US Gaming Survey Confirms Online Gaming Should Benefit Land based Casino Industry
February 28th, 2013 by OBO-admin
Many critics have stated that legalizing online gaming would be detrimental to land-based casinos. They argue that lawmakers should oppose any bill that would regulate any form of online gaming. However, a new statement from US Gaming Survey found that online gaming would most likely benefit casinos throughout the country.
US Gaming Survey conducted two polls of people in the casino industry. The vast majority of casino owners said they would not change the way they operated their casinos if online gaming was legalized. Jim Ryan, former CEO of Bwin.party, said that the changes won’t have nearly as much of an impact on the casino industry as people suggest. Most respondents also felt the new legislation would probably increase revenue for land-based casinos.
Proponents of online gaming legislation have stated that regulation would help them reach a number of new customers who currently are not participating in online gaming. Many younger respondents who do not currently gamble or purchase lottery tickets have said that they would do so if a bill was passed that made it legal.
Advocates said that there is no reason to fear online gaming would detract from the revenues of land-based casinos. Most people who visit land-based casinos are doing so for the experience. They would probably continue to do so even if they had the option of playing over the Internet instead. This position was validated by the respondents in the two surveys.
The online gaming community hopes that this new survey will encourage more lawmakers to support legislation that would enable citizens to play poker and other games over the Internet. US Gaming Survey is a well-respected research group with over 30 years of experience. Gaming advocates believe that their research will carry considerable weight for lawmakers considering legalizing online gaming.
Posted in Casino News |
Nevada Assemblyman Horne Supports Sandoval’s Online Gaming Bill
February 26th, 2013 by OBO-admin
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is pushing for a new law that would allow Nevada to offer interstate poker within the next month. Assembly Majority Leader William Horne said that he supports Sandoval’s efforts and is willing to sponsor a separate bill if revisions to the existing law can’t be made.
State lawmakers were previously waiting for the federal government to pass an online gaming bill that would allow them to provide interstate gambling. However, Sandoval and Horne feel that they can’t afford to wait for the federal government to pass an interstate gaming bill. Many other states are working on legislation that would allow them to offer online gaming across state lines.
Sandoval recently stated that the state needs to make legalizing online gaming a top priority. New Jersey governor Chris Christie issued a conditional veto on an online gaming bill last week. Sandoval said that Nevada will need to make haste in its efforts to lead online gaming market. Horne agreed with the governor’s sentiments and believes that Nevada can lead the future of online gaming in the United States.
Horne said that Nevada’s population isn’t large enough to sustain an online gaming industry on its own. The state’s gaming providers will need to work with gaming companies in other states to reach a larger player base. Other states would also benefit from these compacts, because Nevada has much more experience running a complex online gaming industry.
Horne believes that Nevada will be at the forefront of the online gaming industry if they take these steps. Horne is ready to pass a new bill if necessary, but he may not need to take the initiative to do so. The Nevada Gaming Control Board intends to introduce a nearly identical bill in the next month.
Posted in Casino News |
Advantages of Playing 6:5 Multi-deck over Single Deck Blackjack Games
February 25th, 2013 by OBO-admin
Blackjack gaming experts say that single-deck blackjack games yield more blackjacks than multi-deck blackjack games.
In case of single-deck games, players who get an ace have a 31.37% chance of getting a face card or a ten card so that they can complete their blackjack and win the game. In case of multi-deck games, players who get an ace have only a 30.87% chance of completing their blackjack. If the casino pays 3:2 for blackjack on single-deck blackjack games, playing single-deck blackjack is recommended because the house edge can be reduced to 0.15% by following basic blackjack strategy.
However, single-deck blackjack is not worth playing if the casino offers only 6:5 for blackjack. If players get blackjack on a $10 bet, the casino will award them only $12 instead of the $15 they would have received had the casino offered 3:2 for blackjack. Besides, the house edge for 6:5 single-deck blackjack games is 1.45%.
Blackjack experts, therefore, urge players to avoid single-deck 6:5 blackjack games and play six-deck 6:5 blackjack game instead because the latter is three times better than the former.
Blackjack table limits vary from one casino to the other and are set by pit bosses or shift managers depending on the number of customers.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Virtual Casino from VGW
February 18th, 2013 by OBO-admin
Chumba World is Virtual Gaming World’s (VGW) answer to the idea of fusing together social gaming and gambling. They are in the last stages of the completion of the game, which is described as “Second life meets Farmville meets Vegas.”
This is a free game where players are allowed to create their own casinos as well as customize all the relating details of the game. They are given a chance to build their own roulette tables, poker parlors and even Blackjack casinos online. Visiting and playing at the other player’s casino is also possible.
There is no need for VGW to possess a gambling license since wagering and payout of real cash is not involved, although players from all over the world can wager by purchasing virtual coins just like any other social games available on any social media sites.
The project was recently posted at Kickstarter, an online fund-raising platform, as the company was hoping to raise $50,000 by March 4.
Laurence Escalante, VGW CEO and founder is said in a recent interview at GamesBeat, “(Although) we’ve raised money from private investors here in Australia, to complete much of what we’ve done to date, a platform/MMO/casino undertaking of this size is pretty ambitious and requires a lot of resources.”
What makes this setup unique from the rest of the online game casinos, is that it gives players the chance to earn real money. VGW has so far made sure that winnings cannot be cashed out. However, as their casinos gets visited by friends and followers, having these people spend virtual currency at your blackjack table or anywhere else, VGW are able to calculate the earnings and owners are given a small revenue share as real or virtual money.
This part is still being developed and the kinks are still being worked out. Still, this type of setup exempts Chumba World operators and players from any gambling-related rules.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Vera&John Introduces Live Dealer Casino
February 11th, 2013 by OBO-admin
Vera&John Casino is one of the best online gambling venues in the industry, especially now that the online casino has added a live casino into its portfolio of online gaming products. This gives new online casino players a bigger than ever reason to register for real play at Vera&John Casino.
Vera&John Casino’s new live dealer casino runs on Bodog Gaming software and the portfolio includes online slots games, table games, and video poker games.
Speaking about the latest move, Bodog Gaming MD Will Hu said that Vera&John Casino has an excellent “soft gaming” platform, which has grown so rapidly that it has attracted the attention of several operators. He expressed hopes that Vera&John Casino will continue to grow with Bodog Gaming’s live gaming software platform.
Vera&John Live Dealer Casino has almost everything an online live casino player could hope for, including Sic Bo, Baccarat, Dragon Tiger, and Roulette.
Vera&John Casino Director Johan Konigslehner said that, as the casino gaming company expanded into several countries all over the world, it realized that it ought to introduce a live casino product. The company, when it was launched, focused on the Scandinavian market, but today caters to a wide range of markets such as Spain, Japan, and Portugal.
Posted in Casino News |
Northwood University Organizes Casino Night to Start Spring Semester
February 7th, 2013 by OBO-admin
The Campus Activity Board (CAB) of Northwood University hosted its annual casino night recently and featured blackjack and other popular table games. The university follows the tradition of welcoming new and existing students to the spring semester by organizing fun events, and this spring, it organized a casino night for them.
Character Development and Leadership Director Abby Babbitt said that the university has the tradition of beginning its spring semester with a casino night, adding that students look forward to this fun-filled event. After all, with the movie 21, students have become very interested in games like blackjack and poker.
The university held in casino night at Lambert Commons and invited all students to take part in it. The casino night did not include any real money gaming. Students used chips and traded winnings for tickets to lucky prize draws. Lucky students received a wide range of gifts such as Northwood apparel, gift cards, Wii, and DVDs.
Casino games such as craps, blackjack, and roulette were organized, giving students a chance to learn the rules and strategies of these games while having loads of fun with friends. One of the students, Eddie Guerreo, said that the casino night was a fun experience for him as he is a freshman. He felt that it was a great way to break the ice and meet new people.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Worst Blackjack Decisions Players Can Make
February 5th, 2013 by OBO-admin
One always meets blackjack players who make the worst possible decisions regarding standing, hitting, splitting, and doubling. Some of the worst things blackjack players can do is hit when they have hard 17 and stand when they have lesser than 10. Fortunately, bad decisions on the part of a blackjack player have absolutely no effect on the bankrolls of his/her opponents.
Here are some players who are eligible to be inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Shame. They are players who never take into consideration their bankrolls although they dream of winning large jackpots or earning plenty of comp points.
Players who insist on playing blackjack that pays 6 – 5 also fall into this category. Playing 6 – 5 blackjack when a casino offers 3 – 2 blackjack is the worst blackjack strategy a player can employ.
Other players who can easily get inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Shame are those who are serious about side bets, those who are unhappy even after getting blackjack, those who just never learn basic blackjack strategy, and many others. Players should remember that the house edge for side bets such as In Between, Lucky Ladies, and 21+3 is higher, which is why casinos offer these side bets in the first place.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Atlantic City Casino Owner Fined for Playing Blackjack
February 1st, 2013 by OBO-admin
Although the state’s gambling laws clearly state that it is illegal for casino owners to gamble within state limits, Tilman Fertitta, the billionaire casino businessman, was caught violating the law and fined.
Fertitta, the owner and president of Golden Nugget Casino, one of the top gambling venues in Atlantic City, was caught by the state’s law-enforcement agencies when he was gambling in Atlanic City.
New Jersey’s gambling laws clearly state that it is illegal for those who hold “key casino employee licenses” issued by the state to gamble in any of the 12 casinos in Atlantic City, irrespective of whether they own the property or not.
The state’s gaming enforcement division has prepared a five-page report, which states that Fertitta wagered on blackjack games several times during the last year. The authorities state that he played mostly low-stakes games and never spent more than $3,000 on chips. The report also states that the billionaire was not aware that the state has made it illegal for casino owners to gamble.
According to Golden Nugget General Manager Tom Pohlman, other US states do not prohibit casino owners from gambling, adding that the Golden Nugget informed the state about Fertitta’s gambling as soon as it came to know of it.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Casino Owner Fertitta Fined for Breaking NJ Gambling Laws
January 30th, 2013 by OBO-admin
Tilman Fertitta, owner and president of Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, was caught violating New Jersey’s gambling laws and fined for the same.
According to the gambling laws of New Jersey, casino owners are not permitted to gamble in any of the casinos in Atlantic City. The rules clearly state that it is illegal for those who hold key casino employee licenses issued by the state of New Jersey to gamble in any of the 12 casinos in Atlantic City. It simply means that casino owners cannot gamble in any casino even if it is not their casino.
The gaming enforcement division prepared a five-page report, in which it stated that Fertitta played real money blackjack a few times last year. However, he played low-stakes blackjack and authorities noted that he did not purchase chips worth more than $3,000 throughout his gambling spree. Reportedly, the billionaire was not aware of this aspect of the state’s laws.
Golden Nugget GM Tom Pohlman informed the press that New Jersey is the only US state that makes it illegal for casino owners to gamble. He also stated that the casino informed law-enforcement agencies about Fertitta’s gambling at the Revel and Borgata as soon as it came to know about it.
Posted in Casino News |
Design Studios Mull over Creating In-flight Blackjack Casinos
January 29th, 2013 by OBO-admin
If Air Jet Designs and Designescence, two aviation design studios based in France, have their way, in-flight blackjack gaming will soon become a reality. The two studios have partnered to design luxurious and sophisticated in-flight casinos, which could be implemented by airlines.
The concept of in-flight gambling is hardly new, but hasn’t been successful so far because of hurdles related to space, safety, and operation. A few airlines had introduced in-flight gambling in the past, but the idea had just refused to work.
The above-mentioned design studios feel that in-flight casinos might work at present because newer and spacious aircraft have been constructed.
Stephen McNamara, head (communications) for Ryanair, an airline company, said that airlines lack the required technology to launch in-flight casino services at present.
The introduction of in-flight casino gaming has yet another major hurdle—vague gambling laws. The biggest of these legal hurdles is the US law, which prevents gambling activities in American airspace. The only silver lining to the legal cloud is that the laws are bound to change any moment. Frederique Houssard, founder of Designescence, is quite optimistic about it. He said that playing real money games online was forbidden a few years ago, but not anymore, adding that things keep changing.
Posted in Blackjack News |