3GSM Good News for Mobile Gambling

Slotland.com’s Mobile Games Manager Liked What He Heard in Barcelona

When I had lunch in London last month with John Lancelent, Mobile Games Director with Slotland.com, he was soon on his way to 3GSM, the big mobile conference in Barcelona. I talked to him the other day about what impressed him there and let's just say it's all good for those of us that like to play games on our phones.

There was a lot to take in at the massive international exposition that covered everything mobile -- from hardware and handsets and telcom infrastructure to entertainment and content. One thing is clear though -- rapidly developing technologies are making it easier, cheaper and more fun to play casino games like slot machines on mobile phones. And that puts a smile on John's face.

“The hottest topic in Barcelona was mobile video and mobile TV. Everyone is excited about delivering music videos, short films and TV news to mobile phones.” said Lancelet. “What excites ME about that is that any phone capable of handling video multimedia is also great for playing slot machines and that means more players coming on board.”

Every year, mobile phones get smarter and more capable of playing graphically rich games.

“At 3GSM, all the new phones the handset manufacturers were showing off had higher display resolution -- 240 x 320 is becoming the standard,” said Lancelet. “That’s just what you want for mobile games like our slot machines and video poker games.”

No matter how cool phones get, or how many new real-money games providers like Slotland.com/mobile develop, one barrier to mobile gambling is still the cost of data transfer. Visiting a lot of WAP sites on your phone’s Internet browser can add up. Fortunately, Lancelet observed a trend that will improve that too.

“It seems more GSM network operators are offering flat rate wireless data tariffs,” observed Lancelet. “That’s good news for the mobile gambler too!”

First-ever Personalised Mobile Scratch Card Launches to Rave Reviews

WinOne launches GemScope at 3GSM World Congress, Barcelona


WinOne, the Finnish supplier of money games for mobile internet, announced the release of the first personalised scratch card available on mobile phones.

The java-based scratch card, featuring a horoscope theme, comes in twelve versions, each matching an astrological sign. Moreover each sign is matched with a precious stone, hence its name - GemScope.

GemScope enables players to use phone keys to “scratch” their star sign and win money or prizes. The special feature of the game is that there is always a second stage providing a personalised horoscope, so that the player experience is different each time they play - whether they win or lose. Further personalised stages are also available - without buying a new ticket.

“With this type of game mobile players feel they are getting much more value,” commented Rufus Miles, WinOne VP of Business Development. “Of course they have the chance to win a big prize – but even if they lose, they still get personalised content. We think this is unique in the mobile money gaming market today.”

According to WinOne, GemScope is the first of a range of games to push its Mobile EnterGainment® concept to a whole new level. Mobile EnterGainment® is a new idea in mobile money gaming, offering a rich, personalised entertainment experience – as well as the chance to win money and prizes and interact with friends through powerful community features.

Rufus Miles said: “Mobile players around the world look for responsible gaming solutions, excitement, security - but above all varied entertainment. WinOne is able to offer all of this, and across both mobile and internet, if needed.” He added: “Over the next few months we shall be releasing several other games based on this idea, each one with more personalised content than the last.”

Underpinning GemScope, as with all WinOne’s games, is the EnterGainment® Gaming Platform. WinOne provides the platform and the gaming solution as a managed service, including distribution and handset recognition, hosting, back office operations and payment processing. Players will be able to use a single wallet and move seamlessly between mobile and internet if they wish.

The Coolest Thing Ever Just Changed Online Poker

The Coolest Thing Ever is Now Live on Bluff Magazine’s website

It’s here! The Coolest Thing Ever has launched on the newly designed http://www.bluffmagazine.com/ website, and is changing the way online poker players track, interact, and satisfy their poker urges online.

The foundation of The Coolest Thing Ever is thepokerdb, the most comprehensive online tournament database in the world. With results going back as far as 2004, thepokerdb has tracked hundreds of thousands of tournament results, which has been the catalyst for ranking almost two million players based on tournament performance, total lifetime winnings, biggest cashes, “streak” stats, and much more. There is no more accurate way to track your play or compare yourself to the rest of the poker community that with thepokerdb. It is hands-down the largest player-accessible poker database anywhere on the planet.

But with a name like The Coolest Thing Ever, this tool has to be more than super-useful, it has to make poker more fun; that’s what the new community tools are for. The new Buddy List allows you to track your friends online, see where they are playing, and view their up to date results on your own customizable personal dashboard. But if you don’t have time to sit online and watch your buddy reach the final table, new Buddy Alerts will notify you when he gets there. Live on your PC, by email or on your Mobile Phone via Text Message, Buddy Alerts are there to keep you in the action, even when you can’t be at your PC.

Besides being useful, fun, and communal, The Coolest Thing Ever saves you time and energy, getting you to the tables faster than ever. The real-time Custom Tournament Directory means that you’ll never have to load every piece of poker software you own to find the tournament structure, game, buy in, prize range, site preference and starting time that best suits your needs. Simply enter your requirements and the Custom Tournament Directory will direct you to the action.

“The Coolest Thing Ever has been a massive technical challenge” said Jeff Markley, CTO of Bluff Magazine. “Migrating and manipulating millions of records, and adding never-before used technologies has been a labor of love, but its something that, as a poker player, I know will be appreciated by the poker community. All I can tell everybody is to try it – once they do they will never stop using it”, continued Markley.

To try The Coolest Thing Ever, visit http://www.bluffmagazine.com/ and click the link to The Coolest Thing Ever.

Five Stars Sign Up for Asian Poker Classic

Top names announced for the guaranteed $1million tournament in India

Five of the world’s top poker stars will play in the Asian Poker Classic, the largest poker tournament ever staged in India, taking place in beautiful coastal resort of Goa from March 1-5, 2007. The $1 Million guaranteed jackpot combined with a minimum $250,000 overlay makes this tournament one of the richest in the world.

Ram Vaswani, Arshad Hussain, Surinder Sunar, Lee Nelson and Mel Judah have announced that they will compete for a share of the guaranteed US $1million prize pool and £250,000 add-in in this televised poker event!

The Asian Poker Classic is sponsored by online gaming site Maharajah Club and the five players who have signed up have huge profiles in the game thanks to their formidable achievements:

Ram Vaswani – a member of the London-based Hendon Mob, Vaswani’s live tournament winnings exceed $2.3 million. The 36-year-old is the only player to have made three final tables on the European Poker Tour (EPT).

Arshad Hussain – Hussain topped the European Rankings in 2006 after a series of remarkable performances. The 33-year-old from Accrington in Lancashire came second in the EPT Grand Final Event at Monte Carlo, winning $644,825.

Surinder Sunar – The Wolverhampton-based player earned $822,631 when he won the Paris Grand Prix on the World Poker Tour (WPT) in 2004. Sunar is famed for his poker face – he has an inner calm and shows absolutely no emotion at the table.

Lee Nelson – New Zealander Nelson has been the top-rated player in Australia and New Zealand for the past seven years. He was 2006 Aussie Millions champion, earning him more than $1 million.

Mel Judah – UK-based Aussie player Judah won bracelets at the WSOP in 1989 and 1997 and was 2003 Legends of Poker winner, collecting $579,375. He made the final table of the main event at the WSOP in 1997.

Sachin Pawa, CEO of sponsor Maharajah Club (http://www.maharajahclub.com/), said: “It is fantastic to see such high-profile players participate in India’s first poker tournament and I’m looking forwarded to hosting them and Europe’s top Asian poker players. The surroundings in Goa and huge prizes on offer mean the Asian Poker Classic will be one of the most exciting and eagerly-awaited events on the poker calendar.”

150 players are expected at the event, which will be held at the five-star Intercontinental hotel at Grand Resort Goa. Register to play in the tournament at http://www.asianpokerclassic.com/qualify.html or email team@asianpokerclassic.com for further information.

London’s Annual iGaming Networking Week a Marathon of Parties!

One thing ya gotta love about the igaming industry is we know how to party! Sure, conferences like ICEi and CAP Euro offer seminars and lots of formal opportunities to soak up news and information. But let’s face it – the real business is done at all the cool networking parties that are such an important part of the annual week of online gaming events in London.

Yes, everyone in London was talking about the impact of UIGEA, but it seemed to me the consensus among the thousands of casino and poker operators, affiliates and gambling media that gathered in London was that sure, lots have taken a hit losing their American business – but at the end of the day there are other expanding and lucrative markets to focus their attention on. America? Who cares – Europe is hot!

Lyceum Fire & Ice was, as usual, the biggest and best party of the week, held just as ICEi was wrapping up and the CAP Euro crowd were arriving in town. Lyceum got a huge venue this year – a posh new Picadilly night club -- to accommodate the 1500 partiers. Thanks to Cryptologic and NextGen Gaming who kept the open bars open. (See www.lyceummedia.com/events for photos.)



The next day I had the pleasure of escorting Tila Tequila, the Queen of MySpace, to promotional press appearances around London, including the huge launch party for TilaCasino.com. Tila and her Tila Girls were raunchy and sexy and in extreme performance mode -- the air was thick with hormones at this posh Mayfair bash. TilaCasino.com invited all CAP Euro delegates, so it was one of the first of many rowdy affiliate gatherings. (See www.lyceummedia.com/tilacasino for photos.)

Another event I really enjoyed was Bodog’s party at the Café De Paris. The place reeked with history -- Prince Charles, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, Christian Slater have all partied there. But the slick Bodog crew turned it into a high energy mingler by filling the ornate celebrity hot spot with sexy videos and thumpa thumpa music. The room had to be cleared at ten for another private party so everyone spilled out onto the busy London streets and wound up at various Picadilly Circus venues.

I only spoke to one guy that had started the week with the mobile gambling summit -- John Lancelet from Slotland.com. Slotland was one of the first to test the mobile gambling waters and John, who sees mobile phone users as the biggest new market for online gambling to target, suggested more of the online gambling crowd should come a few days earlier next January if they don’t want to miss out.

3GSM in Barcelona this month is the next big event on John’s calendar. It’s a huge gathering of mobile operators, vendors and content owners from across the world where I’m sure mobile gambling will have a strong presence. But it couldn’t possibly be the crazy marathon of parties that happens every January when the online gambling world converges on London!

Based in Vancouver, Canada, Larry Colcy is an account manager with London’s igaming PR and events specialists Lyceum Media.

New 'Striking 7s' Mobile Video Poker Added to Slotland.com Java Games

Blackberry one of thousands of mobile devices now supportedby veteran mobile games provider

Slotland.com has added another Video Poker game – one that’s already a hit online -- to their suite of real-money mobile slot machines and video poker games. The long-popular slot machine web site was one of the first to offer mobile casino gambling when they launched their first slot machine for phones and PDAs back in 2005 and has been continually adding new mobile games ever since.

"We've made substantial improvements since we first launched or mobile platform," said Slotland.com Mobile Marketing Manager, Martin Smith. "We now have two mobile slot machines and two mobile video poker games, and we now support over a thousand different mobile devices, including the Blackberry, which only a really small number of other mobile gaming platform providers support."

"Striking 7s" is a video poker game, with a unique Doubling Feature. It has been one of the most popular games on the community’s web site since the day it was introduced earlier this year. After a win, Striking 7s players are offered the option to "Double or Collect". If they choose to try and double their winnings, another five cards are dealt and the player has one chance to pick the hidden high card.

Slotland’s mobile players use the same account that they play with online and can deposit and withdraw from their mobile phone just as they would online. The mobile games are tied to Slotland.com’s Progressive Jackpot which is famous for being frequently hit for well over $100K.

With more mobile games to choose from, and more of their players playing on their phones now, Slotland.com is seeing more and more wins on mobile devices.

"Just last week we had two players win over $3000 playing on their phones," said Smith. "One was playing Lucky Stars and the other was Jacks or Better. We’ve a few people hit a Royal Flush on their mobile device. That’s a nice win – and they could have been just about anywhere when they hit it!"

Lyceum Events Announces “Studio 54” Theme for Fire & Ice 2007

Big week for the online gambling industry coming up in London. Thousands of industry execs will fly in for the huge ICEi exhibition and thousands of rowdy affiliate webmasters will be in town for CAP Euro. There's also a Mobile Gambling Summit happening the same week. Lucky me -- I'll be there for it all!

The biggest social networking event of the week is, without a doubt, Lyceum Media's annual Fire & Ice 2007 party. They've just announced that this year's party theme will be Studio 54 -- so I guess I better start practicing my hustle!

With the support of sponsors, software provider CryptoLogic, games developer NextGen Gaming and payment solutions provider Wirecard, the party will be held on Wednesday 24th January at Paper&Glass, 9 Glass House Street, doors opening 8pm. Pokerzone will also join the party to film a news feature which will include interviews with some of the top industry names attending the event.

Lyceum Events will create the iconic theme by flooding the venue with a mixture of original digitally enhanced Studio 54 imagery, inter-mingled with sponsor branding, and specially chosen graphics developed and designed by Platinum sponsors CryptoLogic and NextGen Gaming. Decorative lighting effects and cracked mirror balls will also complement the synchronised projections to make Fire & Ice the most exuberant party within the 2007 iGaming calendar.

With the increase in popularity, Lyceum Events has secured a venue that will hold up to 1000 guests, giving iGaming Executives the opportunity to party late into the night with an evening of entertainment guaranteed to send them back to the hedonistic days of Studio 54.

Jodie Thind of Lyceum Media said: “Looking back over the last six years, it’s incredible to think how significant Fire & Ice has become as part of the iGaming calendar. Fire & Ice is a recognised brand within the Lyceum portfolio and the opportunities are endless. With the support of our sponsors Fire & Ice is a yearly event that is here to stay and can only get bigger.”

Justin Thouin, Vice President of Casino, CryptoLogic said: "As Platinum Sponsors we are working very closely with Lyceum Events to ensure that our innovation and vision is recognised immediately by guests attending Fire & Ice. The games graphics we have chosen are complimentary to the theme and are specific to our exciting games and new licensee launches.”

Admittance to the event is by special VIP wristband from one of the sponsors or with a printed invitation from Lyceum.

I'll let you know about the big CAP Euro party I'll be going to as well as a celebrity casino launch I've been invited to. Check this space for pics!

Online Slots Players Have Regional Preferences & Global Favourites

Slotland.com Survey Shows 'Lucky Stars' Most Popular Online Slot Machine in America, Britain, Europe & Australia

A recent player survey at Slotland.com shows that online slot machine players may have regional preferences, but they also have universal favourites. While some games are more popular in America and others in Europe or Asia or Australia, one in particular is a favourite with players around the world. “Lucky Stars” is Slotland.com’s most popular mobile game with customers everywhere.

“Sometimes it’s hard to understand why people are attracted to one game over another,” said Hannah Morante at Slotland.com. “Lucky Stars isn’t our only multi-line slot, and all of our games are tied into the same progressive jackpots – even the mobile games. So that’s not why it’s so universally popular. I guess people just think the little space man is cute!”

Analysts may not always know why people choose one game over another, but there are a few things that can be quantified. It seems that the “Booster”, a three-wheel, single-payline slot machine where you can “boost” your bet, is more popular with American players than in Britain where “fruit machine” players seem to prefer more classic slot machines like the “Golden 8”, a 9-wheel 8-payline slot machine that features the largest slot wheels ever on the Internet. Although there are slot machines in every Pachinko parlour in Japan and the casinos in Macau are adding them as fast as they can, Asian players still tend to play video poker more than slots.

So far about a third of Slotland.com players play on both their computer and their mobile phone. Since Slotland is continually adding new games to its mobile suite (“Striking 7s” mobile launched just last month) that’s one statistic that’s likely to change.

Neteller is another global preference. Although Slotland.com offers other banking options, players everywhere use Neteller more than the others, especially now that the Neteller Card enables almost instant withdrawals at ATMs around the world.

“It’s such a small world,” wrote one Slotland player in a story written for the Slotland.com community Newsletter. “It’s funny to think that while I’m playing slots or video poker on my WebTV in California, there’s people playing the same game on their phone in London or their laptop in Tokyo!”

With nine unique slot machines and video poker games on their web site and now four also available on mobile phones and PDAs, Slotland.com is one of the most innovative and trustworthy online casinos in the world.

Asian Poker Classic the Main Draw for Goa in 2007

The inaugural Asian Poker Classic, March 1-5, will be the biggest event held in Goa, India this year!

The Asian Poker Classic (APC) is the first professional poker tournament to be held in India. It will be sponsored by MaharajahClub.com and offer one of Asia’s richest ever poker prize pool – a guaranteed $1 million. The three-day APC main event marks poker’s arrival to the big time in India.

Goa is the perfect venue. The resort has become the new ‘it’ spot for people seeking luxury surroundings in India. Spectacular New Year celebrations promise to attract tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world as Goa changes its image into one of glitz and glamour.

Goa is set to transform itself into a gambling mecca over the next 12 months, which underlines that the APC is being held in exactly the right place at the right time. Plans are afoot to build a series of luxury casinos in Goa starting in 2007, so that the venue will eventually rival Macao as Asia’s number one gambling destination.

A further coup for the APC is hiring Thomas Kremser as tournament director. The Austrian poker expert has run numerous festivals around the world and played a central role in establishing poker on television across the globe.

“The Asian Poker Classic is not just the biggest poker event scheduled for India in 2007 – it’s one of the biggest events anywhere in the world. With big names ready to take part and Goa the perfect setting, it’s the most exciting new poker tournament of the year,” said Kremser.

A number of Bollywood and Hollywood celebs will attend to play, watch and have a good time. Names and details will be released in the weeks leading up to the event – watch this space!

Sachin Pawa, CEO of tournament sponsors Maharajah Club, said: “We are proud to be associated with such a prestigious event. The APC will promote poker in India and we look forward to the APC becoming a fixture on the poker circuit.”

IntertopsPoker.com Celebrates Winner in the Billionth Hand Promotion

Lady Luck Hits at Intertops.com for one Lucky Poker Player

The Intertops.com Lady Luck was well and truly on the side of a 27 year old Finnish poker enthusiast, Petteri S. as he sat playing Texas Hold 'em on IntertopsPoker.com, when his table was handed the honor of receiving the 1,000,000,000th played hand on the network.

Petteri S. instantly won a cash prize and free entries to all guaranteed tournaments for a whole day. And if that wasn’t enough, he also received free entry to a $250,000 guaranteed tournament.

Using his alias "T-Bone-Pete", Petteri S is a new comer to the world of poker and started playing at IntertopsPoker.com just two days previously.

Petteri S said “I have only been playing poker for six months. I never imagined that I could win so big, so quickly. I started playing with Intertops.com because of recommendations online. It’s a ´big house´ with a long history online, so I thought it must be reliable. I think the poker software is also one of the best online.”

The Billionth Hand promotion was yet another Player initiative from IntertopsPoker.com, the site offering the most satellites to land-based tournaments online. IntertopsPoker.com is part of the Microgaming Poker Network, which is the fastest growing poker network on the internet.

MaharajahClub.com Brings Online Gambling to India

MaharajahClub.com is set to widen its reach when play-for-fun only gaming site MaharajahClub.net goes live in India on November 1.

As the first online gaming site to specifically target the Asian market in the UK, Europe and South East Asia, Maharajah Club is ideally placed to make an impact in the up-and-coming market in India. The new US law making online gambling illegal is set to have an impact on the industry worldwide and as the focus switches to new markets, Maharajah Club will use its strong cultural relevancy and team of experts to make its mark in Asia.

India boasts one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world with highly educated affluent communities expanding at astronomical rates, a familiar environment for the gaming community. Poker is a very new recreation among India’s middle-classes and could follow other pop culture trends as an example of the way Indians strongly embrace western pastimes and passions.

As the first online gaming site to aim its launch towards the Asian market, MaharajahClub.net brings the fun side of gaming to India. Their new play-for-fun site will help grow the game on the continent by teaching first-timers how to play and increase poker’s widespread appeal among beginners and seasoned players alike.

Maharajah Club has already underpinned its commitment to India with its involvement in a Bollywood-based TV show and support for MahaCricket.com, a cricket website carrying news stories, latest stats and community news. This follows the news that Maharajah Club will be sponsoring the Asian Poker Classic (APC), which will be held at The Grand Resort in Goa, India from March 1-4 2007. The APC is the first major professional poker tournament to be held in India and will include players who have won $7,500 prize packages via satellite tournaments held at MaharajahClub.com.

Sachin Pawa, CEO of Maharajah Gaming, says, “This is the first time an online gaming company has targeted an audience based on ethnicity. It happens in land-based casino around the world. By targeting ethnically, we can cater to the culturally specific needs of our clients in a way that no other casino on the net can.”

Household Slots Tournament Adds Excitement

Husband and wife compete against each other on WebTV & computer

Logged on side-by-side – one on the household computer and the other using WebTV – a husband and wife team at Slotland.com has created their own household slots tournament. When players TOOTY and REENY34 go head to head, the jackpot prize -- picking a chore for the loser to do -- is better than cash they say.

“My wife and I have been pulling slots at Slotland.com for over seven years now,” said TOOTY, “But this month was special because we purchased a new computer and now we play in the same room, at the same time. I’m on WebTV because the TV screen is bigger and my wife is on the computer because she says it’s faster.”

The pair starts out with $100 each and they can choose whatever games they like. Every three hours, whoever has the most money picks one chore from a list of chores for the other to complete during their break.

In a recent after-dinner tournament, they each won $250 within twenty-five minutes hitting four of a kind at Jacks or Better – TOOTY twice on $5 bets and REENY34 just once but with a $10 bet. TOOTY later changed strategy when REENY34 took the lead and switched to placing max bets playing the Treasure Box slot machine.

“After three hours of competition, my wife had $900 in total wins and I had $700. I did the chore that night!”

“Many other online casinos don’t allow two members of the same household to open separate accounts,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “Which means Slotland.com is about the only place where you can enjoy head-to-head competitions.”

“Actually, they could have as many friends join them as they can fit in their living room,” reminds Slotland.com Mobile Gambling Manager, Martin Smith. “You can play our most popular slots on any mobile phone or PDA!”

America -- Intertops is Open for Business

Pioneering Online Gaming Site will Allow Americans to Play

Intertops announced today that they remain open for business and will accept all bets and process all payments from American citizens.

Developments in Washington, DC earlier this month compelled publicly-traded gaming sites such as 888.com and PartyPoker to cease all US services. All services at Intertops.com will seamlessly continue, offering sports betting, casino, poker and games.

Intertops commented, “We consider online gaming to be legal in most U.S. states and sanctioned by the World Trade Organization.”

“We are licensed and regulated in both Canada and Antigua and comply with every law within the jurisdictions in which we operate. We are dedicated to offering our worldwide customers a efficient and enjoyable service via our online sportsbook, casino, poker room and games. As a privately owned and independent company we have arranged to fully accept and disperse payments for US-based gamblers.”

After offering the world’s first online betting platform in 1996 and an online casino in 1997 Intertops.com started its poker room and games in 2003. Intertops will not only continue to serve its own customers but has made arrangements to accommodate an considerable amount of new customers that have lost their betting accounts due to the shut-down of many online gaming sites earlier this month.

Intertops added “Intertops has been in business for 23 years, 10 of them online. Our reputation as a responsible and trustworthy gaming site stands alone. We will continue to ensure that deposits and payouts are as quick and safe as they have always been.”

There IS Something You Can Do About New U.S. Anti-Gaming legislation

Pass around videos that show Frist and gang for what they really are, send emails to the Senators and Congressmen, write to the media!!!


Poker Patriots provides players, operators and affiliates of the online gambling industry with the tools, training, resources and support needed to fight the Internet Gambling Prohibition Bill. They believe Americans should have the freedom to play, bet, wager, or gamble on their favourite games of skill and chance, be it poker, blackjack, bingo or backgammon. Join the revolution!

The APCW (Association of Professional Casino Webmasters) is asking for the help of players, webmasters, and online casinos to fight the hypocritical, lying, corrupt American political machine. Please watch their videos, download them, and send them to your friends and family! www.APCW.com also has phone numbers and addresses for US Senators, Congressmen and media.

These APCW videos would be funny if your freedom wasn't at stake:

How the US Congress Betrayed the US People

The Truth About the Corrupt Politicians who Passed the Gambling Ban

Sen. Frist and the Online Gambling Ban (A.K.A. Mr. Bill Goes to Washington)

I-Gaming Industry Unites at EiG in Barcelona

Over 1,050 i-gaming professionals from 42 countries converged last week in Barcelona for the European i-gaming Congress and Expo (EiG). At this, the biggest EiG to date, the general feeling was that there has never been a more important time for the i-gaming industry to come together and speak with one voice.

EiG opened with a message that both surprised and touched the packed conference room. David Carruthers, former CEO of BetonSports, spoke via video from his residence in St Louis, USA. Carruthers couldn’t speak about his upcoming legal battle but said he was "strong, fit and in high spirits" and is "preparing for the final outcome of his nightmare." He thanked the industry for its support.

EiG, produced by ATE and River City Group which are divisions of Clarion Events, is the first major i-gaming gathering since the arrests which have rocked the industry and sent i-gaming share prices plummeting.

After the video, Norbett Teufelberger, co-CEO of Bwin spoke rousingly about his experience of being held by the French authorities. "We have been treated as criminals," he stated. He called on the industry to put aside their usual competitive stance to unite and fight together to defend the besieged industry.

The conference programme spanned three days, featuring many more of the biggest names in the industry. Sessions of particular interest included the Monopoly Debate, which brought together state and private operators, including the CEOs of Norsk Tipping and Ladbrokes Nordic, in a frank discussion. The session attendees were also very interested in the news that the European Commission had that day decided to question France, Italy and Austria about their cross-border gambling legislation. The session on USA concerns also drew much interest, with worrying information on the ease with which UK nationals can be extradited to the US.

Running alongside the conference was a 46-stand exhibition showcasing numerous new products and services for the i-gaming industry. Feedback from the exhibitors was extremely positive, with several reporting multiple deals being signed over the three days.

On Friday the 13th, the last day of the Congress, President Bush signed and passed into law the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006” which criminalises online gambling firms operating in the US. The general consensus was that this was a sad day for US consumer choice.

The conference sessions closed with a flourish, with a CEO panel that included Mitch Garber of PartyGaming and John Anderson of 888.com. Considering the events of the last couple of weeks, all were impressed by their commitment to sharing their thoughts with the industry.

Whilst all being positive about the future of the industry, the panel warned against the smaller private operators not taking the new law seriously, with Garber concluding “I think it's very brave of private company operators to think that they're not going to be next to be indicted, arrested and pursued.”

Interesting times indeed for an industry that includes some of the most entrepreneurial minds in the business world.

America Has Been Fristed

Black Friday the 13th for Online Gambling in the U.S.

I don’t often write editorial comment specifically for my blog. If you received this story by RSS, sorry for sending you a rant instead of online casino news. Most of the stories here are from news releases and interesting stories that I’ve found surfing online gambling news. But events that have rocked the online gambling business over the last two weeks move me to come out of the cyber-woodwork and comment on how furious I am about the new anti-gambling laws that have been passed in the United States.

The way this backhanded legislation was pushed through in the middle of the night of the last night of a session, and tacked on to some other bill that everyone was automatically voting for, is disgusting. America has been Fristed. I can’t wait for the backlash from online poker players and sports bettors when they realize that they are no longer allowed to choose those kinds of entertainment! Pleeeeease tell me that right-wing fundamentalist control-freeks are not the majority in America.

I had the pleasure of coordinating Aces.com’s movie sponsorship publicity this summer and have run lots of stories about that here and on my other blog. Aces was part of Sportingbet Plc and has just been purchased by another group. We may not hear much from them for a little while…

There’s also lots of Slotland.com stories here. Slotland.com’s players are mostly European, so that softens the blow of the new US legislation. Watch for ongoing stories, especially about mobile gambling.

MaharajahClub.com is a casino for Indians outside India that’s doing a million dollar poker tournament in Goa, India next year. I’ll be following that. I’ll also be publishing stories from Intertops, WireCard and Orbis.

I hope that Americans that enjoy online gambling – and there are millions and millions of you – will be very vocal and protest what is happening. I hope you continue to play just as long as Neteller and your credit card company will allow you to. (As I understand it, unless Neteller stands up to the U.S. and refuses to comply with that “foreign” legislation, that’s till next summer.) But what I really hope is that this Bill that infringes so blatantly on your right to choose your own entertainment will be overturned somehow.

Don’t worry. When you’re allowed to play poker and casino games again, they’ll still be there. Europeans, Asians and South Americans will keep them busy till you come back. Until then, maybe learn to knit… Go for a walk… ;)

New European Roulette Improves Players’ Odds

No 00 in French version of Aces.com’s new instant-play casino game

Aces.com ’s newest game – European Roulette – improves players’ odds by eliminating the extra zero added to the American version of “The Game of Kings”. The game is one of the popular online casino’s new instant play Flash games that require no downloading or installation.

“Why would we add a game that pays more winnings than the one we had?!” laughed Rene Quesada, Manager of Aces.com. “Because if they play it in Vegas, we’ve got it at Aces.com. Simple as that. European Roulette is increasingly popular on the Strip these days so we’ve got to have it at Aces.”

The first form of Roulette, invented in the seventeenth century by mathematician Blasé Pascal, had no zeros. Early Monte Carlo casino operators added the zero to improve the house odds. When the game arrived in the U.S., Americans added the double-zero to give the ball one more place to land and thus improve the house’s chances even further.

There are two other differences between the European and American games. In American Roulette, each player has their own color of chips, all worth the same value. Standard casino chips of differing values are used in the European game. Also, the European table is much larger than the American version, so the European croupier uses a rake to clear chips while their American counterpart does this by hand. Of course, Aces.com’s cyber-croupier just clears the board with a click.

Aces.com offers online gamblers all the betting opportunities they have in Las Vegas: casino games, poker, sports betting and horse racing. Later this month, the Vegas-style online casino will be adding three more games to its comprehensive suite of table and card games.

MaharajahClub.com Launches Cricket Focused Sportsbook

New Online Sportsbook for South East Asian Players

MaharajahClub.com has launched the first online sportsbook for South East Asian gamblers. MaharajahClub.com is the only online gaming site aimed at South East Asians living in the UK, Europe and South East Asia. The sportsbook – with a special focus on cricket – is live and will include online betting for football, horse racing/ante post, greyhound racing/ante post, American football, basketball, boxing, bowls, darts, golf, ice hockey, motor sport, rugby union and snooker.

Maharajah Club has entered into a marketing agreement with online sports betting and casino operator Interactive Gaming Holdings (IGH). The new deal will substantially increase the variety of experiences open to members of MaharajahClub.com and enable Maharajah Club to offer a full-service package to its members. With a focus on cricket, Maharajah Club is bound to prove the best location for South East Asian gamblers.

Sachin Pawa, CEO of MaharajahClub.com, said, “Launching a sportsbook was always part of our plan, so we are extremely excited to have it live, adding to our poker and casino offerings. Additionally, since cricket is adored by millions worldwide, and is an especially important sport in South East Asia, we are thrilled to be the specialists in the sport. We are certain our sportsbook will prove to be a very important addition to our portfolio.”

John Heaton, Chief Executive of IGH, said, “We are quite excited about our alliance with Maharajah Club. It will give us access to the Asian gaming market at an elementary stage of its development with a partner who understands the culture. We believe that this gaming market will be of great significance in terms of our future success.”

Slotland.com Honoured at eGaming Review Awards on Monday

First mobile slot machine provider nominated in “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” Category

The first company to launch real-money slot machines for mobile phones and PDAs is once again being recognized for its pioneering efforts in the new and rapidly developing mobile gambling arena. Slotland.com, best known for it’s large and frequently hit jackpots and attentive customer service, has been nominated in the “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” category of the prestigious annual eGaming Review Awards.

Slotland.com, which celebrated its eighth anniversary online this summer, launched its first mobile phone game a year ago and has been adding original new slot machines to its mobile gambling suite ever since. With thirteen unique slot machines on their web site and three available on mobile phones and PDAs, Slotland.com is one of the world’s most innovative and trustworthy online casinos.

“Eight years of experience in providing online entertainment has taught us that players like new, original games,” said Slotland.com Mobile Gambling Manager Martin Smith. “We develop our own games – you won’t see our slot machines anywhere but Slotland.”

At a gala ceremony in London on October 9th, eGaming Review Magazine will present awards in sixteen categories, recognising achievements from all corners of the egaming industry. Each award will be judged by an impartial panel of industry experts.

The “Best Mobile Operator of the Year” award will be presented to a company that excelled in the mobile sector, including casino, poker, sports betting and soft game operators. It will assess only the mobile service offered and will not take into consideration online support.

Slotland.com was recently voted “Most Unique Slot Site” and “Best Progressive Jackpot Site” by Strictly Slots Magazine readers and was named “Best Web TV” in a Gambling Online Magazine poll. The company was a finalist in the “Mobile Gambling Company” category of the ME Awards presented last month in London.

Celebrity TV Poker Tournament Host Brandi Williams to MC Aces.com's Star-studded Movie Gala

Aces.com & Alex Quinn Presents Attract A-List Crowd to ‘Aces the Movie’ DVD Release Party at the Beverly Hills Friars Club

TV poker tournament host Brandi Williams will MC Aces.com’s star-studded Hollywood gala celebrating Warner Brothers’ release of Aces the Movie, the sexy new poker movie sponsored by the popular online casino. The event, organized by celebrity party planners Alex Quinn Presents, will be held at The Friars of Beverly Hills on October 6th. Jazz/hip hop fusion artists 2Deep will entertain at the casino-themed extravaganza. Hundreds of Aces.com players have received special invitations and five Aces.com tournament champions are being flown in to attend the gala.

Aces the Movie director and producer Daniel Zirilli and Christina Morris, star of the film, will be special guests.

“This party is the culmination of our sponsorship of Aces the Movie,” explained Aces.com Manager Rene Quesada. “We’re sending DVDs to our members, we’ve had the director and cast hosting online tournaments, and we partied at the WSOP with Christina Morris and Sheena Chou, two of the stars of the movie.”

MC Brandi Williams has been called the ‘Queen of Hearts,’ and the ‘Princess of Poker’ by every gambling magazine on newsstands and over 7 million viewers worldwide watch her every week as host of the hugely popular show ‘The Ultimate Poker Challenge.’ The 24 year old who was named ‘One of the 50 Sexiest Women of 2005’ by Femme Fatales Magazine has worked alongside American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest, and has shared the stage with other celebrities such as Alan Thicke and Donny Osmond. The former Arizona Cardinals Cheerleader just shot a pilot for the producers of Extra for a teenage version of their highly rated show.

“Brandi will keep the evening moving all right,” said Francine Marseille of event coordinators Alex Quinn Presents. “It’s going to be a casino night – Brandi will be introducing winners when she’s not schmoozing the red carpet crowd or playing a few casino games herself.”

2Deep -- saxophonist Vondell Henderson & vocalist Mike J (Michael Kurt Jackson) -- will keep the crowd swaying to their unique fusion of Contemporary and Classic R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz and Soul. 2Deep appeared last month at the Vanguard Hollywood and BB Kings, and have just released a new single, “Somebody”.

Other celebrity guests include:

- Cher Tenbush, 2006 winner of the CW hit reality series ‘Beauty and the Geek’

- Eric Schiffer, socialite, film actor and best selling author of “Emotionally Charged Learning”

- Al Bandiero, star of "Desire", a new nighttime drama on Fox's My Network TV

- Anthony Ghannam, Disney voice actor who most recently played "Ronno" in Bambi 2 and "Huayna" in Kronk's New Groove

- Burke Bryant, star of the 2006 hit show “Alive!” currently in three-picture deal with Paramount Pictures including soon-to-be-released “Sins”.