Online Gaming company plans $6bn deal to win FTSE place.

The world’s biggest Internet poker company has announced the appointment of advisers to a possible flotation on the London Stock Exchange that could value the business at about £3 billion.

PartyGaming, the Gibraltar-based group that launched the PartyPoker website in 1997, has revealed the appointment of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Investec Securities to advise the company on its “strategic options”.

Despite the likelihood of a place in the FTSE 100, the big banks such as Merrill Lynch, UBS, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank declined the opportunity to be involved, eschewing fees of an estimated £20 million.

The difficulty is that PartyGaming’s biggest market is America, where the legality of internet gambling remains in doubt.

Last year the company reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of about $350 million (£186 million). However its IPO valuation is likely to be based on projected 2005 earnings of as much as $600 million, implying a valuation of perhaps $5 billion to $6 billion.

PartyGaming’s marketing director said, “If we were to float in London there is a good chance we would be a FTSE 100 company.”

PartyGaming also has casino and bingo websites, although more than three-quarters of its business is derived from online poker, the fastest growing part of the gambling industry.

Chanel Tips Black Dress to Win Grammy Fashion Stakes.

Sexy black is the winning dress shade for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at this year's Grammy Awards (Los Angeles, February 13), according to public opinion on international celebrity pool betting site AnyBets.com.

Fashion houses Chanel and Versace agree that an outfit in black is a winning choice, and so do 37% of the players at AnyBets.com. According to Chanel on Old Bond Street, London, pastel green, salmon with beige, gold, and black and white are also hot colours for a show-stopping Grammy outfit.

69% of punters predict international pop diva, Sheryl Crow, will win the award for her performance of The First Cut is the Deepest at odds 1:1.25. And 79% have bet that the category winner will be in attendance to accept the award. Punters that believe the winner won't be there will win a whopping £22.92 per £1 bet placed.

AnyBets.com is a pool betting website that specialises in celebrity bets. Whether it is if Britney Spears will announce a pregnancy or if Jennifer Lopez will separate from her current husband, AnyBets.com has all types of celebrity-related pools.

For Best Album, most bettors seem to think hip-hop artist Usher will win for Confessions, holding 63% of the money placed in the category. Unless the pendulum swings before betting closes, highest dividends in this category will be paid for bets on Kanye West's The College Dropout taking just 3% of public opinion.

John Mayer's Daughter is currently the favourite with 58% of the money placed on AnyBets.com for Best Song. C. Smith and Kanye West are the long shots in that category for Jesus Walks - a US$1 bet would net a US$14.30 dividend.

'The Grammy Awards offer fantastic opportunities for customers to win some big money. There are a small number of nominees in each category so the odds are relatively good,' said a spokesperson for Anybets.com.

Grammy pool betting closes February 14, 2005 at 00:50 GMT. Winners will be paid out the next day.

Youbet.com Renews Endorsement Contract.

Youbet.com has announced that it has renewed its landmark endorsement contract with harness driver John Campbell for the 2005 racing season.

Campbell is harness racing's all time leading money earner who, along with a group of fellow drivers, broke new corporate sponsor ground last year by featuring Youbet advertising on his uniform.

Youbet made a concerted effort to build its harness racing business in 2004. The company aggressively sought and won the right to carry live broadcasts of races from the vast majority of harness tracks that participate in the sport's Grand Circuit and then used Campbell's name recognition as part of an intense marketing campaign to help introduce bettors to standardbred racing and give the sport a try.

The company's broad-based program paid off in a 20 percent increase in Youbet's dollar volume of harness wagers in 2004 and an influx of new harness racing enthusiasts. The upturn was good news for participating harness tracks as more than nine out of every ten Youbet-booked wagers came from bettors outside of the tracks' source markets.

According to Youbet CEO Chuck Champion, Campbell's exclusive endorsement helped elevate the company's standing in the harness industry. 'He said, ”When John agreed to display our colors, it definitely strengthened our position among fans and track operators. What is more, the affiliation helped us to attract additional interest in the sport and in the online products we offer to support it.'

'People who wouldn't normally have a chance to experience standardbred racing saw it live on our website and bet on it in real time,' Champion said. 'And once our customers got a taste of the excitement, they came back for more.'

'Youbet is helping to increase the exposure of harness racing by bringing the racing product to new fans,' Campbell said. 'They are making wagering more convenient and more accessible.'

Oscar Odds Announced by Online Sportsbook BetWWTs.com.

Only minutes after the official Oscar nominations were announced earlier this morning, the odds makers at BetWWTS.com began calculating odds for the 77th Annual Academy Awards. With odds on the six major categories finished only minutes after the nominees were announced, BetWWTS.com has released official betting lines on this year's Oscars.

BetWWTS.com has said it expects to receive nearly $100,000 in Oscar bets. The company has created odds on the following categories: Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. All eyes will be on Hollywood's finest as the winners are announced during the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 27, but the hype surrounding the awards began on Wednesday with the official nominations.

Best Motion Picture:

The Aviator 4/7,
Million Dollar Baby 2/1,
Sideways 5/1,
Ray 20/1,
Finding Neverland 25/1.

Best Actor:

Jamie Foxx 1/5,
Leonardo DiCaprio 6/1,
Clint Eastwood 10/1,
Johnny Depp 12/1,
Don Cheadle 15/1.

Best Actress:

Hilary Swank 3/5,
Annette Bening 9/5,
Imelda Staunton 6/1,
Kate Winslet 15/1,
Catalina Sandino Moreno 15/1.

Best Director:

Martin Scorsese 4/5,
Clint Eastwood 7/5,
Alexander Payne 6/1,
Taylor Hackford 20/1,
Mike Leigh 25/1.

Casino company plans for UK shake-up.

Stanley Leisure has said it would consider bidding for all of the 24 new casinos permitted under a relaxation of UK gaming laws.

Stanley has voiced its interest after the UK Government reassessed its casino plans to allow only 8 Vegas style casinos and a further 16 small to medium sites.

Bob Wiper, the Stanley Leisure chief executive, said: 'We will consider tendering for all 24 new casinos as currently proposed in the Government’s latest Gambling Bill.'

Although pre-tax profits before goodwill were up by 14 per cent to £25.1 million during the six months to October 31, the group confirmed that its haul for the full year was unlikely to beat the £41.8 million reported last year.

In addition to the winning streak by a high roller, Stanley has also suffered from unpaid debts at its casinos and adverse sporting results at its chain of 600 bookmakers. A small number of casino gamblers have not settled their accounts and these debts might not be recovered fully before the end of its financial year in March, the company said.

Stanley added that racing results have been poor at a time when Premiership title challengers Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea were enjoying winning runs.

Lord Steinberg, the Stanley Leisure chairman, said: 'Although individually these factors could be described as normal fluctuations, in aggregate they have had an impact on our outlook for the financial year.'

Play it Safe with eCogra.

eCogra has initiated a new campaign concerning the benefits of honest and hassle free online gambling at eCOGRA-regulated Internet casinos using the slogan 'Play It Safe”.

The campaign has been professionally crafted by leading media companies and includes banner and other advertising on quality portals, opt-in HTML emailing, coordinated casino newsletter content, ongoing PR and briefings to leading affiliate marketers.

The creative material has been designed to underline the independent nature of eCOGRA and to provide facts on why compliant casinos are safe and efficient; how to identify these operations through the body's Seal and the value of the dispute mediation services of the Fair Gaming Advocate.

CEO Andrew Beveridge said 'Our objective is to spread the word that independently enforced, self-imposed regulation delivers fair, honest and more efficient service to the online gambler.'

'The industry is plagued by questionable operating and software fairness issues due to the difficulties of enforcing cross-border regulation.

Too often this results in players being ripped off. I believe eCOGRA offers a solution that benefits players, software providers and operators alike and it is open to all of these key sectors of the industry.

'It protects players and enables quality casinos to improve efficiency and take a robust approach to demonstrating honesty and professionalism in the face of legislative challenges to the industry, particularly in the US. Logically that leads to better business for everyone.'

The current campaign will run for the first quarter of 2005 and will be closely tracked and monitored. 'This is only the start of our marketing plans,' Beveridge comments. 'We want to make sure we have precise targeting and effective communication, because there will be considerable future investment in getting our message across.'

VIPCasino’s $111,000 Bid for Tsunami Relief.

Inspired by the enormous worldwide humanitarian response to the tsunami disaster in South-East Asia, the online casino industry has been galvanized into lending their support. The industry has been one the success stories in recent years, and rising from this is two highly respected gaming portals and consumer watchdogs, CasinoMeister and Got2Bet.com.

Last week, Bryan Bailey and Ted Loh, operators of the two sites respectively, joined forces and decided to auction off a prime advertising banner spot on each of their sites. The highest bidder, they said, would get to ‘own’ the coveted banner spots for twelve months and 100% of the proceeds will go to the tsunami fund.

The auction prompted a frenzy of bidding from the industry big hitters and within minutes of launching, bids had reached $20,000. When the auction closed one week later, the total stood at a staggering $111,000, with popular site VIPCasino (www.vipcasino), and its sister site InterCasino.com (www.intercasino.com), taking the top spot.

Casino Manager, Kate Berkeley, says the casino was spurred on to win the bid by the company philosophy: “VIP has always been about treating people well, and so I really hope that our donation can make a significant difference to people’s lives. This auction just goes to show that there are so many ways of raising money and that anyone can do it. We urge everyone to get behind UNICEF and the tsunami appeal in whatever way they can.”

Got2Bet’s Ted Loh said the success of the auction surpassed his wildest dreams. “I’m absolutely excited and enthused. We raised more than I ever expected and it’s all going to such an important cause.”

UNICEF has been tireless in fundraising and delivering relief to all areas affected by the disaster as well as helping children all over the world.

Heavyweight champion hired by Online Casino.

Former heavyweight boxing champ Larry Holmes has signed on as Casino Fortune spokesperson and promptly received backing from one of the world's oldest online casino to challenge George Foreman. The arrangement promises the most anticipated boxing event in recent boxing history; Holmes vs. Foreman.

George Foreman and Larry 'The Easton Assassin' Holmes were signed to lace up the gloves in 1999 at the Houston Astrodome when Forman inexplicably backed out at the last second. Since that time, Foreman has been dodging Holmes's attempts to unite the two in the ring, pitting two of the greatest heavyweight champions of all times against each other.

Larry's last fight came in 2002 when he easily took care of Eric 'Butterbean' Esch in a decision that lasted ten rounds. Since, that time, Holmes has been training everyday for a chance to end his long and prestigious career with a knockout against the elusive but very vocal George Foreman.

'I don't appreciate the fact that George has been saying he's looking for a fight and doesn't even name me,' said an angry Holmes. 'Foreman needs to stop hiding behind his barbecue grill and step-up, so I can knock the fat out of him.'

CasinoFortune.com has agreed to put up the money for the fight because they believe in Holmes's talent. Larry Holmes recently signed an agreement with the online gaming site, helping Casino Fortune to announce their two millionth American customer. Casino Fortune realizes this will be a fight for the ages, little more than a school yard brawl between two of the most talented ex-champions boxing has ever known.

Is poker a man’s game?

Men’s Mag FHM and The World Poker Exchange have signed a deal designed to promote poker as an essential man’s skill. The deal culminates in a TV special to be aired on Bravo and Ftn.

The campaign starts in February with a series of advertorials in FHM magazine, complemented by a microsite on FHM’s website where users can download videos outlining poker techniques. Readers will be encouraged to visit the World Poker Exchange site where the top 10 ranking players will be invited to play for £10,000 at a London poker night. The progress of the contenders will be filmed and broadcast on Bravo and Ftn.

The managing director of FHM Worldwide, David Pullan, said: 'This unique partnership with the World Poker Exchange will enable our readers to learn, interact and truly be the stars of this campaign. This landmark campaign will see the FHM brand returning to broadcast with Bravo and Ftn and will involve the FHM and FHM.com community in a primetime national television programme.'

Haden Ware of World Poker Exchange added: 'FHM is the ideal partner for us to introduce our international online poker room to the younger British gamers, who make up 20% of the UK gambling market worth over £40m every day. The World Poker Exchange London will be a truly unique perennial lifestyle tournament, which we are delighted to be debuting with FHM as a partner.'

Odds are out for the World Poker Tour.

Bodog.com has released odds on the upcoming World Poker Tour, World Poker Open. The World Poker Open, being held at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, will host a number of the top ranked poker players in the world, and the first two members of Team Bodog.
“We are very excited to be sending two of our players to a WPT sponsored event, and look forward to seeing them play their game with the best in the world,” said Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of Bodog.com Sports Casino Poker. “They will be facing off against some of the greatest in the game today, and we feel confident that they will perform to the best of their ability, and represent Bodog.com the best they can.”

With Daniel Negreanu capturing another player of the year award, he is currently pegged as the favorite for to win the WPT World Poker Open. Negreanu is listed at 25/1 odds. Right behind Negreanu are three of the best in the game with Men “The Master” Nguyen, Gus Hansen and John Juanda all sitting at 30/1. Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, Scott Fischman, Antonio Esfandiari, and poker’s powerhouse female competitor Annie Bodog.com Sports Casino Poker™ has released odds on the upcoming World Poker Tour, World Poker Open.

With Daniel Negreanu capturing another player of the year award, he is currently pegged as the favorite to win the WPT World Poker Open. Negreanu is listed at 25/1 odds. Right behind Negreanu are three of the best in the game with Men “The Master” Nguyen, Gus Hansen and John Juanda all sitting at 30/1. Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, Scott Fischman, Antonio Esfandiari, and poker’s powerhouse female competitor Annie Duke are all listed at 35/1 odds.

“Our guys are going to be in for some stiff competition, but we all have faith that they will play their game, and at the very least, come away with a great experience,” said Calvin Ayre. “We will be building Team Bodog, and sending more and more players to these events. All you have to do is qualify at Bodog Poker.”

A historic piece of the Boston Red Sox could be bought by Sportsbook.com.

Sportsbook.com owners have set their hearts on the baseball that won the World Series. Boston Red Sox's fans have waited over 86 years for a World Series victory and now Doug Mientkiewicz holds a piece of that historic win in the palm of his hand.

'Sportsbook.com is determined to purchase the ball and toss it back to the Boston community which stood by its team for almost nine decades,' said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportsbook.com.

'We have a very loyal customer base in Boston who have been great to us over the years,' Czajkowski added. 'This is an opportunity for us to give something back.'

Mientkiewicz was quoted in various media as saying the ball was his retirement fund and that it would be cool 'if we have kids some day to have it stay in our family for a long time. But I can be bought. I'm thinking, there's four years at Florida State for one of my kids.'

'If four years at FSU is all it takes to bring a piece of history home to millions of devoted Boston Red Sox fans, then Sportsbook.com is more than willing to foot the bill,' Czajkowski added.

Sportsbook.com has informed the Boston Red Sox and a representative of Doug Mientkiewicz of its offer.

For more odds and props and Sportsbook.com’s plans for Super Bowl, visit www.sportsbook.com.

New awards for online casinos.

Gambling Federation has announced the winners of the first edition of the Gambling Federation Affiliate Awards.

Flaviano Fogli, CEO of Gambling Federation, said, “It always brings Gambling Federation great pleasure to reward its affiliates. In the gaming industry, the rewards are high for affiliates that wish to apply themselves. I am sure that the winners would agree. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the winners, and all of our affiliates a great year in 2005.”

www.winnersonlinecasino.com won Gambling Federation’s 2004 International Casino of the Year due to international oriented marketing efforts.

www.goldenballscasino.com won the 2004 American Casino of the Year title because of the constant attraction of new American players.

www.swissbankcasino.ch won Gambling Federation’s 2004 Most Improved Casino of the Year.

Although several affiliates have grown in popularity in the past year, none have seen the success that this one has had.

Gambling Federation’s 2004 European Casino of the Year title went to www.casinoitalia.net foe concentrating its efforts on brand awareness in the past months. Gambling Federation’s 2004 Asian Affiliate of the Year award went to www.onlinecasino-jp.com.

New Atlantic City casino game based on the Internet version of the game.

Slingo has announced that its hit game Bonus Bet 21 is now available at two casinos in Atlantic City, NJ. Bonus Bet 21 was made popular at the Slingo.com website.

Bonus Bet 21 is based on the popular table game Blackjack but offers the player more options in the form of side-bets. Players can now bet on the outcome of the first two cards of their dealt hand, adding an additional ten chances to win.

'Bonus Bet 21 is a new concept for Slingo' said Sal Falciglia, CEO of Slingo, Inc. 'We anticipate that casino players will enjoy Bonus Bet 21 as tens of thousands of other players have already done online at Slingo.com,' Falciglia continued.

Bonus Bet 21 will be introduced for table play at two Caesars Entertainment properties in Atlantic City, Bally's Atlantic City Resort and Bally's Wild Wild West on January 26, 2005. Players from around the world can already play Bonus Bet 21 at Slingo.com (http://www.slingo.com).

Bookmakers license granted to an Online entertainment company.

Bodog.com Entertainment Ltd announces that effective of January 10, 2005, a bookmaker’s license has been granted for the United Kingdom.

Bodog has experienced substantial growth over its 10 operating years, and with the acquisition of a UK license, 2005 will be another huge year for the company.

Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of Bodog Sports Casino Poker said, “We have focused heavily on the North American market over previous years, and seeing our explosive growth during that time, we feel that we are now prepared to move our world class services into the UK marketplace.”

He continued, “We strive to make the best possible product available to our players, and with a solid team in place now we can start to expand our business into new circles.”

2004 was a huge year for Bodog.com, receiving numerous industry accolades and awards, introducing the brand new Bodog.com Poker product, new casino offering, and being named the top US facing online gambling site in the world for traffic in 2004 by Hitwise.com. Bodog.com also flourished with the introduction of the Bodog.com Conference which was held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, and featured guest speaker, and Super Bowl Champion quarterback, Joe Montana.

“We are looking forward to making 2005 an even better year, not only for the company, but for those who play with Bodog.com, both now and in the future,” said Calvin Ayre. “We have a comprehensive team of professionals in place that are making Bodog.com the best name in sports gambling, casino, and poker action.

Global Satellite Distribution Deal signed by BettingCorp.

BettingCorp has signed a deal with global satellite distribution company, GlobeCast, which will see its interactive betting channel PlayMonteCarlo distributed on the worldwide Globecast network. PlayMonteCarlo is available 24-hours a day on Sky Digital’s Channel 7 and offers fixed-odds games such as roulette, slots, keno and dice in both play-for-fun or play-for-real-money modes.

BettingCorp vice president operations Sean Eyen said: 'GlobeCast's reliable and scaleable bandwidth services were the obvious choice for BettingCorp. We are excited to utilise their global footprint in order to support an expansion of our PlayMonteCarlo gaming service and other BettingCorp technology powered services on interactive televison through our growing partner network. GlobeCast is perfectly placed to help us achieve this.’

GlobeCast head of UK channel distribution Juliet Bayliss added: 'It's a great start to the new year signing up a company such as BettingCorp. They are the latest in a wide range of broadcasters to choose GlobeCast for their DTH delivery requirements and it is a measure of our flexibility and range of services that they have chosen us. We now deliver more than 500 channels worldwide and many of those are looking to expand into new territories. We are well-placed to help them.'

$265K Jackpot won at sportingbetUSA.com by a New Player.

What a way for sportingbetUSA.com player Jonathan M to start 2005. On New Years Day he hit the jackpot playing Bermuda Poker and won a total of $265,099.85 at the sportingbetUSA.com poker table!

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Jonathan in amazement. “I’m not sure what to do with a huge chunk of cash like this. I guess one New Years resolution I should make is to keep on playing at sportingbetUSA!”

Jonathan only started betting at sportingbetUSA.com last fall but he’s certainly glad he did now. He just registered with sportingbetUSA last September and he’s been a regular casino games player since then.

“Can you imagine the thrill of winning a huge jackpot like that one? “, said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director for Sportingbet PLC Americas Region. “Our players love our progressive jackpots; they can play their favorite games for hours and sometimes hit the ridiculously large jackpot!'

Bermuda poker is a solo version of the world’s most popular card game, poker. Bermuda poker pits you, the player, against the dealer and you are paid out according to the rank of your poker hand.

This is the second most popular casino game at sportingbetUSA.com. The last winner of the Bermuda Poker Jackpot was Tim H who took home $233,704 in September 2004 when he hit a royal flush while playing the progressive bet. The Jackpot is already back up over a quarter million dollars.

Photo of winner and prize available at www.sportingbetmediacenter.com/public/sportingbetusa/

Simpson Odds Updated by Online Sportsbook.

Internet wagering on The Simpsons is continuing to take center stage at BetUS.com since the company posted odds on the mystery gay character who will be 'outed' in an upcoming episode. Rumors have been circulating since last summer on who it might be, but in recent weeks the debate and speculation have turned into big money wagers.

'It appears that many of our customers have an opinion on who the gay character is,' says Mike Foreman, spokesperson for BetUS.com. 'We've taken more than 900 bets, mostly on Patty and Smithers.'

According to Foreman, Marge's sister Patty was the favorite at 4/5 with Smithers trailing at 4/1 to be named as the gay character. Ned Flanders is posted as 15/1, making the devout-Christian character a long shot; however, several large wagers have been placed on his character, which has come as a surprise to the bookmaker.

'We were positive that Patty would be the bettors' favorite, seeing that she has been identified in many online sources as the gay character thanks to a leak at Fox,' says Foreman. 'Nevertheless, it seems that our customers believe that Patty is just a rumor planted by the network to throw viewers off.'

The Simpsons series is known to push the envelope, highlighting hypocrisy and culturally based ignorance. Critically acclaimed for its fresh and cynical storylines, it is the longest running cartoon featured on prime-time television.

Foreman suggested that BetUS.com's customers are not necessarily betting on who's gay; it's a matter of how far the show is willing to go. The series has sparked controversy more than once, and if the mystery character is Ned Flanders, The Simpsons-gay debate may explode.

'Don't be surprised if the gay character is Flanders,' says Foreman. 'Can you imagine the controversy Matt Groening and writers will create if Ned comes out of the closet!'

New loyalty program launched Interactive Gambling TV channel.

GSN has announced the launch of GSN Rewards Powered by My Sony. Viewers who play online interactively with GSN network programming will have the chance to earn points towards saving money on Sony products and services.

'The GSN Rewards program is an innovative way to deliver on our brand promise, which is that viewers are truly rewarded for watching and playing along,' said Dena Kaplan, Senior Vice President, Marketing, GSN. 'Just as GSN is the pioneer of interactive games on television, we are the first to launch a robust rewards program where viewers, affiliates and advertisers can reap the benefits.'

'We're very pleased and excited to partner with GSN to bring a fun, new interactive way to earn My Sony points,' said John Briesch, President, Card Marketing & Services Company, Sony Corporation of America. 'GSN Rewards Powered by My Sony further enhances the My Sony member experience with the addition of exclusive benefits, including access to special VIP vacations, promotions, Sony products, and unique GSN merchandise. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to further engage the Sony entertainment enthusiast.'

GSN Rewards Powered by My Sony(TM) will be closely aligned with GSN's original programming. The program will be supported by a one year branded on-air campaign unveiled in conjunction with the network's January 21 premiere of the new Casino Night prime-time program block featuring WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK and POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES. Additionally, from January 21 thru February 25 the new programming night will include a special $1000 per week sweepstakes.

Money for tsunami relief benefits is raised by another Online Casino.

English Harbour New Ventures has announced that they will match donations made from their players who would like to contribute to the tsunami relief efforts. English Harbour New Ventures will donate all funds directly to CARE USA. All donations will be earmarked to go directly to those most affected by one of the worst natural disasters in living memory.

'Major natural disasters affect us all either directly or indirectly. As caring members of the global community, English Harbour New Ventures feels obligated to make a contribution to the Tsunami relief efforts,' said a spokesperson for the company. 'The entire World has been effected and we believe it is the entire World's responsibility to respond. We call on our customers to give generously and will match on a one-to-one basis all donations made.'

With more than 3.5 million customers worldwide, English Harbour New Ventures is hoping to raise a generous contribution on behalf of CARE USA.

'CARE USA is one of the world's largest private humanitarian organizations and is committed to helping people in the affected communities improve their lives', said the spokesperson. 'With sixty years experience in distributing supplies in times of need and with CARE USA staff on the ground in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Somalia, we are confident that our own contribution and that of our player's will assist CARE USA with their immediate relief efforts as the organization assesses the longer-term needs of the region'.

The Tsunami Relief Drive will commence today, through January 31, 2005. Any player from Englishharbour.com, Silverdollar.com, Millionairecasino.com, Caribbeangold.com, Allpokercasino.com, Superslots.com will be able to make their donation through Englishharbour.com.

Poker tips over the airwaves.

The World Poker Tour company has announced its new online radio slot, where poker fans can pick up tips from poker etiquette to tournament news as well as interviews with players and commentators.

WPT Poker Corner, a 60-second slot, is to be exclusively syndicated by 4thStreet Media Group as a result of a licensing agreement it signed with WPT Enterprises, Inc. The audio feature will launch February 1st on XM Satellite Radio and AudioFeast.com. Content is being made available to broadcast and satellite radio, subscription services, and Internet sites. Additional affiliations will be announced shortly.

'A day doesn't go by without someone asking us when World Poker Tour content will be available on radio and that includes the stations, the listeners, and the advertisers,” noted Steve Lipscomb, founder and President of WPT Enterprises, Inc. “With the advent of filming for our Third Season, we felt now was the perfect time to start bringing WPT’s high quality brand of poker programming to the audio media sector.'

“Over 50 million people in the U.S. play poker...and probably another 50 million talk about it every day,” stated Network radio veteran Dan Forth. “I look forward to working with the leading and most recognized organization in the game to deliver powerful, entertaining audio content that will be both accessible to the beginner and compelling to the most experienced player.”

National Sports Radio talent David Stein will host the audio feature. In addition to hosting radio programs for Fox Sports Radio and STUFF Magazine, Stein, an author and comedian, is also the creator and host of television’s “It’s Funnier That Way.”

Figures released show the state of online gaming market as healthy.

An online poker software company announced last Thursday after the markets closed its initial figures from a four and a half month time in operation.

Midas Entertainment confirmed it has taken over $32.6 million in bets, processed more than $3.2 million in payments and generated $712,000 in gross revenue during opening period, exciting investors and traders alike.

Midas Entertainment's President, George Gutierrez, said: “We continue to be amazed by the rapid start we've experienced in growing our user base, processing transactions and generating revenue. The online poker market has grown over 700 percent this past year and continues to expand dramatically. We are projecting continued growth for both the industry and our company as we look forward to pursuing many exciting opportunities in 2005.”

Midas provides gaming software to online-poker sites including CityPoker.com, KingMidasPoker.com, DesertPoker.com and SharkPoker.com.

Deal agreement between Sportech and Boss Media.

Boss Media have announced they have signed a deal with UK gaming company, Sportech Plc to provide a casino and poker platform for Sportech’s Littlewood’s Bet Direct Internet Gaming site. Boss will supply a casino system with GBP as the base currency, available in download and in web-based versions. Littlewoods is one of the biggest gaming operations in the UK, providing services to over one million customers.

'We are very happy for the contract to provide Littlewoods BetDirect with a casino and poker solution. Given our experience from customized integrated gaming solutions, and Littlewoods extensive experience from gaming operations, we see a great potential in this cooperation,' says Peter Bertilsson, President and CEO of Boss Media.

'When looking to develop the casino and poker products for Bet Direct we were conscious that the products needed to utilize the existing account offered on the Bet Direct Sportsbook. Boss Media have proven expertise in this area and this coupled with their excellent product offering made them the natural choice,' says Phil Kissane, Director of Internet Gaming at Littlewoods Gaming.

Alexander fought hard for win in Celebrity Blackjack final.

Jason Alexander, executive producer for Listen Up! and one-time Seinfeld star, romped to victory in the Celebrity Blackjack final episode on station GSN, beating off stiff competition from Kelli Williams (Medical Investigation), Jeff Probst (Survivor) and Lance Bass (*NSync). Alexander claimed the $250,000 prize for his chosen charity, Oakwood School.

The competition, which provided a $1 million prize fund, was led most of the way by the eventual winner, controlling the bout despite Williams claiming seven straight wins and Probst landing several blackjacks. The last hand proved decisive, Alexander claiming victory after dealer ‘Hollywood’ Dave Stann bust after drawing a six.

After his win, Alexander said: 'That was unbelievable! It was the most fun I could ever have with a blood pressure of 2000 over 306. What a blast. And I am already taking side bets on whether I can defend my title.”

The new UK charity lottery is endorsed by Celebrities.

This week, a new exclusive online lottery will be launched aimed at people who are concerned about where their money ends up when they place money on the lottery. Sex in the City star Kim Cattrall has backed the £1-a-ticket game.

The Lucky 7 Lotto will hand over one fifth of its takings to seven selected charities.

Simon Stimpson, chief executive of HH Gaming, the company promoting the game, said, 'We are not competing with the National Lottery but it is an alternative where you can see exactly where your money is going.

'The money also goes to the charities straight away, unlike the National Lottery, where there is still more than £2 billion sitting in funds.'

The draw will take place at 5pm each Friday with a one-in-a-million chance of getting the top £100,000 prize. The number of tickets each week will be capped at a million and the prize fund will total £500,000.

Each week, one of the participating charities will get 20 per cent of the takings. The charities are Breast Cancer Campaign, Children In Crisis, Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League, Canine Partners, Acorns Children's Hospice Trust, the Variety Club Children's Charity and Seafarers UK.

If the lottery is successful it could raise about £10 million a year. Kim Barton, director of fundraising at Children in Crisis, said: 'This exciting new opportunity will help us to raise crucial funds.'

Online Casino Chips In for Sick Boy.

This week the online casino now famed for making odd purchases on the Internet has yet again used online auction site ebay to get some publicity.

GoldenPalace has placed $10,700 to help a young boy have a biopsy for a tumour at the base of his skull. The nine-year-old lad has been suffering from the tumour for 2 years

'I think it's awesome they did this,' The boy’s Mother, Tiffani Dingman-Grover said. 'I just hope their hearts are in the right place because they wanted to help David, not because they wanted to help themselves with publicity.”

GoldenPalace spokesman Monty Kerr said company officials had been following the auction as well as Dingman-Grover's mocking words in the media about frivolous auctions -- and felt compelled to get involved.

'We've had a lot of fun buying strange things on eBay, but when we saw David's auction we knew we'd have to help him,' Kerr said.

Lady Luck smiles on Larsen.

Think roulette is a game of luck? Think again, in light of news that roulette legend Kim Larsen has launched a website dedicated to the strategy of the popular casino game.

Roulettebucks.dk is Kim’s take on the most played game in American and European casinos, having perfected his skills over 10 years of playing. Although roulette is not thought to comply with any mathematical explanations, unlike poker or blackjack, Larsen’s fortunes suggest otherwise. His methods became public after winning $10,000 from just a $500 original stake on a television show.

The Dane also raised eyebrows after a series of big wins at the roulette wheel, leading to four Las Vegas casinos banning him within one month.

Neteller act as portal for relief donations.

Neteller has set itself up to accept donations for the recent disaster that has affected Asia.

People can donate to the American Red Cross Tsunami Disaster Relief Effort through www.Neteller.com. Donations will help provide immediate and long-term support and supplies of medicine, clothing, food and shelter most needed by those affected.

A spokesman at Neteller said, “Your donation is essential, Neteller will waive all fees associated with the donation and 100% of it will be received by the American Red Cross.”

For more information on the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Effort visit www.redcross.org

New S&M Director for online casino software company.

World Gaming plc a UK-based Internet gaming software company is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Moss as Director of Sales and Marketing.

In keeping with the Board's stated strategies we are delighted to announce the appointment of Jon Moss.

Jon has been employed in line with the companies new strategy to reinvigorate sales and marketing efforts of the Company's leading gaming software.

Immediately prior to his appointment, Jon held the position of Business Development Director at WagerLogic Limited, the licensing and services subsidiary of CryptoLogic Inc., one of the industry's leading iGaming software providers.

Jon was successful in attracting high quality European brand-name clients to CryptoLogic's casino and poker solutions including Betfair, Littlewoods Gaming, The Ritz Club of London and ukbetting PLC. Jon has also played a key role in industry lobbying efforts related to the forthcoming UK Gambling Bill and is an experienced speaker at international iGaming conferences.

Commenting on the appointment, Daniel Moran, CEO said:

'Jon's proven track record in the iGaming industry fundamentally strengthens the Company's strategic direction to attract new high quality licensees and white label partners. In addition, Jon brings a wealth of experience to our management team. We are delighted to have Jon on board.'

Online Sportsbook puts golden bet on the Globes.

The best performances in motion pictures and television will be honored on Sunday when the winners of the 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards are revealed.

BetWWTS.com opened betting on the awards only minutes after nominations were announced on December 13, and with only days until the ceremony, the company has released updated odds on the most popular Golden Globe categories.

BetWWTS.com has created odds on the nine major Golden Globe categories acknowledging excellence in motion pictures and television. In the Best Motion Picture categories, The Aviator is the favourite to take home the award for the Best Drama at 3/5 odds, while Sideways is listed as a 1/3 favourite to be named the Best Musical or Comedy. BetWWTS.com currently lists Leonardo DiCaprio as a 7/5 favourite to take home the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, while Hilary Swank is the odds-on favourite at 2/3 odds to win Best Actress in a Drama.

It should come as no surprise that Jamie Foxx has emerged as the overwhelming favourite at 1/10 odds to win Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of the legendary Ray Charles. Meanwhile, Annette Benning has emerged as a 1/3 favourite to capture the Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy award. In the Best Director - Motion Picture category, BetWWTS.com likes the chances of Martin Scorsese, listing the renowned director at 5/9 odds to take the honour. For the two most popular television categories, BetWWTS.com lists The Sopranos as a 2/5 favourite to win Best Drama Series, while the ABC hit Desperate Housewives is expected to win the award for Best Musical or Comedy Series.

Tiger Gambling in deals with online casinos.

RAM Investment, the Edinburgh-based investment company, has said it has agreed a joint venture deal with Tiger Telematics to exploit the technology in Tiger’s recently-launched mobile console dubbed 'Gizmondo'.

The device is specifically aimed at the gambling market and RAM’s directors believe that the tie-up with Tiger offers the chance to benefit from 'a large untapped market' and one which they feel could generate strong revenues for RAM 'in the medium to long term'.

A new company called Tiger Gambling Ltd has been formed to drive the venture, in which RAM will be a 25 per cent partner - although profits will be shared on an equal basis - but be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Gizmondo strategy.

The firm said it was already in 'detailed discussions' with well known blue-chip international online gambling and established betting organisations on Gizmondo and had already received 'extremely positive feedback'.

Chairman Edward Adams said: ' Currently, volumes in online gambling are increasing strongly each month and consequently, in our view, the Gizmondo has huge potential.

'I can report that we are already in discussions with some of the industry’s top gambling and casino companies with a view to agreeing partnerships and licence deals.'

Under the agreement, RAM will be granted a global licence to promote and develop the console in the gambling market for an initial 18-month period. A three-year extension will be granted provided that the initial sales targets are achieved.

'Revenues will be driven from many sources such as equity and currency trading, spread betting, sports betting, gaming and traditional gambling such as poker, black jack and roulette,' RAM said.

Euro Gaming joins iGGBA.

Euro Gaming is a licensed Malta gaming operator focusing on the European market with gaming products such as bingo and lotteries.

Santiago Asensi, spokesman for Euro Gaming said, “As a regulated gambling operator, we encourage responsible gambling and age/identity verification systems. We wanted to join a reputable association and iGGBA’s proven track record, its code of conduct, and the number of high-profile members made them the clear choice for us.'

Andrew Tottenham, chairman of iGGBA states: “I am delighted to add EuroGaming Ltd. as a member of iGGBA which represents the ranks of the responsible companies who have chosen to work towards a sensible framework for regulation of the remote gambling industry in Great Britain and Europe”.

Online Casino Software provider reports 66% revenue growth.

Chartwell Technology, a provider of online and remote software systems has recently announced its end of year results.

The Company has reported a successful year with a 66 per cent rise in revenue to $12.2M compared to $7.3M in 2003 and earnings per diluted share have doubled to $0.24 compared to $0.12 in 2003. The company can celebrate two consecutive years of profitability.

“We are very pleased with our fourth quarter and fiscal year 2004 results”, states Don Gleason, CFO. “We ended the year with significant revenue growth, increased our profitability by 139%, doubled our earnings per share and generated in excess of $4.0M in cash flow from operations. Our investment in product development, sales, marketing and business development gives us confidence in our ability to drive continued growth in the expanding market for our products. We are extremely proud of the hard work and accomplishments of the entire Chartwell team and we look forward to 2005 and carrying this momentum throughout the year.”

British Political climate halts gambling merger

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has pulled out of a joint venture with U.K. bingo parlor operator Gala Group Ltd. because of recent moves in Britain's Parliament to limit the scope of regional casinos the venture expected to build.

The deal was to build eight to 10 small casinos across Britain with Gala in a deal announced June 2003. However the British future of Gambling is unclear at the moment with a draft of the gambling bill still working its way through both houses of Parliament, with analysts expecting the rules to be adopted by 2006.

Harrah's spokesman Gary Thompson said the bill, in its present form, will 'severely restrict anyone's ability to successfully develop regional casinos.' The smaller casinos would have been from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet.

Harrah's and Gala will continue in a 'strategic alliance' that would allow the companies to work together should any opportunities arise in the short term and leaves open the possibility of resurrecting the joint venture, Thompson said.

Betfair launches ‘Refer and Earn’ Scheme

In a new customer incentive scheme, Betfair is offering customers the chance to earn over £ 8,000 for every new customer they introduce to the site.

The new ‘Refer and Earn’ scheme offers substantial rewards every time they introduce a new customer to Betfair. It is open to all Betfair customers who have placed bets of more than £100. For each new customer they introduce, who also spends £100, they will receive £20 followed by additional quarterly bonuses for up to one year.

Betfair’s Director of Acquisition, Paul Witten, said, “The new Refer and Earn scheme is by far the most generous and lucrative referral scheme we have offered. We're aiming to draw sharp minded punters to our site while also rewarding those customers who have remained loyal to Betfair.

“By incentivising new and existing customers we’re aiming to grow and harness the Betfair community. We value the loyalty shown by all of our customers and this is a great way of rewarding them.”

Customers simply pass on a unique referral code to friends or colleagues and then sit back and watch the payments pour in. And it’s not just the existing customers who stand to benefit from the scheme - referred customers also receive an initial £20 free bet and the opportunity to be a part of the bonus structure.

Casino corporation receives magazine accolade

Forbes magazine has named MGM Mirage one of the Best Managed Companies in America as part of its annual Forbes Platinum 400 list of top-performing big corporations. MGM MIRAGE was cited alongside only 25 other companies and was recognized as first in the 'Hotels, restaurants and leisure' category.

'This recognition reflects our company's solid business practices, financial viability, and outstanding performance,' said Terry Lanni, Chairman and CEO of MGM MIRAGE. 'The commitment of each of our employees and the dedication of our management team has made this recognition possible.'

Blair-to-quit odds shorten

William Hill have cut their odds about Tony Blair resigning as Labour leader during 2005 from 5/2 to 2/1 - and lengthened their odds about him surviving as Prime Minister for longer than Margaret Thatcher from 4/1 to 9/2.

'The political rumour mill seems to be full of stories suggesting that Mr Blair will be going sooner rather than later, so we are adjusting our odds accordingly' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe,

'But if he does go there is no doubt that Gordon Brown will be expected to take over - we make him 2/7 favourite to do so with Charles Clarke at 4/1 and Alan Milburn 10/1.'

Hills currently make Labour 1/6 favourites to win the next General Election - which is 1/7 to take place in May 2005 - with the Tories at 7/2 and the Lib Dems 40/1.

Online betting agent gives odds on gay Simpsons character

Rumors that Springfield will legalize gay marriage on an upcoming episode of the Simpsons is sparking talk amongst fans that one of the main characters will come out of the closet. BetUS.com has released odds on who the character will be.

'Fan Websites are running rampant with speculation that the mystery gay character could be any one of the animated sitcom stars,' says Mike Foreman, spokesperson for BetUS.com.

'Online gambling is no longer focused solely on sports; entertainment wagers are gaining popularity among bettors,' says Foreman. 'The Simpsons craze is just one of many new betting options available to our players.'

The Simpsons episode is expected to air sometime this month, and BetUS.com recently posted odds making Patty the favorite at 4/5, and Mr. Burns' sidekick, Smithers, is the second favorite at 4/1. Gamblers can bet on the most popular Springfield cast members at BetUS.com.

Ad Space Auction at Online Casino Portals.

Ted Loh of Got2bet.com and Bryan Bailey of Casinomeister.com are auctioning off a prime banner space on their respective websites; the highest bidder will own that space for twelve months and 100% of the closing bid will be donated to UNICEF in order to help the flood victims in Asia.

“With the amount of money that this industry can churn out, I’m sure that some of these casino groups can pool their resources and really make a difference. We can probably save some lives this way,” says Bailey – operator owner of Casinomeister. Ted Loh, who lives in Thailand, agrees and has been painstakingly involved with http://www.onethailand.com, his Thailand Tsunami information website as well.

Both operators are optimistic that players will motivate their favorite casinos to get involved and participate in the auction. This auction will close in seven days and is located here:

http://www.casinomeister.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl.

Another Online Casino Donate To Help Tsunami Victims.

In light of the devastating tragedy to hit South East Asia and other parts of the world, the Vegas Partner Lounge Online Casino Group is donating 25% of online casino profits on 2 of their most popular games to help the stricken areas.

For one week all seven Vegas Partner Lounge Online Casinos (Crazy Vegas, Sun Vegas, Cinema, 777 Dragon, Maple, Casino US and Arthurian Casinos) will donate 25% of online casino profits on two of their games: Double Magic and Hi Five, to UNICEF to assist with the Tsunami Humanitarian Crisis.

UNICEF has already targeted the worst hit areas and distributed planeloads of supplies to affected families. UNICEF is reportedly aiming to raise $81 million to cover the cost of basic care and Vegas Partner Lounge is proud to offer assistance.

On behalf of the Vegas Partner Lounge Online Casinos, Sun Vegas Casino Manager Austin Green issued the challenge for everyone to do their part: 'A disaster of this nature affects all of us, so it is necessary for everyone to do what they can...no matter how small. That is why Vegas Partner Lounge is donating 25% of profits on two of our most popular games to help with the devastation is South East Asia. We are a global community and we all need to help each other in times of need.'

Payout on disallowed football goal.

Bookmakers William Hill will pay out to customers who bet on Tottenham HotSpurs' player Pedro Mendes scoring the first goal in the match against Manchester United, which was a 20/1 shot with Hills, and to anyone placing a bet that he would score at any time during the game - an 11/2 chance. The goal in question was disallowed by match officials in contentious circumstances.

'This is probably the most bizarre incident ever to occur in the Premiership and we feel that anyone who bet on Mendes to score first, or to score at all, is entitled to feel hard done by because clearly both the referee and linesman were unsighted by a one in a million fluke situation. Therefore we have decided to pay out to - the admittedly few - customers who would have definitely been on a winner had the goal been given as it quite obviously should have been. The concession will not apply to correct score bets or outright result bets as noone can say for sure what the final score would have been had the Mendes goal been allowed - after all, in the past United have scored twice in the final minute of a match,' said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe.

SportsDirect Inc announce acquisition of Wagerline.com.

SportsDirect Inc, publishers of Covers.com, announced the acquisition of Wagerline.com this week. The $1 million dollar deal gives SportsDirect control of all of the intellectual property, customers and traffic from Wagerline.com and makes it the largest sports gaming publisher in North America.

“We have been looking for growth opportunities that complement our existing products and services,” said Paul Lavers, founder and CEO of SportsDirect. “Wagerline.com is a perfect match — consumers love the product and the traffic is excellent. This purchase adds something to our roster of sites that would have been very difficult to build from scratch and instantly gives us the growth we’re looking for.”

Wagerline.com was launched in 1995 and has grown to be one of the most popular sports sites in North America, with millions of customer visits annually. Wagerline.com was founded in Denver, Colorado and has developed a strong customer and advertiser base over the last ten years. SportsDirect will continue to operate the site as a separate property but will move the management and operation of the site to its Halifax, Canada headquarters.

The acquisition of Wagerline.com is part of SportsDirect’s continual growth. In the last two years the company has doubled its workforce to 80 employees and opened offices in Galway, Ireland and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Online Bingo targets women offline.

As 64 percent of online gamblers are women Thinkbingo.com has come up with a marketing drive to specifically target this demographic.

ThinkBingo.com is one of the world's leading Bingo sites with a strong base of over 8,000 UK players. It is the first Bingo site to advertise offline and is fast establishing itself as the leading UK targeted online bingo destination. Creative by Mercier Gray and bought by Target NMI, ThinkBingo’s print campaign will target women and will be supported by its continued online marketing presence, primarily in the PPC search arena.

Dylan Schlosberg CEO of Herotech, ThinkBingo’s marketing agency said, “We believe fundamentally that online bingo will prove to be the biggest of the online gaming propositions as it offers mass market entertainment. With over three million people in the UK regularly playing bingo in local halls, ThinkBingo.com raises the stakes to a new level for pros and if you’re new to Bingo, live rurally, ill with flu or something more severe, the site offers a virtual Bingo hall 24 hours a day from the comfort of your home.”

Online Casino and Sportsbook releases reality ratings

With another season of 'Survivor' and 'American Idol' on the horizon, Bodog.com has posted early odds on the shows' outcomes, along with odds on the first ever 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search.'

Founder and CEO of Bodog.com Sports Casino Poker, Calvin Ayre said, 'Reality television has been on the rise for several years now, and interested people look to wager on their favorite competitor, or who they really think will win.'

He continued, 'Sports Illustrated will likely have the big ratings winner with the model search show, since they will be targeting the male audience who have not had much to look forward to in the realm of reality television.'

American Idol has become Fox's staple show, with ratings constantly on the rise. At present contestants for the show are not known however you can wager on if the winner will be male or female. The Male option is listed at -115 and Female at -115.

Survivor is coming back yet again with Survivor Palau. Again, with no listed competitors you can wager on whether a male or female will win. Both Male and Female options are available at -115.

For the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search there are already some close contestents. Shannon, the blue-eyed beauty from Texas, is the current favorite at 2/1 odds. Close behind Shannon we have Jenna, Adaora and Krisi, all listed at 3/1 odds. Coming in at 4/1 odds we have Stella, Marcela and Betti. Alicia and Stacy find themselves at 5/1 odds, with Southern Belle Sabrina listed at 6/1 odds. Nancy, the green-eyed Chicago beauty, is listed at 7/1 odds with long shot Shantel showing at 10/1 odds.

'I am excited for another round of reality television, and it is nice to see some new shows coming out this time,' said Ayre.

Launch of one-stop-shop online slots guide

CasinoMan.Net has released a new section on their website this week which is designed to help online slots players choose the best slots game to suit their budget.

This new section has over 250 online slot game reviews, with detailed information and screenshots of the games and pay tables. All the relevant information such as jackpot size, reels, pay lines, coin sizes and extra features are all included in each review, giving a complete one stop shop for hunting down all the information you need about the best online slot games.

The real power of this new section is the Search and Compare functionality which has been integrated into this guide. This allows the visitor to choose from an unfiltered or filtered list of slot games, and select upto 5 slot games to compare side by side against each other.

Isle of Man Opens doors to US Customers

The Isle of Man has officially announced that it will not impose restrictions on companies within its jurisdiction on accepting bets from US citizens. The decision, which has been anticipated for some time, comes as a response by the island’s ruling Council of Ministers to a recent report by the Department of Trade and Industry, which outlined the potential economic opportunities for the island.

A statement jointly issued by the DTI and Treasury said the changes had been implemented to 'make the well-regulated environment more commercially attractive'. Other changes to legislation include the regulation of P2P poker, the scrapping of the need for a £2 million license bond and the need for all changes to software to be certified in advance.

The island hopes that the move will create favourable conditions to businesses looking to relocate to the island, amid speculation that industry leaders CasinoOnNet and PartyPoker are looking to move from Gibraltar.

DTI Minister Alex Downie said: 'I believe that the Island will be the focus of increasing numbers of companies who are looking for a well-regulated and reputable jurisdiction and who are attracted by the superb telecommunications infrastructure and support services that we can offer.'

New Online Poker search engine launched

The recently launched UkPokerOnline.co.uk has been put together to help fledgling British poker players find the right site.

Playing poker online in the UK came on in leaps and bounds in 2004 with the expanding online advertising and television coverage. It has quickly found a following of thousands of online players. UkPokerOnline.co.uk offers a wide range of reviews of poker providers and gaming companies that allow you to play online for pounds sterling or even for free.

Getting the low-down on reputable poker rooms is a major factor in choosing where best to play online and all of the companies listed and reviewed are well-known, have been tried and tested and offer secure payment processing facilities. With many UK players being uninitiated to playing online, there is a comprehensive rules and basic strategy guide to ensure players get off to a flying start. Coupling this with beginners guides giving the low-down on what you should expect when playing online, this all combines into an informative guide for people wanting to make the right choices when playing in UK based poker rooms.

Blackjack is back

GSN's World Series of Blackjack is back for a second exciting season with 40 of the world's top blackjack players all vying for over half a million dollars and the title of the world's top blackjack player. It starts on the 21st of January and will be aired live.

Shot at the legendary Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, the invitation only tournament will have viewers on the edge of their seats until the final card is drawn.

Players Include Owner of the Sacramento Kings, Joe Maloof, Celine Dion’s Husband Rene Angelil and Last Year's Champion MIT Mike.

Online Casino helps in Tsunami relief efforts

Next Generation Entertainment and Winward Casino Group are very concerned for the people that have been affected by the earthquake and subsequent Tsunami. The devastation caused in numerous countries is beyond what anyone could have expected. In an effort to help all of the people affected by this disaster, Next Generation Entertainment and Winward Casino Group pledge 100% of revenue generated by all their websites on January 5th. Next Generation and Winward Casino Group websites which include, WinwardCasino.com, WorldwideVegas.com, Bingohall.com, BingoPalace.com, OnlineBingo.com, and Vicsbingo.com typically generate between $100,000 on a given week day. We pledge the proceeds from Januart, 5th to the International Red Cross and ask that they be 100% ear marked specifically for Tsunami Victims relief. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected and hopefully this can make a difference.

Next Generation and Winward Casino Group are separately owned gaming companies. 'We teamed together with Winward Casino Group because we felt that as an industry we should all come together and do our part,' stated Andrew Truman, CEO of Next Generation Entertainment. 'We have done many charitable events with Next Generation in the past and wish more gaming sites would give back to the world community,' stated Jon Ramsey, President of Winward Casino Group. 'We are seeing sportsbooks like VIP sports and others come together. It is a small act of kindness and charity, that makes for a miracle, for someone in need,” stated Jon.

For more information:

To donate money to the Red Cross log onto https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp or for more information log onto www.redcross.org

Internet Betting offered on Magna Entertainment Tracks

Online Enterprises, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Enterprises, has announced that it is to begin offering account wagering on all Magna Entertainment Corp (MEC) tracks at www.betbarn66.com. MEC tracks include Santa Anita, which opened on Sunday, Golden Gate Fields, Pimlico, and Portland Meadows. The deal is for the whole of 2005 and covers all of its thoroughbred and harness racing.

According to Online Enterprises: “Players will have access to all the races that are presented by these tracks. That covers all the derby prep races leading up to the Triple Crown, including the Preakness, meaning all three legs of the greatest thoroughbred racing series will be available. The 85-day Santa Anita Meet continues through April 18 and is highlighted by the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 5, the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 9, and the $3.6 Sunshine Millions Day on January 29.“