Spain’s Online Poker Industry Grows after Regulation
November 30th, 2012 by OBO-admin
A number of online gaming sites thrived in Spain when the industry was unregulated. The Spanish government was concerned about keeping these companies in check and passed the Spanish Gambling Act on May 29. Government officials considered passing a law that would force all gaming sites to be shut down indefinitely.
The new law raised a number of concerns for the industry. Sites were still allowed to offer their services to Spanish citizens while waiting for the first licenses to be issued. They were concerned about a number of new regulations that would be passed. However, the last industry has thrived over the past four months.
Online gaming sites have generated a substantial amount of revenue from Spanish players. This has been encouraging to the Spanish government, which has imposed a 25% tax rate on all gross gaming revenue. The government has accumulated nearly 80 million euros from taxes since June.
Approximately 700,000 Spanish citizens are playing real money gambling. The market has been growing by approximately 100,000 players a month and is expected to continue to grow exponentially in the near future.
Industry experts and advocates are encouraged by the state of the online gaming market in Spain. They are still concerned about some of the regulations that are expected to be implemented in the future. They are particularly concerned about what restrictions authorities will place on advertising. However, a report from OnlinePoker.net found that the industry appears to have benefited considerably from online gaming regulation.
While the outlook for online gaming in Spain is unclear, gaming firms are expected to invest more resources expanding in the region.
Posted in Casino News |
National Association of Convenience Stores Supports Reid Poker Bill
November 26th, 2012 by OBO-admin
The National Association of Convenience Stores is calling on all of its members to show support for the online poker bill authored by Senators Reid and Kyl. Most other organizations are supporting the bill because it would create a framework that would legalize online poker in the United States. However, the NACS has a different motivation.
The organization is asking its members to support the bill because it would make it illegal to sell lottery tickets over the Internet. They feel that this bill could be essential for protecting the profitability of convenience stores throughout the country.
The Department of Justice’s new interpretation of the Wire Act allows states to create laws that allow lottery tickets to be sold over the Internet. The NACS said that convenience stores count on lottery tickets to drive customers to their stores. A high percentage of sales on other products come from customers who originally visited the store with the intention of purchasing lottery tickets.
The NACS acknowledges that federal regulation of Internet gambling is essential to protecting Americans from unscrupulous gaming sites that have been setup overseas. However, they also believe that some prohibitions on online gambling are necessary to protect consumers as well. Representatives from the NACS said that allowing customers to purchase lottery tickets over the Internet places minors at risk.
They said that they can prevent minors from participating in the lottery by asking for identification in their stores. Online gaming sites will also be required to authenticate the age and identity of their players, but the NACS questions the effectiveness of those verification systems.
The organization hopes that it can encourage lawmakers to support Reid and Kyl’s bill. However, many state lawmakers are opposed to the idea, because they feel that online lottery sales can help them generate enough revenue to shrink their deficits and expand education and other state-run programs.
Posted in Casino News |
Jackson Rancheria Casino Hosts Blackjack Tourney
November 23rd, 2012 by OBO-admin
The Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort recently announced that they had paid out as much as $134 Million USD to players in prize money in the month of October. Players will also be excited to note that there is an upcoming blackjack tourney event that they can enjoy and win big money prizes in.
According to Rich Hoffman, the chief executive officer of the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort, “October was a phenomenal month at Jackson Rancheria. Not only did we celebrate the Grand Opening of the All-New Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort, but we’ve officially introduced our $2,000,000 Grand Opening Catch Your Dreams Giveaway where guests have a chance to win a brand new home and a lot of cash.”
One of the exciting promotions of the casino is the $2,000,000 Catch Your Dreams Grand Opening which actually offers a residential house as the first place prize. To be a part of this offer, players will have to try their luck at the casino between November 18 and December 23rd. The winner of the new house will be announced after a draw that is held at the end of this year.
For blackjack players, the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort is offering the $100,000 Blackjack Invitational Tournament.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Horseshoe Cleveland Casino Adds Blackjack Games
November 21st, 2012 by OBO-admin
The Horseshoe Cleveland Casino is adding to its casino games section and has introduced over twenty games for players to enjoy. Blackjack is one of these games and players will also be able to enjoy other popular favorites such as Roulette and Mini-baccarat. Another game that has also been introduced to the casino floor is Let-It-Ride.
After adding the extra blackjack games to the casino floor, the Horseshoe Cleveland Casino now houses 89 tables and has also hired extra staff to help run them and manage the extra player traffic that is sure to come in. The additional table games have made the Horseshoe Cleveland casino the largest table gaming housing casino in the entire state.
According to Marcus Glover, the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Horseshoe Cleveland Casino, “Cleveland is a table games town. From day one, our tables have seen constant action around the clock.”
Tosha Skipper, Director of Table Games at Horseshoe Cleveland commented on the development, “With the additional seats we look forward to offering a variety of table limits to our patrons.” she said.
As of now the casino employs more than 580 team members, most of whom are locals.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Betsoft Gaming Releases Blackjack on Mobile iOS
November 20th, 2012 by OBO-admin
Betsoft Gaming, a reputed online gambling software company, recently announced that it was adding to its offerings by introducing tow popular games for its players. The first game to be launched on the mobile platform provided by Betsoft Gaming is mobile blackjack. The second game will be a mobile version of Roulette on the iOS.
These two classic games will be much appreciated by the players that use Betsoft Gaming software and the two games are expected to improve player traffic and revenue for the company.
According to Anthony Locke, BetSoft’s Chief of Product Development, ‘Our mobile versions of Roulette and Blackjack are 100% compatible with the new iPhone 5 and iOS 6. As new devices and software come to the market, you can be assured that BetSoft will be there at the forefront, developing our games to be easily accessible and compatible with those new technologies.’
The mobile blackjack game allows players to compete against the dealer. Players will be able to set animation and adjust volume levels, not to mention learn how to play classic blackjack. Other games that are expected to be introduced by Betsoft Gaming include slots games and other favorites like The Slotfather and 7th Heaven.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Great Blackjack Games at Tampa University’s Homecoming Week
November 14th, 2012 by OBO-admin
Blackjack enthusiasts had a great opportunity to play blackjack for attractive prizes at the University of Tampa’s Homecoming Week, which began on Oct 17, on the theme of a pageant of Greek deities.
Ebonie Carter, the Homecoming Kick-off Chairperson and biology student, described the event as “basically a take on a beauty pageant.” The event comprised costume and talent portions, where participants were asked to be as entertaining as possible. There was also a henna artist and a photo booth to make the event more entertainment; besides, each student got a bright red T-shirt on the back of which a Spartan logo was stamped.
The festival continued as the Casino Night the next evening, an event that drew a large number of people. Casino games such as slots, poker, and blackjack were organized and players were challenged to win exciting prizes such as tablets, beats headphones, and coffee makers, to mention a few.
While the homecoming parade was held on Friday, giving students a chance to enjoy corn, baked potatoes, and hamburgers, the Spartan Games and a live music concert were held on Saturday. Since the event was heavily advertised on social networking sites, a large number of students got involved in the festivities.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Court Ruling for Blackjack Player Raises Questions
November 13th, 2012 by OBO-admin
The mixed ruling issued by an appeals court for an MIT Blackjack Team member has given rise to several questions on how casinos deal with card counters once restrictions imposed on them are lifted.
The ruling is related to Laurie Tsao, who was labeled as an “advantage gambler” by Caesars Entertainment Casino and asked to leave the casino five times on grounds that she was trespassing. Caesars, however, continued offering her free rooms and invited her to accept a free room in Las Vegas during the NCAA basketball season, a move that sent her back to the casino and led to her subsequent arrest in 2008.
While the appeals panel agreed with the ruling of a lower court and dismissed Laurie’s complaints that she was wrongly arrested and that the police officer who arrested her and the casino that demanded her arrest had both violated her constitutional rights, the appeals court reversed the ruling.
The gambling laws of Nevada give casinos the right to eject card counters from their premises, and a card counter who refuses to leave can get punished. However, the court ruling takes into consideration a casino’s treatment of card counters after the ban restrictions are lifted.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Facebook Collects Large Fees from Blackjack Gambling Fan Pages
November 9th, 2012 by OBO-admin
Facebook is not just a social network but has become somewhat of a gambling enterprise as well and is beginning to collect large fees for its gambling fan pages. The social network is now demanding a whopping $10k fee per month for gambling fan pages.
What’s more, Facebook has also created a spending limit for ads and the minimum price on this has been set at $30,000. These exorbitant prices and fees recently introduced by Facebook have the gambling community and blackjack players protesting.
Casino Affiliates, a forum for gamblers and blackjack players revealed that Facebook was asking for $10,000 a month for any and all fan pages related to or promoting gambling. What’s more, the forum also explained that Facebook, a firm established on the stock-exchange had indeed set a $30,000 limit for gambling ads.
As of now, Facebook is making a large amount of money out of the gambling ads such as the ones for online poker, online blackjack and other online casino games. The firm also makes money with ads related to sports betting.
Recently, Facebook has seen the profit in real money online gambling and wants as much money it can make out of the industry. Facebook has sent letters and emails to all gambling related fan pages and casino bonus pages informing them about the fee, but so far no one has paid.
Posted in Blackjack News |
Blackjack Tips For Amateur Players
November 8th, 2012 by OBO-admin
Blackjack is a game that is a good balance of skill and luck unlike poker which requires far more skill and strategy on the part of the player. Players who try their luck at blackjack should keep in mind a few simple tips when placing bets.
Blackjack players should always monitor their bets to make sure that they do not over bet or under bet as a small bet can end up growing into large proportions depending on how you play the game. Therefore it is essential to keep a close eye on your bets. Players must also realize that the game depends largely on the luck of the draw. As the cards are dealt, the entire game can change depending on what card the dealer places in front of you. Players who are not prepared to risk their bankroll bets should not play these games.
When players get a hand of two deuces, they should be careful how they play it. Ideally, players are advised to split their deuces especially if the dealer is holding any card from two up to seven. Players will then be able to use two hands which in most cases will be valued at two.
Posted in Blackjack News |
888 Casino Re-launches Blackjack Attack Promotion
November 8th, 2012 by OBO-admin
The Blackjack Attack tourney is an exciting and profitable promotion that many of the blackjack players enjoy. However, this event takes place only once a month and is featured at only a select few online casinos. Earlier the Blackjack Attack Promotion was hosted at Littlewoods Casino and at 888 Casino – unfortunately the event was discontinued by the 888 Casino.
Much to the surprise and delight of the blackjack players, 888 Casino recently announces that the event was back on. The Blackjack Attack Promo will take place as per its old schedule on the 27th of the month of October. The tourney will begin at 00:00 and continue on to 23:59 GMT. 888 Casino will be offering a total of $4250 as prize money to the top players. As per the Blackjack Attack Promo, the first 50 players on the leader board will be rewarded with cash prizes. The event will take place through the day and the top 50 players will benefit from the rewards which are reasonable in comparison to the buy-in.
888 Casino has made this offer available to all of its players, including those who do not spend too much and do not hold VIP status at the 888 Casino.
Posted in Blackjack News |