Online Casino Gambling

The Spanish Government’s draft bill was recently released to the public so interested parties would have the opportunity to react and propose changes. Since its release, over 200 amendments have been proposed for the bill from numerous political parties, potential online gaming operators and trade associations. For instance, AEDAPI, the Spanish Trade Association, believes most of their changes will an excellent online gaming foundation.

AEDAPI Suggestions

Among all the entities proposing amendments, AEDAPI has some of the best suggestions. Most Spanish political parties favor licenses being granted through an administrative body rather than through a procedure which could initially bring in more revenue but also keep desired operators away that cannot afford to initially overspend.

A Reduction of the Tax Rate

The parliamentary groups support a tax reduction, down from the 25 percent proposed tax rate. These groups feel that a lower tax rate is important for attracting new licensees among foreign gambling operators. Spain must remain competitive with the other European Union countries. The 25 percent proposed tax rate is one of the highest in the European online gambling industry.

Undesirable Suggestions

There are several proposed amendments made that are not desirable. AEDAPI has identified these changes and deemed that they would harm the industry in Spain. The first is a call for a black period which requires applicants to cease operations prior to the awarding of a license. Also, operators would be barred from engaging in promotional activities during this period and be required to delete their databases.

AEDAPI has noted the adverse effects a black period could have on the Spanish gaming market. For instance, the black period would force gambling to go underground, therefore, Spanish players would seek unlicensed operators. It is estimated that 90 percent of Spanish online gaming operators are serious and willing to undergo audits. AEPAPI has also rejected the requirement for operators to have their servers within the country.

A Statement from the President of AEDAPI

The President of AEDAPI recently released a statement saying, “The fact that a large number of amendments have been submitted by the different political groups on the one hand indicates that there is still much work to do but on the other, that we’re going in the right direction to build a positive framework.”

The Spanish government appears to be on the right track with excellent support for AEDAPI. They simply need to align their goals with the goals of those in the industry to find a beneficial compromise for all parties.

With the change in weather and buds blossoming for Spring, online casino activities are also beginning to increase. Silver Oak online casino recently announced their one-time bonus for those strapped for cash. Historically, the casino has seen over $500,000 won by players in the month of April in several of the online games offered. Therefore, with the combination of free money and a high win rate, players have a great chance to swell their pockets.

The Sweeter Than Honey Bonus

The bonus is appropriately named Sweeter Than Honey which corresponds to the Spring season.  This is such an excellent bonus because it more than doubles the players bankroll by offering a 160 percent match on the first deposit. Players must first open the casino client and login. Next, users must access the Cashier tab and click the “Redeem Coupon” button and enter the bonus code MAYBEE with the deposit amount.

The Low Wagering Requirement

The other sweet aspect of this bonus is the requirement for release is only five times the deposit and bonus. This is extremely rare in the casino world and should be taken advantage of by all players. The minimum deposit to receive a bonus is $100 and the bonus is not cashable. Therefore, only the original deposit plus winnings from the bonus can be cashed out. Finally, players are required to wager on one Real Series video slot machine.

Honey to the Bee Video Slot Game

Silver Oak online gaming site provides a plethora of Real Series video slot machines, all of which are developed by Realtime Gaming. The best choice of the group is Honey to the Bee. The casino has endorsed this game by stating, “Normally we’d advise you to run away fast when you spot a bunch of bees buzzing around. But in this game you can win yourself a whole lot of honey (and money) when you spot some bees and their hive.”

The hive refers to the scatter symbol while the bee equates to the wild symbol. When combined, they activate a bonus round delivering 15 free spins at double the payouts. Sweeter Than Honey is a deposit bonus that comes around once in a rare while so players must take full advantage by depositing the maximum to receive the maximum. With a wagering requirement of only five times the deposit and bet, this is the best deal on the Internet.

Prepaid cards are becoming a popular method of payment to online casino accounts as well as for other types of online purchases. This is due to the easy controlling of spending with a prepaid amount as opposed to a credit card. As a result, players are less likely to become a victim of problem gambling.

Net+ Prepaid Card

Over two and a half years ago, online payment solution provider, NeTeller, developed a prepaid card aptly named Net+ which is described as a financial firewall allowing players security and convenience. As a result of the company’s hard work in developing this product, they have won three awards at the Prepaid365 Prepaid Awards.

Information About Prepaid365

Prepaid365 is an industry-leading prepaid card entity that delivers information about the numerous prepaid cards on the market. Businesses and consumers find Prepaid365 to be an excellent resource to find a partner or card that suite their needs. The Prepaid365 Prepaid Awards has been held for the past three years to give recognition to the best products in the prepaid card industry. This year, NeTeller certainly made its presence known.

Best Gaming Prepaid Card

The award most closely related to the online gaming industry is the Best Gaming Prepaid Card, of which Net+ has won all three years. The card gives players instant access to winnings from any casino through ATM withdrawals thus giving NeTeller this prestigious award.

Other Awards

NeTeller also took home the Best Prepaid Card Overall award. Since prepaid cards boast a number of functions, most not related to the online gaming industry, this is huge accomplishment for NeTeller. Furthermore, the financial services company received the Best Prepaid Innovation award for their next-generation security technology of single-use card numbers.

Additionally, NeTeller was a runner up in three other categories including, Best Free Prepaid Card, Bester Prepaid Marketing Campaign and Best General Spend Prepaid Card. Overall, NeTeller had the most successful night of any nominees at the event.

Previous Awards

The Net+ prepaid card has won other awards in the past several years. At the Prepaid Awards in October 2010, NeTeller’s Ninja Defense marketing campaign won an award. At the 2009 Cards and Payment Europe Awards, the Net+ card won the Best New Prepaid Card Product Launch.

NeTeller has always offered excellent customer service accompanied by an easy-to-use, advanced financial system. These are the main reasons for their continued success and popularity. With the addition and continued development of prepaid cards, NeTeller is setting the bar high for the competition.

Like the United States, Malaysia does not permit online gambling of any type. However, there are a number of unlicensed and unregulated operators that run casinos in the country. Customers join these casinos to wager on the games offered. Known as “mini-casinos”, these establishments are illegal and on the radar of law enforcement officials. Recently, five mini-casinos were raided and eliminated by police on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Noise Complaints

Business owners called the police reporting that these mini-casinos operate around the clock thus disturbing the surrounding businesses and residences. The police force had these establishments under observation for approximately a week prior to the raids. Police operatives had to conduct this operation with caution because if the perpetrators suspected their presence, they would have switched to other servers, hiding their tracks.

The Arrests

Five individuals between the ages of 25 and 35 were arrested with 65 computers being seized. Also, there were six customers detained for questioning. An officer revealed that one of the casino’s jackpot games had bets totaling almost RM 200,000.

The Russian Casino Issue

The online gambling problem in Russia is still largely a mystery. One publication reported an online casino had been eliminated by the police. This began a chain of rumors across all online gaming forums. Most of the rumors entailed a well-known operator as the center of attention. However, this operator continues to run the casino so it is a mystery as to whether the casino had been discontinued.

An Inside Source

Shortly after, the publication made the claim that they receive information directly from a Russian Ministry of the Interior Spokesperson who notified the media that the online gaming site generated 200,000 Rouples ($7,000) each day. According to the Spokesperson, the legal issue was beyond the gaming services provided.  Instead, the operator is alleged to be involved in money laundering through foreign financial institutions.

Over the past ten years in operation, the online casino is said to have profited hundreds of millions of dollars illegally. The owner has allegedly been taken into custody with five employees while computer equipment was seized along with 27 million Roubles in cash.

Illegal casinos in Malaysia appear to be a large problem in the country. The police force seems to have their hands full. Due to the unreliable source of the Russia report, it is unclear whether any of these arrests and casino shutdowns has actually occurred.

Millionaire Casino recently sent an email to its customers advertising a limited time signup bonus in an attempt to invite players to join the casino. This offer is for all players who make their first deposit between April 1^st, 2011 and April 3^rd, 2011. This bonus will immediately triple the player’s bankroll with a 200 percent casino match up to $500. This is one of the best bonus matching offers currently available.

Conditions for Withdrawal

However, there are a number of conditions that must be met prior to player withdrawal. First, the customer must enter the coupon code from the email while making their first deposit. If the player does not do this, they will forfeit this bonus opportunity. Second, the player must wager the deposit at least 20 times prior to withdrawal. Specific games must be played and are listed on the Millionaire Casino website with a recommendation for the fastest method of fulfilling the requirement.

The remaining condition is the deposit must be made with a credit card. All other options like NeTeller and electronic wallets will disqualify the player for being able to claim this bonus. Typically casinos receive some type of benefit from the credit card company for enticing players to use this service.

Game Recommendation by Millionaire Casino

Millionaire Casino normally recommends a specific casino game to help players reach the wagering requirement quickest. In this instance, the casino has recommended Dragon Master, a video slot game. In this game a ferocious battle ensues between man and beast. The Dragon Master is, of course, the wild symbol. If five Dragon Master icons appear in a payline, 4,000 coins are distributed to the player.

The scatter symbol is represented by a Fiery Orb. Five of these icons appearing on any reels equates to 100 coins. Three or more triggers the free spins round in which 10 free spins are awarded at double payouts. Also during the free spins round, specific symbols transform into the Dragon Master symbol increasing the payouts. The free spins round can be retriggered at any time.

About the Casino

Millionaire Casino is a popular brand of the English Harbour Group. Powered by Vegas Technology software, the casino is licensed and regulated by the Directorate of Offshore Gaming of Antigua and Barbuda. This bonus is sure to increase the number of new players signing up at the casino during the allotted time period.

As one of the online gaming industry’s most reputed software testing, player protecting and standards creating business, eCOGRA was recently bought out by its management team. Founded and owned by three major online gaming industry players; Microgaming, Bwin and 888, over the years eCOGRA has demonstrated its dominance in auditing and granting approvals.

Led by Chief Executive Andrew Beveridge, this buyout is expected to positively expand the structure of the eCOGRA business entity.  For instance, management plans to no longer include software providers, online casino operators and other business players into the arena of online gambling. This will confirm eCOGRA’s independence with regards to the liberation of its current tasks.

The buyout process was streamlined and agreed upon by all parties. The founders noted that the timing of this buyout was appropriate allowing eCOGRA management to make its own policy and strategic decisions. The announcement further emphasized that all directors prior to the buyout would remain on the board which consists of:

• Chairman Michael Hirst
• Bill Henbrey
• Bill Gaston
• Frank Catania
• Andrew Beveridge

The original goal of the eCOGRA directors was to enforce continuous improvement with regards to the credibility of online gambling and guarantee all players were protected while developing standards, regulations and policies. These will continue to be the goals of eCOGRA with the addition of an increase in commercial activity.

The future of eCOGRA services and the operational hierarchy will not change with this buyout. The Fair Gaming Advocate which mediates player disputes will continue. Additionally, the monitoring systems will be expanded with no-accredited gaming businesses. Furthermore, extensive assessment for awarding online casino entities with the Safe and Fair seal will continue as-is. Advisory consulting services will become a major segment of eCOGRA’s business services.

Beveridge believes the online gambling industry is beginning to mature and he would like to have eCOGRA a major part of that evolution. Across the globe, there is a trend toward national and state regulatory bodies so eCOGRA is aiming to shape new gambling jurisdictions through advice and assistance.

The buyout of eCOGRA by current management appears to be a positive event as business will continue as planned with the addition of several expansions and projects. eCOGRA has been a major contributor to the success of online gambling around the world and looks as if they will continue setting the standard of fair game play in the future.