New York lottery saves desperate man

The largest-ever New York lottery jackpot found its winner in a tight corner. Juan Rodriguez, 49, was in serious debt when he bought a lucky lottery ticket on the day he was declared bankrupt.

The car park attendant, who had just 53 cents in the bank, won the $149 million jackpot that may drastically change his life.

Rodriquez was born in Colombia and moved to New York 8 years ago. He started working in a garage on 49th Street but he struggled for money. His money problems even led to the break up of his marriage.

'One minute I'm broke, now I've so much money I don't know what to do with it,' admitted Juan Rodriguez. 'I give thanks to the man upstairs for giving me the opportunity. I am going to do with it all I can.'

The jackpot will help to solve both his financial and private problems. Juan now can pay off his debts and return to his home in Queens, New York, where his wife lives. Juan is also going to help his pregnant daughter, Katty, whose baby girl is due in February.

Betfair Pay out £367,000 to Sporting Options Punters

Betfair has announced that it has been inundated with compensation claims from former Sporting Options customers. The betting exchange has already received 615 applications, of which it has so far processed 414, as part of its rescue package offered to Sporting Options’ customers who have been left financially disadvantaged by its surprise collapse two weeks ago.

Some 5,342 punters have been left out of pocket and Betfair, as part of an effort to restore confidence in the betting exchange model, have pledged to reimburse in full punters who have lost under £1000, while those who have lost over £1000 to receive £1,000 or 20 per cent of their account balance, whichever is greater.

'We are delighted with the response so far to our rescue package and we look forward to helping more Sporting Options customers,' Betfair's chief executive Stephen Hill told the Racing Post.

Gamble on National Geographic Channel

This December, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) takes you from Sin City to Atlantic City to get an inside look at the making and the breaking of the Super Casino.

The documentaries will feature all the players, from the team that built the first super casino on the east coast, to the infamous M.I.T. college students that took several casinos for millions, to the Loizeaux family that makes a living tearing them down.

The first programme in the series, MegaStructures explores the people and passion behind the east coast's grandest, one-of-a-kind architectural and technological achievement: The Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

The next instalment follows the whiz kids at M.I.T. who devised a method of card counting that takes the gambling world by surprise. It is a huge score, high times and money by the truckload, but it begins to slip away as greed leads to betrayal.

The last programme sees the casinos die as they are demolished by the Loizeaux family. Since 1993, the family has reduced these grand dames to rubble in a party atmosphere only possible in Las Vegas. For the Dunes and Hacienda hotel-casinos, the 'First Family' of implosions conducted their work on live national television, and added fireworks and fireballs in the actual implosion. The space-ship-like Landmark Hotel was one of the most unusual structures ever imploded in Las Vegas, and the Sands casino would be one of the most historic.

Ladbrokes gets lucky

Bookmaking giant Ladbrokes’ Irish operations saw pre-tax profits soar 33% to €4.96 million last year.

Ladbroke Leisure (Ireland) Limited took in more than €75 million in bets, a 9% increase, during the 12 months to December, according to accounts filed recently at the Companies Office.

The company’s gross profit, which consisted of the difference between amounts handed over by customers less winning bets paid out, nudged up just 4% to €10.76 million.

Operating margins, the key measure of a bookmaker’s success in the ongoing battle against punters, dropped during the year. Ladbrokes’ kept €14.30 for every €100 bet during 2003, which was a sharp fall from the €15.10 retained the previous year. Most bookmakers retain between €10 and €15 of every €100 taken in.

Operating and administrative costs tumbled 9% to just over e6 million, while proceeds from asset disposals bumped up profits by a further €297,000.

New Lottery Licence To Run For 15 Years

The government has ruled that the next licence to run the National Lottery can last 15 years, more than double its current length.

The news waves the green flag on the bidding war for control of the world's most successful betting game.

The biggest bookmakers are almost certain to enter the competition following the government's announcement.

The government last Friday gave the National Lottery Commission the power to issue a single licence for the distribution of the lottery products including the main game, scratchcards, mobile phones and the internet - for up to 15 years.

It amounts to a U-turn by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell who previously wanted to break it up into three parts.

This weekend Camelot, the National Lottery operator, said: 'The government's policy position is likely to deliver a very robust competition for the next lottery licence - something Camelot Group has always advocated and warmly welcomes.'

Gaming Promo Success

GamingPromo affiliate program has started maximizing on its long held back potential. Results of a three month old take over by Promo Market are rapidly showing.

Player value has risen, Conversion rates have reached high percentages, and Promo Market have attracted new affiliates.

The company recently introduced two new currencies to help penetrate the European market and expand on their American revenue. The websites can also be read in Spanish and French. These additions will help non-English speakers to utilise the services available through Gaming Promo.

New Mobile Gaming Launch

Zone4Play announced the launch of its play for real fixed-odds casino application on Hutchison G3, the UK’s first video mobile network.

Punters can play for fun or for money on the Avago-branded games; the result of 18 months of development.

Mr. Damian Cope, Managing Director, DITG Gaming, said: 'We are delighted to be launching this service on 3 in conjunction with Zone4Play, and are convinced that mobile gambling revenues will grow strongly over the next few years. We are confident that both existing and future Avago customers will enjoy the ability to play games via their mobile handsets.'

G3 is one of the 5 major operators licensed by the UK Government.

And the Prestigious ‘Best Slots’ Award goes to Slotland.com.

Strictly Slots, a print magazine dedicated to slot players, has named Slotland.com the winner of coveted ‘Best Online Slots Award’. And Slotland.com was delighted to announce that it was going to receive one of the gaming industry’s most prestigious awards.
Players of slot machines all naturally dream of winning, but they also want the Fun factor in the process, that’s where Slotland.com stands out among the other online casinos by providing a entertainment experience that players long for. They offer a unique selection of great slot machines and their bonuses (rated as one of the best online bonus programs by the players) are clear and simple, and they don’t have the usual restrictions that make the collection of most bonus schemes difficult.

A huge progressive jackpot also adds to the excitement of playing slots and Slotland.com offers this and more. Slotland.com offers one of the industry’s biggest progressive jackpots which are shared between six unique slot machines. Booster, Slotland’s newest slot machine, is the only slot machine where bets are never lost and players can bet as much as $50 per single spin! The Golden8, with its 9-wheels and 8-paylines, is a perennial favourite among Slotland’s players. The SilverKiss offers hundreds of titillating nude photos, and HeavyMetal offers a unique opportunity to place bets on your own game history. The TreasureBox is the only slot machine where players can hold the reels after each spin and make the best potential return every time the lever is pulled.

The slots at Slotland.com have two unique attributes in common, one is that they are exclusive to Slotland.com and they are FUN! It is true that weather u win a dollar or $100,000, you have had a good time in the process.

The Slotland.com spokesperson Hannah Morante said. “Winning an award is always good, but winning such a prestigious industry award is a tremendous honour,” and went on to say “We’re thrilled that the unique entertainment experience we’ve created has been recognized.”

Million-2-1 Receives GamCare Approval

GamCare, a leading body for the promotion of responsible gambling, has endorsed mobile operator Million-2-1’s new set of Java based fixed-odds games and praised the company for their efforts in conforming to responsible gambling guidelines. Million-2-1’s new additions to the portfolio, Dice and a Hi-Lo card game, are soon to be followed by Horse Racing and Lucky Balls, all of which employ strict age verification limits and have capped play limits in the play for money versions.

Michael Smeaton of Gamcare, said: “Million-2-1 is adopting a number of innovations in its new java games. By setting fixed play limits, they are proactively helping to prevent the escalation of addictive gambling among adults. We will also be working closely with Million-2-1 to monitor how players respond to more stringent age verification checking, an area where we are always looking to improve standards.”

Scott Davies, Head of Games at Million-2-1 added: “According to analysts, java-based gambling will reach £4bn by 2008, outstripping the market for mobile lottery tickets and betting. But this growth will only happen if java games have appeal beyond hardcore games. Our games are designed to have universal appeal and reassure the ‘fun’ end of the market.”

WagerLogic’s “BritPack” Version 6 Casino Release

WagerLogic Limited, a global leading provider of online gaming software has launched a flurry of new games in its Version 6 casino software, which are particularly exciting for the company’s UK licensees. WagerLogic’s greatly expanded casino offering introduces Pontoon (a British variation of Blackjack) and two new UK-style Fruit Machines (a British variation of the slot machine).

The new Fruit Machines: the boxing-style Fruit Fight and the circus-themed Super Sideshow, are inspired by the hugely popular, land-based fruit machine games found all over Britain, and offer complex 2nd stage betting features, nudge features and bonus spins – translating in more opportunities to spin and win.

“WagerLogic is the supplier of choice in online casino software for some of the best known gaming brands in the UK. Our new Pontoon and Fruit Machine games are the result of their input, and will help our licensees extend their market reach to players at home and abroad,” said A.J. Slivinski, Managing Director of WagerLogic.

WagerLogic’s latest casino product releases have expanded licensees’ online game offerings with more than 30 new games so far this year including a variety of new video slot themes, more multi-currency progressive jackpots and additional card games such as Casino War, Casino Solitaire and Super Fun 21. The total WagerLogic games suite has now grown to more than 100 games across progressive slot and casino table games, multi-player bingo and player-to-player poker.

Version 6 games are now available at William Hill (www.williamhillcasino.com), Littlewoods Gaming (www.littlewoodscasino.com), InterCasino (www.intercasino.com), and soon at The Ritz Club London (www.theritzclublondon.com).

Isle of Man Rethinks US Policy

In a move that could prove a serious financial boon for the island’s iGaming sector, it has emerged that the Isle of Man could be about to allow its licensed internet gambling operations to accept wagers from the American market. According to the Isle of Man Today newspaper, the island’s Council of Ministers will meet this week to discuss the matter and consider implementing a change in policy.

In the same week that Gibraltar-based, UK orientated online casino 32Red.com revealed that it had opened it’s doors to American customers, the Department of Trade and Industry submitted a report to the Council which presented the pros and cons of following suit.

Sources say that the Manx government is likely to rule in favour of allowing individual companies to decide for themselves whether or not to accept US bets. The current legislation is a major factor in dissuading new iGaming business from setting up in the island, and the potential tax revenue from opening up to the world’s largest online gambling market would be enormous.

Online Gamblers Have Dedicated Horoscope Line

If you wondered why you luck had deserted lately, maybe it’s because the stars aren’t aligned properly, or your planet is in the wrong phase. Online gamblers who like to put their faith in the stars at last have their own psychic gambling advisor in the shape of the mysterious gypsy Davie. Simply cross his palm with silver ($1.99 per minute to be precise) and dial (+1) 900-263-5768 to find out from the astrologist extraordinaire exactly which games of chance you should be playing (or avoiding) and when it will most fortuitous to do so. He’ll even tell what you’re lucky lottery numbers could be.

Gypsy Davie has spent years pouring over ancient astrological charts and decoding the mysteries of the heavens in order to give you, the punter, the edge at your favorite online casino. So don’t miss the opportunity to break that bad run.

Stanley strengthen their position

Stanley Leisure Plc announced today it would be joining forces with Malaysia's Genting Berhad to develop Las Vegas-style casinos in Britain in light of the relaxation of the country's gambling laws.

The companies’ decision comes after the UK government proposed plans for new gambling legislation, allowing the construction of more casinos and slot machines with large prizes. Genting, Asia’s largest publicly traded casino group, will buy £36 million shares from Stanley Leisure, raising its stake to 10 percent.

“The combination of ourselves and one of the top five gaming companies in the world puts us in a very powerful position,” Stanley Leisure boss Bob Wiper explained. He added the collaboration would enable Stanley to “better capture the benefits of deregulation as they unfold.”

Stanley, the largest casino operator in the UK, will acquire from Genting 50 percent of London's Maxim casino for as much as £6.85 million. Genting agreed to acquire the casino from Gala Group Ltd in September.

Casinos welcome crackdown

Casinos in Australia have backed a strong new police initiative to crackdown on crime within the betting world.

The cooperation comes after pressure from Crown Casino in Victoria, the fifth biggest in the world, to ban suspected criminals from their site. Crown spokesman Gary O'Neill said the casino had cooperated with the police in identifying criminals but did not have law enforcement powers. 'It should not surprise anybody that some criminals visit casinos, and not just in Australia but everywhere in the world that criminals visit from time to time, and it's to our credit that we've been supportive.”

But the removal of big-spending criminals from the casino precincts would have a minimal impact on Crown's revenue, he added.


'Quite frankly, we have 1.5 million members of the Crown club and 20,000 VIP players and out of those we would have five or six thousand high rollers and even a figure of say 80 criminals would be totally insignificant and the amounts they gamble would not register on the screen.”

Internet site adds more features to its gambling package

A gaming element has been added to online gambling site GamblingGates.com.

In addition to existing sections on casinos, poker and lotteries, the new online gaming section, GamingGates, has been designed to showcase more than 160 games websites. Sections include news, rules, strategies and a history of games, supplemented by tips and stories, reviews, and online gambling resource ratings.

The new project, part of the InternetGates group, presents itself as the essential gambling directory, and claims to have the first comprehensive and easy-to-use search facility. The resource provides an extensive database of over 2,000 online gambling sites, aimed at uniting all gamblers with first class content on the web.

32Red lifts ban on the US market

This week 32Red has lifted the ban on players in the United States. The ban was imposed on Americans in January 2004 due to the company’s concern about legislation in the states.

The UK government’s decision to license and regulate online casinos and the fact that no ban on US players has been envisages for US players has led to 32Red re-opening its doors to the massive US market.

A 32Red spokesman said, “We have taken this whole issue very seriously and have put a lot of time into researching the US question. Whilst the UK remains our main market, we believe that we have a casino and poker offering that Americans will appreciate and enjoy.”

However, there are still problems in the US market to do with payouts. American players cannot have winnings reimbursed to their credit cards like UK winners. 32Red try to give players their winnings quickly, and the US credit card system does not allow this to happen, so the company is encouraging the use of e-wallets such as Neteller and Firepay.

Gaming Corp announces £4.4 million growth

The Gaming Corporation announced in its yearly company report that it has had a 50 per cent growth in turnover to £13 million in the last year.

Commenting on the results, Justin Drummond, Chief Executive of Gaming Corporation plc, said: “Whilst these results show a marked improvement in all aspects of our business, we look forward to an even greater performance in the coming year and the Board is confident that forthcoming regulatory changes in the UK will further enhance the Group’s prospects.”

It also reports a 57 per cent rise in gross profits, most of this taking place in the second half of the year after Gaming Corp bought Eyeconomy.

Internet gambling boom for ten-year anniversary

As the online casino industry approaches its ten-year anniversary, more and more Americans are choosing to gamble from home rather than brave the casinos.

More than five million accounts have been opened on internet gambling sites in the last ten years, according to a recent report from the US Government Accountability Office.

The number is set to increase to 7.4 million in the next year, and St Louis-based gambling analysts The River City Group says the most popular game is poker.

Online casino, CasinoFortune.com claims that the highest concentration of players is in the Midwest states where more than 420,000 players are spread among Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio.

Experts predict the industry will only get bigger as technology improves and more people become computer literate.

New licences from PokerNetwork.

The PokerNetwork, which has 3million players worldwide and also licences the 5th largest poker site; PokerRoom.com, has just given new licences to BetonBet.com and CelebPoker.com.

The UK based CelebPoker.com is the world’s first interactive celebrity poker room. Their punters can play poker with various celebrities, that include sporting legends Jimmy White, Laurence Dallagio and Hollywood stars such as Lou Diamond Phillips.

However BetonBet.com is the betting exchange with a difference, they have a open market for trading of bets so the odds are set by the punters themselves.

For sale “World Poker Tour kits”.

Enthusiasts of poker can now indulge in gambling with world class kits which include chips, cards tables and even card shufflers. The same type equipment used by the World Poker Tour has been released to the public by the same supplier.

The fact is the poker players will now be able to treat themselves this Christmas season to an entire World Poker Tour set for as little as $399.99.

“Playing on the World Poker Tour is a dream come true for some, but now you can simulate that exciting experience in your own home with the U.S. Playing Card Official World Poker Tour products,” said Scott Kling, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for U.S. Playing Card Company.

Last year the Tour offered $35 million in prize money. Season 3, which will be broadcast in March has projected winnings of $70 million. The World Poker Tour airs every Wednesday at 9pm E/P Time on the travel channel.

UK Government forced to tone down Gambling Bill

The government has had to cut back plans to build Vegas-like casinos because of unpopular Gambling bill.

Originally the Prime Minister said we could expect anywhere from 20 to 40 24 hour casinos, but this week, an MP disclosed the cut back to just 8.

However, the MP, Richard Caborn also said there could be more depending on the initial impact of the casinos.

The controversial bill includes plans to open Vegas-like open-all-hours, unlimited jackpot casinos.

Paradisebet set for change

Paradisebet hope to provide an improved online service after agreeing a deal with leading software provider Orbis.

In response to growing demands, the UK-based bookmaker’s website will be completely revamped using OpenBet technology, used by the world’s leading internet gaming providers. The versatile software allows a variety of betting options from a single account, seen as perfect for Paradisebet’s wide-ranging service.

Orbis will specifically help in risk management and handicap functionality, and will also share their multi-currency and multi-lingual capabilities with Paradisebet’s global customers.

Paradisebet boss Michele Martiradonna said: “We are experiencing huge growth in business at the moment, with annual turnover set to double this year, so it's critical that we have robust and secure software to support our new products and growing customer base.

“We plan to develop products beyond a sportsbook into games and a casino, and with Orbis' proven success in these areas, we are confident that they will help us achieve our goals.'

Betting Exchange Trade Association rules out Options

The Betting Exchange Trade Association (BETA) have revoked the membership of Sporting Options Ltd, a small Sussex-based firm, after they were found to be in “material breach” of the new code of practice for betting exchanges.

The episode is likely to be seized upon by supporters of the proposed online betting regulations within the government’s gambling bill. Sporting Options have since gone into administration, after what was swift action by BETA.

Set up in September to represent gaming institutions, the BETA executive committee ruled that Sporting Options did not meet the requirements essential to “drive best practice”, in light of the current Gambling Bill.


General Secretary of BETA, Andrew Silverman said: BETA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in the betting industry. That is why we have acted swiftly to revoke the membership of Sporting Options Ltd. There is no room in BETA for companies that fail to meet the standards set in the betting exchange code of practice.”

BETA was established to provide communication between gaming organisations, and works alongside them in discussions with the government and other regulatory bodies. Sporting Options’ membership is ended with immediate effect.

Gambling Bill to be revealed at leisure conference

The Business in Sport and Leisure conference 2004 will concentrate on the Gambling Bill and its effect on the industry held on Tuesday 23rd November.

Lord Andrew McIntosh from DCMS, will speak in the afternoon in the Royal Lancaster Hotel in central London where he will reveal the new government Gambling Bill.

“Bidding For Better”, the conference theme, will also feature speeches from some of the leading people in the Industry, including Chief Executive of David Lloyd Leisure Stewart Miller, and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health; Fiona Adshead.

At the end of the day, Chief Operating Officer of London 2012 Mike Power will be giving a session regarding the Bill and its implications.

Online Gambling gets fruity

Gambling company William Hill has unveiled its new online games for 2005. The most exiting development is virtual fruit machines which mimic the casino floor style.

Software Developer, Cryptologic has produced the first traditional style fruit machines available on the web. The games incorporate the much-loved features of nudging, holding, feature games and extended playtime.

On Williamhillcasino.com there are two games which could win lucky punters a £2000 jackpot- Fruit flight and Superslide show.

Other games include Pontoon and Super Fun 21, and versions of the ever-popular poker.

Gambling Bill to be Redrafted

Arts minister, Richard Caborn, has told a parliamentary committee that he is redrafting clause 7 of the UK gambling Bill, which pertains to the introduction of so-called super casinos to the country. The revision is expected to limit the amount of super casinos to six and introduce a three-year pilot scheme where the effects of the casinos can be closely monitored.

A DCMS spokesperson told the Scotsman newspaper, 'we are still reflecting on the points and concerns that have been raised about casinos… amendments are being put in place to assuage concerns about the proliferation of casinos.”

The government’s position will be seen as a climb down following the powerful media and political backlash which greeted the Bill.

Meanwhile, at the EIG conference this week in Sitges, Spain, Chairman of the Bill’s Joint Scrutiny Committee, John Greenway MP warned iGaming operators that they could face a similar backlash.

“What has happened over the past two weeks regarding casinos could happen to you,” he said. “It may appear to come out of the blue, but the media’s ability to manufacture a story should not be underestimated.”

The Bill is due before the Commons again on Tuesday.

Gaming Portal Going Continental

Gaming Promo, the recently re-launched gaming portal, has quickly upped its game by translating two of its casinos into French and Spanish.

The 68 games available across the two sites will now be more accessible across the globe.

A spokesperson at Promo-Market, who own the gambling sites said, The French population is valuable because they tend to be high rollers; and the Spanish population is also crucial as the Spanish speaking market in the US is ever-expanding.”

In addition to the broader language base, players will now be able to use Sterling and Euros to place their bets, rather than only being able to play in US dollars.

Holiday Giveaway by Online Casino group

English Harbour Casinos Group will be launching an unprecedented campaign targeted to all their first time customers from December 1st to December 24th.

The online casino company is giving away one gift per day to thank their new customers for their business. All the Every Day Giveaway prizes are electronic goods from major brands and other popular items all with a total value of $10,000.

To participate, customers will need to make their first time purchase of $100 in casino chips at one of the English Harbour casinos: Millionaire, Silver Dollar, SuperSlots, Caribbean Gold, All Poker Casino and English Harbour Casino.

A winner will be drawn everyday, they will then be contacted and a prize will be shipped to them the next day. The prizes include MP3 Players, Mini Portable DVD Players, Digital Cameras and more. Additionally, new players will be able to receive a 100% welcome bonus and participate in other promotions such as the “Daily Double” where 3 new customers are randomly chosen every day to receive additional bonus offers.