Software developed to win at online poker.

CasinoRobots.com has announced Poker Robot Collusion Edition for Microsoft Windows, an intelligent software robot capable of consistently winning games of Texas Hold'Em Poker at popular online poker rooms.

Poker Robot Collusion Edition is able to automatically and simultaneously play up to nine of the ten seats available per game, for real money, using a strategy advocated by a nine-time World Champion of Poker. This combination of statistically sound strategy and awareness of nine of the ten hands in play inevitably results in consistent wins for the robot Poker players. No knowledge or experience of poker is required.

However, if the user wishes to play in multiple seats themselves they can manually override the robot player decisions with the click of a mouse button. Users can also alter the rank of hands played, the types of table to be selected and the duration of play. The progress of each game session is displayed and updated in real-time. Poker Robot Collusion Edition also draws upon the analytical capabilities of Poker Trainer with our comprehensive Texas Hold'Em Poker odds calculator and opponent analysis tool.

Two American Idol contestants favored at online sportsbook.

There are two contestants favored to win the fourth season of American Idol on sportsbook.com: all American girl Carrie Underwood and street-wise Mario Vazques…both with odds at 5-1.

Rounding out the other top choices are the charming southern rocker Bo Brice (13-2) and Anwar Robinson, the big hearted teacher with a smooth voice (8-1.)

“American Idol made Kelly, Ruben and Clay household names,” said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, sportsbook.com. “Fans no longer need to wait until the final episode to pick the next idol, they can wager on Sportsbook.com and pick their favorite today.”

According to site, the most likely to be eliminated in the next round are Travis Tucker and Janay Castine, both with odds of 35-1.

For more information and a full list of this week’s American Idol elimination round, please visit sportsbook.com

AnyBets.com Revolutionizes Internet Gaming with Poll Betting.

Poll betting is a new cross-breed of consumer poll and pool betting that is not only making a splash on the betting market, but proving itself the most accurate form of consumer survey.

International pool betting site, AnyBets.com has created poll betting, which gives consumers an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is, by backing their votes on topical issues and events with a monetary incentive.

The pace of change and innovation in the igaming industry continues to be fast and exciting. In 2003 peer-to-peer betting as an alternative to the traditional racing book sent shockwaves through the horse racing industry. 2004 was the year skill games were introduced to the mass market. As a gaming licence was not required, sites like Yahoo could get in on the act. This year’s innovation is poll betting, with AnyBets.com leading the way.

AnyBets.com founder, Graeme Levin said, “I have seen many innovative developments in the online gambling industry and while poll betting is response to consumer demand, it is moving the industry in an exciting new direction.”

AnyBets.com has polls on events and issues covering many areas, such as politics, justice, sport, celebrities, music, film, television and fashion. AnyBets.com allows you to poll bet on almost anything with a definitive outcome! If it is out there and being talked about, chances are you can make your opinion count by entering a poll bet at AnyBets.com.

Popular polls have included: “Will Sharon Osbourne Have her Jewels back before Christmas?”; “Will Britney Spears announce a pregnancy in the near future?”; “What colour outfit will the winner of Best Female Pop Vocal wear to the Grammy’s?”, and have appeared in papers such as the Daily Telegraph.

Anti Identity Fraud Group Welcomes GamCare Gambling Expert.

Michael Smeaton joins from GamCare, the registered charity and leading authority on the social impact of gambling. Michael will continue to work closely with GamCare on the development of social and corporate responsibility certification programmes.

Professor Peter Collins, chief executive of GamCare, said: “We wish him well in his new role with GB Group and look forward to maintaining a close working relationship as we promote best practice within the remote gambling industry.”

Michael is set to use his industry expertise to develop the consultancy services that will maintain GB’s leading position for age and identity verification solutions following the success of URU™, the age and identity verification system developed jointly with BT.

Richard Law, chief executive of GB Group, the leading provider of identity authentication and fraud prevention solutions for the gaming industry, said: “We are delighted to welcome Michael to GB Group. His long association with GamCare and understanding of the remote gambling industry will be invaluable as we seek to build on the success of URU™, the age and identity verification system developed jointly with BT.”

Survey Reveals America’s Poker Dreams.

Over 50% of Americans would abstain from sex for a year in exchange for a big online poker win. The average win required, according to a recent national survey, is $2.3 million.

Conducted by StrategyOne, an independent public opinion research firm, on behalf of PokerStars.com, the scientific nationwide survey of American adults also found that men are more likely than women to exchange sex for super-sized online poker winnings, with 61% of adult males going on a year-long sexual furlough versus only 47% of women. Another 17% indicated that they would need to win between $1 and $50,000 in online winnings to give up sex for a full year.

When it came to the pot needed to win, size mattered to men. The average cash amount men cited they would require to live sex-free for 365 days was $2.1 million; women were willing to sleep solo for a lesser $1.9 million.

The survey also asked respondents who they would most want to ante up with in a game of online poker. Americans selected President George W. Bush as their most-preferred celebrity poker competitor, followed closely by Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton. Oprah was also the favorite celebrity among women and hotel heiress Paris Hilton was the celebrity of choice among Gen-Y respondents.

Dutch Court Upholds iGaming Ban.

The Dutch Supreme Court has upheld a ban against foreign companies offering internet gambling to Dutch citizens. Ladbrokes had attempted to contest the prohibition previously imposed by a lower court, arguing that it amounted to a violation of the free movement of services within the EU. Ladbrokes has said that it has a fundamental right to offer services across borders just as mainstream businesses do.

The court disagreed and ordered Ladbrokes to cease offering bets to anyone with a Dutch IP address, a move the bookmaker says will victimize customers who live outside the country but use a Dutch service provider.

The Netherlands’ restrictive gaming policy dictates that a percentage of all gaming profits have to go towards charity funds. The government owned De Lotto, the company that brought the original case against Ladbrokes said: 'This ruling is most important for a number of other cases running in the Netherlands against illegal gambling sites, such as the English Betfair and the Austrian Interwetten.'

Another million up for grabs at Oasis Online Casino.

Oasis Casino claims it will become the 'Official' Home of $1,000,000 when the full service online casino, sportsbook and racebook is set to add another $1,000,000 payout opportunity to its website.

'While we are not quite ready to reveal what our latest $1,000,000 payout possibility will entail, I can honestly say that come next week, our customers will have exactly one million reasons to call Oasis their internet casino,' said Randolph Shea, Oasis Casino's Director of Corporate Communication.

Oasis Casino, which paid out over $27,000,000 in winnings to its customers in 2004, already offers players an opportunity at a progressive jackpot worth over $1,000,000 in its Super Caribbean Stud poker game. The sports/race-themed contest to be announced next week will be the first time Oasis has offered a high stakes payout opportunity for its non-casino players.

Online bookie raises Ken controversy.

William Hill have cut the odds about Ken Livingstone being out of office as Mayor of London before the General Election takes place from 8/1 to 6/1. This slash in odds follows his refusal to apologise for his comments to Daily Mail earlier this month. He compared the journalists to concentration camp guards.

Hills have lengthened their odds about Ken winning the next Mayor Election from 6/4 to 7/4 and 20/1 to be the Mayor hosting an Olympics in London in 2012.

Online casino files lawsuit over pregnant woman’s belly.

Sunpoker.com is preparing a lawsuit against another online casino for stealing advertising space it won on an ebay auction. The unusual thing about this space is it is on a pregnant woman’s belly.

The online poker company claims it placed $8,900- the highest bid- for the controversial space on Thursday evening February 10, 2005 at 4:05 PM EST. Elise Harp from Atlanta Georgia then phoned the company and said, 'You have no idea how happy I am right now about the auction. This money is going to help out SO much, plus it's going to be a lot of fun advertising for you.'

According to Sunpoker, the marketing director started making plans to put the advert on Ms Harp’s belly. He said, 'I immediately called the artist from North Georgia Airbrush and set up the meeting with himself and Ms. Harp the following morning. Then I had our promotions department FedEx Ms. Harp twenty maternity shirts with the company logo on them, just in case it was cold at night, and lastly, I had arranged several press passes to the Daytona 500 on February 20th, where we planned on getting her to show off her belly.'

However, soon after this Sunpoker received an email entitled “Auction Situation” from Ms Harp claiming she wanted to cancel the auction because she had received a better offer from another company.

SunPoker.com claims Ms. Harp is bound by the agreement she had with eBay to conduct a fair auction and sell the product or service to the highest bidder, which she has failed to do. Had she decided after the fact not to sell the item or service to anyone, there would be no problem, because she has every right to change her mind, but to undermine the auction process and privately solicit an under bidder after the auction has ended is a breach of the agreement.

An additional suit is being planned against the competitor for plagiarism among other reasons. 'They copied word for word, a paragraph from our press release on the matter, and then stole our idea of bringing Ms. Harp to the Daytona 500,' Mann contends, 'If you're going steal our ideas, at least change the words around a bit.'

In the last six months ebay has become the focus of attention for marketing gurus at certain online gambling companies. GoldenPalace has paid out for some controversial items to grab the headlines, including a decade-old cheese sandwich with a fleeting resemblance to the Virgin Mary and a supposedly haunted walking stick.

Sportingbet announces soaring profits.

Sportingbet shares have tripled in five months and the second-quarter profit jumped 84 percent as earnings benefited for the first time from November's purchase of Paradise Poker.

The London-based company announced a net income rise of 15.6 million pounds ($30 million), or 3.6 pence a share, in the three months through January from 8.5 million pounds, or 2.8 pence, a year earlier. Paradise Poker contributed 8 million pounds of operating profit.

Nigel Payne, Chief Executive of the company, said, “I am delighted to report a record six month performance for Sportingbet, in which we have seen the scale of the Group’s operations, augmented by the recent acquisition of Paradise Poker, increase considerably. Sportingbet now has over 2.2m registered customers. We have seen a 49% rise over the same period last year in the number of sports and gaming bets to 206.4m bets, and a pro-forma rise of 114% in the average daily poker rake per day.

Online Casino Group gives away 9 CARS in 9 WEEKS.

Belle Rock Gaming has celebrated the end of its 9 Cars in 9 Weeks super-promotion. The cars totaled $225,000 and players were given the choice of taking the cash instead.

Low purchase and wager requirements were all that was necessary for players to receive their automatic entry into the ‘9 Cars in 9 Weeks’ promotion.

Week 2 winner Daniel B. couldn’t believe it when he’d won: “I’ve taken the money and I’m going to start up my own business – this really will change my life! Before this, $8,000 was my biggest win, but my advice to all other players out there is to keep playing at Belle Rock Gaming and they’ll take care of you. They certainly did for me!”

Tim Johnson, Chief Executive of Carmen Media Group, owners of Belle Rock Gaming, says: “Without doubt, 2004 was our most successful year to date, and we wanted to give our players something extra for their loyalty, and what better than nine cars in nine weeks. It’s been one of our most high profile promotions to date and we’re working hard on the next lot for Belle Rock Gaming players so watch this space!”

Online Casino announces launch of its live gaming platform.

Bogarts Casino has announced the official launch of its second-generation live gaming platform in response to double digit growth at its live online casino.

Featuring smoother video, crisper sound, and sharper animated graphics, the browser-based Flash Casino allows players to have quick access to the games as there is no casino software to download. Plus, the casino can be played on both PCs and Macs, and on a variety of browsers including Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, and Safari.

Explaining the need for the new software, Eddie C, casino manager for Bogarts Casino, said, 'Player registrations at our webcam casino grew at a rate of 75% over a six month period. Players are simply demanding the transparency and fairness that only a webcam casino can offer. When we saw CWC's new flash software, with its fantastic new streaming video, we knew we had to implement it as soon as possible.'

To celebrate the launch of the new flash software Bogarts Casino is offering all players a special deposit bonus of 100% up to $100.

Eddie further explained that Bogarts Casino has plans to introduce blackjack tournaments in the near future. 'With close to 200 people on our waiting list, we can't wait to take live gaming to the next level. The live software just allows for fantastic interactivity between players and dealers and players and players. I know that players are going to love the experience.'

Online Casino Portal CasinoCity.com to Appeal Court Ruling.

CasinoCity.com has vowed to fight the dismissal of its case by the United States District Court for the Middle District. Barry Richard, of Casino City’s legal team, said the online casino portal would appeal. He issued the following statement:

'The court did not address the merits of our claim. It ruled that our plaintiff did not have standing to invoke the court's jurisdiction because the government did not actually prosecute or directly threaten to prosecute our client. The decision places in clear focus the question of whether a prosecutorial agency can threaten, but not actually carry out, prosecution and thereby chill the exercise of free speech by citizens who believe their constitutional rights have been violated but have no ability to seek court protection.'

“A notice of appeal must be filed within 60 days from the time of judgment,“ added Michael Corfman, CEO of Casino City. “Once done, we will order the record from the District Court. This will not take long to order and file since it is relatively short. The filing of the briefs by both sides will then take about 3 months. Then we wait for the Court to rule.”

Betandwin Links With Premiere.

Betandwin.com Interactive Entertainment AG has announced it has reached an accord with Premiere Austria which will “combine their considerable expertise to give Premiere's Austrian subscribers the possibility of betting on any soccer game live using betandwin's mobile betting facilities,” said Co-CEO Manfred Bodner of Betandwin, who further announced that after Austria, live sports in other countries will be linked with Betandwin’s mobile phone betting service.

Premiere Austria is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Premiere Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, and is the premiere presenter of live sports on TV in Austria. The Betandwin Group is the leading provider of online gaming products in continental Europe, and it’s leaders state the company has set itself the goal of becoming the “world's number one address for sports betting, gaming and entertainment on the Internet.”

Online Casino Software Company's Stats Soar in 2004.

CryptoLogic has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of last year as follows: fourth quarter revenue up by a huge 33%; earnings up by a staggering 25%.

“The record revenue, excellent earnings and healthy operating cash flow in 2004 are evidence of the company's focused strategy and growth momentum in both the casino and poker segments of the global online gaming market,” said the Cryptologic press release. “CryptoLogic continues to be the blue-chip e-gaming software company,” said Lewis Rose, President and CEO.

In the last quarter of 2004, CryptoLogic’s revenue was $17.9 million, providing earnings of $3.8 million. The fourth quarter advance alone was represented by a growth in earnings to 27 cents per diluted share, which was ahead of the average forecast made by analysts. “Fiscal 2004 full year earnings were also strong at $1.01 per diluted share on a 44% increase in revenue to a record $63.7 million,” the press release continued.

Meanwhile, “consistent cash generation” led to a 67% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.05 per share.

The continued financial success of CryptoLogic’s fourth quarter in 2004 is largely attributed to a 165% increase in online poker at cryptologic.com; an increase of 15% (from 4th quarter, 2003) in online casino revenue; and to overseas markets which were also up in the revenues of licensees.

CryptoLogic.com has also renewed and extended with its lucrative UK licensee, The Ritz Club London Online, for both online casino and poker solutions developed by CryptoLogic.

Mobile Gambling Forum, London.

Osney Media will host the next Mobile Gambling Forum on the 5th and 6th of April at Thistle Marble Arch in central London.

Paul Osmond states that gaming industry analysts predict that the mobile gambling market will “take off within the next 15 months.” The Mobile Gambling Forum will feature the analyses of the pioneers of the mobile gambling industry, such as spokespersons from industry giants such as Paddy Power, Betdaq, Mfuse, 888.com, Carmen Media, Boss Media, Betfair, TeliaSonera Sweden, Cantor Index, Betandwin.com, and Motorola.

Osmond’s press release states that, “Through case studies, panels and roundtable discussions” those in attendance will hear the thoughts of the experts on how to do the following better:

* Launch a successful mobile gambling service

* Build a profitable mobile gambling customer base

* Customise your games to suit the mobile platform and create a good user experience

* Implement effective and secure billing models and registration processes

* Overcome technical barriers of device fragmentation and network incompatibility

* Ensure proper and thorough age verification checks are in place

* Promote m-gambling to the masses without tempting the vulnerable?

* Employ your resources most effectively according to the latest legal developments

To encourage the greatest dialogue, delegates will sit at round tables for an informal and equalizing atmosphere. They will have their discussion time structured in a agenda that will offer presentations on alternative as well as the more conventional industry solutions.

Osmond added that, “... betting and gaming operators are exploring how to extend their offerings to other platforms such as mobile and iTV. With the widespread penetration of mobile phones, the mobile gaming market is estimated to be worth $5.7 billion already by 2006.”

Visit www.osneymedia.co.uk for more information.

Online Casino & Wireless Firm Connect.

The Phantom Fiber Corporation (OTCBB:PHMF), the world’s leading provider of secure wireless technology and mobile solutions, has reached a five-year license agreement with GoldenPalace.com. The online casino will use Phantom's advanced wireless framework to deliver wireless wagering to its customers worldwide.

GoldenPalace.com reportedly selected Phantom Fiber because of the company’s established reputation and for its dominant position within the gaming industry.

GoldenPalace Mobile - www.goldenpalacemobile.com -- will offer entertaining casino-style games which will feature mobile banking facilities for Java-enabled phones and mobile devices powered by Windows Mobile's PocketPC Phone Edition, Smartphone, PalmOS, SymbianOS, and RIM Blackberry. This support, Phantom asserts, literally dominates the global mobile device ecosystem as it consists of over 400 models worldwide.

Richard Rowe, CEO of GoldenPalace.com, said, “We feel that wireless gaming is imperative in delivering a complete solution for our customers and will further serve to increase our market leadership in the industry. With many more phones, many wireless games, and a huge emphasis from carriers to promote data wireless connectivity, we strongly believe momentum is on our side.”

Oasis Online Casino to Offer $1,000,000.

Oasis Casino, Sportsbook & Racebook ( www.oasiscasino.com ) has announced that it will become the “Official” Home of $1,000,000 on February 21, 2005. The million dollars will be available as payout to its online customers who place bets on any Las Vegas scheduled sporting events, and being a customer in its casino is not a requirement to play for the huge prize.

However, Oasis Casino’s Director of Corporate Communication, Randolph Shea, said: “While we are not quite ready to reveal what our latest $1,000,000 payout possibility will entail, I can honestly say that come next week, our customers will have exactly one million reasons to call Oasis their Internet casino.”

Oasis Casino opened for business in 1997 and paid out over $27,000,000 in winnings to its customers in 2004.

Sportsbook.com player wins a vacation for referring friends.

Sportsbook.com players are proud to refer their friends to the world’s largest sportsbook and casino. This week Brian W. is particularly happy that he let some friends in on his favorite gambling site because he’s won a trip to Cozumel, Mexico for turning his buddies on to sportsbook.com!

Brian referred four friends to the “World’s largest sportsbook and casino” between October and December 2004 and sportsbook.com rewarded him with four days at the Melia Cozumel Golf, Beach and Resort’s 18-hole par 72 Championship Golf Course.

'sportsbook.com kicks ass!” said the excited player. “I can’t believe they're flying me down to Mexico because I told a couple of friends where to get a good price on football. I was just doing them a favor!”

sportsbook.com, the world’s largest sportsbook, has one of the most generous refer-a-friend programs online. Players that refer a friend get a heaving 21% of their friend’s first deposit as a bonus! Then they get 21% + $21 for every additional friend they refer. Every referral they make not only earns them money, but brings them one step closer to winning either a Trip to Cozumel or a Porsche Cheyenne. Grand prizes are awarded every three months. For program details, please see: www.referyourfriend.com/.

Online Casino Becomes a Sports Center for a day.

The online casino GoldenPalace.com bid the highest in an unusual eBay auction and obtained the right to change the name of Boston’s FleetCenter Sports Center to it’s own name -- GoldenPalace.com -- for one day.

A bid of $35,099 was what it took to turn a center for professional team sports and other events into an online casino. The one-day name transition has just passed -- February 16, 2005. And yesterday the GoldenPalace.com Sports Center, so to speak, had an advertising presence at the Jumbotron for the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies NBA game.

“GoldenPalace.com” also replaced the FleetCenter name on the FleetCenter's Website. When phone callers called the FleetCenter's automated phone system on Wednesday, they were greeted with a friendly voice that welcomed them to GoldenPalace.com.

The online casino would have appeared to have taken good advantage of its day from eBay’s rotating one-day-only auction offer, and net proceeds from the daily operation that replaces FleetCenter’s name will go to charity.

The FleetCenter became a name-replacement opportunity because it’s become acquired by Delaware North Companies, who want an eventual permanent name change for FleetCenter. Bostonians need to get used to the idea of a name change. The FleetCenter is located in the fifth largest American media market and is home to the legendary Bruins and Celtics franchises. Fleetcenter (yesterday, GoldenPalace.com) is one of only 11 North American venues that are home to both an NHL and an NBA franchise. FleetCenter is also the site of annually held world-renowned concerts, family shows and special events that have drawn more than 20 million fans to the venue since its opening in September, 1995.

Ireland’s greatest bookmaker takes Tribeca ePoker.

Paddy Power has announced that Tribeca Tables Europe will provide Paddy’s customers with Tribeca’s ePoker. Breon Corcoran, spokesperson for Paddy Power, said that online poker has been a “key requirement” for growing Paddy Power’s portfolio of online gaming products and that after a detailed study, Paddy Power opted for Tribeca’s poker software.

Tribeca’s European MD, Steve Cook, was equally flattering of Paddy Power. “Paddy Power,” Cook said, “has a unique brand in the market” and cited Paddy’s “very strong presence” in both Ireland and Great Britain.

Tribeca’s expanding business also includes other prestigious customers such as Blue Sq, Victor Chandler, Golden Palace, and Doyles Room.

Tribeca Tables received an enormous response from International visitors last month at the International Casino Exhibition in London. “We were pleased to meet with so many people and were very happy with the results... This year we expect to continue the tremendous growth with our family of brands and already we have a number of hot deals in the pipeline,” Steve Cook added.

Last Sunday, the 13th of February, the Tribeca Tables network held their second spectacular guaranteed tournament event. $100,000 in prize money was won by customers, which included Paddy Power’s new poker players.

UK’s leading bookmaking chain buys pop TalkSport venture.

William Hill has announced it has bought “The Game,” the popular TalkSport television venture. The Game will be run on William Hill’s interactive TV arm, Channel 425, which is found on Sky.

David Hood, William Hill’s public relations director, said: “There is a lot of interest in sports betting and football -- The Premiership in particular. We believe live broadcasts of ‘The Game’ hosted by Patrick Kinghorn, will prove extremely popular with the early evening viewer and we like the content and the look of the show from Talksport. We feel the previews the show provides to football matches later in the evening, on which William Hill is providing a range of bets, is a natural fit for Channel 425.”

Hood added that since its launch in October, 2004, Channel 425 has built up “a dedicated core of evening punters with its nightly presentation of live greyhound racing,” and added that, “Whilst we currently carry previews of other live sporting events, particularly football, the addition of the Talksport format is sure to widen our audience.” Hood added that Channel 425 “provides the armchair viewer with live sports content between 4pm and 11pm a night.”

Channel 425 will stimulate betting activity through William Hill betting shops and Hill’s online site, www.williamhill.co.uk. Channel 425 also expects to launch a new live TV poker format by April this year, which will offer players the chance to appear on the small screen while participating in online tournaments on Williamhillpoker.com. And through Sky’s “red button” remote control, The TalkSport channel offers a host of RNG products for sale 24 hours per day.

World Poker Tour Rolls Out its Third Smash Season.

The WORLD POKER TOUR™ (WPT) will launch its third smash-hit TV season on March 2 on The Travel Channel, awarding a record-breaking $70+ million in prize money. Debuting 16 much-anticipated new shows, the WPT will air every Wednesday at 9 pm ET/PT. The WORLD POKER TOUR is the international tour of high-stakes tournaments that features professional poker pros, challenged by talented amateurs. In 2005, the WORLD POKER TOUR will be seen not only in millions of living rooms across America, but also in over 50 countries worldwide.

“We enter our Third Season with a legion of fans eagerly awaiting our new shows,” said Steve Lipscomb, Founder and President of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE). “Viewers watch for the sheer dramatic entertainment of the WPT, but many also watch to improve their own game. That is a cornerstone of our success and we believe that this year we’ll teach some exciting new lessons to WPT viewers.”

The show enters its Third Season as a phenomenon that has captured a nation and galvanized a globe full of poker enthusiasts who tune in to watch the weekly minting of millionaires and to learn from the pros how to improve their own game. This season two new tournaments have been added to the tour, The Mirage Poker Showdown and the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship at Bellagio.

The action will again be laced with expert commentary from the show’s hosts, now hailed as poker icons themselves – Shana Hiatt, Vince van Patten, and Mike Sexton. Anheuser Busch will be making its sophomore appearance at WPT events this year. This season, Michelob AmberBock will serve as the WPT’s official sponsor, supporting the show with a national promotion in establishments that culminates in winners earning a seat at the WPT Invitational Tournament.

AnyBets.com Places Pooled Odds on Bet Brain.

AnyBets.com has signed a deal with online odds comparison site BetBrain.com to be the only Pool Betting site listed at the popular pre-game destination.

BetBrain offers comparisons of dozens of bookmakers’ odds on its portal www.betbrain.com and at its white-labeled partner sites. The service, which updates its odds every two minutes, provides sports-bettors a tabular comparison of the current odds at a wide-range of online betting destinations, making choosing where to bet a simple decision.

“AnyBets.com is pleased to be included in the BetBrain odds comparison service,” said founder Graeme Levin. “Because we are a pool betting website, the odds are determined entirely by the market. We frequently have better odds than the fixed-odds bookmakers on traditional sports.

Being listed on BetBrain gives AnyBets.com access to several hundreds of thousands of sports bettors each month, who are eager to benefit from AnyBets.com’s competitive market-driven odds and unique range of propositions. However, not all of AnyBets.com’s unique pools can be displayed on BetBrain.com, because many of the AnyBets pools are unique and thus can’t be compared with odds on other sites.

“Including AnyBets.com on BetBrain.com will make BetBrain a more valuable tool for our users. Because AnyBets.com is a pool betting site, its odds normally move fastest just minutes before the close of betting. AnyBets.com’s inclusion makes last-minute monitoring at BetBrain a must-do for serious sports gamblers,” said Lars Dam-Johnsen, Commercial Director of BetBrain.

AnyBets.com will continue to expand its reach into the multi-billion dollar online sports betting market through white-labeling and partnerships. Traditional poker and casino gambling sites looking to expand into sports betting recognize AnyBets.com’s risk-free white-label pool betting platform as an advantage over fixed-odds betting platforms. Players at poker and casino gambling sites appreciate AnyBets.com’s wide range of unique soft-betting propositions covering sport, finance, society, entertainment and politics. Numerous novelty pools are available.

AnyBets.com can have pools on any event with an outcome and caters for all interests.

eCOGRA and G4 Join Forces.

eCOGRA formed an alliance with the Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4) to battle underage and problem gambling. The player protection body said today that, with the help of G4, it will seek to establish ‘cohesive and formal precautions against underage and problem gambling’.

'The top online casinos regulated by eCOGRA have all made in-house responsible gambling provision as part of their operational structures, and we will beef up this vital function through a partnership with the respected and professional G4 organisation,' says Andrew Beveridge, CEO of eCOGRA.

eCOGRA will work with G4 to design a set of procedures that the body hopes will ‘set the global standard’ in responsible gaming and eCOGRA Seal casinos will be required adhere to these procedures as part of the Generally Accepted Practices (eGAP).

Top G4 executive, Pieter Remmers said: 'These 51 first rate Seal casinos represent a very significant share of the online casino gambling sector, and the real enforcement that is part of the eCOGRA system makes for effective application,' he says.

'Although we have other partnerships in process, this is the big one for us, because eCOGRA will offer brand recognition and allow us to contribute to their sites. It is the first step in getting their members to come aboard.

We have also held discussions with other groups, like the Interactive Gaming Council and certain large online poker networks, and those will continue to be our focus in the short term.'

Online Casino Portal relaunch.

CasinoGames.com has relaunched its site as a gaming portal for online casino players. Players will easily be able to find all they need to know to have a safe, fun and profitable online casino experience.

The staff at Casino Games has researched how to choose an online casino, determine if a casino is safe to play, where to get help if you have an Online Casino dispute and which Casinos offer the best free cash bonuses.

The site is dedicated to both novice first-time online Casino Players, as well as High Rollers. With constant updates to include Casino News, current Free Bonuses and new Casino Reviews, this site will be a stable environment to keep the online player up to date on what is new in the online gambling world.

European Gambling Conference draws on expert opinion.

Many of Europe's leading lawyers, regulators and operators will be amongst the speakers at the European Gambling Briefing, a two-day symposium taking place across 25 and 26 April at the Conrad Hotel, Brussels.

The first pan-European conference of its type, the European Gambling Briefing will provide essential market data, trends, legal, political, economic and industry opinion from 25 key influencers. Headline topics to be discussed at the ATE organised conference include the regulation of European gambling markets, the European Commission's position and strategy for gambling, the case for and against dismantling state gaming monopolies and the business and investment opportunities in Europe for the global gaming industry.

Peter Rusbridge, CEO of ATE said: 'The conference will comprise many of Europe's important players including Jean Bergevin of the European Commission, John Whittaker of Stanleybet, Martin Sychold of the Swiss Comparative Law Institute, Mario Galea, CEO of the Maltese Gaming Authority, Philippe Vlaemminck, EU law specialist and Belgian regulator, Marc Callu. The conference will examine all of the major issues and draw upon the expert opinion of the leading thinkers in their respective fields. It is the best single opportunity for business strategists, investors and gambling operators to get the inside track on legislation affecting the changing European gambling landscape.'

Online Poker site fetches Inside Edge Award.

PokerRoom.com has picked up the prestigious prize of Best Online Poker Site at the Inside Edge Awards 2005.

The readers of Inside Edge magazine voted for the awards through two different voting rounds and the sites in the category were judged on their ease of use, variety of games, tournaments and the speed of pay-out.

Inside Edge commented: 'We asked our voters to tell us how they rated their online poker sites for three different criteria. Our top scorer was PokerRoom.com, which did well to achieve such a solid user satisfaction score among our readers.'

Patrik Selin, casino boss at PokerRoom.com, said: 'We are over the moon to have been honoured in this way by our customers. Throughout 2005, we will continue to innovate and ensure that we provide the best arena in which to play online poker.'

PokerRoom.com were so pleased with their award that they also donated over £10,000 to the charity auction in aid of SPARKS.

Betfair Signs MOU with UEFA.

UEFA, the European football association has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Betfair to help safeguard the integrity of the game. The MOU will allow UEFA to access the betting exchange’s records, should suspicion of match fixing or insider betting arise. The deal represents a further step in the acceptance of the betting exchange model by a major sporting body outside the UK.

UEFA CEO Lars-Christer Olsson, told the press: 'We are happy that we have reached this agreement with Betfair, as it is an important step forward in ensuring the continued integrity of our competitions. This is in line with our permanent efforts to protect the game from match-fixing and will facilitate the gathering of information in case of suspicious results'.

Betfair's CEO Stephen Hill, said: 'We are delighted to be able to add this agreement to those we already have with the governing bodies of sport. Working closely with sporting regulators, and allowing them access to the information we have, is the best way to ensure that sport is kept free of crime. Betfair has no vested interest in the outcome of any event and our interests are absolutely in line with those who run the events. This is good news for the integrity of sport.'
The deal comes hot on the heels of a German match-fixing scandal, in which a referee admitted influencing, and betting upon, the outcome of results.

Youbet.com Reaches $1 Billion in Wagers.

The $2.00 column-altering bet stepped through Youbet's secure wagering system on Monday January 31, 2005.

'The most gratifying part of reaching the $1.0 billion mark in total wagers processed is knowing that more than 70% of it has been amassed since the Company's new management team took over three years ago,' said Charles F. Champion, CEO of the online wagering concern.

'Beginning with the 2002 racing season, we've tripled the amount we add to track pools annually,' Champion continued, 'a real come-from-behind accomplishment for a dot com survivor.'

Youbet's new management group, which took over Company operations in May of 2002, also moved quickly to quell concerns about advanced deposits by establishing a program called The Players Trust(SM). Created in November of that year with a major U.S. banking institution acting as custodian, the Trust houses and protects the deposits and winnings of Youbet's wagering customers without charge.

Online gaming company reports 80% increase in turnover.

betinternet.com the global on-line gaming group has announced interim results for the 26 weeks ended 28 November 2004.

The company has reported that turnover increased by 80% to £47.06m for the 26 week period (2003: £26.20m) and Gross profit is up 32% at £1.48m (2003: £1.12m).

Commenting on the results, Denham Eke, chairman of betinternet, said: “These results show a sharply improved performance at EBITDA level and give me confidence that EBITDA profitability may shortly be achieved.

“The Company is now strongly placed to build upon the initial impressive growth of its pari-mutuel business, European Wagering Services. In addition, the recent successes of its casino and football game offerings are a blue-print for future expansion within the sportsbook business.”

Oasis Casino Blackjack Appearing in a Flash (7.0).

Oasis Casino, Sportsbook & Racebook has announced it is ready to unveil its new Macromedia Flash driven blackjack games. The online casino was set to go live with brand new Flash versions of its two most popular casino games, single deck blackjack and six deck blackjack on February 4th.

The launch of Oasis Casino’s Flash blackjack games is the first of several events planned to introduce the new games. The unveiling on February 4th was followed by the “Blackjack Launch Party” and the “Super Bowl Halftime Blackjack Extravaganza,” which took place on Sunday during the intermission of Super Bowl XXXIX. During these two online promotional events, Oasis gave away over $1000 in cash and prizes at random to casino players who are actively wagering at its new Flash casino blackjack tables.

“Over the past twelve months, we have introduced some very exciting developments to our customers, everything from website upgrades to progressive jackpot payoffs,” said Randolph Shea, Oasis Casino’s Director of Corporate Communication, “but nothing we have done in the past year is as exciting as the introduction of our interactive Flash blackjack games.”

All Jackpots Online Casino celebrates relaunch.

The Jackpot Factory Group of casinos has announced the re-launch of All Jackpots Online Casino now available on the popular Viper online casino software platform.

To celebrate the re-launch, All Jackpots Online Casino is partying throughout February, offering all guests special treats including a Buy $50 Get $200 Free Welcome Bonus, daily cash promotions and other party surprises.

'We’re obviously very excited about All Jackpots upgrading to the Viper software,” stated Jackpot Factory spokesperson David Brickman. “The huge variety, Viper casino features, and easy to use games - especially the slots, add even more appeal to what was already a very popular online casino.”

Eagles’ TE Jeff Thomason will record a reception Sunday.

Jeff Thomason is soaring to celebrity status this week as football fans wonder whether he’ll play and if so, will his first reception be over 5 yards.

“This is the feel good story of the Super Bowl,” says Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, sportsbook.com. “Right now Thomason is competing with Terrell Owens, as the most talked about player for this weekend’s big game. Our players are betting that he will record a reception, but that first catch will be under 5 yards.”

sportsbook.com is offering these odds, among over 700 propositions on the game:

·Receptions

- Over 0.5 (-150)

- Under 0.5 (120)

·Total Receiving Yards on First Reception

- Over 5 (+120)

- Under 5 (-150)

For more information on odds and props for this game and others, please visit www.sportsbook.com

Online Casino buys more flesh for advertising campaign.

Golden Palace has bought a second women’s flesh for advertising space this week. An American woman from Myrtle Beach who was selling advertising on her pregnant belly will receive $4,050 from the online casino.

Amber Rainey will have the online casino's Web site temporarily tattooed to her stomach Thursday. It will remain until she delivers her first child, due on March 21.

Rainey didn't think her belly would fetch much as advertising space, but the casino has a record of unusual buys in online auctions.

Rainey has received national attention as her eBay auction page received more than 50,000 hits. Still, she said she was surprised by the final bid price and other possible perks.

Rainey said Golden Palace officials would like her to expose her belly at concerts and the Super Bowl, though no final decisions have been made.

Online Sportsbook offers real time Super Bowl bets.

Sportsbook has updated its technology to allow punters to bet on games as they play. When the Patriots or the Eagles kick-off Super Bowl XXXIX on Sunday, sportsbook.com will kick-off its real-time odds, allowing fans to follow the game and make new bets or hedge old ones.

'Watching the Super Bowl can be a high tech experience, where savvy bettors have the chance to reap the rewards,' said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportsbook.com. 'Technological advancements and consumer demand have really changed the face of sports betting.'

sportsbook.com has added yet another way to bet on the Super Bowl, with this state-of-the-art betting application allowing bettors to place wagers after the game has started and during game play. The following will be offered during the Super Bowl:

- Super Bowl Game line offered throughout the entire game, updated after each play

- First Quarter Line

- First Half Line

- Second Quarter Line offered at the end of the 1st Quarter

- Second Half Line offered during Half Time

- Third Quarter Line offered during Half Time

- Fourth Quarter Line offered at the end of the 3rd Quarter

Internet Poker Gets Super Bowl Airtime!

Leading online poker site, InterPoker (www.InterPoker.com), has sealed a deal to display 147, 30-second advertisements for InterPoker’s new play for fun site, InterPoker.tv at this Sunday’s Super Bowl and other prominent sporting events throughout the year.

Eye Candy, the company that places and manages giant screen media at major sport and cultural events worldwide, has signed similar deals for Super Bowl airtime with major corporations such as Coke and Citibank. “This deal is an indication of the popularity of poker in America,” said Michael Caselli, editor of America’s largest poker publication “Bluff”.

Besides the Super Bowl coverage, InterPoker has taped into the homes of America with the television program ‘Caribbean Poker Classic’ (CPC) which aired last night on Rogers Sports. The CPC chronicled the trials and successes of InterPoker online poker players, as they battled for their share of almost $1 million in a high pressure, high stakes poker tournament set in the idelic island paradise of St Maarten.

A spokesperson for Eye Candy said: “Our company is dedicated to developing advertising solutions for companies worldwide through highly specialized, cost effective forms of international sports and cultural event marketing. It’s great to have InterPoker on board and be part of such an exciting, rapidly developing industry.”

“We’re really excited about the new ads and they look fantastic on the big screen. InterPoker.tv is the best play for fun poker site on the internet and we wanted to find a big stage to reflect this. We are keeping the ads a closely guarded secret before the game, so you’ll just have to wait and see what InterPoker.tv has done,” said Mike de Halpert, Manager of InterPoker.com.

The One Million Dollar sportsbook.com Super Bowl Challenge.

Sportsbook.com is celebrating the world’s most spectacular sporting event with a Million-dollar giveaway. By the time the Eagles and the Patriots are done battling for football’s most prestigious crown this Sunday, one shrewd sports fan will be one million dollars richer!

The contest is open to everyone who visits www.sportsbook.com/contest/million.php

Simply answer 20 questions on different aspects of the game, from the outcome of coin toss to the total rushing yards by the Patriots. Should you answer all 20 questions correctly, there is a million dollars waiting for you.

Should no one answer all 20 correctly, then the closest contestants will share a prize pool of $6,000. $2,000 will go to the winner, with $1,500 for second place, $1,000 for third place, and $500 and $250 for fourth and fifth respectively. Sixth through tenth will receive a free $50 free wager and a Namco video game. All customers enter a prize draw to win one of 50 Rolling Stones Forty Licks CDs.

“We wanted to make Super Bowl Sunday more exciting for the players at sportsbook.com than anywhere else,” explains Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director for Sportingbet PLC, Americas Region. “After all the props and exotic betting options we have for the game, we decided we should give players the chance at a big jackpot win as well. This contest will have fans on the edge of their seats right through the end of the game.”

To enter Sportbook.com’s Free Million Dollar Contest visit www.sportsbook.com/contest/million.php

Online Casino 32Red awarded Best Casino by Casinomeister

This week Online Casino 32Red has been awarded the Best Casino 2004 title by Player Advocate and Casino Watchdog site, Casinomeister This most recent success is a repeat of last year’s win by the Gibraltar-based outfit and underlines 32Red’s position as the player’s firm favourite. Having scooped the industry’s most important award last year, 32Red once again took the top honours thanks to its continued focus on delivering unrivalled levels of support and service to its players.

In his summary of the award, Casinomeister Bryan Bailey said, “I would have to be a fool to not choose 32Red Casino as the Casinomeister Casino of the Year 2004. They have managed once again to not only impress players with exceptional customer service, but to serve as a template for their peers and competitors as the epitome of a well-run casino”.

He added, “There is no doubt that the operators and staff of 32Red Casino take their jobs seriously and that they place the care of their players as a top priority”.

32Red’s Ed Ware said, “This award once again underlines our commitment to providing the ultimate online gaming experience. Whilst we work very hard to deliver our promises to our players, being recognized by the most important independent authority in the industry is something we are extremely proud of. Casinomeister sets extremely high standards and to be the recipient of this award for the second consecutive year is a cracking endorsement of our service.”

“We will be celebrating for the next few weeks and in keeping with our philosophy of putting the player first, giving every one of our players who visited our tables in 2004 some free chips on the House”.

Online Casino Celebrates Launch of its Live Gaming Platform.

MVP Casino has announced the official launch of its second-generation live gaming platform in conjunction with CWC Gaming in response to double digit growth at its live online casino.

Featuring smoother video, crisper sound, and sharper animated graphics, the browser-based Flash Casino allows players to have quick access to the games as there is no casino software to download. Plus, the casino can be played on both PCs and Macs, and on a variety of browsers including Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, and Safari.

Explaining the need for the new software, Eddie C., casino manager for MVP Casino, stated “Player registrations at our webcam casino grew at a rate of 75% over a six month period. Players are simply demanding the transparency and fairness that only a webcam casino can offer. When we saw CWC’s new flash software, with it’s fantastic new streaming video, we knew we had to implement it as soon as possible.”

To celebrate the launch of the new flash software, for a limited time, MVP Casino is offering all players a special deposit bonus of 100% up to $100.

Eddie further explained that MVP Casino has plans to introduce blackjack tournaments in the near future. “With close to 200 people on our waiting list, we can’t wait to take live gaming to the next level. The live software just allows for fantastic interactivity between players and dealers and players and players. I know that players are going to love the experience.'

Odds fall on naked Britney Playboy pose.

With Britney Spears’ nude photos being the worst kept secret since J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s marriage, betcom.com was forced to take down the betting odds until there is a resolution.

“The photos sure seem real, and they definitely have that classy Playboy feel to them,” said Will Hawkins, props department manager for betcom.com.

“We strive to offer our customers all kinds of entertainment props to bet on in addition to our regular sports and casino games,” added Hawkins.

Betcom has many other ‘Playboy Props,’ such as: Will Janet Jackson pose nude for Playboy? and What will the Olsen twins do first, get married, give birth, or pose for Playboy?

“We have a lot of fun with these bets and so do our customers,” said Hawkins. “And as you can see, when we created these betting odds we never thought that Britney would be the winning ticket!”

Super Bowl Props are ‘King’ at sportsbook.com.

Sports betting commentator Will McCulloch revels in the creative betting propositions that linesmakers dream up to keep the game interesting even when the win is a foregone conclusion.

“Super Bowl is time to celebrate the ridiculous nature of the sports bet!” laughs McCulloch days before the biggest single betting event of the year. “This is time to applaud the magnificent props dreamed up by linesmakers everywhere. sportsbook.com staffers, for instance, did an incredible job this year. My only question is how much beer and food must be consumed to arrive at this prop bet: ‘Who will have more on February 1st—Patriots points or Italy/Ireland points in a Rugby game.’”

“We're offering you hundreds and hundreds of great bets on the Super Bowl at sportsbook.com. From adjusted lines to player and game props, our goal is to have more bets than anyone online, anyone in Vegas, anyone anywhere,” siad Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportingbet PLC, Americas Region.

“Last week I bet on Brady not throwing an interception, Viniateri scoring the first points, and Deion Branch having a big game,” gloats McCulloch. “The only prop I lost was Brian Westbrook having a run of more than 14.5 yards. His longest was 14.”

Can McCulloch live up to that on Super Bowl Sunday? Here are some of the props he likes:

Will the first touchdown of the game will be a:

Passing TD (-220) or Any other (+180)?

McCulloch says “field goal”.

Will Tom Brady throw an interception?

Yes (-150), No (+120)

Brady has been here before. No interceptions.

Who will have more Sean May rebounds or Adam Vinatieri points?

I see May getting more than 9 boards, which is the number of points Adam V. will get.

Will the coin toss be heads or tails?!

I always go with tails. It never fails. The best bet of them all.

For all of Sportsbook.com’s Super Bowl props, see: http://www.sportsbook.com/articles/superbowl2005.pdf

For Will McCulloch’s weekly sports betting commentary, see: http://sportsbook.com/articles/mcculloch.html

Winter’s here to stay according to one online sportsbook.

According to online bookmaker Intertops.com the 119th Groundhog Day is just around the corner but Spring is not.

Eager weather enthusiasts and fans of Punxsutawney Phil, the weather predicting woodchuck, will flock to the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in the early morning of February 2 to see if his shadow casts itself upon the ground at Gobbler's Knob. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we will have to endure six more weeks of winter.

Ever since 1886 when the first burrowing barometer saw his shadow on the ground and promptly dived back into his subterranean hideaway for another six weeks, this otherwise unknown town has been known as the 'Weather Capital of the World.' A groundhog-shaped shadow has been cast 94 times, which is why Intertops.com is tipping the odds heavily in favour of an extended winter at 1/5 though judging by this year's climatic trends, Phil could be staying out with his shades on at odds of 3/1.

'We have always had fantastic action on Groundhog Day, and as it happens four days before Super Bowl XXXIX, we are expecting our customers to have a flutter on the (marmot) fur as well as the pigskin,' said Intertops.com Chief Operations Officer Michael Maerz.

'At Intertops.com we are waiting to see what Punxsutawney Phil predicts for the next six weeks before we put away our winter woollies -- you can bet on that!' he added.

Gamblers Want Zen Master Courtside.

BetUs.com has posted odds on Phil Jackson to return to New York and pull the Knicks out of a losing rut and big money wagers are being placed on Jackson's return to the court.

'Even though interim coach Herb Williams is the current betting favourite, unless he does a spectacular job over the next few months, I expect the Knicks' management to look elsewhere next season,' says Mike Foreman, spokesperson for BetUS.com.

ESPN reported that Jackson would accept a phone call to discuss the possibility should Isiah Thomas approach him about the coaching position with his former team. The Zen Master has said he doesn't have the urge to coach, but is willing to entertain the idea. Although Jackson may not feel the fire for coaching, many others are fuelling the prospect of Jackson's return through the media.

'Jackson may already have nine NBA championships rings, but there are still many that doubt whether he's the greatest coach of all time,' says Foreman. 'He was blessed with Jordan, Kobe and Shaq. There has to be something inside him that wants to prove the nay-sayers wrong and build a championship team without one of the greatest players of all time.'

According to Foreman, Jackson is the best coach available for the job - 'without a doubt.' Despite those who may question Jackson's ability, the Knicks have a line-up of talented players and need a strong coach to build them into an elite team. 'Our customers are backing Jackson,' says Foreman. 'They believe Jackson's ego will get the best of him and bring him back to the court.'

BetUS.com has Jackson listed at 4/1, behind betting favorite Williams, listed at 2/1. The company's Website also features wagers on other coaching possibilities such as Michael Jordan and Rick Majerus.

Betfair expands with Yahoo.

UK online betting exchange Betfair has signed a deal with Yahoo UK and Ireland, extending its betting platform to a mass-market audience.

Yahoo Betting, to be launched in March, will be built and managed by Betfair and customised for Yahoo users.

Betting exchanges enable punters to bet with each other. They make their money by charging a commission on winnings.

Privately-owned Betfair, founded in 1999, is by far the largest player among UK-based exchanges.

The Yahoo service is expected to offer markets on sports and finance events.31/1/05
Totesport Launches Online Casino.

Gaming and betting operator Totesport has launched an online casino, called totesportcasino.com.

Developed by Playtech, the casino features more than 60 games and slots along with 40 instant casino and arcade games.

There are also 10 progressive games which have been designed to regularly produce six-figure jackpots.