Business & Financial

Dismal Outlook for Atlantic City Casinos Good for Online Gambling Prospects

The New Jersey state Assembly is set to vote Monday on a measure that would legalize online gambling.  The measure is expected to move through the Assembly and Senate without problem as there is little opposition this second go-around.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/16/2012

Social Gambling & Gaming Summit Kicks Off in LA Today: Gambling911 is in the House

Gambling911.com is here in beautiful Marina Del Rey, California to take part in this week’s Social Gambling & Gaming Summit that kicks off this morning (Thursday December 13) with keynote speaker Niranjan Nagar, Head of Games and Apps for Facebook.

The Social Gaming & Gambling Summit is a conference focused on the intersection of mobile gaming, immersive worlds, real-life brands and social networking.

Submitted by Payton on, Dec/13/2012

IGT Poker Network Shuts Down for Good

The IGT Poker Network has shut down its European online poker network for good.  The company still plans to offer Internet casino products such as bingo and slots as well as sports wagering. 

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Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/13/2012

Zynga Elite Slots Announced Ahead of Real Money Gambling

On Wednesday, the world’s largest free-to-play online poker company, introduced free slots ahead of anticipated real money Web gambling. 

The new game will be called “Zynga Elite Slots”. 

"We've been very focused on this," said Josh Gause, one of the game’s designers, in an interview with CNET.

"We've taken the visuals very seriously, and we've taken the sound very seriously as well," said another designer Nathan Ratcliffe.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/12/2012

Horseshoe Casino Set to Open in Cincinnati

The highly anticipated $400 million Horseshoe Casino is set to open its doors on March 4.  The establishment will employ some 2000 people. 

The Horseshoe Cincinnati is the fourth and final casino approved by voters in 2009 via a constitutional amendment.  It will be operated by Caesar’s Entertainment. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/12/2012

888 Launches Real Money Facebook Platform

888.com, which operates the 6th largest online poker room in the world, has announced the launch of “real money” online poker on Facebook in the UK.  They are the second operator after Bingo Friendzy to do so.

888 Holdings’ shares rose 3.7 per cent to 113.25p in morning trading.

Itai Freiberger, 888’s chief operating officer, said: “888 has long recognised the potential for social gaming. Our Facebook freemium [play for fun] offerings have found a significant audience, and we are very excited by the opportunity that real money gaming on Facebook provides.”

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/12/2012

Fox Poker Club in London Abruptly Shuts Down: Will Reopen Spring 2013

Without much advance notice, the Fox Poker Club in London has closed its doors but will reopen next Spring as a newly named Genting casino.

The Fox Poker Club, which is currently operated by Genting, tweeted the announcement at around 5 pm local time. 

Fox Poker Club is now CLOSED. Thanks to all of our customers for supporting the club over the past two years.

More announcements quickly followed: 

The club may be closed but the location will be refurbished and reborn in Spring 2013 as an exciting new Genting venue

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/10/2012

New Jersey Casino Revenue Record Loss From Sandy: State Prepares for Online Bets

The numbers are in and they are terrible.  Super Storm Sandy not only ravaged the New Jersey coastline, it also crippled the state's all-important casino sector.

Revel was among the worst hit with revenues down 33 percent from the $9.3 million generated in October of last year.

Revel exhausted most of its mid-August $100 million credit line as of the end of November. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/10/2012

Former Ladbrokes and OpenBet Directors to Launch Locus Gaming in January 2013

Ed Andrewes and Mick d'Ancona have created Locus Gaming and are putting the final touches on their first B2C product to be launched in January 2013. The company are keeping a tight lid on exact details of the forthcoming product but they have received an important boost by gaining a licence from the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission.

Submitted by Press Release on, Dec/10/2012

Black Chip Poker Move Will Result in Over 1000 Peak Players to Winning Network

The numbers are starting to come in and they are significant as it applies to Black Chip Poker’s move to the Winning Poker Network.  BCP switched from the Merge Gaming Network to the Winning Poker Network on Monday. 

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Submitted by Ace King on, Dec/07/2012

PokerStars Looking to Buy Atlantic Club Casino in Atlantic City

The Wall Street Journal was reporting Thursday evening that the world’s largest real money online poker room, PokerStars, was looking at potentially buying an Atlantic City casino in anticipation of Internet gambling becoming legalized in New Jersey. 

The property of interest is the Atlantic Club Casino, which Stars hopes to acquire from investment group Colony Capital.  The casino reportedly took in just shy of $110 million in the past year. 

A bill to legalize online gambling in the Garden State could become law as early as the end of this month (December 2012). 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/06/2012

Lock Poker Re-Introduces ‘Happy Hour’ With Double Points

Monday, Wednesday and Friday between the hours of 2 pm and 6 pm GMT will be happy hour at Lock Poker. During this time period, double points will be rewarded to qualified customers.

This was previously an enormously successful promotional campaign that Lock has been working to revive since starting its own online poker network over the summer. 

“We are excited to be bringing back Happy Hour,” said an ecstatic Jennifer Larson, CEO of Lock Poker. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Dec/06/2012

Baaaaad Actors: Clause in NJ Online Gambling Bill Could Mean Return of PokerStars to US

Online gambling companies that have targeted US citizens up to now could be allowed back in the US if a bill to legalize Web gambling in the state of New Jersey is passed and signed into law by Governor Chris Christie.  That means PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, both of which left the US market in April 2011 following a massive crackdown by federal authorities. 

The Governor is widely expected to sign the bill when it arrives at his desk some time later this month or early January. 

From PokerFuse.com:

Submitted by Ace King on, Dec/06/2012

Zynga Shares Soar Thursday on News of Real Money Online Poker Move

The world’s largest free-to-play online poker company announced in after hours Wednesday that it had applied for a license to operate real money online poker with the state of Nevada.

Thursday, stocks shot up to 5 percent by mid afternoon Thursday.

Analysts remained cautious regarding the news nonetheless.  

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/06/2012

Bally Technology Looks to Acquire Online Poker Game Developer 3G Studios

(Reuters) - Slot-machine maker Bally Technologies is exploring a bid for online poker game developer 3G Studios, in what would be the latest deal to combine online gambling and casino gaming on social media, said two sources with knowledge of the talks.

One source said several Bally Technologies executives were scheduled to visit 3G's offices in Reno, Nevada on Tuesday to determine whether to make a formal bid.

Submitted by Reuters on, Dec/06/2012

Replacement Checks for TopBet.com Customers Now Arriving

Good news for TopBet.com customers as some have reported the receipt of new replacement checks following a series of payouts that resulted in “insufficient funds” (i.e. checks bouncing).

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Gambling911.com reported earlier in the week that TopBet.com had lost one of its processors, a common industry problem facing US-based players.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Dec/05/2012

Zynga Applies for Nevada Online Poker License

The world’s largest free-to-play online poker site, Zynga, has applied for a Nevada online poker site that the company said could take up to a year before they are up and running to accept real money from US customers, or at least those in the state of Nevada.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/05/2012

Bwin.party Head Jim Ryan Steps Down

Bwin.party CEO Jim Ryan announced he will be resigning from the world’s largest online gambling firm in January.  Norbert Teufelberger, who acted joint CEO, will assume sole responsibilities for that position.

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The publicly traded Gibraltar-based betting company, a merger between PartyGaming and Austrian bookmaker bwin, will proceed with a single CEO for the foreseeable future beginning January 15.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/05/2012

Wynn, Sands Fears as China Begins Crackdown on Macau

Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands witnessed a decline in early trading Tuesday as China continues its crackdown on the gambling Mecca of Macau.

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In recent months, Chinese authorities have conducted a series of raids aimed at curbing money laundering in the former Portuguese colony.

From Rueters:

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/04/2012

Casino Kingpin Sheldon Adelson Spent $150 Million on US Presidential Election

One of the GOP’s biggest donors, Sheldon Adelson, reportedly spent $150 million in an effort to try and get Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney elected, it was revealed on Monday.

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Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/03/2012

Black Chip Poker Now on Winning Poker Network

The migration from Merge Gaming to the Winning Poker Network is now complete for Black Chip Poker

Submitted by C Costigan on, Dec/03/2012

Top Bet Checks Bouncing Following Loss of Payment Processor

Concerned sports bettors have taken to the message boards complaining of checks issued by online sportsbook Top Bet bouncing (insufficient funds). 

The culprit is a loss of their payment processor, which has also prevented most new depositors from coming on board as well. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Dec/02/2012

Montreal Poker Hits The Big Time, WPT Event Breaks Record

Last week’s WPT Montreal demonstrated that there is definitely a demand for big time poker events in Canada, home to Gambling911.com.  

ESPN’s Andrew Feldman noted that there wasn’t a whole lot of optimism heading into the 2012 WPT Montreal, mainly because a number of other major poker events had flopped throughout the country even after Canadian Jonathan Duhamel won the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event. 

The 2012 WPT Montreal was anything but a flop!

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Dec/02/2012

Black Chip Poker Moves to the Winning Poker Network

Black Chip Poker, Merge Gaming and the Winning Poker Network have jointly announced today that effective December 3rd, 2012, Black Chip Poker, its players and affiliates will move off the Merge Gaming poker network. Following that, Black Chip Poker will begin operations on the Winning Poker Network.

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Submitted by Press Release on, Nov/30/2012

Zynga Restructures Agreement With Facebook: Closer to Offering Real Money Poker

The largest social-gaming company, Zynga, depends on the largest social network and vice versa, Facebook, writes Dean Takahashi of Venturebeat.  But both appear to be going their separate ways as the two companies have restructured their contracts whereby Zynga can now begin offering its social gaming platforms to other companies.  Zynga, as such, is one step closer to offering “real money” online gambling including poker. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Nov/30/2012

Full Tilt Poker Executive Director Accused in Ponzi Scheme Settles With DOJ

Rafe Furst, one of three individuals accused of orchestrating an elaborate ponzi scheme while on the Board of Directors of Full Tilt Poker, has settled with US law enforcement and will now surrender his Swiss bank account and pay a $150,000 fine. 

In return the US Government has dropped the civil money laundering penalty of $11,706,323.96.  A portion of those funds are contained within the Swiss bank account.

Submitted by Ace King on, Nov/29/2012

Omni Casino Celebrates 15 Years Online: One of the Industry’s First

Omni Casino was established in November 1997 as one of the first online casinos and is the flagship brand of Peak Interactive. Since the beginning, Omni Casino has focused on providing their members a pure casino entertainment experience as the #1 most trusted and secure casino.

Submitted by Press Release on, Nov/29/2012

Steve Wynn Wants Casino in Everett, Massachusetts

Casino mogul Steve Wynn toured a proposed new locale for a casino in Everett, Massachusetts, referring to the region as a “natural for a casino”.  He should know. 

“It seems like a natural place for another great hotel,” said Wynn, whose properties include the Wynn Resort, Bellagio and Mirage in Las Vegas. “We may be a very positive addition to Everett. But we’re very early in this process.”

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Nov/28/2012

BlackChip Poker Leaving Merge Gaming Network

As has been rumored in recent weeks, BlackChip Poker, one of the premier Merge Gaming Network brands, will be finding a new home.  That announcement is expected in the coming days.

BlackChip Poker confirmed Wednesday it will not be allowing customers to take part in the hugely popular Poker Maximus III that kicks off November 29. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Nov/28/2012

Trophy Vegas Social Gaming Site Takes Plunge Into Real Money Casino Space

Trophy Vegas, in conjunction with its Facebook application Trophy Slots, is the latest social gaming site to begin offering real money casino play.

Trophy Slots was launched earlier this year as a social slots game, featuring 10 popular slots titles.  To date, the Trophy Slots Facebook page had 37,803 likes.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Nov/28/2012

Breaking News

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