Today marks the first full day of the Casino Affiliate Programs (CAP) Euro London convention and expo. Festivities on the docket included the 2009 CAP Awards, which were handed out in ceremonies held today at a black tie ceremony at The Brewery in the historic European city. Awards spanning the online poker, casino, Bingo, and sports book industries were given out.
The CAP Awards are voted on by members of the industry and handed out to companies and individuals within it. A press release distributed by CAP on Friday explains the importance the voting process: “The democratic nature of the process is designed to ensure that the CAP Awards represent a consensus of the online gaming affiliate community as a whole and are not just the decision of the CAP administrators.” This is the second running of the CAP Awards, which are nicknamed the “Cappies,” and voting began in July.
A total of 23 awards were handed out in London. CAP Founder and President Lou Fabiano stated, “These are truly the brightest stars in the CAP community. But honestly, each of the dozens of nominated programs and individuals deserve congratulations, as does our stellar community of more than 8,000 affiliates and webmasters who not only voted for this year’s winners, but who also make the entire CAP experience possible each and every day.” Here were the winners of this year’s accolades:
Affiliate Program Awards
Best Casino Affiliate Program: EuroPartners
Best Poker Affiliate Program: Everest Affiliates
Best Bingo Affiliate Program: Jackpot Joy / MarketAce
Best Sports Book Affiliate Program: Betfair Affiliate Program
Best Skill Gaming Affiliate Program: RummyAffiliates
Best Overall Affiliate Program: Affiliate Club
Software Awards
Best iGaming Casino Software: Microgaming
Best iGaming Poker Software: PokerStars
Best iGaming Bingo Software: Playtech
Affiliate Manager Awards
Best Casino Affiliate Manager: Renee, Rewards Affiliates
Best Poker Affiliate Manager: Carly, PokerStars
Best Bingo Affiliate Manager: Pierrick, Virgin Games
Best Sports Book Affiliate Manager: Roman, Intertops
Best Skill Gaming Affiliate Manager: Shay Shevach, RummyAffiliates
Best Overall Affiliate Manager: Cobus, Referback
Affiliate Awards
Best iGaming Affiliate Network: Income Access
Best Payment System for Affiliates: Neteller
Best Casino Affiliate: Simmo
Best Poker Affiliate: RakeTheRake.com
Best Bingo Affiliate: BingoPort.co.uk
Best Sports Book Affiliate: Bet Brain
Best Skill Gaming Affiliate: Dominique
Best Overall Affiliate: Bet Brain
The awards were announced by Michael Caselli and Warren Jolly. The proceedings began with comedian Tony Law entertaining the crowd on hand at The Brewery. Earlier in the day, Fabiano gave a welcome speech and panel discussions focused on search engine optimization and how to use videos to drive website traffic. Sharon Baylay, Former General Manager for Microsoft Online Services Group U.K., gave the event’s keynote. Baylay spoke on the importance of social networking sites. The keynote was originally scheduled to be delivered by First Tuesday AG Co-Founder Susan Kish, who was forced to back out after sustaining injuries in a skiing accident.
Saturday’s seminars include how to make money in financial markets, tips for designing effective landing pages, and how to develop successful e-mail marketing campaigns. The Affiliate Series of Poker, or ASOP as it’s commonly known, will also be a part of the weekend’s schedule. Sunday’s activities include tours throughout the city of London. Sponsors of the event include Party Partners, Partner Logic, Ladbrokes, BetUS, Chipleader, Everest Poker, Affiliate Club, and OnlineGambling.com. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Saturday, January 31, 2009
Party Gaming to Announce 2008 4Q KPIs on February 6th, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 30th January 2009
Next Friday, the world’s largest online gaming company that is traded on a national stock exchange, Party Gaming PLC, will announce its fourth quarter 2008 earnings and key performance indicators. The organization is the parent company of popular online poker room PartyPoker.
Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Party Gaming, and Group Finance Director Martin Weigold will be leading the discussion of the company’s performance over the last quarter of 2008 at 9:30am London time for shareholders and industry analysts to participate in. A quick review of the last six months reveals that the conference call should show that Party Gaming has weathered the recent market fluctuations well and is ready to move towards an improved 2009.
At the start of the third quarter on June 2nd, 2008, PartyGaming was trading at 300p on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol PRTY. This was prior to the worldwide economic downturn that struck virtually every stock market, currency, and company around the globe. At one point during the economic upheaval, Party Gaming’s stock fell as far as 95p, but it has since been able to rebound to 194.75p at the end of 2008 and finished trading on Friday at 173.25p.
2008 marked a period of significant change both with Party Gaming’s stock as well as its corporate makeup. June saw the departure of former CEO Mitch Garber over differences with the company’s Board of Directors. Ryan stepped in as CEO at that point and assumed an aggressive three year campaign to move Party Gaming back to the forefront of the online gaming and poker markets that it used to own.
After the tumultuous market stretch of the late fall and early winter, one of the Co-Founders of Party Gaming, Anurag Dikshit, entered into a plea bargain with the United States Department of Justice for his participation in online gaming. He admitted to violating of the Wire Act of 1961 and agreed to pay a fine of $300 million. He also still faces the possibility of two years in jail for his plea; Dikshit, however, is assisting the government in further investigations into online gaming and has had his potential sentencing delayed until late next year. Meanwhile, Party Gaming continues negotiations with the government over the same issue.
Earlier this month, Party Gaming announced that the longtime Managing Director of the organization, John O’Malia, would step down from his post in order to enter into other business interests. O’Malia had been with Party Gaming since 2006, when the company he had served as CEO of, Gamebookers, was acquired by Party Gaming. He stayed with Party Gaming through the integration of Gamebookers into the company and was named to the Board of Directors and Managing Director last year. After O’Malia’s departure at the end of February, Ryan will step in to take over his position with Party Gaming (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Party Gaming, and Group Finance Director Martin Weigold will be leading the discussion of the company’s performance over the last quarter of 2008 at 9:30am London time for shareholders and industry analysts to participate in. A quick review of the last six months reveals that the conference call should show that Party Gaming has weathered the recent market fluctuations well and is ready to move towards an improved 2009.
At the start of the third quarter on June 2nd, 2008, PartyGaming was trading at 300p on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol PRTY. This was prior to the worldwide economic downturn that struck virtually every stock market, currency, and company around the globe. At one point during the economic upheaval, Party Gaming’s stock fell as far as 95p, but it has since been able to rebound to 194.75p at the end of 2008 and finished trading on Friday at 173.25p.
2008 marked a period of significant change both with Party Gaming’s stock as well as its corporate makeup. June saw the departure of former CEO Mitch Garber over differences with the company’s Board of Directors. Ryan stepped in as CEO at that point and assumed an aggressive three year campaign to move Party Gaming back to the forefront of the online gaming and poker markets that it used to own.
After the tumultuous market stretch of the late fall and early winter, one of the Co-Founders of Party Gaming, Anurag Dikshit, entered into a plea bargain with the United States Department of Justice for his participation in online gaming. He admitted to violating of the Wire Act of 1961 and agreed to pay a fine of $300 million. He also still faces the possibility of two years in jail for his plea; Dikshit, however, is assisting the government in further investigations into online gaming and has had his potential sentencing delayed until late next year. Meanwhile, Party Gaming continues negotiations with the government over the same issue.
Earlier this month, Party Gaming announced that the longtime Managing Director of the organization, John O’Malia, would step down from his post in order to enter into other business interests. O’Malia had been with Party Gaming since 2006, when the company he had served as CEO of, Gamebookers, was acquired by Party Gaming. He stayed with Party Gaming through the integration of Gamebookers into the company and was named to the Board of Directors and Managing Director last year. After O’Malia’s departure at the end of February, Ryan will step in to take over his position with Party Gaming (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Virgin Casino Launch new popular slot game, MegaJackpots® Cleopatra®
Press Release Summary: London, 27 January 2009 - Virgin Casino today announces the launch of the new MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® multi-coin slot game – offering players the chance to win riches of over 1.5 million! If you’re a fan of the popular premium slot game, Cleopatra® then MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® will be right on the money with its popular 5-reel math model, 20 payline configuration, free spins bonus and a life-changing jackpot!
Players must line up 5 MegaJackpots®symbols on the centre payline with a maximum bet in order to scoop the MegaJackpots®fortune. When three or more Sphinx appear anywhere on the reels, the Cleopatra® Bonus is triggered, earning the player 15 free spins. And that’s not all, with the exception of the 5 MegaJackpots® symbols, all free spin awards are paid at 3 times the normal value and with maximum bet, each free spin is also another chance to win the jaw dropping jackpot!
On 12th November 2008, the first online MegaJackpots® winner won over 2 million. The jackpot has been re-set to the highest start level of any online jackpot prize at £1.5 million and awaits the next winner!
As with all Virgin Casino games, players can also earn V*Points – Virgin Games’ loyalty points – every time they play. Offering players the chance to redeem their points for further Virgin rewards, including Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles or cold, hard cash, V*Points can be transferred across Virgin Games portfolio of products, including Virgin Poker and Virgin Bingo.
Premium releases including ELVIS - A Little More Action®, Cleopatra II™ and Da Vinci Diamonds® have already been added to Virgin Casino’s portfolio of games in 2008. Further big titles such as Battleship and Dungeons and Dragons will be added to Virgin Games in the coming months, ensuring a constant stream of new and exciting games to keep players’ adrenalin going.
Virgin Casino launched under the Virgin Games brand in June 2004. The site was refreshed in June 2006, providing players with a greater choice of games and additional means of earning bonus points and rewards.
MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® is available to play now on www.virgingames.com/casino.
-Ends-
* MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® is a trademark of IGT in the U.S. and/or other countries, and is used with permission. U.S. and international patents pending.
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games, a subsidiary of Virgin.com Ltd, launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct entertainment offerings, giving consumers the chance to play their favourite online games the Virgin way:
• Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, provides a taste of Vegas online, with classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as popular feature slots like Elvis, Cleopatra and Vegas, Baby!
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry. The successful Virgin Poker Festivals, which take place in casinos around the UK throughout the year, now allow gamers to experience the fun of Virgin Poker offline too
• Virgin Bingo, part of the St Minver network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as regular promotions and an unrivalled loyalty scheme
Profiles
MegaJackpots® Cleopatra®
Cleopatra
MegaJackpots
Virgin Casino News
Players must line up 5 MegaJackpots®symbols on the centre payline with a maximum bet in order to scoop the MegaJackpots®fortune. When three or more Sphinx appear anywhere on the reels, the Cleopatra® Bonus is triggered, earning the player 15 free spins. And that’s not all, with the exception of the 5 MegaJackpots® symbols, all free spin awards are paid at 3 times the normal value and with maximum bet, each free spin is also another chance to win the jaw dropping jackpot!
On 12th November 2008, the first online MegaJackpots® winner won over 2 million. The jackpot has been re-set to the highest start level of any online jackpot prize at £1.5 million and awaits the next winner!
As with all Virgin Casino games, players can also earn V*Points – Virgin Games’ loyalty points – every time they play. Offering players the chance to redeem their points for further Virgin rewards, including Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles or cold, hard cash, V*Points can be transferred across Virgin Games portfolio of products, including Virgin Poker and Virgin Bingo.
Premium releases including ELVIS - A Little More Action®, Cleopatra II™ and Da Vinci Diamonds® have already been added to Virgin Casino’s portfolio of games in 2008. Further big titles such as Battleship and Dungeons and Dragons will be added to Virgin Games in the coming months, ensuring a constant stream of new and exciting games to keep players’ adrenalin going.
Virgin Casino launched under the Virgin Games brand in June 2004. The site was refreshed in June 2006, providing players with a greater choice of games and additional means of earning bonus points and rewards.
MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® is available to play now on www.virgingames.com/casino.
-Ends-
* MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® is a trademark of IGT in the U.S. and/or other countries, and is used with permission. U.S. and international patents pending.
About Virgin Games
Virgin Games, a subsidiary of Virgin.com Ltd, launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises three distinct entertainment offerings, giving consumers the chance to play their favourite online games the Virgin way:
• Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, provides a taste of Vegas online, with classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as popular feature slots like Elvis, Cleopatra and Vegas, Baby!
• Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry. The successful Virgin Poker Festivals, which take place in casinos around the UK throughout the year, now allow gamers to experience the fun of Virgin Poker offline too
• Virgin Bingo, part of the St Minver network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as regular promotions and an unrivalled loyalty scheme
Profiles
MegaJackpots® Cleopatra®
Cleopatra
MegaJackpots
Virgin Casino News
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Chef walks away with $2m - The Advertiser - 28th January 2009
When the chips were down for former Christies Beach chef Stewart Scott, 36, his mates came to a million-dollar rescue.
Stewart, who now lives at Tweed Heads, was one of five poker players left standing in the Aussie Millions Main Event at Melbourne's Crown Casino on Saturday.
So, knowing he had already won $200,000, he ducked into the complex's Versace store during a dinner break to pick up a new suit to wear during the grand finale – at the suggestion of Adelaide buddy, Flavour Frenzy gourmet dip's George Psarros.
Only problem is when Stewart went to pay, his credit card was declined. "I was pretty sure I could cover it . . . but then all my mates had to pass the hat around and use EFTPOS and credit cards," he laughs.
"They were paying the last bit with a $2 coin and a 50c piece."
But Stewart's friends needn't worry about being paid back because he is more than good for it after winning first prize in the five-day tournament – a cool $2 million.
The overnight millionaire, who beat 680 contenders including celebs Shane Warne, U.S. actor Michael Vartan and even Joe Hachem, treated his wife Anastasia to a $600 pair of Versace sunnies after his win. (Credit: Adelaide Advertiser)
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Stewart, who now lives at Tweed Heads, was one of five poker players left standing in the Aussie Millions Main Event at Melbourne's Crown Casino on Saturday.
So, knowing he had already won $200,000, he ducked into the complex's Versace store during a dinner break to pick up a new suit to wear during the grand finale – at the suggestion of Adelaide buddy, Flavour Frenzy gourmet dip's George Psarros.
Only problem is when Stewart went to pay, his credit card was declined. "I was pretty sure I could cover it . . . but then all my mates had to pass the hat around and use EFTPOS and credit cards," he laughs.
"They were paying the last bit with a $2 coin and a 50c piece."
But Stewart's friends needn't worry about being paid back because he is more than good for it after winning first prize in the five-day tournament – a cool $2 million.
The overnight millionaire, who beat 680 contenders including celebs Shane Warne, U.S. actor Michael Vartan and even Joe Hachem, treated his wife Anastasia to a $600 pair of Versace sunnies after his win. (Credit: Adelaide Advertiser)
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Elle of a wealthy bloke, by D. D. McNicoll - The Australian - 27th January 2009
Seemingly ageless Elle Macpherson is said to be dating multi-millionaire British businessman Damian Aspinall. Macpherson, 44, dressed in a black leather miniskirt and leather jacket with knee-high boots, was photographed with Aspinall leaving a performance of Complicit at London's Old Vic Theatre, leading Britain's The Sunday Mirror newspaper to claim the pair had been on a string of dates recently. Aspinall, 47, is said to be worth about pound stg. 45 million ($94 million). He is the son of casino operator and zoo owner John Aspinall, who left his son pound stg. 25 million when he died eight years ago. (Credit: The Australian)
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Gaming millionaire falls for Elle - 26th January 2009
Supermodel Elle Macpherson is believed to be dating multi-millionaire British businessman Damian Aspinall.
The Australian model, 44, dressed in a black leather mini skirt and leather jacket with knee-high boots, was photographed with Aspinall as they left a performance of Complicit at London's Old Vic Theatre.
The Sunday Mirror newspaper said the pair had been on a string of dates recently.
"They were all over each other as soon as they arrived at the theatre," an onlooker told the newspaper.
"It was like watching a pair of teenagers.
"You couldn't fail to notice them."
Aspinall, 47, is believed to be worth about STG45 million ($A95.12 million).
He is the son of casino operator and zoo owner John Aspinall, who left his son STG25 million ($A52.84 million) when he died eight years ago.
Damian added to his fortune during the 1980s property boom and now runs gaming clubs.
He has two daughters from his first marriage to Louise Sebag-Montefiore. He also fathered another daughter with British TV presenter Donna Air during their six-year romance.
Macpherson has two sons from her previous relationship with Swiss financier Arpad "Arkie" Busson.
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The Australian model, 44, dressed in a black leather mini skirt and leather jacket with knee-high boots, was photographed with Aspinall as they left a performance of Complicit at London's Old Vic Theatre.
The Sunday Mirror newspaper said the pair had been on a string of dates recently.
"They were all over each other as soon as they arrived at the theatre," an onlooker told the newspaper.
"It was like watching a pair of teenagers.
"You couldn't fail to notice them."
Aspinall, 47, is believed to be worth about STG45 million ($A95.12 million).
He is the son of casino operator and zoo owner John Aspinall, who left his son STG25 million ($A52.84 million) when he died eight years ago.
Damian added to his fortune during the 1980s property boom and now runs gaming clubs.
He has two daughters from his first marriage to Louise Sebag-Montefiore. He also fathered another daughter with British TV presenter Donna Air during their six-year romance.
Macpherson has two sons from her previous relationship with Swiss financier Arpad "Arkie" Busson.
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Inside Poker Business Magazine Launching this Month, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 24th January 2009
According to an article that recently appeared on the UK-based Guardian website, Dennis Publishing will launch “what it claims to be the first ever business-to-business poker magazine.” The new publication is set to debut later this month and will be found under the title Inside Poker Business.
The quarterly magazine will be overseen by Alun Bowden, who also serves as an editor for Inside Poker, a position he has held for the last three years. The new magazine, according to the Guardian, will be completely free “to industry figures internationally.” Featured heavily in the magazine´s first issue will be Jim Ryan, Party Gaming´s CEO. The company, which is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY,” just saw its Managing Director, John O´Malia, announce that he will step down at the end of next month. In December, one of Party Gaming´s co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in the United States. Dikshit will hand over a total of $300 million to U.S. authorities and risks two years in prison.
Ryan recently gave an interview to the Financial Times, saying that Party Gaming´s competitive advantage came from the fact that its fleet of sites - PartyPoker, PartyCasino, PartyGammon, PartyBets, PartyMobile, and PartyBingo, - represented a one stop shop for online gaming customers: “One deposit, one account – it’s a one stop shop. That is still the main strategic objective for a number of our competitors and we have it already.”
Dennis Publishing will look to bring its extensive experience in the print magazine industry to the world of poker. The company serves as the publishing arm of Men´s Fitness and Maxim magazines. Some of the top poker magazine titles that currently focus on the consumer include CardPlayer and Atlanta-based Bluff Magazine. Both have representatives traveling to the world´s largest live poker tournaments for coverage. Bluff serves as the media partner of the World Series of Poker and just instilled its Player of the Year honors for 2008 on John “The Razor” Phan. Coming in second on that leader board was Michael Binger, who had 2008 earnings of $1.1 million. Also appearing on the list were David “The Dragon” Pham (third), 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier (fourth), and Men “The Master” Nguyen, who led the way among the top 10 players with 25 qualifying cashes.
The December issue of Inside Poker Magazine included interviews with Irish poker pro Neil Channing as well as David Ulliott, the namesake of Devilfish Poker. We´ll have more details on the launch of Inside Poker Business Magazine as they become available right here on Poker News Daily. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The quarterly magazine will be overseen by Alun Bowden, who also serves as an editor for Inside Poker, a position he has held for the last three years. The new magazine, according to the Guardian, will be completely free “to industry figures internationally.” Featured heavily in the magazine´s first issue will be Jim Ryan, Party Gaming´s CEO. The company, which is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY,” just saw its Managing Director, John O´Malia, announce that he will step down at the end of next month. In December, one of Party Gaming´s co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in the United States. Dikshit will hand over a total of $300 million to U.S. authorities and risks two years in prison.
Ryan recently gave an interview to the Financial Times, saying that Party Gaming´s competitive advantage came from the fact that its fleet of sites - PartyPoker, PartyCasino, PartyGammon, PartyBets, PartyMobile, and PartyBingo, - represented a one stop shop for online gaming customers: “One deposit, one account – it’s a one stop shop. That is still the main strategic objective for a number of our competitors and we have it already.”
Dennis Publishing will look to bring its extensive experience in the print magazine industry to the world of poker. The company serves as the publishing arm of Men´s Fitness and Maxim magazines. Some of the top poker magazine titles that currently focus on the consumer include CardPlayer and Atlanta-based Bluff Magazine. Both have representatives traveling to the world´s largest live poker tournaments for coverage. Bluff serves as the media partner of the World Series of Poker and just instilled its Player of the Year honors for 2008 on John “The Razor” Phan. Coming in second on that leader board was Michael Binger, who had 2008 earnings of $1.1 million. Also appearing on the list were David “The Dragon” Pham (third), 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier (fourth), and Men “The Master” Nguyen, who led the way among the top 10 players with 25 qualifying cashes.
The December issue of Inside Poker Magazine included interviews with Irish poker pro Neil Channing as well as David Ulliott, the namesake of Devilfish Poker. We´ll have more details on the launch of Inside Poker Business Magazine as they become available right here on Poker News Daily. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
Aussie Millions title stays at home - NineMSN
Jan 25: The biggest poker prize in the Southern Hemisphere will stay on Australian soil, after New South Welshman Stewart Scott won the Aussie Millions Main Event at Melbourne’s Crown Casino on Saturday night.
Scott, 36, outlasted 680 rivals, including poker greats like Scotty Nguyen and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, and sporting greats like Shane Warne and Mark Philippoussis, to win the title.
At the start of the tournament, Joe Hachem had called on his countrymen to pick up their game. “I think it’s about time an Aussie took home the title,” he said. “Get your acts together.”
Scott certainly took up the challenge. After lurking in the middle of the pack for the first three days of the tournament, he pushed to the lead on Day Four, and went to the final table with a stack of 4,520,000; almost double his nearest opponent.
The play at the final table lasted a gruelling 12 hours. Scott picked off the last of his opponents, American Peter Rho, when Rho went all-in with an Ace and a Jack. Scott called with pocket aces, the strongest starting hand in Hold’em, and held the lead when he finished with a full house, Aces over nines. (Credit: NineMSN)
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Scott, 36, outlasted 680 rivals, including poker greats like Scotty Nguyen and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, and sporting greats like Shane Warne and Mark Philippoussis, to win the title.
At the start of the tournament, Joe Hachem had called on his countrymen to pick up their game. “I think it’s about time an Aussie took home the title,” he said. “Get your acts together.”
Scott certainly took up the challenge. After lurking in the middle of the pack for the first three days of the tournament, he pushed to the lead on Day Four, and went to the final table with a stack of 4,520,000; almost double his nearest opponent.
The play at the final table lasted a gruelling 12 hours. Scott picked off the last of his opponents, American Peter Rho, when Rho went all-in with an Ace and a Jack. Scott called with pocket aces, the strongest starting hand in Hold’em, and held the lead when he finished with a full house, Aces over nines. (Credit: NineMSN)
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MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® coming soon to Virgin Casino
London, 22nd January 2009
MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® coming soon to Virgin Casino
Cleopatra®, Virgin Casino's most popular game, now offers a chance for MegaJackpots® riches that would make even a Pharaoh blush.
Line up 5 MegaJackpots symbols on the centre payline with max bet, and you win a life-changing MegaJackpots® fortune!
Three or more Sphinx appearing anywhere on the reels trigger the Cleopatra® Bonus, earning you 15 free spins at 3 times their normal value (except for the top award)! And with max bet, each free spin is also another free chance to win the Jackpot!
The world's most popular jackpots married to the most popular slot game ever - now, here is a gaming experience fit for a King, or a Queen, or for anyone who wants to be richer than royalty.
Game specifications
• 3x5 Multi-Line/Multi-Coin Slot Game
• 20-Line
• 5-Credits Per Line
• 100-Credit Max Bet
• 2x Wild MegaJackpots Symbol (except 5 MegaJackpots symbols)
• Players Can Win the Jackpot from a Free Spin
Free Spins Bonus
• Three or more Sphinx symbols scattered anywhere on the reels triggers the Cleopatra® Bonus
• Player is awarded 15 free spins
• Awards are paid at 3x for all free spins (except for 5 MegaJackpots symbols)
• Three or more Sphinx symbols during the free spins retrigger the bonus and award the player an additional 15 free spins
• Maximum of 180 free spins can be awarded
• For max bet play, the Jackpot can be awarded within a free spin
Top Award
• Five MegaJackpots symbols on the centre payline at max bet win a life-changing Jackpot of over £1.5 million.
Coin denominations
• GBP: 2p / 5p / 10p / 20p / 50p / £1 / £5
• EURO: 2c / 5c / 10c / 20c / 50c / €1 / €5
• USD: 2¢ / 5¢ / 10¢ / 20¢ / 50¢ / $1 / $5
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MegaJackpots® Cleopatra® coming soon to Virgin Casino
Cleopatra®, Virgin Casino's most popular game, now offers a chance for MegaJackpots® riches that would make even a Pharaoh blush.
Line up 5 MegaJackpots symbols on the centre payline with max bet, and you win a life-changing MegaJackpots® fortune!
Three or more Sphinx appearing anywhere on the reels trigger the Cleopatra® Bonus, earning you 15 free spins at 3 times their normal value (except for the top award)! And with max bet, each free spin is also another free chance to win the Jackpot!
The world's most popular jackpots married to the most popular slot game ever - now, here is a gaming experience fit for a King, or a Queen, or for anyone who wants to be richer than royalty.
Game specifications
• 3x5 Multi-Line/Multi-Coin Slot Game
• 20-Line
• 5-Credits Per Line
• 100-Credit Max Bet
• 2x Wild MegaJackpots Symbol (except 5 MegaJackpots symbols)
• Players Can Win the Jackpot from a Free Spin
Free Spins Bonus
• Three or more Sphinx symbols scattered anywhere on the reels triggers the Cleopatra® Bonus
• Player is awarded 15 free spins
• Awards are paid at 3x for all free spins (except for 5 MegaJackpots symbols)
• Three or more Sphinx symbols during the free spins retrigger the bonus and award the player an additional 15 free spins
• Maximum of 180 free spins can be awarded
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PartyGaming dealt blow as MD quits, by Roger Blitz - Financial Times - 19th January 2009
PartyGaming has suffered the loss of one of its key driving forces as John O’Malia, who missed out on the chief executive’s job last year, quit the online gaming company after only eight months as managing director.
The company said he would be stepping down at the end of next month to pursue other business interests.
Mr O’Malia’s departure comes at an important time for the company as it seeks to rebuild its once imperious position in the sector.
A settlement with the US department of justice, which would clear its liabilities in the US, is understood to be imminent, paving the way for possible deals.
Mr O’Malia, 39, joined PartyGaming in 2006 when it bought GameBookers, a sports betting operator, where he was chief executive.
He is widely credited with creating a casino product, for reforming the company’s flagship poker website and for providing the company with much of its intellectual firepower.
But when the chief executive position fell vacant last year following the resignation of Mitch Garber, Mr O’Malia was pipped to the job by Jim Ryan, a Canadian accountant who made his name in the high technology industry.
Industry experts said they believed Mr O’Malia was upset at not getting the top job and that the newly created job of managing director, as well as a board position, was insufficient to keep him at PartyGaming in the long term.
One expert said with the new poker site up and running since the autumn, this was one of the earliest opportunities for him to leave the company.
Mr O’Malia said: “We have made enormous strides in repositioning the group’s gaming portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on ... I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges.”
Mr Ryan, who will assume Mr O’Malia’s duties, said he had made a significant contribution to the transformation of PartyGaming in the past two and a half years.
The company was forced to rethink its strategy after a US clampdown on online gaming in 2006 forced its exodus from the US, along with other listed gaming companies.
“John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfil his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience,” said Mr Ryan said. (Credit: The Financial Times)
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The company said he would be stepping down at the end of next month to pursue other business interests.
Mr O’Malia’s departure comes at an important time for the company as it seeks to rebuild its once imperious position in the sector.
A settlement with the US department of justice, which would clear its liabilities in the US, is understood to be imminent, paving the way for possible deals.
Mr O’Malia, 39, joined PartyGaming in 2006 when it bought GameBookers, a sports betting operator, where he was chief executive.
He is widely credited with creating a casino product, for reforming the company’s flagship poker website and for providing the company with much of its intellectual firepower.
But when the chief executive position fell vacant last year following the resignation of Mitch Garber, Mr O’Malia was pipped to the job by Jim Ryan, a Canadian accountant who made his name in the high technology industry.
Industry experts said they believed Mr O’Malia was upset at not getting the top job and that the newly created job of managing director, as well as a board position, was insufficient to keep him at PartyGaming in the long term.
One expert said with the new poker site up and running since the autumn, this was one of the earliest opportunities for him to leave the company.
Mr O’Malia said: “We have made enormous strides in repositioning the group’s gaming portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on ... I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges.”
Mr Ryan, who will assume Mr O’Malia’s duties, said he had made a significant contribution to the transformation of PartyGaming in the past two and a half years.
The company was forced to rethink its strategy after a US clampdown on online gaming in 2006 forced its exodus from the US, along with other listed gaming companies.
“John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfil his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience,” said Mr Ryan said. (Credit: The Financial Times)
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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PartyGaming Managing Director Steps Down Effective February, by Earl Burton - Poker News Daily - 19th January 2009
Continuing what has been a significant changeover in the leadership of the company, it was announced today that the managing director of PartyGaming, John O’Malia, will step down from his post effective at the end of February.
O’Malia joined PartyGaming after they acquired Gamebookers, where he was the CEO, in August 2006. He agreed to stay with PartyGaming after the Gamebookers faculties were fully integrated into the PartyGaming operations and assisted in developing the marketing of PartyGaming over the last 2 ½ years. O’Malia was moved into his position of Managing Director and joined the Board of Directors of PartyGaming last year, following the appointment of Jim Ryan as PartyGaming’s new Chief Executive Officer.
While O’Malia will be moving on into his own business interests, he reflected with pride on his time with PartyGaming. “My time at PartyGaming has been extraordinary,” he stated during the announcement of his resignation. “We have made enormous strides in repositioning PartyGaming’s portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on. I am enormously proud of the progress we have made and the fact that many of the PartyGaming’s offerings are now once again recognized as being best in class.”
“Whilst I shall certainly miss the excitement of working for the world’s leading listed online gaming company, I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges.”
Taking over the managing director responsibilities will be none other than the CEO of PartyGaming, Jim Ryan. Ryan reflected on O’Malia’s time with PartyGaming by saying, “Over the past two and a half years, John has made a significant contribution to the transformation and leadership of PartyGaming. In particular, his vision and dedication were fundamental to the successful launch of the next generation of our signature PartyPoker.com product in September 2008. John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfill his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience. While we at PartyGaming are saddened by his decision to leave us, we wish him every success for the future.”
The past year has been a period of change for one of the preeminent online gaming organizations. In June of last year, Mitch Garber stepped down as the CEO of PartyGaming over differences in the future vision of the company, at which time Ryan stepped in and mounted a significant three year plan to reestablish the company to the top of the online gaming world. The company was once again rocked in December when co-founder Anurag Dikshit pled guilty to violations of the 1961 Wire Act and was fined $300 million by the United States Department of Justice, with further potential sentencing of up to two years in prison suspended until 2010. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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O’Malia joined PartyGaming after they acquired Gamebookers, where he was the CEO, in August 2006. He agreed to stay with PartyGaming after the Gamebookers faculties were fully integrated into the PartyGaming operations and assisted in developing the marketing of PartyGaming over the last 2 ½ years. O’Malia was moved into his position of Managing Director and joined the Board of Directors of PartyGaming last year, following the appointment of Jim Ryan as PartyGaming’s new Chief Executive Officer.
While O’Malia will be moving on into his own business interests, he reflected with pride on his time with PartyGaming. “My time at PartyGaming has been extraordinary,” he stated during the announcement of his resignation. “We have made enormous strides in repositioning PartyGaming’s portfolio, something that I was determined to achieve before moving on. I am enormously proud of the progress we have made and the fact that many of the PartyGaming’s offerings are now once again recognized as being best in class.”
“Whilst I shall certainly miss the excitement of working for the world’s leading listed online gaming company, I am looking forward to taking on fresh business challenges.”
Taking over the managing director responsibilities will be none other than the CEO of PartyGaming, Jim Ryan. Ryan reflected on O’Malia’s time with PartyGaming by saying, “Over the past two and a half years, John has made a significant contribution to the transformation and leadership of PartyGaming. In particular, his vision and dedication were fundamental to the successful launch of the next generation of our signature PartyPoker.com product in September 2008. John is a natural leader and is keen to fulfill his potential in a more senior management role that will play to his considerable industry and management experience. While we at PartyGaming are saddened by his decision to leave us, we wish him every success for the future.”
The past year has been a period of change for one of the preeminent online gaming organizations. In June of last year, Mitch Garber stepped down as the CEO of PartyGaming over differences in the future vision of the company, at which time Ryan stepped in and mounted a significant three year plan to reestablish the company to the top of the online gaming world. The company was once again rocked in December when co-founder Anurag Dikshit pled guilty to violations of the 1961 Wire Act and was fined $300 million by the United States Department of Justice, with further potential sentencing of up to two years in prison suspended until 2010. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Monday, January 19, 2009
Cryptologic CEO plans to open innovation centre
15th January 2009
Press Release
LONDON — Software developer Cryptologic plans to open a centre to develop gaming technology beyond consoles and personal computers, the company told Reuters on Thursday.
“We have partners and clients interested and we're speaking to universities worldwide – it should throw up some interesting things,” Chief Executive Brian Hadfield said.
“It [will be] a place where customers, partners, universities and others can participate in defining and guiding the future of e-gaming,” he added.
Mr. Hadfield said he was keen to see what can be achieved by looking at the full extent of opportunities within mobile technology and social websites, as gaming evolves.
He was speaking after the company said its restructuring program, announced last October, is on track. Small cap Cryptologic's shares gained 19.5 per cent.
RESTRUCTURING
Cryptologic said it is on target to reduce total operating costs of approximately $13-million (U.S.) on an annualized basis by the end of second quarter 2009 The company also said the outsourcing of its poker network through strategic partnership with GTECH Corporation will be completed by the end of first quarter 2009.
“We looked at the business asked ourselves “what are we good at?” And we're good at casino games and branded games,” Mr. Hadfield said.
Its partnership with GTECH, allows its customers to gamble on Boss Media's International poker network with a wider customer base, a move which Cryptologic says reduced costs and turned its loss-making poker operation to profit.
Mr. Hadfield said he now sees a return to profitability and cash generation from the second quarter. He said organic growth will be difficult this year but the company's strategy of adding new licensee revenue will help.
In the past few months Cryptologic has added 10 new licencees including 888.com, Partygaming and most recently GTS.
Cryptologic predicts full-year cash generation post restructuring of $11-million to $13 million and net profit in the range of $9-million to $10-million.
Mr. Hadfield said he prefers to be prudent and keeps expectations realistic, given the sharp downturn in the economy in the last quarter of 2008.
“In the current climate cash is king,” he said. Cryptologic has cash of between $42-million and $43-million, but Mr. Hadfield added if there is an acquisition that “adds-value and strengthens operations” then he would look at it.
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LONDON — Software developer Cryptologic plans to open a centre to develop gaming technology beyond consoles and personal computers, the company told Reuters on Thursday.
“We have partners and clients interested and we're speaking to universities worldwide – it should throw up some interesting things,” Chief Executive Brian Hadfield said.
“It [will be] a place where customers, partners, universities and others can participate in defining and guiding the future of e-gaming,” he added.
Mr. Hadfield said he was keen to see what can be achieved by looking at the full extent of opportunities within mobile technology and social websites, as gaming evolves.
He was speaking after the company said its restructuring program, announced last October, is on track. Small cap Cryptologic's shares gained 19.5 per cent.
RESTRUCTURING
Cryptologic said it is on target to reduce total operating costs of approximately $13-million (U.S.) on an annualized basis by the end of second quarter 2009 The company also said the outsourcing of its poker network through strategic partnership with GTECH Corporation will be completed by the end of first quarter 2009.
“We looked at the business asked ourselves “what are we good at?” And we're good at casino games and branded games,” Mr. Hadfield said.
Its partnership with GTECH, allows its customers to gamble on Boss Media's International poker network with a wider customer base, a move which Cryptologic says reduced costs and turned its loss-making poker operation to profit.
Mr. Hadfield said he now sees a return to profitability and cash generation from the second quarter. He said organic growth will be difficult this year but the company's strategy of adding new licensee revenue will help.
In the past few months Cryptologic has added 10 new licencees including 888.com, Partygaming and most recently GTS.
Cryptologic predicts full-year cash generation post restructuring of $11-million to $13 million and net profit in the range of $9-million to $10-million.
Mr. Hadfield said he prefers to be prudent and keeps expectations realistic, given the sharp downturn in the economy in the last quarter of 2008.
“In the current climate cash is king,” he said. Cryptologic has cash of between $42-million and $43-million, but Mr. Hadfield added if there is an acquisition that “adds-value and strengthens operations” then he would look at it.
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PartyPoker Introduces Monthly $1 Million Guaranteed, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 17th January 2009
Beginning on Sunday, February 1st, PartyPoker will host a $640 buy-in $1 Million Guaranteed tournament once per month. Aptly called the Monthly Million, it will take place at 17:45 GMT on the first Sunday of every month. Qualifiers start as low as $1 and are running constantly on one of the largest online poker rooms that does not accept U.S. players.
A PartyPoker spokesperson explained in a press release distributed on Friday, “With $1,000,000 up for grabs in the Monthly Million, the first Sunday of every month is definitely not a day of rest at PartyPoker.com.” The tournament utilizes a Championship blind structure. For $1, players can enter rebuys that feed into either a $70 Monthly Million Qualifier with 18 seats guaranteed or a $35 Super Satellite Saturday with 25 seats guaranteed. Alternately, on Fridays, PartyPoker players can take advantage of a $55 buy-in tournament that doles out at least 30 seats into the Monthly Million. Country specific freerolls and points qualifiers are additional ways to enter, so check out the online poker room’s tournament lobby for more information.
Currently, PartyPoker’s premier tournament is the $300,000 Guaranteed, which takes place every Sunday at 17:45 GMT. The buy-in for the event is $215 and it will likely be replaced by the Monthly Million on the first Sunday of each month. Last week’s $300,000 Guaranteed was taken down by Rev_Hwy61, who bested a field of 1,451 entrants en route to a $60,000 first place payday. The turnout meant that the event had a $9,800 overlay, which occurs when the guaranteed prize pool of a tournament exceeds its actual prize pool. Finishing as the runner up was HOTEL_, who pocketed $30,000. Others who landed atop the field included paskwal (third place for $20,700), DoiNW8BeTs (fourth place for $16,350), Merseylad (fifth place for $13,800), Sonygolf (sixth place for $10,350), og1512 (seventh place for $7,950), RAGEUNIT22 (eighth place for $5,250), Poortwacht3r (ninth place for $4,050), and BrngMrRssns (tenth place for $2,850).
PartyPoker recently launched the Palladium Lounge for members who generate more than 5,000 points in a calendar month. Perks include 24 hour customer service, exclusive promotions, and additional deposit methods. Palladium Lounge Elite is available for players who accrue 75,000 points per quarter and 300,000 points per year. Benefits of Elite status include “snowboarding trips and adventure getaways” as well as the chance to “represent PartyPoker.com in televised events.”
Its parent company, Party Gaming, is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY.” In December, one of its co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in a New York court room. He agreed to shell out $300 million to the U.S. Government in three installments. Dikshit may also face up to two years in jail, although a sentencing hearing is not scheduled until December of next year. In the process, Dikshit sent shares of Party Gaming climbing, as his actions may serve to clear the air legally of any wrongdoing by the company in the eyes of the U.S. Government. Party Gaming was one of several publicly traded companies to withdraw from the U.S. market following the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, PartyPoker ranks as the fourth busiest worldwide by the number of cash game players, boasting a seven day running average of 4,500. It trails only PokerStars (23,200), Full Tilt Poker (9,900), and the iPoker Network (5,700) in that department. The iPoker Network, which like PartyPoker does not accept U.S. customers, is owned by Playtech.
Recently, PartyPoker added Quick Seat and table preview features to its lobby. Players also now have the ability to open similar tables to the ones they’re playing on without having to visit the lobby. Tiling and manual resizing of tables are also available. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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A PartyPoker spokesperson explained in a press release distributed on Friday, “With $1,000,000 up for grabs in the Monthly Million, the first Sunday of every month is definitely not a day of rest at PartyPoker.com.” The tournament utilizes a Championship blind structure. For $1, players can enter rebuys that feed into either a $70 Monthly Million Qualifier with 18 seats guaranteed or a $35 Super Satellite Saturday with 25 seats guaranteed. Alternately, on Fridays, PartyPoker players can take advantage of a $55 buy-in tournament that doles out at least 30 seats into the Monthly Million. Country specific freerolls and points qualifiers are additional ways to enter, so check out the online poker room’s tournament lobby for more information.
Currently, PartyPoker’s premier tournament is the $300,000 Guaranteed, which takes place every Sunday at 17:45 GMT. The buy-in for the event is $215 and it will likely be replaced by the Monthly Million on the first Sunday of each month. Last week’s $300,000 Guaranteed was taken down by Rev_Hwy61, who bested a field of 1,451 entrants en route to a $60,000 first place payday. The turnout meant that the event had a $9,800 overlay, which occurs when the guaranteed prize pool of a tournament exceeds its actual prize pool. Finishing as the runner up was HOTEL_, who pocketed $30,000. Others who landed atop the field included paskwal (third place for $20,700), DoiNW8BeTs (fourth place for $16,350), Merseylad (fifth place for $13,800), Sonygolf (sixth place for $10,350), og1512 (seventh place for $7,950), RAGEUNIT22 (eighth place for $5,250), Poortwacht3r (ninth place for $4,050), and BrngMrRssns (tenth place for $2,850).
PartyPoker recently launched the Palladium Lounge for members who generate more than 5,000 points in a calendar month. Perks include 24 hour customer service, exclusive promotions, and additional deposit methods. Palladium Lounge Elite is available for players who accrue 75,000 points per quarter and 300,000 points per year. Benefits of Elite status include “snowboarding trips and adventure getaways” as well as the chance to “represent PartyPoker.com in televised events.”
Its parent company, Party Gaming, is traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol “PRTY.” In December, one of its co-founders, Anurag Dikshit, admitted to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in a New York court room. He agreed to shell out $300 million to the U.S. Government in three installments. Dikshit may also face up to two years in jail, although a sentencing hearing is not scheduled until December of next year. In the process, Dikshit sent shares of Party Gaming climbing, as his actions may serve to clear the air legally of any wrongdoing by the company in the eyes of the U.S. Government. Party Gaming was one of several publicly traded companies to withdraw from the U.S. market following the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, PartyPoker ranks as the fourth busiest worldwide by the number of cash game players, boasting a seven day running average of 4,500. It trails only PokerStars (23,200), Full Tilt Poker (9,900), and the iPoker Network (5,700) in that department. The iPoker Network, which like PartyPoker does not accept U.S. customers, is owned by Playtech.
Recently, PartyPoker added Quick Seat and table preview features to its lobby. Players also now have the ability to open similar tables to the ones they’re playing on without having to visit the lobby. Tiling and manual resizing of tables are also available. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Friday, January 16, 2009
A tournament where you can win millions, by Alex Lavelle - The Age - 16th January 2009
Australian Open organisers raised the winner's prizemoney to $2 million last week, which they said was because of a weaker Australian dollar, but could just as easily have been so that the other big show in town this month, the Aussie Millions poker tournament, didn't boast a greater first prize.
The winner of the main event at Crown casino will also receive $2 million, and endorsements worth plenty more. No wonder Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who complained that tennis players weren't paid enough, ignored Andre Agassi's advice to take his tennis prizemoney and buy some perspective and instead bought a heap of poker chips.
Among the 800 or so players attempting to snare the $2 million next week will be Shane Warne, who incidentally receives around $500,000 just to turn up to a handful of tournaments each year, and poker legends Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem and Phil Ivey.
There will also be plenty of AFL footballers keeping an eye on proceedings.
Brendan Fevola, who made it through to day two of the main event last year, would be there again if Carlton was not heading off to Malaysia for a pre-season training camp.
Texas hold 'em has become a favourite leisure pursuit among many footballers. After a night game, plenty of players will wind down with a few hands in the poker room at Crown or online at home.
"I'll often get online with 888.com after a night game. Obviously the adrenalin's still pumping and it's a good way to wind down," said Fevola, who played in the opening event of the Aussie Millions last Friday and lasted four hours before his ace-high flush was beaten by a full house.
"I love poker. It was a good feeling playing with good players and getting some more experience and I thought I played pretty well."
Many of the Carlton players hold a regular home game, and it may be no coincidence that former World Series of Poker champion Joe Hachem is a Blues fan. "It gets pretty competitive among the boys, but it's a good way to get the players together," said Fevola.
That was a sentiment shared by Hawthorn star Luke Hodge, who also played in the opening event. There are a dozen or so Hawks who play regularly. "Playing poker is a good way to relax and unwind and socialise with the boys," he said.
Hodge, who said he felt mentally drained after playing for six hours in the tournament last Friday, rates skipper Sam Mitchell as one of the handier poker players in the team and Clinton Young as the luckiest. One thing Hodge accepts, though, is that playing a lot of poker is easier when you are single.
"I've had to cut down a little. We've got a six-month-old, Cooper, who needs a bit more attention!"
Alex Lavelle lost almost half his chips in the first hand of the opening event on a bluff. He crashed out three hours later. If he had won any prizemoney, he would have given at least half to charity. Honest. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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The winner of the main event at Crown casino will also receive $2 million, and endorsements worth plenty more. No wonder Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who complained that tennis players weren't paid enough, ignored Andre Agassi's advice to take his tennis prizemoney and buy some perspective and instead bought a heap of poker chips.
Among the 800 or so players attempting to snare the $2 million next week will be Shane Warne, who incidentally receives around $500,000 just to turn up to a handful of tournaments each year, and poker legends Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem and Phil Ivey.
There will also be plenty of AFL footballers keeping an eye on proceedings.
Brendan Fevola, who made it through to day two of the main event last year, would be there again if Carlton was not heading off to Malaysia for a pre-season training camp.
Texas hold 'em has become a favourite leisure pursuit among many footballers. After a night game, plenty of players will wind down with a few hands in the poker room at Crown or online at home.
"I'll often get online with 888.com after a night game. Obviously the adrenalin's still pumping and it's a good way to wind down," said Fevola, who played in the opening event of the Aussie Millions last Friday and lasted four hours before his ace-high flush was beaten by a full house.
"I love poker. It was a good feeling playing with good players and getting some more experience and I thought I played pretty well."
Many of the Carlton players hold a regular home game, and it may be no coincidence that former World Series of Poker champion Joe Hachem is a Blues fan. "It gets pretty competitive among the boys, but it's a good way to get the players together," said Fevola.
That was a sentiment shared by Hawthorn star Luke Hodge, who also played in the opening event. There are a dozen or so Hawks who play regularly. "Playing poker is a good way to relax and unwind and socialise with the boys," he said.
Hodge, who said he felt mentally drained after playing for six hours in the tournament last Friday, rates skipper Sam Mitchell as one of the handier poker players in the team and Clinton Young as the luckiest. One thing Hodge accepts, though, is that playing a lot of poker is easier when you are single.
"I've had to cut down a little. We've got a six-month-old, Cooper, who needs a bit more attention!"
Alex Lavelle lost almost half his chips in the first hand of the opening event on a bluff. He crashed out three hours later. If he had won any prizemoney, he would have given at least half to charity. Honest. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
Antigua's Finance Minister Headed to Washington Again (Update)
January 14, 2009 (InfoPowa News) -- Antigua's Finance Minister, Dr. Errol Cort, must be racking up the airmiles on the Caribbean government's continuing World Trade Organization dispute over online gambling with the United States. The peripatetic minister apparently flew to Washington again this week for further talks with the U.S. Trade Representative, reports the Antigua Sun.
The Minister told an Antigua Sun reporter that he would additionally be meeting with senior officials in the U.S. Justice Department in yet another last attempt to find an amicable resolution in the Internet gaming confrontation between the two nations, which so far Antigua has won convincingly in a series of Dispute Panel decisions, causing the Americans to withdraw their gambling obligations from GATT, thus incurring penalties.
The newspaper reports that Dr. Cort is still optimistic, saying: "We've been holding discussions and negotiations over many months; I believe that we've reached a point where we might be able to conclude these negotiations."
When asked what the course of action would be if an agreement was not reached, Dr. Cort opined, "If there is no resolution, then it means that the matter will go over into a new administration under the U.S. presidency of Barack Obama."
According to Cort, the discussions would then have to be restarted. "These discussions would have been held over all of these months under a Republican administration and if we go into a new {Democrat] administration it will be new players ... we will virtually need to start from scratch," the Finance Minister said.
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The Minister told an Antigua Sun reporter that he would additionally be meeting with senior officials in the U.S. Justice Department in yet another last attempt to find an amicable resolution in the Internet gaming confrontation between the two nations, which so far Antigua has won convincingly in a series of Dispute Panel decisions, causing the Americans to withdraw their gambling obligations from GATT, thus incurring penalties.
The newspaper reports that Dr. Cort is still optimistic, saying: "We've been holding discussions and negotiations over many months; I believe that we've reached a point where we might be able to conclude these negotiations."
When asked what the course of action would be if an agreement was not reached, Dr. Cort opined, "If there is no resolution, then it means that the matter will go over into a new administration under the U.S. presidency of Barack Obama."
According to Cort, the discussions would then have to be restarted. "These discussions would have been held over all of these months under a Republican administration and if we go into a new {Democrat] administration it will be new players ... we will virtually need to start from scratch," the Finance Minister said.
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Party Gaming Boss Predicts Industry Consolidation - 9th January 2009
Hard times will see only five major online poker sites on the Net, says Ryan
Party Gaming CEO Jim Ryan opines that in three year's time there will be only five major online poker sites of any consequence due to industry consolidation....and he intends to ensure that Party Poker is one of them.
Speaking to the UK newspaper The Financial Times, Ryan said: “We need to retake the hill and position ourselves to be that leader again.
“Our job, frankly speaking, is to take share back.”
But, he admitted, the increased competition in Europe may make it more expensive for his group to achieve its aims as current industry high-rollers like Poker Stars and Full Tilt up the ante when it comes to media buys and teaming up with marketing affiliates.
The FT reported that Ryan is finding it frustrating that Poker Stars and Full Tilt continue to take the risk of operating in the United States market, something Party Gaming ceased to do following the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006. This created a significant competitive disadvantage for Party Poker, but he was nevertheless preparing the online poker site for the day when it might be able to legally re-enter the US market in the event of a change in the legislative landscape and a successful "clean slate" deal with the US Department of Justice.
Online Casino News Courtesy of Infopowa.
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Party Gaming CEO Jim Ryan opines that in three year's time there will be only five major online poker sites of any consequence due to industry consolidation....and he intends to ensure that Party Poker is one of them.
Speaking to the UK newspaper The Financial Times, Ryan said: “We need to retake the hill and position ourselves to be that leader again.
“Our job, frankly speaking, is to take share back.”
But, he admitted, the increased competition in Europe may make it more expensive for his group to achieve its aims as current industry high-rollers like Poker Stars and Full Tilt up the ante when it comes to media buys and teaming up with marketing affiliates.
The FT reported that Ryan is finding it frustrating that Poker Stars and Full Tilt continue to take the risk of operating in the United States market, something Party Gaming ceased to do following the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006. This created a significant competitive disadvantage for Party Poker, but he was nevertheless preparing the online poker site for the day when it might be able to legally re-enter the US market in the event of a change in the legislative landscape and a successful "clean slate" deal with the US Department of Justice.
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Playboy Gaming to Close Online Poker Site January 29th, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 14th January 2009
According to a customer service e-mail received on Wednesday, Playboy Gaming, the parent company of Playboy Poker, will shut its doors on January 29th. The e-mail read, in part, “In response to your email, I can confirm that Playboy Gaming will no longer have a poker site and will not be moving to another network.” Poker News Daily has also confirmed the news with CryptoLogic, the network Playboy Poker belongs to.
No mention of a shut down is given on Playboy Poker’s website at the time of writing. Playboy Poker is a site on the CryptoLogic Network and has no plans to head to another group of sites. Other CryptoLogic rooms include Interpoker, Betsafe, and William Hill. The Network is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in the United States under the symbol “CRYP.” Midday on Wednesday, it was trading up $0.42 to $3.17. The stock price was buoyed by a report that it had entered into a partnership with Gaming Technology Solutions, which develops casino software. Its current clientele includes Unibet, 888, Expekt, and bwin.
In 2007, Playboy Gaming added a casino to its suite of offerings. Its Rewards Club is one of the major features that separates Playboy Poker from its competition. The site offers a variety of experiences that can be purchased with player points, including lunch with Playboy Playmates and Bunnies, a party at the Playboy Mansion in California, and a trip to the Playboy Club in Las Vegas. Playboy merchandise and poker paraphernalia are also available. The site takes its name from the popular magazine and adult film company founded by Hugh Hefner. It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “PLA.”
Sun Poker and PokerPlex recently bolted from CryptoLogic to join the iPoker Network, which is owned and operated by software developer Playtech. Littlewoods recently completed a move to 888 from CryptoLogic and Classic Poker is set to follow suit in the near future. In November, CryptoLogic announced that its online poker sites would become a part of the popular Boss Network in the beginning of 2009. However, no formal date has been given for the move. A press release distributed by William Hill stated that January of 2009 was the target date for the transition.
Poker News Daily confirmed the shutdown with a source at CryptoLogic, who stated that the reason for the closure was that the site “just didn’t do as well financially as we had hoped. The response to the Playboy brand wasn’t as great as we hoped.” The brand is well-known in the United States. However, outside of Playboy’s home country, its name takes on a different meaning. CryptoLogic officials described Playboy as a “lifestyle brand” in the U.S. The online poker room will encourage its customers to head to InterPoker and InterCasino.
On Thursday at 8:30am ET, CryptoLogic will be hosting a conference call “to update investors on the progress of its plan to return to growth and profitability in 2009,” according to a statement posted on the company’s website. In the third quarter of 2008, CryptoLogic posted a net loss of $5.9 million.
In 2006, the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States sent many online poker sites packing from the market. Sites like Playboy Gaming, therefore, lost their target audience. PartyPoker, the largest online poker room in the world at the time, also vacated the U.S. For-profit online poker rooms that continue to accept U.S. customers include PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Bodog, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker.
Playboy Gaming officials, based in London, could not be reached for comment at press time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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No mention of a shut down is given on Playboy Poker’s website at the time of writing. Playboy Poker is a site on the CryptoLogic Network and has no plans to head to another group of sites. Other CryptoLogic rooms include Interpoker, Betsafe, and William Hill. The Network is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in the United States under the symbol “CRYP.” Midday on Wednesday, it was trading up $0.42 to $3.17. The stock price was buoyed by a report that it had entered into a partnership with Gaming Technology Solutions, which develops casino software. Its current clientele includes Unibet, 888, Expekt, and bwin.
In 2007, Playboy Gaming added a casino to its suite of offerings. Its Rewards Club is one of the major features that separates Playboy Poker from its competition. The site offers a variety of experiences that can be purchased with player points, including lunch with Playboy Playmates and Bunnies, a party at the Playboy Mansion in California, and a trip to the Playboy Club in Las Vegas. Playboy merchandise and poker paraphernalia are also available. The site takes its name from the popular magazine and adult film company founded by Hugh Hefner. It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “PLA.”
Sun Poker and PokerPlex recently bolted from CryptoLogic to join the iPoker Network, which is owned and operated by software developer Playtech. Littlewoods recently completed a move to 888 from CryptoLogic and Classic Poker is set to follow suit in the near future. In November, CryptoLogic announced that its online poker sites would become a part of the popular Boss Network in the beginning of 2009. However, no formal date has been given for the move. A press release distributed by William Hill stated that January of 2009 was the target date for the transition.
Poker News Daily confirmed the shutdown with a source at CryptoLogic, who stated that the reason for the closure was that the site “just didn’t do as well financially as we had hoped. The response to the Playboy brand wasn’t as great as we hoped.” The brand is well-known in the United States. However, outside of Playboy’s home country, its name takes on a different meaning. CryptoLogic officials described Playboy as a “lifestyle brand” in the U.S. The online poker room will encourage its customers to head to InterPoker and InterCasino.
On Thursday at 8:30am ET, CryptoLogic will be hosting a conference call “to update investors on the progress of its plan to return to growth and profitability in 2009,” according to a statement posted on the company’s website. In the third quarter of 2008, CryptoLogic posted a net loss of $5.9 million.
In 2006, the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States sent many online poker sites packing from the market. Sites like Playboy Gaming, therefore, lost their target audience. PartyPoker, the largest online poker room in the world at the time, also vacated the U.S. For-profit online poker rooms that continue to accept U.S. customers include PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Bodog, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker.
Playboy Gaming officials, based in London, could not be reached for comment at press time. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Drop out's a poker ace at just 20, with millions in the bank, by Michael Lallo - The Sydney Morning Herald - 14th January 2009
Among a group of men huddled around a poker table in Crown Casino sits a 20-year-old Norwegian woman named Annette Obrestad.
She is short, confident and stylish; her hot-pink leggings and shiny black boots stand in stark contrast to the T-shirts and beer bellies of her competitors.
And if things go her way during the month-long Aussie Millions Championship, she will leave our shores a couple of million dollars richer.
Obrestad is a poker phenomenon: a high-school drop-out and under-age gambler who has become a record-breaking champion.
"I realised I was talented after I started winning more through poker than my mum was earning in her job," she says during a short break from play. "I've made lots of money. I'm not going to say how much, but it's quite a bit."
According to some reports, she has won at least $US3.3 million, including $US2 million in the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOP) tournament and $US500,000 from various Pokerstars online tournaments.
Obrestad got her start after seeing an advertisement for an online poker website.
"It sounded like fun, so I played a few games and did pretty well," she says. "I was only 15 at the time, so I guess what I did was technically illegal. But I never deposited the money, so I don't feel like I did anything wrong."
At 18, Obrestad became the youngest ever winner of the WSOP Europe tournament, and her $US2 million prize is the biggest single-event payout to a female player. She has since won several other live and online tournaments. Not bad considering she can't even compete in WSOP events in the United States until she turns 21.
"I dropped out of high school when I was 17," she says. "I just didn't see the point of getting a degree. All it would have done is stopped me from doing what I really want to do for another three years."
Not surprisingly, nearly all her competitors are men.
"You're lucky if one in 10 players are girls. The women I've played are much older. They only come to the casino because their husbands drag them along. And to be honest, most of them suck."
Obrestad says she prefers playing online, even though she cannot gauge her competitors' physical reactions.
"I find it easier because I first played online," she says. "You notice other players doing the same things with certain hands. And a lot of them have taught themselves on poker training websites. Often, they all end up using the same tactics, so it's not that hard to beat them."
Given Obrestad scored her first payout of $US9 in a tournament with no entry fee, she claims she has never gambled any cash she hadn't previously won.
"I'm pretty good with money," she said. "I obviously have to risk what I've earned to win more, but I've never lost more than I've won. My only big purchase is the house that I bought for my mum. Apart from that, I got some new clothes and invested the rest."
Obrestad's tournament entry fees are paid by her sponsor, an online betting agency, and she allegedly pays her own travel and accommodation costs. But anti-gambling campaigners warn against others being tempted to emulate her good fortune.
"Most people gamble in the belief they will make a quick buck," says Mark Zirnsak, chair of the Interchurch Gambling Task Force. "But that's a false belief. The odds are always stacked against you."
Zirnsak says anyone who gambles should set a limit and stick to it, gamble only what they can afford to lose, leave their bank cards at home, and always attend gambling venues with a friend. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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She is short, confident and stylish; her hot-pink leggings and shiny black boots stand in stark contrast to the T-shirts and beer bellies of her competitors.
And if things go her way during the month-long Aussie Millions Championship, she will leave our shores a couple of million dollars richer.
Obrestad is a poker phenomenon: a high-school drop-out and under-age gambler who has become a record-breaking champion.
"I realised I was talented after I started winning more through poker than my mum was earning in her job," she says during a short break from play. "I've made lots of money. I'm not going to say how much, but it's quite a bit."
According to some reports, she has won at least $US3.3 million, including $US2 million in the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOP) tournament and $US500,000 from various Pokerstars online tournaments.
Obrestad got her start after seeing an advertisement for an online poker website.
"It sounded like fun, so I played a few games and did pretty well," she says. "I was only 15 at the time, so I guess what I did was technically illegal. But I never deposited the money, so I don't feel like I did anything wrong."
At 18, Obrestad became the youngest ever winner of the WSOP Europe tournament, and her $US2 million prize is the biggest single-event payout to a female player. She has since won several other live and online tournaments. Not bad considering she can't even compete in WSOP events in the United States until she turns 21.
"I dropped out of high school when I was 17," she says. "I just didn't see the point of getting a degree. All it would have done is stopped me from doing what I really want to do for another three years."
Not surprisingly, nearly all her competitors are men.
"You're lucky if one in 10 players are girls. The women I've played are much older. They only come to the casino because their husbands drag them along. And to be honest, most of them suck."
Obrestad says she prefers playing online, even though she cannot gauge her competitors' physical reactions.
"I find it easier because I first played online," she says. "You notice other players doing the same things with certain hands. And a lot of them have taught themselves on poker training websites. Often, they all end up using the same tactics, so it's not that hard to beat them."
Given Obrestad scored her first payout of $US9 in a tournament with no entry fee, she claims she has never gambled any cash she hadn't previously won.
"I'm pretty good with money," she said. "I obviously have to risk what I've earned to win more, but I've never lost more than I've won. My only big purchase is the house that I bought for my mum. Apart from that, I got some new clothes and invested the rest."
Obrestad's tournament entry fees are paid by her sponsor, an online betting agency, and she allegedly pays her own travel and accommodation costs. But anti-gambling campaigners warn against others being tempted to emulate her good fortune.
"Most people gamble in the belief they will make a quick buck," says Mark Zirnsak, chair of the Interchurch Gambling Task Force. "But that's a false belief. The odds are always stacked against you."
Zirnsak says anyone who gambles should set a limit and stick to it, gamble only what they can afford to lose, leave their bank cards at home, and always attend gambling venues with a friend. (Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)
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Taiwan Legalizes Casino Gambling, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 12th January 2009
The outlying islands of Taiwan will now be open to legal land-based gambling, according to Bloomberg. However, its mainland will remain inaccessible to companies such as MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Previously, gambling anywhere in Taiwan was not permitted.
Bloomberg notes the number of casinos that will be permitted is undetermined. Taiwanese Nationalist Party spokesperson Justin Chou told the news outlet, “Because Taiwan’s economy is now falling, the belief is that these resort projects can help spur the economy.” Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily that Asia remains a viable location for new gambling enterprises: “It’s one of the reasons why Las Vegas has done so well. The city is a magnet for high-stakes gamblers from the Far East. That’s part of the reason that Macau took off. Its success has had a cascade effect around the Far East.”
Macau plays host to a variety of high-profile tournaments held as part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and Asian Poker Tour (APT). The latter tournament series invited U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to its most recent Macau event; Phelps was in nearby Beijing winning a record eight gold medals, but did not turn out for the APT festivities. The Venetian Macau, according to a 2007 USA Today article, is the largest building by area in all of Asia, coming in at 10.5 million square feet. In addition, the casino boasts 3,000 hotel rooms.
With gambling revenues in Nevada dropping nearly 15% in November of 2008 in comparison to the same time period in 2007, the industry has been hit hard by the sagging economy. Nevertheless, Taiwan will look to compete with Macau and Singapore to bring much-needed revenue to its economy. Brennan explained that the usual process of integrating casinos into a country is to permit it in outlying areas first. Macau, for example, is accessible by helicopter or ferry from the more populous Hong Kong. Many states in the U.S. only allow gambling if it the casino is located over water. Extensive land-based casino markets have cropped up only in Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi.
The Central News Agency added that residents of the outlying islands must first approve the measure in order for it to be enacted; over 50% of voters must give their endorsement. The casino gambling law also calls for the establishment of an “outlying island development fund” of nearly $1 billion. No timeline for when a vote would take place was given nor was any indication of when the newly-approved casinos may begin to spring up.
The Las Vegas Sands Corporation is looking forward to the opening of its Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The 2,600 room hotel features a “Sky Park” that stretches across the roofs of its three towers. The $2.7 billion property is set to welcome gamblers later this year. Analyst Lawrence Klatzkin told the Associated Press, “We expect the fourth-quarter opening of Singapore will result in the opening of the most profitable casino in the world.” The Marina Bay will also feature an indoor canal and ice skating rink, as well as the ArtScience Museum.
Bloomberg expects an investigation into the possibility of legalized gambling on Taiwan’s mainland “only after two or three years of successful operation on the outlying islands.” Despite the news coming out of Asia, shares of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LVS,” were down $0.90, or 12.88%, by midday Monday. Shares of MGM Mirage, also found on the NYSE, were down $0.86 to $12.53, a fall of 6.42% on the day. Finally, shares of Trump Entertainment, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “TRMP,” were at $0.27, up 3.65% on the day. Over the last 52 weeks, TRMP had traded as high as $4.80.
Edward Sabat took down the most recent APPT Macau Main Event for USD $453,000. The PokerStars sponsored tournament played out at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino, drawing 538 players. The 2008 Macau stop on the Asian Poker Tour was won by Yevgeniy Timoshenko, known as “atimos” in the online poker world. Timoshenko grabbed USD $500,000 for his efforts. That tournament series is run by AsianLogic. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Bloomberg notes the number of casinos that will be permitted is undetermined. Taiwanese Nationalist Party spokesperson Justin Chou told the news outlet, “Because Taiwan’s economy is now falling, the belief is that these resort projects can help spur the economy.” Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily that Asia remains a viable location for new gambling enterprises: “It’s one of the reasons why Las Vegas has done so well. The city is a magnet for high-stakes gamblers from the Far East. That’s part of the reason that Macau took off. Its success has had a cascade effect around the Far East.”
Macau plays host to a variety of high-profile tournaments held as part of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and Asian Poker Tour (APT). The latter tournament series invited U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to its most recent Macau event; Phelps was in nearby Beijing winning a record eight gold medals, but did not turn out for the APT festivities. The Venetian Macau, according to a 2007 USA Today article, is the largest building by area in all of Asia, coming in at 10.5 million square feet. In addition, the casino boasts 3,000 hotel rooms.
With gambling revenues in Nevada dropping nearly 15% in November of 2008 in comparison to the same time period in 2007, the industry has been hit hard by the sagging economy. Nevertheless, Taiwan will look to compete with Macau and Singapore to bring much-needed revenue to its economy. Brennan explained that the usual process of integrating casinos into a country is to permit it in outlying areas first. Macau, for example, is accessible by helicopter or ferry from the more populous Hong Kong. Many states in the U.S. only allow gambling if it the casino is located over water. Extensive land-based casino markets have cropped up only in Nevada, New Jersey, and Mississippi.
The Central News Agency added that residents of the outlying islands must first approve the measure in order for it to be enacted; over 50% of voters must give their endorsement. The casino gambling law also calls for the establishment of an “outlying island development fund” of nearly $1 billion. No timeline for when a vote would take place was given nor was any indication of when the newly-approved casinos may begin to spring up.
The Las Vegas Sands Corporation is looking forward to the opening of its Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The 2,600 room hotel features a “Sky Park” that stretches across the roofs of its three towers. The $2.7 billion property is set to welcome gamblers later this year. Analyst Lawrence Klatzkin told the Associated Press, “We expect the fourth-quarter opening of Singapore will result in the opening of the most profitable casino in the world.” The Marina Bay will also feature an indoor canal and ice skating rink, as well as the ArtScience Museum.
Bloomberg expects an investigation into the possibility of legalized gambling on Taiwan’s mainland “only after two or three years of successful operation on the outlying islands.” Despite the news coming out of Asia, shares of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LVS,” were down $0.90, or 12.88%, by midday Monday. Shares of MGM Mirage, also found on the NYSE, were down $0.86 to $12.53, a fall of 6.42% on the day. Finally, shares of Trump Entertainment, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “TRMP,” were at $0.27, up 3.65% on the day. Over the last 52 weeks, TRMP had traded as high as $4.80.
Edward Sabat took down the most recent APPT Macau Main Event for USD $453,000. The PokerStars sponsored tournament played out at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino, drawing 538 players. The 2008 Macau stop on the Asian Poker Tour was won by Yevgeniy Timoshenko, known as “atimos” in the online poker world. Timoshenko grabbed USD $500,000 for his efforts. That tournament series is run by AsianLogic. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Google Allows Poker Affiliates to Bid on Search Terms, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 10th January 2009
The world of Google AdWords is about to change, as the site recently announced a modification of its policy towards gambling. Affiliates of internet gambling sites can now bid on popular industry terms, such as “online poker,” according to a press release distributed Friday by Income Access. The opportunity, for the moment, is limited to the United Kingdom.
The site, which is a marketing agency for the internet gambling market, has been advising affiliates on how to bid on search terms effectively. Operators in the industry, such as the sites themselves, have been allowed to pursue pay per click (PPC) advertising since November of 2008. Now, affiliates will be able to take part as well, likely bidding up prices of popular search terms related to online poker and online casinos. Several of the world’s largest internet gambling companies, such as William Hill, Sportingbet, 888, and Party Gaming, are all traded on the London Stock Exchange. None of the four caters to the U.S. market.
Income Access’ Daniel Bakerman told Poker News Daily why affiliates are important customers to the mammoth search engine: “Google has a vested interest in making sure affiliates are successful. They are huge spenders and represent a good market for Google.” The Income Access press release notes that affiliates will not be able to bid on the sites they promote, such as the terms “PartyPoker” or “Paradise Poker.” Operators, on the other hand, are able to bid on their competition’s names.
Bakerman added that search engine traffic is an important source of revenue for affiliates not just in online poker, but also in other industries: “Affiliates make a lot of money using PPC advertising in industries such as retail. If it’s done well, it’s a way to attract targeted traffic to your site. You can get your ads displayed right in front of people who are searching for what you’re offering. Another benefit is that you get an instantaneous result for the money you put in.” For example, rather than increasing a site’s ranking in Google organically, which can take months of publishing relevant unique content, AdWords allows sites to be pushed to the top of search returns quickly.
Sponsored links for the search term “poker book” include links to eBay and Amazon as well as a host of private sites. These links appear to the right of the traditional list of search returns. In some cases, Google returns shopping links at the top as well. Income Access, meanwhile, has created a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) branch to help affiliates wade through the sometimes confusing world of AdWords. Bakerman explained, “Income Access also built in a lot of tools for affiliates they can use in conjunction with PPC advertising that will let them calculate their return on investment. We provide tools that operators can use to track players and show reports.”
Google gives advertisers access to click stats and conversion rates. However, because affiliates must use third party online poker sites in order to validate that a player is properly tracked, conversion rates are sometimes difficult to quantify. Income Access, in several cases, also created the software operators use to track affiliate revenue. For example, the company works with Canbet, Ladbrokes, and Unibet in the poker vertical. It also has relationships with Paradise Poker, Sportingbet, Victor Chandler, and Purple Lounge.
According to The Telegraph, in order for an operator to be able to advertise with Google, it must be registered with the Gambling Commission or the European Economic Area “provided they are registered with their national regulator.” The advertisements will not appear in search engine filters that regularly block out inappropriate content. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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The site, which is a marketing agency for the internet gambling market, has been advising affiliates on how to bid on search terms effectively. Operators in the industry, such as the sites themselves, have been allowed to pursue pay per click (PPC) advertising since November of 2008. Now, affiliates will be able to take part as well, likely bidding up prices of popular search terms related to online poker and online casinos. Several of the world’s largest internet gambling companies, such as William Hill, Sportingbet, 888, and Party Gaming, are all traded on the London Stock Exchange. None of the four caters to the U.S. market.
Income Access’ Daniel Bakerman told Poker News Daily why affiliates are important customers to the mammoth search engine: “Google has a vested interest in making sure affiliates are successful. They are huge spenders and represent a good market for Google.” The Income Access press release notes that affiliates will not be able to bid on the sites they promote, such as the terms “PartyPoker” or “Paradise Poker.” Operators, on the other hand, are able to bid on their competition’s names.
Bakerman added that search engine traffic is an important source of revenue for affiliates not just in online poker, but also in other industries: “Affiliates make a lot of money using PPC advertising in industries such as retail. If it’s done well, it’s a way to attract targeted traffic to your site. You can get your ads displayed right in front of people who are searching for what you’re offering. Another benefit is that you get an instantaneous result for the money you put in.” For example, rather than increasing a site’s ranking in Google organically, which can take months of publishing relevant unique content, AdWords allows sites to be pushed to the top of search returns quickly.
Sponsored links for the search term “poker book” include links to eBay and Amazon as well as a host of private sites. These links appear to the right of the traditional list of search returns. In some cases, Google returns shopping links at the top as well. Income Access, meanwhile, has created a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) branch to help affiliates wade through the sometimes confusing world of AdWords. Bakerman explained, “Income Access also built in a lot of tools for affiliates they can use in conjunction with PPC advertising that will let them calculate their return on investment. We provide tools that operators can use to track players and show reports.”
Google gives advertisers access to click stats and conversion rates. However, because affiliates must use third party online poker sites in order to validate that a player is properly tracked, conversion rates are sometimes difficult to quantify. Income Access, in several cases, also created the software operators use to track affiliate revenue. For example, the company works with Canbet, Ladbrokes, and Unibet in the poker vertical. It also has relationships with Paradise Poker, Sportingbet, Victor Chandler, and Purple Lounge.
According to The Telegraph, in order for an operator to be able to advertise with Google, it must be registered with the Gambling Commission or the European Economic Area “provided they are registered with their national regulator.” The advertisements will not appear in search engine filters that regularly block out inappropriate content. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
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Companies 'facing' gambling levy - BBC - 6th January 2009
Bookmakers, casino operators and other gambling firms could be forced to fund research into gambling addiction under proposals put forward by ministers.
They are consulting on plans to impose an annual compulsory levy of about £5m from June to fund research into problem gambling and treatment for sufferers.
Firms have failed to provide the money required voluntarily, forcing ministers to consider compelling them to do so.
The bookmakers' trade body said it did not believe a forced levy was needed.
'Unacceptable'
Ministers will not make a final decision on whether to impose a levy until after the consultation process has concluded at the start of April.
But they have made clear that voluntary arrangements put in place to fund research into problem gambling since 2002 are not working.
There is currently a £1.3m shortfall in the £4.5m pot of money that the gambling industry had been expected to contribute this year.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said such a shortfall would have "unacceptable consequences" for the effective delivery of gambling research, education and treatment.
Charities have warned that inadequate funding makes it harder for them to identify those most at risk and to help them.
A 2007 survey estimated there were about 280,000 problem gamblers in the UK.
The consultation paper sets out how much firms would have to pay and options for how individual amounts would be calculated across the industry.
It says £4.76m in funding will be needed this year, rising to £5.34m in each of the next two years.
The bulk of the money will go towards treatment for addiction.
"Gambling operators have a responsibility to help fund this and it is very disappointing that the industry has so far failed to agree improved voluntary arrangements to do this," said sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe.
"If the industry can agree the improved voluntary arrangements in the meantime the door is not closed, but time has almost run out."
The Lib Dems said ministers had threatened the industry many times with sanctions since 2003 and it was a "disgrace" that proper funding for gambling help had not been forthcoming.
"While some parts of the industry have paid up, the vast majority have shown a complete disregard for their responsibility to fund problem gambling services," said Don Foster, the party's culture spokesman.
"Ministers have repeatedly turned a blind eye to the problems their reforms have caused while continuing their hell-bent pursuit of the gambling tax bonanza."
'Need for research'
Under proposals now floated by ministers, bookmakers could account for nearly half of all annual payments based on the number of premises they operate and the volume of gambling there.
Casino and bingo operators, gaming arcades, lotteries, pools operators and online betting firms would also be covered.
Ministers said any levy would be fair and proportionate, taking into account the impact of the economic downturn on the industry, particularly the position of smaller firms.
But bookmakers said they faced having to pay up to £400 per premises every year.
"We do not believe that there is a need for a statutory levy," a spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said, adding that it had "been working with other trade bodies to secure a workable voluntary scheme".
However, he acknowledged that "attitudes have hardened due to the fact that a number of operators - from all sectors - have failed to make voluntary contributions".
A charity providing treatment for gambling addiction said ministers had "significantly" underestimated the amount of cash needed to enable it and organisations like it to do their work.
"There is a real need for research into incidences of problem gambling in the UK," said Eileen Kinghan, from Gamcare.
"Until that research is funded and carried out it is difficult for regulators to make decisions about what steps to take."
But Gamcare said forcing firms to pay up risked alienating them and making co-operation on awareness campaigns harder. (Credit: BBC)
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They are consulting on plans to impose an annual compulsory levy of about £5m from June to fund research into problem gambling and treatment for sufferers.
Firms have failed to provide the money required voluntarily, forcing ministers to consider compelling them to do so.
The bookmakers' trade body said it did not believe a forced levy was needed.
'Unacceptable'
Ministers will not make a final decision on whether to impose a levy until after the consultation process has concluded at the start of April.
But they have made clear that voluntary arrangements put in place to fund research into problem gambling since 2002 are not working.
There is currently a £1.3m shortfall in the £4.5m pot of money that the gambling industry had been expected to contribute this year.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said such a shortfall would have "unacceptable consequences" for the effective delivery of gambling research, education and treatment.
Charities have warned that inadequate funding makes it harder for them to identify those most at risk and to help them.
A 2007 survey estimated there were about 280,000 problem gamblers in the UK.
The consultation paper sets out how much firms would have to pay and options for how individual amounts would be calculated across the industry.
It says £4.76m in funding will be needed this year, rising to £5.34m in each of the next two years.
The bulk of the money will go towards treatment for addiction.
"Gambling operators have a responsibility to help fund this and it is very disappointing that the industry has so far failed to agree improved voluntary arrangements to do this," said sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe.
"If the industry can agree the improved voluntary arrangements in the meantime the door is not closed, but time has almost run out."
The Lib Dems said ministers had threatened the industry many times with sanctions since 2003 and it was a "disgrace" that proper funding for gambling help had not been forthcoming.
"While some parts of the industry have paid up, the vast majority have shown a complete disregard for their responsibility to fund problem gambling services," said Don Foster, the party's culture spokesman.
"Ministers have repeatedly turned a blind eye to the problems their reforms have caused while continuing their hell-bent pursuit of the gambling tax bonanza."
'Need for research'
Under proposals now floated by ministers, bookmakers could account for nearly half of all annual payments based on the number of premises they operate and the volume of gambling there.
Casino and bingo operators, gaming arcades, lotteries, pools operators and online betting firms would also be covered.
Ministers said any levy would be fair and proportionate, taking into account the impact of the economic downturn on the industry, particularly the position of smaller firms.
But bookmakers said they faced having to pay up to £400 per premises every year.
"We do not believe that there is a need for a statutory levy," a spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said, adding that it had "been working with other trade bodies to secure a workable voluntary scheme".
However, he acknowledged that "attitudes have hardened due to the fact that a number of operators - from all sectors - have failed to make voluntary contributions".
A charity providing treatment for gambling addiction said ministers had "significantly" underestimated the amount of cash needed to enable it and organisations like it to do their work.
"There is a real need for research into incidences of problem gambling in the UK," said Eileen Kinghan, from Gamcare.
"Until that research is funded and carried out it is difficult for regulators to make decisions about what steps to take."
But Gamcare said forcing firms to pay up risked alienating them and making co-operation on awareness campaigns harder. (Credit: BBC)
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Thursday, January 8, 2009
The countdown is over... the 2009 Aussie Millions is here - 8th January 2009
The 2009 Aussie Millions is finally here, starting tomorrow with Day One of the $1,100 No Limit Holdem Opening Event.
With 18 official events to choose from, you’re bound to find something that floats your boat.
Don’t forget you can still win your seat in the $10,500 Main Event with satellites running daily until Monday 19 January 2009. Check out the Win Your Seat section of the Aussie Millions website for more details.
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With 18 official events to choose from, you’re bound to find something that floats your boat.
Don’t forget you can still win your seat in the $10,500 Main Event with satellites running daily until Monday 19 January 2009. Check out the Win Your Seat section of the Aussie Millions website for more details.
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PKR.com launch huge game update
Press Release
7th January 2009
Not content with developing ‘the world’s most advanced poker room’ the pioneers at PKR.com have raised the bar yet again with the release of their latest game update.
With over 50 new features, tweaks, and improvements to PKR.com’s market leading poker software, ‘Version 1.7’ is the site’s biggest update ever and players are already enjoying the new offerings:
New environments
Topping the must-see list are three exciting new game environments designed to immerse players in some of the coolest poker locations ever. A Chinese themed casino gives players a taste of the orient while an Egyptian themed poker room transports players to the days when magical kingdoms ruled the Nile. To top things off an underground wine bar caters to the smooth sophistication of PKR’s hip, young card sharks.
Even more realistic
Players will also enjoy even more enhanced gameplay. Tournaments will now end with an eye-popping celebration sequence and PKR’s team of crack developers have also added slick new physics modelling that makes hair move realistically when players perform emotes. Christmas costumes were also added to the mix to cater for the festive seasons.
Better games
Of course PKR has always been more than just a pretty face and the site is always improving the games it offers players. The addition of re-buy tournaments is bound to spice up MTT action with even more excitement and bigger guaranteed prizes.
PKR COO Leon Walters said, “This is our biggest update yet and our development team are really proud and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish – we think the improvements and enhancements to the game are going to be a massive hit”.
And more...
PKR have also responded to player feedback by reducing the load time of the game even further and introducing a wider range of payment options. Players can now top up their PKR account (and cash out their winnings) with the paysafecard and ClickandBuy. And, with the addition of PKR.ru, Russian has been added to the list of 12 languages that PKR offer customers.
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7th January 2009
Not content with developing ‘the world’s most advanced poker room’ the pioneers at PKR.com have raised the bar yet again with the release of their latest game update.
With over 50 new features, tweaks, and improvements to PKR.com’s market leading poker software, ‘Version 1.7’ is the site’s biggest update ever and players are already enjoying the new offerings:
New environments
Topping the must-see list are three exciting new game environments designed to immerse players in some of the coolest poker locations ever. A Chinese themed casino gives players a taste of the orient while an Egyptian themed poker room transports players to the days when magical kingdoms ruled the Nile. To top things off an underground wine bar caters to the smooth sophistication of PKR’s hip, young card sharks.
Even more realistic
Players will also enjoy even more enhanced gameplay. Tournaments will now end with an eye-popping celebration sequence and PKR’s team of crack developers have also added slick new physics modelling that makes hair move realistically when players perform emotes. Christmas costumes were also added to the mix to cater for the festive seasons.
Better games
Of course PKR has always been more than just a pretty face and the site is always improving the games it offers players. The addition of re-buy tournaments is bound to spice up MTT action with even more excitement and bigger guaranteed prizes.
PKR COO Leon Walters said, “This is our biggest update yet and our development team are really proud and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish – we think the improvements and enhancements to the game are going to be a massive hit”.
And more...
PKR have also responded to player feedback by reducing the load time of the game even further and introducing a wider range of payment options. Players can now top up their PKR account (and cash out their winnings) with the paysafecard and ClickandBuy. And, with the addition of PKR.ru, Russian has been added to the list of 12 languages that PKR offer customers.
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PartyGaming Files Lawsuit - iGaming Business - 7th January 2009
Leading online gaming operator PartyGaming, the firm behind popular online poker domain PartyPoker.com, has filed a lawsuit against Livermore Investments Group Limited.
The action was filed in London on December 23 according to a report from news service Bloomberg.com and surrounds PartyGaming’s 2006 takeover of Livermore’s Internet gambling business at Empire Online.
According to Bloomberg.com, Gibraltar-based PartyGaming alleges that Livermore ‘failed to deliver a certain amount of income under an acquisition made three years ago’.
British Virgin Islands-registered Livermore previously operated as the online gaming firm Empire Online until PartyGaming purchased its gambling business for $38 million. Livermore is run by Chief Executive Officer Noam Lanir and changed its name following the sale before beginning operations as an investment business.
According to John Shepherd, spokesperson for PartyGaming, the value of the claim is ‘six figures’ but he declined to give additional details.
PartyGaming was also in the news late last month after its largest shareholder, India-born Anurag Dikshit, pled guilty to in a New York court to violating sections of the 1961 Wire Act. Thirty-seven-year-old Dikshit helped start PartyGaming in 1997 by creating its software platform and agreed to pay $300 million in fines and assist authorities with their investigations while awaiting sentencing in two years. (Credit: iGaming Business)
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The action was filed in London on December 23 according to a report from news service Bloomberg.com and surrounds PartyGaming’s 2006 takeover of Livermore’s Internet gambling business at Empire Online.
According to Bloomberg.com, Gibraltar-based PartyGaming alleges that Livermore ‘failed to deliver a certain amount of income under an acquisition made three years ago’.
British Virgin Islands-registered Livermore previously operated as the online gaming firm Empire Online until PartyGaming purchased its gambling business for $38 million. Livermore is run by Chief Executive Officer Noam Lanir and changed its name following the sale before beginning operations as an investment business.
According to John Shepherd, spokesperson for PartyGaming, the value of the claim is ‘six figures’ but he declined to give additional details.
PartyGaming was also in the news late last month after its largest shareholder, India-born Anurag Dikshit, pled guilty to in a New York court to violating sections of the 1961 Wire Act. Thirty-seven-year-old Dikshit helped start PartyGaming in 1997 by creating its software platform and agreed to pay $300 million in fines and assist authorities with their investigations while awaiting sentencing in two years. (Credit: iGaming Business)
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009
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RICH PICKINGS: Busted flush, by James Thomson - Business Spectator - 2nd January 2009
It’s the saying that rings in the ears of every gambler – the house always wins.
Not any more.
In the last 12 months, the world’s biggest casino magnates – including James Packer, US bigwigs Sheldon Aldelson and Kirk Kerkorian, and Macau veteran Stanley Ho – have seen more than $70 billion wiped off their fortunes after putting the bulk of their cash in the biggest casino of all, the sharemarket.
It’s not that long ago that many of these billionaires were celebrating a new golden age of gambling thanks to the rise of the tiny island of Macau as the world’s biggest gambling centre.
While cashed-up high rollers were keeping the cashiers busy in the traditional gambling hotspots such as Las Vegas and Australia, Macau was the centre of the action. The country’s decision to open its gambling market in 2002 resulted in gaming revenue soaring from $US3.5 billion in 2003 to a staggering $10.4 billion in 2007. The number of casinos has jumped from five to 29 over the last five years, as casino operators across the globe jostled for a piece of the Macau action.
But the glittering star of the East is quickly losing its shine. While most experts were predicting gambling growth in Macau would continue at double-digit levels in 2008, the global financial crisis – and, it has been suggested, the overcrowding of the market – has hurt the region’s casino operators badly.
A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that VIP gambling – the lifeblood of Crown’s Macau casino – is set to fall by 25 per cent next year. Managers are considering closing some of the casino’s restaurants and forcing the 3000 staff to choose between two and six months of unpaid leave.
Not surprisingly, investors in Crown Limited and its Macau joint venture partner Melco having been growing increasingly worried about the Macau outlook. The share price of Crown has fallen more than 60 per cent since the start of the year, wiping $2 billion off the value of James Packer’s stake. It is now worth about $1.3 billion.
Melco is controlled by the grandfather of Macau’s casino scene, Stanley Ho, and his wider family. Up until 2002, Ho was the only person allowed to run a casino in Macau and while his control of the market has reduced in recent years, his influence over the region remains strong.
His bank balance is looking a little less than strong these days. The value of Ho’s stake in Melco International Developments (including the shares owned by son and heir Lawrence Ho) has plunged 85 per cent from around $1.1 billion to about $150 million. His stake in casino company Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (better known as SJM), has lost more than half its value since the company listed in July, dropping from $780 million to $390 million.
But the losses of Packer and Ho are nothing compared to those of America’s casino kings, Aldelson and Kerkorian.
Kerkorian, who is 91 years old, has had a rough trot. Kerkorian owns just under 5 per cent of stricken car maker Ford, which has fallen 80 per cent this year, reducing the value of his stake from $1 billion to around $210 million. He also owns 35 per cent of Delta Petroleum Corp, which plunged from $US20 a share to around $US4.50 a share since the start of 2008, cutting Kerkorian’s stake from $1.1 billion to around $260 million.
But his main investment is a 54 per cent stake in MGM Mirage, the largest casino operator in Las Vegas (it owns iconic casinos such as the Bellagio, Luxor and Circus Circus) and a casino in Macau. Since the start of the year, the company’s market capitalisation has fallen 87.5 per cent from $34.3 billion to just $4.3 billion, wiping $15.8 billion off the value of Kerkorian’s stake.
Still his losses are nothing compared to Aldelson, the major shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Since the start of the year, the value of Aldelson’s stake in the company has fallen by a staggering $50 billion as the company’s shares have plunged. If that wasn’t bad enough, Aldelson has personally spent around $1.5 billion in the last eight weeks propping the company up as it teetered under its massive debt load.
It’s a sad state of affairs for a man who claimed in 2006 he would be richer than Bill Gates. Still, Aldelson is nothing if not a survivor, as one former associate reminded Bloomberg recently: “If the world came to an end, there would be cockroaches and Sheldon. And Sheldon would immediately be smart enough to open a pest-control company.”
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Not any more.
In the last 12 months, the world’s biggest casino magnates – including James Packer, US bigwigs Sheldon Aldelson and Kirk Kerkorian, and Macau veteran Stanley Ho – have seen more than $70 billion wiped off their fortunes after putting the bulk of their cash in the biggest casino of all, the sharemarket.
It’s not that long ago that many of these billionaires were celebrating a new golden age of gambling thanks to the rise of the tiny island of Macau as the world’s biggest gambling centre.
While cashed-up high rollers were keeping the cashiers busy in the traditional gambling hotspots such as Las Vegas and Australia, Macau was the centre of the action. The country’s decision to open its gambling market in 2002 resulted in gaming revenue soaring from $US3.5 billion in 2003 to a staggering $10.4 billion in 2007. The number of casinos has jumped from five to 29 over the last five years, as casino operators across the globe jostled for a piece of the Macau action.
But the glittering star of the East is quickly losing its shine. While most experts were predicting gambling growth in Macau would continue at double-digit levels in 2008, the global financial crisis – and, it has been suggested, the overcrowding of the market – has hurt the region’s casino operators badly.
A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that VIP gambling – the lifeblood of Crown’s Macau casino – is set to fall by 25 per cent next year. Managers are considering closing some of the casino’s restaurants and forcing the 3000 staff to choose between two and six months of unpaid leave.
Not surprisingly, investors in Crown Limited and its Macau joint venture partner Melco having been growing increasingly worried about the Macau outlook. The share price of Crown has fallen more than 60 per cent since the start of the year, wiping $2 billion off the value of James Packer’s stake. It is now worth about $1.3 billion.
Melco is controlled by the grandfather of Macau’s casino scene, Stanley Ho, and his wider family. Up until 2002, Ho was the only person allowed to run a casino in Macau and while his control of the market has reduced in recent years, his influence over the region remains strong.
His bank balance is looking a little less than strong these days. The value of Ho’s stake in Melco International Developments (including the shares owned by son and heir Lawrence Ho) has plunged 85 per cent from around $1.1 billion to about $150 million. His stake in casino company Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (better known as SJM), has lost more than half its value since the company listed in July, dropping from $780 million to $390 million.
But the losses of Packer and Ho are nothing compared to those of America’s casino kings, Aldelson and Kerkorian.
Kerkorian, who is 91 years old, has had a rough trot. Kerkorian owns just under 5 per cent of stricken car maker Ford, which has fallen 80 per cent this year, reducing the value of his stake from $1 billion to around $210 million. He also owns 35 per cent of Delta Petroleum Corp, which plunged from $US20 a share to around $US4.50 a share since the start of 2008, cutting Kerkorian’s stake from $1.1 billion to around $260 million.
But his main investment is a 54 per cent stake in MGM Mirage, the largest casino operator in Las Vegas (it owns iconic casinos such as the Bellagio, Luxor and Circus Circus) and a casino in Macau. Since the start of the year, the company’s market capitalisation has fallen 87.5 per cent from $34.3 billion to just $4.3 billion, wiping $15.8 billion off the value of Kerkorian’s stake.
Still his losses are nothing compared to Aldelson, the major shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Since the start of the year, the value of Aldelson’s stake in the company has fallen by a staggering $50 billion as the company’s shares have plunged. If that wasn’t bad enough, Aldelson has personally spent around $1.5 billion in the last eight weeks propping the company up as it teetered under its massive debt load.
It’s a sad state of affairs for a man who claimed in 2006 he would be richer than Bill Gates. Still, Aldelson is nothing if not a survivor, as one former associate reminded Bloomberg recently: “If the world came to an end, there would be cockroaches and Sheldon. And Sheldon would immediately be smart enough to open a pest-control company.”
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Friday, January 2, 2009
Stuntman clears the Vegas air with an arc of triumph - 2nd January 2009
The Australian stuntman Robbie Maddison rode into the new year with a gravity-defying feat in Las Vegas.
Speeding down the strip outside Paris Las Vegas casino at 90kmh, he launched his Yamaha motocross bike up a giant ramp, flew 37 metres through the air and landed on top of a replica of the Arc de Triomphe.
The stunt was equivalent to jumping onto a 10-storey apartment building.
After landing safely, Maddison, 27, of Kiama, on the South Coast, took his death-defying stunt further, by dropping off the Arc de Triomphe and free-falling onto a landing ramp below.
Tens of millions of TV and internet viewers around the world looked on.
"It's definitely a milestone in my life - to overcome the fear I had," an elated Maddison said afterwards, his left hand dripping with blood from the impact of the freefall. "The hand kills; I think I broke it."
Maddison was invited back to Las Vegas for the biggest party night of the year after making a world record jump there last New Year's Eve.
In front of a sell-out crowd at the Rio Casino and Hotel, he had pulled off a stunt that his hero Evel Knievel had said could never be done - by clearing 98 metres. Maddison dedicated that achievement to Knievel, who died in 2007. But on Wednesday he had little regard for the American legend's "joke" of a son.
While Maddison was making his conquest of the Arc de Triomphe, Robbie Knievel jumped 61 metres over a man-made volcano outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino - a stunt the Australian labelled inferior and an attempt to steal his thunder.
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Speeding down the strip outside Paris Las Vegas casino at 90kmh, he launched his Yamaha motocross bike up a giant ramp, flew 37 metres through the air and landed on top of a replica of the Arc de Triomphe.
The stunt was equivalent to jumping onto a 10-storey apartment building.
After landing safely, Maddison, 27, of Kiama, on the South Coast, took his death-defying stunt further, by dropping off the Arc de Triomphe and free-falling onto a landing ramp below.
Tens of millions of TV and internet viewers around the world looked on.
"It's definitely a milestone in my life - to overcome the fear I had," an elated Maddison said afterwards, his left hand dripping with blood from the impact of the freefall. "The hand kills; I think I broke it."
Maddison was invited back to Las Vegas for the biggest party night of the year after making a world record jump there last New Year's Eve.
In front of a sell-out crowd at the Rio Casino and Hotel, he had pulled off a stunt that his hero Evel Knievel had said could never be done - by clearing 98 metres. Maddison dedicated that achievement to Knievel, who died in 2007. But on Wednesday he had little regard for the American legend's "joke" of a son.
While Maddison was making his conquest of the Arc de Triomphe, Robbie Knievel jumped 61 metres over a man-made volcano outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino - a stunt the Australian labelled inferior and an attempt to steal his thunder.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Robbie Maddison
Las Vegas
Casino News
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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