Online Casino Gambling

Online poker rooms and online casinos are two separate digital entities. Online poker rooms allow players to compete against one another with the operator taking rake from each pot. Online casinos offer games where the player bets against the casino in games like roulette, blackjack and slots. Both types operate utilizing the same technological, legal and financial means which can affect one another. If a legal event occurs with regards to online gambling, all operators pay attention.

Seizure of Three Domains

On Friday, April 15^th, 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice seized the domains of the three largest online poker room operators: Poker Stars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker. A warrant for the arrest of the owners has been issued along with a demand of $3 billion in penalties. However, the owners do not currently reside in the United States so they cannot be taken into custody at this time.

UIGEA 2006

The Department of Justice enforced this indictment under UIGEA 2006. One of the charges held against the operators is conducting illegal online gambling with the most severe being bank fraud and money laundering. According to the UIGEA, the funding of illegal gambling is a criminal offense therefore, since payments have been made from the casino to players, these operators are violating the law.

Payment Processors and the UIGEA

Due to this section of UIGEA, most online banks are weary of making financial transactions with online gambling sites. The payment processors used for financial transactions in the incident claimed to be online merchants that purchase various types of physical merchandise. According to legal experts, these are the primary aspects of the transactions that can get gambling operators into trouble.

Reaction from the Online Community

Of course the actions taken by the Department of Justice have been condemned by the online gambling community. The three poker rooms at fault have not yet released any type of statement. Additionally, no statements have been made from other online poker rooms that allow U.S.-based players. Legal professionals are advising players to wait and keep an eye on this situation.

This event was not unexpected as online gaming software providers Playtech and Cryptologic and payment processor Neteller all withdrew from the American market when the UIGEA was enacted in 2006. Microgaming followed two years later after the Kentucky domain name case began. It is unpredictable as to whether this particular event will cause additional flight by operators from the online gambling industry.

In March 2011, industry-leading online gaming software provided Cryptologic released its annual financial results. Shortly after, the organization hired Deloitte to conduct a strategic review of the company. Cryptologic indicated that this review could ultimately lead to the sale of the business, however, no discussions or agreements were currently underway.

Amaya Purchasing a 5 Percent Stake

Following this announcement was unconfirmed news that Amaya had acquired a 5 percent stake in Cryptologic prior to an acquisition bid. Based out of Canada, Amaya is an online gaming company that is active in the Kenyan market. Amaya recently acquired an online gaming license from the Dominican Republic jurisdiction and is planning to launch an online gaming site featuring a variety of casino games in the third quarter of 2011.

The Filing of an SC13D Notification

This unconfirmed news was finally confirmed the week of April 11^th when Amaya notified the stock exchange of this strategic move. On April 15^th, 2011 Amaya filed an SC13D notification which is a report of the acquisition of 5 percent ownership of a company. Amaya purchased 652, 170 shares of Cryptologic for slightly over 1 million USD. This is typically the beginning phase of an acquisition.

The Chief Executive and President of Amaya filed the statement to the stock exchange. The shares of Cryptologic were purchased between March 25^th, 2011 and April 7^th, 2011 at an average price of $1.65. The stock was purchased to facilitate a possible strategic transaction with Cryptologic. The executive further stated in the notification that Amaya is keeping all options open and will continue to monitor business performance and activity.

Playtech’s Purchasing Rampage

At the same time, Cryptologic’s largest competitor, Playtech, is on a purchasing rampage. The latest company in their scope is London-based online gaming provider, Ash Gaming. Media reports that Playtech is on the brink of an acquisition. This purchase is a strategy move to complement Gaming Technology Solution’s (also acquired by Playtech) EdGE platform which is currently used with several of Ash Gaming’s top games.

The acquisition of Cryptologic could be excellent for specific entities in the online gambling industry, especially Playtech and other online software developers. Since Cryptologic, Microgaming and Playtech are constantly competing to be the most popular developer, removing Cryptologic from the race could significantly improve the other two company’s profits depending on the direction Amaya plans to take the company.

Almost all online gaming providers offer some variant of blackjack games that feature progressive jackpots which gives players the opportunity to win large payouts for a small wager. Many of these jackpots have reached record levels which are beginning to draw large crowds hoping for the chance of hitting the big one.

Currently, the largest progressive jackpot is featured at a Vegas Technology-powered casino in a game aptly named, “Progressive Blackjack.” The value has currently reached $140,575, slightly below the average winning size of $187,328. On average, the jackpot hits once per month with the maximum winnings ever being $259,342 which occurred 18 months ago. In the past year alone, Vegas Technology has paid out over $2 million. Progressive Blackjack is available at:

• Go Casino
• Online Vegas Casino
• Millionaire Casino

The Cryptologic Progressive Blackjack game currently has a jackpot of $77,128. Unlike most other progressives, this is slowly moving and hits on around $135,000 once per year. The game hits when four aces of the same color are dealt. Therefore, it should be more popular than the Vegas Technology variant which requires four aces of the same suit. This game is available at popular casinos like InterCasino and VIP Casino.

The Playtech variant is also called Progressive Blackjack and currently boasts of jackpot of $69,007 which is slightly greater than the average amount to trigger the jackpot – $63,971. The jackpot hits 1 in every 10 days but was last hit 15 days ago so the system is due turn out a winner. Another trend is that the past 10 hits have been in the $60,000’s range. Therefore, the time is ripe for players to login and try their luck with the potential for winning big.

The Playtech version of Progressive Blackjack is currently available at the following online gaming sites:

• Omni Casino
• Casino Tropez
• Casino Del Rio

Although each of these online progressive blackjack games has the exact same name, they are different in their own regard. If you have to select one of the three, try the Vegas Technology version since it has a much higher payout than the other two and is hit once per month. This is the ideal balance between a large sum of winnings and the frequency of winning. This appears to the best time to place a wager and potentially win as all versions are at the cusp of hitting the jackpot.

Love is in the air across the globe. With Valentine’s Day approaching, many online gaming software providers have announced their newest themed slot game. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of the most basic human emotion: love. Therefore, software developers have devised a way to encompass all that is Valentine’ Day into a slot game. Since the symbols of love and romance vary, software developers have a variety of content to work with.

As with most themed slot games, Microgaming leads the pack with regards to Valentine’s Day games. Each year the software development company releases a new Valentine’s Day variant. Like most of their games, the Valentine’s Day versions exude delicateness and elegance. Some of the most popular past titles include, “Burning Desire” and “Love Potions.” This year the company has created “Queen of Hearts” which is scheduled to be available starting February 7^th.

Another Valentine’s Day themed slot game Microgaming will soon be releasing is “Secret Admirer.” The clip at the beginning of the game shows Cupid shooting his arrow through a heart breaking it into a shower of rose petals. The actual game consists of the following recognizable symbols:

• Mask hiding the secret admirer – wild symbol
• Diamond ring – Scatter symbol
• “Secret Admirer” heart-shaped logo
• Heart-shaped wreath
• Perfume dispenser
• Rose
• Brooch

The game features are fairly standard with a free spins bonus game and the Microgaming gamble game. This game is available at all Microgaming-powered casinos like Royal Vegas, the Gaming Club and the Blackjack Ballroom.

Another major Valentine’s Day release is by Vegas Technology with their slot game “Cupid’s Arrow.” The game is of excellent quality and features the following Valentine’s Day symbols:

• Cupid – wild symbol
• Heart – bonus payouts
• Kiss
• Chocolates
• Roses
• Valentine’s Day card
• Ring
• Teddy bear
• Lovers
• Balloon

A nice feature of “Cupids Arrow” is that all symbols are animated when winning combinations are triggered. This makes the screen extremely active after the reels stop spinning. “Cupid’s Arrow” is available Slot Galore, VIP Slots and Grand Vegas casino.

The final Valentine’s Day-themed release is “Love Bugs” from Cryptologic. This version adds the twist of a comic angle. The main plot of the game revolves around Love Bug and Lady Bug’s love as they display antics on the reels. The symbols on the reels include:

• Perfume
• Ring
• Violin
• Chocolates
• Necklace
• Champagne
• Love letter
• Flowers

There are many online gaming software providers that have created romance-based games but none that are specifically geared toward Valentine’s Day. If you are in the mood for love, romance and slots, any one of these games will fulfill your needs.

One of the fasted-growing economies in the world is Southeast Asia. It is also one of the fastest growing areas for online gambling. There are legal issues with online gaming in some areas but this has been the norm since the industry’s existence. As a result, online gaming providers are targeting Asian customers to increase their market share of this location. There are different approaches being taken by different companies to target this demographic.

Many gaming companies are taking the direct approach by launching online casinos that cater specifically to that market. For instance, Bodog has done an excellent job of this by partnering with Manila-based betting firm, Haydock Sports to launch Bodog88.com. Haydock has been in the industry since 2006 and is aware of what Asian players want. For example, the culture is more receptive to live dealers as opposed to RNG’s.

Other gaming companies are keeping the casino, the games and betting structure the same but continue to cater to local requirements through multi-lingual customer support and many currencies available. Their software was created in many languages including Japanese and Chinese with deposit and withdrawal options in the currency of that country.

Despite Asian players preferring a live dealer, with many games this is not feasible. To balance this, other games native to that specific area are offered. Almost all online gaming developers offer Pai Gow Poker and Sic Bo. Playtech has taken this a step further by offering an Asian games category that includes Mahjong and Pachinko. Microgaming has recently followed suit.

The subtlest method of attracting Asian customers is by developing online slot games in an Asian theme. These include:

• Samurai and Geisha culture from Japan
• Ancient royalty from India
• Arabian Nights from the Middle East
• Chinese cuisine

Realtime Gaming has found other subtle methods of appealing to the Southeast Asian market. For example, since the number ‘8’ is lucky in the Chinese culture, some of its slot games give payouts ending in 8’s.

The most popular games in this region include, Eastern Dragon by Cryptologic, Cherry Blossoms created by Vegas Technology and Lady of the Orient by Microgaming. These continually attract new customers while retaining the old. Attracting the Asian market should not be an arduous task with many in the region beginning to have disposable income. Online gaming companies simply need to appeal to the tastes of each individual culture.

As controversy continues in the online gaming industry, Barney Frank introduced the Anti-UIGEA bill in 2009 which looked to overturn the enactment of the UIGEA bill. Introduced by the Bush Administration, the UIGEA bill outlaws online gambling in all states including New Jersey and Nevada.

As a result of this bill, European online casino operators have lost a huge portion of the American online gaming market. This resulted in a large financial loss for most operators. The European Commission has argued against the bill stating it goes against the policy and commitment the United States has to the World Trade Organization.

Although the Commission is positive it has a winning case in court against this law, it prefers to negotiate directly with the United States. Therefore, it has initiated discussions with the proper U.S. officials. Unfortunately this was stalled by the Bush Administration resulting in separated ties between the U.S. and the European Commission.

If the act is simply overturned, players will be able to access sites in Europe and this entire issue will disappear. Therefore, Barney Frank has been committed to pushing the Anti-UIGEA bill through Congress quickly.

The UIGEA bill prevents individuals located in the United States from accessing online casinos by making it illegal for financial services to transfer money to these sites. Most U.S.-based financial companies have stopped transferring money. However, there are still plenty of overseas options for U.S. players. Regardless, this has significantly affected revenues in many states.

The three largest online gaming operators include:

• Cryptologic
• Playtech
• Microgaming

Each company completely left the United States gaming market following the enactment of the UIGEA. Consequently, their stock price took a severe drop. Each of these companies is missing out on the money generated by American players. At the same time, American players are missing out on some of the best online casinos available to date. Overturning the act will allow them to return and players to wager at the best casinos.

Frank’s Anti-UIGEA bill looks to legalize online gambling and have it regulated by each state. Therefore, American players can wager in a safe and regulated environment that eliminates underage and problem gambling. The Government will be able to collect taxes and generate additional revenue. The bill appears to be robust and well-structured. Hopefully in the future this idea will become a reality and all Americans have the freedom to play at home.