Sunday, January 31, 2010

Marvel Slots Online Website Network Updated

Marvel Slots Online: Casino Of The Month: PartyCasino.com

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PartyPoker News: PartyPoker's Aussie Millions Millionaire Factory! Online Qualifiers Take First And Second!

PartyPoker's Aussie Millions Millionaire Factory! Online Qualifiers Take First And Second!

Gibraltar – 30th January 2010 – PartyPoker.com has even more reasons to celebrate this week after two of their online qualifiers finished in first and second place in the 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event at the Crown Casino in Melbourne. 23-year-old Tyron Krost, from Bondi, Sydney scooped first place and a stunning AUD$2,000,000, while Frederik Jensen, a 27-year-old from Copenhagen finished runner-up for AUD$1,100,100. The two online qualifiers dominated a final table that included star names such as Annette Obrestad and Sorel Mizzi.

Krost currently works in his family owned office furniture business in Sydney but now looks to be part of the furniture of the world poker circuit after his amazing win. He recently graduated after studying psychology and finance, both excellent skills for poker.

Sipping champagne with his large supporting contingent Krost said: “This is totally unbelievable - it is beyond my wildest dreams. If it is a dream, I don’t want to wake up! In total I spent $700 trying to qualify for a package and I have managed to turn that into AUD$2,000,000! I got some really good spots on the final table. When I needed a hand I seemed to get it.”

“It just hasn’t sunk in at all how much money I have just won. I have no idea what I am going to with it. I cashed at the World Series in 2008 but nothing like this.” One person who was also ecstatic was his girlfriend Carly, who was cheering him on from the rail.

749 players, including 43 PartyPoker.com online qualifiers, took part in the southern hemisphere’s premier poker event this week and one of those players, poker superstar Gus Hansen fell victim to Krost. “Gus knocked me out of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event and then I knocked him out in this tournament. Bit spooky that,” added Krost.

Krost’s win means that the Aussie Millions Main Event title stays in Australia and the PartyPoker.com camp for the second year running. Last year’s champion and Team Party member Stewart Scott was amongst the first to pass on congratulations. “I’m delighted for Tyron and I can honestly say I know what he is feeling like right now – it takes your breath away.”

Team Party’s latest signing Tony G was also delighted: “PartyPoker are on a roll. Our players are starting to dominate – it is bike time for the rest!”

Krost had been taking counsel from Tony G before the final table but doesn’t intend to adopt one of the Australian poker idols habits: “I will not be knocking people out and getting them to ride a bike. I will leave that to him!”

Tyron was full of praise for the runner-up and fellow online qualifier Frederik Jensen. “I have to say well played to Frederik. He is an excellent player. It is fantastic that when it came to heads-up there were just two PartyPoker qualifiers left.”

More details on the hands can be found at PartyPoker.com

** Qualifiers are now online at PartyPoker.com for the LA Poker Classic Main Event, which takes place at the Commerce Casino in LA from the 24th February – 4th March. One massive bonus is that if a PartyPoker.com online qualifier wins the tournament, there will be a brilliant $1 million payout with a $500,000 top up going to the winner and $500,000 shared amongst all the other online qualifiers, no matter where they finish in the event! **

More information can be found at: PartyPoker.com

® AUSSIE MILLIONS, AUSSIE MILLIONS POKER CHAMPIONSHIP and CROWN Device and associated trade marks are trade marks of Crown Melbourne Limited. No license, affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement, is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. PartyGaming is not affiliated, licensed, by, or otherwise affiliated with Crown Melbourne Limited in any way.

World Series of Poker”® and “WSOP”®, WSOPE”® are registered trade marks of Harrah’s License Company LLC. No license, affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. PartyGaming is not licensed by or otherwise affiliated with Harrah’s License Company LLC or the World Series of Poker®, in any way.

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Virgin Casino News: Monty's Millions Game Review

Play with Monty's Millions. A 40 line explosion of stacked wilds and free spins where wins are doubled!

Introduction

Monty's Millions™ has a whole host of exciting features: 40 paylines for more action, Stacked Wilds for amazingly big wins, and a super-rich Free Spins bonus. On every reel there are stacks of four or more Wild symbols. These Wild symbols can line up to trigger a HUGE number of simultaneous wins!

Get three Bonus symbols on the middle three reels, and three safes open up as you progress to the Free Spins bonus and claim your 5 free spins on the lucrative bonus reels. These reels are richer than standard, with extra Stacked Wilds and extra Bonus symbols. You can potentially retrigger the Free Spins bonus multiple times and win up to 255 free spins. With Monty's Millions, you really could be in the money!

How To Bet

Monty's Millions has 40 paylines. You can bet from 1p to £10 per line.

In the LINE BET box, you see your current bet per line. Click on the down arrow (with a minus sign) to decrease your bet per line. Click on the up arrow (with a plus sign) to increase your bet per line.

Click the PLAY button to spin the reels. When the PLAY button is pressed, the number shown on the PLAY button will be the number of credits bet.

If you do not want to bet on all 40 paylines, you can use the LINES control to change the number of paylines you are playing. In the LINES box, you see the current number of paylines you are playing. Click on the down arrow (with a minus sign) to decrease the number of paylines you are playing. Click on the up arrow (with a plus sign) to increase the number of paylines you are playing. Using these controls you can play from 1 to 40 paylines.

Free Spins Bonus

Get three Bonus symbols on the middle three reels to start the Free Spins Bonus.

Your effective bet for these free spins is your total bet when you triggered the Free Spins Bonus. The bonus reels contain even more Stacked Wilds and Bonus symbols than the main game reels.

You start the Free Spins Bonus with 5 free spins. You can retrigger the bonus by getting three Bonus symbols on a free spin, which award you an additional 5 free spins (up to a maximum of 255 free spins for your entire bonus).

Your total bonus win is the sum of all awards won from your free spins.

Rules

• Malfunction voids all pays and plays.
• All line pay symbols must appear on a played line and on consecutive reels, beginning with the far left reel.
• All payline wins occur on bet lines only.
• Only highest winner paid on each payline.
• Only one award paid per payline.
• Line wins are multiplied by the total number of credits bet on the winning line.
• Coinciding wins on different paylines are added.
• Awards are shown in credits.
• The maximum win on any transaction is capped at £250,000.
• A transaction includes the results of the Free Spins Bonus plus the outcome which launched the bonus.

Additional Information

Monty's Millions™ is a Barcrest Group Limited registered European Community trademark, and is used with permission. ©Barcrest Group.

Rules

Malfunction voids all pays and plays.

All line pay symbols must appear on a played line and on consecutive reels, beginning with the far left reel.

All payline wins occur on bet lines only.

Only highest winner paid on each payline.

Only one award paid per payline.

Line wins are multiplied by the total number of credits bet on the winning line.

Coinciding wins on different paylines are added.

Awards are shown in credits.

The maximum win on any transaction is capped at £250,000. A transaction includes the results of the Free Spins Bonus plus the outcome which launched the bonus.

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iGB Affilate Awards Winners Announced

28th January 2010 - As the kick-off to the London Affiliate Conference, Thursday evening saw the long-awaited announcement of the winners of the third annual iGB Affiliate Awards in a prestigious ceremony at London’s St. Paul’s Hotel.

After an exciting array of multicultural entertainment that included belly dancing, break-dancers, a light show, and an internationally renowned beatboxer, the results of months of affiliate voting were announced.

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PartyCasino News: Phil Tufnell Fronts New PartyCasino Campaign

Phil Tufnell Fronts New PartyCasino.com Campaign

Gibraltar – 29th January 2010 - PartyGaming has hired former cricketer, turned TV presenter and reality TV star, Phil Tufnell as its first celebrity ambassador to help boost its PartyCasino.com brand’s cross-gender appeal.

Tufnell, a former England cricketer and ‘King of the Jungle’ from ITV’s ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’ will front a television, press and outdoor campaign for PartyCasino.com that will highlight the range of casino games available on the site.

The advertisements will be seen for the first time on Channel 4 in the UK during Celebrity Big Brother tonight. The campaign was created by Leeds based agency home.

Tufnell, known to many as ‘The Cat,’ said: “I had a lot of fun making the ads. I’m hoping this is the start of a long relationship with PartyGaming. I have advertised PartyCasino.com but I am also a keen poker player so have huge interest in sister site PartyPoker.com.”

“I understand Shane Warne is Down Under playing in a big poker tournament at the moment, wish I was there to take him on! He may have been able to turn a ball further than me but I can certainly turn a card better and if I don’t at least I’ve got my own hair! Warney’s the only player who can lose his chips and his hair at the poker table!”

PartyPoker.com signed professional poker player Tony G last week and he is currently Down Under seeking out Warne and looking to give him a present from Phil Tufnell. ON YOUR BIKE!

PartyCasino.com now offers over 140 games, including 100 slots, and pays out easily over $10 million EVERY DAY to players. The world’s largest online casino continues to expand rapidly. The previous Gold Mega Jackpot was hit with a fateful spin at 20.42ET on December 2nd 2009. The stake was $45 on popular PartyCasino.com Gold Mega Jackpot game, the Mega Fortune Wheel. The screen exploded with congratulations and colour as ‘gamago’ turned $45 into a record busting $4,978,336.62! PartyCasino.com recently introduced ‘The Big One’ - structured as a five tiered pool. The highest tier - Colossal Cash - seeds at $1.5m, the biggest online jackpot seed in the industry. ‘The Big One’ and ‘Melon Madness’ were both created by PartyGaming’s specialist unit ‘The Games Studio.’

PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming company. The Group is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index and the FTSE4Good Index Series, which measures the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. PartyGaming’s shares are listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. PartyGaming’s principal brands are: PartyPoker.com, PartyCasino.com, EmpirePoker.com, PartyBingo.com, PartyGammon.com, PartyBets.com, Intertrader.com and Gamebookers.com. PartyGaming Plc recently acquired Cashcade Ltd, which includes Bingo brands such as FoxyBingo.com, ThinkBingo.com, BingoScotland.com and casino sites such as FoxyFlutter.com and GetMinted.com. PartyGaming Plc has also recently acquired the World Poker Tour.

® AUSSIE MILLIONS, AUSSIE MILLIONS POKER CHAMPIONSHIP and CROWN Device and associated trade marks are trade marks of Crown Melbourne Limited. No license, affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement, is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. PartyGaming is not affiliated, licensed, by, or otherwise affiliated with Crown Melbourne Limited in any way.

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Friday, January 29, 2010

PartyCasino Marvel Slots: Don't just wait for the movies; Play the games - Thor, The Hulk, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four

PartyCasino.com Marvel Slots: Don't just wait for the movies; Play the games - Thor, The Hulk, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

As Marvel icon, Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

Marvel Entertainment film dates:

Iron Man 2 (May 7)

Thor (May 6, 2011)

The First Avenger: Captain America (July 22, 2011)

The Avengers (May 4, 2012)

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PartyGaming News: Full House For Cashcade And Foxy Bingo

Full House For Cashcade And Foxy Bingo

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Gibraltar – 28th January 2010 - FoxyBingo.com, which is marketed by Cashcade, has continued its winning run at industry award ceremonies by picking up the International Gaming Award for Online Bingo Operator of the Year on Monday night.

This award joins other prominent industry accolades on the mantelpiece in the last 12 months which include eGaming Review Bingo Operator of the Year in 2009 and a special commendation for Offline Marketing Campaign of the Year 2009 at the same ceremony. In addition, FoxyBingo.com scooped a hat-trick of awards at the 2009 Bingoport.co.uk Players Choice Awards taking home Best Overall Online Bingo Operator, Best Online Bingo Commercial and Best Online Bingo Promotion for the FoxyBingo.com Cruise. If that wasn’t enough, there was also two awards for FoxyBingo.com at the Bingo Summit Awards (Best Bingo Operator and Best Marketing Campaign) and two for sister site CheekyBingo (Best innovation and Best Newcomer). Rounding off the success is the JackpotFinder.com Award for Best Bingo Site for FoxyBingo.com

Patrick Southon, Managing Director of Cashcade, which markets FoxyBingo.com said: “It is fair to say our mantelpiece is getting crowded and it was great to win another award at the International Gaming Awards. Despite these honours, we know there is still so much to achieve so look out, very soon Foxy will be back on a screen near you in a new advertising campaign. Is he going to be dancing? Yes. Is he going to get a groove on? Yes. We hope people love the new soundtrack and setting!”

The new FoxyBingo.com campaign on UK television is due to start on Friday 5th February.

About Cashcade

Cashcade is a leading UK-based online marketing business specialising in promoting bingo and casino games. Its core owned bingo websites include Foxy Bingo, Think Bingo, Cheeky Bingo and Bingo Scotland. Core owned casino websites include GetMinted and Foxy Flutter. Cashcade also supports the branded bingo and casino websites of three media organisations - Trinity Mirror plc, STV Group plc and Emap plc.

About PartyGaming Plc

PartyGaming Plc is the world’s leading listed online gaming business. PartyGaming is a constituent of the FTSE 250 share index with its shares listed on The London Stock Exchange under the ticker: PRTY. PartyGaming’s principal brands are www.PartyPoker.com, one of the world’s largest online poker rooms, www.PartyCasino.com, the world’s largest online casino, www.PartyBingo.com, www.PartyGammon.com, www.PartyBets.com, www.Intertrader.com, www.FoxyBingo.com, www.GetMinted.com, www.Gamebookers.com and www.WorldPokerTour.com. None of the Group’s sites accept real money customers located in the US. The PartyGaming Group is regulated and licensed by the Government of Gibraltar and is certified by GamCare as a responsible gaming operator and is also a constituent member of the FTSE4Good Index of companies.

For more information, please visit PartyGaming.

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

PartyGaming and Virgin Games expected to win awards and commendations at London's IGB Affiliate Awards - 28th January 2010

PartyGaming and Virgin Games expected to win awards and commendations at London's IGB Affiliate Awards - 28th January 2010

28th January 2010

The Grange St Pauls, London
Every year over 500 people from the iGaming affiliate community gather to honour ongoing success within the industry, announcing the best and brightest stars at an extravagant black tie event. Previously named the CAP Awards, we welcome the iGaming Affiliate Awards back to 2010 which is set to be another evening of celebration, glamour and entertainment. Hosted by iGBAffiliate (organisers of the iGaming Affiliate series of events and publishers of iGB Affiliate Magazine), the iGB Affiliate Awards are held the night before the London Affiliate Conference, the industry's biggest annual exhibition and conference, providing the perfect opening to this landmark event. iGB Affiliate Awards 2010.

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Virgin Bingo News: Free Virgin Bingo In The Marrakesh Room To End Of January

Virgin Bingo News: Free Virgin Bingo In The Marrakesh Room To End Of January

Enjoy up to 3 hours of free bingo at Richard Branson's favorite bingo hall: Virgin Bingo!

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Virgin Games News: Celebrity Big Brother Slot and Big Brother Scratchcard

Virgin Games News: Celebrity Big Brother Slot and Big Brother Scratchcard

Richard Branson's Virgin Games Gets The Reality TV Bug!

Check out the Celebrity Big Brother online slot game and the Big Brother scratchcard.

Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

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Virgin Games News: Vegas Promotion - 27th January 2010

Virgin Casino has just launched a new promotion called Vegas Cash Dash. The promotion runs from 22nd January through to the 31st January and is offering a prize pool of ₤50,000 and a chance to win a luxury holiday to Las Vegas for two people.

Individual players can win up to ₤100 a day for 10 days or ₤1,000 over the promotion duration.

Players need to bet on a selection of popular slot games designated for that given day.

Virgin Casino changes the selection every day so fear not!

The daily selections are listed in the Terms and Conditions.

Just some of the games taking part in the promotions are Bar X Magic 7, Bejeweled, Blankety Blank, Cubis, Da Vinci Diamonds, Ramesses Riches, Rubik's Slot, Slot Blox, Super Hoot Loot and The X-Factor.

Depending on the amount bet daily players will earn a bonus. For example, wagering £175 on a given day will lead to a bonus of £5. Players wagering £3,500 a day will receive a bonus of £100.

To qualify for entry into the prize draw for the all expenses paid trip to the Las Vegas players are required to wager a minimum of £5 on qualifying games every day during the promotional period and earn a minimum of £20 in bonus cash during the promotional period.

The holiday includes a 4 nighter staying at Bellagio, flights to and from Vegas and transfers. The draw will be made on 1st February and the winner will be contacted via email. The winner is required to acknowledge notification of their win by 28th February or the prize will be awarded to the next entry drawn. The winner must take up the prize before 30th June. This prize has a retail value at peak times of £2,000. Winners may select a cash alternative of £150.

Earlier this month the new slot game from WagerWorks, Slot Blox, was launched at Virgin Casino and the great news is that it features in the Vegas Cash Dash Promotion.

Just last week the casino added more games from the GTech G2 side games portfolio. The games includes Triple Chance Hi Lo, Casino Dice, Spin Win, Aces High and Bingo Keno Extreme.

Simon Burridge of Virgin Games said, "We've found that our players like the instant gratification of side games. They're quick and easy to play and they integrate well with our back end systems."

Virgin Casino is powered by WagerWorks. The portfolio of games come from WagerWorks, Cryptologic, GTech G2 and soon to be added, Playtech!

Virgin Games is licensed in the gambling jurisdiction of Alderney.

The casino does not currently accept Australian or United States players. See World Casino Directory.

Virgin Games has a number of awards and commendations to its name including awards from eGaming Review, iGaming Business / CAP, Casino News Media, Media Man and Global Gaming Directory.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Partygaming signs up Phil Tufnell - 27th January 2010

PartyGaming has hired former cricketer and reality TV star Phil Tufnell as its first celebrity ambassador to help boost the PartyCasino poker site’s cross-gender appeal.

Online gambling is growing in the UK, in particular among women who feel safer playing online. According to a survey of 5,000 adults by the Gambling Commission, 9.9% of people gambled “remotely” in the first quarter of 2009, up from 7.2% in 2006. Of the women polled, 7.7% gambled online in the first three months of last year, up from 5% in 2006.

Tufnell, a former England bowler and winner of the Channel 4 show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, will front a television, press and outdoor campaign for PartyCasino that will highlight the range of casino games available on the site.

A spokesman for the gaming company says Tufnell was chosen because of his “broad appeal” to both female and male online casino players, because of his television profile and his cricketing achievements.

PartyCasino is operated by PartyGaming, which claims to be the world’s leading listed online gaming company.

The company, which also owns the PartyPoker and PartyBingo brands, is in discussions with several companies about potential consolidation. It is reportedly in talks with Austrian rival Bwin.

The PartyCasino campaign will break during the final of Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4 today (28 January). It was created by Leeds-based agency home with media planning and buying by Mediacom.

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PartyGaming co-founder sells stake - 26th January 2010

PartyGaming co-founder Anurag Dikshit has completed the sale of his remaining 9.5 percent stake in the online gaming firm, his investment vehicle Crystal Ventures confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.

Dikshit, who in 2008 pleaded guilty to an online betting charge in the United States, sold 38.8 million shares in PartyGaming at a price of 270 pence per share, a discount of 8 percent to Monday's closing price.

He gained about 105 million pounds from the sale, which was made through an accelerated bookbuild offering to institutional investors.

Dikshit co-founded PartyGaming in 1997 and was the driving force behind its user-friendly technology, which helped the company take a place in the FTSE 100 following a flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 2005.

He had already sold an 18 percent stake in October for 188 million pounds.

Shares in PartyGaming, which said last week it was in talks with a number of companies regarding consolidation opportunities, were down 6 percent to 275.8 pence at 12:25 p.m.

Daniel Stewart analyst James Hollins reiterated his 'buy' recommendation and 366 pence price target, saying the sale represented a positive outcome for shareholders wary of the ongoing threat of further major share sales.

"PartyGaming's shares have had a deservedly strong run recently and we would use today's anomalous share decline as an opportunity to pick up stock," he said.

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Virgin Games sign partnership agreement with Playtech - 27th January 2010

LONDON, England - (PRESS RELEASE) - Playtech, the international designer, developer and licensor of software for the online, mobile and land-based gaming industry, today announces that has signed a partnership agreement with Virgin Games, a leading UK gaming operator.

Under the agreement, Playtech's soft gaming solutions developer, Gaming Technology Solutions Limited (GTS), acquired in December 2009, have licensed their software platform EdGE to Virgin and will also deliver a brand new selection of game products, adding further variety to Virgin's established offering.

The EdGE platform is a cost effective and easily integrated games engine that will allow Virgin to manage and operate their games with ease. Its ICE Back Office (ICE) toolset delivers many functional and performance enhancements to Virgin including support for games marketing campaigns, report customisation, customer support and much more in a user interface that is both practical and easy to use.

Commenting, Warren Eloff of Virgin Games said:

"We are looking forward to working with GTS and through the delivery of their platform, we have access to a variety of leading games content from world class developers. ICE is a comprehensive management suite and we are confident that the added level of control we will have over our games content will have a very positive effect on our growth."

Mor Weizer, CEO of Playtech said:

"We are delighted that Virgin Games a well-established and leading operator have chosen Playtech's GTS as their games integration partner and EdGE as their software solution. Virgin are setting new benchmarks in terms of their player promotion and marketing activities and we look forward to a successful partnership in 2010 and beyond."

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Aussie Casino Gossip From The Media Man, by Greg Tingle - 27th January 2010

Crown Casino is in a jovial mood this week, with celebs, big time players and whales in town for the annual Aussie Millions. Annette "Annette 15" Obrestad has already pocketed $200,000 AUD at the tables, while Dan Shak won over a million quid via the $100,000 Challenge, but that's small change compared to what Mr James Packer and co are making from all the action at Crown Limited.

The bean counters are said to be extremely pleased.

The poker may have focused considerable attention on Southbank, where US hedge fund manager Daniel Shak week earned $1.2 million by thrashing legendary player Phil "The Tiger Woods Of Poker" Ivey, but it's a filing from The Royal Bank of Scotland that has Crown chief executive David Courtney in a festive spirit. Not sure about the Queen Of England however, who would have heard the rumours with a push to change the Australia flag.

According to RBS, gambling revenues held up well in 2009 despite the global downturn, and RBS's analysts ''expect them to remain resilient in 2010''.

Such is the health of the sector, RBS expects Packer's Crown Casino to make ''accretive acquisitions'' during 2010.

''Balance sheets across the gaming sector are generally in good shape, with Crown and Tatts Group the best placed,'' states the report. ''We also believe mergers and acquisitions will become a key theme in the sector in 2010, with Tabcorp and Centrebet the most likely targets.

''Crown and Tatts are the two companies with the most significant balance sheet capacity for acquisitions in the sector.''

RBS highlighted Tabcorp (owners of Star City Casino and Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast) as the pick of the stocks, due to the ''potential for earnings upgrades based on operational improvements in the casino division''.

The news isn't so good for Tatts Group, the placed third of Melbourne's major gambling companies, which RBS said was its ''least preferred stock'', due to its high price-earnings ratio and the ''near-term earnings headwinds'' of lottery jackpots and the end to stimulus spending.

There is still considerable risk hanging over the industry. According to the most recent data, from 2007, poker machines make up 73 per cent of gambling turnover in Australia. Casinos contribute 11 per cent, wagering on racing and sports events 13 per cent and lotteries just 3 per cent.

Those highly lucrative poker machines are under attack from the anti-gambling lobby - take a walk through Crown and you will see responsible gambling warning signs posted on walls and machines as the industry tries to show it can self-regulate - and in October, the Productivity Commission released its draft recommendations on gambling regulation. The final findings are to be released this February.

Those recommendations include $20 cash limits on machines, moving ATMs further from gaming rooms, setting a maximum bet of $1 per spin, and limiting machines to 120 spins per hour. All would have a dramatic impact on the big players.

In a bit of a did, Collins & Spencer couldn't help but note a subtle crack at management of Crown and Tatts in the RBS report. ''The recent negative track record of both Tatts and Crown for overseas acquisitions may see both companies look to focus their respective growth ambitions on the Australian market, where they have their core competency,'' stated RBS.

The recent track record of James Packer's Crown includes the core incompetency of blowing $1.7 billion over the past two years on US and British casino adventures. (James, it's RBS that says that, not the Media Man down the road at Bondi Beach).

Sydney's Star City Casino is said to be getting things back to normal, after the unions recent high profile industrial strike action, is looking for return on investment of their $500 in the redevelopment of what was once known as "The Pyrmont Workers Club", a negative term for the once ho hum presence of Star City. The sports bar which is worth millions contains $100,000s worth of audio and visual equipment, some of which is said to have got knocked around a bit in the recent Hulk Hogan - Ric Flair staged attack at the casino. Australian casinos only wish more of the attacks were staged as apposed to being real. Australian bricks and mortar casinos, Star City, Crown Casino and Burswood have all suffered more attacks and violent incidents on premise (or in the surrounding areas outdoors) than they care to mention over recent years. Little wonder online casinos continue to give Australian land based casinos a run for their money, a trend unlikely to be curbed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's crackdown on pokies in casinos, clubs and hotels.

Not to be outdone the igaming sector sector continues to make waves in the Asia Pacific and Australian region in a week that started with commencement of The Great Australian Internet Blackout protest. A number of media, poker and gaming related websites are taking part in the week long protest and approximately 200 sites have signed up, with approximately 1000 expected to sign up this week (after the effects of a Aussie Day beer piss up die down and everyone gets back to work).

PartyGaming signed up Aussie poker icon Tony G, flying the flag for Noble Poker (and soon PartyPoker), and Tony is expected to bring the fight to fellow Aussies Shane Warne and Jeff Fenech (888 - Pacific Poker) and 2005 WSOP champ, Joe Hachem. Party's also said to be getting into spread betting, with a deal on the go involving London Capital Group that may have branding and marketing considerations for PartyMarkets, but that's a wait and see situation. Party are also rumored to be exploring pro wrestling themed online slot games starting with the late, great, Andre The Giant, with a potential tie in to Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Sounds like a sure winner for the Australian rabid wresting and gambling fans.

European companies still see Australia as a land of opportunity, despite that dam internet filter and blacklist looming over Australian soil. Maybe the igaming firms have decided to get into Australia before the filter hits. PokerStars have signed up gaming account manager and PR queen bee, Sara Waller. Sara will be most likely working the Singapore - Australia route, with a bit of action out of Surfers Paradise. Our spies tell us Sara may be in a role similar to Rebecca Liggero's from Bodog fame, but no billionaire on her arm (not yet anyway).

Microgaming and Viper powered online casinos Roxy Palace and Casino Splendido have embarked on an online campaign into the Asia Pacific. Just how well they stack up again Microgaming's Captain Cooks Casino, an Aussie favorite, remains to been seen, but the new entrant has the new HellBoy online slot game while Captain Cooks does not (due to technical reasons).

We of course launched own www.mediamanaustralia.com website in an Art Of War maneuver to mark the Great Australian Internet Blackout. The site spots a modest amount of gaming and igaming coverage, however it covers in the region of a dozen different sectors, and is certainly ramping up on political content (thanks to hot fodder from "our friend" Senator Stephen Conroy and his master of the universe, Kevin Rudd). We only own 2 com.au websites out of fleet of 20 something sites, so what's all the fuss about Sirs Rudd and Conroy.

*The writer is the founder and director of Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company

*The writer owns shares in Crown Casino

*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911.com

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

PartyGaming Founder Anurag Dikshit Sells Remaining Stake - 26th January 2010

PartyCasino.com, PartyPoker.com, PartyBingo.com et al founder moves on

PartyGaming Plc founder Anurag Dikshit sold his remaining stake in the company through an accelerated bookbuild to institutional investors. The shares fell as much as 7 percent in London trading.

Dikshit sold 38.8 million shares at a price of 270 pence per share through his Crystal Ventures Ltd. vehicle, according to a statement distributed today via press release service, Business Wire.

The founder sold two-thirds of his stake in October. Dikshit wanted to "move away from the whole issue and industry of PartyGaming," his spokesman Shimon Cohen said at the time.

In December 2008, Dikshit pleaded guilty to illegal Internet gambling in the U.S. and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department in its probe of the company. He paid $300 million in fines and is scheduled to be sentenced this year.

PartyGaming fell as much as 20.5 pence to 273 pence, and traded at 275.2 pence, at 8:06 a.m., in London, giving the company a market value of 1.12 billion pounds ($1.82 billion).

PartyGaming was founded in 1997 by a group including Dikshit, who created its software platform. The company’s 2005 initial public offering made him the world’s 207th-richest person the following year, according to Forbes magazine.

The company is widely regarded as the world's leading igaming company and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

They are currently looking to return to the United States in a full capacity. PartyGaming have ramped up U.S exposure via their purchase of the World Poker Tour and have recently made a splash "down under" in Australia with their signing of poker professionals, Stewart Scott (2009 Aussie Millions champion) and Tony G (now representing Party's Noble Poker). Mike Sexton is global brand ambassador of Party's World Poker Tour.

PartyPoker is traditionally the companies most successful and popular brand, however in recent years PartyCasino.com has grabbed much of the news media and igaming media headlines with their exclusive Hollywood blockbuster themed games licensed from the likes of Marvel Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, StudioCanal, Edgar Rice Burroughs, MGM, Activision, Hasbro and International Game Technology.

PartyGaming have won a vast array of gaming and business awards and commendations including from iGaming Review, iGaming Business, Casino News Media and Media Man.

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Betfair rumoured to be planning London Stock Exchange float - 26th January 2010

Online gambling exchange Betfair is understood to have appointed Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to advise on a £1.5 billion flotation.

The company, which is backed by Japanese lender Softbank, is thought to be examining an autumn listing which would potentially net co-founders Ed Wray and Andrew Black hundreds of millions of pounds.

The news will renew hopes of a spree of initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2010 as private equity owners take advantage of calmer markets to exit investments and company managements look to raise fresh capital.

Last week, holiday services company Travelport announced its intention to hold a £1.1 billion IPO on the London Stock Exchange.

Other well-known names in the frame are retailer New Look, which has been eyeing a £1.7 billion flotation since last year, and Merlin Entertainment, the owner of the London Eye and Legoland.

Further down the market capitalisation scale are Blackburn-based Promethean, which provides interactive whiteboards and educational tools for schools, computer games company Codemasters and semiconductor manufacturer Icera, all of which are mulling IPOs.

Betfair offers a twist on online punting by allowing gamblers to bet against one another on sports matches and horse racing. It also hosts internet poker and casino games such as blackjack and roulette.

Last year, the company reported a 29 per cent increase in earnings to £72m on the back of 27 per cent higher sales at £303m. Becoming a public entity would put it in a position to consolidate smaller players.

Responding to suggestions of a flotation in the third quarter, a spokesperson for Betfair said: "This is only speculation, and we do not comment on speculation."

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Virgin Games News: Virgin Casino And Virgin Bingo Gets Monty's Millions™

Virgin Games News: Virgin Casino And Virgin Bingo Gets Monty's Millions™

Monty's Millions™ by Wagerworks/Barcrest

Monty's Millions™ has a whole host of exciting features: 40 paylines for more action, Stacked Wilds for amazingly big wins, and a super-rich Free Spins bonus. On every reel there are stacks of four or more Wild symbols. These Wild symbols can line up to trigger a huge number of simultaneous wins.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

PartyCasino Wins Media Man Online Casino Award, by Greg Tingle - January 2010

PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Roxy Palace, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino, however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Last month PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Rambo, The Godfather, Sinatra, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $1 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Melon Madness, Tarzan, High Noon and Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that pro wrestling themed online slot games are in the works and that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 3 months. Names been thrown around include Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, but those names are only rumors, however a print feature did showcase Andre earlier in the year, indicating that there is substance to the rumor mill. In any event, PartyCasino already has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

In other exciting PartyGaming news, PartyPoker.com is currently running qualifiers to the L.A Poker Classic in the United States. PartyGaming's recent purchase of the World Poker Tour company and assets enables PartyGaming to once again accept American based poker players, and they are hopefully of soon accepting American casino players also. Both websites accept most European, South American and Australian players.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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PartyPoker Offering WPT Invitational Seats - 23rd January 2010

It’s the biggest celebrity tournament in the world and PartyPoker is giving its players a chance to grab a seat for just a handful of PartyPoints.

The World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational is set to take place Feb. 20-21 in L.A. and PartyPoker will give away a total of 15 packages worth $3,000 each in a qualifying final on Jan. 31.

“This tournament will be filled with Hollywood stars and poker gods,” said a PartyPoker spokesman.

“The event is invitation only and PartyPoker.com can get you on the exclusive guest list. To win a package for the WPT Celebrity Invitational all you need to do is use PartyPoints to enter the daily qualifiers.”

PartyPoker is running two daily qualifiers, one of which costs 10 PartyPoints and sees the top three players qualify for the final. The second will cost you 25 PartyPoints with the top 15 advancing to the final.

Now in its fourth year the WPT Celebrity Invitational has seen celebrities like Paris Hilton, Michael Vartan, Don Cheadle, Jon Hamm, Ray Romano, Mena Suvari, Jason Alexander and Brad Garrett trade the red carpet for the felt at the Commerce Casino.

The WPT is guaranteeing a prize pool of $200,000 for this year’s Invitational with an extra $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship in April going to the winner.

This year the tournament will offer $200 rebuys in the first two levels with all proceeds from the rebuy period going towards the Chrysalis organization, a group that assists economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals.

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Australian Media Man Backs Up Gambling Lists For Sale Story, by Greg Tingle - 25th January 2010

As reported by Gambling911 last October, gamblers details continue to be for sale to the higher bidder.

In the latest high profile development Britain's newspaper The Mail On Sunday has been offered a comprehensive list of 10,000 customer details from top gambling brand Ladbrokes, in addition to database access details of 4.5 million people.

Yesterday The Mail advised Ladbrokes of the approach and gave the customer files to the Information Commissioner's Office.

The police have been called and Ladbrokes has began contacting customers to let them know that their personal and financial details are safe, which has a touch of irony to it, given the nature of the attempted crime.

The person attempting to sell the list gave his name as "Daniel" from DSS Enterprises, in Melbourne, Australia, and claimed to have once worked for Ladbrokes.

The gambling records provided such information as Home Addresses, Gambling History, Customer Account Numbers, Date Of Birth, Phone Numbers and e-Mail Addresses!

Media Man can also confirm that we have received some sample lists of player details over the years, however we never buys lists and do everything buy the book. When lists come through we either delete them or pass details onto the Australian Federal Police (Australian High Tech Crime Centre) depending upon the amount of information contained in the lists.

Further Developments:

Yesterday Daniel advised "I have no access to any Ladbrokes database or any other information. I provided analytical services to them for 18 months during 2007 and 2008. Unless y name, my signature, my fingerprint is one anything, it has nothing to do with me. I had a call from a senior person at Ladbrokes this morning. I did not take the call. I don't know what they are ringing me about".

The Mail on Sunday received an email from Daniel yesterday advising that he was terminating the negotiations and warning against passing his details onto authorities.

Australia's Media Man will be further examining lists they have been offered for sale and will be sending more details to the Australian Federal Police and Gambling911 as the international scope of these e-crimes continues to be uncovered.

When I worked for PSINet Australia circa 2001 we were offered lists for sale from time to time but nothing containing the personal and sensitive details that have come to light in the Ladbrokes case. Media Man staff and management have never and will never buy lists from anyone. We are delighted to be able to do our bit in curbing the alarming trend of gambling lists for sale. We know that some readers and authorities may have been skeptical of previous Gambling Lists For Sale news stories but we can confirm these sort of e-crimes are happening.

Media Man's most trusted gaming and igaming brands: PartyGaming, PartyCasino, PartyPoker, Virgin Games, Betfair, BetUS and Microgaming.

*The writer is the founder and director of Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company

*The writer is an Australian based special contributor for Gambling911

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

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PartyGaming hits the jackpot - 22nd January 2010

Gambling on a possible £2bn-plus merger in the world of online gaming proved a favourite pastime for excited punters.

Shareholders of PartyGaming hit the jackpot as the shares shot up to 297.7p and closed 16.7p higher at 2851/2p after Bwin, Europe's biggest online betting and gaming group, revealed it is in merger talks with the Gibraltar-based online gaming giant.

Bwin said the talks are 'no indication' that there will be a merger while PartyGaming grudgingly added it is in talks with a 'number of companies' about consolidation and discussions are at 'a preliminary stage'. However, as far as professional speculators are concerned, it would be a marriage made in heaven and a deal must be on the cards.

PartyGaming was once the most valuable publicly traded gambling stock in the world when it was worth £6.4bn in August 2005, after floating at 115p in June of that year. The US Department of Justice's clampdown on internet gambling in 2007 then trashed its valuation as did some controversial share sales by its founder directors.

It is now back on the recovery track and a recent statement revealed that trading since the end of September 2009 has been solid, with a return to sequential revenue growth. It has also announced an exclusive five-year agreement to provide an online gaming platform for poker and casino games in Denmark for Danske Spil.

Back in November all the industry gossip was about a possible Bwin offer for 888 Holdings, 4.9p better at 116p. 888 appears a harder nut to crack as brothers Avi and Aaron Skaked own 50pc of the equity through family trusts. Another pair of brothers, Shay and Ron Ben-Yitzhak, control a further 11pc.

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Saturday, January 23, 2010

PartyGaming talks up merger prospects - 22nd January 2010

*Online poker group in discussion with sports betting rival Bwin

*PartyGaming merger would deliver commanding position

The online poker group PartyGaming is understood to be in talks with its Austrian sports betting rival Bwin about a merger that could be worth more than £2bn and give it some much-needed clout in internet sports betting.

The two companies are believed to have been in discussions since last summer and there was intense speculation about a deal before Christmas. But after a press report on Bwin's interest, PartyGaming was forced to admit to negotiations.

The company also said it was talking to other potential partners, pushing its shares up more than 6% to 285.5p on hopes of a bid battle.

"The board of PartyGaming confirms that it is continuing to hold discussions with a number of companies in the gaming sector regarding potential consolidation opportunities," the firm said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. "As all such discussions remain at a preliminary stage, there can be no certainty as to whether or not such discussions will result in any form of transaction."

The Austrian financial magazine Format quoted Hannes Androsch, Bwin's chairman and largest shareholder, as saying: "Talks are going on but we don't know yet whether they will succeed."

PartyGaming, owner of the PartyPoker website, is keen to be involved in the consolidation of online gambling. Last July the company, which gets almost 80 million players a day, announced the takeover of Cashcade, owner of Foxy Bingo, for just under £100m. In November it snapped up the assets of WPT Enterprises, organiser of the World Poker Tour.

Merging with Bwin would give Party Gaming a commanding position in sports betting. The Austrian company is not the only potential partner with which it is talking, although PartyGaming refused to name other potential partners. London-listed 888 Holdings and Sportingbet, and Sweden's Unibet, are all understood to be looking at consolidation opportunities.

The acquisition of WPT, meanwhile, signalled PartyGaming's desire to return to the US, a market that has caused some real headaches for the firm in the past.

Having shot into the FTSE 100 when it floated in 2005 at a value of £5bn, which netted its four founders almost £1bn, the company became embroiled in a fierce fight with the US authorities when they cracked down on online gambling. Party Gaming had to close its US operation and then last April it agreed a $105m (£71.3m) settlement with prosecutors there to reflect the proceeds of the internet gambling services it provided from 1997 to 2006, when PartyGaming offered internet gaming to US players, including real-money poker and casino gaming. The company admitted that even before the 2006 crackdown – which forced it to abandon the US market – some of its third-party activities had broken US law.

Analysts noted a number of strategic and cost-saving benefits from a merger with another company. Numis Securities' analyst Wyn Ellis said consolidation was seen as largely inevitable in the young online gaming industry and there were savings to be had from combining technology and other operations. "Everybody has been talking to everybody," he said.

He noted that a combination of Party Gaming and Bwin would give them the top slots in online casinos and bingo, the best sporting bets book and enhanced liquidity in poker. "The strategic logic is very strong … It fits together neatly," he added.

Ellis said merger talk also reflected gaming companies' move into business-to-business projects where they provide products and services to third parties such as media companies wanting to launch gaming offshoots. That focus would only increase as more countries start to regulate and issue licences, which are likely to go to the big incumbents in those markets. Established firms can then use that position to raise business from newcomers.

Talk of a Bwin tie-up for Party Gaming follows Thursday's announcement of a deal between Aim-listed gaming software firm Playtech and the Nasdaq-listed lottery operator Scientific Games in the US.

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PartyGaming and PartyCasino News Media Update, by Greg Tingle - 22nd January 2010

PartyGaming Plc is in talks with Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG about a possible merger, the Austrian online bookmaker’s head of investor relations Konrad Sveceny said. The company is also entering into a business deal with London Capital Group.

Partygaming shares rallied 6.2 percent to 285.5 pence, the highest closing level since June 2008.

Earlier this week Party's casino brand, PartyCasino.com, further enhanced its customer protection by incorporating two-factor authentication via VASCO Data Security.

The most popular online slot games at PartyCasino.com as of late include Rambo, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Cleopatra, Tarzan, Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, Melon Madness, King Kong, Mega Fortune Wheel and Wheel Of Fortune.

A live casino experience is available for a range of table games via Live Dealer and the company is working on "Avatar" type technology. Party's in-house game development team is known as "The Games Studio".

PartyGaming, PartyCasino, PartyPoker and PartyPartners will have staff and management attending the LAC (London Affiliate Conference) from the 28th to 31st January. Insiders tip that Party are in line for a number of awards and commendations. Last year Party scooped a number of awards including some from eGaming Review. Some of the strong points of the brand include financial stability, game offerings, PartyPoints player rewards system, security, excellent customer service and ethics.

In the near future, most likely in approximately one week, PartyGaming will be making news announcements regarding PartyMarkets, PartyBets and further developments with its casino and poker offerings. In addition Party will be releasing more details as to its potential consolidation opportunities.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com have made the shortlist for this months Media Man - Casino News Media - Global Gaming Directory "Online Casino of the Month" and "Online Poker Website of the Month".

Jackpots available include The Big One, Gold Mega Jackpot, Marvel Hero Jackpot and the Super Hero Jackpot.

Australian players are welcome at all PartyGaming game websites. PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com do not accept U.S players at this time, however the company is hopeful of soon providing a full casino and poker experience for American players. Most games can be played for free or played for money and a vast array of language and currency options are available around the clock.

The company is looking to expand on its licensing deals with already include the likes of Marvel Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, StudioCanal, IGT, Hasbro, Activision, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

PartyGaming is widely regarded as the world's leading igaming company and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They have been in business since 1997.

*The writer has a b2b relationship with a number of PartyGaming brands, as the do with dozens of companies in the gaming, igaming, entertainment and media industry.

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Friday, January 22, 2010

PartyPartners achieves eCOGRA affiliate trust seal

20th January 2010

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LONDON, England -(PRESS RELEASE) - PartyPartners.com, the affiliate program for several leading online gambling brands in the PartyGaming plc group, has successfully passed the on-site inspection and monitoring requirements of player protection and standards body eCOGRA.

The program is now entitled to display the eCOGRA Affiliate Trust Seal, which certifies that it observes best practice operational standards of fairness and efficiency in dealing with affiliate marketers, and is independently reviewed on a regular basis.

eCOGRA chief executive Andrew Beveridge said that the Affiliate Trust seal is awarded contingent on the applicant company meeting clearly defined international standards and undergoing a comprehensive on-site inspection and audit of its business systems by a professionally qualified eCOGRA compliance team.

"Among the criteria for accreditation, applicant programs must show that affiliate revenue is calculated fairly and accurately, that payments are prompt, and that there are appropriate controls in place to accurately link players to affiliates," he said. "Achieving accreditation such as PartyPartners has done requires professional commitment and impeccable administrative and business systems."

eCOGRA compliance team leader Sean Roberts, a fully qualified Chartered Accountant who managed the audit at PartyPartners, said that it had been a significant project in his experience.

"This is a major and respected tier one international gambling group with top online casino, poker, bingo and sportsbetting brands, all using the PartyPartners affiliate program to manage relationships with thousands of affiliates around the world," he said.

"We were impressed by the competency of both staff and systems, which we thoroughly tested at full capacity to determine efficiency and consistency levels. In my opinion it is among the most professionally managed businesses I have encountered in hundreds of eCOGRA reviews and audits at major Internet companies."

Jim Ryan, chief executive officer at PartyGaming said he was pleased but not surprised that PartyPartners had done so well in the accreditation process.

"We have a really good management team in place there, which recognises the importance of our affiliates and their contribution to our success," he said. "The achievement of this industry-respected accreditation is an affirmation of our full commitment to operational efficiency and integrity in this critical area of our business.

"The eCOGRA certification is achieved through practical and professional testing and inspection, and I am pleased that we have achieved the high standards required," he added. "It reinforces our market positioning as a serious affiliate program giving affiliates significant revenue opportunities through a trusted system with outstanding brands.

"It's important to have this externally audited."

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