Thursday, December 31, 2009

Star City Casino strike New Year's Day - 31st December 2009

Staff at Sydney's Star City casino will walk off the job for one hour on New Year's Day as part of a continuing row over pay.

The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) says workers will strike from 8pm until 9pm (AEDT) in a bid to secure a higher pay offer, but a Star City spokesman says the casino will operate as usual.

"Staff have been negotiating with Star City for a new enterprise agreement for more than eight months," LHMU NSW branch secretary Mark Boyd said in a statement on Thursday.

"Star City staff have decided to take one-hour strike action from New Year's Day because they are frustrated by the casino's unfair wage offer and management's refusal to listen to them."

But Star City spokesman Peter Grimshaw says only a small group of employees is expected to carry out the industrial action and the casino would operate as usual.

"Only 17 per cent of employees voted to strike so it will be business as usual at Star City," he said in a statement.

A LHMU spokeswoman told AAP on Thursday that further strikes could follow through January.

Star City staff have twice voted against previous pay offers made in September and December, the LHMU union said.

The union has previously said members have been offered a two per cent pay rise.

But Mr Grimshaw said the casino had "put a very fair offer on the table including a nine per cent increase in wages over three years and increased allowances".

"However, the union is trying to retain outdated work practices including loadings on sick leave," he said.

Mr Boyd said $575 million was being spent to renovate the venue, its top executives were paid $2.6 million and the casino's last quarter revenue was up 11.6 per cent. (Credit: Wires, Fairfax Media, Google News, LHMU, Media Man)

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

PartyCasino Wins Media Man Online Casino Award, by Greg Tingle - 30th December 2009

PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award

PartyCasino.com has once again been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both Captain Cooks Casino and Virgin 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. Last month 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 Rambo, The Godfather, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Hulk, Monopoly, Resident Evil and Mega Fortune Wheel. Last month a German casino player won the Gold Mega Jackpot of almost $5 million dollars playing Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $1 million mark. Players can also compete for the Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Tarzan, High Noon and Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

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 pro wrestling themed online slot games are in the works and that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 3 months. Names been thrown around include Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, but those names are only rumors, however a print feature did showcase Andre earlier in the year, indicating that there is substance to the rumor mill. In any event, PartyCasino already has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

In other exciting PartyGaming news, PartyPoker.com is currently running qualifiers to the L.A Poker Classic in the United States. PartyGaming's recent purchase of the World Poker Tour company and assets enables PartyGaming to once again accept American based poker players, and they are hopefully of soon accepting American casino players also. Both websites accept most European, South American and Australian players.

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 and igaming industry.

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Bingo! - Virgin Games Gets The X-Factor Slot - December 2009

Virgin Games announce their latest product offering, with the addition of the X-Factor to their comprehensive range of bingo games.

The X-Factor bingo slot game offers fans the opportunity to face the judges, get through auditions and make it all the way to the grand final. Those who have what it takes to impress may not find fame, but they could land a fortune, thanks to impressive cash prizes and V Points, which can be redeemed against a host of Virgin-branded products.

This product is part of a number of new television-themed games which are being added to the site in the coming months. These include the popular ‘Blankety Blank’ and ‘The Price is Right’ franchises, which have further enhanced the site’s appeal to gamers from across the U.K.

Part of the Virgin Games group, Virgin Bingo was launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading online Bingo sites. The site was restructured in June 2006 and alongside sister sites Virgin Casino and Virgin Poker, it aims to provide gamers with the best choice of products and rewards on the internet.

A spokesperson for Virgin Games commented on this new product by saying:

“X-Factor is extremely popular at the moment and we are hoping to capitalise on some of the popularity by offering our customers the chance to participate in this fun and exciting game.”

“With some very attractive prizes on offer, we are sure that this will become one of our most popular bingo products. It compliments a range of entertainment tie-ins, including the popular Cluedo and Monopoly games, which have already proved to be a big hit with players.”

To find out more about this, and a range of other themed Bingo games, visit: VirginGames.com

Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises four distinct offerings:

Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, brings consumers classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons Fortress of Fortunes™ and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a seeding value of £1,500,000

Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry

Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

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Virgin Games: Brand Profiles - Virgin Casino News - Start The New Year Right!

Virgin Casino

Virgin Casino is packed full of Vegas favourites from Wheel of Fortune and Price is Right to 6 different versions of Blackjack and 4 different versions of Roulette. You'll also find some of the most entertaining and unique slots on the web with Monopoly on a Roll and Cluedo.

Virgin Casino runs a 24 hour call centre, credits casino payouts quickly (between 24 and 72 hours) and with full Gamcare Certification is one of the safest places to play online. The casino does not accept bets from the USA or jurisdictions where online gaming is illegal.

V*POINTS
At Virgin Casino we figure that it's about time you got more rewards back from your play. That's why we are thrilled to introduce you to V*POINTS, where you'll earn points that can be exchanged for cash or a range of exciting Virgin rewards every time you play. More...

Promotions
If that's not enough, new players will also find signing up is sweetened by a 100% sign up match bonus up to £100 and there are regular cash and prize bonus promotions that run throughout every month of the year.

Virgin Poker

Virgin Poker is all about value. Apologies for the marketing speak but we've tried to pack as much extra value into the great game of poker as possible. That naturally means freerolls and decent guaranteed tournaments (without the whole world in them) but it also means V*POINTS.

Tournaments

Poker players will find plenty of action day or night from a range of games including Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Stud and 5 Card Draw. The call centre is 24/7 and there's manager chat for any queries players might have.

Tournaments run regularly and new players will find a daily €35 freeroll as well as a 100,000 V*POINT freeroll every Sunday. There's a full selection of Multi Table tournaments including a weekly €20,000 guaranteed, a monthly €100,000 guaranteed tournament and satellites for all major events including the EPT and WPT.

Naturally there's also free play on offer at Virgin Poker but with games starting from 5 cents and a weekly 100,000 V*POINT freeroll we think you'll get a taste for the real thing pretty quickly.

V*POINTS
Players earn V*POINTS for every cash hand played on both tournament and cash tables. Whether you win or lose you, every time you play a hand you earn V*POINTS, Simple. Players can then exchange V*POINTS for lots of Virgin extras. That's Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles, Virgin Vouchers that can be spent on a variety of things from mobile top-ups to digital downloads, and of course Virgin Poker cash for the tables.

Promotions
New players will enjoy a cool 100% match deposit bonus up to £100 plus daily €35 freeroll as well as a 100,000 V*POINT freeroll every Sunday.

Virgin Bingo

Virgin Bingo is part of the Virgin Games family and is wholly owned by the Virgin Group. Quite simply we believe that gaming should be fun and entertaining. It should be rewarding whether you win or lose. That's why at this site your players will enjoy the best bingo, slots and video poker around, and we will offer them unique prizes unobtainable on any other sites - we simply want your players to have a great time.

V*POINTS
At Virgin Bingo we figure that it's about time you got more rewards back from your play, so we are revamping our loyalty scheme and launching a brand new scheme called V*POINTS. In a nutshell, this now means you will earn reward points when playing for real money on all Virgin Bingo games.

Promotions
New players will enjoy 100% match deposit bonus up to £100.

Virgin Games is part of Richard Branson's world famous Virgin Group of companies.

Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

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Monday, December 28, 2009

PokerStars Guinness World Record Attempt Attracts 149,196 Players, by Dan Cypra - 28th December 2009

On a night when Full Tilt Poker’s software went down much to the dismay of players everywhere, PokerStars set the Guinness World Record for largest online poker tournament ever held. The event weighed in at 149,196 entrants.

The mark to beat was 65,000 players, set by PokerStars back in July, meaning that the site trumped the standing record by nearly 85,000. PokerStars was quick to put its record-shattering attendance into perspective, saying, “It would fill the Rose Bowl or Wembley stadiums and still have another 60,000 people with tickets waiting outside in the tailgating parking lot.” In addition, the attendance represented well over 20 times the field of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and 30 times the number of rooms at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The Guinness World Record attempt was a $1 buy-in tournament that guaranteed $300,000 in the prize pool. It played out in less than six hours in a Turbo format and oskar69 earned an amazing $50,000 for first place, or 50,000 times his buy-in. Text found on PokerStars’ website admits, “We're sure oskar69 is happy about the ROI from the win today, as no deal was reached and the entire $50,000.00 was awarded for besting this massive field.” Second place went to Bommel222, who earned a not-so-paltry $30,000. A total of 30,000 players finished in the money.

Others who made the final table in the historic poker tournament included TLWPB (third place for $20,000), willis59 (fourth place for $10,000), kruglay (fifth place for $8,000), madmick62 (sixth place for $6,500), DS1982 (seventh place for $5,250), denmil53 (eighth place for $4,000), and bigsnapper7 (ninth place for $3,000). The top 16 players grabbed at least $1,000 for their 100-penny contribution to the pot.

The PokerStars Sunday Million, the site’s hallmark $215 buy-in weekly high-stakes poker tournament, drew 9,344 entrants yesterday, creating a prize pool of $1.8 million. In the end, PokerStars member coach6999 banked $266,000 for the win, defeating BBOY3110 heads-up. The second place finisher claimed a $196,000 consolation prize and the top 1,350 spots paid out. Others who reached the feature table in the Sunday Million included tsakalias (third place for $139,132), schnaggels19 (fourth place for $93,440), mystinen60 (fifth place for $74,752), OBVAMENTS (sixth place for $56,064), robvleugel (seventh place for $37,376), plusmillion (eighth place for $20,557), and Mr Puckey (ninth place for $13,082).

The Sunday Warm-Up, another $215 buy-in online poker tournament that played out on PokerStars yesterday, generated a field of 4,605 entrants, shattering its $750,000 guaranteed prize pool. In the end, NinjasTyle87 banked $144,000 for first place, while .dmmarquez finished with a $107,000 bankroll boost for second place. The top 675 players finished in the money and others who could be found jumping for joy on Sunday afternoon included JBlaze20 (third place for $75,983), montjeu8 (fourth place for $52,037), Comeback2008 (fifth place for $39,143), Steinapride (sixth place for $29,933), haneferd (seventh place for $20,723), ReadOnYou (eighth place for $11,513), and pokerwille (ninth place for $7,368).

Appropriately, PokerStars is the industry’s largest online poker site, according to PokerScout.com, boasting a seven-day running average of 27,800 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, nearly 50,000 call the site home. PokerScout.com claims that PokerStars’ traffic has grown by 37% year over year and, at the time of writing, which is late morning Eastern Time on Monday, 36,000 cash game players are seated. That figure represents more than double the number of players currently found on Full Tilt Poker, the world’s second largest site.

Full Tilt Poker’s $750,000 Guaranteed, Sunday Mulligan, and Sunday Brawl, among other events, did not play out on Sunday due to a software malfunction. Players were refunded based on their chip counts at the time of the crash. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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PartyGaming's PartyCasino To Release More Hollywood Blockbuster Online Slot Games In Early 2010, by Greg Tingle - 29th December 2009

PartyCasino.com will be releasing more Hollywood blockbuster online slot games early into the new year!

PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com is the undisputed leader in delivering Hollywood movie titles to the online casino environment.

Insiders close to the source advise that "Avatar" style technologies and games are in the works as is some pro wrestling themed action, and more slot games based on some of the most popular motion pictures of all time, many of which from Paramount Pictures.

The company assures that its Rambo, Terminator, Call Of Duty 4, and the casino's Live Dealer facility, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Let's take a look at some of the titles that Party brought from the big screen to its world famous online casino in the past 12 months:

The Godfather, Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, Rambo, Call Of Duty 4, Sinatra, Tarzan, The Terminator, Saturday Night Fever, King Kong, Gone With The Wind, High Noon, The Naked Gun, Resident Evil, and then there's the Marvel Comics line up: The Hulk, Thor, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. As Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

PartyCasino.com players can play more games for free or for money, and industry leading promotions such as PartyPoints and Palladium Lounge are also available, both of which has been popular with new players and the veteran VIP's.

Whatever your favorite games are, Party is likely to have them... slots, classics like Cleopatra, new age blockbusters like Mission: Impossible, table games with live dealers, baccarat, roulette, bingo, online poker and blackjack... PartyCasino.com has it all.

Classic slot players can't go past Cleopatra, Monopoly, Wheel Of Fortune, Cluedo, and the modern classics, Sinatra and Rambo.

World class jackpots are also available including the Marvel Hero Jackpot on a range of Marvel Entertainment themed slot games and the Gold Mega Jackpot, made famous via the exclusive Mega Fortune Wheel and The Godfather slot games.

Over the years PartyGaming has won numerous industry awards and commendations, recently winning an EGR Award for social responsibility and the prestigious Casino News Media "Online Casino of the Month" title.

PartyGaming was established in 1997 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

PartyCasino Gold Mega Jackpot News - 28th December 2009

PartyCasino.com Gold Mega Jackpot News

One lucky player has scooped the Gold Mega Jackpot!

It was only a matter of time before our Gold Mega Jackpot, which was the biggest casino jackpot in existence was claimed so congratulations to our lucky player from Germany who coined a massive $4,978,336.20 on Mega Fortune Wheel.

Start playing now to make sure you give yourself every chance of winning a multi-million dollar prize. We’ve seeded the Gold Mega Jackpot at $500,000 and its growing every second!

There are two easy ways to play some of the biggest jackpots on the web: play instantly at PartyCasino.com in your browser or download our software and enjoy the full casino experience.

Find out how you can win

Play on any of the six Gold Jackpot slots listed below and you could be in with a shot of winning the money:

The Godfather
The cinematic masterpiece has now been transformed into a magnificent five-reel, 20-line jackpot slot.

Superstar
Take a trip through the galaxy and beyond in this five-reel, multi-payline Gold Jackpot slot game.

Super Joker
Hilarity and casino cash action combine in this super five-reel, multi-payline Gold Jackpot slot game.

Super Fortune Wheel
Spin the wheel for a chance to win massive cash prizes in this five-reel, multi-payline Gold Jackpot slot.

Super Mystic
Enter the power of the unknown with PartyCasino.com’s mystic themed five-reel, multi-payline Gold Jackpot slot game.

Mega Fortune Wheel
Turn the wheel and spin your way to a giant progressive jackpot in our five-reel, nine-line jackpot slot.

Remember, you could hit the Gold Mega Jackpot and become an instant multi-millionaire at any time.

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Betting on Macau: tax, sex and casinos - 21st December 2009

Shielding his eyes from the midday glare, Lawrence Ho carefully removes his shoes and socks. Hitching suit trousers higher and leaving his two granite-faced bodyguards, the young tycoon steps out on to the beach. Bare feet crunch in the white sand as he makes for a deckchair.

"Before I built this, they told me that Chinese people don't like swimming pools," he says, gesturing back towards a twinkling, azure-tiled pool with a Chinese couple splashing around in it. "But that's not true. They told me Chinese people don't like the sun. I mean ... come on, that's not true, either."

A few moments later, his toes satisfactorily wiggled into the sand, Mr Ho's stint of leisure is finished: he must now attend to the infinitely more important business of leisure. There are 300 million people living immediately over the border in mainland China and, at some point over the next few years, he reckons, they will want to come to Macau for a good time. The question is whether they will come for the pool as well as the baccarat.

The thick-necked heavies approach Mr Ho with fluffy white towels, relieved that he is off the deckchair and back under their jurisdiction. The beach, needless to say, is fake -- a five-star whim built at eye-watering expense atop Macau's ritziest complex, the City of Dreams. Not far beneath Mr Ho's feet is what he hopes will finance the rooftop folly: a brand new casino and the unshakable Chinese appetite for gambling. Does he fancy joining me downstairs for a flutter on the tables? "I don't gamble," the 32-year-old gaming kingpin says with a straight face, "because I know the odds."

So, too, do most of Mr Ho's guests, though that does not seem to stop them wagering millions on the turn of a card. "The Chinese people are some of the smartest at maths in the world, but they stop believing in it when they come here," Mr Ho says. "They come through the door of a casino (and) all that maths vanishes."

That willing amnesia, and the culture of superstition that infuses Chinese gambling, are directly shaping the business strategy of Melco Crown, the gaming empire jointly founded by Mr Ho and James Packer, of the Australian media dynasty.

On Macau's casino floors, comfortably the most popular game is baccarat. A huge weight of tradition accompanies the way in which the player turns the final card -- more often than not it is bent in half for good luck. The casino (and every other one in town) throws away a whole pack of cards after every game. Cards are a pretty significant running cost. Mr Ho says with a sigh: "The Chinese really like to destroy them, because they think it will change their luck."

But where superstition is involved, the wise man does not complain but panders. "Our goal is to provide fun and excitement and an atmosphere where guests feel excited but also -- and this is important -- to make them feel lucky. Auspiciousness is very important in this part of the world," he says, justifying the way that the City of Dreams has begun morphing its decor and campaigns.

The shows, for example, have been given a "lucky" dragon flavour. The water theme that pervades the complex, he says, is critical. Unlike foreign operators such as Wynn and Las Vegas Sands, which have arrived in Macau with "cookie cutter" versions of US casinos, Mr Ho believes that his is more directly playing to the Asian gallery. He says: "Water is one of those feng shui auspicious things in Chinese culture."

Mr Ho's ability to read Chinese gambling culture should not really come as any surprise. He is, after all, the eldest son of Stanley Ho -- the colourful 87-year-old gaming patriarch who controlled Macau's casino monopoly for 40 years until it was broken up in 2002. Even now, with that monopoly unbundled and operators such as Lawrence allowed to compete with the old man, Stanley Ho's company retains a 30 per cent share of Macau's $US14 billion ($15.75bn) annual gaming revenues.

Are Ho family gatherings the competitive infernos suggested in the local press? Mr Ho is cautious: "Every single big family has its own disagreements. When we all sit down together we talk about business ... less. When I sit with my father it is more like father and son than two competitors trying to chew each other's heads off."

Since the northern hemisphere summer, the future of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM), the former gaming monopoly, has been the subject of much speculation. In July, Stanley Ho apparently fell and incurred substantial injuries. He has remained in hospital since then, visited only by his close family, a clan that comprises 17 children. Some believe that they will fight tooth and nail for control of SJM, should the old tycoon's health deteriorate.

Yesterday, to widespread surprise, Mr Ho appeared in public, frail, pushed in a wheelchair, but unequivocally alive. Many will read much into who was pushing the wheelchair, but the patriarch's presence was significant in itself. Macau's gaming industry has flourished because it has, with a few wrinkles, pleased Beijing. Stanley Ho is believed to have played a critical role in maintaining those good relations.

Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of the handover of Macau from Portuguese to Chinese control, and Hu Jintao, the Chinese President, flew in from Beijing to oversee the event. It included the official inauguration of Fernando Chui, Macau's new chief executive and a great ally of Stanley Ho.

But even if the influence of its patriarch wanes, Macau stands on the brink of another phase of blistering change. The past decade of Chinese rule has seen economic progress at a clip few imagined possible and operators such as the younger Mr Ho believe that people should get used to the pace. Certainly, Macau's growth will be regulated at the pleasure of Beijing, and it has more than enough tools to cool things down if it chooses. But for the moment, at least, China wants Macau to succeed as a Special Administrative Region like Hong Kong: it stands as proof that the "one country, two systems" structure works.

"Remember, too, that the biggest shareholder in Macau's gaming industry is the government, with its tax rate of 40 per cent," Mr Ho says.

The city has overtaken Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world. Macau's ability to defy the global slump fulfils a prediction made by Mr Ho this time last year that was roundly derided by many. "My bold and idiotic prediction of growth has come true," he says.

Five days ago, ground was broken on a new bridge that will connect Macau to Hong Kong and shorten the journey time from one hour by sea to only 20 minutes. Next year work will begin on a light railway that will improve significantly the flow of people around the city.

"Macau's biggest constraint right now is infrastructure. We get about 30 million people per year. These 30 million people are arriving into an infrastructure that was exactly the same when the visitor numbers were 10 million, so there is a major stretch in the market ... there haven't even been new taxi licences for ten years. The bridge will be a major transformational event," Mr Ho says, waving his arm out at the dilapidated ferry terminal and congested roads.

The private sector, particularly the integrated resort operators, such as Melco Crown, believe they have a starring role in the new Macau story. It is young chief executives such as Mr Ho, with his plans for a children's area, nightclubs and more shows, who hope to convert Macau from a sleazy den of hardcore gamblers to a mass-market leisure destination. The process will be gradual. Macau's casinos still make 80 per cent of their revenues from VIP customers who neither play on the main floors nor stay especially long.

For all of the billions that have been invested in places such as the City of Dreams and the Venetian across the road, the average visitor to Macau stays only 1.5 nights -- a figure that contrasts unflatteringly with the 3.5 average of Las Vegas. The unyieldingly static nature of that number would seem to be a poor argument for building a resort with 1400 luxury hotel rooms.

"No. Macau has a great potential to be a multistay market. The problem with Macau was supply constraints," he says, railing against the shoddy, overpriced rooms that visitors used to be forced into. "For Macau to take the next step, it must have more non-gaming revenue. There are people who go to Vegas who never go to a casino. In order for Macau to go there, it is really going to be supply driven, so we need more rooms."

Does that mean that Macau can afford to lose its vigorous sex industry and the sordid glamour that many see as part of the city's charms? "No," Mr Ho says, "it comes hand in hand. On one hand we do want to create more of a family-type atmosphere. But inevitably ... there is going to be an adult-related component." Equally, Macau's casinos may find it hard to shed the influence of the so-called junket operators: agents who bring in the high rollers, extend them lines of credit and take a healthy commission. Many view the operators as sitting somewhere between legitimate travel agents and vicious loan sharks.

Over time, Mr Ho says, that system will change -- it may already have started. The trick is not to allow the pace of growth in Macau to be confused with more fundamental change. For casinos such as the City of Dreams, the junkets provide a useful service.

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Gangs' casino dole scam; Media Man reports from down under, by Greg Tingle - 28th December 2009

Rupert Murdochs' Australian newspapers including The Herald-Sun, continue to run excellent (and balanced) coverage on the casino and gambling sector in Australia.

Let it be known that Murdoch also has some gaming (and igaming) interests, however they are further developed in the UK sector. Media Man has incidental joined some of News Limited's b2b affiliate programs as goodwill and we utilise some of their newsfeeds, so there's your disclaimer before we swing into things.

The age old connection between casinos, gambling dens and crime continues, albeit a different kind of animal than when the late George Foreman and his "Underbelly" crew ran the streets of Melbourne and Sydney. The late "Earthquake" Tim Bristow gave me a small taste of the scene via Sydney's Penthouse Executive Retreat, and "The Golden Mile" (Kings Cross), which Sydney's "Mr Sin" used to have a significant hold on.

Mr James Packers' Crown Casino has come under the spotlight (or blowtorch) again.... in Australia, if its not the anti gambling lobby having a dig, its the press, and if not them, the police. Crown Casino spokesman, Gary O'Neil, was recently quoted that Crown "is not a convent", but that's pretty much a given.

Australian law enforcement agencies have smartly noted and actioned revelations that some high level criminal networks (and some not so smart ones also) are using Crown Casino as quite the hub and centrepiece of criminal activity.

One of the scams that the crims operate is having Centrelink (Australia's unemployment benefits service) customers, and pensioners, buying chips at the casino which are then used as part of the money laundering process.

Media Man will be attending Crown Casino Aussie Millions next month and is in negotiations with media representatives for Crown. We look forward to providing news media and gaming media with more balanced reports on the casino and gaming sector.

*The writer does own shares in Crown Casino

*Greg Tingle is an Australian based correspondent for Gambling911 and the founder and director of Media Man a media, publicity and internet portal development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen of business sectors that Media Man covers.

Ben Packham of The Herald Sun reports:


CRIME gangs are using pensioners and the unemployed to launder millions in dirty money through casinos, authorities believe.

Centrelink has alerted organised-crime investigators to 15 clients it believes are involved.

They are understood to include a Victorian man who bought almost $13 million in chips at Crown, despite being on the dole. The Australian Crime Commission is closely watching casinos after an 18-month probe.

ACC chief executive John Lawler said that it had intelligence indicating organised crime groups were engaged in "high-level gambling activity" in legal casinos.

Its financial assessment team matched information from casino loyalty programs with other databases, including Centrelink records.

Last year, the Herald Sun revealed it had identified about 2600 Centrelink clients who each bought at least $50,000 in chips; 30 had buy-ins of more than $1 million.

Many were welfare cheats with gambling addictions and undeclared incomes. But further investigation revealed some had links to organised crime groups.

The Herald Sun understands Centrelink referred clients with suspected organised crime links to the ACC for further inquiries.

It's believed the ACC identified more suspected money launderers, independently of the welfare agency.

The federal crime-fighting agency refused to comment.

"The ACC will continue to work with the casino industry to ensure serious and organised criminal entities involved in money laundering are identified and pursued," Mr Lawler said.

The investigation also used Immigration, Customs, and tax office data.

The ACC estimates the cost of organised crime is $10 billion-15 billion a year, an estimated $6 billion of which goes offshore.

Its recent report, Organised Crime in Australia, said most such groups had overseas links, good advice and "professional facilitators".

Organised crime groups are typically involved in drugs, weapons trafficking and high-level financial crimes.

Human Services Minister Chris Bowen said hi-tech data-matching meant that welfare recipients with illicit incomes would be discovered.

"Welfare fraud is a criminal offence liable to long jail sentences," he said.

"People who fraudulently claim benefits from Centrelink should consider themselves warned. It's not a question of if you'll be caught, but when."

Casinos are required to turn over information to authorities under anti-money laundering laws introduced after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Crown refused to comment to the Herald Sun.

*Read the full article here. (Credit: The Herald-Sun)

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Partygaming Sees 2009 Core Earnings Slightly Ahead - 19th December 2009

Online gaming group Partygaming PLC said Friday it expects its 'clean' full-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, to be slightly ahead of the company's expectations amid solid current trading.

'Clean' Ebitda is the company's preferred measure of profitability and excludes one-off, non-recurring and non-cash items.

In a statement ahead of the company's Dec. 31 year-end, Partygaming said it sees revenue for the full year in line with expectations.

Jim Ryan, Chief Executive, said in a statement that, "as indicated at the time of our third quarter key performance indicators, our business has continued to perform well across the board during the fourth quarter with a return to net revenue growth across all four of our key product verticals."

PartyGaming, the world's biggest listed-online gaming group by market capitalization, derives most of its revenue from online poker and casino games and has a smaller sports book and bingo business.

Poker has been under particular pressure amid a very competitive online gambling market and the company has increased the bonuses paid and expanded its loyalty program to encourage customers onto the site and retain them as well.

CEO Ryan added: "We are pleased to see that the initiatives introduced throughout the year are now feeding through into both operational and financial performance with increased player numbers and average net daily revenues versus the previous quarter, despite continued competition from illegal US-facing sites and the difficult macroeconomic climate."

Partygaming said its casino business has continued to perform well on the back of new games and higher jackpots, while Bingo has grown substantially since the group bought Cashcade in July.

Sports betting has benefitted from a good run of sporting results and the introduction of improved risk management tools.

The company also said new gambling regulations in Italy and France, due to be announced in 2010, represent significant revenue opportunities. Last month Partygaming launched an Italian online poker service with Fueps as it builds out its Italian poker network.

The company said Friday that it has agreed a new GBP35 million loan facility which it will use for general corporate purposes including mergers and acquisitions.

In April, PartyGaming agreed to pay $105 million to U.S. authorities, and in turn the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York agreed not to prosecute the Gibraltar-based company or its subsidiaries for providing Internet gambling to customers in the U.S. before the federal government's ban of the industry in October 2006.

Since the resolution of the U.S. prosecution situation, there has been widespread speculation about consolidation in the market with Vienna-listed online gaming group Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG rumored to be a merger target. BWin is also based in Gibraltor.

PartyGaming will report its fourth quarter key performance indicators on Feb. 3.

Partygaming shares, which closed Thursday at 259 pence, up 2.5% on the day, rose further after Friday's update and at 0805 GMT stood up 1.9% 263 pence.

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Grand Prix de Paris Returns to World Poker Tour, by Dan Cypra - 25th December 2009

From May 8th to 13th, the World Poker Tour (WPT) will return to the Aviation Club for the Grand Prix de Paris. The €10,000 buy-in tournament will be filmed for television and beamed around the world.

The Aviation Club opened back in 1907 and makes its home on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, the city’s famous boulevard. The cozy club’s poker consultant, Bruno Fitoussi, commented in a press release distributed by the WPT, "The Aviation Club de France is delighted to welcome back a WPT event in Paris. The WPT Grand Prix de Paris is guaranteed to be a high-class tournament in the highlights of the international poker scene and will, for sure, attract players from all around the world."

The 2010 visit to the Aviation Club marks the first WPT event in Paris since 2006. That year, Christian Grundtvig defeated Finnish poker player Jani Sointula to take home the Grand Prix de Paris title and its corresponding €712,500 first place prize. Sointula earned a €356,250 consolation prize and others at the final table included Thomas Wahlroos (third place for €243,750), Henrik Witt (fourth place for €168,750), Phil Yeh (fifth place for €131,250), and Pat Schuhl (sixth place for €93,750). A total of 232 players entered and the top 27 finished in the money.

Land-based satellites for the 2010 WPT Grand Prix de Paris will kick off on May 1st at the Aviation Club. Adam Pliska, President of the WPT, told Poker News Daily, "France is an important part of WPT's world and will continue to be key for WPT as it expands across Europe and beyond. While WPT's television shows continue to expand their global reach, the introduction of non-televised events will also provide WPT and its partners with even more opportunities to connect with its consumers.” Earlier this year, the WPT was sold to Party Gaming, the parent company of the popular site PartyPoker.

In 2005, Roland de Wolfe bested Juha Helppi in the Grand Prix de Paris, outlasting a field of 160 players. That year, Alan Goehring also made the final table, taking sixth place for €74,950. The 2004 installment was perhaps the most memorable, as it featured runner-up Tony G lambasting eventual winner Surinder Sunar. The Club’s layout was unique in that the assembled audience watched the action from the final table in an adjacent area via television monitors.

Lyndsay Lagree, Senior Public Relations Manager for the WPT, added, “We're thrilled to be back in France for the WPT Grand Prix de Paris. WPT looks forward to building on its longstanding relationship with Aviation Club de France and to welcoming many poker fans through its doors.” The first WPT Grand Prix de Paris took place in 2003 and saw David Benyamine best Jan Boubli for the title. Also at the final table was Full Tilt Poker pro Erick Lindgren, then a relative unknown. Lindgren recorded his second WPT cash at the Paris poker tournament, earning €53,600 during the Season 2 stop.

The Grand Prix de Paris comes one month after the WPT Championship at the Bellagio, the $25,000 buy-in end-of-season event, and the French feature tournament includes two starting days. In March, WPT staff will head to Bucharest for an event at the Regent Casino. The WPT Bucharest Main Event boasts a €3,300 buy-in and begins on March 27th.

Also to be held during the Grand Prix de Paris is a €20,000 buy-in High Roller event that begins on May 15th and runs for three days. WPT representatives noted that French gaming regulations were to blame for the tournament series’ absence from the Aviation Club for the last three years. (Credit: Poker News Daily)

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Friday, December 25, 2009

PartyCasino: The Top Ten Online Slot Games, by Greg Tingle - December 2009

The top ten online slot games by PartyCasino.com for the month of December 2009 are:

Rambo

Tarzan

Cleopatra

Mission: Impossible

Monopoly

Sinatra

Call Of Duty 4

Top Gun

Thor

The Hulk

The runner up online slot games are:

Resident Evil

Spider-Man

Mega Fortune Wheel

Ramesses Riches

Bejeweled

PartyCasino.com offers unique promotions and player rewards which are widely regarded as the best in the industry. Players can enjoy rewards and bonuses with PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge, both of which have generous rewards year round and are popular with both new and experienced players, so whether a casino virgin or VIP old hand at the games, there's something for you.

PartyGaming is the parent company of PartyCasino, established in 1997, and is the most successful online company in the world, listed on the London Stock Exchange and winner of numerous EGR Awards, in addition to Casino News Media and Media Man awards and commendations.

Players from most countries can access PartyCasino and PartyPoker. PartyCasino is ranked by many authorities as being the superior online casino for Australia, Europe and South America.

PartyCasino is hopeful of accepting paid American players in 2010, however PartyGaming made a successful purchase of the World Poker Tour late this year allowing players to become more familiar with PartyGaming products and services the world over.

Most games can be played for free or played for money and are available in a range of multi language and multi currency options. PartyGaming's call centre is open around the clock 24/7/365.

Jackpot offerings include Gold Mega Jackpot, Marvel Hero Jackpot and Super Hero Jackpot.

Major innovations at PartyCasino.com include Live Dealer and Single Wallet, and 2010 will see "Avatar" like technologies arrive.

Latest games include the Call Of Duty 4 slot and Melon Madness jackpot slot. 2010 will deliver more Hollywood themed classics, and rumors suggest to be on the lookout for games including pro wrestling also, be it Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair. Wrestling Legend Hulk Hogan actually purchased the rights to use the name "Hulk" from Marvel Comics in the 80's, but that's another story. Certainly Party do have positive history in wrestling, Hollywood and Marvel Comics circles. This is evidenced in the public domain not only by The Hulk slot game, but also by Stallone's Rambo slot, Tom Cruise's Top Gun slot and Schwarzenegger's The Terminator. Terminator Salvation features Australia's Sam Worthington, and insiders predict more Terminator games may be on the way.

PartyGaming is licensed and regulated by the Government of Gibraltar, with offices around the world, and have been at the leading edge of innovation, customer service and all round excellence for over a decade. Players and partners alike can be assured they are in safe hands at PartyGaming.

Don't just play the games, "Feel it"... experience the world's leading online casino games at PartyCasino.com

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PartyCasino: New Online Slot Game Melon Madness - 25th December 2009

Hit the jackpot with PartyCasino's latest jackpot slot game.

Melon Madness is a five-reel, thirty-payline Jackpot slot game with Free Spins feature. When 3 or more scattered Bell symbols appear anywhere in view, the player is required to choose one scattered Bell which reveals the free spin count and multiplier value. The Free Spins feature cannot be retriggered within free spins.

BigOne Jackpot:

TheBigOne Jackpot consists of five jackpots at different levels; the levels are - from the lowest to the highest - Blitz Cash Jackpot, Quick Cash Jackpot, Super Cash Jackpot, Mega Cash Jackpot, and Colossal Cash Jackpot. All five jackpots grow progressively as bets are made. For each spin, the house adds a small credit to the five running jackpots. All five levels in TheBigOne Jackpot can be won irrespective of hitting any winning combination, while betting any amount. Jackpot is triggered randomly. The larger the bet, the more chance to win a jackpot. Free spins cannot trigger jackpots.

Past winners of PartyCasino.com jackpots have won thousands of dollars, up to $5 million dollars.

Many PartyCasino.com games can be played for free or played for money!

PartyGaming is the owner of PartyCasino, and is widely regarded as the world's most successful and respected online casino brand. PartyGaming is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

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Online gaming groups say they are on winning streak - 20th December 2009

Two of Britain’s largest online gaming groups signalled yesterday that punters were returning to the tables.

PartyGaming recorded its best quarter since the second quarter of 2008, while Sportingbet said it had gone from strength to strength.

The fourth quarter of the year is seasonally strong for online gaming companies and PartyGaming did not disappoint after reporting quarter-on-quarter growth across all of its categories, including bingo and casino. KBC Peel Hunt, the stockbroker and advisory house, projected a 24 per cent rise in revenue compared with the same period in 2008, its first year-on-year rise in six quarters.

Yet it was at the poker table that the company played its strongest hand, after revamping its site and working hard to introduce better loyalty offers. It is the first quarter-on-quarter growth that the company, once the largest online poker company in the world, has recorded since 2007.

Jim Ryan, chief executive of PartyGaming, hailed the “return to growth” in the fourth quarter, despite competition from “illegal” US-facing sites.

“Returning poker to growth has been a key focus for us. We are pleased to see that the initiatives introduced throughout the year are now feeding through into both operational and financial performance with increased player numbers and average net daily revenues,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sportingbet also issued a positive trading statement yesterday to coincide with its annual meeting. It said that the strength of its online sportsbook, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of its revenue, has continued to offset weakness at its poker operation.

PartyGaming looks set to play a significant role in industry consolidation during 2010.

It aims to be a top-three player in the online sportsbook market, after its acquisition of Gamebookers three years ago.

PartyGaming secured a new £35 million banking facility that will fund bolt-on deals. However, the company kept its cards close to its chest over its acquisition plans.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Hits PartyCasino - 24th December 2009

The stunning Call of Duty 4 has another great accolade to go with its many awards: it’s now an adrenaline-packed slot game at PartyCasino.com

The slot features five reels and 25 paylines to give you the chance to win a staggering 400,000 in your account currency.

You’ll visit treacherous war zones around the globe in Call of Duty 4’s incredible bonus round, where you can win free games and cash prizes by shooting down your enemies.

Play for free or play for money at PartyCasino.com

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sydney Star City Casino workers vote to strike - 22nd December 2009

Staff at Sydney's Star City casino have voted to take industrial action over pay, frustrated over a two per cent rise offered by management.

The LHMU hospitality union says staff in the next few days are likely to decide exactly what action to take and when.

"Star City staff have decided on strike action because they are frustrated by the casino's unfair wage offer and management's refusal to listen to them," LHMU NSW branch secretary Mark Boyd said in a statement on Tuesday night.

"The casino put its offer to a vote of all staff in September and earlier this month. Star City staff voted overwhelmingly `no' twice to the casino's unfair pay offer.

"Star City is refusing to listen to its staff who just want a decent pay rise and don't want to lose any of their conditions.

"The decision to consider action is not taken lightly but staff feel it is their last resort."

Mr Boyd said $575 million was being spent renovating the venue, its top executives were paid $2.6 million and the casino's last quarter revenue was up 11.6 per cent.

No one was available for comment at Star City on Tuesday night. (Credit: Wires, Google News, AP)

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PartyCasino Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is ready for action, alongside action slots, Rambo, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Tarzan and King Kong - 22nd December 2009

PartyCasino Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is ready for action, alongside action slots, Rambo, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Tarzan and King Kong.

PartyGaming's PartyCasino.com, widely regarded as the world's biggest and best online casino, now has Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare ready for action just in time for Christmas, alongside other action packed Hollywood classics Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Tarzan, King Kong and more.

Call Of Duty is quickly becoming one of the most popular video games of all time, and may even become one of the most popular online slot games ever, sitting next to the all time classic, Cleopatra.

Hollywood slot fans can also find more action in High Noon, Resident Evil, The Naked Gun and Top Gun, and then there's the Marvel Comics themed games, The Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. Go for the Marvel Hero Jackpot and Super Hero Jackpot. Excelsior!, as Marvel icon, Stan Lee would say.

If true classics are your thing, try out Sinatra, endorsed by Frank and Nancy Sinatra's company, alongside the iconic Gone With The Wind and The Godfather. The Godfather is currently the most popular Gold Mega Jackpot slot game at Party and last month it went off at $5 million dollars. Speaking of classics, try out Monopoly, Cleopatra and Wheel Of Fortune.

Casino players might like to mix it up with some Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat, and check out the exclusive "Live Dealer" feature. Sister website and brand, PartyPoker.com is also ready both both new and seasoned poker players.

So, whatever your poison, slots, card games, table games or something else, check out the awesome new developments at PartyGaming's PartyCasino, and don't forget, most PartyCasino games can be played for free or played for money, and in a range of languages and currencies to suit your preferences.

Party's player rewards programs system is regarded as a world beater. Collect PartyPoints and have a look at the Palladium Lounge which has won favour with VIP's and high rollers.

In the new year PartyCasino will be releasing more world class games and just a couple of names being speculated include Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and a game that was seen by insiders as a predecessor of sorts to Avatar. Rest assured that action, Hollywood and virtual worlds fans will be blown away by 2010 offerings. Most European countries can access the online casino, as can Australians and Canadians. PartyGaming remains dedicated to provide an online casino service to Americans, and has recently acquired World Poker Tour, so gaming fans the world over can become more familiar with PartyGaming's numerous game offerings.

PartyGaming was established in 1997 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They have won a wide array of industry awards ranging from EGR Socially Responsible Operator of the Year to Casino News Media Online Casino of the Month.

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Virgin Games casino in new online promotions - December 2009

London, December 2009 – Virgin Games are delighted to announce the launch of a series of new promotions, offering incentives for customers to play their range of casino game products.

These include deposit bonuses up to the value of £50 on Mondays and Tuesdays, available on slots and blackjack games respectively. On Wednesday, customers will be offered 20 per cent cash back on all losses, while on Thursday, players can win up to 100 per cent deposit bonus up to the value of £100 on all slot games. These promotions are the latest in a series of incentives which Virgin are offering to players, in a bid to become the web’s favourite online gaming site.

Virgin Games was launched in June 2004 and includes Casino, Bingo and Poker sections. The site includes a number of branded games from popular entertainment and television franchises such as the X-Factor and Monopoly. In addition to substantial cash prizes, gamers can earn V Points, which can be redeemed against a whole host of Virgin products, with everything from holidays to jewellery.

The Guernsey-based website is a fully-owned subsidiary of Virgin and adopts the company’s ethos of having fun in that ‘unique Virgin way.’ The group is fully committed to ethical and responsible gaming policies, with an honest and fair approach, as well as a secure 128 bit SSL encryption for complete safety and peace and mind.

A spokesperson for the Virgin Games commented on these new casino promotions by saying:

"We are committed to offering our customers the very best gaming experience, with an unrivalled bonus structure to reward our most loyal players. These promotions compliment a range of offers and new products we are constantly adding, in our bid to become the very best online gaming site."

To find out more about these and other special offers, visit: VirginGames.com

Virgin Games launched in June 2004 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading gaming websites in the UK. Virgin Games comprises four distinct offerings:

Virgin Casino, part of the Wagerworks network, brings consumers classic casino offerings like blackjack and roulette, as well as great feature slots like Monopoly, Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons Fortress of Fortunes™ and the highly popular MegaJackpots progressive games, with a seeding value of £1,500,000

Virgin Poker, part of the Boss Media network, offers a huge array of games and content for beginners through to experienced pros – as well as the most generous loyalty scheme in the industry

Virgin Bingo, part of the Virtue Fusion network, offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in the progressive jackpots, as well as Virgin prize bingo and a range of unique Virgin Games bingo games

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. Please see World Casino Directory.

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Virgin Casino Gets Super Hero Slot Games, by Greg Tingle - December 2009

Virgin Casino and Virgin Bingo see new games rolled out thanks to a deal signed with giant software provider, Cryptologic.

Cryptologic's popular The Hulk, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four have leapt into action at Richard Branson's Virgin Games operation.

History buffs will be interested to know that it was living legend, Stan Lee, who was a driving force in developing many of the Marvel super hero characters over the decades. Lee also appears in Marvel motion pictures from time to time, usually in cameo roles.

"Big brands drive player popularity and that is why Cryptologic is excited to launch a game based on Superman, one of the most iconic brands of the entertainment world," said the President and CEO of Cryptologic, Brian Hadfield.

Other new games to be found at Virgin Casino include NextGen Gaming's Blankety Blank and The Price is Right, Cryptologic's Cubis, Virtue Fusion's Dynamite Digger and Ash Gaming's Rubik's Slot.

Virgin Games offer a rewards system, V*Points, which is regarded as one of the industry top reward programs.

2010 will see more new games released at Virgin, and be on the lookout for more Marvel hero themed movies to hit the cinema including Thor and Iron-Man II, and don't be surprised to see more super hero themed games to hit Virgin in the coming months. As Stan Lee says, EXCELSIOR!

Play for free or play for money at Richard Branson's Virgin Games.

*Sorry, no U.S or Australian players. See World Casino Directory.

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Marvel Slots Online Website Network Updated

Website Of The Month: PartyCasino.com

Play for free or play for money at PartyCasino.com

Promotions include PartyPoints, Palladium Lounge, Cash Machine and Slotastic Sundays.

Play for the Super Hero Jackpot and Marvel Hero Jackpot.

Thor can be played now, before the movie is due to be released in 2010.

PartyCasino is owned by PartyGaming, established for over a decade and listed on the London Stock Exchange.

PartyCasino has won numerous industry awards including both the eGaming Review "Operator Of The Year" and the Casino News Media "Online Casino of the Month".

*Sorry, no U.S players. PartyCasino is hopeful of being available to U.S players in 2010.
*Australian players welcome.
*Canadian players welcome.
*Italian players welcome.
*South American / Spanish players welcome.
*South African players welcome.
*Multi language and multi currency options.
*Apply at PartyCasino.com for full list and verification.
*Listed on the London Stock Exchange and owned by PartyGaming.

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

PartyGaming's PartyCasino and PartyPoker in line for more awards, by Greg Tingle - 18th December 2009

As the countdown towards Christmas continues, with just seven days to go, the igaming industry remains as competitive as ever. It shouldn't surprise anyone, punter, newbie or industry veteran, that PartyGaming and its PartyCasino and PartyPoker brands are in line for more industry awards and commendations.

PartyGaming remains the world’s leading listed online gaming company. Founded in 1997, the
Group has its shares listed on The London Stock Exchange.

Coming off a wave of momentum with its successful purchase of World Poker Tour (WPT Enterprises), Cashcade a number of months ago, and the release of a swag of new slot games, the company is tipped to continue domination of the gaming and igaming world.

Party's awards and commendations include eGaming Review Operator Of The Year and Socially Responsible Operator Of The Year.

This month PartyCasino.com has made the shortlist for Media Man - Casino News Media Online Casino Of The Month, and PartyPoker.com gets to the finals for the Media Man - Casino News Media Online Poker website Of The Month.

The company also achieved inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series and last month won 'Best Communications by a private sector company' for the second year running at the CorpComms Awards. PartyCasino and PartyPoker also carry the eCOGRA seal of approval.

As the company looks forward to the new year they look to continue innovation, value for money, world class service, and growth into new geographic regions including South America, Indian, France and the Asia Pacific.

PartyGaming will continue to revamp its websites including it's ever growing PartyCasino.com site, thanks to the frequent games being added and its newly acquired Club WTP website, now sporting a PartyGaming look and feel to it.

PartyGaming remains poised to make more inroads into the United States coming off the back of its purchase of WPT Enterprises (U.S residents can play online poker on the Club World Poker Tour website without potential legal complications). PartyPoker.com ambassador, Stewart Scott, has just been doing a fine job promoting the PartyGaming and PartyPoker.com brand on a national and international basis, and will be defending his poker championship at Aussie Millions 2010 this January at Mr Packer's Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.

PartyGaming sites are available in a wide array of languages and currencies, and are available for play around the lock. Players can enjoy most games in either free mode or play for money mode. Last month the PartyCasino jackpot of close to $5 million dollars was one, and as we head towards Christmas the jackpot nears $1 million. PartyCasino also offers the Marvel Hero Jackpot, thanks to their business agreement with Marvel Entertainment. Insiders tip that Thor and The Hulk are the most popular Marvel slots at present, and this may be related to a Thor movie in the works and wrestling living legend, Hulk Hogan, being very prominent in the press of late, just returning to the United States after his successful Hulkamania tour of Australia. A bit of history...Hogan bought the rights to use "Hulk" from Marvel in the 1980's for a million dollars or thereabouts. Rumors persist of a potential Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Andre The Giant online slot machine in the new year, but that's another story for another time.

PartyGaming also offers a number of other world class promotions such as Cash Machine, Monthly Million, Slotastic Sundays, and reward offerings, PartyPoints and the very popular Palladium Lounge which has proved to be a must visit destination for PartyGaming VIP's.

It's been a hugely successful year for PartyGaming and the industry and players alike expect more groundbreaking developments from the company as 2010 approaches.

*the writer has a b2b relationship with a number of PartyGaming brands, as they do with dozens of other brands in the gaming and igaming world.

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Court settles friends' $3.5m pokies jackpot row - 17th December 2009

A court has ordered $3.5 million in pokies winnings to be split between the woman who put the money in the machine and her friend who pushed the button after they fell out over the cash.

The two friends battled it out in court over who should pocket the mega-jackpot which was won in March at a casino near Montpellier, south-western France.

Marie-Hélène Jarguel put 50 euros ($A80) in the machine but was sued for a cut by her friend Francis Sune who claimed she had promised him a share and then backed out of the deal.

This week a judge decided that the win was a team effort, known in legal terms as an "association of gamblers", and awarded Miss Jarguel 80 per cent of the total and Mr Sune the remaining 20 per cent.

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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"Chinese middle class is going to change the world"


James Packer says man-made attractions important

Mr Packer owns casinos in Melbourne, Perth and Macau

Sydney's The Star already attracting high roller VIP's

Non Packer casino and resorts also want in on the action










Gaming and Tourism Biz Flashback

Australian tourism may be saved by Chinese middle class to large casinos


Gaming Biz Flashback

Sunday night's 60 Minutes report 'Packer's punt' got tongues wagging and telephones running hot across Australia - Melbourne and Perth (both home to existing Packer casinos) and 'Sin City' Sydney (site of the Barangaroo development).

Australia's flagging tourism industry can be saved by attracting the Chinese middle class to large casinos, Crown Limited chairman James Packer told the Nine network.

Mr Packer said recognising the Chinese middle class was as important as recognising the internet.

"It's like saying how big a deal is the internet," Mr Packer told his former business co-hearts Channel Nine.

"The Chinese middle class is going to change the world."

He advised Australia cannot rely on its natural beauty alone, because people are more drawn to man-made attractions.

"A lot of the Chinese tourists like man-made attractions as well as natural attractions," he said.

"We need to have better hotels, better restaurants, better shopping."

Mr Packer gave the United States as an example of how man-made attractions win over natural ones.

"Las Vegas gets 40 million people a year," he said.

"I think maybe the greatest natural attraction is the Grand Canyon. It's a half-hour drive from Las Vegas but gets about three million (visitors) a year."

Mr Packer owns casinos in Melbourne, Perth and Macau.

He also pointed out that casinos in The Philippines were doing well and contributed greatly to that country, and that he didn't currently have any casino interests there.

He said he was keen to secure a tables-only Sydney casino complex at Barangaroo to bring in more Chinese tourists.

Responsible Gambling Awareness Week started yesterday and the NSW Government is encouraging problem gamblers to seek help.


Casino King James Packer really aiming for Echo Entertainment...

Gaming analysts believe billionaire James Packer would consider offloading some of Queensland's casinos if he is successful in acquiring the Echo Entertainment Group.

Greg Fraser, a senior analyst at Fat Prophets, said that Mr Packer's real goal in his expected takeover tilt for Echo was to snatch the scandal-plagued Star Casino in Sydney and merge it into his Crown group.


Cairns casino targeting Chinese tourists: Packer's Crown not the only option for Chinese punters...

The famous Pullman Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns is not letting gaming tsar James Packer have all the action when it comes to attracting cashed-up Chinese gamblers to his legal gambling dens.

Mr Packer said the struggling tourism industry could be saved by attracting Chinese middle class visitors to large casinos.

As well, he said many Chinese tourists liked man-made activities as well as natural attractions.

But Cairns casino chief exec Alan Tan said his venue established a China strategy some six years ago.

"I think, while the casino is important, we offer more than just that. The Great Barrier Reef is very important, especially when I talk to the Chinese who say they like to see the Reef and in the evening they like to enjoy time in the casino as well," Mr Tan said.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive officer Rob Giason said the casino was part of the overall experience for Chinese holidaymakers.

Cairns Airport chief executive officer Kevin Brown said the casino complemented other activities the Chinese tourists wanted to experience, including dining, shopping and cultural activities.

Casino marketing executive manager Richard Porter said its China strategy included the relocation of Cafe China restaurant to the casino, Chinese language signage and information.

He said casino reps frequented China at least six times a year, worked closely with inbound operators and leading Chinese businessman Harry Sou.

Mr Porter said when China Southern Airlines started flying to Brisbane the casino experienced a "giant leap forward" in Chinese visitors.

So there you go... Packer is far from the only switched on casino and gambling baron. It's going to be mighty interesting to see how Pullman's Alan Tan continues to fair in the Australian "casino wars", as Packer continues on his quest to also takeover Echo Entertainment operations, as well as push forward for his greater "Sin City" Sydney ambitions.

It's said "The house always wins" in casino talk, but can the trio of Crown, Pullman and Echo Entertainment all continue to win big time, or is something going to give (like a merger or acquisition)? Stay tuned as we continue to probe for developments.