Gambling Companies

Gambling Companies, Gambling Stocks

Zynga Adds Bingo Game to Facebook

Gaming powerhouse Zynga has just introduced a brand new Bingo game.

The new Zynga bingo game is played like traditional bingo, Where one tries to get five consecutive numbers in a row or all four corners.

Bingo is one of the most successful games in the real cash world of online gambling.  Its introduction follows news that Zynga is exploring opportunities to enter the real cash online gambling foray once the industry becomes legalized in the US.

Zynga also employs the social networking aspect of Facebook with features such as real time chat and themed rooms. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/26/2012

Online Poker Traffic Down 2 Percent This Week: Playtech Poker Revenue Down 20 Percent

Real cash online poker play activity over the past week was down 2 percent.  Among the top 10 sites, decliners outpaced advancers seven to three

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/25/2012

Playtech Wants New US Partner in Bid to Lead Internet Poker Sector

Playtech, one of the leading software providers for the online gambling and Internet poker sector, revealed Tuesday it was in talks with a number of potential partners to begin offering legalized Web gambling in the United States. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/24/2012

iPoker Network Latest to Change Rake Structure

The world’s number three largest real cash online poker network has announced its plans to change the site’s rake structure beginning in March.

iPoker Network will be shifting from a dealt distribution to a weighted rate.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/24/2012

Bet24 Poker Signs on 7 New Pros

Scandinavian online poker room Bet24 has brought on 7 new pros, one of whom has won more than $1 million in live tournaments thus far. 

Bet24 appears to be following a similar model as that of Lock Poker, a Gambling911.com marquee sponsor that has bucked the past year’s trend by developing its professional player team while other competing sites continue cutting back. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/24/2012

Scientific Games Shares Fall 10 Percent: Relationship With Playtech Turbulent

Scientific Games Corp (Nasdaq: SGMS) witnessed a sharp decline in its share price on Monday following reports it may be ending a joint venture with Playtech, one of online gambling’s leading software providers and poker networks. 

eGaming Review claimed the joint venture between the two was reduced to a "strategic partnership" from a full-blown joint venture. More news was forthcoming.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/23/2012

PartyPoker Pulls Away From The Pack

For the first time in a long time, PartyPoker has built a solid lead over closest rival the iPoker Network.

For the past six months, the two rooms have alternated between the number two and number three spots in terms of global traffic. 

Kicking off this week, Party now holds a comfortable lead, averaging close to 600 more real cash players than iPoker on average.

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Jan/23/2012

No Misconduct in Washington D.C. Online Poker Vote

The D.C. inspector general has determined that there is insufficient evidence” of any D.C. Council members “acted improperly or violated standards of conduct” as part of their vote to legalize online poker in the district.  The Washington Post revealed these findings

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/23/2012

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission 80 Percent Success Rate: No Mention of UB.com

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) this week boasted about their impressive 80 percent success record for complaint resolution.  That left many a poker player scratching their respective heads.  UB.com and Absolute Poker, which was forced out of the US market last April following a series of US Justice Department indictments ranging from conspiracy to money laundering, has yet to pay any of their US-based customers.  Company bank accounts were also froze as a result of the investigation. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/22/2012

Zen Entertainment Adds New Suite of MAC and PC Compatible Browser-Based Applications

Zen Entertainment (ZEN) has announced that its brand partners, including South Point Casino’s South Point Poker website, can now offer their customers the opportunity to play through a new suite of MAC and PC-compatible browser-based applications.  The network is expected to become iPad compatible in the coming weeks.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/21/2012

Poker News: Zynga Shares Up 6.1 Percent on News of ‘Real Money’ Play: Reid i-Poker Insertion Plan

The world’s largest online poker room, Zynga, witnessed a 6.1 percent surge in its share price on Friday following news it was in talks with another party to provide a “real money play” platform.  Zynga, which also produces popular games like Farmville, is currently free to play on Facebook.   

Zynga already claims to have some 30 million monthly users.

A statement released by the company on Friday read:

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Jan/20/2012

PartyPoker.com, Moneybookers Named in MegaUpload Piracy Indictment

For an industry rattled by US Justice Department domain seizures in recent years, it may not have been too much of a shock seeing PartyPoker.com mentioned as part of the much publicized indictment of video and image hosting website, Megaupload.com.  The site was taken down by US authorities on Thursday with principles in the company charged with conspiracy. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/20/2012

Poker News: Zynga in Talks to Offer ‘Real Money’ Poker, MSNBC on UB.com Player Plight

Here is a recap of poker news headlines as we head into the Friday afternoon hours January 20, 2012.   Among the headlines, the mainstream press is now taking notice of a lawsuit filed against UB.com while Zynga confirmed it is in conversations with other parties to offer “real money” online poker. 

Cake-Square-010712.jpg

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/20/2012

Power Struggle at Wynn: Another Ugly Divorce Battle

Have you all been following the power struggle at Wynn Resorts Inc?

It seems their largest shareholder, Japanese pachinko mogul Kazuo Okada, recently nominated up to four people to the board of the U.S. casino company.  He is currently suing founder Steve Wynn and accuses the Vegas casino titan of blocking access to records related to his investment in the company as well as objecting to an “inappropriate” $135 million company donation to the University of Macau. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/19/2012

Ladbrokes Buys Stakes in US-Based Stadium Technology Group

One of the United Kingdom’s largest bookmakers has bought a 65 per cent stake in US-based Stadium Technology Group, which specializes in sports betting technology and is used by a number of Las Vegas sportsbooks. 

“The size of the US market and potential for positive regulatory change in the coming years make it a sensible place to establish a presence,” said Richard Glynn, Ladbrokes’ chief executive. “Stadium Technology is already one of the key software suppliers to casinos in Nevada and Delaware and it has the potential to expand.”

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/19/2012

US Attorney Still Bowing to Full Tilt Poker, Pixie Dust Fairies

We at Gambling911.com simply cannot take it any more and apparently neither can much of the rest of the online poker sector.

After months of reporting that a white knight had come to the rescue of Full Tilt Poker players who have been waiting upwards of nine months to get paid and how that white knight was supposedly going to set the US Feds straight by entering into some type of deal to ensure players get paid as two of its executives remain on the lam, the industry is finally coming to its senses and refraining from publication of such banter. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/18/2012

Forbes: Online Poker Would be Huge for Zynga

Forbes.com published a report Wednesday afternoon suggesting that legalized online gambling, specifically online poker, would be huge for Zynga.  Its free Texas Hold’em product is the biggest in the world. 

Cake-Square-010712.jpg

Following its Initial Public Offering just a few weeks ago, Zynga’s stock performance has failed to impress. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/18/2012

What is Going on at PokerStars? Company Parts Ways with EPT CEO John Duthie

Yet another high ranking executive from the world’s largest real cash online poker firm, PokerStars, has left the company.  This time it’s European Poker Tour CEO John Duthie. 

His successor has already been announced as EPT President Edgar Stuchly.   

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/18/2012

PPN Poker Returns After Leaving Players in Limbo for Four Months

There appears to be some good news involving Chuck Kidd’s Poker Pros Network (PPN).  After announcing more than four months ago it would be leaving the Cake Poker Network, PPN stopped accepting players and stopped paying them as well.  PPN Poker claimed it was in the middle of creating its own website/network.   

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/17/2012

PokerStars Assembles Panel to Meet With Disgruntled Players: CEO Exit Still a Mystery

You can’ fault PokerStars, the world’s largest real money poker room, for at least trying.  It was for Stars probably the worst two weeks they’ve had from a public relations standpoint since the company’s founder was indicted for money laundering and bank fraud back in April of last year. 

News broke earlier in the month that players were organizing a mass protest of the website after Stars changed its rake structure (switched to a weighted-contributed method) and rewards program.  PokerStars responded by banning the protesters from playing. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/17/2012

Online Poker Traffic Stagnant for Week

Following a huge increase in online poker traffic last week, there was virtually zero growth during mid-January.

PokerScout.com reported a 0.1 percent net decrease. The good news, among the top 10 sites and networks, advancers outnumbered decliners seven to three.

Merge Gaming Network gained 3 percent for the week as its bad beat jackpot rose to more than $1 million.

Microgaming.fr moved up to ninth place ahead of PokerStars.fr.

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Jan/17/2012

LowVig.com Reduced Juice a Bargain for Bettors During 2012 NFL Playoffs

Experienced sports bettors are celebrating the New Year with toasts, returning to the days of ‘reduced juice’ on NFL and NBA betting at high limits at the new sportsbook, LowVig.com.  The online betting site is currently offering low vig for the 2012 NFL Playoffs.  You can view lines here.

Submitted by Guest on, Jan/17/2012

Federal RICO Complaint Filed Against UB.com

Eight high stakes poker players are named as plaintiffs in a federal RICO complaint against UB.com (formerly UltimateBet), claiming the company stole $20 million by exploiting security flaws.  Players were allowed to see others hole cards, the complaint alleges. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/17/2012

Gabi Campos: The PokerStars CEO That Wasn't

PokerStars late Monday confirmed that its CEO for nearly two years, Gabi Campos, has jumped ship following the exodus of a handful of other executives and poker pros who were part of the world’s largest online poker firm. 

Officials from the company issued the following statement to the news media late Monday after reports first surfaced on Pokerati.com:

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/16/2012

Turmoil at PokerStars as CEO is Out

Gabi Campos is out as CEO of PokerStars.  Campos joined the world’s largest real cash online poker company in 2010.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/16/2012

Victor Chandler Re-brands Itself to Bet Victor

The “Gentleman’s Bookmaker” is trying to get a strong foothold in the exploding online poker market through a re-branding of the Victor Chandler name to “Bet Victor”.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/16/2012

Betfair Signs Olympics Deal, Casinos in Miami: Who Needs ‘Em? More…

The largest sports betting exchange in the world, Betfair, has signed a deal with the International Olympics Committee.  Has nothing to do with advertising or sponsoring athletes, it’s all about monitoring bets and ensuring a corruption-free Olympics this year in London. 

From Gambling Kingz:

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/16/2012

Merge Bad Beat Jackpot Hits at Over $1 Million

Gambling911.com has been paying very close attention to the Merge Bad Beat Jackpot as we have a few sponsor online poker rooms that utilize the network.  It finally it on Sunday. 

The Merge Bad Beat Jackpot has once again gone off.  It had been building for a while and we had finally cracked the $1 million mark again before it was hit.  Here is the hand ID for reference - #47082389-318

Submitted by Guest on, Jan/16/2012

Merge Poker Moves to the Number 8 Position in Terms of Worldwide Traffic

Merge Poker had been sitting at number 10 in terms of overall worldwide traffic pretty shortly after re-entering the North American market this past fall.  Since that time, Merge has been creeping up towards the top 5, landing in the number 8 spot this week. 

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Jan/14/2012

Double Down Interactive (DDI) Acquired by Video Poker Giant International Game Technology for $500M

An acquisition of Seattle-based Double Down Interactive (DDI) by video poker giant International Game Technology was announced after the markets closed on Thursday.  The deal was for $500 million.

From All Things D:

The deal includes $250 million in cash, $85 million in retention payments over the next two years and up to $165 million in cash payable over the next three years subject to Double Down meeting certain targets.

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Jan/12/2012

Breaking News