Americans Rally Behind Alternative to Current Gambling Prohibition

Grass Roots Movement to Support Barney Frank’s Gambling Legislation Growing

A national scheme has been launched in the US to reinforce new legislation introduced by Congressman Barney Frank, that sets out to license and monitor the online gambling industry, in a backlash against 2006’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative aims to highlight the importance of a regulated framework that will allow US players to continue to enjoy gaming in the comfort of their own homes. This is in direct contrast to the restrictive nature of the current UIGEA, which makes it illegal for banking facilities to accept money transfers to and from online gambling sites and has essentially halted access to online gambling in America.

As reported by OnlineCasinoNews.com, the Initiative also hopes to drum up online support for the bill from voters across the country. ‘Millions of Americans are currently gambling online in an unregulated environment without any consumer protections,’ said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the Initiative.

"Internet gambling is a matter of personal choice and many Americans see the current prohibition as an unnecessary intrusion into their private life. Stringent licensing and regulations will protect American consumers and provide safeguards to protect against underage and compulsive gambling. Representative Frank’s bill is a big step in the right direction to limit government intervention that is futile and heavy handed."

gambling legislation UIGEA Barney Frank

GottaBet Taking Bets on Whether or Not Arnold Schwarzenegger Pardons Paris Hilton

First an online backgammon site sends poor Paris Hilton a fancy backgammon board -- just in case she actually has to serve the 45-day jail term she got last week for driving while her license was suspended for drunk driving.

Now I see there's a web site that's taking bets on whether or not Paris Hilton will get a pardon from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Seems obvious to me... We all know that money talks and PH has plenty of that. Driving school? Maybe. Jail? Oh come on!

Anyway, if you wanna bet on it, check this out: "Arnold Schwarzenegger will pardon Paris Hilton"


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BackgammonMasters.com Sends Paris Hilton a Gift to Help Pass Her Jail Time

Online Backgammon Site Will Auction Exclusive Backgammon Board for Charity if Hilton Gets Out of Sentence

After hearing that socialite Paris Hilton has been sentenced to jail time for probation violation, the world’s most popular online backgammon site is sending her a gift to pass her time more pleasantly. Gammonish.com, a resource for online backgammon news, reports that BackgammonMasters.com is preparing to send a special personalized backgammon board to Paris Hilton so that, in the event she actually serves her jail time, she will be able to play the popular board game in style.

According to Gammonish.com, BackgammonMasters.com truly sympathizes with Ms Hilton along with her millions of fans and is genuinely regretful to see her have to serve hard time. Like many, they are mystified as to why such a harsh sentence was passed down to her.

Gammonish has also learned that despite her sentence, BackgammonMasters.com describes Paris Hilton as a free spirit and would like to make it possible for Ms Hilton to pass this unpleasant time more enjoyably.

BackgammonMasters.com is the only site to offer three of the world’s most popular games. In addition to Backgammon, the site offers the popular Spanish dice game Perudo as well as Poker.

BackgammonMasters.com, the leader in online backgammon and the most crowded community game network operating today, hopes Ms Hilton won't have to serve time. However, if she does, they hope their gift will turn her on to backgammon and that she’ll be interested in joining the Annual Monte Carlo Backgammon World Championship Tournament this summer. In the event that Ms Hilton is not forced to do the time, the exclusive BackgammonMasters.com game board will be auctioned off for charity.

More about backgammon online and online backgammon game rules can be found at http://www.gammonish.com/.

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Paris Hilton

Fighter Roman Greenberg’s Boxing Shorts Bought for $100,000 by Online Backgammon Operator

BackgammonMasters.com to donate auction proceeds to Arab and Jewish youth in distress

BackgammonMasters.com has purchased heavyweight boxer Roman Greenberg’s shorts for $100,000 and will auction them for charity. The $100K will give the young fighter a shot at the world championship, and proceeds from the auction of the boxer’s shorts will be donated to groups assisting Arab and Jewish youth in distress.

The $100,000 paid for the shorts will support Greenberg’s battle to become one of the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) top fighters this year. Greenberg beat veterans Kendrick Releford, Julius Francis, Steve Pannell and in his last bout won against American Michael Simms at the world famous Madison Square Garden in NYC. Roman currently resides in the UK where he trains with Jim Evans.

Greenberg was recently quoted as saying: “It makes no difference what people say about me, I am undefeated. I am winning my fights and will continue to win with my eyes on the world championship.”

BackgammonMasters will auction off Greenberg's boxing shorts after the next fight, with bids starting at $100,000. The money raised by the auction will be donated to a charity for youth in distress from Arab and Jewish communities. BackgammonMasters.com promotes peace and understanding through competitive games such as backgammon (or Tawula as it’s called in Arabic). They believe strongly in the endorsement of coexistence between Arabs and Jews.

Roman Greenberg is himself a Russian-born Jew and, at age 24, he’s one of the youngest heavyweight contenders with a real shot at the WBO heavyweight championship. He is currently undefeated with a record of 25-0 (17 KO's).

BackgammonMasters.com is the only site to offer three of the world’s most popular games. In addition to Backgammon, the site offers the popular Spanish dice game Perudo along with Backgammon and as well as Poker.

The world’s number one backgammon site has sponsored numerous live and online backgammon tournaments including Backgammon Live in London, the Japan Open, Chicago Open and Las Vegas Open, and the Monte Carlo Yacht Party backgammon tournament.

Looking for strategies and tips for winning online backgammon? See Gammonish.com!


backgammonRoman Greenberg World Boxing Organization

Slotland.com Increases Seed Jackpot After Record-breaking $179K Jackpot Win

Jackpot re-started at $50,000 and already well over $100,000

After their famous progressive jackpot was recently hit for an all time high of $179,166, Slotland.com has increased the jackpot seed for their frequently hit progressives to a whopping $50,000. A player known as TOPNOTCHED was playing the Golden 8 slot machine when he hit the amazing jackpot. His win surpassed Slotland.com’s previous jackpot record of $163,114 last March.

This time when Slotland re-set the progressive jackpot, they doubled the usual jackpot seed money from $25,000 to $50,000. Since TOPNOTCHED’s record win, the progressive jackpot is already well over $100,000.

“Doubling the starting amount means that jackpots will build higher in a shorter period of time,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “Even when jackpots occur within weeks of each other, all winners will be guaranteed a minimum win of $50,000 -- double the previous jackpot starting value.”

When Slotland.com first went online in 1998, jackpots were started at $10,000. A few years ago, as the popular slot machine and video poker web site’s player base grew, the starting jackpot was boosted to $25,000. Slotland.com has earned a reputation for fairness and integrity – and for having the best selection of unique slot machine and video poker games – so its membership has continued to grow.

“We noticed that no one complained last time we increased the jackpot seed!” mused Morante, “Now we have so many players all over the world that we’re able to raise it again.”
Slotland.com had three jackpot winners this time last year and ended up with seven more by year-end. While the increased starting value won’t necessarily mean more winners, the jackpots will most certainly be bigger.

The progressive can be played on any of the nine unique slot machines and video poker games on the Slotland.com web site. All five games that are also available on mobile phones and PDAs are also tied into the same progressive jackpot, so the next big winner could be at their computer or anywhere they take their mobile phone.

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Low Bid Auction Easier Route to WSOP Than Winning a Satellite Tournament

PlayersOnly.com $150,000 WSOP Giveaway Includes 12 WSOP Satellite Tournaments and a Unique Low Bid Auction

While some players battle it out at online satellite tournaments, PlayersOnly players have found an even easier way to get to the WSOP. The winner of the WSOP Low Bid Auction currently running on the popular casino, poker and sportsbetting site – the bidder with the lowest unique bid – will get a $12K WSOP prize package for the price of their winning bid. Since there are a number of values under a dollar that haven’t yet received bids, the winner may actually get himself to the WSOP Main Event for a buck or less.

“I guess people assume all the small amounts will already have received multiple bids,” said PlayersOnly.com Brand Manager David Anderson. “In fact, when we did a Low Bid Auction for a plasma TV a couple of months ago, it ended up going for fifty-three cents, so you never know!”

The WSOP Prize Package being auctioned includes airfare, accommodation and enough cash to register in the ultimate poker tournament, the World Series of Poker Main Event, which will be held in Las Vegas July 6 – 17 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Bids can be placed online at www.playersonly.com/bidWSOP. Bids can also be placed by cell phone by text (Full Phone Bid instructions also at www.playersonly.com/bidWSOP.) Any registered player can place bids and players can place as many bids as they want. Registration is free, however PlayersOnly.com accepts registrations from U.S. residents only. There is a charge of US$1.99 per bid – but the first bid online is FREE.

PO is also hosting WSOP Satellite tournaments every Sunday night. Players can even win a free seat at the Sunday night match by winning one of several daily multi-table cash satellites

The annual World Series of Poker is the most prestigious contest for serious poker players and winning it is considered to be the ultimate achievement in any poker player’s career. There are several events, including Texas Hold'em Limit, Omaha Pot Limit, 7-Card-Stud Hi/Lo, Pot Limit, No Limit, and other types of poker such as Razz and Lowball, ending with the grand finale – the World Championship Event. The winner gets the coveted World Series of Poker Gold Bracelet and the title of World Champion.

Last year, Jamie Gold won the largest WSOP prize in history, more than $12 million. Chris Moneymaker was the first WSOP winner to have won his WSOP seat by winning an online satellite tournament, motivating millions to go for it themselves. This year, the winner could end up being a PlayersOnly.com player that bought their seat for under a dollar.

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Hands-On Mobile Launches World Poker Tour (WPT) Texas Hold'em game for BlackBerry

BPlay, the ultimate entertainment solution for BlackBerry users, and leading mobile games developer Hands-On Mobile, has announced the eagerly awaited launch of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Texas Hold'em game on BlackBerry devices.

Players can buy the game by visiting bplay.com from their mobile phones, selecting Top 10, followed by WPT Texas Hold’em for a one off cost of $8.95 for unlimited usage (plus relevant carrier messaging charges).

"WPT is the number one brand in poker and we're thrilled to deliver this leading title to our BlackBerry users who are embracing entertainment as an integral part of the mobile experience," said Nicholas Reichenbach, Senior Vice President of BPlay.

BPlay, WPT and Hands-On Mobile will be hosting a poker tournament on May 9th at the world's largest BlackBerry conference WES (Wireless Enterprise Symposium) in Orlando. This unique VIP tournament will give one lucky player a seat at the Season VI WPT Invitational in Los Angeles, California, an invite-only tournament were they can mingle with Hollywood celebrities and poker's top pros.

O2 i-Mode Users Get Microgaming Mobile Casino Games

Zero36 Calls On 02 To Launch Mobile Casino

Zero36, a provider of mobile gambling games and related services, has announced the launch of its fully integrated, mobile casino service to O2 i-mode users in the UK.

O2 i-mode users aged 18 and over can sign up to the Zero36 Mobile Casino service through O2 i-mode portal and indulge in play either for fun or for real money.

The new O2 i-mode service hosts Microgaming’s full range of casino classics such as European Roulette, Blackjack, Video Poker, Keno, Scratch Card and various Slot Machines, alongside 3 progressive-jackpot machines utilising Microgaming’s Jackpot Network system.

‘Zero36 was one of the first companies to develop mobile casino services for i-mode handsets,’ said Zero36 CEO, Sharon Tal.

‘We are the first to give O2 i-mode users in the UK a chance to become millionaires by playing Microgaming’s Progressive Jackpot games such as ‘Major Millions’ and ’Fruit Fiesta’ using i-mode mobile handsets.’

The new UK service is added to the current provision of Zero36’s i-mode services in Spain, The Netherlands and Belgium.

Nokia 95 Named Best Phone for Mobile Gambling

Slotland.com Casino Games Developers Agree the Motorola Razr and Sony Ericsson K800i are Great Phones, But the Nokia 95 is Best for Mobile Casino Games
CNET recently named its editors’ choices for Top Mobile Phones. Although the CNET editors’ top-ranked Sony Ericsson K800i and K750i and the new Motorola Razr V3im are definite contenders, the mobile gambling crew at Slotland.com/mobile pick the Nokia 95 as the number one choice right now for people that like to play real-money casino games on their mobile phone.

“Phones come with various assortments of bells and whistles these days,” said John Lancelet, Mobile Services Manager at Slotland.com, one of the first online casinos to offer real-money slot machines on mobile phones. “If you like to play slots or video poker on your phone you may be more interested in the size of the screen than whether or not it has GPS or even a camera.”

In addition to a big colourful screen, mobile casino gamblers also need their phone to have reliable internet access and be fully Java capable.

CNET’s Top Ten Mobile Phones: Sony Ericsson K800i, Sony Ericsson K750i, Nokia N95, Samsung i320, Orange SPV C550, Nokia 6300, Nokia E61, Nokia E65, Nokia N93, Motorola Razr V3im, Nokia N73, Samsung i300, Nokia N90, Nokia 9500 Communicator and Sony Ericsson V800.

“They might be good phones for some people,” said Lancelet, “But for the mobile games player I’d eliminate the ones with smaller screens. And we have to cross off phones without excellent internet access.”

The Samsung i320 has excellent internet capabilities and its nice wide screen makes it a good choice for mobile gamblers. It’s a Windows Mobile smart phone though – probably more most players really need. The Nokia 6300 has a 320x240-pixel (QVGA) colour screen that displays up to 16 million colours, but its camera isn’t very good. A camera may not be a mobile gambler’s priority, but since there are other big screen internet capable phones in the same price range with better cameras, the 6300 didn’t make the cut at Slotland. The latest Motorola Razr is an iconic phone that really started the trend toward much larger screens. There are many more phones available now though, and the Motorola Razr V3im doesn’t compare, feature to feature, with many of them. The iPhone isn’t even on the list yet, but with a huge 3.5 inch screen it certainly meets the mobile gambler’s first criteria. Unfortunately, since it runs on a Mac operating system it may not be compatible with all games.

“The Nokia 95 has a huge screen and amazing connectivity,” said Lancelet. “So, for now anyway, it’s our unanimous choice for the best phone for mobile gambling!”

Since launching their first mobile phone slot machine in the fall of 2005, Slotland.com/mobile has brought many more of its online favourites to the mobile platform and now offers five unique slot machine and video poker games for mobile phones and PDAs.

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Online Poker Tournament Winner to Play in Playboy Mansion Celebrity Event

Playboy Champ Just One of Three Major Tournament Winners at PlayersOnly.com Last Weekend

This weekend, the winner of a special tournament held last weekend at PlayersOnly.com will be at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills playing poker with the stars. The Friday night tournament winner won a prize package that includes his $1500 entry fee in the “Celebrity Poker Tournament and Casino Night to benefit the Urban Health Institute” as well as airfare and hotel accommodations. It was a big weekend at PlayersOnly.com with tournament winners off to Beverly Hills, New York City and the WSOP in Las Vegas.


“Playboy Mansion… wow… This is unbelievably cool!” said the winner. “I just hope I can concentrate on my game with all that eye candy around me!”

The charity event is scheduled to take place this Saturday, April 28 and will benefit the Urban Health Institute (UHI). There will be $50,000 in prizes including two seats in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event for the winner. This exclusive event features beautiful Playboy Bunnies, the most recognizable sports and entertainment personalities and authentic Vegas-style competition. Along with the poker tournament, a variety of casino games will also be set up at the mansion for people to play.

The proceeds from the tournament will help the UHI (http://www.uhinstitute.org/) fulfil its mission to provide direct care, medicine and medical equipment to places hit by man-made or natural disasters.

At last year’s event, Academy Award nominated actor, Don Cheadle eliminated Dr. Jerry Buss, Shannon Elizabeth, Mekhi Phifer, James Lesure, Tara Reid, Steve Harris, Oliver Hudson, and poker Pros Gavin Smith, Amir Vahedi, Cyndy Violette and David Williams, and won the grand prize.

The other tournament winners at PlayersOnly.com last weekend were a college student who’s off to New York for the premiere of Drew Barrymore’s romantic new poker movie, Lucky You, and the winner of Sunday’s weekly WSOP satellite tournament who, along with eleven other weekly winners, will be going to Las Vegas to play in the Big One this summer. Details of this Sunday's satellite tournament are at www.playersonly.com/poker/wsop.php.

Tournament Winner Off to New York for Tribeca Film Festival Premiere of “Lucky You”

Big Tournament Weekend Sends Winners to New York, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas

The winner of one of three poker tournaments held at PlayersOnly.com last weekend is off to New York City for the premiere of Lucky You, Warner Brothers’ hot new poker movie starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore. Other tournament winners this weekend were awarded trips to the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills and the WSOP in Las Vegas.

Texas college student Cory C., known at PlayersOnly.com as “odessaslim”, won the Lucky You prize package that includes tickets to attend the exclusive Tribeca Film Festival premiere as well as airfare and two nights of hotel accommodations.

“My college roommate moved to NYC a few months ago and I've never been there,” said the young poker player. “So am I looking forward to this trip!? Oh ya!!!”

The tournament, co-sponsored by Bluff Magazine, was held Sunday night at PlayersOnly.com. It was clear from the beginning that “odessaslim” was one of the most likely players to end up at the final table, but he had some tough competition.

“I am usually a tight aggressive player but I change it up depending on where I stand in a tournament or my feel for the table,” said the winner. “In this particular tourney I played loose at the beginning because first was the only place that had any value to me and I wanted to have a chance to win. I thought I was the favorite to win when there were nine players left. I was second in chips and the chip leader didn’t want to take control of the table so assumed this role and when it was down to heads up I had a huge chip lead. Some of the players on the BLUFF forum were the only players that I had respect for but they were unable to chip up early and were not a factor.”

His prize was a trip for two, so “odessaslim” will be taking his dad to New York with him.

It was a busy tournament weekend at PlayersOnly.com. Also on Sunday night, PlayersOnly.com held the second of their weekly WSOP satellite tournaments and awarded their second $12,000 WSOP Prize Package. The winner of a special tournament held on Friday night won a seat at next weekend’s Celebrity Poker Tournament at the Playboy Mansion.

PlayersOnly.com is offering eleven more opportunities for players to win their way to the WSOP in Las Vegas. There will be ten more Sunday night WSOP satellite tournaments where another $12,000 WSOP prize package will be awarded each week. Tournament details and registration are available at www.playersonly.com/poker/wsop.php. PlayersOnly.com is also conducting a unique WSOP Low Bid Auction (www.playersonly.com/bidwsop.) where the bidder with the lowest unique bid will get the final $12K prize package.

From director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys, 8 Mile), Lucky You is the story of human relationships set in the high-stakes world of Las Vegas opening nationwide May 4th. Billie Offer (Drew Barrymore) is a young singer from Bakersfield with more heart than talent. Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) is a poker player whose emotions at the table often undermine his exceptional skill, especially when he is heads up with his father, poker legend L.C. Cheever (Robert Duvall).

Rookie Wins PlayersOnly's First $12K WSOP Tournament

Eleven More Chances to Win Your Way to the WSOP

A relative rookie left the table on Sunday night with the first of 12 $12,000 WSOP prize packages being awarded in weekly satellite tournaments at PlayersOnly.com. Robert P., an office worker in California, won the Sunday night tournament after winning his seat at a free roll earlier in the week.

Listen to my interview with Robert the day after his big win: www.lyceummedia.com/playersonly/PlayersOnly-WSOPSatelliteWinner1.mp3.

“Man, I’ve never won anything even close to this kind of a prize,” said the winner. “I’m a humungous poker fan and avid recreational player… But the most I’ve ever won is maybe a few of hundred bucks. I’ve always dreamed of playing in the WSOP – it’s the pinnacle of the poker world so I can’t wait to be there. Las Vegas, here I come!”

With few online poker sites offering opportunities to win WSOP seats this year, the winner was wondering if he’d have to change his strategy for getting to Vegas.

“The past couple of years I’ve paid my way into events like Sunday’s tournament, but this year I’m having trouble finding places to play. Then I found this free roll during the week where I could even win my way to the Sunday night tournament… That seemed like the way to go!”

Sunday night’s tournament was the first of twelve weekly events from now until WSOP. Each Sunday, beginning April 8th, PlayersOnly.com will host a multi-table Texas Hold ‘Em tournament and, each and every week, will award a $12,000 World Series Prize Package to the winner. Players can buy-in for $100 or, like Robert P. did, they can win a free seat at the Sunday night playoff in a series of qualifying satellites throughout the week.

Not a really experienced player, Robert P. was a little worried early in the tournament. “There were a few players that were obviously really good players,” said the ultimate winner. “ And there were a couple that seemed, at first, like they had much better luck than me!”

Obviously he underestimated his own skill and luck.

PlayersOnly.com Poker Tournaments This Weekend: 'Lucky You' & WSOP Satelite

Sunday Night Free Roll Champ Gets Trip to New York for Eric Bana & Drew Barrymore Poker Movie and Another Sunday Night Winner Will Be On Their Way to the WSOP

This Sunday night, PlayersOnly.com will host a free roll tournament where the winner gets a trip to New York and tickets to attend the exclusive Tribeca Film Festival premiere of “Lucky You”, Warner Brothers’ hot new poker movie starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore.

The prize package includes airfare and two nights of hotel accommodations courtesy of PlayersOnly.com. The 2nd through 6th place finishers will receive an autographed movie poster and CD soundtrack.

The “Lucky You” free roll takes place at PlayersOnly.com on Sunday, April 22, 2007 beginning at 7:00 pm ET. Step-by-step instructions for Tournament registration can be found at www.playersonly.com/LuckyYou/getting-started.php.

“Man, we’re just tournament crazy these days,” says PlayersOnly.com Brand Manager David Anderson. “This ‘Lucky You’ movie premiere tournament is in addition to our weekly Sunday night WSOP tournament. Every week we award a $12,000 prize package and send another lucky player to the WSOP! Now someone’s going to New York too!”

In one of the biggest WSOP giveaways this year, PlayersOnly.com will award a total of $150,000 in prizes. Each Sunday, PlayersOnly.com hosts a multi-table Texas Hold ‘Em tournament and awards a $12,000 World Series Prize Package which includes airfare, accommodation and enough cash to register in the ultimate poker tournament, the World Series of Poker Main Event. Players can win free seats at the Sunday night playoff in a series of qualifying satellites throughout the week or buy-in for $100.

In addition to the twelve ‘WSOP Giveaway Tournaments’ PlayersOnly.com’s ‘World Series Low Bid Auction’ is yet another way to get a seat at the Rio. In the auction where the lowest unique bid wins, the winner could find himself at the WSOP for a buck or less. Further information on the auction, which began last week, can be found at www.playersonly.com/bidwsop.

In “Lucky You”, released May 4, a man with personal demons (Eric Bana) learns about life from a wannabe lounge singer (Drew Barrymore) and runs into his estranged father (Robert Duvall) at a championship card tournament in Las Vegas. In the world of high-stakes poker, Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) is a blaster—a player who goes all out, all the time. When Huck sets out to win the main event of the 2003 World Series of Poker—and the affections of Billie Offer (Drew Barrymore), a young singer from Bakersfield—there is one significant obstacle in his path: his anger toward his father.

$12,000 WSOP Prize Package Could Go for a Buck!

PlayersOnly.com Auctions World Series Prize Package
In a unique auction starting this week at PlayersOnly.com, a $12,000 World Series prize package could go for a buck or less. The popular casino, poker and sportsbetting site has begun taking bids in its World Series Low Bid Auction. The bidder that makes the lowest unique bid on the prize between now and the close of the auction in June will be able to purchase, for the amount of their winning bid, the deluxe travel package. It includes airfare, accommodation and enough cash to enter the World Series of Poker.

“A chance to play in the Big One, that’s every poker player’s dream,” said PlayersOnly.com Brand Manager David Anderson. “Vegas… World Series… Talk about the perfect place to ‘unleash the player in you’! It’d be great seeing one of our guys at the Final Table!”

To win the auction, bidders must make the lowest unique bid. If they were the only one to bid one penny for example, they’d get the $12,000 prize for a cent. Of course, the odds of being the only one to bid a penny are probably pretty low – but you never know!

“Last month,” explained Anderson, “We did a Low Bid Auction for a plasma TV. The winner of that auction ended up getting a $1500 TV for just fifty cents!”

There were many bids for amounts of more and less than fifty cents, but more than one player bid on them. The winner was the only one to place a bid of $.50.

Bids can be placed online at www.playersonly.com/bidWSOP. Bids can also be placed by texting from a cell phone (full phone bid instructions also at www.playersonly.com/bidWSOP.) Any registered player can place bids and players can place as many bids as they want. Registration is free, however PlayersOnly.com accepts registrations from U.S. residents only. There is a charge of US$1.99 per bid – but the first bid is FREE.

$150K ‘WSOP Giveaway Tournaments’ Begin This Weekend

12 Weekly PlayersOnly.com Tournaments Will Send 12 $12K Winners to the Big One in Vegas

In one of the biggest WSOP giveaways this year, PlayersOnly.com will award a total of $150,000 in prizes during the twelve weekly ‘World Series Giveaway Tournaments’ that begin this weekend and continue through to the WSOP. Each Sunday, beginning April 8th, PlayersOnly.com will host a multi-table Texas Hold ‘Em tournament and, each and every week, will award a $12,000 World Series Prize Package to the winner. Players can win free seats at the Sunday night playoff in a series of qualifying satellites throughout the week or buy-in for $100.

The weekly $12,000 World Series Prize Package includes airfare, accommodation and enough cash to register in the ultimate poker tournament, the World Series of Poker Main Event, which will be held in Las Vegas July 6 – 17 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

There are five ways to get a seat in the Sunday night tournaments: win one of the Free Roll Satellites held twice at day at PlayersOnly.com; avoid the Free Roll crowds by entering a Sit ‘n Go Cash Satellite; or win one of several daily multi-table cash satellites. There will also be special Gold Chip Satellites for regular players that have earned Gold Chips. But even those that don’t win a free seat at the Sunday night match can get a shot at the weekly $12,000 prize with a direct $100 buy-in. Complete tournament details can be found at www.playersonly.com/poker/wsop.php.

In addition to the twelve ‘WSOP Giveaway Tournaments’ PlayersOnly.com’s ‘World Series Low Bid Auction’ is yet another way to get a seat at the Rio. In the auction where the lowest unique bid wins, the winner could find himself at the WSOP for a buck or less. Further information on the auction, which began this week, can be found at www.playersonly.com/bidwsop.

The 2007 World Series of Poker $10,000.00 buy-in main event is by far the biggest, most prestigious poker tournament of the year. Last year’s winner took home $12 million and this year’s prize pool could be even bigger. With at least thirteen at the Main Event, this year’s winner could well be a PlayersOnly.com player.

Grandma Wins $775 on $15 Pull

Wild Hearts Paid Off and Grandson Gets New Shoes!

The big jackpot is still waiting to be won at Slotland.com, but smaller wins that make big differences happen every day. For one of the popular slot machine web site’s thousands of grandmas, a recent $775 win on a $15 bet meant paying off some debts and buying her grandson new shoes.

“Of course it’s exciting to win a huge jackpot – and we’re certainly overdue for a big progressive jackpot winner,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “But smaller wins can make big differences, too. We see lots of players win a few hundred on a small bet, and we’re excited every time!”

The lucky granny, known at Slotland.com as “MAGAMILL”, was going through a stack of bills one night, wondering how they’d ever get paid off.

“I sure don’t rely on winning at the slot machines to pay off my debts,” said the grandma, “I just decided to play that night to forget about bills for awhile.”

After making a small deposit she went straight to her favourite slot machine, Wild Heart. She made a maximum bet of $15, which may not be much for some but for MAGAMILL it was more than she’d usually bet on one spin. Fortunately, that’s when good fortune came calling.

“On my third pull, to my amazement appeared two kings, one Wild Heart, another king, and oh my god, another Wild Heart! Not on one line, not on two lines, but on all three lines!” recalls the ecstatic player. “I had just won $775. Imagine betting just $15 and winning that much!”

MAGAMILL considered quitting while she was ahead, but she felt lucky and kept playing. In five minutes, she’d gotten her winnings up to $1000 and that’s when she cashed out. Her win that night didn’t exactly pay off the mortgage, but it was more than enough to buy her grandson something he badly needed – new shoes.

Slotland.com has winners like this every day but every six weeks or so the big progressive jackpot gets hit for well over $100,000. Since there hasn’t been a jackpot winner since January, the feeling around Slotland.com is that it must be about time. The only question is which of Slotland’s nine unique slot machines will the winner be playing? And will they be at their computer or will they be playing one of the five real-money games now available on mobile phones?

WPT Mobile Brings Hold'em to Your Phone

Mobile Content Aggregator Adds World Poker Tour Texas hold 'Em and 7 Card Stud to its Mobile Casino Games Collection

Hands-On Mobile, a respected international developer and distributor of mobile content and applications, and World Poker Tour Enterprises have announced a lengthy extension to their highly profitable deal to make the ever-popular World Poker Tour Texas Hold’em Internet casino game and other products accessible to mobile phones worldwide.

'We’re excited to continue our relationship with the World Poker Tour,” says Jonathan Sacks, Chief Executive Officer, Hands-On Mobile. “Together, we brought cutting-edge connected games to the forefront of the market and made World Poker Tour Texas Hold ‘Em the most successful mobile poker game in the world.”

World Poker Tour Texas Hold’em has caught the imagination of poker enthusiasts the world over with over 5 million downloads, hundreds of thousands of hands played weekly, and tens of thousands of users per month.

“Extending our brand beyond television and onto mobile devices has catapulted the World Poker Tour franchise into the number 1 poker brand across multiple platforms, including television, mobile and online,” said Steve Lipscomb, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, World Poker Tour Enterprises.

MaharajahClub.com Shortens Odds on India as Team Prepares for Tonight's Must Win Game Against Sri Lanka

Indian Souray Ganguly Strong Contender But Ricky Ponting Remains Favourite for Best Batsman

Odds on India to win the Cricket World Cup were lengthened after their shocking loss to Bangladesh in the Opening Match of Group B, but their win over Bermuda on Monday prompted MaharajahClub.com bookmakers to shorten the odds on India winning the Cup to 8/1. Australia remains the clear favourite at 2/1 to take the coveted cricket prize.

India, which had a record-breaking 257 runs in Monday’s game, must win tonight’s match against rival Sri Lanka to continue in the tournament. Additionally, with 155 runs so far, Indian Batsman Sourav Ganguly (12/1) is a strong contender for Best Batsman in the tournament but Australia’s Ricky Ponting (136 runs) is the favourite for this prop at 6/1.

“Most of our punters are southeast Asians living in Britain, so their loyalties are split between India and England,” said Sachin Pawa CEO of MaharajahClub.com. “The loss against Bangladesh had some people sceptical about India and we started to see more money wagered on England, but since the win against Bermuda we’re seeing much more money back on India this week.”

MaharajahClub.com offers more Cricket World Cup betting propositions than any other online sportsbook. While most sportsbetting sites just offer cricket as an afterthought, MaharajahClub.com offers odds on every match in the month-long Cricket World Cup tournament as well as player props like Best Batsman and Best Bowler. MaharajahClub.com offers in-running wagering on many games including Saturday’s Australia/South Africa match-up.

The Second Stage, or Super 8, phase of the Cricket World Cup continues next week in Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana and Barbados. The Semi-Final Round will be held in Jamaica and St. Lucia the following week with the Final Match in Barbados April 28th.

Complete and current Cricket World Cup odds and props are posted at the MaharajahClub.com Sportsbook (www.MclubSports.com).

Asian Poker Classic Introduces the Sport of Poker to India

International Poker Tournament in Goa Deemed a Huge Success

March 4th 2007 was an historic day in Indian sport as Carl Hostrup from Denmark (1st place), Samuel Lehtonen from Sweden (2nd place), and Pranav Bathija from India (3rd place) shared their portion of the $1,000,000 (44,490,085 INR) prize pool at the Asian Poker Classic (APC) sponsored by MaharajahClub.net, India’s first-ever professional poker tournament.

“This is my biggest tournament win, and I still cannot believe that I am the champion. Yesterday I told people that I would win, not to boast, but to give myself the positive attitude I needed to win. I came up with a strategy on how to play the final table, and combined with my positive attitude, played my way to first place,” said Hostrup.

The tournament attracted 143 participants from over 15 countries to compete for the $1,000,000 prize including high profile players such as Ross Boatman, Roy Brindley, Mark Goodwin, Issac Gulazan, Arshad Hussain, Mel Judah, John Kabbaj, Lee Nelson, Jani Sointula, Surinder Sunar and Willie Tann. The main event, held over three days at Goa’s luxury five-star Intercontinental Grand Resort, was the first of its kind, and has introduced the globally-popular sport of poker to the Indian sub-continent. The poker tournament provided a unique experience -- unlike anything the poker community has seen before.

“Poker is a global sport with players from almost every country around the globe. And now India has taken its place as a viable poker destination. We are extremely proud of the success of this year’s Asian Poker Classic and hope that it provides the platform for the future growth and development of the game in India,” said Imran Hassan, Director of Operations for the Asian Poker Classic.

Not only was this tournament a first for India, but it was one of the most generous tournaments in poker history, with sponsors MaharajahClub.net guaranteeing a minimum $1,000,000 minimum prize pool and a $250,000 overlay. The tournament also marked the introduction of Team Maharajah - a group predominantly of Indian players who took the tournament by storm. Team Maharaja proved that Indian poker players could compete with the world’s best, with five Asian players finishing in the money, including a third place result from Pranav Bathija of Mumbai.

“Of course we knew Indian poker players would come to the APC, but we wanted to make sure that this tournament would be recognised throughout the global poker community, and that it would bring the best poker players from around the world to compete in India. The final table alone included players from Denmark, Great Britain, India, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Vietnam,” said Hassan

“It’s also been a feast for the Danes at APC – two of us made it in the money but, I can see that the game has a bright future here in India. Pranav has a great future ahead of him in poker and if all Indian players are good like him, we are in big trouble,” said Carl Hostrup.

Pranav Bathija, who learned the game of poker in just four months playing at MaharajaClub.net, commented, “I have enjoyed my path along the poker trail; I have developed a true love for the game, and am grateful that my training on MaharajahClub.net has now come to fruition. It was a fantastic experience and I wish to win it next year!”

African School Children Say Thank-you Slotland!

Classes begin at Malawi School Funded by Slotland.com

Classes have begun at the rural African school built by popular online casino and mobile slot machine site, Slotland.com. It’s not only changing the lives of the children of Juma, Malawi – the project is now reaching out to bring new hope to surrounding villages as well.

“In Europe and America and everywhere Slotland.com games are played, we take basics like education and food and water for granted,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “Slotland feels obliged to share our bounty.”

A little more than a year ago, Slotland.com began collaborating with local villages in Malawi to build and operate the elementary school. Classes have now begun and hundreds of villagers are involved in maintaining the school and the demonstration gardens that feed its 116 students.

"These people don’t know what an online slot machine is and they’ve never seen a mobile phone, never mind played video poker on one,” said Slotland’s local project coordinator. “But they do understand generosity and are all forever grateful to Slotland.com.”

Opening a school takes more than construction of a building. The popular online and mobile slots machine site provided all funding for building the school as well as training volunteers and recruiting teaching staff. They’ve also provided skilled project coordinators to teach villagers to run the school when they eventually leave.

The school, known as Umodzi-Mbame, provides meals to all students and even grows the food it serves. Its gardens have been used to demonstrate new farming methods to local farmers – ways to conserve soil and water and produce more food with less work.

We got the village elders on side from the start,” explains the project coordinator. “Our project depends on the involvement of the whole community so their support was critical. It’s amazing what a positive difference Slotland has made here."