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Could online gaming firms be in the mix of the top stockmarket investments to make in 2011?
The listing of Betfair (BET) at the conclusion of October on a fancy multiple and the $3.3 billion megamerger between PartyGaming and Bwin (PRTY), due to complete in the first quarter of 2011, appears to have added spark to the industry of late.
Then there is the prospect, albeit slight, of the liberalisation of the US igaming market which has put the industry firmly on investors' watch list, including ours, for next year.
It is understandable, as even a snapshot look at the stockmarket gains of the world’s biggest online gaming companies between circa 2004-2006 reveals just how quickly fortunes were made and lost.
The iGaming Global Top 30 Index, an index of the stockmarket performance of the biggest 30 online gaming companies, surged 40% between July 2004 and August 2005. This was followed by 12 months of extreme volatility before sinking thanks to a controversial piece of legislation in the US.
Since 2006, online gaming’s real story has been dominated by America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
The multibillion-pound global industry virtually collapsed in a heap after its biggest market - the US - was closed down overnight when Congress introduced a surprise clause to legislation in September 2006, in effect making internet betting illegal. Not only was that a blow for investors - it was a hugely expensive one.
British-based companies were among the biggest casualties.
As soon as the London Stock Exchange opened the following Monday morning, shares in PartyGaming - then a FTSE 100 member - dived by 58%, while rivals 888 Holdings (888) and Sportingbet saw their shares slide by 26% and 64% respectively, wiping an estimated £4 billion off the sector's value.
The companies were forced to focus on opportunities in other parts of the world, but the businesses have never fully recovered from the impact of losing their most lucrative market. Last year, online gambling was worth an estimated $5.4 billion (£3.5 billion) overall, a figure that could rise to $12-$16 billion if the market was opened up, analysts say.
Despite the recent loss of a sympathetic Democrat majority in Congress last month, there is renewed hope of floated gambling companies being dealt a good hand on both sides of the Pond.
The new Republican chairman of the House financial services committee is likely to be an old-style Alabaman named Spencer Bachus.
Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy. The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a federal regulatory programme.
Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy.
The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a Federal regulatory programme.
And you can see why if you glance at the forecast numbers.
With the US nationwide unemployment rate at 10%, 48 of 50 states facing budget shortfalls and a Federal deficit approaching $1.3 trillion, the economic backdrop against which to promote regulation and taxation of internet gambling has arguably never been more favourable.
Yet those companies poised to get a real boost should America legalise online gambling, such as the impressive PartyGaming/Bwin combine, are getting excited about the future.
"We are seeing things from a legislative perspective that are quite exciting for us," says Jim Ryan, chief executive of PartyGaming, whose comments undoubtedly reflect the mood of a growing contingent of gambling operators on both sides of the Atlantic.
There has been speculation that PartyGaming and Bwin have decided to merge at this time precisely because they will be better placed than any other operator to seize a huge market share should the US decide to legalise online gambling. You only have to look at the market share that Party was able to capture by becoming one of the first operators into the online poker market back in 2001.
Analysts agree the enlarged company is in a strong position to exploit the opening up of the US market.
In a note to investors recently, the Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Vaughan Lewis said: "The overall political tide is moving firmly in favour of regulation, rather than prohibition.
"With its expertise... market-leading technology, strong marketing capability and good brands, we think the combined entity of PartyGaming and Bwin would be extremely well positioned to benefit from any market opening in the US. We include nothing in our forecasts for the US, so any new market here is pure upside."
And in a recent Barclays Capital research note, the investment bank said: "In the event of Federal regulation, we believe PartyGaming would be the likely key beneficiary.
"Under this hypothetical scenario, we estimate the potential [underlying profits] uplift could be 94% for PartyGaming and 58% for Bwin and 888. On a state-by-state hypothetical scenario, we estimate the uplift for the group would be considerably lower, but still meaningful."
Meanwhile, at the end of October analysts at Numis published a note saying there is 50% upside potential at Party when the merger with Bwin completes in March 2011. With the shares trading at around 230p at the beginning of November Numis have put a price target of 400p on the stock.
The PartyGaming/Bwin merger has got the other big companies in the sector scurrying around to do similar deals. They don't want to be left behind in what will become a gold rush should the US legalise online gaming.
888 and Sportingbet are also possible future takeover targets as the industry consolidates, but only once their legal liabilities in the US market are cleared. Serious negotiations in the PartyGaming/Bwin merger were only concluded once Party had secured a $105 million settlement with US authorities.
Analysts say a resolution would clear the way for 888 and Sportingbet to re-enter the lucrative US market should moves to overturn the 2006 legislation succeed.
Sportingbet has already acted telling shareholders at its latest results meeting that it had made a £22.8 million settlement with the US Department of Justice over an investigation into illegal internet gambling. The agreement means the firm will avoid being prosecuted in the US for accepting online bets made by Americans between 1998 and 2006.
Sportingbet would hold the most appeal to potential bidders, analysts reckon, pointing to its very strong market positioning in Australia and commenting that Ladbrokes (LAD) and William Hill (WMH) could be interested in a takeover.
Liberum Capital analyst Richard Taylor recently highlighted the strength of Sportingbet’s sports betting business, which he said had one of the best gross margins in the sector at around 10%. In addition, he said Sportingbet’s management was open to a bid, having previously stated up to 55% of their cost base could be removed.
Another former giant of the sector, now somewhat depleted thanks to the UIGEA, is 888.
Analysts say 888's attraction would be the potential for cost savings in a tie-up with a rival online gaming operator, and that Party/Bwin might be a possible buyer. What would make it attractive is that both Party and Bwin use 888 as a supplier.
However, the Shaked family who founded the company, and who control over 50% of the shares, would be looking for a price significantly above the 40p at which the company currently trades.
There have been whispers among London traders in the last few weeks that a £262 million, or 76p a share, cash bid from a much bigger industry player, possibly US entertainment giant Harrah's, which already has close business links with 888 could be on the cards.
Certainly 888 chief executive Gigi Levy has said recently that he looks at consolidation as one of the possible routes to realising shareholder value.
Another giant of the industry looking to become bigger still is the mighty Betfair. Having listed on the LSE at the end of October at 1,300p, the shares soon touched 1,600p-plus, as tracker funds piled in confident it will canter into the FTSE 250 index at the December review with a market value above £1.6 billion.
If things are hotting up at the Federal level for the online gaming industry there are also some exciting developments at state level.
So far in 2010, four states have considered whether or not to legalise some combination of online poker, casino gaming and sports betting: Iowa, Florida, California and New Jersey.
The state making most headway is New Jersey, where internet gambling has been under consideration by lawmakers since 2001. It is finally receiving serious consideration in the state Senate where two bills, which would legalise internet sports betting and casino gaming respectively, have already passed the committee stage this year.
From California to New Jersey to Florida, more state and federal congressmen are taking the reality of a legal online gambling regime a lot more seriously.
Whoever wins the race, state or federal, one thing is clear: more and more stakeholders in the US are finally coming around to understand the risks and implication of a ‘do nothing’ strategy. This is an opportunity cost and gambling companies are getting their bets on regardless.
But ongoing political deadlock clearly poses a real threat to regulatory efforts at all levels of American government. But even as gambling industry stakeholders duke it out in the halls of legislatures around the country, as well as on Capitol Hill in Washington, the very fact that the conflict between them is intensifying signals that interest and investment in pushing for online gaming regulation is rising.
With billions of dollars out there to harvest and market share to win, the entire online gaming sector looks ripe for an upturn in coming months. Investing in online gaming companies has always been a white knuckle ride - and there looks to be every sign this particular circus is once again rolling back into town.
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Saturday, December 04, 2010
Friday, December 03, 2010
Casino News Media: Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino.com !
** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **
** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.
Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com
** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"
Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:
Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20
The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.
Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com
Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!
See: PartyCasino.com for more information.
Santa’s Party Pack
Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!
Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December
Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.
From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!
Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.
Prize Giveaway
If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*
*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)
**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
Santa’s Big Prize Draw
What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:
Non-VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.
VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.
You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
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PartyGaming
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** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **
** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.
Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com
** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"
Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:
Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20
The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.
Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com
Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!
See: PartyCasino.com for more information.
Santa’s Party Pack
Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!
Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December
Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.
From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!
Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.
Prize Giveaway
If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*
*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)
**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
Santa’s Big Prize Draw
What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:
Non-VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.
VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.
You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Social media – How do I do it? (Marketing Magazine)
Recently I was invited to speak at two different conferences about social media in a corporate workplace.
At both conferences I spoke alongside other speakers and in both instances my fellow speakers talked about social media ‘facts’ and hyped the audience about ‘what they are missing out on’ but none of them actually spoke about how to do it or what is involved.
We all know the facts about social media. Let me give some right now, just to annoy you with the same old same old…Australian social media audience is estimated at 9.9 millions users, if Facebook was a country it would be the third largest country in the world after China and India, nearly 40% of Australians are now interacting with companies via social networking sites, 59% of Australians have a Facebook profile, etc, etc, etc...
Greg Tingle...
Nice article. I agree with a lot of it. Onya Marketing Magazine for giving it a guernsey.
At my company, Media Man International, we adopted a crawl, walk and run approach.
We've been at the social media thing for over 5 years, half the time we've been established, and Google owned Blogger was our first leap into the water, and it still serves us today.
It was rather like "on the job" training some days, but we didn't get fired or start a negative bushfire, so we did pretty well.
As a media and website portal development company, we are privileged to own and operate dozens of massive websites, and having some unique content and dynamic, interesting campaigns, has never been a problem. We cover of a dozen different business verticals - from entertainment to gaming, property, community and charity, technology, travel and tourism, politics and media analysis.
Our massive website portal network, complimented by social media powerhouses like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Blogger, also appears to help us expand on our reach, maintaining our Hitwise top ten (entertainment and personality) status.
The global strategy has worked well for us, and Google and its social media services, as well as Facebook, continue to work a charm. Twitter is of course fantastic for getting a snappy message to a large audience in a hurry, often directing them to an interesting page in a hurry. The service I don't like is Digg, so I fired them!
Some of our news media campaigns also get boosted further by being listed on the Facebook and Twitter accounts of media powerhouses like News Limited, Fairfax Media and the ABC.
Oh, I should mention that I find some aspects of social media a bit like "ambush marketing", a technique that I borrowed a few ideas from the likes of MOH's Kym Illman, Virgin's Richard Branson and 888 and Crown Limited's Shane Warne, but I think we do the online "ambush marketing" better than all of them, but Illman remains king for traditional ambushing!
Before you ask, my prime Twitter account is http://www.twitter.com/mediamanint Our globalgamingcom Twitter is also a hit, and yes, we also have a mediamanmarketi Twitter, just to have all based covered.
Am I glad I got on the social media bandwagon? Yes, and good on Marketing Magazine for also catching the fever.
Greg Tingle
Founder and Director
Media Man International
http://www.mediamanint.com
At both conferences I spoke alongside other speakers and in both instances my fellow speakers talked about social media ‘facts’ and hyped the audience about ‘what they are missing out on’ but none of them actually spoke about how to do it or what is involved.
We all know the facts about social media. Let me give some right now, just to annoy you with the same old same old…Australian social media audience is estimated at 9.9 millions users, if Facebook was a country it would be the third largest country in the world after China and India, nearly 40% of Australians are now interacting with companies via social networking sites, 59% of Australians have a Facebook profile, etc, etc, etc...
Greg Tingle...
Nice article. I agree with a lot of it. Onya Marketing Magazine for giving it a guernsey.
At my company, Media Man International, we adopted a crawl, walk and run approach.
We've been at the social media thing for over 5 years, half the time we've been established, and Google owned Blogger was our first leap into the water, and it still serves us today.
It was rather like "on the job" training some days, but we didn't get fired or start a negative bushfire, so we did pretty well.
As a media and website portal development company, we are privileged to own and operate dozens of massive websites, and having some unique content and dynamic, interesting campaigns, has never been a problem. We cover of a dozen different business verticals - from entertainment to gaming, property, community and charity, technology, travel and tourism, politics and media analysis.
Our massive website portal network, complimented by social media powerhouses like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Blogger, also appears to help us expand on our reach, maintaining our Hitwise top ten (entertainment and personality) status.
The global strategy has worked well for us, and Google and its social media services, as well as Facebook, continue to work a charm. Twitter is of course fantastic for getting a snappy message to a large audience in a hurry, often directing them to an interesting page in a hurry. The service I don't like is Digg, so I fired them!
Some of our news media campaigns also get boosted further by being listed on the Facebook and Twitter accounts of media powerhouses like News Limited, Fairfax Media and the ABC.
Oh, I should mention that I find some aspects of social media a bit like "ambush marketing", a technique that I borrowed a few ideas from the likes of MOH's Kym Illman, Virgin's Richard Branson and 888 and Crown Limited's Shane Warne, but I think we do the online "ambush marketing" better than all of them, but Illman remains king for traditional ambushing!
Before you ask, my prime Twitter account is http://www.twitter.com/mediamanint Our globalgamingcom Twitter is also a hit, and yes, we also have a mediamanmarketi Twitter, just to have all based covered.
Am I glad I got on the social media bandwagon? Yes, and good on Marketing Magazine for also catching the fever.
Greg Tingle
Founder and Director
Media Man International
http://www.mediamanint.com
Australians Betting Over $1bn Online Gaming, by Greg Tingle - 3rd December 2010
G'day punters, casino and gambling millionaires and billionaires, poker nuts, politicians, super whales, journalists, politicians... one and all. Today we have an extremely important update on the state of online gambling and online casinos from down under in Australia. It's regulated VS unregulated, legal or illegal, political fun and games and more. Media Man and Gambling911 spin to win and take bets on the situation for the loyal and vast readership...
Australian's are betting in the region of $1 billion each year on online gambling websites and this trend is set to continue, as the gambling and new media sectors continues to grow, and more mainstream entertainment brands like Marvel and Paramount Pictures jump on board.
A large number of Australian and Asia Pacific media, publicity - pr, website portal and technology agencies have also jumped on board the online gaming express, helping push forward campaigns in win - win scenarios.
The Australian Federal Police have been giving dozens of tip offs, however no companies have been charged as we go to press.
Some ethical media and new media operators such as Media Man has provided a number of leads to the Australian Hi Tech Crime Centre, an arm of the AFP, as to a number of igaming scams and suspected customer database lists for sale on the online black market.
The current Australian Productivity Commission report recommends that internet gambling be fully legalised and regulated, but not all parties agree, with bible bashers and casino haters saying it will make things worse. Aw well, you can't please all of the people, all of the time.
Australians getting turned off buy some pub and hotel game offerings have turned to the internet in droves and have discovered betting for sports, horse racing poker, bingo, blackjack, online slot games and more. Website portals like Media Man Int and Global Gaming Directory, and casino affiliate program and gaming articles and reviews are often how punters find the wide variety of games. Aussie Punters who play these games are doing nothing illegal, but some experts say there is "grey area". Website portals are a global mediums, and many companies target the world, so its a legally complex scenario.
The Australian federal government will be releasing the commission's report in the coming weeks we have learned.
The big gaming brands which appear to be onside with the Australian government according to leaks include PartyGaming, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, Virgin Games (not currently available in Australia) and PKR. Betfair and Centrebet are a couple of the brands most established in Australia.
Brands attracting some heat and a bit of an "evil eye" and microscope include Full Tilt, 888 and PokerStars. Some of the poker websites are now sponsoring NRL teams, using a .net, not a .com, and celebs such as James Packer mate, Shane 'Warnie' Warne have jumped on the bandwagon to riches, pushing legal "grey areas".
One of Media Man's legal advisers, lawyer Jamie Nettleton, rightly points out that fully legalising internet gambling... across the board, would bring tax revenue onshore and was "inevitable because it's generally recognised that any form of prohibition is not going to work". Nettleton has spoke on gaming at a number of conferences in Australia, including the popular iGaming Down Under, ironically held at Tabcorp owned Star City Casino last year.
Betfair's CEO Andrew Twaits advises it would be easier to minimise harmful online betting if the sites were 100% legal, as owner - operators could track the patterns.
The casino haters, bible bashers, and MP's with an anti gambling agenda say full legalising online casinos, poker, slots and the like further encourages internet betting, and might mean people become addicted.
Australian political parties, Liberal, Labor, The Greens, The Sex Party and others, have both supporters and detractors of full regulation on the sector down under.
Online casino sites often feature almost exact replica online slot games like Cleopatra, Top Gun, Sinatra, Monopoly, Wheel Of Fortune and dozens more, as well as 'Live Dealers' for other games. Punters like it so they don't have to leave home, saving money, not having to put up with smoke and noise at the pub, not worry about getting into fights with pub patrons.
Some Australia Independent senators event want to ban Australian credit card companies from processing payments to offshore gambling websites, put punters are known to get creative when need be, such is their passion for the punt. igaming companies are also offering new players attractive sign up bonus to get them on board in the ultra competitive, high stakes sector.
Figures obtained by Media Man show Aussies spending $968 million this year via online casinos found on the net.
Many of the firms offering the games are based in tax havens like the British channel islands, Gibraltar, or native Indian reservations in Canada. Some like igaming leader, PartyGaming, are listed on the London Stock Exchange, as Britain has fully legalised interactive gaming.
The Productivity Commission's draft report released last year stated that in 2008, roughly 700,000 Aussies played online casino games. That was double the amount back in 2004.
Online poker and slots is understood to be pushing forward the growth, with sports betting not far behind. Poker websites are up 20% a year. Walk into an internet cafe, and just see how many folks are playing online poker. Exerts tip over $300 million will go offshore this year from Australian online poker players alone.
In the complex world of igaming, most legal eagles have an opinion. Many igaming firms have both .com and .net websites. .net are "play for free", and these often link to "play for money". The legal sector sometimes refers to factors such as this as "legally untested" or "grey area".
So, as the online casino wars heat up, who will win? The casino lovers or the casino haters? We've got igaming companies, MP's, firms like PartyGaming, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, PKR and a host of others all jocking for position. Punter's, don't forget Crown Casino's 'Aussie Millions' comes up in January, and be sure to read up on articles and reviews to help find the best games for you, should you desire. Punters, please always bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
Awards...
November was a big month for casino awards.
PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)
Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Who will eventually win the Australian online gaming and casino wars? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Australian's are betting in the region of $1 billion each year on online gambling websites and this trend is set to continue, as the gambling and new media sectors continues to grow, and more mainstream entertainment brands like Marvel and Paramount Pictures jump on board.
A large number of Australian and Asia Pacific media, publicity - pr, website portal and technology agencies have also jumped on board the online gaming express, helping push forward campaigns in win - win scenarios.
The Australian Federal Police have been giving dozens of tip offs, however no companies have been charged as we go to press.
Some ethical media and new media operators such as Media Man has provided a number of leads to the Australian Hi Tech Crime Centre, an arm of the AFP, as to a number of igaming scams and suspected customer database lists for sale on the online black market.
The current Australian Productivity Commission report recommends that internet gambling be fully legalised and regulated, but not all parties agree, with bible bashers and casino haters saying it will make things worse. Aw well, you can't please all of the people, all of the time.
Australians getting turned off buy some pub and hotel game offerings have turned to the internet in droves and have discovered betting for sports, horse racing poker, bingo, blackjack, online slot games and more. Website portals like Media Man Int and Global Gaming Directory, and casino affiliate program and gaming articles and reviews are often how punters find the wide variety of games. Aussie Punters who play these games are doing nothing illegal, but some experts say there is "grey area". Website portals are a global mediums, and many companies target the world, so its a legally complex scenario.
The Australian federal government will be releasing the commission's report in the coming weeks we have learned.
The big gaming brands which appear to be onside with the Australian government according to leaks include PartyGaming, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, Virgin Games (not currently available in Australia) and PKR. Betfair and Centrebet are a couple of the brands most established in Australia.
Brands attracting some heat and a bit of an "evil eye" and microscope include Full Tilt, 888 and PokerStars. Some of the poker websites are now sponsoring NRL teams, using a .net, not a .com, and celebs such as James Packer mate, Shane 'Warnie' Warne have jumped on the bandwagon to riches, pushing legal "grey areas".
One of Media Man's legal advisers, lawyer Jamie Nettleton, rightly points out that fully legalising internet gambling... across the board, would bring tax revenue onshore and was "inevitable because it's generally recognised that any form of prohibition is not going to work". Nettleton has spoke on gaming at a number of conferences in Australia, including the popular iGaming Down Under, ironically held at Tabcorp owned Star City Casino last year.
Betfair's CEO Andrew Twaits advises it would be easier to minimise harmful online betting if the sites were 100% legal, as owner - operators could track the patterns.
The casino haters, bible bashers, and MP's with an anti gambling agenda say full legalising online casinos, poker, slots and the like further encourages internet betting, and might mean people become addicted.
Australian political parties, Liberal, Labor, The Greens, The Sex Party and others, have both supporters and detractors of full regulation on the sector down under.
Online casino sites often feature almost exact replica online slot games like Cleopatra, Top Gun, Sinatra, Monopoly, Wheel Of Fortune and dozens more, as well as 'Live Dealers' for other games. Punters like it so they don't have to leave home, saving money, not having to put up with smoke and noise at the pub, not worry about getting into fights with pub patrons.
Some Australia Independent senators event want to ban Australian credit card companies from processing payments to offshore gambling websites, put punters are known to get creative when need be, such is their passion for the punt. igaming companies are also offering new players attractive sign up bonus to get them on board in the ultra competitive, high stakes sector.
Figures obtained by Media Man show Aussies spending $968 million this year via online casinos found on the net.
Many of the firms offering the games are based in tax havens like the British channel islands, Gibraltar, or native Indian reservations in Canada. Some like igaming leader, PartyGaming, are listed on the London Stock Exchange, as Britain has fully legalised interactive gaming.
The Productivity Commission's draft report released last year stated that in 2008, roughly 700,000 Aussies played online casino games. That was double the amount back in 2004.
Online poker and slots is understood to be pushing forward the growth, with sports betting not far behind. Poker websites are up 20% a year. Walk into an internet cafe, and just see how many folks are playing online poker. Exerts tip over $300 million will go offshore this year from Australian online poker players alone.
In the complex world of igaming, most legal eagles have an opinion. Many igaming firms have both .com and .net websites. .net are "play for free", and these often link to "play for money". The legal sector sometimes refers to factors such as this as "legally untested" or "grey area".
So, as the online casino wars heat up, who will win? The casino lovers or the casino haters? We've got igaming companies, MP's, firms like PartyGaming, World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, PKR and a host of others all jocking for position. Punter's, don't forget Crown Casino's 'Aussie Millions' comes up in January, and be sure to read up on articles and reviews to help find the best games for you, should you desire. Punters, please always bet with your head, not over it, and have fun.
Awards...
November was a big month for casino awards.
PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)
Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australia Casinos
Cricket
Star City
Crown Casino
Politics
Property
Broadcasting
Television
Media Companies
Australian Sports
News
Casino News
Entertainment News
Media News
Technology News
Sports News
News
Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Who will eventually win the Australian online gaming and casino wars? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Dear Peter, by Eva Rinaldi
Dear Peter
Now that you have gone over to the other side, I've had more time to reflect and think about what you a great friend you became over the time we got to know each other, and how you enriched my life and that of so many of my friends and associates.
You were a one in a million.
Since your passing over one week ago, I have continued to hear wonderful stories about you, even including some of how fondly you felt about working and collaborating with my team and I, usually in your front yard at Bondi Beach.
Our friend, Greg, had been telling me for years to spend more time and Bondi Beach, and he kept telling me about how great you were, both as a photographer, and as a wonderful human being. A great he kept saying.
When we met I immediately realised that all of the wonderful things I head heard about your were true. You're wonderful energy and smile, pride in your craft, and last but not least, your generosity of heart and spirit, where you frequently donated time and money to your favorite orphanage in Cambodia. We all just loved the idea of who when you got to work for us, sometimes on a commercial basis, that a great deal of those funds would eventually make they way to the orphanage.
All of the projects we did together.... Let's Paint Oprah and a whole lot more. I guess I could tell it was more than just another gig for you. Bondi Beach and the Sydney Oprah House was always a very special day when we were blessed with your presence. Getting the great photos from you just a couple of days later was a bonus but you just added to the experiences in ways hard to describe.
On of the most special days was to be the last time I ever saw you.
It was Friday at Bondi Beach once again for the artistic component of Sea Shepherd's Bondi 'No Compromise'. We were all down at the beach, 'King Neptune', 'Son Of Neptune', Greg chasing you up on the mobile. Then all of a sudden we spotted you. In the amazing Tony Abbott beach art costume. It was classic, as you always were. You had on your colourful shoes as always. The way you directed my artistic creations was outstanding, and the results showed. The highlight for Greg and I was you giving us the hand made gifts from Cambodia. It was so special to have been hand delivered these by you, knowing that all of us had been supporting the orphanage in our own special way for what must have been almost bean up to a year. I just loved the guardian angels book you gave me. It is one of my most treasured possessions.
When we finished the beach photo shoot we all walked up to the High Tide Room together for the official event, little did we know this would be the last time we would ever see you alive in person.
The weather was turning, blowing up a gale, and it appeared that some of your photography equipment was starting to play up, but like a trooper and true professional, you soldiered on regardless. Thank god that when it was suggested to you to be in a photo with us, taking from my photographer friend, Marek, you agreed.
We did the rounds with you at the event, then I decided to get some fresh air with Louie and Greg. The beach was beautiful, as so many of your photographs demonstrate. We then returned to the event to see you hard at work up front near the stage, where we couldn't reach you. We decided to call it a night.
I often think about you, and of course, your beautiful photographs and spirit surround me. You played a significant part of my time spent at Bondi Beach.
Fortunately, I still get to share stories of your legend with many of my friends. Not to any surprise your remembered service at Bondi Beach was filled with hundreds of your friends and colleagues, a number of which I am happy to be able to call friends also. You were a great friend to many, I think Australia's friendliness photographer, and just a wonderful person.
One day we shall meet again in heaven, for there will be so much to discuss.
I feel I might have been one of your biggest fans. You surrounded yourself with stars, but the more I learn, I think you may have been the biggest star of all. Thank you from my heart.
Website
Icon Images
Now that you have gone over to the other side, I've had more time to reflect and think about what you a great friend you became over the time we got to know each other, and how you enriched my life and that of so many of my friends and associates.
You were a one in a million.
Since your passing over one week ago, I have continued to hear wonderful stories about you, even including some of how fondly you felt about working and collaborating with my team and I, usually in your front yard at Bondi Beach.
Our friend, Greg, had been telling me for years to spend more time and Bondi Beach, and he kept telling me about how great you were, both as a photographer, and as a wonderful human being. A great he kept saying.
When we met I immediately realised that all of the wonderful things I head heard about your were true. You're wonderful energy and smile, pride in your craft, and last but not least, your generosity of heart and spirit, where you frequently donated time and money to your favorite orphanage in Cambodia. We all just loved the idea of who when you got to work for us, sometimes on a commercial basis, that a great deal of those funds would eventually make they way to the orphanage.
All of the projects we did together.... Let's Paint Oprah and a whole lot more. I guess I could tell it was more than just another gig for you. Bondi Beach and the Sydney Oprah House was always a very special day when we were blessed with your presence. Getting the great photos from you just a couple of days later was a bonus but you just added to the experiences in ways hard to describe.
On of the most special days was to be the last time I ever saw you.
It was Friday at Bondi Beach once again for the artistic component of Sea Shepherd's Bondi 'No Compromise'. We were all down at the beach, 'King Neptune', 'Son Of Neptune', Greg chasing you up on the mobile. Then all of a sudden we spotted you. In the amazing Tony Abbott beach art costume. It was classic, as you always were. You had on your colourful shoes as always. The way you directed my artistic creations was outstanding, and the results showed. The highlight for Greg and I was you giving us the hand made gifts from Cambodia. It was so special to have been hand delivered these by you, knowing that all of us had been supporting the orphanage in our own special way for what must have been almost bean up to a year. I just loved the guardian angels book you gave me. It is one of my most treasured possessions.
When we finished the beach photo shoot we all walked up to the High Tide Room together for the official event, little did we know this would be the last time we would ever see you alive in person.
The weather was turning, blowing up a gale, and it appeared that some of your photography equipment was starting to play up, but like a trooper and true professional, you soldiered on regardless. Thank god that when it was suggested to you to be in a photo with us, taking from my photographer friend, Marek, you agreed.
We did the rounds with you at the event, then I decided to get some fresh air with Louie and Greg. The beach was beautiful, as so many of your photographs demonstrate. We then returned to the event to see you hard at work up front near the stage, where we couldn't reach you. We decided to call it a night.
I often think about you, and of course, your beautiful photographs and spirit surround me. You played a significant part of my time spent at Bondi Beach.
Fortunately, I still get to share stories of your legend with many of my friends. Not to any surprise your remembered service at Bondi Beach was filled with hundreds of your friends and colleagues, a number of which I am happy to be able to call friends also. You were a great friend to many, I think Australia's friendliness photographer, and just a wonderful person.
One day we shall meet again in heaven, for there will be so much to discuss.
I feel I might have been one of your biggest fans. You surrounded yourself with stars, but the more I learn, I think you may have been the biggest star of all. Thank you from my heart.
Website
Icon Images
Online gaming companies in for huge 2011, by Greg Tingle - 23rd November 2010
Profiles
PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker PartyBingo Bwin Betfair Centrebet SportingBet 888 World Poker Tour World Series of Poker
Harrah's Entertainment Virgin Games PKR Microgaming Playtech Media Man Casino News Media Global Gaming Directory
Could online gaming firms be in the mix of the top stockmarket investments to make in 2011?
The listing of Betfair (BET) at the conclusion of October on a fancy multiple and the $3.3 billion megamerger between PartyGaming and Bwin (PRTY), due to complete in the first quarter of 2011, appears to have added spark to the industry of late.
Then there is the prospect, albeit slight, of the liberalisation of the US igaming market which has put the industry firmly on investors' watch list, including ours, for next year.
It is understandable, as even a snapshot look at the stockmarket gains of the world’s biggest online gaming companies between circa 2004-2006 reveals just how quickly fortunes were made and lost.
The iGaming Global Top 30 Index, an index of the stockmarket performance of the biggest 30 online gaming companies, surged 40% between July 2004 and August 2005. This was followed by 12 months of extreme volatility before sinking thanks to a controversial piece of legislation in the US.
Since 2006, online gaming’s real story has been dominated by America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
The multibillion-pound global industry virtually collapsed in a heap after its biggest market - the US - was closed down overnight when Congress introduced a surprise clause to legislation in September 2006, in effect making internet betting illegal. Not only was that a blow for investors - it was a hugely expensive one.
British-based companies were among the biggest casualties.
As soon as the London Stock Exchange opened the following Monday morning, shares in PartyGaming - then a FTSE 100 member - dived by 58%, while rivals 888 Holdings (888) and Sportingbet saw their shares slide by 26% and 64% respectively, wiping an estimated £4 billion off the sector's value.
The companies were forced to focus on opportunities in other parts of the world, but the businesses have never fully recovered from the impact of losing their most lucrative market. Last year, online gambling was worth an estimated $5.4 billion (£3.5 billion) overall, a figure that could rise to $12-$16 billion if the market was opened up, analysts say.
Despite the recent loss of a sympathetic Democrat majority in Congress last month, there is renewed hope of floated gambling companies being dealt a good hand on both sides of the Pond.
The new Republican chairman of the House financial services committee is likely to be an old-style Alabaman named Spencer Bachus.
Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy. The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a federal regulatory programme.
Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy.
The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a Federal regulatory programme.
And you can see why if you glance at the forecast numbers.
With the US nationwide unemployment rate at 10%, 48 of 50 states facing budget shortfalls and a Federal deficit approaching $1.3 trillion, the economic backdrop against which to promote regulation and taxation of internet gambling has arguably never been more favourable.
Yet those companies poised to get a real boost should America legalise online gambling, such as the impressive PartyGaming/Bwin combine, are getting excited about the future.
"We are seeing things from a legislative perspective that are quite exciting for us," says Jim Ryan, chief executive of PartyGaming, whose comments undoubtedly reflect the mood of a growing contingent of gambling operators on both sides of the Atlantic.
There has been speculation that PartyGaming and Bwin have decided to merge at this time precisely because they will be better placed than any other operator to seize a huge market share should the US decide to legalise online gambling. You only have to look at the market share that Party was able to capture by becoming one of the first operators into the online poker market back in 2001.
Analysts agree the enlarged company is in a strong position to exploit the opening up of the US market.
In a note to investors recently, the Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Vaughan Lewis said: "The overall political tide is moving firmly in favour of regulation, rather than prohibition.
"With its expertise... market-leading technology, strong marketing capability and good brands, we think the combined entity of PartyGaming and Bwin would be extremely well positioned to benefit from any market opening in the US. We include nothing in our forecasts for the US, so any new market here is pure upside."
And in a recent Barclays Capital research note, the investment bank said: "In the event of Federal regulation, we believe PartyGaming would be the likely key beneficiary.
"Under this hypothetical scenario, we estimate the potential [underlying profits] uplift could be 94% for PartyGaming and 58% for Bwin and 888. On a state-by-state hypothetical scenario, we estimate the uplift for the group would be considerably lower, but still meaningful."
Meanwhile, at the end of October analysts at Numis published a note saying there is 50% upside potential at Party when the merger with Bwin completes in March 2011. With the shares trading at around 230p at the beginning of November Numis have put a price target of 400p on the stock.
The PartyGaming/Bwin merger has got the other big companies in the sector scurrying around to do similar deals. They don't want to be left behind in what will become a gold rush should the US legalise online gaming.
888 and Sportingbet are also possible future takeover targets as the industry consolidates, but only once their legal liabilities in the US market are cleared. Serious negotiations in the PartyGaming/Bwin merger were only concluded once Party had secured a $105 million settlement with US authorities.
Analysts say a resolution would clear the way for 888 and Sportingbet to re-enter the lucrative US market should moves to overturn the 2006 legislation succeed.
Sportingbet has already acted telling shareholders at its latest results meeting that it had made a £22.8 million settlement with the US Department of Justice over an investigation into illegal internet gambling. The agreement means the firm will avoid being prosecuted in the US for accepting online bets made by Americans between 1998 and 2006.
Sportingbet would hold the most appeal to potential bidders, analysts reckon, pointing to its very strong market positioning in Australia and commenting that Ladbrokes (LAD) and William Hill (WMH) could be interested in a takeover.
Liberum Capital analyst Richard Taylor recently highlighted the strength of Sportingbet’s sports betting business, which he said had one of the best gross margins in the sector at around 10%. In addition, he said Sportingbet’s management was open to a bid, having previously stated up to 55% of their cost base could be removed.
Another former giant of the sector, now somewhat depleted thanks to the UIGEA, is 888.
Analysts say 888's attraction would be the potential for cost savings in a tie-up with a rival online gaming operator, and that Party/Bwin might be a possible buyer. What would make it attractive is that both Party and Bwin use 888 as a supplier.
However, the Shaked family who founded the company, and who control over 50% of the shares, would be looking for a price significantly above the 40p at which the company currently trades.
There have been whispers among London traders in the last few weeks that a £262 million, or 76p a share, cash bid from a much bigger industry player, possibly US entertainment giant Harrah's, which already has close business links with 888 could be on the cards.
Certainly 888 chief executive Gigi Levy has said recently that he looks at consolidation as one of the possible routes to realising shareholder value.
Another giant of the industry looking to become bigger still is the mighty Betfair. Having listed on the LSE at the end of October at 1,300p, the shares soon touched 1,600p-plus, as tracker funds piled in confident it will canter into the FTSE 250 index at the December review with a market value above £1.6 billion.
If things are hotting up at the Federal level for the online gaming industry there are also some exciting developments at state level.
So far in 2010, four states have considered whether or not to legalise some combination of online poker, casino gaming and sports betting: Iowa, Florida, California and New Jersey.
The state making most headway is New Jersey, where internet gambling has been under consideration by lawmakers since 2001. It is finally receiving serious consideration in the state Senate where two bills, which would legalise internet sports betting and casino gaming respectively, have already passed the committee stage this year.
From California to New Jersey to Florida, more state and federal congressmen are taking the reality of a legal online gambling regime a lot more seriously.
Whoever wins the race, state or federal, one thing is clear: more and more stakeholders in the US are finally coming around to understand the risks and implication of a ‘do nothing’ strategy. This is an opportunity cost and gambling companies are getting their bets on regardless.
But ongoing political deadlock clearly poses a real threat to regulatory efforts at all levels of American government. But even as gambling industry stakeholders duke it out in the halls of legislatures around the country, as well as on Capitol Hill in Washington, the very fact that the conflict between them is intensifying signals that interest and investment in pushing for online gaming regulation is rising.
With billions of dollars out there to harvest and market share to win, the entire online gaming sector looks ripe for an upturn in coming months. Investing in online gaming companies has always been a white knuckle ride - and there looks to be every sign this particular circus is once again rolling back into town.
Profiles
PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker PartyBingo Bwin Betfair Centrebet SportingBet 888 World Poker Tour World Series of Poker
Harrah's Entertainment Virgin Games PKR Microgaming Playtech Media Man Casino News Media Global Gaming Directory
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Global Gaming Directory
PartyGaming PartyCasino PartyPoker PartyBingo Bwin Betfair Centrebet SportingBet 888 World Poker Tour World Series of Poker
Harrah's Entertainment Virgin Games PKR Microgaming Playtech Media Man Casino News Media Global Gaming Directory
Could online gaming firms be in the mix of the top stockmarket investments to make in 2011?
The listing of Betfair (BET) at the conclusion of October on a fancy multiple and the $3.3 billion megamerger between PartyGaming and Bwin (PRTY), due to complete in the first quarter of 2011, appears to have added spark to the industry of late.
Then there is the prospect, albeit slight, of the liberalisation of the US igaming market which has put the industry firmly on investors' watch list, including ours, for next year.
It is understandable, as even a snapshot look at the stockmarket gains of the world’s biggest online gaming companies between circa 2004-2006 reveals just how quickly fortunes were made and lost.
The iGaming Global Top 30 Index, an index of the stockmarket performance of the biggest 30 online gaming companies, surged 40% between July 2004 and August 2005. This was followed by 12 months of extreme volatility before sinking thanks to a controversial piece of legislation in the US.
Since 2006, online gaming’s real story has been dominated by America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
The multibillion-pound global industry virtually collapsed in a heap after its biggest market - the US - was closed down overnight when Congress introduced a surprise clause to legislation in September 2006, in effect making internet betting illegal. Not only was that a blow for investors - it was a hugely expensive one.
British-based companies were among the biggest casualties.
As soon as the London Stock Exchange opened the following Monday morning, shares in PartyGaming - then a FTSE 100 member - dived by 58%, while rivals 888 Holdings (888) and Sportingbet saw their shares slide by 26% and 64% respectively, wiping an estimated £4 billion off the sector's value.
The companies were forced to focus on opportunities in other parts of the world, but the businesses have never fully recovered from the impact of losing their most lucrative market. Last year, online gambling was worth an estimated $5.4 billion (£3.5 billion) overall, a figure that could rise to $12-$16 billion if the market was opened up, analysts say.
Despite the recent loss of a sympathetic Democrat majority in Congress last month, there is renewed hope of floated gambling companies being dealt a good hand on both sides of the Pond.
The new Republican chairman of the House financial services committee is likely to be an old-style Alabaman named Spencer Bachus.
Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy. The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a federal regulatory programme.
Yet he is likely to listen to the prospects of a reinvigorated gambling sector for the ailing US economy.
The Federal government’s non-partisan accountants, the Joint Committee on Taxation, have estimated online gambling could generate between $10 billion and $42 billion in new revenue by 2019, depending on the number of states that opt into a Federal regulatory programme.
And you can see why if you glance at the forecast numbers.
With the US nationwide unemployment rate at 10%, 48 of 50 states facing budget shortfalls and a Federal deficit approaching $1.3 trillion, the economic backdrop against which to promote regulation and taxation of internet gambling has arguably never been more favourable.
Yet those companies poised to get a real boost should America legalise online gambling, such as the impressive PartyGaming/Bwin combine, are getting excited about the future.
"We are seeing things from a legislative perspective that are quite exciting for us," says Jim Ryan, chief executive of PartyGaming, whose comments undoubtedly reflect the mood of a growing contingent of gambling operators on both sides of the Atlantic.
There has been speculation that PartyGaming and Bwin have decided to merge at this time precisely because they will be better placed than any other operator to seize a huge market share should the US decide to legalise online gambling. You only have to look at the market share that Party was able to capture by becoming one of the first operators into the online poker market back in 2001.
Analysts agree the enlarged company is in a strong position to exploit the opening up of the US market.
In a note to investors recently, the Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Vaughan Lewis said: "The overall political tide is moving firmly in favour of regulation, rather than prohibition.
"With its expertise... market-leading technology, strong marketing capability and good brands, we think the combined entity of PartyGaming and Bwin would be extremely well positioned to benefit from any market opening in the US. We include nothing in our forecasts for the US, so any new market here is pure upside."
And in a recent Barclays Capital research note, the investment bank said: "In the event of Federal regulation, we believe PartyGaming would be the likely key beneficiary.
"Under this hypothetical scenario, we estimate the potential [underlying profits] uplift could be 94% for PartyGaming and 58% for Bwin and 888. On a state-by-state hypothetical scenario, we estimate the uplift for the group would be considerably lower, but still meaningful."
Meanwhile, at the end of October analysts at Numis published a note saying there is 50% upside potential at Party when the merger with Bwin completes in March 2011. With the shares trading at around 230p at the beginning of November Numis have put a price target of 400p on the stock.
The PartyGaming/Bwin merger has got the other big companies in the sector scurrying around to do similar deals. They don't want to be left behind in what will become a gold rush should the US legalise online gaming.
888 and Sportingbet are also possible future takeover targets as the industry consolidates, but only once their legal liabilities in the US market are cleared. Serious negotiations in the PartyGaming/Bwin merger were only concluded once Party had secured a $105 million settlement with US authorities.
Analysts say a resolution would clear the way for 888 and Sportingbet to re-enter the lucrative US market should moves to overturn the 2006 legislation succeed.
Sportingbet has already acted telling shareholders at its latest results meeting that it had made a £22.8 million settlement with the US Department of Justice over an investigation into illegal internet gambling. The agreement means the firm will avoid being prosecuted in the US for accepting online bets made by Americans between 1998 and 2006.
Sportingbet would hold the most appeal to potential bidders, analysts reckon, pointing to its very strong market positioning in Australia and commenting that Ladbrokes (LAD) and William Hill (WMH) could be interested in a takeover.
Liberum Capital analyst Richard Taylor recently highlighted the strength of Sportingbet’s sports betting business, which he said had one of the best gross margins in the sector at around 10%. In addition, he said Sportingbet’s management was open to a bid, having previously stated up to 55% of their cost base could be removed.
Another former giant of the sector, now somewhat depleted thanks to the UIGEA, is 888.
Analysts say 888's attraction would be the potential for cost savings in a tie-up with a rival online gaming operator, and that Party/Bwin might be a possible buyer. What would make it attractive is that both Party and Bwin use 888 as a supplier.
However, the Shaked family who founded the company, and who control over 50% of the shares, would be looking for a price significantly above the 40p at which the company currently trades.
There have been whispers among London traders in the last few weeks that a £262 million, or 76p a share, cash bid from a much bigger industry player, possibly US entertainment giant Harrah's, which already has close business links with 888 could be on the cards.
Certainly 888 chief executive Gigi Levy has said recently that he looks at consolidation as one of the possible routes to realising shareholder value.
Another giant of the industry looking to become bigger still is the mighty Betfair. Having listed on the LSE at the end of October at 1,300p, the shares soon touched 1,600p-plus, as tracker funds piled in confident it will canter into the FTSE 250 index at the December review with a market value above £1.6 billion.
If things are hotting up at the Federal level for the online gaming industry there are also some exciting developments at state level.
So far in 2010, four states have considered whether or not to legalise some combination of online poker, casino gaming and sports betting: Iowa, Florida, California and New Jersey.
The state making most headway is New Jersey, where internet gambling has been under consideration by lawmakers since 2001. It is finally receiving serious consideration in the state Senate where two bills, which would legalise internet sports betting and casino gaming respectively, have already passed the committee stage this year.
From California to New Jersey to Florida, more state and federal congressmen are taking the reality of a legal online gambling regime a lot more seriously.
Whoever wins the race, state or federal, one thing is clear: more and more stakeholders in the US are finally coming around to understand the risks and implication of a ‘do nothing’ strategy. This is an opportunity cost and gambling companies are getting their bets on regardless.
But ongoing political deadlock clearly poses a real threat to regulatory efforts at all levels of American government. But even as gambling industry stakeholders duke it out in the halls of legislatures around the country, as well as on Capitol Hill in Washington, the very fact that the conflict between them is intensifying signals that interest and investment in pushing for online gaming regulation is rising.
With billions of dollars out there to harvest and market share to win, the entire online gaming sector looks ripe for an upturn in coming months. Investing in online gaming companies has always been a white knuckle ride - and there looks to be every sign this particular circus is once again rolling back into town.
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Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino.com !
** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **
** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.
Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com
** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"
Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:
Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20
The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.
Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com
Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!
See: PartyCasino.com for more information.
Santa’s Party Pack
Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!
Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December
Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.
From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!
Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.
Prize Giveaway
If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*
*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)
**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
Santa’s Big Prize Draw
What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:
Non-VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.
VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.
You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **
** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.
Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com
** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"
Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:
Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20
The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.
Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com
Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!
See: PartyCasino.com for more information.
Santa’s Party Pack
Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!
Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December
Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.
From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!
Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.
Prize Giveaway
If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*
*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)
**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
Santa’s Big Prize Draw
What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:
Non-VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.
VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.
You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award
PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Richard Branson's Project iPad magazine teased in video, rumored launch Tuesday - 29th November 2010
Project Magazine, Richard Branson's new publication available only on Apple's iPad, has a blog, a teaser video and as of yet, no official release date.
The first issue of the digital magazine hits iPads it will have The Dude ... Jeff Bridges on the cover, apparently talking about his new movie Tron Legacy.
And it will also include an article about Jaguar's new 205-mph as-environmentally-friendly-as-a-supercar-can-be C-X75 concept, among other things.
Multiple online news sites and blogs are reporting that Project will launch on iPads tomorrow in its own iPad app.
A search on Apple's App Store, via iTunes, on Monday evening returned no results for a Project magazine app.
The video teaser hypes Project as a magazine about design, entertainment, technology and entrepreneurs.
On its blog, Project says that issues of the magazine will feature "a whole month’s worth of content, which updates over the month."
The digital magazine is iPad only, for now, but the website also says it will "be available in other formats, soon."
Project offered no projections as to what other devices are being considered for distribution, but smart phones or tablet computers running Google's Android, RIM's BlackBerry Tablet OS, Palm's WebOS or Microsoft Windows could make sense.
If Project does launch tomorrow, we'll have a write-up of what the iMag --- er iPad magazine -- has to offer.
Officials at Branson's company, Virgin Group, were unavailable to comment on the magazine or its rumored launch date.
Profiles
Virgin Enterprises Limited
Richard Branson
Apple
Media Man
The first issue of the digital magazine hits iPads it will have The Dude ... Jeff Bridges on the cover, apparently talking about his new movie Tron Legacy.
And it will also include an article about Jaguar's new 205-mph as-environmentally-friendly-as-a-supercar-can-be C-X75 concept, among other things.
Multiple online news sites and blogs are reporting that Project will launch on iPads tomorrow in its own iPad app.
A search on Apple's App Store, via iTunes, on Monday evening returned no results for a Project magazine app.
The video teaser hypes Project as a magazine about design, entertainment, technology and entrepreneurs.
On its blog, Project says that issues of the magazine will feature "a whole month’s worth of content, which updates over the month."
The digital magazine is iPad only, for now, but the website also says it will "be available in other formats, soon."
Project offered no projections as to what other devices are being considered for distribution, but smart phones or tablet computers running Google's Android, RIM's BlackBerry Tablet OS, Palm's WebOS or Microsoft Windows could make sense.
If Project does launch tomorrow, we'll have a write-up of what the iMag --- er iPad magazine -- has to offer.
Officials at Branson's company, Virgin Group, were unavailable to comment on the magazine or its rumored launch date.
Profiles
Virgin Enterprises Limited
Richard Branson
Apple
Media Man
Casino News Media: Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino.com !
** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **
** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.
Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com
** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"
Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:
Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20
The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.
Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com
Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!
See: PartyCasino.com for more information.
Santa’s Party Pack
Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!
Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December
Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.
From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!
Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.
Prize Giveaway
If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*
*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)
**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
Santa’s Big Prize Draw
What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:
Non-VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.
VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.
You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
** Win your share of $5,000 every day in December. See: PartyPoker.com **
** The first episode of PartyPoker.com World Open VI is now online.
Many of the players involved will remember the jaw dropping quads over quads – Andrew Robl, Toby Lewis, Mike Sexton and Jesse May talk about this in a special post here: PartyPoker.com
** Aussie Millions qualifiers are up and running. Team Party pro Tyron Krost won the event last year and gives his own guide to satellites. PartyPoker.com **
Palladium VIP's - Spoil Yourself With As Many Presents As You Want From PartyPoker - Santa's Party Pack Open To All On PartyCasino!
Gibraltar – 30th November 2010 -- The festive season is drawing closer and PartyPoker.com is making sure they treat their most-valued players to a whole stack of presents. Palladium VIPs have the opportunity to pick up six presents and fill their very own Santa sack by just earning points by playing at PartyPoker.com’s online tables from the 1st to 14th December 2010.
A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: "The premise is very simple – Palladium VIPs earn points that make prizes. At the bottom end there is a $50 cash bonus, while 30,000 points delivers a $5,000 WPT entry. Players are entitled to keep all of the prizes they can win - so with six prize levels there’s six fantastic presents to keep!"
Here’s what’s on offer in the VIP Gift Accumulator:
Prize level Points required Prize Prize Draw tickets
1 1,500 $50 cash bonus 1
2 3,000 $100 cash 2
3 6,000 iPod Touch 4
4 12,000 $700 cash 8
5 20,000 16GB iPad 14
6 30,000 WPT entry 20
The feast of presents doesn’t just end here though. Every time a player hits a prize level PartyPoker.com award tickets for the VIP Gift Accumulator prize draw which offers the chance to win a share of $10,000. The more prizes a Palladium VIP earn the more entries they’ll get into the draw, giving more frequent players a better chance of winning the $5,000 first prize, the $3,000 second prize or the $2,000 third prize. Winners will be announced on the 17th December.
Please note that this is an OPT-IN promotion. For more information see: PartyPoker.com
Santa is also coming to PartyCasino.com. Unlike the poker promotion this is open to non VIPs too and runs from the 1st – 14th December, whether you have been bad or good. Points mean prizes including a luxury Caribbean holiday!
See: PartyCasino.com for more information.
Santa’s Party Pack
Prizes whether you’ve been good or bad!
Starts: 00:00 ET, 1st December
Ends: 23:59 ET, 14th December
Santa is making an early appearance. He’s spreading Christmas cheer, handing out killer Christmas presents to non-VIP and Palladium VIP players.
From 1st to 14th December, you can celebrate Christmas in style with a double whammy of festive winning opportunities. There’s a prize giveaway where you can scoop up to 6 prizes, and a massive cash prize draw!
Winning a share of Santa’s Party Pack is simple, and you don’t even have to sit on Santa’s knee! Simply opt-in between the 1st-14th December and collect points by playing your favourite slots and jackpot slots. The more you play, the more prizes you’ll unwrap.
Prize Giveaway
If you’re not a VIP yet, check out the Christmas List below, Santa could bring you up to 5 fantastic prizes worth $1,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
20 $5 cash bonus
100 300 points
500 $50 cash bonus
1,000 $100 free cash
5,000 iPad 32GB WiFi*
*The iPad 32GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $600, this will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
If you’re a Palladium VIP player, check out the Christmas list below. Santa could bring you up to 6 prizes worth $10,000:
Points Cumulative prizes
2,000 $75 cash bonus
3,000 1500 points
5,000 $150 cash bonus
7,500 $250 free cash
15,000 iPad 64GB WiFi**
50,000 Luxury Caribbean Holiday**
(worth $8,500)
**The iPad 64GB WiFi has a cash alternative of $1,000, **The Luxury Caribbean Holiday has a cash alternative of $5,000 these will automatically be credited to your account. Please see T&C’s for details of how to receive the non monetary alternative.
Santa’s Big Prize Draw
What a cracker! But wait…there’s an extra present under the tree – Santa’s Big Prize Draw. By taking part in Santa’s Party Pack, you will be eligible for the draw. The more points you earn the more entries you will receive. Check below to see how much cash you can win:
Non-VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 20 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $10,000 will be shared equally between 10 lucky players.
VIP Big Prize Draw
Every time you earn 500 points during the promotion, you’ll get one entry to the Big Prize Draw. $20,000 will be shared between 3 lucky players in the following amounts: 1st - $10,000, 2nd - $6,000 and 3rd - $4,000.
You can collect points on any of our slots and jackpot slots. To join the festivities you need to Opt-In from the 1st-14th December. Win some exceptional presents this Christmas with Santa’s Party Pack.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
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