I don’t really bet on any particular team. I just love baseball and football! I’m a homer, so I tend to favor the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings.”

The American League is looking for its ninth straight All Star Game win and will be fielding an experienced team familiar with the Midsummer Classic. Mets players dominate the young National League lineup.

“I’ll be rooting for the American League team in Pittsburgh,” said the contest winner. “I’ve been watching Johan Santana and Joe Mauer…”

Each week, Aces.com Sportsbook offers players one free no-loss baseball bet – losing bets are completely refunded.

This week’s MLB $10 Free Bet at Aces.com is:
Albert Pujols Total Runs+Hits+RBIs on Sunday Night (Must Start)
Over 3 1-1 -- Under 3 1-1

Aces.com’s Slaughter Rule, Cycle Hitter Bonus and No-Hitter Payback promos also make it one of the most fun places to bet on major league baseball this summer. The “Slaughter Rule” refunds all losing wagers for those who bet on the UNDER of the Total. Aces also refunds all losing wagers on the Money Line or Run Line of No Hitters. Hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in one game and Aces.com refunds all losing wagers on the Money Line or Run Line.

Aces.com offers online gamblers ALL the gambling options they have in Las Vegas: casino games, poker, sports betting and horses.

Poker-Pro Wannabe Gets Chance at a Million

Regular Aces.com Player Wins Place in Million Dollar Free Roll Elimination Round

A young player who’s honed his poker tournament skills in Aces.com’s regular Wednesday Night Free Roll has qualified for the online elimination round in the Vegas-style site’s Million Dollar Free Roll.

The Million Dollar Free Roll online elimination round begins July 22 and will likely continue for two or three days. The top twelve players will be flown to a secret tropical resort for the face-to-face Final Table. One of them will walk away a million dollars richer. The Wednesday night regulars at Aces.com hope it’s their buddy Brill.

“Brill played in our last Million Dollar Free Roll,” said Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada, “He finished about 400th out of about 5000. I can tell you though, he’s played a lot of Texas Hold’em since then – could be a real contender this time ‘round!”

“I’ve had a lot more online tournament experience since then,” says the confident Aces.com player. “Last year was just practice – this year I’m playing to win!”

The confident player is hoping his Brill Strategy can help him win the million.

“I have a strategy that I've formulated over the years that seems to work for me,” says the recent college graduate. “I call it my ‘Brill Strategy’. Without giving too much away, I'll say that I’m a semi-conservative player who has an aggressive streak and I feel I have a good knack of knowing how much to bet at certain times, and how to extract the most chips from an opponent in a given pot. Of course, no matter how good a player you are, you need to get lucky. And sometimes the luckiest thing that can happen, is avoiding being unlucky.”

The Hold’em hopeful is also a fan of the most popular new game in Las Vegas, Three Card Poker.

“Three Card is pretty easy,” he said. “It’s nice for a change after a few intense hands of Hold’em! Would be nice to pick up that $1000 Tournament prize at the end of the month too!”

Aces.com’s June card tournaments include $1000 prizes to the players that win the most at Blackjack, Three Card Poker and Caribbean Stud in the month of June.

There is no direct entry into the $1,000,000 main event -- players must win their seat in one of three free heats held daily until July 21. The tournaments, which are free to enter, are at 4 pm. 9 pm and 1 am (Eastern Time) every day; registration begins two hours prior to each. Anyone can join these games by entering the poker room at Aces.com. The top six, nine and fifteen players respectively advance to the Online Elimination Round that begins July 22.

African School Built by Slotland.com Brings Community Together

Before it is even open, the school in Malawi built by popular online slots site, Slotland.com, is already an important community centre. The villagers that built the school have been back to harvest the first crop of maize, which will feed pre-school students, and a volunteer committee is being trained to manage the new facility when classes begin in September.

I'm personally impressed by Slotland.com. While most online gambling companies are mostly interested in the owners'/stockholders' profits, Slotland.com amazingly philanthropic.

“Our goal is to help to start up this project, to work hand in hand with the local community, to make sure that soon our presence will not be needed and that the project can continue functioning without us or outside funding,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com.

We are following two guiding principles,” said Tereza, the Project Manager. “The project must directly respond to the needs of the community. And it must be built and managed by the local people in order for them to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility.

The Slotland.com team’s first task in Africa was to understand what the local people needed most. Visiting families, schools, health centres, churches, and other stakeholders confirmed that the biggest problems facing the villagers were the lack of food, lack of money for school, lack of knowledge, sexual inequality, and HIV.

The team learned some startling facts that make providing an education all the more important:

• Half of all twelve-year-old girls are sexually active, usually for money.
• Common misconceptions, like ‘sperm contains vitamin K that women can only get through unprotected sex’ or ‘sex with virgins can cure HIV’ help spread disease.
• Some communities still practice initiation ceremonies that encourage early sex which, being unprotected, result in pregnancies or STDs.
• Schools, churches, and other organizations trying to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic generally advise young people to abstain but as most of them are already sexually active, this advice doesn’t have a chance of changing their behaviour.

“We want to help these people break the cycle of poverty and we think education is the key,” said Morante. “We strongly believe that it is our obligation to share our prosperity like this. We know it makes our players feel good about how they’re spending their entertainment dollars.”

Slotland.com has nine unique online slot machines and now offers three of the most popular games on mobile phones. The site is well known for its progressive jackpots (available both online and on the mobile games) which are hit every six weeks or so for $150,000 or more. It is also well known for its generosity.

Baseball Bettors to Win Trip to MLB All Stars Game

Aces.com Offers Free Chance at Trip to Midsummer Classic in Pittsburgh

One lucky Aces.com baseball bettor will win an all expense paid trip to the MLB All Stars Game in Pittsburgh next month. The winner will be chosen at random by the retro Vegas-style casino and sportsbook from all players betting on baseball throughout June – so everyone that bets on baseball has a chance to win. This baseball lovers dream prize includes hotel, airfare and tickets to the hottest sports betting event of the season.

“Baseball fans want to be in the ball park in Pittsburgh I guess,” mused Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada, “But for gamblers, Vegas hotel sports books -- and online sports betting sites -- are where the real action is.”

Each week, Aces.com Sportsbook offers players one free no-loss baseball bet – losing bets are completely refunded.

This week’s MLB $10 Free Bet at Aces.com is:
Which Player Will Have More Strikeouts on Sunday, June 18?
Curt Schilling -1/2 Ks 1-1 John Smoltz +1/2 Ks 1-1

Aces.com’s Slaughter Rule, Cycle and No-Hitter promos also make it one of the most fun places to bet on major league baseball this summer.

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual contest between players from the National League and the American League. Position players are selected by fan vote and managers select the pitchers. The All-Star Game usually occurs in early to mid-July (this year July 11) and marks the symbolic halfway point in the Major League Baseball (MLB). It is used to determine home field advantage for the upcoming World Series. Intended as a one-time event, the first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago and was the brainchild of Arch Ward, then sports editor for The Chicago Tribune.

Czechs’ have upper hand against USA in World Cup opener

Sportsbook.com odds makers favor Czech’s and bettors back them too

With the World Cup only days away, there is no doubt that the US men’s national team will be looking to earn some international respect as they try to build on their stunning 2002 quarterfinal run in South Korea and Japan. However, the States have their work cut out for them as they face the number two FIFA ranked Czech Republic in their first match this Monday in Dortmund, Germany.

www.sportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino, has placed odds on the outcome of the stars and stripes World Cup opener, pinning the US as a 3.50 underdog. The States have received only 35 per cent of total wagers, unlike the 2.09 favored Czechs, who have received 61 per, the remainder of the cash rests on a tie match.

The US, ranked fifth by FIFA going into the World Cup, has had a strong showing in qualifying rounds and will look to young striker DeMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan among other talented midfielders to put pressure on the Czech’s defense. Up to the challenge is 24 year old Chelsea keeper Petr Cech. One of the World’s finest netminders, Cech has allowed the midfield to stay offensive-minded which has let Pavel Nedved do what he does best, score goals.

“The opening game of the World Cup can really set the tone for the rest of the tournament so this is an important one for both teams,” said Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. “Everybody bets on the World Cup, and although the US has slipped under the radar as a serious threat in Group E, they have played the spoiler before and can certainly do it again.”

The US opened as a 90-1 underdog to win the 2006 World Cup but now sits at 30-1, the 11th best odds in the field. The traditional South American and European powerhouses still line the top of the odds chart with Brazil at 5-2 followed by Argentina (13-2), England (7-1), Germany (8-1), Holland (9-1), Italy (9-1) and France (10-1).

USA opens their World Cup run against the Czech Republic on Monday June 12th at Dortmund’s FIFA World Cup Stadium in Germany.

For a full list of odds and additional information please visit www.sportsbook.com.

Who will win USA’s First Game vs. Czech Republic - June 12, 2006

Result /Money /Wagers Received
USA 3.50 35%
Tie 3.23 5%
Czech Republic 2.09 61%

Who will win the 2006 World Cup?

Team / Odds / Wagers Received

Brazil 5-2 30%
Argentina 13-2 5.5%
England 7-1 11.9%
Germany 8-1 10.6%
Holland 9-1 3.9%
Italy 9-1 7.9%
France 10-1 1.7%
Spain 16-1 2.5%
Portugal 20-1 2.8%
Czech Republic 25-1 4.2%
USA 30-1 9.0%
Mexico 40-1 2.9%
Sweden 40-1 1.2%
Ukraine 50-1 0.7%
Serbia & Montenegro 60-1 0.2%
Croatia 65-1 0.7%
Ivory Coast 80-1 0.3%
Poland 80-1 0.4%
Paraguay 90-1 0.1%
Switzerland 100-1 0.3%
Japan 150-1 0.4%
Australia 200-1 0.5%
Ecuador 200-1 0.2%
Angola 250-1 0.1%
Ghana 250-1 0.3%
South Korea 250-1 1.0%
Togo 300-1 0.1%
Tunisia 350-1 0.0%
Costa Rica 500-1 0.2%
Iran 500-1 0.2%
Saudi Arabia 750-1 0.1%
Trinidad & Tobago 1,000-1 0.2%

$10K Cash & Prizes in Aces.com June Card Tournaments

Free Three Card Poker, Blackjack & Caribbean Stud Tournaments Are Easy for Beginners and a Nice Change for Regular Poker Players

As every gambler on The Strip knows, tournaments up the excitement level for players and mean BIG prizes are at stake. True to form, Vegas-style online casino Aces.com presents three June card tournaments with more than $10,000 in cash and prizes to be awarded.

The Three Card Poker, Blackjack and Caribbean Stud players that accumulate the most chips in the month of June will each win $1000. Second and third place players in each category will each get $500 and $250 respectively. Free Plays plus a total of more than $10,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to Aces.com tournament players this month.

Caribbean Stud Tournament players that play the progressive could really win big. Right now, Aces.com’s Progressive Jackpots are at record-high levels. The Caribbean Stud Progressive is at $223,077.22 (as of June 5).

Three Card Poker is the hottest new card game to hit the strip since Texas Hold ‘em, and Aces.com is one of the first online casinos to offer this popular Vegas game. Blackjack and Caribbean Stud (Bermuda Poker) are popular favorites but for many card players Three Card Poker is something new.

“Three Card Poker is an easy game for beginners to start with,” said Rene Quesada, Aces.com Manager. “It’s also a nice change for people that have played a lot of online card games.”

Aces.com offers online gamblers ALL the gambling options they have in Las Vegas: casino games, poker, sports betting and horses. What happens in Vegas, happens at Aces.com.

Dog Knows When to Spin and When to Walk Away

Slotland.com Winner Credits Dog for Big Win

If she hadn’t listened to her dog, a recent Slotland.com winner wouldn’t have hit the jackpot like she did when her trusted companion urged her to take one more spin on her favourite slot machine.

Player MAGAMILL was having a lucky streak. Within ten minutes of making a $25 deposit, she’d run her balance up to over $300.

“Players attribute good luck to all sorts of things,” said Slotland.com Manager Hannah Morante. “Horoscopes, lucky charms… but this is the first player I’ve known to take winning advice from her dog!”

“I was playing Jacks or Better and I was only betting fifty cents and a dollar per round. I thought that being this far ahead of the game, I should cash in and run with the money,” said the excited winner.

MAGAMILL’s dog Shelby always sleeps at her feet while she plays the online slot machines at Slotland.com.

“I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk or if she wanted a treat from upstairs, but nothing would get her to move, for me to leave my computer. Now this is a hundred pound dog, so when she doesn't move and is blocking you, you are not going anywhere!” said MAGAMILL.

At her dog’s insistence, the regular Slotland.com player decided to take one more spin, this time on her favourite game, Wild Heart. She bet the full amount, $15, and spun. To her amazement and delight, she hit two straight flushes and a four of a kind and won $350, more than doubling her account balance.

“I figured I was really ahead now and should probably quit with my $650. But I looked down at Shelby and this beast looks at me with those big brown eyes as if to say, ‘Keep playing, stupid!’ So, I did, next bet $15 again. Yep, you got it, two wild hearts fall down with two Jacks, and I've got $120, for sure, but if I discard the last card, I have a better chance of hitting, and yes, you got it, I hit the fifth Jack on the top line! I couldn't believe my eyes, another 375 bucks!”
So far ahead of her original $25 deposit, MAGAMILL was anxious to cash out. This time her dog agreed and the slot playing team logged off for the night.

Slotland.com has nine unique online slot machines and now offers three of the most popular games on mobile phones. The site is well known for its progressive jackpots (available both online and on the mobile games) which are hit every six weeks or so for $150,000 or more.

PokerShare.com & CasinoShare.com Add Fuel to Fire as New Yorkers Stand In LIne for Hours

Most Generous Sites on the Net take a bite out of the Big Apple's gas prices

PokerShare.com and their newly launched CasinoShare.com gave away over 8 thousand gallons of gasoline this morning to hundreds of New Yorkers excited to be apart of this generous offer. The line up in what on-site traffic officers called the longest gas line in New York City this decade spanned over ten blocks backing up to the Brooklyn Bridge.

From 6AM EST this morning, the Westside Highway Mobil station at the corner of Canal St. & West Side HWY offered up to $40 in free unleaded gasoline compliments of the online poker and casino group. PokerShare’s “deal” was designed to help New Yorkers enjoy their Memorial Day Weekend without having to fret about the high price of gasoline.

Several morning shows and radio personalities interacted and interviewed the drivers who were clearly not only happy with their free gas, but with their 15 seconds of fame. The PokerShare team and gas station management team were all suited up, and supporting the PokerShare Pump Girls, who filled the tanks of eager New Yorkers. With only 6 pumps in service and cars backed up during morning rush hour, NYPD eventually had to shut the party down!

Lucan Toh, CEO of PokerShare.com and CasinoShare.com said, “It's a travesty that with gas prices so high in America, someone like PokerShare who wants to give back and give away free gas gets shut down hours early with thousands of gallons waiting to be given out. But PokerShare is about giving back to the people who support it, so we’ll be back.”

New Yorkers who had heard about the event through flyers, radio and TV promotions, and word of mouth came from as far away as South Jersey. Even off-duty police officers and city officials came to the station to get their share of gas. “I left work to fill up – this is just too good to be true, when is the last time you got gas for FREE,” said one customer.

PokerShare.com and their newly launched CasinoShare.com hope that everyone involved will have a better Memorial Day Weekend because of the event. PokerShare.com hoped that the event could run a full five hours, but are already planning their next “PokerShare City”, where they will once again help relieve the price of the pump. The most generous site on the Web plans to choose their next city via a poll on the PokerShare.com (www.pokershare.com) website.

Tournament Runner-up Vows to Win Aces.com Free Roll This Week

Regulars become known at their favorite poker sites, and lately everyone at Aces.com is cheering on player “Brill” in the retro-Vegas casino / sportsbook site’s weekly free-roll poker tournaments.

“Brill’s been playing in our Wednesday night game for a long time,” said Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “The last two weeks, he’s come in second. Maybe next week will be the week he wins the coveted Aces.com shirt and visor!”

“This week, victory is mine!” said the confident Aces.com tournament regular. “I have a strategy that I've formulated over the years that seems to work for me, and I call it my ‘Brill Strategy’. Without giving too much away, I’ll say that I’m a semi-conservative player with an aggressive streak and a good knack for knowing how much to bet at certain times, and how to extract the most chips from an opponent in a given pot. Of course, no matter how good of a player you are, you need to get lucky or at least avoid getting unlucky...”

Aces.com does offer several high stakes poker tournaments, but the weekly Wednesday night Free Roll is one of its most popular events.

“Often the tourney bonus prizes are poker chips, poker shirts, cool stuff like that,” said Quesada. “But in January we surprised everyone by making the prize of the week an all expense paid trip to the Super Bowl. And we sent a bunch of Wednesday night winners to our Radio Music Awards party in Vegas too.”

Brill, a 23-year-old recent Business Computer Systems graduate, has also been playing in the Million Dollar Free Roll Tournament at Aces.com. He has qualified to play in the online elimination round and hopes to make it from there to the million-dollar Final Table. Another weekly tournament at Aces.com awards $10,000 WSOP seats in each of three daily heats.

“Playing in a tournament is a different world from regular games,” said the Aces.com tournament regular. “The thing that makes tournament play so exciting is that every player is given the same amount of chips, and you need to use your skills and mind to try to maneuver your way and somehow obtain all of the chips in play. It’s actually pretty intense if you think about it, especially in a tournament with hundreds of players. It really is a war of the minds, more than anything else, and the feeling you get from knowing you've gotten all the chips from every player.... it’s priceless.”

The WSOP and the Million Dollar Free Roll Final Table are Brill’s goals for this summer. For tonight though, his focus is on winning the regular Wednesday night free roll and wearing that silk shirt.

Any player can join tonight’s tournament at 11:00 p.m. EDT by logging on to Aces.com.

Online Casino Launches “Aces, the Movie”

Aces.com Finalizes Hollywood Deal for Poker Movie Launch

The deal has been inked – Aces.com is sponsoring the sexiest poker movie of the summer. The Vegas-style online casino / poker / sportsbetting site plans special events, on-site promotions and contests to celebrate the release of Aces, the Movie.

Aces.com players will be invited to the Los Angeles premiere of Aces, the Movie on September 26th. Throughout the summer, many will win their all-expense paid trip in weekly tournaments and summer contests.

Aces, the Movie is a sexy thriller exploring the world of poker that has fascinates and thrills millions of Americans. Brooke (Lacey Toups, CSI Miami), Elle (Christina Morris) and Pieti (Sheena Chou, Burned) are all gorgeous … and mathematical geniuses. Looking for a challenge and some fast money, the ladies head for Sin City and high-stakes, competitive poker. Once in Vegas, face to face with the pros, they set their plan into action, relying on high-tech gadgetry, brainpower and unequivocal charm.

After being taken for all he’s worth by the trio, world-renowned poker champion Fang Chow (Garret Sato, Pearl Harbor, Alias) becomes suspicious of the beauties’ gambling tactics and invites them to Rio de Janeiro to join a handful of the world’s leading players (including Platinum-selling rapper Domino) in an intense No-Limit Texas Hold ’Em tournament. After Chow ensures no cheating will be possible, Brooke finds herself trapped in a battle of wits, strategy and skill as she plays for their lives.

Aces, the Movie is being released by Warner Brothers and Polychrome Pictures nationwide on DVD and it will also be available through Time-Warner Video-On-Demand.

Aces.com will be distributing thousands of copies of the DVD, which features poker lessons from the movies sexy cast.

Two Huge Progressive Jackpots Overdue for a Hit

Aces.com’s ‘Free Ride’ Progressive Jackpot Approaching $250,000

Two of Aces.com’s three progressive jackpots are sky high – one well over $200K -- and all are statistically due to be hit. On average, Aces’ jackpots are won twice a week, usually for about $50K each time. The Hook Line & Sinker slots jackpot was just hit on Friday and is way over a hundred grand already. This week two progressive jackpots are setting record highs.

Current Progressive Jackpots*:

Caribbean Stud $161,698.84
Free Ride $237,550.68
Hook Line Sinker $124,470.33

* At Aces.com as of May 15 08:43 MDT (Las Vegas)

Progressive jackpots raise the stakes for card and slots players. By adding a dollar to a bet to play the progressive, players become eligible to win huge jackpots.

“We’re part of the biggest online gambling company in the world, so our progressive jackpots are played by literally millions of players,” said Rene Quesada, Aces.com Manager. “That’s why they get so big even though they get hit pretty often.”

Part of the excitement of progressive jackpots is watching the jackpot ticker constantly changing as millions of online players up the ante by adding the progressive to their bet. At Aces.com, an hour can add $10,000 to the pot.

“I never used to play the progressive until my friend won $36,000 that way,” said player “WANNABET” of Kansas. “I’d just spin and hope for the best. Then I realized you can never win the really big money unless you top up your bets. Now I do it all the time – it’s way more exciting with $200,000 on the line I’ll tell ya!”

Aces.com players can add the Progressive Bet playing Caribbean Stud, Bermuda Poker or slot machines.

Current progressive jackpot values are updated in real-time at Aces.com.

Aces.com to back Hollywood’s next big poker movie

Aces.com has made a sponsorship offer to the producers of the hottest poker movie since Rounders. The retro Vegas-style casino, poker and sportsbetting site plans to launch the movie with special celebrity events in Los Angeles and Las Vegas this summer. Tons of poker tournaments and contest prizes will mean lots of Aces.com players will join the party!

“Online poker has become such a huge cultural phenomenon,” said Aces.com Manager, Rene Quesada. “This movie really explores the lifestyle and excitement that poker players dream about. It has it all… beautiful women, exotic locations, suspense, cheating, and winning.”

Matt Damon may have revived the genre in Rounders (1998), but Hollywood has been fascinated by poker and poker culture since Hopalong Cassidy saved the day by posing as a newbie poker player in Sunset Trail (1939) and Gene Autry starred in the classic poker murder mystery Loaded Pistols (1948). Warren Beatty also played a sly, cheating, debonair poker player in Kaleidoscope (1966) while in Maverick (1994), Mel Gibson and Jody Foster needed $3000 dollars to enter a winner-takes-all poker tournament. Steve McQueen managed to get into the highest stakes game of his life in perhaps the best poker movie of all time, The Cincinnati Kid (1965).

The movie deal is just the first of many great things to come from the new and improved Aces.com. The site is part of Sportingbet Plc – the biggest online gambling company in the world – and has long been popular with Vegas gamblers.

“Most of our players first got into casino games, poker and sports betting at hotels on the Vegas strip,” said Quesada about typical Aces.com players. “Something like 65% tells us that they still make one or more trips to Las Vegas every year, but 100% enjoy having everything that Vegas has to offer right on their home computer.”

Mobile Slots Player Wins $163,114 Jackpot on His Phone

Slotland.com’s first mobile games jackpot winner breaks previous progressive jackpot record

A Texas man became the first Slotland.com player to hit the jackpot on a mobile phone and is the biggest mobile gambling winner to date. The player known as “OlympiaGold” won $163,114 playing Slotland.com’s Lucky Stars slot machine.

“Our jackpot is hit every six weeks or so,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “Not only is this the first time it’s been won by someone using a mobile phone, it’s also our biggest jackpot ever, breaking our previous record of $162,514.”

“I am a gadget freak!” said the lucky winner when he learned he was the first mobile jackpot winner ever. “I love all sorts of electronic items, and so of course I have a nice mobile phone with all the extras. I wasn't even aware that you could gamble on your mobile phone until a friend of mine introduced me to Slotland's mobile games. “

The Texas jackpot winner began playing Slotland.com’s mobile games last September when their most popular game from the web was launched on the new mobile gambling platform. There are three mobile slots now and a new one is added every couple of months. “OlympiaGold” was enjoying the newest mobile slot, Golden 8, but hit the jackpot when he switched to Lucky Stars.

“I don't know why, but I always feel that new games are looser than the older games,” said the historic winner. “But that Sunday morning, I wasn’t winning much on the Golden 8 so I went back to my old favourite, Lucky Stars. I already had two of my three stars lit up so I figured with a little luck I could light up the third and possibly pull in a nice win to double my $100 deposit.”

It wasn't more than 15 minutes before his third star lit up – and his bonus spin produced three bars across the fourth pay line! His hands were sweating and he was literally shaking all over -- he’d just won $163,114.

“Of course, my wife already has plans for most of my winnings,” grinned the happy winner. “But I told her that $5,000 of that win is all mine to just blow on more gadgets!"

Slotland.com now features three unique games in its mobile suite and eight different slot machines plus video poker on the web site. Both mobile and web games share the same progressive jackpot pool.

American Idol is the Hottest Proposition of the Year

As with sports, betting on television heightens excitement for viewers

35 million viewers vote on American Idol contestants each week and betting online has become a hugely popular way to participate in the excitement of America’s favorite reality television show. Aces.com Odds Maker Jeremy Ryan listens to the judges, checks the polls and monitors weekly voting trends when he updates his odds each Thursday.

While Chris Daughtry and Katherine McPhee have been the odds makers’ and voters’ favorites since Week 1, other early favorites have been eliminated, and some unlikely contestants have survived.

“Every contestant had a chance to win,” adds Ryan. “That’s why odds are different; some are just bigger favorites than others.”

“Of course at Aces.com we were pulling for Ace Young,” said Manager Rene Quesada. “He seemed like such a sure thing for awhile there…”

“The action has been pretty predictable, nothing out of the norm for Idol betting. We’re getting great action on all contestants,” said Ryan.”Idol is live so it always gets great action. With other taped reality shows I generally see only one-way action. For example, for Survivor I had action mostly on 2 people and my guess is you'll see those two at the live finale.”

Elliot Yamin opened as a relative long shot but, to the amazement of many, he’s still in the running -- Paula Abdul gushed over him this week and even Simon Cowell loved him.

“He’s been one of the most talented voices from the start, so I’m not surprised he’s still around,” Ryan said about his personal favorite. “Initially, odds were high to generate more action on him. Our customers didn't start betting him ‘till later in the show...Week 4 or so. A month ago we had him at 18-1, but only 5% of the money was on him. Now he’s in the final five at 9-1.”

Current odds* on who will be the next American Idol:

Chris Daughtry 13-10
Katharine McPhee 11-5
Taylor Hicks 12-5
Elliott Yamin 9-1
Paris Bennett 20-1

* As posted at Aces.com as of April 27, 2006.

Where will Rocket Roger Launch in 2006?

The Roger Clemens sweepstakes has kicked into high gear, with several MLB teams hoping to land the all-star pitcher for the 2006 season. Sportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino, is offering fans a chance to bet on which team Clemens will play his first game for in 2006.

“Everyone bets on baseball and there is no bigger player than the Rocket. He is apt to have a real impact on whatever team he signs with, so fans will be watching closely,” says Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. “Only a few teams have pockets deep enough to sign him though, which could signal his return to New York or Houston.”

Clemens, 43, is a future Hall of Famer, having racked up 341 career wins and six American League Cy Young awards over twenty-two years in the majors. Despite his age, Clemens has continued to be a productive pitcher. In the 2005 season, the Rocket won 13 games for the Astros with a 1.87 ERA. Should Clemens choose to play this season, he is likely to command a $10-13 million dollar salary. That leaves only a handful of teams in the running who need pitching and have the money to sign him.

At this point, the Astros and Yankees are the most likely destinations for Clemens. They both have the cash and a long history with Rocket Roger. Odds on Clemens playing his first game of 2006 for the Astros are 3-2, while odds on the Yankees are 2-1.



Current odds at www.sportsbook.com:

Roger Clemens - What team will he play his first game for in 2006?

Houston Astros 3-2

NY Yankees 2-1

Boston Red Sox 9-2

Texas Rangers 10-1

Any other team 5-1

Does not play in 2006 7-2

Slots Player Hits $1,427,369 Progressive Jackpot

When she hit a $1,427,369 progressive while playing the slot King Cashalotbet at RoxyPalace.com, Amanda R from Plymouth, England became one of the UK's biggest ever online gaming Jackpot winners. The day before her historic win, Amanda deposited $240. Next morning, on her 61st spin, she hit the historic Jackpot.

Powered by Microgaming, RoxyPalace.com have grown from strength to strength after winning a number of awards and being a players favourite since its launch back in 2002.

RoxyPalace.com spokesperson said, “We are delighted with this huge jackpot win Roxy Palace has always tried to give players exceptional value and entertainment as well as great customer service. We are extremely happy that our players can have the opportunity of winning such huge amounts.”

Microgaming's progressive network, Jackpot Madness, is the largest online progressive jackpot offering on the internet. Roger Raatgever, CEO Microgaming said, "The Microgaming team is delighted to hear that Jackpot Madness has created yet another overnight millionaire our eighth in three years, and I would like to take this opportunity to publicly pass on our congratulations to Amanda. Over the last three years, our progressive has paid out a total of $196m in winnings, which serves as testament to just how popular and successful it has become."

RoxyPalace.com is one of the most popular online casinos, especially amongst slot players. They have over 150 casino games including over 100 slot games which range from Video, Bonus and Jackpot Slots to regular 3 reel and UK Pub ‘fruit machines’. RoxyPalace.com also carries 19 online Progressive Jackpot Games.

Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu Favorites to Win WSOP

Aces.com hosts 3 weekly qualifying matches with more than $1,000,000 in World Series of Poker Prize Packages

The online casino most like Las Vegas itself is among the first to post odds on the biggest poker tournament in Sin City this season. Aces.com has posted early odds on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and favors Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu to win the prestigious tournament.

“With odds like 200-1, even the favorites look like long shots, but that will change quickly as the field narrows.” said Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “Who knows, maybe there’s another Chris Moneymaker in the crowd!”

The dance. The Big Kahuna. Going to the show. Call it what you want, the 2006 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in Main Event is one of the largest, most prestigious tournaments in the poker world. Its coveted World Champion bracelet is considered to be the ultimate achievement in any poker player’s career. Last year, Joe Hachem beat other 5,618 players to win the title and a record breaking 7.5 million dollars. This year’s prize pool figures to be even bigger.

From now through July, Aces.com is hosting three weekly qualifying tournaments and awarding a $12,000 WSOP prize package -- including a seat at the Main Event July 28th -- to the winner of each.

Phil Ivey, the Tiger Woods of Poker, is the early favorite at 200-1. Last June, Ivey, he won his fifth WSOP bracelet in a $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Phil was introduced to poker by his grandfather, who'd deal out hands of penny-ante Five-Card Stud to his eight-year-old grandson. At 18, he scored a fake ID and started frequenting the poker rooms in Atlantic City casinos. Recently, Ivey moved to Las Vegas where he is now a fixture in the high-limit area at the Bellagio, regularly sharing a table with Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, and Jennifer Harman.

In 1997 Daniel Negreanu (currently 250-1 to take the WSOP bracelet) won two events at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, and was named the tournament's best all-around player. He followed this triumph in the 1998 World Series of Poker by becoming the youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history — a record he held until 2004. He became one of the most successful poker tournament players in history, winning two World Poker Tour (WPT) events, another two World Series bracelets, and appearing at 11 final tables. Negreanu is known for his ability to "read" other players by studying their betting patterns and physical expressions. His televised poker appearances include Late Night Poker, High Stakes Poker and Ultimate Poker.

Aces.com's current odds on the WSOP winner:

Phil Ivey 200-1
Daniel Negreanu 250-1
Howard (The Professor) Lederer 300-1
Phil Hellmuth 400-1
Marcel Luske 400-1
Layne Flack 400-1
Gus Hansen 400-1
Paul Phillips 500-1
Men (The Master) Nguyen 500-1
Johnny Chan 500-1
John Juanda 500-1
John (World) Hennigan 500-1
Erik Seidel 500-1
Dave (Devilfish) Ulliott 500-1
Dan Harrington 500-1
Chris (Jesus) Ferguson 500-1
Carlos Mortenson 500-1
Barry Greenstein 500-1
Doyle (Texas Dolly) Brunson 750-1

Aces.com is giving their players a chance to follow in the footsteps of Chris Moneymaker – the previously unknown player who won the 2004 WSOP after winning his seat at the Main Table in an online tournament. Weekly tournament times and winners to date are posted at Aces.com.

Aces.com Odds Favor the Yankees to Take World Series

Dozens of Vegas-style Props Include a ‘Home Run Derby’, Division and League Champs, and Individual Players’ Runs, Hits & Errors

The New York Yankees home opener isn’t until next week, but already Aces.com odds makers favor them to win the World Series in October. The Yankees couldn’t manage more than a tie in their pre-season game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Alex Rodriguez’ Grand Slam in Monday night’s 13-2 win over the Oakland A’s showed the Yanks have excellent pennant potential.

The Yankees are currently at 7-2 to win the October classic with the St. Louis Cardinals coming in close at 7-1. The reigning champs, the White Sox, are at 9-2.

"We're fine," New York Manager Joe Torre told ESPN.com after their disappointing pre-season performance. "We're ready to go. We don't need to work on anything or do anything. I have a sense that when the hitters start the season they will have a different mind-set. Everybody's had enough work."

“I personally like the Yankees,” says Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “You either love the pin-stripes club or hate them, and I love them for sure. Not so much because of ‘The Boss’ Steinbrenner but because of Babe Ruth and Joltin' Joe Dimaggio and all the history there is in the team from the Bronx.”
The Yankees home opener is next Tuesday against Kansas City. The Cardinals move in to the new Busch Stadium for their home opener on Monday. Odds on next week’s games will be posted at Aces.com this weekend.

“We’ve got way more future bets and props betting options than any hotel in Las Vegas,” adds Quesada.

· Aces.com has David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers’ Mark Teixeira each at 8-1 to score the most home runs this season.

· Odds on who will win the National and American League Pennants, who will take each division in each league, and which team will win the most regular season games, have also been posted.

· Every week, odds on who will have the most runs, hits and errors are listed.

About the only MLB prop not included in Aces.com’s long list of betting options is whether or not the Florida Marlins will move to Las Vegas.

“Of course everyone at Aces.com would like to have an MLB team in Vegas,” said Quesada, “It sounds like they may be close to a deal in Dade County, but they’ve been close before. When negotiations stalled in 2004, Vegas was only to happy to talk and we’re still all ears.”

Mobile Gambling Leader Introduces Yet Another Real-Money Mobile Slot Machine

Slotland.com Adds New Golden 8 Slot Machine to Mobile Phone Games Suite

Following on the success of their first two real-money slot machine games for the mobile phone platform, Slotland.com has launched yet 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 maximize 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 toy – 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 – about as frequently as Slotland’s famous progressive jackpot is hit for $150,000 or more.