Online Casino Gambling

Known as Rent Spel or Fair Play, this Swedish trade association consists of various parties interested in the online gambling industry. Founded by former Unibet Chief Executive, Peter Nylander, Rent Spel has united those with the common interest of online gaming in Sweden. Professor Henrik Jordahl of the association has published a report with regards to online gambling in Sweden.

The Research Institute of Industrial Economics

This report is based on research collected by the Stockholm-based Research Institute of Industrial Economics. The report found that 26 percent of all the gambling conducted in Sweden occurs on the Internet. The report also confirmed that online gambling is one of the largest employers in the entire country. As a result, Professor Jordahl continues to advise the government to be more proactive with the online gambling industry.

Comparison with Other Markets

The report shows how online gambling in Sweden compares to the industry in other countries. The combined market value for all Swedish online gambling companies equates to approximately SEK19 billion. Currently there are almost 2,000 people employed at these online casino companies with another 2,500 employed by the government in the gaming operations department.

A Large Industry in Sweden

Therefore, according to these numbers, the online gaming industry in Sweden employs as many citizens as the national car manufacturer, Saab. The video gaming industry showcases Swedish technological competence and success. However, the online gambling industry as a whole is worth more, is more profitable and holds a higher number of employees with advanced degrees.

Attracting Swedish Specialists

Therefore, with the government not being more proactive with the online gambling industry, they are greatly missing out. Since Sweden does not issue licenses to online gaming companies in the private sector, those organizations choose other jurisdictions like Malta. As a result, those jurisdictions attract skilled Swedish specialists.

Further Investigations

Additionally, the Research Institute’s report discusses the investigations by the media outlet Dagbladet, which reveals that the Swedish government has investments in the major online gambling companies that could be worth as much as SEK972 billion. Ironically, the companies in which the government has invested are unable to acquire gambling licenses in Sweden.

This report appears to reveal a large amount of information with the conclusion that online gambling is popular, profitable and that the Swedish government is not doing enough to capitalize on the industry. Perhaps the government will further analyze this data and begin developing a regulatory system.

Recently, Virgin Casino announced the increase in range of welcome bonuses with one posted specifically for blackjack players. The Casino Acquisitions Manager at Virgin Games explained that blackjack players are not typically given the same bonuses as others due to the restrictions for release. Therefore, Virgin Casino is offering this new bonus to give blackjack players that same opportunity.

The Blackjack Bonus

To claim the blackjack bonus, new players must sign up at Virgin Casino and use the promo code BLACKJACK50 which matches the players deposit at 50 percent with a maximum deposit of 50 Pounds. To receive the matching bonus, players must deposit at least 10 Pounds. Prior to the bonus being credited, the player must wager 125 times the amount of the initial deposit. To meet these requirements, players can use winning and fresh deposits.

Wagering Requirements

Furthermore, the wagering requirements must be met within 90 days of the initial deposit or else the bonus will expire and any progress made will be eliminated. Wagering requirements for release of the bonus can only be met by betting on blackjack games at Virgin Casino, Virgin Bingo or Virgin Poker. Virgin Casino currently offers 10 blackjack variants, all of which are eligible to earn toward the bonus and do not require any software downloads to play.

Hire Roller Bonus

Another bonus that is currently running is a set of welcome bonuses for hire rollers. These players have the option of selecting from three versions depending on initial deposit bonus. The first provides 350 Pounds with a deposit of 500 Pounds. The second, awards a bonus of 600 Pounds for a deposit of 1,000 Pounds. The third option bestows 1,200 Pounds for a deposit of 3,000 Pounds. In each situation the wagering requirement is 25 times the first deposit.

Virgin Casino Information

Launched in 2004, Virgin Casino currently boasts over 1 million registered players and over 250 games at their casino. Virgin Casino is one of the most unique as the software is powered by WagerWorks, however, the company has contracts for games from many other competing software developers like Cryptologic, Freemantle, Mazooma, Ash Gaming and of course Microgaming.

For blackjack players and high rollers alike these are excellent welcome bonus options that are sure to drive additional traffic to Virgin Casino. As the casino continues to expand by adding games and introducing intriguing promotions, their membership numbers are sure to drastically increase.

There are approximately 500 online gambling companies based out of Costa Rica, a Latin American country, which generates $14.5 billion from the industry. Surprisingly, despite this high number, it is third largest market in Latin America. Since the country lacks an organized regulatory body, it continues to attract online gaming companies and software vendors alike. Instead, regular commercial licenses are used to tax and regulate the industry.

The Research and Markets (R&M) organization recently released a report entitled, “Costa Rica Gaming and Gambling 2011” which begins with facts about the country such as:

• Population
• Economy
• Political environment
• Location

Also, the report highlights the infrastructure with regards to communications, payments and foreign investments. This report also reviews land-based casinos which discusses the tourism industry. The primary focus of the report is gambling, both online and land-based. As a result, specific gaming types are reviewed in detail, such as; lotteries, bingo, online gambling, betting and casinos. The report concludes with how advertising affects the industry.

A spokesperson for the organization discussed figures from the report with the press. He stated that the combination of legal and illegal gambling across the entire country equates to over $150 billion per year. Furthermore, 12 primary online gambling countries in the Latin American region produced combined revenues of more than $33 billion in legal gambling. From this amount, local Latin American’s contribute $10 billion.

The most profitable gambling countries in the Latin American region include:

• Costa Rica
• Mexico
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Chile
• Panama
• Peru
• Venezuela

As a result of these astonishing numbers, it is no wonder online gaming providers are searching for local partners in the Latin American region to secure the local population. Recently, Offsidegaming, an online software provider, announced an agreement with Latin American marketing partner, Tristar International to launch online sports betting, poker and casino sites.

Offsidegaming is a well-established software developer with a plethora of online products, back office operations and extensive customer support. These resources will certainly assist Tristar International with strategic development. Tristar International also has an excellent record of gaming and a large local Internet marketing experience.

Latin American and South America are two large emerging markets in all industries. Therefore, by taking advantage of the disposable income many individuals now have, online casinos can obtain a slice of the pie. In the coming years, many online gaming sites will expand operations to target this area of the world.

Microgaming recently announced in a press release its plan to launch a variety of games on its Bingo, QuickFire and Flash platforms during the month of April 2011. April 7^th will bring the first releases of QuickFire and Flash games followed by the Bingo games on April 20^th. The publication describes the new Bingo game, Mayan Bingo, as a new way to play the game.

Mayan Bingo

Mayan Bingo has a South American theme in which the object is for players to match the numbers on their cards to a set of prize patterns. Those who fully match within 28 balls will win the principal prize of 50,000 times the original wager. The game also presents the option to purchase up to 10 extra balls which could help to complete the required pattern. Mayan Bingo will be available on all three of Microgaming’s platforms.

Electro Bingo

Another Bingo release in April is Electro Bingo which is also a number matching bingo game. The primary difference is that the top prize is not as lucrative. Those who successfully match an entire pattern within the first 30 balls win the top prize of 20,000 times the original wager. Although more than half the Mayan Bingo reward, it is still a large amount. Player’s one ball away from winning will have the opportunity to purchase an extra ball to help complete the pattern.

Asian Beauty

In the realm of slot games, Asian Beauty delivers five reels and the popular 243 Ways-to-Win feature. This game was available for download at the beginning of March 2011. Next month, Asian Beauty will be released to the Bingo programs. The game also features a maximum of 25 retriggering free spins in addition to the bonus game which requires players to find three hidden princesses behind several mirrors.

No Worries

No Worries, an Australian-themed video slot game, will be available on the Flash platform in multi-player format in April 2011. Each room will be able to hold 30 participants concurrently with a unique chat feature between players. Also, users will be able to track the progress of other players. The top ten players on the leaderboard will win the bonus bonanza.

These games on their subsequent platforms will greatly improve the availability of each. Therefore, the popularity of these games is expected to significantly rise. Microgaming continues to offer innovative technology and extensive game selection which set the online gaming industry standard.

In January 2011, a useful application was released for iPhone/iPod users that also happen to be avid slot players. Since its release, discussion of the app has journeyed across casino blogs, forums and discussion boards and boasts fairly high reviews. Aptly entitled, the “WinLoss Slot Player’s Diary”, the application was developed by Sandcroft, Inc. and only costs $8 at the app store.

Serious online casino players keep diligent and extensive records of their bankroll and use it for future wagering. Unfortunately this entails maintaining a database, spreadsheet or even keeping handwritten notes. Owner of Sandcroft, Inc., David Walstead recognized a software development opportunity that would greatly assist slot players. Therefore, he began to consider a few points that led to software creation:

• Amount of time to refer to information
• Practicality of referring gathering data
• Tracking online slot play
• Collecting gambling information
• Feasibility of tracking
• Following bonuses and promotions

This extensive information led to the development of the app. The WinLoss Slot Player’s Diary assists the user with generating reports displaying the player’s activity across a variety of gambling sites. The software also assesses which games and casinos offer the best payouts and highest frequency. Additionally, the application creates detailed documentation for tax purposes which is extremely important in certain jurisdictions.

The application is accessible on both the iPhone and iPod with no word about availability for the iPad. While the online slot is being played, the application absorbs all information from the game for assessment. Another convenient feature is the ability to have full data backup and restoration functions. Furthermore, players have the ability to sort data by location, time, type of slot game and specific game.

The reviews on the application at various casino forums have shown a high level of satisfaction. The extensive features, superb tracking and ease of use are the most highlighted aspects of the application. Although there are a few naysayers, the consensus about WinLoss Slot Player’s Diary is it’s great.

This appears to be an extremely useful application for the iPhone/iPod equipment. The WinLoss Slot Player’s Diary can greatly improve the success of many online slot players due to the advanced technology used in addition to the high level of organization. This initial application could be modified for use with many other online casino games. Perhaps that is next on the list for software developers at Sandcroft Inc.

At the beginning of 2011, 29-year-old Briton, Ashley Mitchell, hacked into Zynga and embezzled $12 million worth of online chips. Mitchell was recently sentenced by the Exeter Crown Court, facing four charges of converting criminal property and violating the Computer Misuse Act. The court gave him two years imprisonment for these offenses.

Another Hacking Incident

Mitchell has a history of criminal hacking activity. In 2008, Mitchell hacked into a local government network which resulted in a 40 week suspended sentence. As a result, Mitchell had broken the terms of this sentence and issued an additional 30 week imprisonment.

The Zynga Network

Mitchell hacked into the Zynga network and stole 400 billion digital poker chips which equates to $12 million. These chips cannot be converted to cash. Therefore, the only way Mitchell could have made money from these chips is to sell them to other Zynga players. He attempted to do exactly this and received $86,000 total for a portion of these chips when he was caught. At his current rates, he would have profited $300,000 if never caught.

The Precision of Hacking

The prevailing judge on the case was Philip Wassal who recognized the expertise and precision used to hack into their computer system. Judge Wassal further stated the time Mitchell had spent researching the system must have been considerable. Since people and businesses rely heavily computer systems, the Judge issued Mitchell a stiffer sentence.

Virtual Money

During the trial, Prosecutor Gareth Evans indicated that the currency Mitchell stole exists only online and is available exclusively through Zynga. Therefore, the theft did not affect the company’s revenue unlike most other instances of stealing. Additionally, Zynga has the opportunity to recreate the digital chips stolen by Mitchell. On the other hand, the theft may have resulted in a loss of clients due to the potential for hackers at the website.

Gambling Addiction

In the end, Mitchell pleaded guilty and was found to be struggling with a gambling addiction. His lawyer recognized that Mitchell was spending at least 1,000 Pounds per day at online poker rooms and casinos.

Hopefully prosecution of Ashley Mitchell makes an impact on the online gambling industry forcing them to double-check all security systems to ensure this does not occur with real money chips. Although most online casinos are certified a secure, robust and reliable entities, it is still important to routinely verify no holes exist in the software.